Chapter 10

From the moment he was born and became aware, in the Luo family, the one who beat him the most severely was the ugly man, who was his so-called father. Of course, he never acknowledged the ugly man as his father.

As for the others, including Master Zengli, they were all ignored by Luo Bo.

Mi Xiaojing supported Luo Bo.

"Uncle, give me a pack of medicine."

"The injuries aren't too serious, a few days of rest will be fine."

Mi Xiaojing shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Uncle, come and take a look."

Master Zengli came to Luo Bo's side, and Mi Xiaojing lifted his tattered clothes. Master Zengli couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

"This family... how could they be so heartless!"

Luo Bo's injuries shocked even Master Zengli. It took a heart of stone to beat someone like this, truly beating him to near death. It was a stroke of luck that the child wasn't killed.

The village chief's face also changed. The people of Maple Forest Village were generally simple and kind. He shook his head and said, "I never thought Old Luo would be so cruel. This is his grandson!"

"Perhaps it's because of the family, they are so cruel. Well, since we've taken the child, let's leave it at that." Master Zengli took out a small bottle and poured out a pill the size of a silkworm bean. After a moment's thought, he poured out another one and said, "Do you know how to use it?"

Mi Xiaojing's eyes clearly showed surprise; this pill was a good thing.

"I know, one to be taken internally, one to be used in hot water for the wounds."

Master Zengli nodded in agreement.

"That's right, it's best to feed the child first, otherwise, he won't be able to handle the medicinal bath."

The village chief was perceptive. He said, "There are still some steamed buns and cornbread left; I'll have my wife prepare them."

"Boil more hot water." Mi Xiaojing picked up Luo Bo and said, "I'll take you to eat."

Luo Bo nodded vigorously, but his face was stiff; he had never smiled in his life.

After a hearty meal, fortunately, Mi Xiaojing had some experience and didn't let Luo Bo eat too much. It was obvious that the little guy was extremely hungry, and if he ate too much, he would surely overeat.

After the meal, the village chief's wife had already prepared a large wooden tub of hot water. Mi Xiaojing gave Luo Bo a pill for his injuries and then placed him in the hot water, adding another pill to the water. This medicine, taken internally and used externally, was highly effective and was a well-known remedy in the Xiyan Sect.

After entering the wooden tub, Luo Bo's tense spirit relaxed, and his furrowed brows smoothed out. The medicine's effects made him feel much better, and the intense pain subsided.

In a short while, the little guy fell asleep. Mi Xiaojing watched over him, occasionally adding more hot water. This healing process required sufficient time for the medicine to penetrate his body.

This medicine, indeed, was a secret remedy of the Xiyan Sect. After this treatment, Mi Xiaojing was certain that Luo Bo would not have any lingering injuries.

He soaked for three hours, adding hot water several times. Finally, Mi Xiaojing lifted Luo Bo out of the tub. The child was very light. Mi Xiaojing carried him to the bed and wiped him down with a coarse cloth. During this time, Luo Bo looked at Mi Xiaojing drowsily and then fell asleep peacefully.

This was probably the most peaceful moment of Luo Bo's life.

Mi Xiaojing poured out the medicinal water from the tub and then sat on the bed to begin his evening practice.

Because of saving Luo Bo, Mi Xiaojing found that his practice was significantly more effective than usual. The mystery behind this surprised him when he woke up in the morning. Being young, he didn't understand the reason.

As usual, he got up in the morning, washed up slightly, and then practiced the Yan Hand Form in the courtyard. He then climbed onto the roof to face the rising sun and absorb the Purple Yang Qi.

Ultimately, cultivation was a process of gradual improvement, relying on daily accumulation.

However, Mi Xiaojing was a bit different because he possessed the Yan Treasure, the Ten Thousand Character True Man Pillar. This object influenced him constantly, making his cultivation speed quite fast, though he was unaware of it. The most important point was that Mi Xiaojing's Yan nature was deep, and the constant influence of the True Man Pillar made his cultivation potential very good.

When he returned to the room, Luo Bo was already sitting up, staring blankly at the corner.

Mi Xiaojing sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Little guy, are you still in pain?"

"No, thank you, brother!"

Luo Bo tried to smile by pulling at the corners of his mouth, but having never smiled before, the expression was very stiff.

Mi Xiaojing patted his head.

"From now on, follow your brother. My name is Mi Xiaojing."

"Brother Xiaojing."

Mi Xiaojing didn't know why, but seeing Luo Bo reminded him of his own shadow, a lonely figure. Even though Luo Bo had a family and relatives, compared to himself, he was even more isolated.

"I have an old patchwork robe; you can wear it for now."

He took out the patchwork robe he was going to replace and gave it to Luo Bo to wear.

Compared to Mi Xiaojing, Luo Bo was extremely thin, looking like a child of five or six years old. In reality, Luo Bo was almost ten years old. The patchwork robe hung down to the ground.

"I'll adjust it when I get back; it's too big."

Luo Bo nodded vigorously and said, "Okay."

When Mi Xiaojing left, Luo Bo sat quietly on the bed. He had never felt so at ease before, as if he really had a loving brother.

The rent collection was soon over, and they were returning to the Xiyan Sect today. Mi Xiaojing followed Master Zengli and arranged for the grain to be loaded onto the carts.

Eight large carts were almost full. As the master who came to collect the rent, Mi Xiaojing also received his own offerings.

A small bag of white rice, about twenty pounds, a bag of millet, two strings of red dried peppers, two strings of garlic, some yellow beans, green beans, and red beans, all in small quantities, just a few pounds.

Since the merchant caravan hadn't arrived, Mi Xiaojing directly exchanged his mountain goods with the village chief for some salt, coarse cloth, needles and thread, two jars of vegetable oil, and two pairs of cloth shoes made by the village chief's wife. The mountain goods were not worth much here, and the things he could exchange for were extremely limited, but even so, Mi Xiaojing was satisfied.

The vegetable oil was not just for eating but also for the oil lamps at night. Without oil, there would be no light in the evening, and this oil was a treasure to Mi Xiaojing.

The masters of the Xiyan Sect were very poor, extremely poor. Even a master like Mi Xiaojing, who had reached the final stage of the Yuanjue period and was considered a core member of the Xiyan Sect, was extremely poor, lacking food and clothing. This was a completely different concept compared to the cultivators in the cultivation world.