Chapter 848: Xiaoman

Chapter 848: Xiao Man

Xiao Man took out three incense sticks and placed them diagonally on the altar before lighting them.

She gave them a slight shake to extinguish the flame at the tip, then knelt upon her cushion, raised the three sticks above her head, and bowed before the statue before her.

At this moment, the image of the Mother of Infinite Life had completely transformed. In the center of the twin lotus, sat an elderly woman with kind eyes and a red dot between her brows, leaning on a dragon-headed staff, radiating benevolence and compassion.

The statue was carved from stone, but the faithful had painted it, giving the Mother of Infinite Life a vivid, lifelike appearance.

"O Mother of Great Compassion, Great Benevolence, Great Kindness, and Great Virtue, may your disciple be granted passage to the Vacuum Homeland after death, to serve You eternally alongside my brothers and sisters..."

With sincere devotion, Xiao Man performed three bows and nine prostrations, then inserted the incense into the burner and backed out of the hall facing the statue.

Outside the hall lay the main assembly hall of the White Lotus Sect. Xiao Man still bore her full coat of black fur, yet no one here would look at her askance.

Once one joined the White Lotus Sect, all were regarded as siblings, equally treated. To scorn the appearance of one's own brother or sister was a grave taboo within the sect.

In fact, due to her fearless dedication during previous battles with the Fa Sect, always standing at the forefront, and her distinctive features, Xiao Man had earned much respect and admiration among the members.

As she returned the smiles and courteous greetings of the faithful, Xiao Man responded in kind.

When she first began practicing the divine fist techniques and White Lotus Sect martial arts, Xiao Man hadn't thought too deeply about it—she simply wanted to help Miao Miao and gain strength to better protect Niuxin Village.

But after leaving Niuxin Village and gradually integrating into the White Lotus Sect family, her mindset began to shift.

She loved being here; this place made her feel like home.

She had often doubted whether her birth into this world was a mistake, but now such thoughts no longer troubled her.

Here, she had friends, brothers, and faith—everything she had never possessed before could be found here. She truly loved it.

Deep in her heart, Xiao Man had already made up her mind: she would dedicate her entire life to the White Lotus Sect.

After exiting the assembly hall, she entered the alley where other believers lived. Though everyone was poor, the houses were spotlessly clean, even those without roofs.

No one locked their doors here, for no one would steal.

Everyone was kind and respectful toward each other. If someone needed help, just calling out in the alley brought everyone running, as if they lived in a utopian world.

"Sister Xiao Man! Sister Xiao Man!" Several ragged children ran over, excitedly circling around Xiao Man.

Though all were beggars, they were beggars of the White Lotus Sect. "Sister Xiao Man, where have you been? We haven't seen you for days—we missed you so much!"

"Just came back from the Siqi Hall. It's far away, and I got delayed on the way," Xiao Man explained gently.

Looking at their faces, Xiao Man couldn't help but recall her own past. "Are you all hungry? Do you want something to eat? I'll treat you."

Upon hearing this, all the beggars jumped with joy, pulling Xiao Man toward the alley entrance. "Doulì, help me get my doulì."

Soon, in the bustling Dong Market, sesame oil pancakes scattered with sesame seeds were handed out—one to each beggar, who ate them greedily.

Xiao Man patted their heads gently, whispering softly to urge them to eat slowly, not to choke.

Since she had decided to become a self-ordained woman, she would never have children. Dogwa's experiences had long since sealed that thought.

Yet this didn’t stop her from treating the younger members of the White Lotus Sect like her own children. The sect offered everything.

A little girl was gnawing on a pancake while staring intently at a wheelbarrow loaded with ceramic jars in the distance.

Xiao Man walked over, ignoring the dirt on her, and picked her up in her arms. "What’s wrong? Want some of that? I’ll buy some for you."

The little girl glanced nervously at the largest beggar's face, then shook her head slightly. "Sister Xiao Man, I don’t want it. One pancake is enough."

"It’s fine. Even though most of my wages go to our sect, I can still afford snacks for you little ones," Xiao Man said, leading them toward the wheelbarrow.

Xiao Man approached the cart and asked, "Hey, what are you selling?"

The skinny man with a bandage on his forehead chuckled and lifted the lid off a jar. "This is something rare—I bought it from Tianyi Pavilion."

Xiao Man looked closely and saw it was nothing more than fruit peels soaked in water.

"Fruit peels? Are these things salvaged from the compost bins of Tianyi Pavilion? Can you really sell them?"

"Get lost! My good friend works in the kitchen there. These are clean leftover peels. Ten coins per handful."

"Ten coins per handful? That’s enough for a bowl of yangchun noodles! Are you crazy about money?" Xiao Man thought he was a shady merchant.

"Don’t you see I soak them in syrup? Besides, look at what season it is now—these things are precious. They’re grown in heated greenhouses."

"Sister Xiao Man, let’s go. I’m full."

"Sister Xiao Man, let’s head back. One pancake is enough."

Seeing their eager faces, Xiao Man reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of silver.

The skinny man’s face lit up instantly, and he carried down the ceramic jar from the wheelbarrow.

Just then, the lead beggar stepped forward seriously and said, "Sister Xiao Man, we won’t take it. These things are too valuable. We're full—we can’t waste our fellow sect members’ money like that."

"It’s fine, a few peels aren’t a big deal."

Soon, the strips of fruit peels soaked in syrup were passed out to the beggars. Everyone beamed with joy, tasting the peels and comparing which tasted better.

Watching their happiness, Xiao Man smiled faintly. "When I was little, I craved these street snacks so badly. But my father only bought treats for my brothers and younger siblings. My sister and I could only watch from the side."

As she spoke, memories of the past came flooding back. "Later, to satisfy my cravings, my little sister and I would go out on hot days with two bamboo tubes to collect watermelon seeds others had spat out. After drying them in the sun, they tasted delicious. Hehe."

But something seemed to bring a melancholy expression to her face.

"Sister Xiao Man, try this—it’s roasted pumpkin peel. It’s really tasty."

As she bit into the peel, looking at the child’s face, Xiao Man felt sweetness fill her heart, and her smile returned.

"Sister Xiao Man, try this one—it tastes like persimmon peel."

While they shared this joy, Xiao Man noticed a group of lamas in the distance.

She remembered them—they were the monks from the Zhongyin Temple, their faces like mummies, unmistakably.

What puzzled her was that these Zhongyin Temple lamas were heading toward the White Lotus Sect assembly hall.