Lost Cultivator

Having a sip of water, Jun Liang sighed in relief as it wet his dried throat. Aside from water, the little girl gave him some sort of food, it seems. But the texture is weird. The surface is smooth, and it doesn't feel edible. Well, as long as it's not poisonous, he can consume anything. Not eating is the best course of action, though. It's not like he'll die even if he starves for days. 

When was the last time he ate again? Six months ago, that woman gave him a piece of bread. It's hard and tasteless, but it fills him up. She didn't give him anything anymore, though, aside from sips of water for the next few months. And that didn't bother him at all, since eating like humans do isn't suited for a beast like him.

Putting the thing in his mouth, the little girl suddenly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Hey, hey, don't eat it just like that. The wrapper isn't edible. Unwrap it first. You don't eat mandarins without peeling them first, right? It's the same situation, brother. But silly me, I forgot to take you into consideration. You're blind, so of course you can't see. Sorry." She took the food in his hand and gave it back after a few seconds.

The texture changed. It feels soft and sticky. Jun Liang took a bite, and he literally stiffened when he tasted something sweet, bitter, and creamy.

"What's this?" he asked in silent shock.  

"Food."

"Food doesn't taste like this."

"What kind of food had you been eating then?"

"Tasteless bread. And I didn't eat it often. Most of the time, I had just sips of water."

"Oh my God! How did you manage to live until this very moment?" The little girl's voice trembled a bit. She sounded so distressed.

"I'm a bit different from a normal human being. I won't die even if I get starved," he pointed out.

Sunny gasped in horror. "What kind of cheat power is that? But you still feel hungry, right? That still hurts, so you have to eat."

Jun Liang tilted his head. "Isn't food precious to humans? Unlike me, you'll die if you don't eat. So why waste food on someone like me?"

"Someone like you, who also gets hungry, needs to be fed. So food wouldn't be a waste for you. It's not like humans eat just to live. We eat to relieve hunger and we eat to taste something delicious."

"Delicious?"

"Yes, isn't the chocolate you're eating now taste so delicious?"

Jun Liang swallowed, then took a bite again. It didn't only fill him up, but somehow his palate was experiencing the pleasure of eating. He really liked the taste of the thing she called chocolate. So, delicious means eating something you like. He learned something new today.

"You're a bit weird, brother. You said you're not like an ordinary human. Is that the reason why you could fight those wolves even if you're blind?"

"I'm unable to see, but I can feel all the things around me. Living or non-living, that's why I could perceive their movements."

"Whoa! amazing! It's like you have superpowers. What kind of superhero are you? Are you from the Avengers or Justice League?"

"Superhero? What the hell is that? I'm a cultivator."

Again, the girl gasped. "Do you mean like those people who can become immortal by cultivating?"

Jun Liang sighed. "I don't know about that. I have only been living for seventeen years. My power is not as amazing as you thought it was either. I am just physically strong and any spiritual energy doesn't have any effect on me. But thanks to that, I also can't use my own. People call the likes of us cancellers. We defy the natural order of the world that can turn something to nothing. That's why people deemed us cursed by the gods, and these marks on my body are the proof of it."

"You mean you're not the only one who's cursed?"

"There are many of us who were thrown into the slums because nobody wanted us. People despised and feared us at the same time. They believed that if they had been touched by us, they would also obliterate." 

"Sounds like you had a tough life, brother. But don't worry. As I said, I don't believe in things such as curses, so I won't be that mean to you. You are my savior, so rest assured that I will treat you with pure kindness." Sunny even tapped his back to show that such a thing wouldn't scare her.

Jun Liang wanted to pat the little girl's head, but he suppressed the urge to. He still didn't know anything about her, aside from her name. And even though she treated him well now, that might not be the case tomorrow. She was ignorant but surely not her parents, and he didn't want to disappoint them. He just needed to send Sunny home safely, and then he could go on his way, not intending to stay.

He had learned the hard way about human relationships. Never again would he expect something like affection from someone. From the moment he was born, his fate to live alone was sealed. Light wouldn't reach his eyes, so he could never feel the warmth of someone's heart, even if he desperately longed for it.