"Hah, hah, hah," furiously ran down the streets, the small child heaved as he gripped the embroidered bag to his chest, looking back every so often to see if Zhu Na Ran was still chasing him. His heart was beating rapidly against his ribcage as his adrenaline began to kick into his hunger pang frame.
"Hey, watch where you're going, brat!"
"Em, sorry," he cried as he continued down the street in a zig-zag formation. 'Tsk, I can't tell if that man is still here or not.'
The boy had been watching Zhu Na Ran for some time as she casually strolled down the street and ate an abundant amount of food.
'Hmph, with a full stomach, how can he expect to chase after me?' Slipping between masses of bodies, the child continued to run recklessly down the street.
'Plus, based on his habit of spending money like dirty water, I'm sure that young master won't face too much of a loss by losing a few coins.'
Once he was a considerable distance away, the child eased his pace and looked back once more.
'It looks like he's gone,' looking back at the crowded streets once more, the child slipped into a small alley between two towering buildings, quietly navigating down the shaded path.
Once he confirmed that he was indeed alone, the child attempted to open the bag, to no avail.
"What kind of bag is this?" Attempting to pry his small fingers through the puckered mouth of the bag, he grits his teeth as the bag refuses to budge. 'For such a small bag, it sure is stubborn, oddly light too.'
After a few attempts, the child took out a small dagger and contemplated ripping the fancy bag open. Weighing his options, he decided to go for it.
However, before the tip of his knife could cut a single thread of a silk pouch, Zhu Na Ran suddenly dropped down from the sky, creating a small crater where she stood.
"Woo, that's tough on the legs. Aiyah, I probably shouldn't do that too often," shaking her legs and stretching a bit, she let out a sigh. 'Tsk, ah, where could that little boy be? I'm pretty sure that he slipped into here?
Ah, unless there's a secret hideout or something.'
While Zhu Na Ran scanned her eyes around the area, the child stuffed the pouch into his shirt and scrambled to blend into his surroundings.
'There is a bit of a small hole somewhere,' he grumbled as his small fingers slowly groped the walls and piles of rubbish. 'Ah, here it is!'
However, before he could slip away, his hopes were heartlessly dashed.
"Oi! There you are!"
"Eck!"
"Oh no, you don't!"
Scurry back, the child abandoned his effort and instead attempted to escape down the alley. However, reality hit him hard as he felt the cold stone wall against his back and an oncoming enemy.
Frantically taking out his dagger, he held it out in front of him with both hands, shakily. "D-don't come any closer!"
'Ey? Is that short shank supposed to do something to me?'
Ignoring the boy's threat, she continued to approach the boy at a leisurely pace.
"I-I'm warning you!"
Seeing that Zhu Na Ran continued to ignore his warnings, with the last of his confidence, the boy charged straight towards her.
Quickly knocking the blade out of the boy's hand, Zhu Na Ran easily pinned him against the alley wall.
"Y-you! Let me go!" Squirming against the iron grip against his shoulder, the boy began to beat Zhu Na Ran with his free hand as well as swing his legs frantically towards her shins.
Creating some distance from the child's short legs, Zhu Na Ran quickly took back her interspatial bag.
"Hey! That's mine!"
"Hmph."
The boy shivered as a smirk spread across Zhu Na Ran's face, "Y-you, what do you want?"
"Hey, kid, let's talk."
---
"Four hotcakes, please."
"Em, here you go, young man."
"Ah, thank you, Auntie!"
Carrying the small package of food, Zhu Na Ran walked over to where she had left the little thief.
Seated on the steps of a closed storefront, the child tried to gnaw his way through his bindings.
'Hehe, good luck with that kid! That's Senior Sister's notorious binding spell!
Can't get out of that with pure strength alone.'
After all, she should know as she became very well acquainted with this particular spell. So much so, that she managed to reverse engineer it to her advantage.
'Ah, as they say, work smarter, not harder!' (๏ฝกโขฬแด-)โง
"Yo! I wouldn't waste your time on that," plopping down beside the kid, Zhu Na Ran unraveled the package, letting out the sweet aroma of freshly made hotcakes. "Even if you used all your strength, you still won't be able to break out."
Picking up one of the hotcakes, she bit into its tender flesh. 'Ah! These are so good!'
While she enjoyed the temporary bliss that the hotcake brought her, she noticed that the kid stopped struggling and instead looked at her with intent eyes with a gullible gulp.
"Here, eat," picking up another hot cake, she unceremoniously shoved it into the boy's mouth.
"Oof-" Choking slightly at the sudden movement, the boy attempted to remove the cake from his mouth with his hands.
"Ah wait," grabbing onto this boy's bounded hands, she quickly wiped away the grime and dirt with some water and a clean handkerchief. "There you go," releasing him, she continued to eat her food.
Perplexed and tad suspicious at her actions, the boy pulled back his hands and grabbed the hotcake with his clean fingertips. "W-why are you treating me so nicely?"
"Eh," she mumbled as she chewed. "Dunno. Felt like it."
"Hah?" When has he ever heard someone do something of goodwill without reason? Growing up in the streets for some time, he knew that nothing in life came for free.
"Can't a person say that they want to do some genuine good in the world, without some underlying meaning?"
"Hah, as if," the boy scoffed. "I know everything has a price. So, what is it that you want?"
"I want nothing from you," nonchalantly chewing food, she continued to watch the people go by as she reclined on the steps. "I already got my purse back, so just eat."
"What if you poisoned it?"
'What is up with people thinking I poisoned their food?
Do I really look so much like a bad person?' (๏ผยด๏ผฏ๏ฝ)
"Boy, just eat your hotcake. You should know when to take opportunities when given to you."
"Heh," narrowing his eyes at Zhu Na Ran, the boy slowly bit into the soft flesh of the cake. Instantly he dropped his tough demeanor and looked no different than any other kid enjoying a sweet treat.
Soon his pace started to match Zhu Na Ran's as the two ate their food in silence. To any passersby on the street, the two looked like a pair of brothers eating food together.
If they ignored the glowing binding cords around the boy's wrists and ankles, of course.
"Don't eat so fast, you're going to choke," wiping away the crumbs from the boy's face, she placed another hot cake on the boy's lap. 'For such a small kid, he has a big appetite.
Well, I suppose which kid could ever resist sweets.
Aiyah, now I feel like Senior Sister.'
After he polished off that one, she gave him another before all there was left was mere sugary crumbs.
Full and satisfied, the two sat together on the storefront steps and watched the people walk by as the sun began to set in silence.
"Ah, it's getting late," standing up, she stretched a bit before turning back to the little boy, who now was free of his confinements. "You have someplace safe to stay, boy?"
"Don't call me 'boy,' I have a name."
"Oh? And what is your name."
"Xia Chun. Xia from Xia Yi and Chun from Chun Bai."
'What an interesting name. Pure hero.'
"Your parents must have high hopes for you."
Xia Chun's face faltered a bit before hardening. "Yeah, well, unfortunately, giving me a stupid name won't help me anytime soon."
"Hmph, I don't think so," crouched down to the boy's level, Zhu Na Ran stared deep into the boy's eyes. "I can sense a bit of power within you."
"Power?" How could that be? He wasn't a cultivator, and he didn't even practice any martial arts. The only fighting skills he possessed were crude and rough, a common technique among street thugs.
"Eh, it's small, but since you're young it's not too late to monopolize on it and enhance your strength."
Xia Chun had mixed feelings upon hearing he could cultivate. Not many had the talent or ability to become cultivators as it was an expensive task. Surely a kid like himself won't be able to advance a single level before his death without having to fork over thousands of taels. "Heh, stop giving me false hope."
"Hmm, take it as you will," shrugging Zhu Na Ran stood back up before fishing out her interspatial bag. Digging through it, she pulled out a bag that clinked with movement. "Oh yeah, here."
Unceremoniously, she dropped the bag into Xia Chun's hands. "Take this."
Looking up at her with a questioning look, he quickly untied the bag. Suddenly he found himself blinded by the gleaming light before inside as the silver coins glittering in the light. "Wah?!? Hu, huh?
Why are you giving this to me!"
The coins in his hands trembled as his hands began to shake. "I stole from you! Why are you giving me your money!" He couldn't understand this mysterious person's motives. What kind of person feeds and gives money to someone who stole from them?
"Here, take it back! I don't want it!" Shoving the bag back into Zhu Na Ran's hands, he tried to hand it back to her. "I don't need handouts!
And are you crazy! Do know how much money this is!"
"Eh, I do," she nodded at the flustered child. "It's enough for one to start someone on the path to cultivation and enter a sect."
"What! I told you that I don't want to! You can keep your money." Xia Chun couldn't understand why this person was treating him so well. There has to be an ulterior motive, even though Zhu Na Ran said otherwise.
"Aiyahโฆ
Well, if you don't want to be a cultivator, this amount should be enough to find you a place to live, keep yourself fed and clothing, should you use this amount sparingly." This amount of silver was enough to sustain a family of three for perhaps thirty years if they were smart with their money.
"Enough, I don't want your handout!"
"Gods," giving the money back to Xia Chun, Zhu Na Ran kept her hands firmly atop of his as he held onto the bag, reluctantly. "Fine, this isn't a handout. It's a loan.
Use this money to at least stay alive. If you want to pay me back, live well."
"W-why are you doing this?"
"... I don't know. Perhaps, I see a little of myself in you, I suppose."
Xia Chun didn't stay anything as Zhu Na Ran released his hands. "... fine, I'll take it. But, before I do, let me ask you something."
"Eh, go ahead."
"Who are you?"
---
Dropping down from the roof of a small courtyard, a shadow guard dropped down into the ground with a soft breeze.
"Sigh," watching the orange autumn leaves drift in the evening wind, Fei Fu Qu sat on the porch of the small courtyard.
"How many times have Xiao Ran and I played here, it seems only a few seconds ago when she was still green and young, running around causing trouble.
Aiyah, how many gray hairs did I grow then?"
"Master," making themselves known, the shadow guard bowed behind Fei Fu Qu's leisure figure. "I come bearing news."
"What is it?"
"Young Miss Zhu has been spotted in Kong Xian City."