章節 4: The Outcast In Sacntuary
The great mountains of Weiji were graced by yet another lovely day, as the sun cast its warm rays over the peaceful village.
The denizens went about their daily routines, with the adults performing their necessary tasks. The men tended to the fields, reared livestock, and repaired structures, while the women took on the honorable role of caring for their families. Through this division of labor, the village enjoyed a measure of fairness and respect between the genders, making it a haven for all who lived there.
However, not everything in Weiji was idyllic. The sound of children's screams shattered the tranquility, as a group of youngsters lay on the ground, beaten and battered. Their tattered clothing was dirtier than usual, smeared with the grime of the floor they cowered upon. They didn't choose to be in this pitiful state. Instead, they were forced into it by the only boy standing tall among them.
The boy had rough, black hair that seemed to defy all attempts to tame it. His wide eyes fixated on the cowering children, his gaze merciless and unyielding. Though he was only five, his expression was that of the most hardened adult. The other children were no match for his overwhelming superiority, and their powerless words fell on deaf ears.
"E-eeek!" one of the children cried out, as the boy continued to torment them.
"You brute!" another yelled, while a third threatened to tell their parents.
But the boy remained unmoved, his face showing no hint of compassion. Even as some of the children began to weep uncontrollably, he stood tall, a symbol of unyielding strength and unwavering dominance. In this moment, the peaceful haven of Weiji seemed a little less perfect, tainted by the cruelty of a single child.
Who could blame the villagers for their apprehension towards Liu? Infamous troublemaker, he feared neither young nor old, male nor female. Those who crossed him faced dire consequences. His antics were well-known to every able-bodied person in Weiji.
Just days ago, Liu had been caught red-handed stealing potatoes from the garden of the farming trio: Haofu, Hoase, and Nong. A ferocious chase ended in his capture and discipline. Some may argue that a dozen lashes on a child's bare buttocks were too severe, but for someone like Liu, it was a well-deserved punishment. Some could argue that it was not enough.
The day after Liu's flogging, he was already up to his old tricks, making trouble with the adults. Unable to outmaneuver them as a group, Liu picked them off one by one in separate encounters and made a public mockery of them. Though he was but a child, his strikes were forceful enough to leave a mark, speaking volumes about his character.
Sly as a serpent, yet stubborn as a bull, Liu would never rest as long as he had breath within him and his eyes were open.
"Tch… you think I care? Next time you make fun of my face or my name, you're going to suffer even more!" he yelled at the group of children on the ground, among them even the little flower, known as the cutest girl in her age range. Liu's violence spared no one.
His twisted philosophy was simple: anyone who disturbed him would face the same fate. "I don't care what you say or do. You mess with me, and you're going to get it!" he roared.
In Liu, there was an unyielding force, a never-ending flame that could not be extinguished.
"Now leave! Unless you want another round of punishments…" Drawing closer to the frightened kids, the little runt grinned devilishly while raising both hands as though he would grab the lot of them and swallow them whole.
"ARRRGHHHH!!!"
"SAAVEEE MEEEE!!!"
"MAMAAAAAA!!!"
As the other kids fled for their lives, little Liu couldn't help but laugh at their pathetic states. Watching them skitter away gave him an immense sense of satisfaction. He couldn't care less about their injuries or any emotional damage they sustained. All that mattered was that they learned their lessons and didn't dare to bother him again.
"Hehe, serves them right for making fun of me," Liu grinned, relishing his newfound power. He decided to run off to play by himself, basking in the warm glow of his victory.
The reason the kids got into trouble with him was because they crossed a line he would not condone. They called his name stupid and weird, and they laughed at how he looked. This wasn't the first time he had heard the kids mention this, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. However, Liu took it upon himself to always discipline those who chose to bring it up. He had been told many times that many of the children meant no harm by their comments, but he still dealt with them as they deserved.
To the villagers, Liu's name was a certain oddity. It connoted violence, and for a peace-loving place like this, a name like that was indeed strange. They whispered about him behind his back, afraid to confront him face-to-face. But Liu didn't care about their opinions. He was used to being an outcast, and he wore his name like a badge of honor.
As for his face, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it. Liu was a healthy boy with no deformities. He had quite a handsome face and a well-rounded body for his age. However, there was something about it that stood out. And that was Liu's pair of wide eyes.
"Tch! Crazy little bastards…" He murmured as he found his perfect resting place. It was located at the edge of the mountain, overlooking the village. Liu enjoyed resting his body there whenever he felt the need to think or rest his head.
Unlike most children, Liu had abnormally wide eyes. It wasn't due to any medical problem, but simply because of his choice of expression. Ever since he was a child, he always kept his eyes wide open, except when he slept, of course. His dark gaze was said to be able to pierce through anything and inspire fear in anyone who stared at his eyes for too long. As a result, many people avoided him. Those that didn't choose to make fun of him for his unique looks, that is.
In his opinion, they deserved every beating they got. "Haa… I feel so much better now," Liu smiled, relaxing as the winds swept through his body. He enjoyed the feeling of being on the edge, both literally and figuratively. The stone houses of the village were a good distance from him, and he could enjoy himself without interruption. He had been doing this for so long that he didn't even feel any danger despite being a step away from plunging to his death.
"Why would he be scared, though? After all, he had already died once before," Liu thought, remembering the accident that almost claimed his life. He had been fearless ever since, knowing that nothing could scare him more than death itself.
"Those kids… threatening not to play with me. Pfft, who cares?" Liu grinned. He didn't need a couple of runts to enjoy himself. No, it would even be even stranger if he did. The adults in the village would make better company than them, but all of them were so boring that he also found them insufferable.
"Especially those three idiots. They're so unreasonable. Especially that Nong…" He murmured.
The only reason he was on their farms was because they lost a bet with his father and owed him several tatoes. They had lost, yet they kept making excuses to avoid paying what they owed.
As his father's soft-hearted nature was often taken advantage of, they would have gotten away with their misdeeds if it wasn't for him. He took matters into his own hands and decided to fetch the potatoes himself. However, instead of being grateful, they accused him of stealing and even flogged him for his righteous actions.
"Tch...cheapskates. They deserved to taste my whip. I just wish I could grow up already. I'm too weak to mete out the right punishment on them," Liu grumbled.
Five years had passed since he died in his previous life, and he found himself in a strange new world. At first, he was confused by everything around him. The people dressed oddly, and they spoke a language foreign to him. He tried to resist, but he found himself in a baby's body. It took him a long time to understand and accept that he had been reborn into a new world, a world without the struggles of his past life.
This was a different world, one where he had a loving family, a name, and a face. He couldn't bear anyone ridiculing the things he now had.
"Everyone here is dirt poor, and we eat practically the same food every day, except during festive periods," Liu mused.
Admittedly, this life was only marginally better than his previous one in terms of enjoyment. However, the little differences, the warm house, the loving family, and the peaceful neighborhood were enough to make him content.
"I love it here. Haaa…"
Liu knew he could make life better for himself and the people around him. Despite how much they annoyed him, he couldn't help but like these people. Even when he caused trouble and made mistakes, they forgave him quickly.
"The idiotic trio is an exception, though. Hmmph!"
Even when he beat up their children, the villagers only gave him warnings and slight spankings. Those still hurt, and the pain made him uneasy, but he usually ignored them. He realized that their restraint was what made the village thrive, and he decided to show restraint as well.
"At least I don't stab or beat them half to death anymore. Those were dark days, were they not?" Liu whispered as he savored the breeze.
These five years were the best times of his life—at least the parts he could remember. He still didn't know why he was in this world, but Liu didn't care.
The world seemed to stand still as Liu surveyed his surroundings. He was here now, and that was all that mattered. The air was still and the only sound was the rustling of the leaves in the trees. Suddenly, a sharp voice pierced the silence, causing Liu to jump to his feet in alarm.
"H-hey, Liu! Is that you? What are you doing over there?!" The voice belonged to Nong, the one person Liu detested the most out of his three idiotic friends.
"Oh, shit, it's Nong!" Liu gritted his teeth at the sight of his unwelcome visitor.
"So this is where you've been hiding after beating those kids!" Nong's voice attracted the attention of his two comrades, and all three of them began to run toward Liu.
Liu's pulse quickened, and he felt an intense desire to pounce on them and rip out their guts. But he knew he had to control himself.
"Restraint," he reminded himself.
He darted away, running in the opposite direction from his three enemies. Their taunts and jeers followed him as he fled. "Hey! Get back here! Where are you running off to?" "Why don't you stay still?" "We know where you live!"
Liu cursed under his breath as he ran. If only he was older and stronger, he would be able to handle all three of them, no sweat. But he was still stuck as a five-year-old.
"Just you wait. I'll kick your asses soon enough!" he yelled over his shoulder as he poured all the energy he could into his legs. His daring smile and determined gaze never wavered, showing he truly meant every word he said. Whether or not he could achieve what he declared was a separate matter.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans for Liu and the entirety of Weiji. It would deal them the heaviest of blows, one that would forever change the course of his life.
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[A/N]
Now, you have to be a bit patient with this story, at this point. It takes a bit of a slow pace here, but it is action-packed and full of quality, I promise. Just tag along as we explore it.
We'll be delving deeper into the chaos to unfold now.
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