“...Qiu Gege?” 

“Ah?”

A curious face looked up at him (LQ) oddly. “Why are you staring at those…”

“-Cultivators.” Lei Qiu interjected. Smiling he pat the little guy on the head saying, “They are very strong and good people. Meeting people like this on our first day out in a while is surely good news! We should go pay our respects, okay?”

Bai Huiliang nodded his head in affirmation. Not that he was particularly interested in meeting these people, but since his Qiu Gege wanted to, naturally he (BH) would go along too. Walking hand in hand the two boys walked over to the three almost divine looking men. Bowing his hand in a fist to hand posture, Lei Qiu gestured for Bai Huiliang to do the same. 

“Pleased to meet these Daoist immortals, I am Lei Qiu and this is my brother Bai Huiliang. Is there anything your esteemed selves need?” Lei Qiu said. Looking down at the two young boys, one of the senior disciples opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by his master, Xia Yongrui. Fanning his hand lightly, he laughed briskly. 

“There is no need to be so stiff. This younger one…Bai Huiliang?” Xia Yongrui looked down in thought for a moment before smiling. “I’d like to test him for his spiritual prowess. Who is his keeper?” 

Anyone with a mind could look at these boys and tell their situation at almost a glance. They were clearly slaves, almost as if it had been branded on their bodies pitifully. Asking for his “keeper” was merely a formality. No one would refuse the opportunity to be taken in by a sect. If the child was successful it would meet success for the family as a whole. Slave or not, power means more than money in the cultivation world. 

“No.” Bai Huiliang spoke to the cultivator for the first time, almost indignantly. “I won’t do it.”

Sweat beaded down the necks of the other four present. This child could refuse a blessing with such bold words?! 

“X-xiao Bai? Please think-”

“No.” His round face puffed up in anger “I won’t go if my Gege can’t.”

Lei Qiu cried tears of joy in his heart. How could anyone NOT love this child?! (>w<)

Xia Yongrui smiled and took out a fan. “I understand. You are a good child for caring so much about your brother. I had actually planned to test the both of you, I wouldn’t want to separate the both of you. Do I seem that heartless?” The older men shed fake tears causing a reaction from Lei Qiu and him alone.

“N-no of course not senior!” He bowed “I am thankful for this opportunity. I…Is there any way for us to be in contact later? We must be going or we’ll be in trouble…”

Smiling, Xiao Yongrui nodded and handed Lei Qiu the paper fan in his hand. “Here. Keep this safe and we will return soon. I will have to speak to your keepers and ensure that everything is in order then we can test you both for cultivation.” Turning around he looked back once more, “See you soon!”

Lei Qiu looked down at the little one who held a stiff expression, however at closer inspection one could see the tips of his ears reddening. Unable to resist the urge, Lei Qiu pinched his (BH) ears softly, waking him up out of his state. 

“Qiu Gege?”

“Let's go back, Xiao Bai.” Finishing up the rest of their chores outside, the two headed back to the estate hand in hand. “See I told you Xiao Bai, it was definitely good that we greeted those good men. Surely this is the start of some good luck for us!”

“En.”

Lei Qiu continued talking and blabbing on the way back with Bai Huiliang listening attentively to everything he said, though not saying much in return. Lei Qiu wasn’t wrong about what he had said though. This was truly the start of some good luck. Following the plot of the original novel after the death of his only friend (LQ), Bai Huiliang had gone out to take care of the usual chores and business. It was there that the cultivators had spotted him and noticed the potential that he held and decided to do everything they could to have him join their sect and get him out of poverty. After taking Bai Huiliang to the sect, his life began to get better and he even did  something he never thought he’d do. He made a new friend, Xue Zhong, the protagonist. 

If the cultivator recruit plot happened this early in the story then…isn’t there a chance that I could survive the upcoming event? The death of the Villain's best friend, Lei Qiu, was a crucial event in the story. It was one of the root factors that led to Bai Huiliang eventually becoming the Villain who ended up taking over half of the continent! If Lei Qiu, if I don't die then what will happen to the Villain? 

Lei Qiu shook his head vigorously, shaking the thoughts out of his head.

No. That doesn’t matter. If I’m alive then Xiao Bai won’t have to go through all that pain he experienced in the novel. I can be there as his friend and guide him. He doesn’t need to be the Villain now that I’m here. No matter where he goes in this life, I’ll be there to comfort him along the way. 

Those thoughts resolutely grounded themselves in Lei Qiu’s mind. Nodding his head firmly, his eyes fired up with determination. On the side of him (LQ), Bai Huiliang watched the theatrics of Lei Qiu who was doing all of this not knowing how ridiculous he looked. 

Bai Huiliang: …Silly Gege.