Chapter 353 Ninth Master
However, this person was not Shen Tu Tai.
Shen Wuzheng slightly widened his eyes and looked at a boy who was only about ten years old. Although he was sturdy and had a robust appearance, he was still just a boy of about ten years old. He held a copper hammer in one hand, which was the size of a pumpkin and was obviously quite heavy. He stood at the gate of Wanggang Village. Although he looked a bit comical, the people around him all stepped aside when they saw him.
It seemed as if she was somewhat afraid.
"This, this child is—"
Shen Wuzheng was stunned for a moment. Although he had thought that there would be many unexpected changes during his trip to Wanggang Village, this change was indeed something he had not anticipated.
After all, as far as they knew, Shen Tu Tai was undoubtedly the strongest fighter in Wanggang Village. Therefore, if Xiao Yuan Sui wanted to deal with Yuwen Ye, he had to play this trump card.
Unexpectedly, the person he called out was a young boy.
And this boy—
Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he murmured, "Ninth Boss? This child is the Ninth Boss of Wanggang Village?"
"good,"
Yuwen Ye, standing to the side, looked at this child who was not tall, did not look fierce, and even looked somewhat comical holding two copper hammers that were bigger than him combined, but who seemed to have an inexplicable sense of intimidation when he stood there. He then calmly said, "His name is also Shan Tong'er."
"What?"
Shen Wuzheng frowned and looked at Yuwen Ye, only to see that he showed no surprise at all. Instead, there was a sense of "finally so" in his deep eyes. When he looked up at the "Ninth Master" again, he noticed that the boy had shaved his head and had several ordination scars on his head.
Indeed, only monks have that!
Yuwen Ye's voice, though neither loud nor soft, carried perfectly to the opposite gate. Upon hearing his words, the child's face showed a hint of surprise, and he widened his eyes, asking, "You, how did you know?"
This child was none other than the young monk, Shantong'er, whom Shang Ruyi had met in the side hall of the temple the night before last.
He looked at Yuwen Ye in surprise: "You've seen me before?"
Shen Wuzheng also looked at Yuwen Ye.
Yuwen Ye's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not answer the question. Instead, he let out a deep breath and said, "Whether I have met you or not, I have heard of your name for a very long time."
After saying that, he gently patted the horse's rump with the flat of his knife and strode forward.
Shen Wuzheng stood there, watching his retreating figure, and then looking at the child walking towards them step by step, his heavy steps seemingly making the ground tremble slightly. A sudden tremor ran through him—
Very early?
How early was the "very early" that Yuwen Ye mentioned?
But at this moment, he had no time to think any further. As the heavy footsteps and clear hoofbeats drew closer, the two of them came to within a few feet of each other. Yuwen Ye looked down at the child in front of him. Although he knew the child's age and was aware of his experiences and encounters these days, the child's expression was still very innocent. His eyes were clear and bright, and he even had a childlike air about him.
He looked up at Yuwen Ye, his small face full of confusion: "Who exactly are you?"
Yuwen Ye said calmly, "My wife exchanged a pair of earrings for the fact that you weren't beaten or scolded by your senior brother. Did you thank her?"
"...!?"
"...!?"
Upon hearing this, Shan Tong'er immediately showed a look of astonishment.
What he didn't know was that Xiao Yuansui, who was standing behind him and had been coldly watching the two of them with calm yet bright eyes that seemed to be waiting for a great battle, also revealed a hint of undisguised astonishment.
He subconsciously reached out and touched his chest.
This small movement, though unnoticed by those around him, did not escape Yuwen Ye's eyes.
Facing that gaze sharper than a blade, Xiao Yuansui stopped his hand a little distance from his chest. After a while, he clenched his fist, but his stiff knuckles cracked twice before he slowly lowered it to his side.
Then, he said in a deep voice, "Ninth Brother, what have you been doing these days?"
"..."
"His wife's earrings—what's going on with that!?"
The boy's eyes darted around in confusion, clearly caught off guard by this person and the turn of events he had brought. He turned to look at Xiao Yuansui, stammered a couple of times, but couldn't speak, only managing to stammer, "I, I am—"
"Let me explain."
Yuwen Ye slightly raised his chin, a hint of coldness in his eyes, and said, "Your Ninth Master is indeed the Ninth Master, but he is also a monk practicing in a small temple in Yanyue City."
Xiao Yuansui's eyes darkened. Before he could speak, the people around him said anxiously, "Ninth Master, didn't you escape from the temple?"
"Yes, you fled here and joined the village because you saved your brother with your skills. Why did you become a monk?"
What exactly are you hiding from us?
Just as everyone was bombarding the child with questions, leaving him blushing and speechless, Yuwen Ye said calmly, "Because the temple is a place where he can feel at ease."
"..."
"Or rather, Wang Gangzhai's actions made him uneasy and uncomfortable, so even though he became the ninth leader here, he still wanted to find a place that would put him at ease and make him feel that he could eliminate his karmic obstacles."
"..."
"As for why he didn't stay at the temple but remained here as your ninth leader, I think there's only one reason—"
As he spoke, he looked at Shan Tong'er, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Because you know very well that the temple can't afford to support you."
"..."
“You can eat the equivalent of ten people’s meals in one sitting. If it weren’t for the place where you were a monk, or a place like Wanggangzhai, ordinary families wouldn’t be able to afford to feed you.”
"..."
"Even my wife's pair of earrings would only be enough for you to eat for half a year."
After saying that, he gave Xiao Yuansui a cold look, then looked down at Shan Tong'er, who had lowered his head and seemed to have a hint of annoyance in his expression, and said, "Is that so?"
The kind boy remained silent for a long while, and finally whispered, "Yes..."
The people of Wanggangzhai gasped in surprise.
Shan Tong'er looked up at Yuwen Ye again, frowning as she said, "But I thanked you."
At this moment, his expression was solemn, completely devoid of childlike innocence, instead revealing a seasoned wisdom that clearly distinguished right from wrong.
"oh,"
Yuwen Ye raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly unconcerned about the answer, and simply nodded, saying, "Since that's the case, then I won't blame you for turning around and ending up next to my and her enemies."
"..."
"I won't ask you for anything in return; my father spared your life."
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