The Night Breeze Whispers Your Name

14. The Candy

"Have you ever tried to remove the curse mark?" Mu Ning asked me out of the blue while we were carrying water to the temple.

"Mnn," I mumbled. Of course I tried, but it only hurt me.

"I wonder if there are some books about it here."

"Don't tell me that you really want to help me to remove it?" I asked with shock as I put the buckets down.

"I do," Mu Ning said firmly, staring at me intently.

"Why?" I found myself asking.

"It is your own life, nobody has the right to control it."

"Even if they are good people who try to prevent me from hurting people?" I bluffed to see his reaction.

"If they thought you were dangerous, why did they send you here?" Mu Ning challenged me, "this life is not fair and people are greedy, so don't trust anyone."

I could neither laugh nor cry.

He was an enigma and I couldn't see through him.

"Move your ass! Why standing there?" Angry's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him with pure hatred. After the incident, they mixed my indifference with powerlessness, so they barked freely.

Getting sick and tired of them, I decided to give them a lesson. Using my non-human speed, I appeared behind him and punched the buckets. They exploded with the force and Angry scared to death. Then I turned around and grabbed the wooden stick mid-air before it hit my head.

"Nice try," I said threateningly to Noxious, who was the attacker and squeezing the wooden stick, I split into two. Before one half fell to the ground, I kicked it hard and hit Sly who was sneaking away. Then I hit Noxious with the remaining piece before hitting Angry the same way.

It all happened less than a half incense stick of time, but the pest-trio were already lying motionlessly on the hard forest ground.

"I hope you got your lesson," I snorted disdainfully and grabbed my buckets again as if nothing happened. After the initial shock, Mu Ning followed me and we completed the day's task.

Luckily, Mu Ning didn't comment on my action, maybe thinking they deserved it.

Leaving the task incomplete, the pest-trio were punished with additional twenty buckets of water. Hehe.

As Mu Ning was in charge of the room, the old guy I let us free until the pest-trio finished the task. Seizing the opportunity, I climbed to the rooftop to watch the stars while Mu Ning disappeared inside the second building in the garden.

The night breeze brushed my hair gently, taking me back to Huo Clan. Being afraid of being beaten, I used to hide on the roof. Unlike many, I liked the night time as it was the calmest period of the day. I thought about mother whenever the gentle breeze touched me, maybe it was why I could only sleep if there was a breeze...

"Hong Huo!"

Mu Ning's voice snapped me out of my memories. Looking down from the corner of the roof, I asked "what?"

"What are you doing there? Nevermind, just come down," he whispered, making a rapid hand gesture.

Sighing for my broken peace, I jumped down. "What?" I repeated my question, but Mu Ning ignored it again, but rather grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room we stayed in.

"Look what I found," he said after he closed the door behind us.

I looked at his open palm and saw it was something small wrapped in a piece of yellow paper. "What is it?" I asked with a frown.

He looked at me with astonishment before saying "it is a candy, I found it in the second building."

A candy? I had never tried one before. Mother was against those sweet things, saying they were bad for health. She never let us try it and after she died, nobody let me taste it.

"Have you never eaten one?" Mu Ning asked softly, probably my face gave him the clue.

"No" was my answer.

"Then here it is," he stuffed the candy inside my hand with a smile.

"I don't-"

"Just try it," he cut my words, "I love sweet things, so I wonder if you would like them too."

Trying not to tear up in the face of his kindness, I unwrapped the paper carefully and put the shapeless yellow candy into my mouth with excitement. At first it didn't taste at all, but after sucking it for a while, the sweet taste spread in my mouth. It was really tasty!

How ironic it was, a half-demon getting excited over a simple candy!

"Like it?"

I just nodded as I was afraid to drop the candy if I opened my mouth.

Mu Ning clapped his hands, "I knew you would love it!" he said in a proud manner.

"Thank you," I said when the candy melted completely.

He shook his head, "I will give you more if you come to Mu in the future."

How could I know by that time that I would really go to Mu Clan, but Mu Ning wouldn't be in the condition to give me candies?