Under Ulu's reminder, Bai Wei realized that his posture was indeed sowhat abnormal.
To allow Bai Wei to stand taller and see farther, Ulu had fetched a table from sowhere. He then stood on it while lifting his left hand on tiptoe, displaying his middle finger upright.
It was similar to a scene from a manga where the protagonist raises a finger to the sky, except most use the index finger, while Ulu used the middle finger.
This peculiar gesture naturally attracted many gazes. If people were not distracted by their hunger, which clouded their clarity and sapped their energy to consider other matters, they would surely have approached Lord Priest to inquire whether he was conducting so sacred ritual and if they needed to assist in any way.
But they were indeed too hungry, so even such an eccentric gesture only made the people lift their heads and glance over with numb eyes before licking their bowls clean and slowly, limping away... Still, the fact that they glanced over at all really indicated how strange it was.
"All right, you've looked enough, co down now," said Bai Wei calmly as he returned to his senses.
Upon receiving the command, Ulu breathed a sigh of relief and hurried off the table before he heard Bai Wei ask, "Does showing the middle finger have a special aning here?"
"Sp-special aning?"
"Yes, like an insult or sothing."
"Um... not that I know of." Ulu, taking Bai Wei's question seriously, carefully recalled but indeed could not rember any particular significance to showing the middle finger before responding, "I've thought about it, and no, there isn't any."
"That so." Feeling reassured that there was no significance, Bai Wei said, "If that's the case, then please use it more often."
Ulu was puzzled, "Why is that?"
"Because it lets see farther," Bai Wei said placidly, "There's much I only understand when I see it with my own eyes. You always have your hands in your pockets; what can I see like that? Especially when you et people, it'd be better if you made it a habit to raise a finger. Otherwise... I might not be able to help you in ti."
After that, Bai Wei told Ulu about what he had observed.
Upon hearing that more knights had arrived and the entire town was under martial law, Ulu felt tense. Though hearing Bai Wei say he would help, Ulu felt a touch moved, yet he still expressed a concern, "I understand, Lord Visas... But isn't it odd to show the middle finger every ti I et soone?"
If it were my world, doing such a gesture upon eting people would earn you a beating.
Bai Wei silently criticized in his mind but remained composed as he replied, "Can't you devise a more natural gesture? Must I teach you everything?"
"I, I understand now."
anwhile, Bai Wei internally wished that a different finger was possessed, as two of Visas's fingers road abroad; one was the left middle finger, and the other the right thumb. Had he possessed the thumb, Ulu could have embodied a "Thumbs-up Man," effortlessly raising it anywhere without anyone finding it strange but rather welcoming.
Of course, just not in reverse.
At that mont, the familiar little figure appeared before Ulu again—it was still the sa little boy.
"Priest Ulu," the little boy was looking down, his voice tentative, "I—I'm here."
Ulu looked down at the boy, irked to think the lad was here for more food, his eyes instinctively glaring, "You again..."
He caught himself midway, suddenly rembering it was probably Bai Wei's directive for the boy to collect food daily, so he stopped the imminent scold.
"Co with ," he said curtly to the boy, turning to walk away.
Taking a few steps forward and realizing the boy hadn't followed, he turned back and saw him standing still, swiftly glaring, "What are you waiting for? Do you expect to bring the food here?"
The boy then ca to his senses and hurriedly followed Ulu to the back of the chapel.
As Ulu internally cursed, "What a greedy little brat," he divided the food for three, like he did the day before, and handed it to the boy, "Take care of this, and don't let anyone find out."
The boy took the food, hesitated while looking down, seemingly struggling, but didn't take long before he looked up at Ulu, stuttering, "Priest, Lord Priest, it—it's not necessary to give so much."
"Oh?" Ulu frowned slightly, "What do you an?"
The boy lowered his head again, his dark hands continuously rubbing the equally dark hem of his shirt, "It—It's not necessary, my mother has passed away; it's just and my sister now."
Ulu's pupils narrowed slightly.
But he didn't say much; after a pause, he finally spoke softly, "Oh, then indeed, it's not necessary."
The boy nodded repeatedly, then took a third of the food from the bag and handed it back to Ulu before turning and running off.
Watching the boy's retreating back, Ulu opened his mouth to call him, but nearing his shout, he realized he didn't even know the boy's na and could only watch as he disappeared.
Bai Wei witnessed everything, but during this ti, he said nothing, just silently watching, as if he were asleep.
Words, he knew very well, were burdenso at such tis.
Thus, Bai Wei waited until Ulu had sowhat collected himself before slowly chiming in, "Do you recall your own past?"
Ulu's face, which had just cald, stiffened again, and he quickly denied, "Oh no, of course not, Lord Visas, please believe , I wasn't so... weak as a child."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is," Ulu's heart fluttered with panic, a common occurrence when speaking with Bai Wei, but this ti was different. Desperate to change the subject, he eagerly asked, "What should I do next?"
Ulu's manner of speech was already borderline disrespectful, but Bai Wei did not mind; he knew his point had been delivered.
"Since we're free anyway, why not check on that good brother of yours and see what he's up to?" Bai Wei suggested with a light laugh, "He's diligently searching for my whereabouts, isn't he? Let's grant his wish then."
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