Chapter 8: Entrusting the Orphan

Hearing the conversation between the two of us, Sister Yan also guessed Master San’s current condition.

“Master San!” Her eyes reddened as she called out and walked behind him, gently pressing on his shoulders.

It was difficult for any of us to form a clear judgment about Master San. Those who liked him idolized him as an all-powerful deity; those who disliked him saw him as a ruthless devil. To my sister and me, however, he was more like an elder, even a father figure.

I had little impression of my own father. I couldn’t even recall what he looked like. As for the so-called stepfather who had brought me endless nightmares and torment, I had never considered him family.

Only Master San, after eight years of living together and ten years of friendship, had become in my heart—apart from Sister Yan—the most familiar person, even more than my own mother.

No matter how others hated him, at least in my heart, Master San was truly family and a benefactor.

Master San sighed and said to Sister Yan and me, “Don’t be too quick to refuse. Listen to what I have to say. Life and death are destined—I don’t dwell on it, and neither should you. There are only two things I cannot let go of.”

Sister Yan wiped her eyes and said, “Heige and Little Monkey!”

Master San gently patted her hand on his shoulder and nodded. “Yan understands me!”

“Qiangzi is honest and simple, few words and little wisdom. If I’m gone, with his character, he’ll either be killed or end up in prison! As for Little Monkey, if he wanders society freely, he might spend his whole life behind bars!”

Now I understood—Master San had left us today to entrust us with his legacy.

Sister Yan, still wiping tears, said, “Master San, don’t worry. We’ll go to the hospital right away for a checkup and follow the doctor’s advice for treatment. Medicine is so advanced these days—your illness can definitely be cured...”

“Foolish girl!” Master San patted her hand and shook his head. “You know my temper—I won’t put myself through such torment. Don’t try to persuade me. Life and death aren’t as important to me as you think. But these children...

“Yan, Shi Tou, I will hand over this scrap yard to Ah Yong. This way, the children will have a place to stay. Those unwilling to stay, I will let them go to make their own way.

“All the wealth accumulated over these years—aside from the building left to you two siblings and a little for the others—I will donate the rest, as penance for all the killing I’ve done in my life!

“Qiangzi and Xiao Wei will live with you after I’m gone. Can you provide for them?”

Sister Yan was sobbing uncontrollably, nodding repeatedly.

I looked at Master San solemnly. “Don’t worry, Master San. As long as I have food to eat, they won’t go hungry. From now on, they are family to us.”

Only then did Master San breathe a sigh of relief and look at me. “Shi Tou, I trust you. I’m sorry I haven’t fulfilled the promise you entrusted to me.”

I knew it was about finding news of my biological father and didn’t blame him. I said gravely, “It’s alright, Master San. We’ll investigate ourselves from now on.”

Master San placed his hand on my shoulder and asked, “How will you search? Haizhou is a city of millions, with ten districts. Are you going to look through each one?”

“But...” I scratched my head. I couldn’t just not search, could I?

Master San said, “Shi Tou, don’t look for him. Let him come to you.”

Huh?

Sister Yan and I were stunned.

“Your father is a Qi practitioner. This circle isn’t large. Once you achieve results, he will know!” Master San patted my shoulder.

Sister Yan looked at him in surprise. “Master San, how do you know my father is a Qi practitioner?”

There was a flicker of unease in Master San’s eyes, but it passed quickly. He said calmly, “Shi Tou’s Qi-seeing eyes weren’t born with him. A master guided his Qi in the womb. No one else but your father could have done that. So he must be a Qi practitioner!”

Sister Yan and I exchanged glances.

We knew little about our father. I had never seen him since birth, and Sister Yan was too young to remember him. When we grew up, that man became a forbidden topic in our family. Mentioning him would only bring brutal beatings from that butcher.

Even when our mother died, she never spoke of our biological father. To us, he was just a stranger’s name.

Master San continued, “Our Qi cultivation world is different from others. If a master emerges, they gain great fame. People from all over the land come to challenge you. The more famous you become, the more friends and rivals you have.

“Instead of searching blindly, it’s better to be a beacon in the dark, so he will come to you.”

Sister Yan and I finally understood his meaning and nodded thoughtfully.

Master San patted my shoulder. “Shi Tou, although your Qi-seeing eyes are rare once in a millennium, your current level is too low. To deepen your Qi-seeing eye, you must first become a Qi practitioner yourself.

“Only when your Qi within is abundant can your Qi-seeing eyes reach a higher realm.”

“An ordinary Qi practitioner is not your goal. I believe you can become a Qi master!

“That way, not only will the Qi world know you, but with your future achievements, people from all walks of life will know your name—you will become a great star!”

I was stirred to the core but also felt the heavy burden on my shoulders. Instinctively, I nodded at Master San.

He seemed tired and waved us away to leave, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.

After closing the wooden door of the small house, I said to Heige standing by the door, “Master San wants to rest for a while. You guys come back in an hour.”

Heige nodded.

I smiled at him. “Heige, come on, knead the dough!”

Sister Yan shook her head helplessly. “I’ll go start the car!”

Heige grinned widely and stood before me. When I placed my hands behind my back and nodded, he clenched his fists and pounded my front and back fiercely!

We had played this “kneading dough” game for ten years since childhood.

Even after Sister Yan and I moved out, we still came back every now and then, and I would ask Heige to play with me.

For both of us, this was a Qi cultivation exercise.

Like a dough fermenting through kneading, my Qi would gather and strengthen, and Heige’s would too.

This was our exclusive game—no one else could do it.

When I could no longer stand it, I signaled him to stop, and he did.

Only then did I exhale the breath I had been holding.

“Feels good!” I stretched my arms and pulled out some bills I had prepared beforehand, quickly slipping them into Heige’s trouser pocket.

Heige put his hand in his pocket, frowned, and tried to pull the money out. I grabbed his wrist and whispered, “Dating girls costs money! Keep it—don’t let Master San see!”

Heige blushed and smiled at me, revealing a row of white teeth.

I patted his sturdy arm and turned to leave.

Zhao Xiangbo came up to me, scratching his neck and squinting. “Shi Tou, I don’t know what’s wrong, but my neck’s been itching these past two days. Can you check it for me?”

I glanced at the eerie scar on the lower part of his neck, ground my teeth slightly, and smiled: “No problem! Brother Zhao knows me best—I’m best at treating itchy necks caused by restless hands!”