The daily life of the Niu family in the Yellow Soil Village was mundane and very pitiful.
Niu Bai worked hard all day just for her only family member to fill his stomach. She worked on the field and also helped others to get more food to the table.
She was happy that her brother was actually very smart. He was able to learn how to write and read without any problem under the tutelage of other villagers.
Naturally the one who bore the price for the teaching was Niu Bai.
Niu Chang knew about this, he only said one time to his sister that he wanted to learn how to read and write.
His sister only smiled at him at that time, "I will give it a try."
She only said that on the surface, but the next day she was asking door to door to the villagers that know how to read and write. Asking them to teach Niu Chang.
Thankfully one of the villagers agreed.
Niu Chang knew about his sister's hardship. But he didn't take it deep into his heart.
The system was watching all of this progress in its hidden space and was angry and frustrated.
"This bastard actually thinks it was a pity? If you pity your sister, shouldn't you help her more so as to decrease her burden?"
But when the system read Niu Chang's heart. It became angrier and started cursing Niu Chang endlessly.
"What kind of human is this? Can he even be called a human with such a heart?"
The system learned that Niu Chang was pitying his sister.
"Why are you working so hard? Why are you working more just to earn a slightly more tasteful food where there is no difference at all?"
"It just a food"
"I already told you to take it slowly, but you take it that I was feigning ignorance."
"If I was really heartless, I would have already told you to scream and find your own life out there. But watching your smile- and the fact I still need someone to do the job for me, I can't say it."
"Stupid people are not low in intelligence, but they are just too naive. Such naivety was the true worth of humanity."
"But in this world, how can naivety be valued?"
"If you know what is better for yourself, kill yourself to find a better death. Being dead is better than living this kind of life."
After telling his sister not to care too much about mundane things two times, he no longer paid attention to her.
"I already did my best. It was your human nature, being too attached to your emotions that brought all the pain."
"If not for the fact I still need a place to grow, I will kill you myself to end your suffering. Living in this world will only bring more pain for you."
. . .
It became silent, where the drop of a pin could be heard.
Yan Tan was still unable to process the development.
His mind went blank for a moment before finally understood Niu Chang's words. He couldn't help but being blunt. "Is she really not your sister?"
"Are you going to kill her or not?" Niu Chang said softly.
On the ground, the half unconscious Niu Bai heard her brother's voice.
She always felt pain when she heard this kind of tone from Niu Chang. His voice was too soft, full of warmth, care, and compassion.
"How can someone as kind as my brother have this kind of life? How will he survive this world with such kindness?"
Niu Bai was actually not that slow, she has average intelligence and was able to learn the hidden meanings from superficial things.
Although she was unable to see through her little brother's true nature, which was impossible for her since Niu Chang's true nature was simple as it is. She was able to learn about the hidden nature of the other villagers.
Uncle Zhang, who seemed kind to her family, actually has a hidden agenda. She wasn't sure what kind of plan Uncle Zhang had, so she could only feign ignorance.
The old men in the village were always looking at her with hungry eyes behind their smiles. But only her little brother showed her what true kindness was.
So when she heard her brother saying she no longer needed to work hard and live moderately. She felt guilty.
"Why must you be born into this family? And this world?"
"Ch- Cha-.... ng"
In her half unconscious state, Niu Bai was dreaming. In her dream, she was still in that small and broken house.
She watched her little brother, was silent and put on a placid expression as if not to care about his surroundings.
Niu Bai was sitting on the other side of the room, she was smiling watching his brother's action.
'Who are you going to deceive with such acting?' Niu Bai giggled in her heart. She didn't want to break the confidence in her little brother's acting.
'The outsider might think of you as a dull and slow kid, but you can't hide your true self from me. Humph, I am your big sister after all."
Niu Bai was sleepy, her consciousness slightly blurry. In front of her, Niu Chang was looking at her with an indifferent yet sincere gaze, his lips moving as if saying something at her.
"Ch- han….. Ng."
Niu Bai called out Niu Chang's name in her half unconscious state.
"Little Chang? Little Chang ?! Little Chang!" Niu Bai kept calling her brother, the distance between them was only a few meters but it feel world apart, and what's more her little brother is just across the room.
The scene in front of her slowly faded away, her vision slowly filled with fog.
"Little Chang! Wait there, I will get there. Stay calm and wait for me!" Her instinct as a big sister drove her action. She was panicking.
When she felt the distance between her and Niu Chang increasing in rapid speed. The fog slowly turned from gray into black.
But she kept looking at that small figure, standing alone watching at her with his clear indifference gaze.
On the ground, the overlapping scene of her dream and reality mixed together. Niu Bai saw that her little brother was actually on her side, standing and ignoring her gaze.
He was the true Little Chang she knew, that warm and kind kid, now standing on her side looking straight to his front.
With the last bit of her consciousness, she was happy that her little brother was safe and still the same.
The reality and dream fused together. The fog slowly dissipated and she saw Niu Chang was walking among the fog towards her yet he was unmoving on her side.
The time felt slowed down, the world slowly dimmed giving them all the light and the two of them were indefinitely close.
She saw Niu Chang's gaze(eyes) change(moved). Both of Niu Chang were overlapping, their eyes were the same cold and indifference, but Niu Bai knew that Niu Chang still cared about her behind those pairs of eyes.
"Pity." both of Niu Chang said at the same time.
Niu Bai could feel something was pulling her from her back. Like countless invisible hands various in size and length.
Niu Bai wanted to tell him many things, but the pulling force was getting stronger exponentially.
'Don't sleep too late!'
Niu Chang has a habit where he would stay awake on his bed as if trying to make a groundbreaking innovation.
'Don't eat too fast!'
Niu Chang has a habit of eating his food like nothing. The taste didn't bother his tongue at all and all he care was filling his stomach.
'Wake up early!'
Niu Chang was a heavy sleeper, he would only wake up early in the morning if someone woke him up.
'Pay attention to your appearance!'
Niu Chang didn't care about his appearance at all. Clothes and hair were messed up, as long as they did their job and didn't hinder him, he would ignore them.
Countless images of Niu Chang's bad habit resurface in Niu Bai's mind. She still has many things to do as Niu Chang's elder sister, yet the time they have is too short.
'I want to see him grow into a handsome young man. I want to see him open his heart to his beloved. I want….'
But in the end she chose to comfort her little brother.
"Don't pity me!" The pulling force already enveloped her entire body and slowly devoured her into the endless darkness.
Niu Chang saw his sister's eyes were opened, her murky and cloudy eyes no longer had any light in them. Her lips parted slightly, but it was when she breathed her last.
Unable to bring out any voice. She was only able to silently say. "D….."
Yan Tan saw this silent scene that happened in less than two breaths. Niu Chang moved the corner of his eyes towards the woman on the ground and said a word.
Then he saw Niu Chang was unmoved, the heavy atmosphere around them changed instantly. Niu Chang was back to his placid face with a kind smile.
'It's good that you are gone now. There will be no longer need to work your broken body under the glaring sun and the cold night. Since you still have me in your heart at your end, then I will honor your life. I promise you when I reach the peak, I will let you have a new and better life. Where your parents are still alive and your beloved Niu Chang opens his heart for you.'
As much as Niu Chang being ignorant to his surroundings. He was aware that her sister took him as someone who was too good to live in this world.
Since she has that illusion. Niu Chang naturally will honor that fantasy of her, in her next life.
"She passed away." Niu Chang said softly. There was no change in him.
"I.." Yan Tan's heart was under stormy turmoil right now. He was afraid, frightened of his very being.
He no longer has the mentality of a second rate martial artist and a boss of a group of bandits.
Before Yan Tan was able to form a concrete word to speak out. He saw Niu Chang move rapidly, so fast that he was unable to see what happened.
There was no burst out of the aura at all.
When he came to his senses, he realized he was laying down on his back. Then suddenly he felt a burning sensation on his legs.
He raised his head and saw his leg was gone.
But Yan Tan didn't scream, this pain was nothing for him who suffered after training to this point. His eyes fixed on Niu Chang with an uncertain look.
Then he saw Niu Chang was leaving him alone.
Niu Chang walked towards the cowardice bandit who tried his best to hide his presence behind the door frame.
"Sp-spare me, young lord!" The bandit's voice was crisp and very high pitched. He was kneeled on the ground, cupping his hand and bowing his head.
But he was unable to run, he was paralyzed by fear.
"Don't be afraid." Niu Chang said softly.
He came in front of the bandit and tore off his left arm.
"AAAAAAA…" The bandit screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Ple-please spare me." The bandit tried his best to plead for mercy, his eyes were wet and tears flowed down.
"Don't be afraid." Niu Chang said softly.
Then he grabbed the other arm and tore it off.
"Sp-... spare me…. Ple-please." The bandit was speaking with difficulty. He already long surrendered his fate on Niu Chang's hand.
Niu Chang stopped for a moment, his eyes flashed with cold light.
But he then said softly, "don't be afraid."