Chapter 60: A Single Water Pouch
Xianyun Province was indeed much more desolate and impoverished than they had imagined.
Shen Shuanglian had descended the mountain many times and traveled to various places.
But honestly… she had never seen a place like Xianyun Province.
The streets were deserted, with barely any pedestrians throughout the day.
The shops lining the streets were practically empty shells, their doors closed, gathering dust.
The only things visible on the entire street were starving people, beggars, stray children, and dust swirling in the air. Beyond the city walls lay an endless expanse of barren desert.
Shen Shuanglian, dressed in her elegant robes, stood out like a sore thumb in this desolate slum, her presence a stark contrast to the surrounding misery.
“I never imagined…” she murmured to herself, “that such a impoverished place existed on the continent.”
“This world has never been a utopia,” Chen Yin’s calm voice replied.
“Heaven and earth are indifferent, treating all living beings as insignificant. What do cultivators care about the lives of mortals? No one pays attention to them.”
Shen Shuanglian looked at the suffering around her with a bewildered expression, then turned to glance at Chen Yin’s profile.
He seemed unfazed by the surrounding misery. His eyes remained calm and deep, as if he were oblivious to the scene before him.
…Or perhaps he was simply used to it.
At that moment, Shen Shuanglian noticed a young girl sitting by a withered tree, her clothes dirty, her leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Her lips were parched, and her face was pale and lifeless.
Shen Shuanglian hurried over and asked with concern, “Are you alright? I have some water here, if you’re thirsty—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the little girl, as if mustering all her strength, snatched the water pouch and limped away.
Shen Shuanglian stood there, frozen, unsure what to do.
Although the little girl was trying her best to run, her limp made her progress slow. The distance was negligible for a cultivator.
But Shen Shuanglian hesitated, unsure whether to chase after her.
“You might think it’s okay to let her have the entire pouch of water,”
Chen Yin said softly, walking up beside her. “But if I were you, I would retrieve it.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t, she’ll die.”
Chen Yin’s tone was calm, but there was a certainty in his voice.
Shen Shuanglian hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow the little girl discreetly.
As expected, as soon as the little girl turned a corner, several figures emerged and violently tried to snatch the water pouch from her.
The little girl clung to the pouch desperately, her knuckles turning white, refusing to let go.
The men showed no mercy, kicking and punching her without hesitation.
The next moment, a loud bang echoed through the air as the men were sent flying.
Shen Shuanglian bit her lip, her face filled with sadness and disappointment as she watched the scene unfold.
“Do you understand now?”
Chen Yin said softly beside her. “You thought you were being kind by offering her a drink, but she greedily tried to take the entire pouch.”
“You might think it’s just a pouch of water, but how could a disabled little girl possibly protect it? Naturally, someone stronger would come and take it from her.”
“She won’t let go. That water might be worth more than her life.”
“And those men won’t show her any mercy. Because that water is indeed worth more than her life.”
“So if you hadn’t intervened, she would have died.”
A look of sadness flashed across Shen Shuanglian’s eyes. She whispered:
“Did my water… kill her?”
Chen Yin was silent for a long time before shaking his head slowly.
“But she’s still alive now, isn’t she?”
With that, Chen Yin waved his hand, sending the men who had tried to steal the water pouch flying to the other side of the town. Then he walked up to the little girl and said seriously:
“Tell me if there’s an inn nearby where we can stay. If you’re telling the truth, you can have half of this water.”
The little girl clutched the water pouch protectively, her eyes wary. But under Chen Yin’s intense gaze, she hesitated for a moment, then pointed a dirty finger in a certain direction.
Chen Yin stood up and looked in the direction she had indicated. The little girl seized the opportunity and quickly gulped down the entire pouch of water in one go. Then, with a defiant “what are you going to do about it?” expression, she placed the empty pouch on the ground.
Chen Yin picked up the pouch nonchalantly, handed it to Shen Shuanglian, and said:
“See?”
“Now, she’s finished the water.”
Shen Shuanglian had watched the entire scene unfold, speechless.
“Is this… the only way?” she asked dejectedly, her eyes downcast.
“Not necessarily.” Chen Yin’s gaze drifted away. “But this is the way she’ll enjoy the water the most.”
“Why?”
“No reason.”
Chen Yin shook his head. “Because that’s how it was for me.”
Shen Shuanglian was speechless.
“Alright, don’t overthink it. The direction she pointed to should have an inn.”
Chen Yin turned and took her hand. “Let’s go.”
Shen Shuanglian glanced back at the little girl reluctantly.
The girl’s eyes were still filled with hostility, but from the way she licked her lips, she seemed genuinely happy, as if she had gotten away with something.
Shen Shuanglian fell silent for a moment, then followed Chen Yin.
After they left, the little girl limped back to the tree and lay down, seemingly savoring the sweet taste of the water.
But she didn’t notice the dark figure that had appeared before her.
The little girl rubbed her eyes, trying to make out the figure’s face, but it was blurry, as if her vision was obscured.
“I have another pouch of water,” the figure spoke, her voice cold and alluring.
“If you want it, reach out your hand.”
The little girl hesitated for a moment, then timidly extended her hand.
She felt something cold and hard placed in her palm.
…It was a dagger.
“The water is in my hand.”
The figure whispered, “If you want it, come and take it.”
The little girl’s eyes darted around. The next moment, she lunged clumsily, stabbing the dagger into the dark figure before her.
Thud. The sound of the blade piercing flesh was clear. Blood splattered onto the little girl’s face.
The girl was terrified, her grip on the dagger loosening. The cold voice rang out again, sharp and commanding:
“Hold it tight. Don’t let go!”
The little girl quickly tightened her grip, her body trembling.
The next moment, a pouch of water appeared beside her feet.
The figure turned and walked away, as if she hadn’t been stabbed, her voice calm and unwavering:
“Remember. Always hold onto that dagger.”
“No one will save you again.”
“Next time someone tries to steal your water…”
“…Kill them.”
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