Chapter 171: The Little Fool in the Group Favorite Story – 14

The thought popped into the Village Chief’s mind out of nowhere. He blurted it out without thinking, but the more he considered it, the more it made sense.

If it weren’t for Xie Kangli’s eerie and uncanny appearance, no one would have believed something so absurd.

But with someone like Xie Kangli around, even though the Village Chief didn’t say it out loud, he had started to believe in those supernatural tales a little more himself.

“I’ve heard people say before that every person has three souls and seven spirits. If any of them are missing, it can make someone dull or foolish…”

Xie Hui lowered his head slightly and saw the little one wiping his tears on his clothes.

“Village Chief, then… do you know any wise masters?”

The client had secluded himself in this village and rarely interacted with outsiders. Xie Hui had no choice but to turn to the Village Chief for help.

“I’ve heard that ten miles outside of Mù City, on Mount Tuo, there’s an Ancient Temple where many enlightened monks reside.”

“Thank you, Village Chief. I’ll think it over carefully.”

This time, Ning Ning refused to leave his father’s arms no matter what. When he saw the big goose again, he even shrank further into Xie Hui’s embrace. Xie Hui could clearly hear his soft, aggrieved whimpering.

He gently patted the boy’s back to comfort him, subtly quickening his pace. Only after they left that path did Ning Ning finally get down and walk on his own.

Xie Hui hadn’t considered this possibility before, but after the Village Chief’s reminder and looking at Ning Ning’s current state, he thought it might not be so far-fetched.

He was prepared to care for this little fool of a child, but he also hoped the boy could recover and live a life of his own, rather than drifting aimlessly through it.

Once home, Xie Hui took out all the silver he had saved up recently.

Mù City was quite far from their village. If they wanted to go, they’d have to travel with a caravan of traveling merchants. The journey through the mountains would be long and arduous, so careful planning was necessary.

As soon as they got home, Ning Ning began fussing over the rooster again. After digging up some worms to feed it, he even reached out to gently stroke its comb.

When Xie Hui stepped outside after packing their things, he happened to see that scene. There was something especially heartwarming about a child and an animal together.

He quickened his pace and finished sewing a few sets of clothes, putting a lot of thought into the details.

The little one was now clean and tidy, his hair neatly combed.

After months of indulging his appetite, he’d grown noticeably rounder.

Though it was Xie Hui who dressed him in new clothes, the little guy’s heart wasn’t focused on his father. He was still thinking about that rooster.

Especially after being bitten by the big goose last time, Ning Ning’s fondness for the rooster had skyrocketed.

Xie Hui prepared some silver and entrusted the house to the Village Chief’s family. He also asked their children to help look after the crops in the fields.

At first, the Village Chief refused to accept any money, but Xie Hui insisted. In the end, he accepted half and promised to take good care of everything.

Just as Xie Hui was about to leave, Ning Ning stood rooted in place, lips moving but unable to express what he wanted to say. His face turned bright red with anxiety.

Xie Hui glanced back at him and, guessing his thoughts, asked:

“Do you want to ask the Village Chief to take care of the rooster for you?”

Ning Ning, who had been fretting, immediately nodded his head vigorously.

“Village Chief, please. Ning Ning really likes that rooster.”

The Village Chief, who had already sat down, stood up again when he heard that. Leaning on his cane, he walked over to Ning Ning and gently patted his head with a hand as dry and gnarled as an old branch.

“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll take good care of your rooster.”

Ning Ning rubbed his head affectionately against the Village Chief’s hand and squinted his eyes with joy.

The next day, Xie Hui packed their belongings and headed to the county town. There, he found a traveling merchant caravan and explained his situation. After getting their agreement, he and Ning Ning joined the caravan headed for Mù City.

Traveling merchants roamed far and wide, and among the people they encountered, many were headed to Mù City.

The Ancient Temple was famous across the land. Though it was hidden deep in the mountains, its reputation for spiritual efficacy drew pilgrims from far and wide.

When the caravan leader heard they were going to Mù City, he didn’t even ask any questions.

It was Ning Ning’s first time traveling so far from home. He was a little scared by everything he saw, but thankfully he didn’t get motion sickness. Sitting beside his father, he occasionally peeked out with wide-eyed curiosity.

The caravan moved slowly, and since they had other business along the way, the journey dragged on for nearly a month and a half before they finally reached Mù City.

They found an inn to rest and recover for the night. The next day, Xie Hui packed some dry rations and set off with Ning Ning for the famed Ancient Temple.

They had traveled by carriage up to a point, but from then on, they had to climb the mountain on foot.

The mountain was much colder than the lowlands. Their shoes sank into thick moss, and now and then they spotted small animals darting through the underbrush.

At midday, they stopped for a simple meal of dry rations.

Ning Ning was greedy and loved to eat, but fortunately he wasn’t picky. As long as it filled his belly, even plain steamed buns were eaten with great care.

At last, they arrived at the Ancient Temple. Xie Hui felt like his legs no longer belonged to him. At first, Ning Ning had walked obediently on his own, but as he grew tired, his pace slowed.

Afraid they wouldn’t make it back before nightfall, Xie Hui ended up carrying him up the mountain.

Though the Ancient Temple’s fame had reached even the capital, there weren’t many visitors that day. As soon as they stepped inside, Xie Hui saw a ginkgo tree with green leaves, and beneath it, a calico cat lay napping.

A novice monk swept the courtyard, the scent of sandalwood curling in the air, calming the heart.

Just as Xie Hui led Ning Ning over the threshold, another novice monk approached and asked,

“Benefactor, have you come to offer incense?”

Xie Hui nodded lightly and added,

“May I ask if the Abbot is in today?”

The novice monk was used to people coming specifically to seek the Abbot, so he wasn’t surprised. He nodded and replied,

“Please, follow me.”

That morning, the Abbot had already instructed the novices that if a man came with a child seeking help, they were to bring him in.

They walked along the corridor, the sound of a distant bell echoing through the temple. After turning a corner and heading toward the main hall, they saw the Abbot kneeling before the Buddha, chanting sutras.

The novice monk took the initiative to light some incense and held it out to Xie Hui and Ning Ning. Ning Ning, looking utterly confused, reached out and took it, then imitated his father by kneeling on the prayer mat before the Buddha.

After finishing his recitation, the abbot led them to a meditation room in the backyard and beckoned to Ning Ning.

“This child of yours seems… rather unusual.”

Xie Hui’s heart tightened at those words. He abruptly looked up and stared at the abbot.

The abbot had kind eyes and a gentle face. Sensing Xie Hui’s gaze, he simply nodded with a faint smile.

Xie Hui hadn’t held out much hope when he rushed over here. But as a father, even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he had to take it.

“I humbly ask for your guidance, Abbot.”

The abbot beckoned to Ning Ning again. The little one, still a bit afraid, didn’t go over. Instead, he shrank back behind his father.

“Ning Ning, be good. Go over and let the abbot take a look.”

The abbot was patient. He waited until the child took the initiative to walk toward him. With his short little legs, Ning Ning slowly made his way over. He was so nervous that his tiny hands had curled into fists.

“If I’m not mistaken, this child of yours is indeed missing a part of his soul. Have you noticed that since leaving that place, he’s become much sharper?”

Xie Hui had been too busy traveling and, having spent every day with the child, hadn’t noticed the change. But after the abbot’s reminder, he suddenly realized that Ning Ning had indeed become noticeably more perceptive in many ways.

“All things in this world are governed by cause and effect.”

With that, the abbot turned around, broke off a tree branch, dipped its leaves into the temple’s holy water, and sprinkled it over Ning Ning’s head. Seeing the child scrunch up his little face and squint his eyes, the abbot smiled.

“This child has indeed been affected. It will be difficult for him to be like an ordinary child. What I’ve done today is remove the binding on him. I can only promise that his mind will no longer be clouded.”

For Xie Hui, who had already prepared himself for the possibility that his son might remain simple-minded for life, this was an unexpected blessing.

The abbot called over a novice monk to take the little one, whose stomach was already growling, to get something to eat.

He remained in the meditation room with Xie Hui and explained everything in detail.

Nothing in this world is truly fixed. No one can guarantee that accidents won’t happen. And Xie Kangli was one such accident.

The reason she had such a miraculous constitution, making everyone believe she was a child of fortune, was because of a jade pendant found during her mother’s labor. That pendant stole a piece of Ning Ning’s soul.

The jade pendant was a malevolent object. It used the soul of a newborn as the core of a formation, absorbing others’ qi luck.

As long as it absorbed enough, one day, the bearer would truly become a child of fortune.

“However… there’s still something strange about that child. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

When Xie Hui heard this, he felt a rare pang of guilt. He picked up the cup of tea on the table and drained it in one go.

Before leaving, Xie Hui donated half of the silver he had earned from selling the wild ginseng to the temple as an offering.

He had always thought that the child’s dullness was due to Xie Kangli’s influence. He hadn’t expected it to be because a part of his soul was missing.

Which meant that when he had crafted the talisman to counter Xie Kangli, it had, in a way, affected this child as well.

In his previous life, Xie Hui could have been considered a master in this field. But after coming to this new world, without the proper foundation, he couldn’t even bring out one percent of his former abilities.

It was like a professional dancer inhabiting a new body with no training. How could they possibly perform a complex routine?

Xie Hui blamed himself for not thinking things through. That night, he held the sleeping child in his arms and gently kissed his forehead.

It was the height of summer. As soon as Xie Hui picked him up, Ning Ning squirmed and tried to move away, mumbling in a sleepy, babyish voice.

“Daddy…”

“I’m hot…”