Chapter 60: A Pot of Water

Chapter 60: A Pot of Water

Xianyun Prefecture was far more desolate and impoverished than Shen Shuanglian had imagined.

Although she had descended the mountain many times and visited various places, she had never seen a region like Xianyun Prefecture.

The streets were eerily deserted, with hardly any pedestrians passing by throughout the day.

Shops lining the roads were long abandoned, their doors shut tight, as if they hadn't seen customers in years.

All that greeted the eye were starving beggars, orphans wandering aimlessly, and the endless swirling dust. Beyond the city lay a barren expanse of yellow sand.

Shen Shuanglian’s arrival, clad in elegant robes, was like a regal princess suddenly stepping into a filthy, chaotic slum—her presence seemed utterly out of place.

“I never thought…” she murmured, “that there could be a place so destitute on this continent.”

“This has never been an age of peace and prosperity,” came Chen Yin’s calm reply.

“The heavens and earth are merciless, treating all living things as straw dogs. The life and death of mortals—what does it have to do with cultivators? No one cares about them.”

Shen Shuanglian’s eyes, filled with confusion, scanned the misery around her. Uncertain, she turned to glance at Chen Yin’s profile.

Chen Yin seemed unfazed by the dire surroundings, his gaze as tranquil as a deep pool, unmoved by the suffering before him—or perhaps long accustomed to it.

It was then that Shen Shuanglian noticed a small, filthy girl with a limp lying beneath a withered tree. Her lips were parched, and her face was darkened with exhaustion.

She quickly walked over, intending to offer aid, and spoke gently: “Are you alright? I have some water here. If you’re really thirsty—”

Before she could finish, the little girl suddenly mustered all her strength, snatched the water pouch from Shen Shuanglian’s hands, and hobbled away as fast as she could.

Shen Shuanglian froze in place, stunned and unsure of what to do.

Though the girl was trying her best to run, her limp made her progress painfully slow. For a cultivator, she was barely a step away.

But Shen Shuanglian hesitated, unsure whether to chase after her.

“Maybe you think that giving her the entire pot of water is fine,” Chen Yin said softly as he approached her side.

“But if I were you, I’d go after it and take that pot of water back.”

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, she’ll die.”

Chen Yin’s tone was calm, yet carried an air of certainty.

After a moment’s hesitation, Shen Shuanglian quietly followed.

Sure enough, just as the little girl rounded a corner, several people sprang out. They roughly snatched the pot of water from her hands.

The girl clung desperately to the pot, her knuckles turning white as she gripped it with distorted fingers. Yet she remained silent, unwilling to let go.

The group had no regard for her life. Their intent to beat her into submission was evident in their aggressive demeanor.

In the next instant, a muffled boom echoed, and all the would-be robbers were sent flying.

Shen Shuanglian bit her lip, her face clouded with sorrow and disappointment as she watched everything unfold.

“Do you understand now?”

Chen Yin’s quiet voice spoke beside her: “You thought you were being kind, giving her a sip of water. But she, out of greed or desperation, tried to take the entire pot.”

“You thought letting her have it was fine, but as a crippled little girl, how could she possibly hold onto that pot of water? Naturally, those stronger than her would come to take it.”

“She wouldn’t let go. To her, this pot of water is worth more than her life.”

“And those people wouldn’t show her mercy because, to them, this pot of water is indeed worth more than her life.”

“So, if you hadn’t stepped in to save her, she would have died.”

A trace of sadness flickered in Shen Shuanglian’s eyes. She whispered,

“Was it my pot of water… that harmed her?”

Chen Yin remained silent for a long time before finally shaking his head.

"But she didn’t die, after all. Right?"

After speaking, Chen Yin lightly waved his hand, sending the previous group of water thieves flying toward the far side of the town. Then, he approached the little girl and spoke to her with calm seriousness:

"Tell me, is there a place nearby where we can stay the night? If your answer is truthful, you can drink half of this pot of water."

The little girl clutched the water pot tightly, glaring at him with wariness. But under Chen Yin’s steady gaze, she hesitated. After a moment, her dirty finger slowly pointed in a certain direction.

Chen Yin stood and looked toward where she was pointing. The little girl seized the chance, immediately tipping back the pot and gulping its contents down in one go. Once she’d drained it, she placed the empty pot on the ground with a defiant expression, as if saying, “I’ve finished it all. What can you do now?”

Chen Yin didn’t seem to mind at all. He picked up the pot, handed it back to Shen Shuanglian, and said:

"See? Now, she’s finished the water."

Shen Shuanglian had stood silently, watching everything unfold, her expression dazed. Even when Chen Yin handed her the pot, she didn’t know what to say.

"Is this… the only way?" she murmured, her eyes downcast in melancholy.

"Not necessarily," Chen Yin’s gaze drifted, distant. "But drinking the water like this… it’s the way that will make her happiest."

"Why?"

"There’s no why."

Chen Yin shook his head. "Because that’s what I would have done."

Shen Shuanglian was at a loss for words, struggling to process what she’d heard.

"Alright, don’t think about it too much," Chen Yin said, his tone softening. "The direction she pointed should have a place to stay."

Turning around, he took her hand. "Let’s go."

Still hesitant, Shen Shuanglian glanced back at the little girl.

The girl’s eyes were still full of hostility, but the way she licked her lips revealed genuine satisfaction, as if she had scored a great victory.

After a moment’s silence, Shen Shuanglian quietly followed Chen Yin.

<+>

Long after their silhouettes disappeared into the distance, the little girl hobbled back to the withered tree and lay down, savoring the sweetness of the water she had just drunk.

But she didn’t notice the dark figure standing before her.

Rubbing her eyes, the little girl tried hard to see who it was, but her vision remained blurred, as though her eyes had been clouded over.

"I have another pot of water here," the shadow said, its voice cold and distinctly feminine.

"If you want to drink it, hold out your hand."

The little girl hesitated, then timidly extended her hand.

She felt something cool and solid pressed into her palm.

—It was a dagger.

"The water is in my hand."

The figure spoke softly, its tone indifferent. "If you want it, you’ll have to take it from me."

The little girl’s gaze darted back and forth between the dagger and the shadow. In the next moment, clumsily and with all her strength, she plunged the blade into the dark figure in front of her.

A sickening squelch rang out as the blade pierced flesh, and warm blood spattered across the girl’s face.

She froze in shock, almost dropping the dagger, when the cold, commanding voice barked again:

"Hold tight. Don’t let go!"

Startled, the girl gripped the dagger tightly.

A pot of water suddenly appeared at her feet.

The shadow turned and walked away as if nothing had happened, its tone still calm and emotionless, as though it hadn’t been injured at all:

"Remember. No matter what happens, always hold onto that dagger."

"No one will save you a second time."

"If someone tries to take your water again..."

"...kill them."

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