Chapter 8: If You Starve Me, I’ll Eat You

“Mr. Fang, you’re too polite. The road ahead is still long; hurry and get back what you lost.”

“Alright.”

The scholar retrieved the money pouch and a package of dry food that had been snatched away by the man. Seeing the man in pain, he didn’t forget to kick him a couple of times.

Xia Mo helped Xiao Jingyuan sit against a tree and hurriedly took out medicine for him.

Xiao Jingyuan looked at her busy figure with a complex expression.

She had been like that man before, scamming food and drinks, even selling herself. How had she suddenly changed?

He certainly didn’t believe her words.

“Why are you suddenly so nice to me again?”

Xia Mo was slightly taken aback. “Haven’t I always been good to you?”

Xiao Jingyuan scoffed.

Forget it; seeing her become so remarkable yesterday, he didn’t want to remind her of her previous behavior.

“Your method of applying medicine seems quite skilled.”

“Of course! This is just a….” The word “professional” almost slipped out.

Xia Mo quickly corrected herself, saying, “I’m just being nice to you.”

“Tsk!” He hadn’t intended to mock her, but he couldn’t help it.

“Although I don’t know why you suddenly changed, I’m sure you have ulterior motives.”

Xia Mo rolled her eyes in frustration. Was he bitten by a snake once and now afraid of ropes for ten years?

Why was he acting so mature for a kid? Where did all this suspicion come from?

She retorted, “Yes, I have ulterior motives. I deliberately raised you to be plump and healthy, and when famine strikes, if I’m starving, I’ll eat you.”

Xiao Jingyuan felt so exasperated he wanted to hit someone.

At that moment, the scholar approached. “You two young friends, do you have any medicine you could lend me? I can pay with silver.”

Don’t be fooled by the scholar’s frugality in the big dormitory; when he pulled out his money pouch, there was quite a bit of silver.

The two were in desperate need of money, and they exchanged glances, already having an idea in mind.

Hoping the scholar could give them a bit more money, Xia Mo generously gave him the remaining red oil, tiger balm, and Yunnan Baiyao, even explaining how to use them.

However, she was worried these items might disappear again, so she told him beforehand, “This is all a gift from me; it’s a small matter, no need for payment.”

Xia Mo nervously watched as the scholar took the medicine, and when it didn’t vanish, she finally relaxed.

At this moment, Xiao Jingyuan spoke up, “Although my fourth brother’s medicine is free, I saved your life; shouldn’t you show some appreciation?”

The scholar was taken aback.

Xia Mo awkwardly looked elsewhere.

She hadn’t expected that she and Xiao Jingyuan would have such a tacit understanding.

Seeing that someone had saved his life and given him so much medicine, the stingy scholar hesitated repeatedly before giving them a piece of broken silver.

Xia Mo knew that in ancient times, the saying “half a catty and eight ounces” meant that one tael of silver was sixteen grams, and the small piece of silver he gave them was probably around seven or eight grams, which wasn’t insignificant.

Converted to copper coins, it would be around a hundred or so big coins, enough to buy two Xiao Jingyuans.

Xia Mo was overjoyed and turned to see Xiao Jingyuan staring at her intently. She generously handed the silver to him.

“Little one, keep this safe.”

The child had been scared earlier, so giving him the silver would provide him with a sense of security.

“I heard you two are heading south; I’m going to the capital. We can travel together for a while.”

“Not going the same way.”

Before Xia Mo could say anything, Xiao Jingyuan immediately refused.

“We’re heading southwest, while you’re going southeast.”

The scholar’s smile froze. “Oh, is that so? Then forget it. Are you two planning to spend the night here? How about we…”

“We’re not staying overnight; we still need to hurry.”

The scholar: “…”

Why did he feel that the younger brother was particularly hard to talk to?

But it was this younger one who had rushed out to save him when he was almost killed by that man.

He was probably a person with a cold exterior but a warm heart.

“Hey.”

At that moment, Xia Mo suddenly slapped Xiao Jingyuan on the shoulder. “Where’s that man?”

The person who should have been curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach, was now nowhere to be seen.

Xiao Jingyuan’s expression darkened as he reached for the fruit knife Xia Mo had used to injure the man, propping himself against the tree to stand up and chase after the figure in the distance.

Xia Mo was startled and hurried to catch up. “Hey, what are you doing? You’re still injured; let him run if he wants!”

But Xiao Jingyuan didn’t say anything, his face grim as he focused on a stumbling figure far away.

Xia Mo’s heart raced at the sight of him; how could such a domineering and cold gaze come from a twelve-year-old child?

This was the person who would one day turn the tables on his neighbors and usher in an era of great power. Comparing his twelve years to her own, it was truly a case of “no comparison, no harm.”

Ignoring his injuries, Xiao Jingyuan unleashed his physical potential and quickly pursued the man with the knife.

The man was injured, blood flowing from his arm, and he was in severe pain in his lower body. It was already his limit to have run so far in silence.

Faced with the half-grown child relentlessly pursuing him, he was furious.

He never dreamed he would be taken down by a child one day.

“Young master, let’s make a deal. If you let me go, I’ll give you all my money, how about that?”

What responded to him was the knife in Xiao Jingyuan’s hand.

The man cursed loudly, and another cut appeared on his arm.

“You’re asking for death! Even though I’m injured, um…”

Another cut appeared on his leg.

With both arms injured and a wound on his leg, the man had no strength to fight back and could only fearfully step back.

Damn it, did he forget to check the almanac before going out today?

A weak scholar, something that should have been easy to handle, had turned into a disaster, especially when encountering such a violent child.

Was it the case that even children had become so fierce these days?

Gritting his teeth, the man knelt down.

“Little brother, please let me go. I have an eighty-year-old mother and an eight-year-old child depending on me. If something happens to me, my whole family will be ruined.”

Xiao Jingyuan remained silent, coldly giving the man another cut.

The man finally realized that this child would not let him go.

Enduring the pain in his body, he desperately fought back.

Then Xia Mo saw two dark figures intersecting in the distance, with the man’s screams echoing occasionally.

The scholar behind her looked pale with fear, thinking: thankfully he had refused to travel with him; otherwise, facing such a violent child, he wouldn’t dare to travel with him.

“Your brother is… is… is…”

Xia Mo’s expression wasn’t good either; she turned to look coldly at the scholar.

The scholar swallowed hard and gave a thumbs up, “Good.”

Xia Mo took a deep breath and turned to the scholar, saying, “This man was chatting with everyone in the big dormitory, looking for suitable targets. His methods were skilled; he robbed and harmed lives. He deserves to die. Mr. Fang, you’re not a narrow-minded person; you know what to do about tonight’s events, right?”

The scholar nodded quickly, “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Xia Mo ignored the scholar further and went to help the exhausted Xiao Jingyuan up.

The man was already dead, and Xia Mo saw his body covered in wounds and blood.

He had bled to death.

“We’re not staying overnight; we still need to hurry.”

The scholar: “…”

Why did he feel that the younger brother was particularly hard to talk to?

But it was this younger one who had rushed out to save him when he was almost killed by that man.

He was probably a person with a cold exterior but a warm heart.

“Hey.”

At that moment, Xia Mo suddenly slapped Xiao Jingyuan on the shoulder. “Where’s that man?”

The person who should have been curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach, was now nowhere to be seen.

Xiao Jingyuan’s expression darkened as he reached for the fruit knife Xia Mo had used to injure the man, propping himself against the tree to stand up and chase after the figure in the distance.

Xia Mo was startled and hurried to catch up. “Hey, what are you doing? You’re still injured; let him run if he wants!”

But Xiao Jingyuan didn’t say anything, his face grim as he focused on a stumbling figure far away.

Xia Mo’s heart raced at the sight of him; how could such a domineering and cold gaze come from a twelve-year-old child?

This was the person who would one day turn the tables on his neighbors and usher in an era of great power. Comparing his twelve years to her own, it was truly a case of “no comparison, no harm.”

Ignoring his injuries, Xiao Jingyuan unleashed his physical potential and quickly pursued the man with the knife.

The man was injured, blood flowing from his arm, and he was in severe pain in his lower body. It was already his limit to have run so far in silence.

Faced with the half-grown child relentlessly pursuing him, he was furious.

He never dreamed he would be taken down by a child one day.

“Young master, let’s make a deal. If you let me go, I’ll give you all my money, how about that?”

What responded to him was the knife in Xiao Jingyuan’s hand.

The man cursed loudly, and another cut appeared on his arm.

“You’re asking for death! Even though I’m injured, um…”

Another cut appeared on his leg.

With both arms injured and a wound on his leg, the man had no strength to fight back and could only fearfully step back.

Damn it, did he forget to check the almanac before going out today?

A weak scholar, something that should have been easy to handle, had turned into a disaster, especially when encountering such a violent child.

Was it the case that even children had become so fierce these days?

Gritting his teeth, the man knelt down.

“Little brother, please let me go. I have an eighty-year-old mother and an eight-year-old child depending on me. If something happens to me, my whole family will be ruined.”

Xiao Jingyuan remained silent, coldly giving the man another cut.

The man finally realized that this child would not let him go.

Enduring the pain in his body, he desperately fought back.

Then Xia Mo saw two dark figures intersecting in the distance, with the man’s screams echoing occasionally.

The scholar behind her looked pale with fear, thinking: thankfully he had refused to travel with him; otherwise, facing such a violent child, he wouldn’t dare to travel with him.

“Your brother is… is… is…”

Xia Mo’s expression wasn’t good either; she turned to look coldly at the scholar.

The scholar swallowed hard and gave a thumbs up, “Good.”

Xia Mo took a deep breath and turned to the scholar, saying, “This man was chatting with everyone in the big dormitory, looking for suitable targets. His methods were skilled; he robbed and harmed lives. He deserves to die. Mr. Fang, you’re not a narrow-minded person; you know what to do about tonight’s events, right?”

The scholar nodded quickly, “Don’t worry, I know what to do.”

Xia Mo ignored the scholar further and went to help the exhausted Xiao Jingyuan up.

The man was already dead, and Xia Mo saw his body covered in wounds and blood.

He had bled to death.