The blanket is thin, just a single layer. Although Ming Qiao is small, once he crawls inside, he still takes up quite a bit of space.

His tiny body presses against the other person under the blanket. That person has a high body temperature, seemingly running a fever.

Terrified, Ming Qiao shuts his eyes tightly. Though his eyes are closed, his little ears are pricked up.

At this moment, the bad kid who was bullying Ming Qiao is clearing his throat. He is trying to speak to the owner of the blanket.

“Yo— You Qing, just hand over that little kid in the blanket.”

“I only want this kid, I won’t bother you—”

“You’re already bothering me.” A cold, impatient voice responds. It’s a nice-sounding voice.

As soon as the voice comes out, the bad kid, who is about to pull Ming Qiao out, turns pale with anger. But his mouth seems to be sealed shut. He can’t utter a word.

Frustrated, he clenches his fists and storms off. Ming Qiao hears the sound of footsteps fading away. After the footsteps disappear, the blanket above Ming Qiao is lifted.

His small hands haven’t held onto the blanket. So now he has no choice but to timidly open his eyes and look at the person in front of him.

Their eyes meet.

In You Qing’s gaze, there is a child with a soft, rosy face, delicate and pretty, clearly not from an ordinary family. In Ming Qiao’s eyes, the person before him is a handsome yet pitiful young boy.

This is the first time he’s seen such a good-looking boy. He is even more beautiful than those in picture books, a hundred times better.

“Big brother, you’re bleeding.” Ming Qiao says softly, noticing the blood oozing from You Qing’s forehead. (Ming Qiao called him big brother because he is older, they are not blood-related brothers)

You Qing’s eyes remain cold as he replies without thinking, “Get out.”

Ming Qiao doesn’t leave. He lowers his head and pulls out a handful of herbs from his storage ring. The herbs look ordinary, but they smell wonderful, exuding a refreshing fragrance.

Ming Qiao quickly applies the herbs to You Qing’s forehead, his small hands moving skillfully. Afterward, he says softly, “This will stop the bleeding.”

Not only does it stop the bleeding, but it also eases the pain. Ming Qiao, a little herb-master, has a storage ring full of various herbs.

The effect of the herbs is immediate. You Qing frowns slightly but refrains from telling Ming Qiao to stay away for now.

“There’s blood here too.” Ming Qiao says as he notices the bleeding on You Qing’s arm, continuing to apply the herbs.

Forehead, arms, back, legs. You Qing has many injuries.

As Ming Qiao applies the herbs, he silently thinks to himself, ‘This brother is so pitiful.’

This brother has the same name as the Demon Lord, but clearly, the Demon Lord is much more powerful.

“What demon?” You Qing’s gaze shifts as he catches the little boy’s mutterings.

Ming Qiao’s father often leaves him at home alone. With no one to keep him company, he has developed a habit of talking to himself. Now that he has been caught, his little face flushes with embarrassment.

“Big brother, your name is the same as the Demon Lord’s name.” Ming Qiao confesses honestly, his face red. “The Demon Lord fought with the immortals. I saw it.”

He tells You Qing about the battle between the Demon Lord and the immortal sects. Though he doesn’t know what happened afterward.

He had fainted too quickly during the overwhelming red light. When he woke up, he was still alive, so he assumed the Demon Lord hadn’t succeeded in destroying the world.

“You’re talking nonsense. There hasn’t been a battle between the immortals and demons in years.”

The battle Ming Qiao mentioned is something You Qing has never heard of. The two stare at each other in confusion. Ming Qiao’s long lashes flutter, and he finally realizes that something is wrong.

“Big brother, is this the Cangxuan Realm?”

“Yes.”

“What year is it now?”

“The 14th year of Yuanyuan.”

Ming Qiao: “…”

Ming Qiao’s little head buzzes, as if it’s about to explode. The herbs in his hand fall to the ground with a thud, but he doesn’t bother to pick them up. He just stares at You Qing, tears streaming down his face.

You Qing: “???”

You Qing frowns deeply, confused by the sudden burst of tears. Why is this kid looking at him with such an accusatory expression all of a sudden?

“You… you’re the Demon Lord.” Ming Qiao may not be in the best health, but he is smart.

His eyes are red, tears rolling down his chubby cheeks. In a flash, his little brain pieces everything together. The handsome big brother in front of him is the future world-destroying Demon Lord.

He has traveled back to the time when the Demon Lord is still young. And returning to this time means he hasn’t even been born yet, which means he no longer has his father!

“Qiao Qiao doesn’t have a father anymore.”

Having already lost his mother and now his father, Ming Qiao tilts his head up, crying his heart out.

You Qing has never comforted a child before. He has no kind heart, sympathy, or compassion. Just because someone cries in front of him doesn’t mean he will try to console them.

He keeps his handsome face stern and silently watches Ming Qiao cry. Ming Qiao, who has always depended on his father, is now devastated at the thought of losing him.

He cries so hard he can barely breathe. His chubby, herb-stained hands wipe his eyes. His small body trembles as if he might collapse at any moment.

You Qing is watching quietly.

Time ticks by, and gradually, Ming Qiao’s sobs begin to fade. As his crying subsides, You Qing’s tense expression relaxes a bit.

Just as You Qing thinks the child has quieted, the little one beside him suddenly coughs up two mouthfuls of blood.

You Qing: “!”

Before You Qing can react, the child, after coughing up blood, collapses headfirst into his lap. The child’s body is soft.

Forced to catch the little boy, You Qing’s eyes widened slightly. He has no idea what is going on with this kid.

“You Qing, you should probably just throw him out.” One of the other children in the temple mutters, having heard the commotion. 

“That kid’s strange. Keeping him might bring trouble. Toss him out, and you’ll save yourself from the hassle.”

“Shut up.”

You Qing is in no mood to listen to all that. His temper is bad, and the children in the temple are already afraid of him, not daring to provoke him further.

Most of the kids here are orphans with no family. You Qing is different, he has a family, and not just any ordinary family but the renowned You clan.

The You clan is allied with the immortal sects, and many of their children are highly talented. Among them is the clan leader’s second son, You Bufan, who was discovered at birth to have dual spiritual roots. After he turns six, he will be taken by the immortal sects.

You Qing and You Bufan are half-brothers. They share the same father but have different mothers.

You Qing’s mother died when he was less than a year old, and before she was even buried, his father married another woman.

Within half a year, that new wife gave birth to You Bufan, who had dual spiritual roots. While You Qing was found to have useless spiritual roots.

As the eldest son of the You family, with no protection from his mother and born with defective spiritual roots, You Qing’s life in the You Clan was visibly difficult.

If not for his strong will to survive, he wouldn’t even have the chance to rest and recover in this broken temple now.

This shabby temple, though dirty and small, is the only place he can peacefully recuperate after getting injured.

The other children in the temple have no spiritual power or cultivation, so it’s easy for You Qing to deal with them.

After ordering them to shut up, the only sound left in the temple is the wind blowing through the windows. The children lying on the straw simply close their eyes and sleep.

You Qing lowers his gaze, looking at the small child who has collapsed in his arms, then at the herbs on his own arm. He hates owing anyone anything.

You Qing places the little boy on the thin blanket. He stands up and walks over to the offering table, speaking calmly. “Give me his things.”

Lying beside the offering table is the bad kid who stole Ming Qiao’s belongings earlier. The other party clearly doesn’t want to give in. But when faced with You Qing’s cold, heavy gaze, he grits his teeth and hands over the items.

He knows that when You Qing gets serious, he’s someone who won’t stop until he sees blood!

You Qing takes the items and walks back to the corner. He dresses the child in a fur-collared cloak. He secures a small jade pendant. Then, he picks up the little one and steps out of the dilapidated temple.

The medicine that the child applied to him has healed his injuries. Now, he needs to take the child to see a doctor. The You family has a medical doctor.

However, when You Qing goes to find the medical doctor, he unexpectedly runs into You Bufan.

You Bufan loves flashy clothes, but today he’s unusually dressed in all white. His plump figure makes the white outfit look bulkier. Combined with his compact facial features, the visual effect is quite disastrous.

The side members of the You family trailing behind You Bufan continue to flatter him despite his appearance.

They mock You Qing, saying, “Hey, useless trash, did you see? What Bufan is wearing is celestial clothing from the Jingxiu Sect!”

“Today, the immortal from the Jingxiu Sect is coming to pick him up!”

The Jingxiu Sect is one of the cultivation sects and has a good relationship with the You family. While the Jingxiu Sect isn’t as powerful as the leading sect, Lin Tian Sect. But it is still considered a decent one among the cultivation sects.

In a couple of days, You Bufan will turn six, and according to their agreement, the Jingxiu Sect will come to take him in.

Perhaps feeling that after he leaves, there will be fewer chances to humiliate You Qing. You Bufan lifts his chin and, surrounded by his sycophants, walks towards You Qing.

“Interesting.”

When You Bufan reaches You Qing, he glances over at the child leaning against the pillar and smiles. “I heard you picked up a little kid and are going to take him to the doctor. Since when did you become so caring?”

You Qing remains silent. He stands there, his face and eyes betraying not a hint of emotion.

Though You Bufan can’t read his emotions, he knows You Qing must hate him deeply.

So what? A useless spiritual root can’t even compare to one of his fingers.

“You have a good eye, this child is as pretty as a porcelain doll.”

You Bufan glances at the child by the pillar a few more times, unable to tear his gaze away. “Perfect! I’m short a little servant to accompany me. He’ll be perfect for that!”

As You Bufan speaks, he steps toward the pillar. But after only a couple of steps, You Qing brushes past him and blocks his path. “Get lost.”

You Qing stands in front of him, his dark eyes locking onto him. Despite being a double spiritual root, You Bufan senses a flicker of fear in front of You Qing, who is supposed to be the useless one that everyone can trample on.

He recovers quickly, anger sparking within him.  “Do you dare tell me to get lost?! I see you’re looking for death again!”

You Bufan swings his palm, sending a gust of wind directly at You Qing’s face. You Qing dodges, evading the blow.

He avoids You Bufan’s attack but doesn’t escape the swarm assault from You Bufan’s lackeys. In a chaotic brawl, You Qing sustains some injuries. But he’s tough and makes others bleed too.

They keep fighting. A doctor, with a medicine basket, glances over for a moment, then he turns to leave. With no doctor to check on him, Ming Qiao, still leaning against the pillar, slowly wakes up.

He hears the fight and catches snippets of the earlier talk between You Qing and You Bufan. He knows that You Qing wants to help him.

The Demon Lord aims to destroy the world, which is bad. But You Qing is taking him to see a doctor and won’t let anyone bully him, which is good. Ming Qiao blinks, and after a while, he calms himself down and makes a decision in his heart.

He needs to keep an eye on the great—no, little Demon Lord. He will watch over the little Demon Lord while searching for his father and mother.

He just realized that he has traveled back a hundred years. That means his mother definitely hasn’t died yet. This time, he must not let his mother die!

“Big brother, I’m here to help you!”

With a new will to survive, he grabs a big cleaver his father used from his storage ring. Then, he rushes over with his short little legs.

———————————————

Author’s note: Little Qiao Qiao: Protect big brother!!