Guarding the Pure Land

Tianhua walked briskly with Little Bell on his back. It was already past lunchtime, and Tianhua thought, "Uncle Han must be getting impatient!" As they approached the restaurant, Uncle Han, the owner, was indeed waiting for them at the entrance.

Seeing Tianhua and Little Bell returning from afar, Uncle Han, noticing Little Bell riding on Tianhua's neck with a large butterfly kite in her hand, was momentarily stunned. It seemed like he remembered something, but he quickly regained his composure and greeted, "Tianhua, you're back!"

Tianhua responded, and Little Bell joyfully said, "Daddy, today Tianhua took me kite flying!"

Uncle Han nodded and said, "Did you play too much, causing you to come back late and making Tianhua hungry?"

"No, I didn't! Tianhua was helping beat up some bad guys!" Little Bell retorted.

"Beating up people? Tianhua, what's going on?" Uncle Han asked in confusion.

"Uncle Han, it's not something I can explain in a few words. I'll tell you in detail tonight," Tianhua said.

"Alright! Come in, let's go to the back for dinner! After playing for most of the day, you must be hungry!" Uncle Han said.

Little Bell vigorously nodded, saying, "Very hungry, so hungry!"

Uncle Han smiled, lifted Little Bell from Tianhua's shoulders, and said, "Come down, let Tianhua take a break. Carrying you for so long must be tiring!"

"Daddy! Tianhua is amazing!" Little Bell praised as Uncle Han looked at Tianhua. Tianhua smiled and patted Little Bell's head.

In the backyard, the elderly prepared a fresh meal for them. After finishing their meal, Little Bell played in the courtyard while Tianhua went to help in the front.

After closing the shop, Tianhua and Uncle Han came to the backyard for dinner.

Tonight, there was wine!

Little Bell had played all day and soon felt tired. She quickly finished her dinner and insisted on going to sleep. Uncle Han took her inside, placed her on the bed without saying anything, and she closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

Uncle Han returned to the courtyard, saw Tianhua pouring two glasses of wine, sat down, picked up his glass, and Tianhua did the same. They clinked their glasses and then downed the contents in one go!

The old man squinted, observing the two as they drank.

"Tianhua, tell me about what happened during the day," Uncle Han said.

Tianhua poured another glass, took a sip, and then detailed everything that had happened that day. After finishing, he took another drink and looked at Uncle Han.

Uncle Han, silent for a moment, raised his glass, drank it all, then patted Tianhua on the shoulder, saying, "Tianhua, well done!"

Tianhua looked at Uncle Han with surprise. "Uncle Han, honestly, at first, I was worried. I was afraid you would blame me after hearing what happened."

"Blame you? Why would I blame you?" Uncle Han exclaimed.

"Blame me for meddling. What I did today has undoubtedly offended Kong Xu and the others. They won't let it go easily, and it might bring trouble to you in the future," Tianhua expressed his concerns.

"Why would I? If I were there, I would have done the same!" Uncle Han straightforwardly replied.

Tianhua looked at Uncle Han with excitement, feeling grateful. He filled Uncle Han's glass, filled his own, raised his glass, and they both emptied them.

"Tianhua, if I didn't promise Little Bell's mother, maybe, I wouldn't be spending my years in this small restaurant now," Uncle Han suddenly said, feeling a bit melancholic.

Tianhua looked at him in confusion, and Uncle Han seemed to notice Tianhua's expression, hastily adding, "I'm a bit drunk again, Uncle Han. I've had too much to drink!"

After saying that, he burst into laughter, and Tianhua thought that Uncle Han must have something on his mind. Since he didn't mention it, Tianhua didn't ask. If Uncle Han didn't say it, he surely had his reasons, just like Tianhua had many things he couldn't talk about.

Both lost in their thoughts, they silently drank the wine, no longer speaking.

Tianhua vaguely felt the meaning behind Uncle Han's drinking: when you're happy, drinking makes you happier. When you're troubled, it helps you temporarily forget your worries.

Tianhua suddenly realized that his tolerance for alcohol had increased!

The two had unknowingly put down their wine glasses and, swaying slightly, walked towards their respective rooms. Once inside, they collapsed on their beds, falling into a deep sleep.

The night breeze gently blew in the real world and simultaneously in the dreams of the people.

In the bright room, the two looked anxiously at the person in front of them.

That person seemed robust, with a large hand rubbing his chin. It was none other than Kong Xu's capable assistant – Dual Blades Kong Xu!

He sat on a tiger-skin chair, staring at the two. He had just listened to their report on the events of the day.

"Are you sure he's the kid the Lord of the Town is looking for?" Kong Xu asked.

"Yes! We are certain it's him! Although he didn't admit it himself, his skills match exactly what you instructed us to look for!" one of them hastily replied.

"Good, that's what I want to hear! If you made this up to cover up your mistakes, you know the consequences!" Kong Xu warned.

"We wouldn't dare!" both of them responded in a hurry.

"Good kid, I haven't found you yet, but you've already caused trouble for me!" Kong Xu said fiercely.

"Lord Kong, what should we do now?" one of them asked.

"Go, set up a surveillance network in the town. Find that kid for me. I want to see how skilled he really is!" Kong Xu ordered.

They nodded and left!

As dawn broke, the rooster's crow awakened the sun!

Little Bell woke up early. Excited, she got out of bed, pushed open the door, and ran towards Tianhua's room.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The little bell rang on the door and shouted, "Tianhua, wake up quickly..."

Tianhua was still deep in sleep on the bed, oblivious to the noise outside. Either he didn't hear it because he was sleeping too soundly, or he chose to ignore it. Regardless, Little Bell couldn't hear any response from the other side.

Little Bell intensified her knocking and calling, and the entire courtyard fell silent.

"Why are you making noise so early in the morning, Little Bell?" Mr. Han, the owner, was awakened.

"I'm waking Tianhua up, Uncle Han!" Little Bell said with a smile.

"Don't bother. Come over here!" Mr. Han replied, waving his hand.

"But Tianhua hasn't woken up yet!" Little Bell protested.

"Come, let me clean you up first. Maybe Tianhua will get up while you're getting ready!" Mr. Han beckoned.

Little Bell stopped knocking and went to Mr. Han. He smiled and said, "If you want Tianhua to take you out to play, he needs to rest well first, so he has the energy to take you out. Understand?"

After hearing this, Little Bell blinked, looked at Mr. Han, and nodded as if she understood and didn't understand.

Mr. Han cleaned up Little Bell in the courtyard. Meanwhile, the old man also woke up, washed his face, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

When Mr. Han finished grooming Little Bell, she looked at Tianhua's door. Since there was no movement, she said, "Dad, why hasn't Tianhua woken up yet? I'll go call him!" and started walking towards his room.

Mr. Han pulled her back and said, "I told you earlier, he needs to rest well to have the energy to take you out to play!"

"But Dad, Grandpa, and Little Bell have all rested. Why hasn't Tianhua rested well?" Little Bell asked in confusion.

This question left Mr. Han at a loss. He looked at Little Bell, unsure of how to respond, and could only say vaguely, "Well..."

"Tianhua must be a big lazy bug! That's why he sleeps so much!" Little Bell suddenly said very seriously.

Mr. Han looked at her, then suddenly smiled and said, "Yes, yes! Tianhua is a lazy bug, so he needs a lot of rest!"

In the darkness, Tianhua seemed to hear someone calling him. He walked toward the sound, but as he approached, the voice seemed to fade away, and he hurriedly followed, but the sound slowly disappeared.

Tianhua stood there, gazing blankly into the pitch-black surroundings. He felt lonely, trying to find guidance from a voice to escape the darkness. However, after waiting for a long time, there was still silence.

Suddenly, there was light!

Tianhua quickly opened his eyes, looked around, and realized it was just a dream!

Morning had already arrived!

Sunlight had entered the room, and Tianhua glanced at the window, thinking it was time to get up. However, as he tried to rise, he felt a bit dizzy: he had drunk too much last night!

Tianhua closed his eyes and rested for a moment before getting up. In the room, he faintly heard Mr. Han and Little Bell talking!

In the courtyard, Little Bell anxiously waited for Tianhua to get up. She occasionally glanced at Tianhua's room.

Breakfast was ready, but Tianhua had not yet woken up.

"Dad, breakfast is ready. Why hasn't Tianhua woken up?" Little Bell looked at Tianhua's room, puzzled.

Mr. Han looked at Little Bell and said with a smile, "Then go call him!"

"Okay!" Little Bell smiled and ran over.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Little Bell knocked on Tianhua's door and shouted, "Tianhua, wake up! It's time to eat!"

Hearing the urgent knocking, Tianhua quickly got up and opened the door.

Little Bell stood outside, looking at him with a smile, and said, "Tianhua, it's time for breakfast!"

Tianhua responded, came out, and closed the door.

After washing his face, Tianhua sat at the table in the yard. He saw Mr. Han and said apologetically, "Uncle Han, sorry for making you wait."

"Tianhua, how do you feel now?" Mr. Han asked.

"I still feel a bit dizzy," Tianhua said.

Mr. Han, after hearing this, handed Tianhua a pre-prepared sobering soup and said, "Tianhua, drink this!"

Tianhua took it and drank it in one gulp. Instantly, he felt refreshed and energetic. Tianhua happily said, "This soup is truly magical!"

"Tianhua, do you want to learn how to make the sobering soup?" Mr. Han suddenly smiled and asked.

"This is Grandpa's exclusive recipe. How could I dare to expect that?" Tianhua said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Mr. Han smiled and looked at him, then gestured towards the old man. The old man looked at Tianhua, smiled, and nodded.

Tianhua, puzzled, looked at Mr. Han. Mr. Han smiled and said, "Grandpa agreed to teach you!"

Tianhua, excited, asked, "Really?"

"Really! Why don't you hurry up and bow to your master?" Mr. Han said with a smile.

"Bow to my master?" Tianhua asked in confusion.

"Yes, kowtow to Grandpa and offer him tea. Once he drinks the tea, he will be your master and pass on his skills to you!" Mr. Han explained.

Tianhua happily got up, took a cup of water from the table, knelt in front of the old man, and said, "Master!"

The old man took the tea, drank a sip, then stood up, helped Tianhua up, and patted his shoulder with a smile. Tianhua nodded happily.

Little Bell, seeing this, also shouted, "I want to bow to the master too!"

After saying that, she ran to the old man, knelt down like Tianhua, held up a cup of tea, and said, "Master!"

Haha...

The three of them laughed. The old man, with a smile, took the tea, drank a sip, and Little Bell stood up, shouting happily, "I have a master!"

After finishing breakfast, Little Bell insisted that Tianhua take her to fly kites. Tianhua looked at Mr. Han and asked, "Mr. Han, could you please take her out to play?"

Tianhua nodded, and Little Bell happily went to her room to fetch the butterfly kite she bought yesterday. She came out, held Tianhua's hand, and ran outside.

Mr. Han, watching their departing figures, thought of Little Bell and a smile appeared on his face.

Tianhua took Little Bell to the outskirts of the town. The wind gently blew, and the world was vast.

"Tianhua, today, I'll fly the kite, and you can watch!" Little Bell said with a smile.

"Okay!" Tianhua agreed.

Tianhua let Little Bell go, and she happily ran to fly the kite. Tianhua found a tree, sat down, plucked a long straw from the grass, put it in his mouth, and looked into the distance.

The sun rose high, warming the earth.

Tianhua returned from his distant contemplation, squinted at Little Bell, suddenly alert, and looked around. He closed his eyes: behind a distant tree, two people were standing there staring at them!

Tianhua opened his eyes, feeling a sense of regret. He had been too engrossed in playing and had forgotten about them!

They had seen Tianhua carrying Little Bell in the town and thought they resembled the people Kong Xu had ordered to find, so they followed them to the outskirts of the town. In the crowded town, Tianhua didn't notice that he was being followed. When they reached the outskirts, Tianhua was too focused on talking to Little Bell and thinking about things, so he didn't pay attention.

The two people stared for a while and confirmed that Tianhua and Little Bell were the people Kong Xu wanted to find. One of them lowered his voice and said, "I'll keep an eye on them; you go inform Master Kong!"

The other person nodded and quickly left. The remaining person continued to observe.

Bang!

The sound startled him, and he looked around. Startled, he saw the person who had left lying on the ground. Apparently, he had been knocked out and thrown back, hitting a tree!

He seemed to realize something and quickly turned towards Tianhua and Little Bell, who were still sitting and flying the kite. He nervously swung his axe towards them: Tianhua was still sitting there, and Little Bell was still flying the kite.

Both were there, and he looked around nervously. There was nothing! Panic and anxiety overwhelmed him: what was happening?

He suddenly thought of something and quickly swung the axe towards Tianhua and Little Bell. Tianhua was still sitting there, and Little Bell was still flying the kite.

He couldn't comprehend it. He looked around nervously and saw nothing! His inner fear grew: why was he discovered? How did he approach them without being noticed? It all happened in an instant! Why did he discover him but leave after asking just one question...

So many questions made him afraid to think further!

He sat there, filled with panic, feeling like he was being watched, with countless eyes around him. He cowered under the tree, afraid to leave!

Ah!