"Xiao Fei, go wash yourself off."
Lu Yu looked at the bloodstains on Lu Fei, then raised a hand and gently patted his shoulder. He offered no further words of comfort.
Some changes of heart and some casting off of cowardice could not be brought about by any amount of persuasion from others. Only by experiencing them firsthand and letting them settle over time could one change completely.
Lu Fei nodded blankly, but remained standing there in a daze, his emotions still far from settled.
Lu Yu sighed softly and turned into the dilapidated little hut where he had stayed for three days since transmigrating. His gaze slowly swept over the empty, shabby interior as he murmured to himself.
"It's time to leave this tiny beginner village and venture into a wider world."
Lu Yu walked to the foot of the bed, bent down, and took a crude earthenware jar from beneath it. He poured out its contents, revealing a handful of Copper Soul Coins. Su Yuntao had given him the coins on the day his Martial Soul had left him in despair.
As for Spirit Hall's Basic Meditation Method, Lu Yu had discovered the first time he practiced it that it was far inferior to the Taiqing True Qi Manual he had cultivated in his previous life. He had burned the book that very day.
Lu Yu carefully tucked all the Copper Soul Coins into his clothes and looked around the hut once more. A faint trace of sorrow swept through his heart.
This shabby hut, which held all the suffering and struggles of the body's original owner, truly had nothing in it. The bedding was worn and ragged, stuffed with nothing but dried thatch. Its poverty was heartbreaking.
Lu Yu looked down at the lively, well-behaved Great Sage by his feet, and a relieved smile slowly rose to his lips.
"Let's go, Great Sage. From today onward, the sea is wide for fish to leap, and the sky is high for birds to fly."
Great Sage seemed to understand him. He immediately let out a few clear squeaks, nimbly scrambled up Lu Yu's trouser leg, and settled down on his shoulder.
Lu Yu took one last, long look at the shabby little hut, then stepped through the door for good.
Outside, Lu Fei still stood silently with his head bowed. Faint bloodstains remained on his fingertips and the hem of his clothes, and he was still caught up in the shock and emotions of what had just happened.
Lu Yu shook his head helplessly, stepped forward, and gently took Lu Fei's bloodstained little hand. He turned with Lu Fei and strode resolutely toward Nuoding City.
Behind them lay a past of relentless bullying and an impoverished, dilapidated homeland. Before them lay a new road filled with unknowns and boundless opportunities.
(PS: Just assume Great Sage is always by Lu Yu's side. He isn't much use right now, and I'm afraid you'll think I'm padding the word count if I write too much about him.)
Meanwhile, the boy whose calf had been struck by the stick stumbled toward the village chief's house, dragging the barely breathing Ta Ke along.
The boy's heart held nothing but fear. He dared not look back or stop; he only wanted to get home as quickly as possible and escape this place of trouble.
After a rough journey of nearly half an hour, the boy finally dragged the critically injured Ta Ke to the entrance of the village chief's house.
Villagers chatting nearby saw the bloody scene and instantly scattered in an uproar. They rushed into the chief's house, shouting.
"Chief, something terrible has happened! Ta Ke's been hurt!"
The village chief was resting in the main room when he heard them. His expression abruptly changed, and he rose from his chair and rushed out the door.
When he saw Ta Ke on the ground, his face swollen and his breathing growing ever fainter, the chief's pupils contracted and his whole body trembled.
The village chief's family had only one male heir in each generation, and Ta Ke was his only grandson. The chief had spoiled him since childhood, shielding him at every turn and holding him dear to his heart. After Ta Ke awakened Soul Power, that indulgence had known no bounds. But now Ta Ke was barely breathing, a pitiful sight.
The chief staggered forward and threw himself down, trembling as he bent to gather Ta Ke into his arms. The skin beneath his fingertips was icy cold, and Ta Ke's breathing was so faint it was almost nonexistent.
The chief's eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared at the villagers gathered around him, "Who?! Who beat my grandson into this state?!"
His roar rang throughout the courtyard, his voice hoarse and ferocious.
The boy who had dragged Ta Ke back was already limp with fright. He sat on the ground, shivering, and stammered out the whole story from beginning to end.
"It... it was Lu Yu and Lu Fei. We went out to play with Ta Ke today, and found out Lu Fei had awakened his Martial Soul and become a Soul Master. Then Ta Ke got beaten by Lu Fei. We couldn't stop him at all..."
"Lu Yu! Lu Fei!!"
The village chief ground his teeth and spat out the two names word by word. Killing intent seethed in his eyes, and his face twisted into a terrifying mask.
"Fine! Just fine!"
The chief put Ta Ke down and sprang to his feet, the killing intent in his eyes impossible to conceal. He turned to one of his relatives and gave an order.
"You two, take Ta Ke to the city by ox cart and find the best doctor. Cure him no matter how much it costs, understood?"
The two relatives the chief pointed at exchanged a glance, then looked at Ta Ke's gruesome state on the ground, their expressions grave. With injuries like his, saving him was probably impossible, but neither dared say so to the chief's face. They answered in unison, "Understood, Chief!"
Seeing them nod, the chief turned to the other villagers. "Come with me. Today I'll tear those two little beasts to pieces and avenge my grandson!"
At that, the villagers all took a step back, their faces full of reluctance. When no one spoke up, the chief merely swept a cool glance over them, snorted, and waved his hand before leaving with his five remaining relatives.
A few people still trailed noisily behind them, all hoping to watch the excitement.
Before long, more than twenty people arrived at the hut where Lu Yu and Lu Fei had lived. The chief pointed at its wooden door and gave an order.
"Go. Bring those two little beasts out here."
One of his relatives strode forward and kicked the rickety wooden door off its hinges. He looked around, but the hut was empty. They had long since fled.
"Chief, nobody's here!" the relative shouted, turning toward the chief outside.
"They ran?!"
The chief growled through clenched teeth, with nowhere to vent the fury filling his chest. His gaze swept venomously over the shabby hut, and a ruthless thought arose in his heart.
"Someone, burn it! Burn this wretched hut to the ground. I'd like to see where those two little beasts will live then."
At his command, someone immediately went to light some firewood and threw it into the hut. A raging blaze slowly rose and engulfed the shabby dwelling. Thick smoke billowed, flames soared into the sky, and the crackle of burning wood rang through heaven and earth.
In only a few moments, the hut collapsed with a crash amid the flames, reduced to a charred ruin.
Even after the fire consumed the house, it could not quell the killing intent in the chief's heart. He stood before the sea of flames, his face dark and cold, and gave an order in a low voice.
"Arrange for some people to keep watch. The moment they spot those two little beasts, notify me. If they dare run, break their legs."
"Yes, Chief!" His relatives agreed and turned to find other villagers to keep watch. They certainly weren't going to do such a thankless job themselves; it wasn't their own child who had been beaten.
But everything the chief did was in vain. Lu Yu had long since left the village with Lu Fei, and the next time they met would be the day the chief's entire family was wiped out.
(PS: Here's the chapter I owed you from yesterday! Six thousand Chinese characters a day is killing me! Boo-hoo-hoo!)