Cling, clatter...

  Broken silver and copper coins scattered across the floor, rolling with crisp sounds.

  The woman's eyes instantly lit up.

  Hearing the noise, the young man turned, saw the money, and his eyes widened.

  Xun Xie grew nervous.

  "Ah, so much money!"

  The young man exclaimed, suddenly turning to Xun Xie, pointing at the coins. "Where did these come from?"

  "Where else?" The woman's mouth curved into a delighted smile. "The village was destroyed, and only this stupid boy survived. He went house to house collecting all the good things. Not all good things will fall into his hands. And I was saying I wasted the money but now..."

  Neither realized this contradicted their earlier assumption about robbers raiding the village.

  "Okay, you idiot." The young man grinned. "No wonder I couldn't find any valuables when I searched the village. It's all with you."

  He bent down and started gathering coins.

  The woman quickly joined him.

  Xun Xie studied the pair in their ancient-style robes and skirts. Their thick hands and feet, the undisguised greed in their faces - it all sparked an inexplicable sense of danger.

  "They won't be plotting against me, right?" His money was exposed - he'd definitely be robbed.

  The question was, would they stop at just money?

  Technically it was their village more than his, so he could barely allow it.

  A realization struck him - memories and language were stored in the brain, not the soul. That's why he could speak this language similar to Chinese! But why couldn't he read or know his name was Yin Shen?

  The answer hit Xun Xie - as these two said, the original owner was dumb, so of course there wasn't much in the brain he could benefit from. Basic speech functions were preserved, so speaking was possible. As for reading, based on the woman's earlier words, this was a remote village where literacy was rare, especially in this ancient era. His predecessor couldn't read, so neither could he!

  The pair counted their newfound wealth. Forty-three taels of silver alone.

  Their faces glowed with upstart smiles.

  "More than forty taels of silver, I'm rich, I'm rich!" the woman exclaimed joyfully.

  "Haha, it's all ours." The young man laughed as if Xun Xie were invisible.

  Then the young man's gaze caught the bamboo basket. He walked over and kicked it over.

  "Daughter-in-law, look, there's wild ginseng here, a big one! Haha, worth at least one hundred taels!"

  "And a piece of Ganoderma lucidum, such a big piece - fifty taels at least!"

  He kept exclaiming.

  "One hundred taels, fifty taels!"

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The woman turned to look at the herbs, her expression growing even more excited.

  Then, as if sharing the same thought, they looked at each other before turning to Xun Xie.

  "Yin Shen, where did the wild ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum come from?" The woman asked with a false smile.

  Xun Xie pursed his lips, raised his finger, and pointed to the mountain. He didn't speak, maintaining his persona.

  "Picked from the mountain? Haha, you idiot, you're lucky." The woman's eyes held ill intent.

  She stuffed the purse into her arms and grabbed the wild ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum.

  "Daughter-in-law, our house has collapsed, and our home is gone. What should we do next?" the young man asked.

  The woman thought for a moment. "Anyway, this village is poor and dilapidated. I don't want to stay here long. With this money, hehe, it's enough for us to buy a new house in Blue Grain Town."

  "Okay, let's do that."

  The young man nodded quickly, eyeing Xun Xie. "What about this idiot? Should we leave him here?"

  "You're stupid." The woman rolled her eyes. "Though his brain's bad, he has working hands and feet. Sell him to a big family as a slave - we'll make another fortune."

  "Good idea!"

  The young man slapped his thigh, then approached Xun Xie with a wicked smile. "Fool, all your family's dead. You're alone. Come with me to town - you'll enjoy happiness."

  He loomed over Xun Xie, removing his belt, reaching to bind him.

  Xun Xie wasn't stupid - he'd been wary from the start. That wicked smile set him instantly alert.

  Swish!

  A cold flash!

  As the young man leaned forward, Xun Xie swung his hoe reflexively.

  The young man froze, his expression twisting.

  The hoe crossed his neck, left to right, blood seeping out.

  Xun Xie yanked it back.

  Puff!

  Blood sprayed like a spring.

  The young man fell slowly, staring at Xun Xie with disbelief as he collapsed.

  The woman stood stunned, then saw the hoe, the blood. She screamed in terror.

  Xun Xie panted heavily, trembling.

  Blood spattered his face, hot and wet. The metallic smell filled his nose, nearly making him retch.

  He stared down at what he'd done, mind almost blank.

  'I killed...?'

  The woman's screams snapped him back.

  "You forced me." Xun Xie took a deep breath, gripped the hoe, and charged toward her.

  "You- you- don't!" She fled wildly, screaming for help as she ran.

  They circled the temple, pursuer and pursued.

  Suddenly, she stepped on her skirt and fell.

  Xun Xie rushed forward, hoe raised high.

  Here's the rewritten section, maintaining the psychological impact while improving flow:

  Pfft!

  The hoe struck her back, caught on a rib. She screamed.

  The grating sensation made Xun Xie shiver.

  He pulled hard but the blade stuck fast in bone. Planting one foot on her back, he wrenched it free.

  He froze, feeling the frail insides of a human being...

  I..I..

  Remembering the man from before.

  I killed someone! Why did I?..

  ...

  Xun Xie shook in terror before quickly steadying himself.

  "That's right! It's their fault! This is self-defense - I have to kill them, they were the danger I feared! Human traffickers! I'm just a child now, I can't risk them telling friends to come kidnap me!"

  The initial timidness at seeing fellow villagers, adults, gave way to primal anger. He had to protect himself!

  He straddled her back, drew the hoe across her neck, and pulled.

  Her screams finally stopped.

  Xun Xie sat there, gasping. When awareness returned, blood had pooled around them like a blooming red flower.

  His fingers, stiff from gripping the hoe, slowly unclenched.

  He stared at the glaring red blood.

  What have I done...

  ...

  "You two escaped the Bodhisattva - it should have been fortune among misfortune. But you had to be vicious. Wasn't greed for money enough? Why try to sell me?"

  He muttered, trying to comfort himself. He never thought he'd kill, but when it came suddenly, he had no choice.

  "Hughu..."

  He vomited again, another meal wasted. At least most was digested.

  Xun Xie knelt before his sick, trembling. No matter his justifications, her screams echoed in his mind, those bulging eyes still seemed to stare.

  Time meant nothing until his knees began to ache.

  Finally, he calmed somewhat, then more.

  He was justified! He was right!

  He chanted it like a Buddhist scripture.

  Looking at the corpses, he retrieved the money, ginseng, and Ganoderma lucidum. Outside, he noticed their flatbed cart.

  A unique cry sounded.

  Turning, he saw a donkey tied near the village entrance, cushioned saddle on its back.

  Must have belonged to them.

  Ignoring it, he pushed the cart inside and struggled to load the bodies, searching them first and setting their belongings aside.

  Each corpse was so heavy.

  It took half an hour to load them, his mantra growing more detailed - he had to stop himself being sold, he just got a new life and couldn't waste it.

  He carted them to the wasteland where the villagers' remains lay. He dug another pit and buried the pair.

  Back at the temple, he surveyed the blood-covered hall.

  Even his bedboard, mosquito nets, and sheets were spattered red.