Beyond the realm of the miraculous lies the mundane world of mortals.
At the very moment when the sun and moon dimmed over the Flower and Fruit Mountain, laughter of human joy rippled across a green field.
“Hehe… Mother, I want to go over there and broaden my horizons.”
Before his mother could respond, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy had already dashed off in the direction he pointed. Despite his young age, he wore a scholar’s hat, symbolizing his scholarly aspirations, which complemented his fair and lovely face, making him utterly adorable!
“Qiao Sheng, come back! That’s the Ghost Forest, you can’t go there!”
The boy’s mother’s cheerful expression vanished instantly as she urgently urged the maids and servants to chase after the young master. Recalling the terrifying legends of the Ghost Forest, the beautiful woman, whose features were as exquisite as a painting, began to run with uncharacteristic haste. “Qiao Sheng, come back—”
Moments later, Qiao Sheng, who had run off alone, did not witness any marvel but instead stumbled upon a tragic human scene.
Beside the eerie Ghost Forest, a group of bandits was tossing several corpses into the woods, their gleaming steel blades still dripping with blood.
Though young, Qiao Sheng was naturally intelligent. Instinctively, he covered his mouth, crouched down, and prepared to sneak away.
At that moment, a mournful wail drew his gaze back. Hidden in the tall grass, he focused his eyes and saw, about ten zhang away from the bandits, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl and a woman in her thirties. Their identities were easily guessed from the way the bandits were menacing them.
The young boy halted his escape. His innocent face radiated a sense of justice, and the teachings of sages and wise men flowed into his heart. With a quick thought, he began a grand rescue operation using a child’s method.
“Whoosh—”
The slingshot aimed at the bandit guarding the two women. Though it was just a slingshot, the sharp stone it launched was fast, accurate, and powerful.
“Ah—” A pig-like scream erupted as the unfortunate bandit clutched his eye and rolled on the ground. Qiao Sheng immediately crouched and slipped away, blending into the grass.
Meanwhile, the two women seized the opportunity to run towards the main road. Unfortunately, despite the bandits being busy ten zhang away, their once-proud “three-inch golden lotuses” became their greatest hindrance.
“Damn it! Trying to escape!” The bandits dropped the corpses and quickly caught up with the women. The bandit leader sneered, “I’ll have my way with you now!”
“Ah—” A sudden scream filled with despair and resentment echoed, causing even the sneaking Qiao Sheng to shiver.
“Damn it! What a buzzkill!” The bandit leader kicked the women’s corpses, not expecting them to be so chaste as to throw themselves onto the blades when the bandits were off guard.
Qiao Sheng sighed inwardly; he had failed to save the poor women. Now, it was time for him to escape.
“Qiao Sheng, come back—” Reality was always so cruel. Just as Qiao Sheng was about to escape the danger, his mother arrived with the servants. The beautiful woman, panting heavily, had yet to notice the dozen or so bandits turning their gaze towards them.
“Ha ha… Another beauty, what luck! Brothers, let’s go—”
Blades flashed, blood mist sprayed, and several more corpses fell to the ground. Qiao Sheng and his mother were left with nowhere to run, embracing each other.
“Help—” Mrs. Qiao clung to her son, retreating step by step. Her plump cheeks were deathly pale, and her graceful, pampered body trembled violently. Extreme fear drained the color from her cherry lips.
Qiao Sheng’s childish face hid between his mother’s breasts, his lips mere inches from her trembling bosom.
Though the scene was somewhat enchanting, at this moment, only gloom filled the air.
The young Qiao Sheng was truly extraordinary, still having the courage to comfort his mother. His innocent eyes shone with endless hope, anticipating the legendary heroes who always appeared in times of crisis. “Mother, don’t be afraid! A deity will surely come to save us!”
“Hehe… A deity?! Ha ha…” The bandits laughed uproariously. The leader, in no hurry to kill, waved his steel blade mockingly. “Little bastard, let me tell you, even if I kill you a thousand times, no deity will come to save you!”
“Qiao Sheng, run! I’ll hold them off!” The greatness of maternal love made Mrs. Qiao forget the fear of death and the restraint of the mundane world. Her graceful body stood up resolutely.
“No! I won’t leave!” Whether it was childish naivety, the influence of books, or an inherently upright nature, Qiao Sheng stood straight under the blade. “Mother, the sages said: ‘One cannot be subdued by force!’ Heaven has eyes; someone will surely save us!”
Mother and son embraced tightly. Little Qiao Sheng pressed close to his mother’s bosom, instinctively covering her chest with his small face, shielding her from the lecherous gazes of the bandits.
The radiance of maternal love and the vision of justice made the mother and son miraculously fearless under the blade. But… would the savior deity truly come? Would the deity truly save them from suffering?!
“Little bastard, die!” The bandit, shaken and humiliated, was furious. These heinous men hated this feeling more than anything. The leader’s weapon no longer hesitated, lunging like a venomous snake towards the detested child’s heart. As for the beautiful woman, he naturally intended to keep her for his own pleasure!
“Ah—” A scream heralded the arrival of tragedy. The fatal blade pierced—Mrs. Qiao’s heart. Her life force extinguished, her consciousness faded, and only a wisp of her soul drifted from her body, her eyes filled with confusion as she looked at her son rolling on the ground.
As the blade struck, Qiao Sheng was pushed away by his mother. Though he temporarily escaped the gates of hell, he did not find the savior deity. Instead, he saw his mother’s blood-stained figure.
“Mother—”
A soul-wrenching cry echoed across the field, causing even the nearby Ghost Forest to rustle as if in response. But it did not earn the slightest mercy from the bandits.
“Damn it! Dead again!” The accidental killing of the beauty enraged the bandit leader, and he thrust his blade even more fiercely into the child’s chest!
“Ah—” Qiao Sheng’s final cry was not one of pain but of endless resentment and questioning—resentment towards the unfairness of the world, questioning the black and white of heaven and earth!
Even as his soul left his young body, he wondered why the world differed so much from the teachings of the sages! Why did good people not receive good rewards? Why…?
—Damn you, heavens!
“Boom—” At the very moment Qiao Sheng’s blood stained the yellow earth and his resentment soared to the heavens, the sky, perhaps ignited by his hatred, suddenly turned crimson. A red light descended from the sky, striking Qiao Sheng directly. A deafening explosion followed, and a cloud of dust obscured the view of all things in heaven and earth!
Time flowed on, and the sun gradually set in the west.
The dust that had filled the air finally returned to the embrace of the earth. A strange sight clearly entered the eyes of the natural breeze.
Within a ten-zhang radius of the tragedy, not a blade of grass remained. Only a large circular crater was left. The inhumane bandits, the pitiful maids and servants, and the fragrant, deceased Mrs. Qiao had all vanished.
Only Qiao Sheng lay alone in the center of the deep crater.
Several different streams of light flowed like water across his body, finally “whooshing” into his unharmed heart.
He moved! The dead Qiao Sheng actually moved! If not for the knife wound still visible on his chest, one might have thought this was all just a nightmare. But alas…
Just as the Sun and Moon lost their light over the Flower-Fruit Mountain, laughter of joy rippled across a vast green plain.
“Haha… Mother, I want to go over there and broaden my horizons,” a boy of about eleven or twelve giggled.
Before his mother could respond, the child had already dashed off in the direction he pointed, his childish voice trailing behind him. Though young, he wore a scholar’s cap denoting his status as a young intellectual, which accentuated his rosy lips and bright teeth, making him irresistibly adorable.
“Qiao San, come back! That’s the Ghost Forest—you can’t go there!”
The boy’s mother, her face of laughter instantly vanishing, hurriedly ordered the servants to chase after her son. At the thought of the terrifying legends of the Ghost Forest, the beautiful woman, with delicate eyebrows and charming eyes, surprisingly broke into a fast run herself. “Qiao San, come back—”
Moments later, Qiao San, having run far ahead alone, did not witness any marvel, but rather a tragic human drama.
Beside the gloomy Ghost Forest, a gang of vicious bandits was tossing several corpses into the forest. Their swords, more than ten in total, gleamed with fresh blood.
Though young, Qiao San was gifted and quick-witted. Instinctively covering his mouth, he crouched low and turned to sneak away.
At that moment, a mournful weeping sound caught Qiao San’s attention. Peering through the tall grass, he saw a girl of fifteen or sixteen and a woman of about thirty standing some ten meters away from the gang. The way the bandits threatened them made their plight easy to imagine.
The small child halted his escape. On his innocent face shone a light of justice. Words of ancient sages filled the young scholar’s heart. With a quick turn of his eyes, he began his noble act of rescue in his own childish way.
“Swish—”
His slingshot aimed at the bandit guarding the two women with a knife. Don’t underestimate the toy—its sharp stone shot out fast, accurate, and powerful.
“Aaah—” A pig-like scream rang out as the unfortunate bandit clutched his eye and rolled on the ground. Qiao San immediately crouched low and slipped away, skillfully hiding in the grass.
Meanwhile, the two women seized the chance and fled toward the main road. Unfortunately, despite the bandits still being busy more than ten meters away, their once-proud bound feet became their greatest burden.
“Damn it! They still want to escape!” The gang dropped the corpses and quickly caught up with the women. The bandit leader roared with a sinister laugh, “I’ll deal with you right here!”
“Aaah—” Suddenly, a scream full of despair and hatred echoed, even startling the escaping boy.
“Damn! What a nuisance!” Enraged, the bandit leader kicked the two women’s corpses. He hadn’t expected them to be so determined—to throw themselves upon the blades when he and his men weren’t looking!
Qiao San silently sighed in his heart. He had failed to save the poor women. Now it was time for him to flee for his life.
“Qiao San, come back—” Reality is always merciless. Just as Qiao San was about to escape the danger, his mother arrived with servants. The beautiful lady, panting and breathless, had not yet noticed the more than ten bandits now turning their heads toward her.
“Gaga… another beauty! What great luck! Boys, let’s go—”
Blades flashed, blood splattered, and more corpses fell to the ground. Qiao San and his mother were now cornered and embraced each other helplessly.
“Help! Help me—” Clutching her son tightly, the lady kept backing away, her plump face pale and trembling. Her graceful, sheltered body shook violently from extreme fear, her once-luscious lips now drained of color.
Qiao San’s youthful face hid between his mother’s bosoms, his lips inches from her trembling breast.
Though the scene was picturesque, at this moment, only gloom filled the air.
Young Qiao San was truly extraordinary. He still had the courage to comfort his mother, his innocent eyes brimming with hope—hope for the legendary divine heroes who always appear in times of crisis. “Mother, don’t be afraid! A god will surely come to save us!”
“Hehe… a god? Haha…” The bandits laughed uproariously. The leader, no longer eager to kill, mockingly waved his knife. “Little brat, let me tell you—no god will come to save you, even if I kill you a thousand times!”
“Son, run! I’ll hold them off!” Maternal love made Qiao San’s mother forget her fear of death and the modesty of worldly life. Her graceful figure stood up bravely.
“No! I won’t leave!” Whether it was childish innocence, the influence of books, or his innate righteousness, Qiao San stood tall and firm before the blades. “Mother, the sage said: One must not yield to force! Heaven watches above—someone will surely rescue us!”
The mother and son embraced tightly. Qiao San pressed close to his mother’s chest, instinctively covering her body with his small frame, shielding her from the lustful gazes of the bandits.
The light of maternal love, the dream of justice—miraculously gave this pair the courage to face death without fear. But… would the merciful gods really come? Would the gods truly save the suffering?!
“Little brat, die!” The bandit leader, shaken and furious, grew tired of this feeling he hated so much. With no hesitation, his deadly weapon lunged like a venomous snake toward the boy’s heart. As for the beautiful woman, he intended to savor her slowly later.
“Aaah—” The scream marked the tragedy. A fatal blow pierced—Qiao San’s mother’s heart. Her soul departed, her consciousness fading, as a single spirit drifted from her body, gazing bewildered at her son rolling on the ground.
At the moment the blade struck, Qiao San was pushed aside by his mother. Though he temporarily escaped death, he did not see the merciful gods he had hoped for—only his mother’s blood-stained figure.
“Mother—”
A soul-piercing cry echoed across the plain. Even the nearby Ghost Forest seemed to tremble in response, but it could not stir the slightest mercy from the bandits.
“Damn it! She’s dead!” The bandits were furious at accidentally killing the beauty. With even more brutality, another blade pierced the child’s chest!
“Yaa—” Qiao San’s final cry was not one of pain, but of boundless resentment and questioning—questioning the injustice of the world, questioning the fairness of heaven and earth!
Even in death, his young soul still doubted—why was the world so different from what the sages had taught? Why did good deeds not bring good fortune?! Why…
—You damned old heaven!
“Boom—” At the moment Qiao San’s blood stained the earth and his resentment pierced the sky, whether the heavens were ignited by his rage or not, half the sky suddenly turned crimson red. A beam of red light descended from the heavens, striking Qiao San directly. A deafening explosion followed, and a thick cloud of dust filled the air, obscuring everything from sight!
Time passed silently, and the sun gradually set.
Finally, the dust settled and returned to the earth.
A strange sight met the eyes of the natural breeze.
Within a radius of ten meters where the tragedy occurred, not a blade of grass remained. Only a large circular crater remained. The heartless bandits, the pitiful servants, and the beautiful Qiao San’s mother—all had vanished.
Only Qiao San lay alone in the center of the deep pit.
Several streams of light flowed across his body like water, finally vanishing with a “swish” into his unscathed heart.
He moved! The dead Qiao San actually moved! If not for the knife wound still on his chest, anyone would think it had all been just a nightmare. Unfortunately…
The story ends here.
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