Shui Miao couldn’t quite understand Mia’s overreaction, but he had to admit that his own behavior had genuinely startled her.
Suddenly having a man grab her hand—most girls would panic.
If a girl had some feelings or interest in the guy, then it wouldn’t be a big deal. She might half-heartedly resist at first but ultimately give in. After all, what’s wrong with just holding hands? What’s the big deal about sleeping together?
But if a girl had absolutely no interest in the man and even felt wary of him, then naturally she might react strongly.
Seeing Mia’s reaction, Shui Miao once again reached out with his mind to sense her thoughts.
“Hmm?”
Through his mental perception, Shui Miao suddenly realized that once, late at night on the streets of India, Mia had been grabbed by a homeless man who wouldn’t let go of her hand. She had screamed in terror and struggled hard before finally breaking free. Since that incident, she had developed a serious psychological trauma.
Same night, same suddenness.
However, tonight, Mia’s reaction had actually been quite normal.
“Mia, I’m sorry…”
After sensing her memories, Shui Miao quickly apologized.
Mia, emotionally shaken, turned around and ran back to the camp, rushing to wash her hands.
“Go comfort her. She has a psychological issue that needs to be healed with love.” At that moment, the Indian elder approached Shui Miao, sighed softly, and surprisingly spoke in Mandarin.
“…”
Shui Miao was startled. He suddenly realized that this Indian elder was far more formidable than he had imagined.
The sentence sounded simple, but it was anything but.
Specific situations, when applied to specific people, give rise to all sorts of thoughts and words.
Under the current circumstances and atmosphere, for this Indian elder to see through the surface and utter such a compassionate, loving statement was truly surprising. Shui Miao felt that the elder’s spiritual cultivation was extremely profound—far beyond his own. In comparison, he felt petty and narrow-minded.
“Uncle, you clearly understand Mandarin. Why didn’t you speak it and instead hired a translator?” Shui Miao didn’t chase after Mia. He stood still and asked the elder curiously.
The elder clasped his hands together. “Mia is innocent, kind-hearted, and generous. She lost money in business, yet still forgave the debts of many poor people, leaving herself without a livelihood. If I can help her, why wouldn’t I? Fellow Daoist, I ask you to keep my ability to speak Mandarin a secret. If she finds out, she’ll feel deeply humiliated. A child as angelic as her deserves to live a happy life.”
“Your words have opened my heart and broadened my mind. Indeed, there is still love in this world.” Shui Miao took a deep breath and bowed to the elder. “Uncle, I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ll come back to consult you later.”
“My pleasure, my pleasure. I also have things I wish to consult with you.”
The elder hurriedly returned the bow.
Shui Miao hadn’t expected the elder to be such a high-level figure. Now he understood why the elder always seemed to be protected by a sacred, Buddhist-like aura.
Convinced and deeply moved, Shui Miao followed back to the camp and found Mia.
Mia had finished washing her hands and was inside the tent, praying before a Buddha statue.
Hearing footsteps, Mia stood up, walked out, and apologized to Shui Miao for her earlier outburst.
She had calmed down, but the cheerful smile from earlier no longer graced her face.
Shui Miao waved his hand apologetically. “It was my fault. I was too impulsive. I shouldn’t have grabbed your hand suddenly.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine now.” Mia invited Shui Miao to sit inside the tent and smiled faintly. “Do you know why I love India so much?”
“Hmm…” Shui Miao shook his head. His spiritual perception could only sense certain aspects of a person’s mind, not their entire memory.
“Hehe, of course you wouldn’t know. It’s because India is the birthplace of Buddhism! I’ve had a connection with the Buddha since birth. My mother told me that the doctor and nurses who delivered me were all Buddhists. And it was almost sunset when I was born—golden sunlight streamed through the window and shone directly on me. I had been crying, but I suddenly stopped.”
Mia laughed at herself. “It might sound unbelievable, but I also have a special ability. Whenever I get sick or feel down, I just bow to the Buddha, and all my problems disappear. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Indeed, hehe…”
Shui Miao was a bit surprised. “So you really do have a deep connection with Buddhism.”
“Hehe, thank you for saying that!”
Suddenly, Mia extended her hand toward Shui Miao. “Come on, you wanted to shake my hand earlier, right? Now I’m mentally prepared. It’s okay.”
“…”
At that moment, Shui Miao was stunned.
His thoughts froze for a moment…
Because before this, he had never encountered someone so purely kind. Mia’s innocent, sincere smile warmed Shui Miao’s heart deeply. For a moment, she seemed like a holy angel, so pure that Shui Miao felt unworthy to even touch her hand, as if his own soul was too dark and shadowed.
Seeing Shui Miao frozen, Mia took the initiative and grabbed his hand, smiling. “Now we’re even, hehe…”
“Uh…”
Shui Miao pulled back slightly, scratching his head awkwardly. “Mia, it’s getting late. You should rest. I’ll go chat with the Indian elder.”
“Chatting without me? You don’t even speak Indian. Come on, I’ll be your translator.” Mia stood up and pulled Shui Miao’s hand, walking out of the tent.
At that time, the Indian elder had already returned to the platform in front of the tent.
Seeing Shui Miao and Mia come out, the elder happily approached and said several sentences in Indian.
Mia immediately smiled and translated for Shui Miao. “Hehe, Shui Miao, the uncle says he’s very grateful that you took care of me, that you helped me recover from my psychological issues. He hopes you’ll continue to look after me in the future. Once he finishes his affairs here, he’ll return to the temple for meditation and cultivation. He probably won’t have much time to travel around anymore. Hehe… Actually, I know he doesn’t want to employ me anymore. I already have my own plans. I can’t just take someone else’s salary for nothing, right?”
“Mm, so what are your plans?”
Shui Miao suddenly realized he was genuinely concerned about Mia’s future.
Mia smiled brightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t become a nun. First, I’ll find a job. Then, once I earn enough money, I’ll come back and restart my own business. I won’t give up until I succeed.”
“Good! That’s admirable!” Shui Miao gave her a thumbs-up. “How about I invest in you and let you manage it?”
“No, thank you. I want to work hard with my own hands.” Mia glanced at the Indian elder and suddenly stuck her tongue out playfully. “We’re being so impolite. I’m supposed to be the translator, yet I’m chatting with you instead.”
“…”
Mia’s insistence on being self-reliant made Shui Miao feel deep respect. In today’s society, girls like her—determined and independent—were rare indeed.
The Indian elder pretended it was too late and said he needed to rest, promising to talk more the next day.
Mia believed him and went to sleep.
Later, Shui Miao and the Indian elder quietly began talking inside another tent.
The elder was very straightforward. “Daoist friend, you possess great abilities and magical powers, so I won’t hide anything from you. The truth is, I came here mainly for the spiritual vein, but not for my own cultivation. I need it to save my master’s life.”
“Your master!” Shui Miao noticed that the elder spoke humbly and calmly, giving off the aura of an enlightened monk. “What happened to your master?”
An evil spirit has descended upon the world, bringing harm to countless lives. My master fought the evil spirit alone but suffered severe injuries. Now he lies bedridden in the temple, growing weaker each day. As his disciple, I cannot bear to see him endure such suffering. I heard that there is a spiritual vein hidden within these mountains that could heal his wounds and restore his strength. However, spiritual veins are extremely rare and can only be obtained after months of sincere prayers to the mountain deity. Unfortunately, I no longer have that much time. Therefore, I used the excuse of helping a Nepalese noble construct a tourist attraction, borrowed an army to blast through the mountains in search of灵stone, only to discover that the spiritual vein within the mountain was actually mobile, rendering all my efforts futile.
The story sounded plausible, yet hard to verify at first glance.
Unwilling to blindly believe, Shui Miao calmly asked the elder, “You have a golden energy around you, and I can faintly hear Buddhist chants. What exactly is this power?”
“Golden energy?”
The elder was slightly startled, looking genuinely confused. “Is there?”
“…”
Judging from his expression, he truly didn’t know. Shui Miao’s mind stirred. “How about this, Uncle. Calm your mind, relax, and let me sense what that energy really is.”
“Alright…”
The elder was very cooperative, immediately following Shui Miao’s instructions, calming his thoughts and letting go of everything.
Why was he so obedient?
Shui Miao really couldn’t understand. Why was this elder so easy to talk to? And Mia too—too easygoing.
They were the most agreeable people Shui Miao had ever met in his life.
At that moment, Shui Miao focused his mind and began sensing the elder’s thoughts.
This time, with the elder relaxed, Shui Miao’s full concentration allowed him not only to hear the Buddhist chants but also to sense the elder’s inner world—his anxiety, helplessness, and past experiences…
The elder was an extremely kind-hearted person, much like Mia in nature.
The reason he trusted Shui Miao so easily was because he believed Shui Miao was an incarnated mountain deity!
Everything he said was true. He was even willing to sacrifice his own life to save his master.
Such a person of great virtue was definitely worth helping!
“Uncle, I have a spirit vein here. Please take it back and save your master.”
After sensing the elder’s thoughts, Shui Miao felt a surge of excitement. Immediately, he summoned a spirit stone from the Holy Yuan Ring and directly handed it to the Indian elder.
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