Chapter One, my name is Xueze, also known as Xiao Tian
In his sleep, the young child suddenly realized that he was plummeting from an extremely high altitude. The howling wind pressed his eyes shut, and the deafening sound of thunder echoed in his ears. A colossal bolt of lightning was wildly sweeping towards him, and under this shroud of thunder and lightning, he felt as if he had been torn into pieces
Ninety feet to the left front of the temple gate stands a stone tablet approximately four meters high. This stone tablet is transparent on both sides, resembling an extremely rare and precious large piece of raw jade. It is inscribed with three characters: Ji Shan Feng. In front of the stone tablet is the stone staircase leading down the mountain.
Finally landed, he seemed to have fallen into a pool of lava again, with the scorching liquid continuously surging into his body through his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth... In this unbearable temperature, as he was nearly suffocating, suddenly the situation took a turn, and he felt as if he had entered a mysterious realm, like a small fish swimming freely in a river, all pain inexplicably vanished in an instant, swimming endlessly, an unparalleled sense of comfort. Suddenly, a fierce large fish opened its gaping mouth towards him, startling him so much that he flicked his tail and turned to flee, but the fish swallowed him whole, a torrent of water pressure swept him into the fish's foul-smelling mouth. Just as he was about to suffocate, the situation took a turn again, and he felt as if he had entered a mysterious realm, like a small fish swimming freely in a river, all pain inexplicably vanished in an instant, swimming endlessly, an unparalleled sense of comfort. Suddenly, a fierce large fish opened its gaping mouth towards him, startling him so much that he flicked his tail and turned to flee, but the fish swallowed him whole, a torrent of water pressure swept him into the fish's foul-smelling mouth.
At the easternmost edge of these continuous majestic mountains, there stands a remarkable peak, rising abruptly and exuding an imposing presence that seems to overlook all other mountains. The entire summit appears as if it has been cleaved in half by some divine weapon, with the peak being exceptionally spacious and flat. Atop this solitary peak sits a vast monastery, approximately a hundred zhang in circumference, resembling a mythical beast from the wilderness that has taken residence at the highest point of this mountain range. However, when merely observing the exterior of the monastery, it does not seem to match its lofty geographical location and expansive area, appearing rather unremarkable. The white brick walls, eroded by the passage of time, have taken on a slight yellow hue, and various climbing plants have covered the entire wall surface. The roof of the monastery is merely covered with ordinary gray tiles. Were it not for its daunting size, one might easily mistake it for the dwelling of a mountain hunter, far from the grandiose imperial monasteries adorned with intricate carvings and resplendent gold.
Upon noticing the young child's gaze, the little girl immediately withdrew her mischievous smile, timidly hiding behind Mr. Liang. She occasionally peeked out with half her head, biting her delicate fingers, stealing glances at the young child.
"I didn't read it in a book," Xiao Tian said proudly. "Last time, the kitchen monk Er Gou, who brought me food, told me. He said that his senior often sneaks back to the firewood room to read a secret manual when he has nothing to do. Once, when his senior was not around, he secretly flipped through a few pages and told me about it. Ah! It's terrible, Er Gou told me not to tell anyone else."
Three years later
Mr. Liang gently stroked the little girl's head and, with a hint of what seemed to be regret, said: "Xiao Tian, this is Han Yan Yi, she is the same age as you, both are three years old, you can call her Xiao Yan. The one behind is his cousin, Lin Chengze. He is seven years old this year and will also be your elder brother in the future. Tian'er, you were almost born in this temple and have spent the longest time here, so you must remember that you are the host, and you should take good care of these two siblings."
Oh, haha! Then tell Liang Bo two idioms to listen to." Liang Bo squinted his eyes in satisfaction
Liang Bo held the hand of a boy with his left hand, who appeared to be around seven or eight years old. The boy's build was slightly larger than that of an average child, and he wore an expression of indifference, with a hint of disdain in his eyes, exuding a cold demeanor that was either mature or cynical, which was incongruous with his age. At his waist, he carried a small wooden sword made of peach wood.
Years later, an image, like a relief, is etched completely in the deepest part of the soul of a girl named Han Yan: under the blue sky and white clouds, a clear and pure face, like jade, with a boy who has an innocent smile, untainted by any impurities, is stretching out his palm in the dazzling sunlight, loudly proclaiming: "My name is Xueze, also known as Xiaotian!" The echoes in the valley continuously resound, "My name is Xueze, also known as Xiaotian... My name is Xueze, also known as Xiaotian... My name is Xueze, my name is Xueze..." The innocent boy with an untainted smile, under the dazzling sunlight, stretches out his palm, loudly shouting: "My name is Xueze, also known as Xiaotian!" The echoes in the valley continuously resound, "My name is Xueze, also known as Xiaotian... My name is Xueze, also known as Xiaotian... My name is Xueze, my name is Xueze..."
However, the entrance of this temple is exaggeratedly large, and it is not made of wood, but rather constructed from metal. The massive iron door stands nearly 10 meters high and almost 5 meters wide, with an unknown thickness. Upon closer inspection, about 5 meters below the main door, there is a medium-sized iron door, and beneath this medium door, there is surprisingly a wooden door approximately the height of an average person, leaving one to wonder what secrets lie within. Above the enormous iron door, there is a plaque that reads: "Daming Ancestor Temple".
In the ancestral temple, within the spacious courtyard, the scene was bustling with activity. "Hey! Drink!" Each monk held a wooden staff, practicing in unison. Some were bare-chested, standing in horse stance, resembling wooden posts, allowing others to strike them repeatedly with sticks and hammers, yet they remained completely still. The entire courtyard was filled with a vibrant atmosphere.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tian was overjoyed to finally have companions, completely forgetting about Liang Bo. He dashed over to the group of siblings, exclaiming: "My name is Xueze! Also known as Xiao Tian!"
Hehe, Liang Bo, he is so timid, he is even afraid of such a cute little white one, pfft
Ah! Ah! Ah! A child's sharp scream pierced the air, and his eyes suddenly opened wide: "Oh my, it turns out this is not a dream, someone is dying!" Half a foot away from his eyes was a large mouth, reeking of blood, filled with yellowed teeth, extending a bright red tongue that licked his face with saliva
Liang Bo! The child rushed over to the old man in white as if flying
"That's enough, that's enough. Come here, Xiao Tian, I will introduce you to two friends." Liang Bo was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, sighed, and waved his hand. The boy stood still, with a stern expression, not moving at all. The little girl lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and timidly walked over, occasionally glancing back at the boy.
Oh, where is it?! Where did it go? As this little rascal completely released his small hand, he realized that his previous attempt to snatch the bag like a yellow dog had failed, and he couldn't help but feel puzzled. Raising his eyes, he saw that the butterfly had landed right on his nose. Immediately, he waved his small hand, "Smack!" and gave himself a resounding slap on the face. The colorful butterfly seemed to have had enough of the game, flapped its wings, and ignored this annoying little brat, flying off on its own beyond the courtyard.
He did not know how long he had fallen like this; he felt as if he had left that violent space. There were no more terrifying thunderclaps around him, replaced instead by flurries of snowflakes. The cold snowflakes continuously struck his face and body, yet he felt undeniably warm.
A majestic mountain range rises, with peaks standing in array, ancient trees reaching for the sky, and myriad woods vying for glory. In the sky, clouds gather in the long winds of a thousand miles, drifting like floating clouds, and soaring like startled dragons. Not far away, several towering peaks rise abruptly, with wide waterfalls cascading down as if falling from the heavens! The splashes of water, reflecting the blazing sun, resemble the brilliant stars of the night sky descending into the mortal realm. Such a scene can be described as a magnificent red spring falling, with the sacred mountains displaying abundant beauty. To describe it as breathtakingly beautiful is by no means an exaggeration. The splashes of water, reflecting the blazing sun, resemble the brilliant stars of the night sky descending into the mortal realm. Such a scene can be described as a magnificent red spring falling, with the sacred mountains displaying abundant beauty. To describe it as breathtakingly beautiful is by no means an exaggeration.
Stop, stop, stop! Liang Bo almost couldn't catch his breath and replied: "Oh my, in which book did you learn these profound idioms?"
After the commotion just now, the mischievous child felt a bit tired. He lay down against a willow tree by the small pond in the courtyard, squinting his eyes and talking to himself: "Hmm... I heard from Uncle Liang that there are many children at the foot of the mountain outside the temple. I wonder when I can go down to take a look. However, Uncle Liang said those children down the mountain are quite formidable; those who are about my age can even fight tigers. I have only seen a picture of a tiger in Uncle Liang's room, and I heard that a tiger is as big as this courtyard, which is really frightening. I definitely cannot fight one." The mischievous child gradually dozed off while talking to himself.
The mischievous child suddenly executed a move called "Big Yellow Dog Snatching Buns," and pounced fiercely. Thud! A faint layer of dust rose from the muddy ground. After a while, the child slowly struggled to get up, coughing and spitting out a small mouthful of yellow mud, cautiously releasing his delicate little hand. "Little Butterfly, it seems you are forcing me to use my ultimate technique, 'Tiger Descending the Mountain.' You should know that I can only use this move once a day because it hurts a lot, humph!" This mischievous child, influenced by the temple, surprisingly knew the names of several techniques!
On the right side should be the little girl who just mocked the child, with a voice as melodious as wind chimes. She appears to be of similar age to the child. This girl is exceptionally delicate, her ten fingers pointed like tender white grass shoots, her skin fair and smooth like cream, especially her pair of crescent-shaped eyes, bright and clear, resembling the brightest stars in the summer night sky, with a hint of a barely perceptible spring in her gaze. However, there is a scar on the right side of her face that extends from the corner of her mouth to her cheekbone, which elicits a sigh.
The young child tumbled and rolled, flipping over several times in a most ungraceful manner. Stumbling and struggling, the child could not get back up and sat down on the ground, gazing at the strange creature with lingering fear. Ah, it turned out to be just a cute little white puppy, probably only a little over a month old, that had intended to express friendliness but was also startled. The puppy looked at the child with an innocent expression, yet did not dare to approach any closer.
A melodious voice of a little girl came from behind the toddler
The young child, upon hearing this, lifted his head towards the sky and proudly declared, "Hmph, of course! I know more characters than those martial monks in the outer courtyard, and I can even use idioms!"
"Hey! Xiaotian, oh dear, you've gained quite a bit of weight again. If this continues, Uncle Liang won't be able to carry you anymore." Uncle Liang picked up the young child and rubbed his stubbly chin against the child's tender little face, showing great affection: "In the past few days since Uncle Liang came down the mountain, have you been studying your characters diligently?"
In an inconspicuous corner of the temple, there was a small courtyard where a chubby and adorable little boy, about two or three years old, was holding a blade of foxtail grass, dancing and chasing after a butterfly. He was sweating profusely: "Butterfly, butterfly, don't run away! I have apples in my house, they're so sweet! If you come back to my house with me, I'll give you some. Hey, don't run!" The butterfly seemed to believe that this tiny little boy was no threat to it, and it was not in a hurry, fluttering around as he chased, resting when he paused. "Hey, don't run!" The butterfly seemed to believe that this tiny little boy was no threat to it, and it was not in a hurry, fluttering around as he chased, resting when he paused.
Oh? The child sat on the muddy ground, turning back in surprise. An elderly man in a cream-colored coat, could this be the old physician, Liang Bo, from the farming family in the mountainous northern region?
The mischievous child was not angry; he picked up the dogtail grass that had broken on the ground due to his recent skillful move, rubbed his nose, and said in a pretentious manner: "Heaven has a benevolent nature; if I hadn't retracted my move just in time, you little butterfly, hum, you would have long since met the Buddha. Hiss~~ my face hurts so much!"
The yellow dog is in position, the lazy donkey rolls over, the old man pushes the cart, the widow tilts...'' Xiao Tian closed his eyes, desperately trying to recall and search in his mind