Chapter 210 - The Scum Is Warm

Countless figures stood not far from them, standing tall and motionless. They are dressed with unfamiliar clothes, and wore different expressions on their face.

However, what made all the hairs on their body raise are these figures' eyes that have no pupils and are vacantly staring at them. It wasn't until the night pearl have travelled far and disappeared from their sight along with its light did they returned to their senses and realized that the figures standing are statues.

"That scared me!" Tang Yun exclaimed as he clutched his chest. His forehead was soaked with cold sweat.

Meanwhile, Guo Cheng looked pale in horror while Tang Zhe was frozen from sight. Even Shan Lu who is usually brainless was taken aback for a moment before he finally reacted. "Statues?!" he said. His face, contrary to the others, had an excited expression.

Fortunately, Tang Zhe and Guo Cheng didn't make Shan Lu their lead. Wu Xi, whose face was covered by a mask, his expression couldn't be seen. He raised his Thought Talisman made by Cheng Sheng for him. His thoughts that were conveyed to words by the Thought Talismans glowed.

"No wonder we couldn't feel someone was staring at us. Their gaze has no life."

They all nodded in agreement. Whether it was a hostile gaze or a gaze filled with affection, if stared by it, they would feel it. Unless it was someone who has a higher cultivation than them staring at them so they wouldn't notice or feel their gaze, or just that they are too oblivious to the gaze directed at them.

While the former is frightening, the ones who have low EQ are naturally the latter.

Guo Cheng finally recovered his usual calm and he turned to Shan Lu. "Why do you look so excited?!" he snapped at him. Because he was very frightened earlier, he hit Shan Lu to vent.

Shan Lu, who never minded Guo Cheng's remarks or violence on him, stupidly grinned. "Statues are ancient artifacts. They must be valuable!" he explained.

"You… are you planning to steal the statues?!" Tang Yun asked.

"Can't I?" Shan Lu asked back as he blinked.

Suddenly, Tang Zhe and Guo Cheng fell silent. Since Tang Zhe was adopted by the Tang family, he was raised with care since he was a child, and he never felt hungry. Likewise with Tang Yun. Meanwhile, Guo Cheng, who came from an ordinary family, their parents can feed them, their children.

However, Shan Lu grew up in the streets where he has to fight the others to feed himself. It was already a blessing that he can eat twice a day. What's worse is he is starved for a couple of days, and when he couldn't endure it anymore, he would steal from the bakeries, or some passersby.

It was through this that the Tang family head, and the Huakai Sect's leader, Tang Teng, met Shan Lu. As a cultivator, naturally he would notice someone stealing his purse. More so, he has a high cultivation. Thus, he tracked down Shan Lu and saw Shan Lu buying food from a shop. However, with Shan Lu's dirty clothes and body, the shopkeeper knew Shan Lu stole someone's money.

The shopkeeper naturally didn't let Shan Lu buy anything from the shop. What's worse, the shopkeeper even tried to take the money from Shan Lu. At that time, Shan Lu was just a small kid, so he was powerless against an adult.

Tang Teng immediately appeared and asked the shopkeeper what he is doing. The shopkeeper answered that Shan Lu was trying to beg him for some food. And when he didn't give him food, Shan Lu robbed him!

How can Tang Teng, who has been watching the whole time, not know that the shopkeeper is lying? Even if he hadn't seen the scene, but he knows that a small child cannot overpower an adult to rob him, so a child can only sneak on them.

Tang Teng was enraged. However, he cannot hurt an ordinary person so he emptied his purse, that the shopkeeper was holding, using his spiritual energy and transferred the money to his qiankun pouch. Then, picking up Shan Lu, he left without a word.

Tang Teng, who has a soft heart towards children, brought Shan Lu to the Huakai Sect and raised him along with Tang Zhe and Tang Yun. Tang Zhe has always been smart, and Tang Yun likes to follow Tang Zhe, acting as his small tail. Thus, Tang Teng wasn't worried for Shan Lu to be bullied, since Tang Zhe and Tang Yun were obedient children.

It was unexpected that Shan Lu is the mischievous kid. He was also hard-headed. Thus, Tang Teng named him 'Shan Lu'. 'Shan' (mountain) since he is an unmoving mountain when he is obstinate and 'lu' for being crass.

Guo Cheng was choked with emotions as he stared at Shan Lu. His eyes reddened because of tears and, even though they cannot see his face because the darkness returned after the night pearl disappeared, he still turned his head to hide his face when his tears finally fell.

He came from an ordinary family, but since their resources was split among all of their relatives, the portion of his food is reduced. It is already fortunate to receive half of the food intended for him, but he usually received even lesser than a half. It wasn't surprising he became undernourished, so when he grew up, the frame of his body is small compared to his peers. It is inevitable to be bullied.

He was unresigned of his life. Thus, he decided to be a cultivator. It doesn't matter which sect it is, since he had been resourceful since he was young. He is hardworking, and so he will become cultivator.

When he became an outer disciple of the Huakai Sect, he had heard of the 'legendary trio'. They were the three children of Tang Teng. Tang Yun, his son; Tang Zhe, his adoptive son who is his deceased friend's son; and Shan Lu, who is an orphaned and a beggar child.

Hearing about this Shan Lu, Guo Cheng felt both sympathetic and envious. Sympathetic, since he almost became a beggar child like him had he not have parents, and he can still eat three times a day, wear clothes and has a shelter to live in. Envious, since he felt Shan Lu was lucky to be adopted by Tang Teng. But, his sympathy is greater than his envy. Thus, he didn't mind this Shan Lu anymore and continued to live by his own.

However, no man is an island. He wasn't destined to be alone, and instead he will have his destiny cross another's destiny. He inadvertently met Shan Lu.

It was during when he was fetching water to bathe. It was inevitable to be bullied in a big sect like the Huakai Sect, especially when you're an outer disciple, and has a small figure. Thus, he was 'accidentally' pushed by the inner disciples and he fell on the water.

Worse, he had scraped his knee and arm, and his palm was cut when he fell on the rocks under the water, and he tried to use the protruding rocks to prevent his fall. They saw his palm bled, and his body was thoroughly soaked. He only had one pair of the sect's uniform.

At that moment, he thought if he should regret his decision to leave his home to lessen the mouths his family has to feed. If he didn't leave his family, he can still eat three times a day albeit his food was halved. If he didn't leave his family, he could still have worn more layers of clothes. Yet, he left. He cannot go back now.

Suddenly, his thoughts were abruptly stopped when he heard a loud splash of water. He turned, and only saw a figure falling from the water. The inner disciples have already left. He tried to stand to see what it is that fell before leaving, only to cry when his knee, arm and palm ached.

He helplessly sighed and endured the pain, only to be surprised when his vision suddenly turned upside down. He thought he's gonna faint from blood loss, only to realize that strong arms were wrapped around his back, supporting him, and raised him with another arm under his knees.

He felt dizzy, and after he calmed himself, he lifted his gaze. He saw a soaked youth the same age as him. His hair was wet, and water was dripping from the tips of his hair down to his forehead, cheeks, up to his lips that were grinning widely.

"Hello!" the youth greeted. "I saw you fell and hurt yourself, so I came to save you!" he told him. His eyes narrowed into crescents.

It wasn't someone falling to the water, but someone diving to save him.

For the first time, Guo Cheng felt warmth. All this time he thought it's better to be alone, but when you were given warmth by another person, you would seek the same warmth. 

Wasn't this Shan Lu who saved him? He looked stupid, but he felt warm despite the cold water seeping through their clothes. Well, then. In exchange for this warmth he's given him, he'll teach him all the knowledge he has for a lifetime.