The sounds of barking, the pitter patter of steps coming from a malnourished child resounded as heavy breathing were heard and the child tried to hide the food he managed to find amongst the trash.
In the alleyways of Yiling, there was an abandoned child who did his best to survive. Everyday, he scoured for food and fought dogs who hurted him for it.
It hurts. Bites starting to bruise his already blemished skin as he curled into a ball and hoping to ease the pain.
The wafting smell of pie permeates through his nose as he looked at the another child in front of him, confused as he eyed the food warily despite it looking delicious.
Soon enough, he couldn't resist as he scarfed the food down. The child also sat beside him as he closed his eyes.
He looked at the hair akin to a color of blood, and he was only wearing one layer of fabric similar to him and the redhead was thinner than him.
"I'm Wei Ying."
The child who has the most peculiar hair color opened his eyes and looked at him, his reddish-brown eyes seem to be in deep thoughts.
"What is your name?"
The redhead opened his mouth, then closed it again since he doesn't know what to say. Records played in his mind to search for the right language that should be used.
Cale Henituse, even as Kim Rok Soo, doesn't know how to speak Chinese.
All the gears inside Cale's head worked nonstop to form an appropriate sentence that is understandable for the raven.
"Name...no."
It took several seconds for Wei Ying to grasp the words said by the redhead.
"You have no name?"
Surely, Cale knew both his names will be quite weird in a world of cultivation, so he just nodded.
Wei Ying seems to be in deep thoughts, so Cale let him until the redhead almost jumped from surprise of the latter yelling.
"Then, your name will be Wei Xun(1)! We are brothers now! You can call me gege!"
For as far as Cale knows, gege means hyung. So he looked at the raven beside him and wanted to refute but he doesn't know what to say.
For all he knows, he might curse in English or Korean.
"No. Older...me..."
Cale seriously wants to just waltz in a library nearby but he also realized that all of the words written will be in Chinese, making him groan internally as he pointed at Wei Ying.
"You...didi...me...gege."
Wei Ying knew that he himself is thin and small for someone his age, but looking at the redhead beside him who insists that he's older, he could only doubt the latter's words.
The raven was about to speak when several growls resounded in the alley.
"In here! That brat should still be here!"
Cale moved forward as he hid Wei Ying behind him who was trembling at the sight of dogs.
The redhead placed a finger in his lips to shush the raven who was now sobbing, Wei Ying could only nod as he did his best to contain his whimpers.
"Hah! I finally found you, you little thief!"
The man whose belly could rival Buddha's, screamed as he continued to reign the leashed dogs in his grasp.
Cale knew that the man saying thief was pertaining to him, because he did stole the pie that he fed to the trembling child behind him.
There were many other people who were looking at such commotion, making the redhead grit his teeth and glared at the man in front.
Cale looked above, searching for an escape and drag Wei Ying away.
'Haahh, I will seriously fucking kill that God for making me work nonstop.'
He readily activated the Sound of the Wind and held Wei Ying's small hand, they were about to fly away but stopped when they heard a new voice and the sound of a clarity bell ringing.
"What is going on here?"
The man who was screaming boisterously just earlier kneeled at the sight of another man dressed in violet clothes.
"S-Sect Leader Jiang! I was just chasing a little thief!"
Cale knew well who is that man, the man who will adopt Wei Ying in consideration for his old friends, Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren...or whatever along those lines.
Jiang Fengmian.
The Sect Leader stared at Cale with undeniably soft eyes, then the redhead bowed in greeting before stepping away for him to see Wei Ying.
"I finally found you, Wei Ying."
The child tilted his head in confusion then looked at the redhead who started coughing discreetly.
Cale swallowed the blood back before staring at the raven with a stoic face. He simply waved and mouthed the word 'goodbye' before proceeding to run away using his ancient power.
Several people's mouth agape at the sudden show of power as Cale ran like he was stepping on something through the air. Now that the Sect Leader had found Wei Ying, his first mission is finally done. All that's left is to watch him from afar as much as possible.
"Wait! Gege!"
Cale wanted to snort at how easy he get the raven to call him Gege.
The redhead stopped midair and looked down at the child who was looking up at him.
"Will I see you again?"
The redhead could only stare at him before looking at the dark sky above, raindrops starting to pour slowly.
"Do...you...want to...?"
Wei Ying beamed in expectation as he smiled widely at the redhead.
"Yes!"
Cale knew he is weak to children, considering how he adopted three and more back in the Roan Kingdom.
The redhead only smiled before he continued to run away from the alley.
Of course he would go and visit the raven in his new shelter, Cale wasn't the one who would pass on free food and a roof above his head since he hates sleeping in an abandoned alley just like the past few days after waking in this world.
He just doesn't want to get associated Jiang Fengmian's wife unless needed.
✶⊶⊷⊶⊷❍⊶⊷⊶⊷✶
"Hello..."
Wei Ying almost screamed out loud and possibly waking everyone up in the Lotus Pier just because of the redhead who was sitting in his room's window.
"Gege?! Whaㅡ?"
"Why are you so loudㅡaaahhhhhㅡmph!"
Wei Ying covered Jiang Cheng's loud mouth who was beside him and just woke up.
"Gege, what are you doing here?"
Cale feigned innocence as he tilted his head, "Should I...go?"
The redhead was about to jump away from the window when Wei Ying stopped him.
"No stop! I'm not shooing you away! I was just surprised to see you after three days and in a middle of the night."
Cale could only nod as he looked at the other kid who was frowning at him. He just ignored it and answered Wei Ying.
"I was...learning the...language. Sorry...I just...searched for you...now."
The younger was about to say something when Jiang Cheng threw clothes straight on the redhead's face, failing to catch it.
"Atleast wear something other than that rag you're wearingㅡ!"
"S-shijie!" Wei Ying utters as both him and Jiang Cheng looked at the doorway nervously.
Jiang Yanli could only stare at them then to the redhead who was scanning the clothes that were thrown at him, not minding her.
1. 纁 - xūn - crimson