Chapter 57: Catching Wild Rabbits, the Junior Disciple Is Frightened

Two children, one ahead and one behind, wove their way through the forest. The boy in front listened intently, his eyes fixed on the shifting shadows among the trees. The slightly shorter boy behind him stared unwaveringly at the figure before him, pausing now and then to mark their path.

“Junior brother, look ahead,” Zimo stopped in his tracks, his small hand pointing excitedly toward a nearby thicket.

The leaves trembled; a flash of gray hid within.

“A wild rabbit?” Chu Junhan lowered her voice, holding her breath as she approached.

“It could also be a wolf,” Zimo crept toward the bushes, hands raised, ready to pounce.

At these words, Chu Junhan tightened her grip on the wooden stick in her hand, edging closer in step with the younger boy.

In her previous life, she had been a pampered lady of privilege, unable to so much as lift a chicken; now, reincarnated as a young boy, she was about to fight a wolf...

“Junior brother, you go left, I’ll go right,” Zimo stared intently at the thicket, his voice barely above a whisper as he directed Chu Junhan.

Chu Junhan paused, swallowing hard. “Senior brother, what if it really is a wolf?”

Zimo halted, turning to her with a mischievous smile. “What’s wrong? Are you afraid, junior brother?”

“Senior brother, neither of us can beat a wolf. Let’s retreat while we can!” As she spoke, the little one’s feet edged quietly backward.

At this moment, Chu Junhan cared little for the boy’s mocking tone. She had finally been given another chance at life, her vengeance yet unfulfilled—she couldn’t let herself die so foolishly.

“Are you stupid? If it were a wolf, it would have already pounced on us. Junior brother, you’re really hopeless; how did our teacher ever accept someone so dense?” The boy’s voice brimmed with exasperation, his tone echoing Cen Song’s stern rebuke.

Chu Junhan stopped, her mind buzzing with his words.

Yes, such a simple truth—how had she failed to see it? It felt as if, standing beside Zimo, her thoughts were swept along by his.

Was he sent by heaven to restrain her?

“Why are you staring at me? The rabbit’s already escaped.” The boy gestured toward the fleeing animal and dashed off in pursuit.

“No matter the circumstance, you must never harm your senior brother.” Cen Song’s gentle voice echoed in Chu Junhan’s mind, sending a chill through her.

She shook her head. “What am I doing? Did I just want to kill him?”

Chu Junhan, oh Chu Junhan, the child before you bears no grudge nor enmity...

“Junior brother, what are you daydreaming about?” Zimo returned, carrying a gray rabbit, waving it before her eyes.

Chu Junhan came back to herself, forcing a smile. “Senior brother, you are truly impressive. I admire you.”

“But you failed to conceal your murderous intent,” Zimo remarked offhandedly, carrying the rabbit away, as if speaking to himself.

Once again, Chu Junhan fell into deep thought. Murderous intent? A seven-year-old child knew such a thing? She believed she had hidden it well… That fleeting impulse, so brief even she hadn’t noticed, yet the boy had seen through her in an instant.

Chu Junhan walked to Zimo’s side, her expression grave. “Who are you, really?”

Zimo continued humming as he squatted on the ground, plucking the rabbit’s fur. “I am your senior brother, Zimo. Our teacher is Cen Song. Do you understand?”

With that, Zimo looked up at Chu Junhan, his gaze clear and lively.

“Why do I feel you’re different from ordinary children?” The little one tilted her head, her voice tinged with scrutiny, forgetting that she herself was only five years old.