Whenever that happened, another, taller boy would rush over, shield him behind his back, and sternly shout down the boys mocking him.
The children he shouted down did not go far. Instead, they continued jeering in unison:
"Lü Ajiu, little stutterer, cowardly and filthy!"
"Lü Ajiu, little cripple, your mother ran off with someone!"
"Lü Ajiu, little shadow, you call for Senior Brother even to eat and sleep!"
His face burning crimson with shame, the small boy ducked behind the taller boy. He felt wronged, but dared not talk back.
The taller boy rolled up his sleeves and charged headlong at them, fighting the whole group without a thought for how badly they outnumbered him.
That evening, when the taller boy was punished by being made to kneel in the scripture hall, the smaller boy secretly brought him a steamed bun hidden in his clothes. The two martial brothers split it in half and ate happily.
"Senior Brother Zhou Ang, they laughed at me for being your little shadow."
"Let them talk! What's shameful about a junior martial brother following his senior martial brother? As long as I have a breath of strength left, no one will bully you, Ajiu!"
"Senior Brother, Master said I was born to be a sword cultivator. Once I master a flying sword, I'll protect you!"
"Good!"
The dream came in fragments. One moment, the two were eating a steamed bun together in the scripture hall; in the blink of an eye, they were inside a demon grotto.
Demonic beasts with grotesque bodies surrounded them.
"Ajiu, draw your sword! Hurry, draw your sword!"
A tall young man struggled desperately against the demonic beasts attacking from all sides, constantly shouting at a small, thin young man crouching in a corner behind him, clutching a sword.
"Senior