r18novel Chapter 24 Gluttony
Chapter 24 Gluttony
noon.
The aroma wafting from the kitchen of the pork chop restaurant wafted through the door curtain.
There were no other customers in the shop. The owner turned the sign on the door to the "Closed" side and even pulled up half of the roller shutter door.
Lu Siye sat at the table against the wall, his back against the wall, his whole body sinking into the chair.
His stomach was empty.
The boss gave him an emetic, and within five minutes of drinking it, his stomach vomited everything up.
After vomiting, I felt completely empty. There was nothing in my stomach, not even much stomach acid left. It was so empty that it was even more uncomfortable than when I was full.
But things are better now.
A bowl of pork chop rice is placed in front of me.
The large bowl was piled high with rice, and the pork chop, cut into six strips, was neatly arranged on top of the rice, with sauce drizzled around it.
There was also a small dish of shredded cabbage and a dish of miso soup on the side.
Wen Ranran sat next to him, with a bowl of pork chop rice in front of her.
The bowl was small, with only about a third of the rice in it, and the pork chop was cut into three strips with less sauce.
She didn't eat.
She sat in the chair, holding the bowl in both hands, looking down at the pork chop rice in the bowl, bringing her nose close to smell it, and then looking up at Lu Siyue.
"Eat up," Lu Siye said.
Wen Ranran nodded, but didn't touch her chopsticks.
She pushed his bowl towards him.
"Brother, you eat first..."
Lu Siye glanced at her.
He didn't say anything more, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of pork chop into his mouth.
The batter is still crispy.
The owner probably fried it fresh before they came back; it was cooked to perfection, and you could hear a "crunch" when you bit into it.
The pork was very tender, and the juices melted in my mouth, mixing with the salty and sweet sauce, warming me from the tip of my tongue all the way to my stomach.
My empty stomach finally had something in it, and the burning sensation lessened considerably.
Wen Ranran lowered her head and picked up her spoon only after she saw him start eating.
She learned how to use a spoon yesterday; she scooped up a mouthful of rice and put it in her mouth.
I chewed it a few times and swallowed it.
I didn't vomit.
She scooped up another spoonful, this time with the pork chop, rice wrapped around the pork chop, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Her appetite is much better than yesterday.
Although it's still slow, at least I won't be eating and vomiting at the same time anymore.
Moreover, her face had regained some color, no longer the deathly pale color it had been yesterday.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed pink, and her lips were no longer dry and gray, but had a natural pink hue.
Lu Siye ate while watching her.
Her right hand was not holding his.
It's been over an hour since the game ended, and she hasn't been holding his hand the whole time.
Back in the shop, she let go of her hand, sat obediently in the chair, and waited for the owner to bring the food.
But her gaze followed him everywhere he went.
He noticed that the fatigue disappeared after she let go.
His energy returned, and the discomfort in his stomach gradually subsided.
Her complexion was much better than yesterday.
It's much better than this morning.
When she woke up this morning, her face was still pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes.
But now, in just two or three hours, her complexion has become rosy, her lips pink, and her dark circles have faded.
This is not normal.
Even if you eat well and sleep well, it's impossible for such a big change to happen in just a few hours.
He remembered the weakness she felt when she held his hand in the square.
It was as if something was being drawn out of his body, not all at once, but little by little, continuously.
And her complexion started to improve after that.
There's also that sense of closeness.
That sense of closeness didn't come from him.
He was certain.
He is not the kind of person who would feel a strong sense of closeness to strangers, especially a child he has only known for less than a day.
That feeling was external; something was influencing his emotions, making him feel that the child was kind, cute, and that he wanted to protect her.
It's just like......
It was as if the mark of sin on his palm was at work.
The mark of sin can control creatures in the extreme darkness.
It can make him feel a certain attraction to things in the extreme yin realm.
Feifei is a creature of the extreme Yin realm, so it is terrified of the sin mark on its palm.
And Wen Ranran...
As he was thinking about these things, the door was suddenly pushed open.
The bell on the door rang once.
Two people walked in.
Walking in front was a young man, in his early twenties, not very tall, with a round face.
He was wearing a gray hoodie and had a bulging backpack slung over his shoulder, with a grime-covered doll keychain hanging from it.
Walking behind was a young woman, half a head shorter than the man in front. She had her hair tied in a ponytail, wore a light blue jacket over a white T-shirt, and dark blue trousers.
She had a small face, delicate features, fair skin, and a pair of round-framed glasses perched on her nose.
She stood at the door, and the moment she saw Lu Siye, her face turned red.
Lu Siye almost choked on the pork chop in his mouth.
"Bao...baozi? Xiaoman?"
He couldn't recall Baozi's full name.
He's called me Baozi ever since we met, and he's called me that ever since, to the point that he's almost forgotten I even have a real name.
Baozi strode over and slapped Lu Siye on the shoulder with considerable force, almost making him drop his chopsticks.
"Brother Lu! Long time no see!"
Baozi's voice was still as loud as ever.
He patted Lu Siye on the shoulder, then placed his hand on it and didn't remove it, as if afraid Lu Siye would run away.
"You've made us search so hard!"
Baozi said, then sat down opposite Lu Siye and threw her backpack onto the chair next to her.
"Uncle Yi said you're in Shirayaku-cho, and he told us to come and meet you."
"They also told us to be careful and not to reveal our identities on the road."
"It's like an underground party meeting."
Xiaoman was still standing at the door.
Her face was still red. Her gaze lingered on Lu Siye for a moment, then shifted to Wen Ranran beside him.
She paused for a moment, then looked back at Lu Siye, then looked away, then looked back again.
"Long time no see," she said, her voice soft and slightly stammering.
Lu Siye nodded. "Long time no see."
Xiaoman walked over and sat down next to the steamed buns.
Her movements were very light, and the chair made no sound.
After she sat down, her gaze fell on Wen Ranran again, and this time she didn't look away.
Wen Ranran was also looking at her.
The two stared at each other for about three seconds.
Wen Ranran looked away first.
She lowered her head and continued to scoop the pork chop rice from the bowl with her spoon. She scooped a spoonful and put it in her mouth, chewing, but her eyes unconsciously glanced at Xiaoman.
Baozi also noticed Wen Ranran.
His gaze lingered on Wen Ranran for a moment.
The barefoot little girl sat next to Lu Siye, quietly eating her pork chop rice.
Her face was rosy and her lips were pink; she looked to be in good health.
But she was so thin that her wrists were so small that one hand could hold them.
"Who is this child?" Baozi asked.
Lu Siye did not answer immediately.
He glanced at the boss.
The boss was wiping cups behind the counter when he heard Baozi's question. He looked up and exchanged a glance with Lu Siye.
The boss is a smart man.
He glanced at Baozi and Xiaoman, then at Lu Siye's expression, and immediately understood.
"I'll go check on the soup in the back."
The boss said, put down the cup, lifted the curtain, and went into the kitchen.
As the curtain fell, he also closed the kitchen door behind him.
The shop fell silent.
Baozi glanced in the direction the boss had disappeared, then looked at Lu Siye, and the smile on his face faded a little.
"What's wrong? Why are you so serious?"
Lu Siye did not answer.
He lowered his head and opened his right palm.
Baozi stared at the mark for about three seconds.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Siye gave a brief explanation.
"What?!"
Lu Siye's hands moved faster than his voice.
Before the words "sin mark" could even be fully uttered from Baozi's mouth, he had already sprang up from his chair and covered Baozi's mouth with one hand.
Baozi made a few "mmm" sounds as he covered her mouth, and her eyes widened even more.
"Keep your voice down."
Lu Siye said in a very low voice.
Baozi nodded, indicating that he understood.
Lu Siye released his grip and sat back down in his chair.
Baozi rubbed his mouth, which had been covered, and the expression on his face changed from shock to confusion, and then from confusion to something indescribable.
He looked at Lu Siyue's palm, then at Lu Siyue's face, opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Xiaoman heard it too, but her reaction was much calmer than Baozi's.
"What is a Sin Mark?"
Baozi finally managed to say the sentence in its entirety, her voice much softer than before, but the shock in her tone was no less.
"This thing isn't..."
Lu Siye withdrew his right hand, clenched it into a fist, and placed it on the table.
Then he took a deep breath and began to speak.
The story begins with Xiang Dingkun telling him about the Yin World.
As he spoke, Baozi's mouth opened wider and wider.
"Where is that guy named Xiang Dingkun?" Baozi asked, his voice even lower than before.
Lu Siye shook his head.
He didn't speak.
Baozi paused for a moment, then lowered his head.
He took his hand off Lu Siye's shoulder and placed it on his knee.
"I'm sorry," Baozi said.
"It's nothing," Lu Siye said.
Silence spread among the three of them.
From the kitchen came the sound of the boss gently moving a spatula, probably pretending to be busy.
The curtain swayed slightly, but no one came out.
Wen Ranran was still eating pork chop rice.
She ate slowly but very carefully, chewing each bite many times before swallowing.
She seemed completely unaware of what had just happened, or perhaps she was aware but didn't care.
Her attention was entirely focused on the food in her bowl. Occasionally, she would look up at Lu Siye, then lower her head again to continue eating.
Xiaoman's gaze fell on Wen Ranran and lingered for a moment.
"Who is she?" Xiaoman asked softly.
Lu Siye remained silent for a moment.
He glanced at Wen Ranran.
She was still eating with her head down; she had already eaten half of the pork chop rice in her bowl.
Her right hand wasn't holding his, but her left hand was always under the table, very close to his legs, close enough that she could touch them with just a reach.
That feeling of weakness.
That sense of closeness.
That sense of closeness that didn't belong to him, that was forcibly instilled in him by something.
He recalled Fei Fei's reaction to her, and felt fear.
The Fei Fei is a creature from the extreme Yin realm, and its fear of the Sin Mark is instinctive.
Its fear of Wen Ranran is also instinctive.
He remembered the way she ate.
He ate and vomited at the same time, and then ate it all back up after vomiting.
It's not because I'm hungry, it's because I can't control myself.
Her body was constantly consuming energy, to the point that she had to eat back what she had vomited in order to maintain basic survival.
"The mark of sin represents the power that binds evil."
"The world of extreme Yin has seven primordial powers, corresponding to the seven sins of mankind."
Seven sins.
Binge eating.
He reached out and patted Wen Ranran's head.
Her hair was very soft, like touching a kitten.
She looked up at him, her mouth still full of rice, her cheeks bulging, and smiled at him.
"If the Seven Deadly Sins of Yin truly refer to the seven sins of humankind..."
Lu Siye said in a very low voice.
"She is very likely the agent of the sin of gluttony."
Baozi was stunned.
Xiaoman was also stunned.
Wen Ranran continued eating.
Lu Siye explained his deduction.
Wen Ranran is too young to condense her primordial energy.
Or rather, there is no way to condense "sinful energy".
The power of the sin of gluttony is within her, but she cannot use it.
It's like a child holding a big hammer, unable to lift it, only being dragged along by the hammer.
The side effects of binge eating were constantly taking a toll on her body.
She had to eat constantly, vomit, and then eat again in order to barely stay alive.
That's why she looks so thin, so pale, and so abnormal.
The feeling of weakness she experienced when she held his hand was because she was absorbing his energy.
There can be resonance between the marks of sin.
That's why he felt that closeness to her.
It wasn't that he wanted to be close to her; it was the mark of sin that "told" him that they were of the same kind.
This is someone just like you.
You should protect her.
Feifei's reaction also illustrates this point.
Feifei is a creature from the extreme Yin realm, and it can sense the sin of gluttony emanating from Wen Ranran.
"You mean," Baozi's voice was a little dry, "that she also has..."
Lu Siye nodded.
He reached out and grasped Wen Ranran's right hand.
Wen Ranran's hands are very small, and her palms are a little cold.
He closed his eyes and began to regulate the primordial energy within the group—no, it should be called sin energy.
The sinful energy surged from his dantian, flowing down his arm and into his palm. He tried to inject this power into Wen Ranran's palm.
Wen Ranran moved her hand slightly.
She didn't pull away, but trembled slightly.
Then......
Something began to emerge in the palm of her right hand.
At first it was faint, then the outline became clearer and the color became darker.
It is a mark.
Binge eating.
Baozi's eyes widened even more than before.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but didn't know what to say, and finally just made a muffled "uh".
Xiaoman's reaction was different.
She stared at the mark on Wen Ranran's palm for a long time.
Then she looked up at Wen Ranran's face.
That small, thin face, but one that was beginning to regain some color.
Wen Ranran was still eating, completely unaware of what was happening to her, or perhaps she was aware but didn't care.
She scooped up a mouthful of rice, put it in her mouth, chewed, and squinted her eyes.
Xiaoman's eyes reddened slightly.
She reached out and gently touched Wen Ranran's head.
"How pitiful," Xiaoman said softly.
Wen Ranran raised her head and glanced at Xiaoman.
She still had rice in her mouth, her cheeks were bulging, and her eyes held a hint of confusion.
She didn't quite understand why this unfamiliar older sister suddenly touched her head, but she didn't dodge or show any displeasure.
She glanced at Xiaoman, then lowered her head and continued eating.
Lu Siye released Wen Ranran's hand.
The marks on her hands gradually faded, and her skin returned to its original color, making it impossible to see anything.
Baozi scratched his head, his expression shifting from shock to contemplation, and then to a bewildered look of half-understanding.
"So..." Baozi said, drawing out the words, "you mean, the seven sins correspond to seven agents, and each agent has a mark of sin on their hand."
"You're one of them, this child is another, and there are five others whose whereabouts are unknown."
That's roughly the idea.
"Then what crime did you commit?" Baozi asked.
Lu Siye was stunned for a moment.
What crime did he commit?
He hadn't really considered that question.
Xiang Dingkun did not tell him.
All he knew was that the mark was called the Sin Mark, representing the power of evil restraint, and was completely different from the Xia Lan Mark.
But he didn't know which of the seven sins it corresponded to.
He thought about the "side effects" he had.
Wen Ranran's "Bingequation" has obvious side effects.
She couldn't stop wanting to eat, she would eat and then vomit, then eat again, until her body was worn down to nothing but bones.
But what about him?
He doesn't seem to have any obvious side effects.
He does eat more than the average person, but that's because he needs to replenish his vital energy, not because he can't control himself.
He had no urge to overeat, no greedy desires, no tendency to be lazy, and no outbursts of anger.
He thought about the seven sins.
Overeating, excluded.
He does not have a problem with binge eating.
Arrogant, he didn't realize he was arrogant.
He always knew his own limitations, knew he was only a mediocre player, and would run away if he couldn't win; he never tried to be a hero.
No jealousy.
He wasn't jealous of Baozi and Xiaoman.
There was no greed either.
His desires were simple: to have enough to eat and to live.
I wouldn't call it laziness.
Although he doesn't like to meddle in other people's business, he will still do what needs to be done.
Lust... He looked down at himself.
My sexual orientation is normal, but not to the point of "desire".
anger.
He gritted his teeth.
Anger? Perhaps a little. But not overwhelmingly so.
He doesn't seem to fit any of the seven sins.
What does his mark of sin correspond to?
He looked up and saw Baozi looking at him with a strange expression.
That look wasn't hostile, nor was it suspicious; it was something... he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It's like looking at something that doesn't belong to this world.
Then he suddenly understood.
Why did Baozi look at him like that?
It's because he doesn't have the Xia Lan Seal.
Baozi and Xiaoman are both Xia Lan.
They possess the Xia Lan Seal, enabling them to utilize Yuan Qi and employ Xia Lan techniques.
They are "normal" Xia Lan, inheritors of the Jiugongling tradition, and warriors of the light.
But he wasn't.
The mark on his hand is not the Xia Lan mark, but the Sin mark.
It is the power of evil binding, something completely different from the Xia Lan Seal.
In Baozi's eyes, he might not even be considered a member of the Xia Lan clan.
Perhaps it doesn't even qualify as a "person".
What is someone who carries the power of the Yin world?
His fingers involuntarily curled up slightly.
Then the steamed bun opened.
"Holy crap, Brother Lu!"
Baozi's eyes gleamed, not with a wary light, but with an excited one.
"Since you have such amazing abilities, could you share some with me?"
Lu Siye was stunned for a moment.
"Look!"
Baozi counted on his fingers.
"You have the mark of sin, you can control zero, and you can use the Zero Fiend."
"That child has the sin of gluttony; he can eat and drink a lot to replenish his energy."
"Your group is amazing!"
"I'm different. I've been cultivating for three years, and I still can't use a decent Xia Lan technique."
"If you could share some of the power of the Sin Seal with me, I wouldn't have to cultivate so painstakingly."
"Steamed buns." Xiaoman's voice was cold.
Baozi shrank his neck.
"Just kidding..."
Lu Siye looked at the steamed bun and remained silent for two seconds.
Then he smiled.
He's overthinking it.
Baozi's gaze towards him wasn't one of rejection, but rather one of envy.
It's not "You don't belong to us," it's "How are you so amazing?"
He looked down at his right hand.
"The Mark of Sin also needs to be cultivated."
He said his voice had returned to its usual calm.
"Moreover, it seems to have no attributes, so it can't use the Xia Lan technique."
This was the conclusion he reached after trying it many times.
The Sin Seal and the Xia Lan Seal are different.
Xia Lan has attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, and darkness.
Different attributes correspond to different Xia Lan techniques and different training methods.
But the mark of sin has no attributes.
It has only one power: "binding".
Bind the creatures of the extreme Yin realm, bind Zero, bind those things that should not exist in this world.
The Xia Lan technique cannot be used.
He tried injecting his primordial energy into the Sin Seal, attempting to mimic the way the Xia Lan Technique works.
However, after passing through the Sin Seal, the primordial energy does not become a power with attributes, but rather something gray and heavy.
That kind of thing cannot be burned with fire, cannot be flowed with water, and cannot be defended with earth.
It can only do one thing.
bondage.
Just like he did.
Make a small hole on the surface of the box to guide the zero force out and condense it into zero evil.
Or compress the box, pressing the contents so they can't move.
He can probably only grab a few zeros and use them like summoned beasts.
Seal Zero within the Sin Seal, and release it when needed to fight for you.
As for mythical creatures from mountains and seas...
He glanced at Fei Fei, who was squatting at Wen Ranran's feet.
Feifei was looking up at Wen Ranran as she ate, her tail tip swaying back and forth.
Wen Ranran scooped up a spoonful of rice, glanced down at Feifei, hesitated for a moment, and then gave half of the rice in the spoon to it.
Feifei opened her mouth, caught the rice, chewed it, swallowed it, and then tilted her head back, waiting for the next bite.
Lu Siye watched this scene, and the corner of his mouth twitched again.
He couldn't bear to use such an adorable creature as Feifei for fighting.
Wen Ranran scooped up another mouthful of rice, this time along with the pork chop, and gave half to Fei Fei.
Feifei ate happily, her tail held high, and the whole animal seemed full of energy.
Baozi scratched his head as he watched this scene.
"So, your current abilities are: running very fast, being able to unleash Zero Fiends, and being able to capture Zero as a pet?"
"almost."
"That's pretty impressive."
Baozi said, her tone filled with genuine envy.
"I can't even unleash Zero Fiend."
Xiaoman did not speak.
She watched the scene of Wen Ranran feeding Feifei for a long time.
Then she looked up at Lu Siye.
"What are you planning to do?" she asked.
Lu Siye remained silent for a moment.
"Take her with you first," he said, glancing at Wen Ranran. "She can't survive alone."
Xiaoman nodded.
Baozi looked at Lu Siye, then at Wen Ranran, and then at Xiaoman.
"Alright," he said, patting his thigh, "let's go together then."
"Anyway, Uncle Yi told us to come and meet you, and he didn't say we couldn't bring children."
He stood up, walked to the counter, lifted the curtain, and shouted to the kitchen, "Boss! Three more bowls of pork chop rice! Large bowls! I'm starving!"
From the kitchen came the boss's reply: "Okay!"
Baozi turned around and grinned at Lu Siye.
"Brother Lu, you have to treat us."
"You're now living the life of a year with free pork chop rice."
Lu Siye looked at his smile and remained silent for a second.
Then he pushed the half-eaten pork chop rice in front of him to the middle of the table.
"Eat."
"Hehe, you're welcome."
Baozi sat down, picked up his bowl, and started eating rice.
Xiaoman glanced at Lu Siye.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just smiled softly.
Wen Ranran finished her pork chop rice, put down her spoon, and let out a small burp. She turned her head and looked at Lu Siye.
"elder brother."
"Um?"
I'm full.
"Um."
"The pork chop rice is delicious."
"Um."
She reached out and took his hand again.
That feeling is back again.
A faint feeling of weakness came from my palm.
But this time he didn't pull his hand away.
The sun is shining brightly.
The sky in Shiragata Town is very blue.
He took a deep breath.
Then he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of pork chop from the steamed bun bowl, and stuffed it into his mouth.
"What are you doing—that's mine—"
"Didn't you ask me to treat you?"
"That's not like you're stealing it from my bowl—!"
Xiaoman laughed out loud.
Wen Ranran smiled too.
She didn't know what had happened, but seeing everyone laughing, she laughed along with them.