Chapter 433 - 350: Kong Jian Who Never Grows Up
Though he knew it was a hallucination, Kong Jian still felt the pain.
He threw his arms around the old monk and burst into tears.
"Run..." The old monk’s voice was faint; he clearly didn’t have the strength to say more.
But he gave everything he had to ensure Kong Jian could live.
The old monk had found Little Kongjian at the foot of the mountain, and ever since, the two had depended on each other for survival in the dilapidated mountain temple.
The place was desolate and never saw any worshippers.
Only two monks, one old and one young, lived there. The old monk even tended a small plot of land to ensure they had three meals a day.
Years passed, and Kong Jian grew to look like a boy of seven or eight.
But after another two or three years, Kong Jian’s appearance and height hadn’t changed a bit.
Although the temple was dilapidated and remote, it was nestled among rolling mountains and lush greenery.
The pleasant scenery naturally attracted some adventurous hikers, who would discover the place and travel far to see it.
This small, dilapidated temple would occasionally appear online in videos.
But they didn’t get much traffic, and few people paid attention.
This world has no shortage of inquisitive people, nor does it lack those who are willing to use unscrupulous methods in their inquiries.
A little monk like Kong Jian, with his innocent and adorable looks, stood out in a crowd. Even if he faded back into obscurity, someone eventually noticed something was amiss.
’How could this little monk appear in several videos over the years without any change in his height or face?’
He looked exactly the same.
The world Kong Jian lived in was a complex one, not just a purely high-tech, modern age.
There were martial artists, strange and uncanny individuals, and those who pursued cultivation and eternal life...
In short, this discovery drew the attention of certain people to Little Kongjian, the little monk who defied common sense.
And so, it led to today’s events.
The old monk told Kong Jian to run, but Kong Jian hugged him, crying uncontrollably. "Old Monk, why?"
"My child, longevity is a taboo... You must go somewhere no one knows you, do you understand?"
Kong Jian didn’t leave. With his own small body, he performed the last rites for the old monk.
From then on, he was all alone there.
Heeding the old monk’s words, he left the mountain.
But life after leaving the mountain was completely different from what he had imagined.
Not everyone in the world was a good person like the old monk.
He met a kind old farmer, a cunning thief, and a rich man’s son who threw his weight around.
He had seen someone kneel at another’s feet for a single grain of rice.
He was framed by people jealous of his cute appearance, who even went so far as to break his arm.
But the old monk had told him to treat others with sincerity, and so he always did.
But life was still so difficult.
Later, he chose to return to the mountain.
He lived alone on the mountain, learning to farm just as the old monk had.
He washed his clothes, cooked his meals, slept and woke, and ran along the mountain paths, all alone.
But he would always think of the murderers who had taken the old monk from him.
「One day.」
Those people returned. The moment they saw Kong Jian in the dilapidated temple, they recognized him as the legendary, long-lived little monk.
He truly looked no different from the video from a few years ago.
’It really is longevity!’
They didn’t even bother to confirm before attacking. Little Kongjian was no match for them.
He was tied up, and of course, beaten and abused as he resisted.
’As long as we don’t kill him, it’s fine.’
Kong Jian was covered in bruises when they tied him up. He was taken away and imprisoned.
Every day, he was subjected to tests with various instruments, had his blood drawn, and was measured in all sorts of ways.
Kong Jian couldn’t remember how many needles he’d been stuck with, how much blood had been drawn, how many times he’d been electrocuted, or how many different machines he had been strapped into.
Day after day, he grew increasingly numb, and gradually, the will to die took root.
But, he couldn’t die.
And he had no way to avenge the old monk who raised him.
Despair. His entire world was collapsing, until he could no longer feel the outside world.
And yet, it was at this very moment that he met the person who would save him from the brink of collapse.
He remembered she was injured that time, but as he watched, he felt nothing at all.
It was as if none of it had anything to do with him, his heart unable to muster a single emotion.
He was taken away, and, of course, his revenge was served.
But he felt no joy. Only later did he understand that he had developed severe psychological problems.