1890: I'm in Hextech Brawl in America

Chapter 27 I will make him feel pain

"Go? Where to?"

Xiaolin's face showed a confused expression, and her eyes, which were somewhat glazed over by the high fever, were filled with incomprehension.

In her short ten years of life, besides her parents whose faces she could no longer remember and the compound, there was only this muddy and whip-ridden plantation.

She had never seen any other places.

"Would you like to go somewhere where no one can bully Kobayashi anymore?"

Fang Jianqiu lowered his voice and reached out to touch Xiaolin's burning forehead.

Kobayashi paused for a moment, seemingly trying to process the meaning of those words.

"Does such a place really exist?"

She asked softly, her tone filled with a cautious longing, yet also with fear that it was just a beautiful lie.

"It really is true. No one will dare to whip you. You can sleep as long as you want, and there will be lots and lots of candy. You can eat as much as you want."

Fang Jianqiu looked into her eyes and said earnestly.

Xiaolin's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again.

"But...my older sister isn't here...am I going alone?"

"You're not alone, I'll always be with you."

Fang Jianqiu gripped her thin little hand tightly, the warmth of his palm passing through her skin.

Xiao Lin stared intently at Fang Jianqiu, her large eyes gradually regaining their sparkle.

"Then... wherever Brother Fang goes, I'll go."

Xiaolin nodded vigorously, forcing a smile.

"Okay! We'll leave now. Is there anything else you'd like to take with you?"

Fang Jianqiu lifted the tattered quilt and reached out to help Xiaolin.

Xiaolin hesitated for a moment, then pulled something out from deep inside the blankets.

"Hmm, shall we take her away?"

It was an extremely worn-out rag doll.

It was probably sewn from a burlap sack used for storing fertilizer; the stitches were a bit crooked, but very dense.

The filling wasn't even cotton, but rather yellowed straw, with some straw stalks even sticking out from the gaps.

The doll's face was painted with eyes and a mouth in charcoal ash, and a faded red ribbon was tied around its head.

Although it was extremely simple, the carefully tied bow and the smoothed fabric revealed the warmth of the maker.

"Her name is Tangtang, and my older sister made it for me..."

Kobayashi hugged the ugly doll tightly, as if he were hugging the whole world.

As she said this, her eyes reddened again, and tears welled up in them.

"Of course, Tangtang will come with us too."

Fang Jianqiu nodded solemnly.

"Then you'd better hold her tight, let's go."

After saying that, Fang Jianqiu bent down and picked up the small, feather-like Xiao Lin.

Kobayashi buried her head in his chest, clutching the doll Tangtang tightly with both hands.

As soon as he got out of bed, the night wind blew, and Xiaolin's body involuntarily shivered, his teeth chattering.

"You should have brought the coat over."

Fang Jianqiu silently berated himself for being careless.

He pressed Xiaolin's head closer to his chest, then strode towards the door.

As soon as he stepped outside, by the light of the campfire, Xiaolin saw the man who was crying and rolling on the ground.

That's Jack.

He was clutching his severed forearm, writhing on the ground like a broken-backed dog, emitting mournful howls.

Fang Jianqiu stopped and looked down at Xiao Lin in his arms:

"Do you remember this person?"

Kobayashi slowly raised his head, which had been buried in his hands.

She stared intently at Jack on the ground, and a fire suddenly ignited in her eyes, which had been filled with confusion.

That was the flame of hatred.

Her body was trembling, but not from the cold; it was from anger.

"It's him..."

Xiaolin gritted her teeth, her voice trembling with tears, yet unusually resolute.

"He killed my sister... He dragged her away... I remember his face... I'll remember it even if he's turned to ashes..."

Fang Jianqiu looked at the little girl in his arms, who was gritting her teeth, but didn't say anything to comfort her or block her view.

He knew it was cruel; it was indeed excessive to force a ten-year-old child to confront such bloodshed and hatred.

But he had to do it.

Firstly, it was to help her resolve her inner conflict.

Secondly, it was to temper and refine the girl.

This is a cannibalistic era, and a country that doesn't treat Chinese people as human beings. Even if Fang Jianqiu has the ability to protect Xiaolin forever and keep her under his wings, he doesn't want her to grow up to be a hothouse flower who doesn't know the dangers of the world.

It's not about teaching her to kill with a knife and turning her into a cold-blooded female warrior. It's about giving her a strong heart.

So that when she faces the malice and tragedies of this world in the future, she won't be terrified or have a mental breakdown, and she will have the courage to face the darkness.

Fang Jianqiu was originally worried that Xiao Lin would be scared and would cry and tell him to leave quickly.

But he realized he had underestimated Kobayashi and the power of hatred; after all, she was a child who had been struggling to survive in this hell called the plantation for many days.

Kobayashi stared at Jack for a long time, then looked up, her pale face showing only determination.

"Brother Fang, I want him to feel pain! Like my older sister felt pain."

She spoke earnestly, each word crystal clear.

Fang Jianqiu was stunned for a moment, then a smile curved his lips:

"Alright, how about we tie him to a horse and drag him along? Let him follow us the whole way."

"I'll listen to Brother Fang!" Xiao Lin nodded without hesitation.

Fang Jianqiu chuckled twice with satisfaction and gently patted her back.

He carried Xiaolin a few steps to the old man who was holding a gun and guarding the place.

"Brother Shi, could you please make a rope to put over this foreigner's head? I need him to pay me back something."

Shi Li had been standing to the side the whole time, and he had heard Fang Jianqiu and Xiao Lin's conversation clearly.

The old man grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, and his face, full of wrinkles, relaxed as he smiled.

"Hehe, of course I have to help with something like this! These bastards deserved their retribution long ago."

He tucked the gun in his hand into his belt, bent down and picked up the thick hemp rope that had just bound him.

"Watch me make you a rope. This is the way we used to tie up pigs back in our hometown. The more they struggle, the tighter it gets. It'll hold them firmly in place without strangling them! I guarantee they'll suffer all the way!"

The old man's fingers moved with such dexterity that they seemed to be dancing; he quickly tied a complex knot.

He walked over, kicked Jack in the butt, flipping him over, and then swiftly put the noose around Jack's neck.

Jack was still screaming in agony, too weak to resist, and could only let the rope tighten.

"Okay! Thank you very much, Brother Shi."

Fang Jianqiu took the other end of the rope from the old man and wrapped it around his hand twice to test its strength.

"Brother Shi, are you coming with us? I have a horse, and I can take one more person with me."

Fang Jianqiu looked at the old man, who, though aged, had a resolute gaze.

Unexpectedly, the old man with graying temples shook his head.

"No. I need to find another person, my old buddy, my brother in arms. I can't abandon him and run away alone."

Shi Li waved his hand, a magnanimous smile on his face:

"We won't delay you any longer as you rescue the child. You should leave quickly; this place is not safe to stay."

He paused, then said:

"If all goes well, we might even meet again in Honolulu. I'll treat you to a couple of drinks then! Farewell, sir!"

Fang Jianqiu looked into the old man's eyes, nodded, and said no more words of dissuasion.

In this chaotic world, everyone has their own choices to make, and everyone has something to protect.

He is not a saint and cannot save everyone; it is enough for him to protect the people he cares about.

"Take care, brother! Until we meet again!"

After saying that, Fang Jianqiu turned around.

He pulled hard on the end of the rope.

"what!"

Jack, who was on the ground, was suddenly pulled, his neck tightened, and he let out a pig-like scream. He had no choice but to crawl forward on his hands and feet.

Fang Jianqiu, carrying Xiao Lin and dragging Jack, who was lying like a dead dog, strode towards the camp gate.

After saying so much in one breath and experiencing such a huge emotional fluctuation, Xiaolin's small body visibly softened, and her breathing became rapid.

But she kept her eyes wide open, clutching Fang Jianqiu's collar tightly, refusing to fall asleep.

She wanted to see that wicked man suffer with her own eyes.