A large man barged into the small home. This man was big, slightly over 6 ft tall with a robust look and cold piercing eyes. He released a domineering air that seemed to cover the small room. He looked straight at Lara before his glance fell onto Lin Ti. When his gaze landed on Lin Ti he quickly began to approach.
"There you are you little animal."
But before he got to Lin Ti, Lara quickly stepped in between them and squeezed her son tightly.
"Tian Kou, what are you doing here? get away."
But Tian Kou merely shouted back.
"Move out of the way. That little animal injured my son, now it's his turn."
Hearing Tian Kou, Lara became frightened, but still there was no way she was gonna move away from her son, she shouted.
"There's no way LinLin hurt Dou Kou, he's already injured himself. How could he possibly hurt Dou Kou who's almost 3 times bigger than him."
Tian Kou himself looked confused for a second. He too didn't understand how the small injured 5 yr old Lin Ti could harm his son, but his son had told him himself and he wouldn't lie. Tian Kou shook away useless thoughts and began to approach the two again. He grabbed Lara by her arm pushing her to the floor, it was then that someone stormed in and roared loudly.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY WIFE!!"
*BOOM*
Zhen Ti had rushed in and delivered a quick hook to the side of Tian Kou's head. A look of fury evident in his eyes. *boom* Another punch landed directly onto Tian Kou's stomach. The two immediately started to brawl in the tiny home. Lara jumped to her feet and scooped up Lin Ti running out of the house with him while shouting for help. *crack boom-thwack* Sounds of the brawl erupted in the small home whilst outside a crowd of villagers soon gathered and began to grow. Tian Kou and Zhen Ti ended up outside of the house still brawling. Punches were landing left and right, it wasn't until the village chief arrived and shouted.
"STOP!"
Before multiple men grabbed the two and separated them. The chief once again yelled.
"EXPLAIN NOW!"
Zhen Ti was the first to start.
"Chief, I came home and Tian Kou was attacking my wife and son for no reason. If I had been a minute late he would have done a lot worse."
Listening to this Tian Kou couldn't help but laugh, the chief, however, was not finding it amusing.
"Tian Kou you think this is a joke. Attacking a villager is a crime you know."
Tian Kou shouted back.
"A joke you say, the joke is Zhen Ti's piece of trash son, he injured mine. If he doesn't pay today then what's the point of rules."
But the chief just shook his head.
"I don't understand, Tian, you speak of rules yet you attack someone, speak clearly."
Many of the villagers were confused, as well as Lara and Zhen. They all had the same thought, Lin Ti injured Dou Kou how is that possible?
Before Tian said another word though a man carried Dou Kou into the crowd. There everyone could see as plain as day the state he was in. The whole left side of the boys face was a bluish-purple color and fully swollen, the eye couldn't even be opened. The villagers gasped in shock at the sight of him, then Tian Kou said.
"See, look at what he's done to my son. Look at his injuries. He nearly killed my son, he rightfully deserves to be punished."
Many of the villagers though were not convinced, the chief included. The chief wondered.
"How can you be so sure it was Lin Ti? Are there any witnesses?"
It was then that Tian looked into the crowd and 3 little boys, as well as 1 small girl, stepped out, Tian said.
"Those 4 there, they were with my son at the time, they witnessed it."
The chief looked at the 4 children curiously and asked.
"You 4 tell me the truth, was it Lin Ti who did this and if so why?"
Two of the boys spoke up, but they clearly changed some facts. They said that Lin Ti provoked them for no reason and then attacked like he was a wild animal, viciously hurting Dou Kou. Most everyone looked at Lin Ti as though he were a monster except his parents and the chief of course. Meanwhile, Lin Ti stood there with a calm and indifferent expression on his face. Had his father not intervened in the house Lin Ti would have dealt with the situation, but since his dad jumped in Lin TI didn't have a chance too.
As the questioning continued the chief then asked little Mei and her brother, but the two wouldn't say anything. They were both clearly frightened of the situation and couldn't utter a word. Some people still weren't completely buying it. When one of the boys saw that people weren't believing them he remembered something. He quickly told the chief how Lin Ti had broken his hand when punching Dou Kou and that it was completely mangled, but Lara quickly refuted.
"No way, if his hand were broken I would have noticed it long ago."
The chief looked at the boys and the other boy quickly agreed with his friend.
"Chief its true if you don't believe us then check his hand, see for yourself if were lying."
The two boys were staring at Lin Ti evilly, but Lin Ti continued to ignore them. The village chief then walked up to Lin Ti.
"Lin Ti may I examine your hand?"
Tian Kou shouted.
"Why are you asking him for he's an idiot. There's no way he understands what you're saying."
But it was at this moment that Lin Ti gently placed his hand onto the chiefs silencing Tian Kou. The chief took a glance and flipped Lin Ti's hand over and gently squeezed it. Then he began adding a bit more pressure watching Lin Ti's face for any clue or twitch of pain. Finding nothing wrong on the surface the chief gradually gathered a bit of magic power into his palm. His hand started to glow a faint violet color.
He then inspected Lin Ti with water magic and still found nothing wrong whatsoever. As a matter of fact, the hand was in pristine condition. The chief then checked the other hand just to be sure. Once again he found absolutely no problems. Lin Ti couldn't help but smile inwardly. Had the chief checked just a few minutes ago he might have still found a bit of damage, but thanks to Lin Ti's persistent healing there were no longer any traces or wounds left, not even a scratch. The chief looked solemn for a moment before he gently let go of Lin's hand, he then shook his head before saying.
"There's nothing, his hands are perfectly fine."
Hearing this Tian Kou couldn't help but shout.
"What?"
He then quickly approached and wanted to grab Lin's hands to check them himself, but was quickly stopped By Zhen stepping in front of him.
"What are you doing? didn't you hear the chief? he said there was nothing wrong with my son's hands. So how could he have injured yours, hmm?"
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"Get out of my way Zhen Ti I will see for myself whether or not your son is fine."
"What, over my dead body."
The two were just about to come to blows again when suddenly a small childish voice came from behind Zhen Ti.
"Dad let him."
Silence............... everyone had heard this feeble yet unfamiliar voice and everyone was shocked. Surprisingly it had come from Lin Ti, but the ones most surprised was none other than Lara and Zhen. Lara spoke with a trembling voice.
"Y....yo....you spoke just now?"
Lin Ti nodded his head in agreement. Lara embraced her son tightly as a stream of tears began to fall from her face everyone was completely silent. As Lara balled her eyes out and hugged her son some of the mothers in the crowd felt a bit of warmth in their hearts. They wondered how difficult life must have been for them up until this moment. Constantly worrying that their son was doomed to be a cripple and an idiot and then in what seemed like overnight their son could not only walk again, but now he spoke his first words.
And they weren't mumbled or incomprehensible but said as though he understood what was going on. This had made some of them feel overwhelmed with emotions.
---------------
After a while, Lara had calmed down a bit and Tian Kou had remembered his original purpose. After all of this he was still unimaginably angry, but he was a lot more composed now and so he spoke calmly.
"You said I could look as well?"
Lin Ti nodded his head, looked at Tian Kou and then his father.
"I did. So dad let him look."
Zhen Ti was visibly shaking hearing his son's voice for the first time. It was so cute and childish yet serious in the present situation.
Zhen looked at his son for a moment and then let Tian Kou pass. As Tian Kou approached Lin Ti he was shocked at the sharp gaze that the boy gave him, as though he were looking at his soul. Tian Kou then looked at Lara and she too had a fierce gaze, like a storm hawk watching its prey, but Tian didn't care and immediately he grabbed Lin Ti's hand. He looked for quite some time while flipping Lin Ti's hands back and forth, but no matter how he searched or felt he couldn't find the slightest problem.
He then wondered if his son really did lie, but if so why? After a good inspection, Tian was ready to give up. He gazed at the calm indifferent boy once again and felt as though he was being mocked and so he gave the boys hand a slight squeeze. Lin Ti didn't even wince, he just continued to give that same piercing look. So Tian squeezed a bit harder, again no effect. Seeing this made the rage in Tian Kou reignite and so he started putting more and more pressure on Lin Ti's hand. If he could make Lin Ti scream out in pain then that would prove that the boys weren't lying about an injury and so he increased his grip until Lin Ti's bones were about to snap.
It was at this moment that Tian felt a strange sensation in his hand. At first it felt like a feather gently gliding over top his knuckles, a little bit of a tickle, but then it quickly became prickly like an itch. Until it felt like needles piercing the nerves all over his hand. The pain was unbearable and he quickly retrieved his hand. And like that, the pain immediately vanished. He looked around and everyone was staring at him like he was weird. He then looked back at Lin Ti and saw a piercing cold look as though his life was about to be taken at any moment. It quickly sent a cold shiver all the way down his spine, but somehow he couldn't seem to look away. It wasn't until the chief called out that his gaze was broken.
"Well, Tian, satisfied? Were there any problems?"
Tian looked at Lin Ti again as well as the crowd before softly uttering.
"None."
The crowd all looked at the two boys who had lied and gave them all shameful looks. Both their mothers pulled them away by their ears and disappeared into their homes. Soon some yelling, as well as some good smacks, were heard coming from them. The crowd then looked back at the chief.
"Since this situation isn't quite clear and the only witness's were found to be lying the rest is hear-say therefore..."
Hearing this Tian Kou wanted to rage again, he shouted.
"But chief my son look at his injuries."
But the chief roared back.
"Nonsense!! There is no proof to say who or how your son was injured and besides that you barged your way into a resident's home. Don't think I forgot about that and you fought a fellow villager, but since you both fought I say that is settled. As for their home, any damages that you caused you will be fined and will have to pay them compensation within 30 days, that is my ruling."
"But but."
"That is my ruling and it is final! Now everyone disperse, go back to your homes this matter is finished. Tian I'll come around later to heal your son so leave."
After that everyone began to leave, but Tian Kou just stood there looking at his injured son. He looked at Lin Ti still covered in bandages and just couldn't figure out how he had done it, but he was sure Lin Ti was guilty. He looked at Zhen Ti and his loving family and the anger boiled in him once more, he shouted.
"Zhen Ti, don't think you can come to work tomorrow or ever again. YOUR FIRED!!"
Many of the remaining villagers looked surprised. Many didn't know who was right or who was wrong, but to have a petty children's fight cause someone to lose their job was too much. Being out in a small village like this in the countryside there wasn't much work. To lose a job almost meant a death sentence out here. People had to feed their kids. Many looked at Zhen Ti with pity, but Tian Kou owned a huge farm it was his and so they had no right to say who or who couldn't work for him. That was life out here in the country and even the chief couldn't interfere with another man's legal business but, to everyone's surprise, Zhen Ti just said a few simple words.
"Tian if you think I would ever work for you after all this then you truly must be crazy."
And with that everyone left, some filled with anger and some filled with wild joy over their sons new talent, talking.
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Inside the small home, the place was wrecked. Holes in the walls, the only two chairs they had were broken, the small stone stove they had was crushed and the only window they had was shattered, but the husband and wife could only stare at their son with fascination and anticipation. Silently staring, just waiting for a single word to slip from their sons mouth. Lin Ti felt it to be a bit awkward so he finally just said something once again in a tiny voice perfect for a 5 yr old.
"Mom, what's for dinner?"
End of ch 4