C30 Repaying the Debt

I was well aware of the principle, but from the Evil Taoist's recent remarks, I surmised that once I made it back to West River Village, he would no longer be able to track me. My foster father must have laid down some sort of protective formation there.

After sprinting all the way down the mountain, I glanced at my arm on impulse and was surprised to see that the red mark had vanished. Could the Evil Taoist have perished from that burst of golden light? I dared to hope so, yet deep down, I understood that he wouldn't be defeated so easily.

By the time I got back to the village, dawn was breaking. I quickened my pace, anxious not to be spotted by any of the villagers. As I passed a wheat field, I caught sight of Grandma Lee's granddaughter, Xiao Chun, playfully chasing a butterfly near a well. To anyone else, it would seem like a perfectly normal scene, but I saw something alarming.

I noticed that Xiao Chun was showing signs of impending death; the shackles behind her were alarmingly short, reminiscent of Ms. Xiaofeng's just before her suicide. I slowed my steps, watching as the butterfly drifted towards the well's edge, and Xiao Chun climbed onto the well with one foot. This was bad—she was at risk of falling in and drowning.

Without hesitation, I dashed forward and scooped Xiao Chun away from the brink. My injured arm throbbed painfully from the exertion, but as the signs of death faded from her, I couldn't help but smile with relief. For the first time, I had used my ominous ability to successfully save a life.

Maybe my foster father was right; perhaps I wasn't cursed. My ability could indeed steer me towards good fortune and help others escape their fates. Reflecting on this, I set Xiao Chun down and gently patted her head, asking, "Xiao Chun, that was very dangerous. Promise me you won't do that again. Where's your guardian?"

"Grandma fell asleep by the tree," Xiao Chun replied, pointing to a large tree nearby.

A sense of foreboding washed over me, and I circled around to the back of the tree. There, I found that the shackles behind Grandma Lee had vanished; she had passed away, leaning against the tree. "Grandma..." I collapsed to my knees before her, my vision blurred by tears. Even in her final moments, Grandma Lee's face was as serene and kind as ever.

As I wallowed in my sorrow, the voices of several middle-aged men reached me from behind. Turning around, I recognized Grandma Lee's three sons.

"Zhao Changsheng? What are you doing here?" They were visibly shocked to see me, but their surprise quickly morphed into rage upon laying eyes on Grandma Lee's lifeless body.

Due to prior rumors and the recent false accusations, I had been transformed in the villagers' eyes from a harbinger of bad luck to a full-fledged demon.

They held me responsible for Grandma Lee's death, oblivious to the fact that I had just saved their children's lives.

"Big brother, the Sunn family's house caught a massive fire at dawn. Rumor has it this little wretch is behind it, coming back for revenge!" one exclaimed.

"Second brother, they say Sunn Xingwang perished in that fire! This kid is here to claim lives; who knows how many more he'll harm in the village this time," another added.

"Second brother, no wonder everyone in the village has been acting soulless lately. It's this troublemaker's doing!" the third chimed in.

The brothers unanimously pinned every conceivable misdeed on me, a testament to the effective smear campaign the Village Chief and Sunn Youde had been running.

I offered no rebuttal; under these circumstances, my words would fall on deaf ears. My only option was to flee.

But my strength was nearly depleted from earlier exertions, and my injuries only slowed me down. The three robust men quickly apprehended me, intent on delivering me to the Sunn family's ancestral home!

Despite my inner turmoil, I harbored no regrets. My foster father had instilled in me the importance of distinguishing between debts of gratitude and grievances. Having just saved Xiao Chun, I felt I had honored the kindness Grandma Lee once showed me.

Before long, I was escorted to the Sunn family estate, a place that now seemed akin to hell. At the mercy of Sunn Youde, I feared a fate worse than death awaited me.

Stepping over the ominous threshold, I saw Sunn Youde seated in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the smoldering remains of the firewood shed, his demeanor one of desolation and grief.

My arrival clearly struck him with immense shock. Upon seeing me, he sprang to his feet as if invigorated by a surge of adrenaline, fists clenched, and advanced toward me with deliberate steps.