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. A little resistance followed by reluctant acceptance—after all, what’s wrong with just holding hands? What harm could sleeping together do?
But if a girl had absolutely no interest in the man and even felt cautious or wary toward him, then she might naturally react strongly.
Seeing Mia’s reaction, Shui Miao once again attempted to sense her thoughts.
“Hmm?”
Through his perception, Shui Miao suddenly realized that one night in India, Mia had been walking on the street when a homeless man grabbed her hand and wouldn’t let go. She’d screamed and struggled until finally breaking free. Since that night, Mia 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 experience, 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—it 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, suddenly realizing that this Indian elder was far more powerful than he had imagined.
The sentence sounded simple, yet 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 shocking to Shui Miao. He felt the elder’s cultivation realm was extremely profound, far surpassing his own. By comparison, Shui Miao felt petty and narrow-minded.
“Uncle, you clearly speak fluent Chinese, so why didn’t you say so and even hired an interpreter?” Shui Miao didn’t chase after Mia but instead stood still, questioning the elder.
The elder joined his palms in respect. “Mia is innocent, pure-hearted, kind, and generous. She lost money in business yet forgave many poor people’s debts, leaving herself in dire straits. If I can help her, why wouldn’t I? Fellow cultivator, please keep my ability to speak Chinese a secret. If she found out, she would feel deeply ashamed. Such an angelic child deserves to live a happy life.”
“Your words have broadened my perspective more than ten years of study. My heart feels suddenly open. This world still holds much love.” Shui Miao exhaled gently and bowed deeply to the elder. “Uncle, I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ll come back later to seek your advice.”
“Of course, of course. I also have matters to consult with you.”
The elder hurriedly returned the bow.
Shui Miao hadn’t expected the elder to be such a remarkable person. No wonder he had that protective aura of Buddhist energy around him.
Convinced and deeply impressed, Shui Miao followed back to the tent to find Mia.
Mia had finished washing her hands and was inside the tent, praying before a Buddha statue.
Hearing footsteps, Mia stood up, came out, and apologized to Shui Miao for her earlier outburst.
She had calmed down, but the cheerful smile from before no longer graced her face.
Shui Miao waved his hand apologetically. “It was my mistake. 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 like India so much?”
“Uh…” Shui Miao shook his head. His spiritual perception could only sense certain aspects of a person’s mind, not all their memories at once.
“Hehe, of course you wouldn’t know. It’s because India is the birthplace of Buddhism! I’ve had a connection with Buddha since birth. According to my mom, the doctor and nurses who delivered me were all Buddhists. And it was almost sunset when I was born—a golden ray of sunlight shone through the window and landed directly on me. I had been crying, but I suddenly stopped.”
She chuckled at herself. “It might sound unbelievable, but I have a special ability. Whenever I get sick or feel down, all I have to do is pray to Buddha and everything gets better. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Indeed, hehe…”
Shui Miao was somewhat surprised. “So you really do have a deep connection with Buddha.”
“Hehe, thank you for saying that!”
Suddenly, Mia extended her hand toward Shui Miao. “Come on, you wanted to shake hands with me 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, Shui Miao had never encountered someone so purely kind. Mia’s innocent, completely unselfish smile warmed Shui Miao’s heart deeply. At that moment, she seemed like a holy angel, making Shui Miao feel almost unworthy to reach out and touch her. He felt his own heart was too dark, too shadowed.
Seeing Shui Miao hesitate, 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’m going out to talk with the Indian elder.”
“How can you chat without inviting me? You don’t speak Hindi. Come on, I’ll be your interpreter.” Mia stood up enthusiastically and pulled Shui Miao’s hand, walking out of the tent.
By then, the Indian elder had already returned to the platform in front of the tent.
Seeing Shui Miao and Mia come out, the elder approached with a smile, speaking several sentences in Hindi.
Mia immediately translated with a grin. “Hehe, Shui Miao, the uncle wants to tell you that he’s very grateful for you taking care of me and helping me recover emotionally. He hopes you’ll continue to look after me in the future. Once he finishes handling matters here, he’ll return to the temple for 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 plans. I can’t just take someone else’s salary without contributing, right?”
“Mm, so what are your plans?”
Shui Miao suddenly realized he genuinely cared about Mia’s future.
Mia smiled brightly. “Don’t worry. I won’t become a nun. First, I’ll find a job. Once I earn some money, I’ll come back and restart my own business. I won’t give up until I succeed.”
“Good! That’s determination!” Shui Miao gave her a thumbs-up. “How about I invest in you? You can run it.”
“No, I want to work hard with my own hands. Thank you for your kindness.” Mia glanced at the Indian elder and suddenly stuck her tongue out playfully. “We’re being so impolite. I’m supposed to be the interpreter, yet I’m chatting with you.”
“…”
Mia’s insistence on self-reliance made Shui Miao feel profound respect. In today’s society, such self-motivated young women were rare.
The Indian elder intentionally said it was late and they should rest, promising to talk more tomorrow.
Mia believed him and went to sleep.
Later, Shui Miao and the Indian elder quietly began chatting inside another tent.
The elder was very open and directly told Shui Miao, “Fellow cultivator, you possess great abilities and magical powers, so I won’t hide anything from you. The main reason I came here was for the spiritual vein, but not for my own cultivation. I need it to save my master’s life.”
“My master!”
Shui Miao noticed that the Indian elder’s expression was calm, his words humble, giving off the aura of an enlightened monk. “Uncle, what happened to your master?”
Shui Miao found Mia’s overreaction hard to comprehend, but his behavior had indeed frightened her.
Being suddenly grabbed by a man would startle most women.
If the woman had some fondness or interest in the man, it might not be a big deal—a little reluctance followed by acceptance. After all, it was just holding hands. What harm could it do, even if it led to something more?
But if the woman had no interest in the man and was on guard, it was only natural for her to react strongly.
Seeing Mia like this, Shui Miao once again tuned into her thoughts.
“Hmm?”
As he sensed her emotions, Shui Miao suddenly discovered that one night on the streets of India, Mia had been grabbed by a homeless man who refused to let go. Terrified, she screamed and struggled until she finally broke free. Since then, she had been left with deep psychological trauma.
The same night, the same suddenness.
But tonight, Mia’s reaction was actually quite restrained.
“Mia, I’m sorry…”
After sensing Mia’s experience, Shui Miao quickly apologized.
Emotionally overwhelmed, Mia turned and ran back to the camp, urgently heading to wash her hands.
“Go comfort her. This is a psychological barrier that requires love to heal,” said the Indian uncle, who had approached Shui Miao and sighed softly. Surprisingly, he spoke in Chinese.
“…”
Shui Miao was taken aback, suddenly realizing that this Indian uncle was far more remarkable than he had imagined!
The words sounded simple but carried profound meaning.
Specific situations, when applied to specific individuals, give rise to diverse thoughts and words.
In this particular moment and atmosphere, for the Indian uncle to see through the surface and utter such compassionate, boundless words truly astonished Shui Miao. He felt that the uncle’s spiritual depth was extraordinary, far surpassing his own. In comparison, Shui Miao felt somewhat narrow-minded.
“Uncle, since you’re clearly fluent in Chinese, why didn’t you speak it and instead hired a translator?” Instead of chasing after Mia, Shui Miao stood still and questioned the Indian uncle.
The Indian uncle clasped his hands together. “Mia is innocent, kind, and generous. She suffered losses in her business and even forgave many debts owed by the poor, leaving herself with no means to survive. Since I could help her, why wouldn’t I? Fellow seeker, I must ask you to keep my fluency in Chinese a secret. If she finds out, it would hurt her pride. A child as angelic as her deserves to live happily.”
“Hearing your words, Uncle, feels more enlightening than studying for ten years. My heart feels suddenly unburdened, and I see that there is still much love in this world,” Shui Miao said softly, bowing to the uncle. “Uncle, I apologize for disturbing you. I will come back later to seek your guidance.”
“Of course, of course. There are also matters I wish to learn from you, fellow seeker.”
The uncle promptly returned the bow.
Shui Miao had not expected the uncle to be such an extraordinary person—no wonder he emanated an aura of Buddhist protection.
Convinced and humbled, Shui Miao followed to the tent and found Mia.
Mia had finished washing her hands and was praying before a Buddha statue inside the tent.
Hearing footsteps, Mia stood up, came out, and proactively apologized to Shui Miao, saying she had been too emotional earlier.
She had returned to her normal self, but the cheerful smile from before did not reappear on her face.
Shui Miao quickly waved his hand. “It was my fault. I was too jumpy. I shouldn’t have grabbed you suddenly.”
“It’s okay, I’m fine now,” Mia said, inviting Shui Miao to sit inside the tent. She smiled faintly and asked, “Do you know why I love India so much?”
“Um…” Shui Miao shook his head. His psychic sensing could only pick up certain aspects of information, not all of a person’s memories at once.
“Hehe, of course you wouldn’t know. It’s because India is the birthplace of Buddhism! I’ve had a connection with Buddha since birth. My mother told me that the doctors and nurses who delivered me were all Buddhists. It was around dusk, and a golden ray of sunlight shone through the window directly onto me. I had been crying loudly, but I suddenly stopped.” Mia chuckled. “You might not believe it, but I also have a magical ability—whenever I’m sick or feeling down, as long as I pray to Buddha, all my problems are solved. Isn’t that amazing?”
“Indeed, hehe…”
Shui Miao was surprised. “So, you truly have a deep connection with Buddhism.”
“Hehe, thank you for saying that!”
Mia suddenly reached out her hand to Shui Miao. “Come on, didn’t you want to shake my hand? Now I’m mentally prepared. It’s fine.”
“…”
For a moment, Shui Miao was stunned.
His mind went blank briefly…
Before this, Shui Miao had never encountered someone so pure and kind. Mia’s clean, innocent smile warmed the depths of his heart, making him feel as though she had suddenly transformed into a holy angel. He felt almost unworthy to reach out and touch her, as if he were not bright enough and too shadowy.
Seeing Shui Miao hesitate, Mia proactively took his hand and said with a smile, “Now we’re even, hehe…”
“Uh…”
Shui Miao withdrew his hand awkwardly and scratched his head. “Mia, it’s getting late. You should rest. I’ll go chat with the Indian uncle.”
“How can you go chat with him without me? You don’t speak Hindi. Come on, I’ll translate for you.” Mia stood up proactively, took Shui Miao’s hand, and walked out of the tent.
By then, the Indian uncle and his group had returned to the platform in front of the tent.
Seeing Shui Miao and Mia come out, the Indian uncle smiled and greeted them, saying a few sentences in Hindi.
Mia immediately translated with a smile, “Hehe, Shui Miao, the uncle asked me to tell you that he’s grateful you’re looking after me and that you helped me overcome my psychological barrier. He hopes you’ll continue to take care of me in the future. Once he resolves matters here, he plans to return to the temple for secluded practice and likely won’t have time to travel around anymore. Hehe… Actually, I know he just doesn’t want to hire me anymore. I’ve already made plans—I can’t take someone’s money without working, right?”
“Mm, what are your plans?”
Shui Miao suddenly found himself concerned about Mia’s future.
Mia grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t become a nun. I’ll first find a job, and once I’ve saved enough money, I’ll come back and continue my business. I won’t give up until I succeed.”
“Impressive! Such determination!” Shui Miao gave a thumbs-up. “How about I invest and let you manage the operations?”
“No, I want to rely on my own efforts. Thank you for your kindness.” Mia glanced back at the Indian uncle and suddenly stuck out her tongue. “We’re being rude. I’m supposed to be translating, but here I am chatting with you.”
“…”
Mia’s determination to be self-reliant filled Shui Miao with respect. In today’s society, there were few women as resilient and independent as her.
The Indian uncle deliberately claimed it was too late and that they should rest, suggesting they discuss matters the next day.
Mia took his words at face value and went to sleep.
Afterward, Shui Miao and the Indian uncle spoke softly in another tent.
The Indian uncle was very candid and said directly to Shui Miao, “Fellow seeker, you are highly skilled and possess spiritual powers, so I won’t hide anything from you. Actually, I came here mainly for the spiritual vein, but not for my own cultivation. I want to use it to save my master’s life.”
“Your master!” Shui Miao noticed that the Indian uncle spoke calmly and humbly, giving off the aura of an enlightened monk. “Uncle, what happened to your master?”
“Evil demons have descended upon the world, harming living beings everywhere. My master fought them alone but was severely injured. Now he’s bedridden, recuperating in the temple, growing weaker by the day. As his disciple, I can’t bear to see him like this. I heard that there is a vein spirit in these mountains that can help him heal and regain his power. But vein spirits are hard to obtain—it requires months of sincere prayer to receive the mountain god’s blessing!” The Indian uncle shook his head and sighed. “I don’t have that much time, so I borrowed troops under the pretext of helping a Nepalese dignitary build a tourist attraction to blast the mountain and obtain the spirit stone. Who knew the spiritual vein would move, rendering all my efforts futile?”
His words sounded both true and false, making it difficult to discern the truth.
Unwilling to believe blindly, Shui Miao said calmly, “You possess a golden, mystical power, and I can faintly hear Buddhist chants emanating from you. What exactly is this power?”
“Golden power?”
The Indian uncle was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, “Is that so?”
“…”
It seemed he genuinely didn’t know. Shui Miao had an idea. “How about this, Uncle? Calm your mind, relax, and let me sense what that power is.”
“Okay…”
The Indian uncle was very accommodating and immediately did as Shui Miao said, calming his mind and thinking of nothing.
Why was he so compliant?
Shui Miao truly couldn’t understand why this uncle was so easy to talk to. Mia was the same—exceptionally agreeable.
They were the most accommodating people Shui Miao had ever met.
Focusing his mind, Shui Miao began sensing the Indian uncle’s thoughts.
This time, with the uncle’s spirit relaxed, Shui Miao sensed not only the Buddhist chants but also the uncle’s inner world—his anxiety, his helplessness, and his past experiences…
The uncle was an incredibly pure and kind person, much like Mia in temperament.
The reason he trusted Shui Miao so much was that he regarded him as the manifested mountain god!
Everything he said was true. To save his master, he was even willing to sacrifice his own life.
Such a virtuous person was undoubtedly worth helping!
“Uncle, I have the spiritual vein here. Please take it back quickly to save your master.”
After sensing the uncle’s thoughts, Shui Miao felt a surge of emotion. He immediately retrieved a vein stone from the Holy Ring and handed it directly to the Indian uncle.
This story sounded either true or false, hard to verify immediately.
Unwilling to blindly believe, Shui Miao calmly asked the elder, “You have a golden, mysterious energy around you. I can even faintly hear Buddhist chants from it. What exactly is this power?”
“Golden energy?”
The elder was slightly taken aback, genuinely puzzled. “Is there?”
“…”
Judging from his reaction, he truly didn’t know. Shui Miao’s mind stirred. “How about this, Uncle. Calm your mind, relax, and let me sense what this energy really is.”
“Alright…”
The elder was very cooperative, immediately following Shui Miao’s instructions and calming his mind, thinking of nothing else.
Why was he so obedient?
Shui Miao truly couldn’t understand why this elder was so easygoing. And Mia too—both were the most agreeable people he had ever met in his life.
At that moment, Shui Miao focused his mind and began sensing the Indian elder’s thoughts.
This time, with the elder relaxed, Shui Miao’s full effort allowed him not only to hear the Buddhist chants again but also to sense the elder’s inner world—his anxiety, helplessness, and past experiences…
The elder was an extremely kind-hearted person, actually sharing a similar personality with Mia.
The reason he trusted Shui Miao so easily was because he regarded Shui Miao as an incarnated mountain deity!
Everything he said was true. He was even willing to sacrifice his own life to save his master.
Such a supremely good-hearted person truly deserved help!
“Uncle, I have the spiritual vein here. Please take it back quickly to save your master.”
After sensing the elder’s thoughts, Shui Miao felt a surge of excitement. Immediately, he summoned a piece of spiritual stone from the Holy Yuan Ring and directly handed it to the Indian elder.
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