You are the Light of Our Lives

The Past Revisited

Shen Qingqiu took the anomaly in a form of five children with him.

While he was resting from a mission, he heard whispers in town about 5 street children terrorizing the people so they can eat, and that they have "powers".

He scoffed. There was no way mere street children would be able to scare off grown men. So when a merchant came to him asking for help saying said children stole his medical salve, he thought it an opportunity to meet these unique street rats.

His expectations were certainly met as outgrown vines of the alley suddenly pointed at him, ready to stab a hole into his body. The flowers from the flower shop beside the alleyway started hissing as it swayed, looking as if it were not a flower, but a snake, with its petals acting as fangs.

The one who was responsible for this was a small child, covered in dirt and mud as she shielded the other 4 children.

What caught his attention though, were her eyes. They were a beautiful purple, as if he were looking up at a color cluster[1] in the night sky.

In fact, all of them had unique eyes. The only other girl in the group has bright yellow eyes, as bright as the sun. The oldest boy had jade green eyes just like his. The boy beside him had orange, like those gems. There was another one, but he was laying down behind the other four.

Shen Qingqiu could tell the boy was sick. And considering their living conditions, he might not live much longer.

"Why did you steal this merchant's medicine, child?" Shen Qingqiu asked. He did not move from his spot. He knew how fast and aggressive street children could be if faced with something or someone that could kill them.

(Shen Qingqiu remembers the time he killed a stray for scraps. Qi'ge looked at him in shock and utter horror because of that. It was the first time Shen Jiu ever felt so little under his Qi'ge's gaze.)

(And it wasn't the last.)

The little girl scoffed. "What? Would you rather I punch their wrinkles out?" she asked mockingly.

"You little-! Just because you all terrorize this town with your powers, doesn't mean you can talk to an immortal like that, you demon!" The merchant exclaimed.

At that, the eldest boy growled at the merchant like an animal, and the merchant backed off while still trying to look tough.

(Hmph. Spineless rat.) Shen Qingqiu thought, unknowingly having the same thoughts as the little girl.

But he really can't shake off the feeling that the merchant was right. From what Shen Qingqiu could tell, these kids all had their hair covered in mud to hide their true color and dirt on their face and clothes to hide their true beauty.

(He remembers his Jiejie who got sold to a rich and old bastard after they found out how beautiful she actually was. It was the first time he ever cried for someone.)

No. Enough flashbacks. Best to get the source of the trouble out of here and be done with it.

"Hm. Very well." What the little girl didn't know was that he could also control his surroundings. He used his qi to turn the tables. He had acupuncture needles and pricked the acupuncture points of all the children there.

The girl fell along with her group. But what shocked him was that the girl still crawled over to the others and shielding them despite being knocked out.

It was like her will was forcing her body to move despite what had happened.

(He remembered his jiejie shielding Qi'ge from the whip after defending another slave kid who was a stranger to them. It was the first time Shen Jiu felt truly mad at Qi'ge.)