And so, Luo Yi began his new life. He regarded begging as part of his training.
But according to Bali Saihe himself, they were ascetic monks spreading the True Dharma of the Gods of Light, so they weren’t considered beggars.
But Luo Yi didn’t see much difference. Ordinary beggars would say auspicious words like “May God bless you.”
And the alms-begging ascetic monks?
Beggars who speak auspicious words more fluently?
Luo Yi didn’t know.
Also, for a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy still growing, the biggest problem was not having enough to eat.
Bali Saihe, a blind old man, was already struggling to beg with his little granddaughter Asuna. Now they had to add Luo Yi to the mix.
Other than his persistence and faith in becoming a Brave, nothing else remained.
But spiritual persistence couldn’t bring material satisfaction. Luo Yi’s stomach was in knots.
These past few days had been dull. Begging only brought in a few copper coins, barely enough for a few slices of black bread, which they had to share. That counted as a meal. But how could three people split it?
Bali Saihe was the master, so Luo Yi endured and respectfully gave up most of the bread. Because at night, he wanted to learn more from Senior Bali Saihe.
For example, stories from his military career… Luo Yi’s grandfather had passed away, so now he could only reminisce through past tales. Moreover, these stories the old man told seemed to subtly fill the gaps in his own combat experience.
And most importantly—the ability to see in the dark. Bali Saihe could beat a thief stealing pigs into submission with just a single stick! Luo Yi wanted to learn too. That was so cool.
According to the master, a warrior who only uses his eyes is essentially blind. A warrior should also have ears to listen for enemy sounds and skin to sense enemy presence. That was what a warrior should do.
And the essence of begging was the same—reading expressions and seeing through a person’s identity… Some people were sincerely kind and willing to spare a few coins.
Others just wanted to avoid trouble, unwilling to spend a second with a stranger, preferring to pay to ward off disaster. But still others were not to be trifled with.
The same applied on the battlefield—not all enemies had the same strength or will to fight. Even in a disciplined phalanx, there could be many types of soldiers.
Some were idealistic warriors unafraid of death, but most were just mediocre men following orders. Therefore, there was the possibility of defeating a larger force by picking them off one by one.
Luo Yi devoured this knowledge greedily. But it only increased the hunger in his stomach. With an empty stomach, he didn’t even have the strength to swing a heavy sword. This would sap Luo Yi’s enthusiasm and the love in his heart.
So he suddenly realized he had been neglecting Asuna—that ugly little girl he had even mistaken for a boy. But when his stomach was empty, his guts would think for his brain.
***
Late one day, Grino City was hit by an autumn storm. Rain splattered everywhere, and even shops didn’t want to serve customers, closing early. The three of them had empty hands and returned with nothing. They could only huddle together in the corner of an abandoned shack, shivering. They were going to go hungry today. Rainwater leaked through the broken roof, dripping.
Luo Yi had no choice but to pull out his last resort. Xue La Linde’s parting gift to him: Manticore Sausage. He had kept it in his bosom, reluctant to eat. But now, it was time for it to play its crucial role. All he needed was to gather some firewood, build a fire, and hang a pot to cook the sausage!
However, that was the problem. Outside was a downpour. Where could he find dry firewood? His pockets were empty, so he couldn’t buy any from a store! And a pot… someone like Bali Saihe, a penniless beggar, or rather a “frugal ascetic” monk, wouldn’t carry a pot either. Therefore, the only way to eat the Manticore Sausage was raw.
One sausage, to be split among three.
Luo Yi laid out his heavy sword and the only food, and spoke.
Asuna’s eyes lit up.
“Food! Great, and it’s sausage…”
Bali Saihe smiled, perhaps because in years of begging, they rarely got to eat meat.
“You did well.”
But Luo Yi only planned to cut it in half: one half for the master, one half for himself. In his moment of greatest hunger, he excluded Asuna.
“Hmph!”
Asuna was unhappy. She had thought Luo Yi was a good big brother.
But Luo Yi had no choice. He felt that half a sausage and a third were different, and he was a little… unwilling…
“I understand.”
Bali Saihe couldn’t see anything, but he still knew what was happening. The old man handed half the sausage to Asuna, forcing an ugly smile.
“Eat, Grandpa isn’t hungry.”
If it had ended there, it might not have been a big deal. But Luo Yi… made a mistake. He snatched the half sausage roughly and said,
“This is for Master, not for you.”
Luo Yi didn’t know why he had suddenly done that, but looking back later, he probably had become selfish. But at that time, he didn’t realize it.
“Waaaaah!”
Asuna was frightened and started crying.
Bali Saihe had no choice but to cough.
“Luo Yi, give it back. I’m really not hungry…”
“I’m giving the last bit of food to Master, not to you, you extra!”
The red-haired boy pushed Asuna.
Looking back now, it was too late to regret.
A stick blocked Luo Yi and Asuna.
“Stop, child. The thing inside you is devouring you…”
Bali Saihe said.
“Where is the Luo Yi who helped each other in the Manticore Cave?”
The boy was stunned and stopped.
‘Yes, what had I become? Back in the cave, I knew how to dig up plant roots to fill my stomach. But now, I’ve become a bad person.’
He froze, not knowing what to do. How heavy was the word “extra”? Luo Yi had once acted together with Xue La to defend an innocent girl. Why was he now calling Asuna extra? Was he still the same Luo Yi? Or had he changed, become more like Kai Dong in the cave dilemma?
“What have I done?”
Luo Yi didn’t remember the rest clearly. When he looked up again, Asuna had run away in fear.
“I’m extra… I’m extra…”
Asuna muttered, holding her head.
Luo Yi wanted to chase her, but she was too scared and ran away. He had caused a huge disaster!
“Asuna! I was wrong!”
Luo Yi ran wildly in the rain.
Bali Saihe also grabbed his long staff and hurried after him, muttering,
“Asuna is most afraid of that phrase—she is not extra! She is not an unwanted child!”
“Master, why is she afraid?”
Luo Yi asked as he ran.
“It’s a long story—I’ll make it short.”
Asuna was abandoned by her father, Bali Saihe’s son-in-law. That man was the person Bali Saihe hated most in his life. An adjutant he himself had promoted, but after that defeat, the man turned on him and cut ties with his father-in-law. Abandoning his wife and child was exactly the kind of thing that scumbag would do!
Asuna…