Sir, take me to rebel (3): 

After reading the description of the world line, Si Qi felt that this time’s Child of the World didn’t seem to have any major problems.

Since he didn’t plan to deal with this world’s Child of the World, Si Qi directly asked the world consciousness for information about him.

This time, less than a month after the Child of the World was born, he was despised by the emperor in the eyes of outsiders, taken away by a palace maid, and separated from his mother. From then on, he was locked in a small courtyard that no one could freely enter or leave, guarded by mute eunuchs and maids with their tongues cut out, and subjected to sorcerers’ repeated rituals of altering fate. His days were worse than those of the original host.

The original host had only been in the general’s residence for three years, not long enough for too much to be taken from him. At most, due to years of bloodletting, his body was somewhat thin and his height not very tall.

But the Child of the World had lived for twelve years as a vessel for others’ organs. Aside from a few internal organs not yet fully replaced, most of his body parts had been taken and exchanged for those of an old man in his fifties or sixties, leaving him deformed and hideous.

Just from looking at the boy’s skeletal frame, Si Qi could imagine how every step he took would bring excruciating pain, with bones and muscles mismatched, and twisted ribs pressing against his lungs making even breathing feel like torture.

How had such a person endured over a decade of hell, step by step leading troops back to the capital, and in a ravaged land still managed to defend a fragile nation?

Normally, after taking revenge, most people would lose the will to live, let alone the desire to protect the country. After all, life for him was nothing but unbearable suffering.

Yet he had not done that. He hadn’t even considered asking those hateful sorcerers to replace his deformed bones. Instead, he endured until the dynasty stabilized and power was safely passed to the next heir.

The more Si Qi thought about it, the more intrigued he became with this Child of the World. After weighing the pros and cons, he followed his heart, took several spirit stones from the World Tree’s leaves, set up a teleportation array, and in the next moment arrived directly in the child’s quarters—or rather, his prison.

The vast courtyard was completely silent. No voices, no traces of movement.

Si Qi intended to simply push the door open, but when his small palm touched the old wooden door, he paused.

He looked down at his own attire, then up at the door, which was more than twice his height.

Hmm…

The next second, the door swung open without a sound and then closed again.

A young man in white robes, long hair flowing, stepped into the room and met the eyes of a boy huddled in the corner.

Si Qi’s expression was calm as he examined the boy at close range.

The boy sat quietly in the corner, motionless, his breathing faint.

His exposed features had long since been replaced, twisted and indescribably ugly. Only a pair of black, bright eyes proved that he was still alive.

Si Qi thought the boy would at least cry out, show a trace of fear or wariness at his sudden appearance.

But the boy only stared silently at him, eyes widening slightly, showing he had indeed noticed the newcomer.

“…”

So this was the Child of the World who was supposed to be resilient, domineering, and strong-willed? That was his reaction?

Could he be playing the pig to eat the tiger?

Si Qi stretched out a hand, signaling for the boy to use it to stand up.

But the boy only looked back indifferently, showing no intention of responding.

Seeing this, Si Qi wasn’t impatient. He simply said, “Pardon me,” bent down, and lifted the boy into his arms.

The child’s body instantly tensed, muscles trembling uncontrollably.

Si Qi thought he was afraid, but his eyes said otherwise. He was numb to being taken away at others’ whim.

So, was it pain then?

Thinking for a moment, Si Qi took a candy from his sleeve (the World Tree’s leaf fragment) and placed it at the boy’s lips.

The boy instinctively clenched his teeth, trying to resist, but Si Qi was quicker, gently pushing the candy inside with his fingertip.

As the sweetness touched his tongue, the boy instinctively licked it, then shut his lips tight. This time, unlike before, he didn’t try to spit it out.

—After all, the medicine always ended up being forced down in the end. Better to just swallow it.

Si Qi made a “shh” gesture, then carried the boy out of the room with ease.

With Xiu Xiu’s cooperation, he walked openly without encountering a single palace servant.

Occasionally, when he leapt lightly onto rooftops, soaring two or three meters high with the boy in his arms, the child’s eyes widened in astonishment. Clearly, he had never felt anything like flying before.

He thought Si Qi was taking him away for bloodletting and bone replacement, but that wasn’t the case. Si Qi brought him somewhere entirely different from the places he had been countless times before. No mute slaves accompanied them, and this time, he was being carried straight out of the palace.

When the walls suddenly disappeared around him, the boy’s body stiffened and he jerked in fright, clutching Si Qi’s robe tightly.

Si Qi didn’t stop him, only patted his back gently in reassurance. With Xiu Xiu’s surveillance guiding him, he avoided crowds swiftly and skillfully, and before dusk, carried the boy out of the imperial city.

The boy was completely stunned.

In his ten-odd years of life, this was the first time he had been so far from that room, the first time he had seen so many living people. Everything amazed and unsettled him.

Facing the open fields without walls, his body trembled slightly, face flushing red.

Si Qi set him down. The boy wobbled, standing lopsided with uneven shoulders.

Eyes rimmed red, he breathed deeply despite the stabbing pain in his lungs.

This was the first time he had tasted freedom.

Si Qi said, “You’re safe now.”

The boy raised his head at the voice and let out two soft “ah ah” sounds.

Si Qi lifted a brow, tilted the boy’s chin up, looked inside his mouth and throat, and said, “There’s nothing wrong with your voice.”

The boy couldn’t avoid his touch. “Ah ah.”

“…So you can’t speak.”

No one had ever dared to teach him before.

The boy didn’t understand what Si Qi was saying. He only regretted that Si Qi couldn’t understand what he wanted to express.

The open sky without walls seemed unbelievable. Even the sound of chirping insects felt magical. He didn’t know why this man had brought him here, but if it was to bleed him and carve his bones, doing so in this place almost seemed… pleasant.

Of course, he still had to try to escape—

Si Qi grabbed the back of his collar, half smiling. “Enough. Don’t move around. Your body isn’t fit for running yet.”

Then he placed the child on his back and added, whether understood or not, “From now on, you’re my child. You must listen to me, alright?”

The boy couldn’t make sense of the words, but he sensed the gentleness in Si Qi’s tone. Somehow, he suddenly wanted to lean against the man’s neck, to feel the warmth of another human being.

Summoning courage, he stretched out a twisted, spider-like finger and lightly touched the man’s skin.

Warm, smooth, alive, harmless.

Such a strange feeling.

Lying on Si Qi’s back, his eyes hungrily took in everything around him. Perhaps overwhelmed by emotion, at some point he fell asleep, two uneven hands dangling at his sides, a faint blush on his face.

Sensing the child had drifted off, Si Qi flicked his wrist, scattering a few spirit stones. With one step, he crossed thousands of kilometers.

Under the starry sky, he set the boy down beside a large tree. Looking toward a small village at the foot of the mountain, he bent down to gather firewood.

The night air was cool—he couldn’t let the boy catch a cold.

…

By morning, the fire on the open ground had burned down to faint wisps of smoke. When the boy awoke, he saw a tall figure in white.

Remembering all that had happened yesterday, realizing he had left that prison, he stared warily at Si Qi’s back and slowly edged away.

Si Qi said, “Awake?”

The boy bolted!

Expression unchanged, Si Qi tapped the ground with his toes, leapt behind him, and caught him in one move.

“Where do you want to go? With this body of yours and survival ability close to zero, you’ll suffer a lot before you can live on your own.” Si Qi gently patted the boy’s head and stuffed a steamed bun into his hand. “Eat. After you finish, we still need to build a house.”

That morning, before dawn, the villagers had already risen early for farm work.

When Si Qi walked out from the mountains, he startled everyone, who nearly thought they’d seen the legendary mountain god.

Hearing Si Qi’s questions, the villagers spoke politely, answering whatever he asked as best they could, and even invited him to the village chief’s house.

Si Qi gave the excuse that his younger brother had been weak since childhood and disliked meeting people, so he had brought him out to relax for a while.

Seeing the silver Si Qi placed before him, the village chief agreed to let the two brothers stay temporarily. He promised that in the morning he would send villagers to the mountain to build a house for them and also gave Si Qi some breakfast.

The bun Si Qi handed the boy came from there.

Made from rice flour and carefully steamed, the bun was soft and delicate, with a hint of sweetness. For this small village, it was already a very refined food.

After eating the bun, the boy still held suspicion toward Si Qi and tried to run away whenever he had the chance.

Si Qi let him run. In the end, at mealtimes, he would always find him, bring him back, and make him sit down to eat.

Si Qi had no high demands for the house. The villagers built him a wooden cabin, and with everyone working together, it was finished within a few days.

During these days, Si Qi absorbed several spirit-gathering pills, his strength already sufficient for self-defense.

He extended his divine sense across half a mountain and found the boy trudging step by step through the forest with great difficulty.

The boy hadn’t gotten far. He had never exercised, and his body was in terrible condition. His forehead was dripping with sweat, his breathing labored, his face twisted with strain.

Every few steps, he would turn back to glance in the direction he had come from.

Si Qi followed unhurriedly and soon stood before him.

The boy froze, stumbling backward a few steps.

“Still running?” Si Qi’s tone was especially calm.

The boy: “…”

Si Qi wasn’t in a rush. From the basket at his side, he took out a delicacy that was highly regarded in other small worlds. The aroma filled the air, and the beautifully presented dish whetted the appetite.

The Child of the World had always been abused, but in terms of food and clothing he was never neglected. He felt no wariness toward such things. Stepping forward, he took the plate from Si Qi and reached out with his hand to grab food directly.

Si Qi stopped him and firmly placed a spoon in his palm. Patiently and gently, he showed him how to scoop rice and bring it to his mouth.

Awkward and reluctant, the boy was forced to learn. By the third repetition, he finally grasped how to eat with the spoon, quickly finishing the food and even licking his lips with longing.

Si Qi pointed toward the house. “Come back with me?”

The boy backed away, his body language showing resistance.

Si Qi didn’t force him. He handed him a cup of water and a simple bedding set, then left.

The boy: “…”

He didn’t know much, but at this moment he was truly confused.

Why wasn’t this person following the usual script?

Was he really going to let him go?

He touched the soft, light quilt in his hands, realizing it wasn’t heavy at all and felt especially comfortable.

Lowering his head, he took a sip of the water. It was cool, with a faint sweetness. As it went down, the constant ache in his body suddenly eased a little.

His eyes lit up. He gulped it down, then stared blankly at the empty cup when not a drop remained.

As he stared, he recalled the man’s face.

For the first time in his life, he felt a desire to see someone again.

Though the thought was faint—so faint it could vanish with a breeze.

Once more, he firmly set out on the path of escape.

Si Qi let him run. Apart from delivering food and supplies three times a day, he did not entangle him further.

This process, like taming a hawk, lasted eight days.

On the eighth afternoon, the boy finally made it out of the not-so-tall mountain. Covered in dust, he was struck with stones by frightened villagers shouting in alarm. Helpless, he stood frozen.

Realizing something was wrong, Si Qi rushed over. The moment the boy saw him, his eyes welled red.

He hid behind Si Qi. Si Qi shielded him carefully and scolded the villagers in displeasure. None dared provoke him, and they scattered quickly.

That night, the village chief came with gifts to apologize. Trembling, he sneaked a glance at the young master who had supposedly never shown his face, nearly retching at the sight.

For the first time, the boy felt something harder to bear than malice.

Suddenly, he no longer wanted to run.

If the whole world hated him, then he would rather face the one who appeared at the house, gave him food and sweets.

Even if that man cut open his body like the others, he didn’t want to endure those eyes filled with disgust and fear anymore.

He moved into the little wooden cabin he had resisted so fiercely.

The sense of being enclosed by walls again made his body tense, his eyes turning red as though lost in fearful imaginings.

Si Qi held his wrist and led him to a nearby bathhouse.

Head lowered, the boy followed step by step, his body filled with resistance.

At Si Qi’s signal, he removed his clothes and sat in a large tub that looked like it was meant for holding blood. Water quickly filled the tub.

Startled, he thought Si Qi meant to drown him and struggled to escape.

But the water stopped at his chest, and fragrant white foam appeared above his head.

He sat blankly, his body suddenly light, a special comfort washing over him.

Si Qi massaged his scalp, washing the dirt from his hair.

The boy sat in a daze, glancing at the reflection of the young man’s face on the water. Seeing the gentle brows and eyes, he faintly realized—perhaps this man hadn’t come to hurt him.

He had taken him away from the place he had longed to escape countless times, freed him from torment, even let him run freely outside…

Could it be that he was here to save him? Like that stranger woman who once tried to take him away?

Clinging to this almost unbelievable thought, the boy carefully observed Si Qi.

Even after dinner, when Si Qi spoke words he couldn’t fully understand, and when he lay on a soft bed without Si Qi doing anything to harm him, he still felt bewildered.

He curled up under the quilt, recalling Si Qi’s face. His palm touched his chest—where his original heart still remained, the one part of him not yet replaced.

Proof that he was still himself. The one place in his body that didn’t hurt.

Now, it felt so warm.

From that day on, Si Qi and the boy began living together.

Aside from three meals a day and morning and evening washes, the boy attended daily lessons.

At first, he pretended not to understand, staring at Si Qi, watching his pale lips move, as if trying to decipher the meaning of his clear voice.

Later, Si Qi realized the boy was learning quickly. Thinking of how he had once led people back into the capital after escaping the palace, he knew the boy’s intelligence was exceptional, far above average.

This act of playing dumb was surely just a test.

Si Qi didn’t indulge him. He never repeated things endlessly nor gave demonstrations.

Sensing the change in Si Qi’s attitude, the boy stopped pretending and earnestly followed the lessons, trying to engage in normal interaction.

Gradually, he transformed from a little beast living in his own world into someone who, apart from his appearance, wasn’t much different from others.

At last, he understood how terrible his past life had been, and what Si Qi’s rescue truly meant to him.

His vigilance dissolved entirely into gratitude.

His bright black eyes, round like pearls, often fixed on Si Qi, fearful that he might suddenly vanish.

In the blink of an eye, two months passed. The Child of the World had already learned enough vocabulary for a first-grade student, able to converse simply with Si Qi.

The first thing Si Qi explained was his past and why he had become like this.

“Sorcerers?”

“Yes.”

“They often did that? I mean… they hurt me, like that?” The boy stammered with his limited words, fists clenched tight.

“That’s right.”

“Kill them!!” The boy suddenly raised his head, scarlet blood vessels spreading in his eyes, looking deranged. “Kill them all! Not one left!!”

No one could doubt the truth of his words.

“If you still think this way after you’ve grown up, then we’ll discuss the matter again.” Si Qi took a sip of tea, speaking calmly, “First, you need to know that right now you don’t have that kind of ability.”

The boy answered with all his strength, “I know, I will learn, I will become strong!”

“Good, then you’ll need to listen carefully in the future.” Si Qi smiled. “But before that…”

He pointed lightly at the boy’s body. “You need to get your health in order first.”

“Your body has always been in pain, hasn’t it?”

The boy looked at him in surprise. “How did you know…”

He had never complained of his discomfort to Si Qi.

In the past, he had used actions and cries to express his suffering too many times, yet no one cared about his feelings. He thought speaking of it was useless. By now he was long accustomed to the pain, never showing even the slightest sign of it.

Si Qi said, “I could tell.”

The boy looked at him with admiration.

“Do you want to recover your health?” Si Qi asked.

The boy’s voice was full of hope. “Can I?”

Si Qi replied, “Yes.”

Feeling Si Qi’s kindness, the boy pressed his lips together, not knowing how to respond.

“It will just hurt a bit,” Si Qi observed the alignment of the boy’s bones carefully, then said, “I’ll have to break your bones and let them grow back the right way.”

The boy waited for more, but when no further words came, he sighed in relief. “Just that? Then it’s fine.”

Si Qi fell silent.

He didn’t speak, but suddenly felt the urge to ruffle the boy’s hair, and did so.

When the boy saw Si Qi’s hand reach for his head, panic flickered in his eyes, unbidden memories of being hurt by adults flooding back.

But he didn’t dodge. The young man’s palm rested gently on his head with warmth, bringing a soothing, pleasant caress that made him narrow his eyes in enjoyment.

When the hand left, he even felt a little reluctant.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you feel pain,” Si Qi said.

His tone was softer than ever. “Just sleep, and it’ll be fine.”

The boy said nothing, but the look in his eyes was full of trust. It was as if even if Si Qi pressed a hand against his throat, he would only lift his head obediently and look up at him, tame as a young deer.

Si Qi’s heart felt as though a feather brushed against it.

After feeding the boy the potion, he lay unconscious in the chair.

Si Qi moved away the table in the center of the room and took out a healing pod from another world, then carried the boy inside.

With a press of his fingertips at different points, he cleanly broke several joints that had been crudely forced together by a warlock.

The boy only twitched reflexively, without waking.

Si Qi adjusted his bones with instruments, then immersed him in the finest spring of life.

Xiu Xiu watched in amazement. [Master rarely uses such things for people of the small worlds.]

Especially since this one was the Son of the World. If he turned ungrateful and coveted Si Qi’s treasures, with the vast fortune on him, he might even bring Si Qi trouble.

Si Qi himself didn’t know why. Just hearing one sentence from the boy had softened his heart.

Originally, his plan was to break the boy’s bones one by one and slowly nurse him back to health with herbs of this world.

But when he looked into those eyes…

For some reason, Si Qi simply couldn’t bear to let him suffer. There was no other reason—he just couldn’t.

Si Qi sighed helplessly. [Maybe he just suits my eyes.]

Xiu Xiu was speechless. […Suits your eyes?]

Honestly, with the Son of the World’s looks, he was a bit too much of an eyesore.

Even evil spirits were more pleasing to look at.

…

When the boy woke, he found himself lying on the familiar bed.

Not seeing that familiar figure, he got up and stepped into slippers that were obviously a size too small.

Boy: ?

After standing, the strange feeling only grew stronger. He noticed the things around him seemed shorter, and also…

He wasn’t in pain anymore?!

Some part of his brain still habitually endured the stabs of pain that should have been there, but his body felt undeniably light.

For the first time, he truly understood what it felt like to be healthy. More relaxing than fainting, more unbelievable than dreaming, so… hard to calm down.

He lowered his head and carefully examined his smooth hands, not much different from Si Qi’s, then felt each of his joints.

No strange protrusions, no crooked bends, both arms and legs were the same length, and even breathing didn’t bring the stabbing pain.

Everything was so astonishing. Wearing slippers a few sizes too small, he rushed out of the room.

Outside, seeing Si Qi admiring the scenery in the courtyard, the boy’s eyes grew red, his emotions breaking loose.

He ran faster and faster, his body so light it felt as though he could fly.

For the first time in his life, he threw himself into someone else’s arms.