"When I first saw you, Immortal Master, I thought you were just an ordinary young man. From head to toe, you did not look the least bit otherworldly. Daoist Master Xiao and the old monk Mingyue both had more of an immortal bearing than you. But although you saw me stealing money, you did not catch me. Though I was somewhat disrespectful to you then, I knew you would not mind! Because I saw no disdain or malice in your eyes. There was only peace and serenity! It was that very peace that made me feel safe for the first time after my father passed away!"
"Even when you... saved me, all I saw in your eyes was a kind of disdain. That disdain immediately made me feel ashamed of my own inferiority. I knew... you were no ordinary person, Immortal Master. And when I heard of the miracle at Jiangchao Temple, I immediately had a feeling that I had to find you. Only you could save Xiao Yun; only you could pull me out of the quagmire that was the Pifeng Gang..."
"Grrr..." As he spoke, a rumble came from Liu Yi's stomach. Several hours had passed since the afternoon. Xiao Hua naturally felt nothing, but Liu Yi and the others had not touched food or water and had long since become hungry.
"Whoosh..." A tiny black shadow flew from Yuan Ya's horse some distance away and landed on the carriage beside Liu Yi. Xiao Hua looked over and saw that it was the meat buns Yuan Ya always kept on hand!
Liu Yi caught them, opened the oilpaper wrapping, took a savage bite, and said with a smile, "Thank you for the buns, Brother Ya!"
"Mhm..." Yuan Ya responded, saying nothing more. His voice actually trembled slightly.
"Alas~"