Shino dragged his suitcase, leading Airi toward the apartment he was renting.
Along the way, Airi curiously took in the surrounding scenery, letting out occasional exclamations like a happy little sparrow.
Soon, the two arrived at the apartment building where Shino lived.
It was an old residential building with peeling exterior walls, and the hallways were filled with a damp, musty smell.
Airi looked at the dilapidated apartment building with curiosity, a flash of doubt crossing her delicate face, but it was quickly replaced by her trust in Shino.
Opening the door, a cramped room immediately came into view.
In a space of less than ten square meters, a single bed took up most of the area, a simple desk was placed against the wall piled with scriptures and miscellaneous items; the room was sparsely furnished and even a bit crowded.
Airi blinked her big eyes, curiously looking around this "shabby" room. She didn't seem to feel any discomfort; instead, she found it quite novel.
She ran into the room on her short legs, curiously touching this and looking at that, like a kitten that had discovered a new toy.
Shino placed his suitcase in the corner and looked at Airi somewhat apologetically.
"Airi, it's a bit small here."
Hearing this, Airi immediately turned around and ran to Shino, hugging his leg and rubbing her small head against it, her soft voice carrying a hint of coquettishness.
"No, Airi thinks it's great here! Besides, being with Brother Shino makes Airi very happy!"
Seeing Airi's innocent smile, Shino felt a warmth in his heart. He bent down to pick her up, sat her on the desk, and said softly:
"It really is a bit small, and washing up isn't very convenient. How about Brother takes you to stay in a hotel? Hotel rooms are bigger and have large bathtubs where you can take a comfortable soak."
"A hotel?" Airi's big eyes instantly lit up, her small face full of anticipation. "Are hotels fun?"
"Of course they're fun," Shino laughed and scratched her little nose. "Hotels have lots of good food and beautiful big beds; I guarantee you'll like it."
"Then... okay!" Airi hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, saying softly, "Airi will listen to Brother Shino."
"Good girl." Shino smiled with satisfaction, lifted Airi down from the desk, and took her small hand. "Then let's head to the hotel now."
With that, Shino took his phone and wallet, and holding Airi's hand, prepared to leave the apartment.
Just as the two stepped out of the building, they were met by a man wearing black-rimmed glasses, a plaid shirt, and greasy hair.
The man was short and fat with a prominent beer belly, his face covered in oil, and a lewd look in his eyes; one could tell at a glance he wasn't a decent person.
As soon as he saw Airi walking beside Shino, his eyes went straight, like a hungry wolf seeing a fresh lamb, his eyeballs nearly popping out.
"Tsk tsk tsk, a top-tier loli!" The man lewdly licked his lips, his gaze scanning Airi unscrupulously, as if he wanted to pounce and devour her right then and there.
Airi was startled by the man's lewd gaze and instinctively hid behind Shino, clutching his monks robe tightly, her small face full of disgust and fear.
Shino's brow furrowed slightly, a flash of disgust in his eyes; he detested this kind of greasy, lewd creep the most.
The man didn't seem to notice Shino's displeasure; instead, he approached even more boldly, a hypocritical smile plastered on his face as he said to Shino, "Wait a moment, little master."
Shino stopped and looked coldly at the greasy man before him, asking in an icy tone, "Is something the matter?"
The man rubbed his greasy hands, his lewd gaze still lingering on Airi as he said hypocritically, "Little master, is this your... sister? She's truly cute."
"It's none of your business," Shino replied coldly, not bothering to waste words with such a person, and pulled Airi to leave.
Seeing this, the man's face darkened, a flash of anger in his eyes; he hated being ignored the most.
"Stupid monk, don't be ungrateful!" The man cursed under his breath, suddenly pulling an old smartphone from his pocket and quickly tapping an app on the screen, which prominently displayed the words "Deep Hypnosis."
"Hehehe, little loli, today I'll give you some real love!" The man gave a sinister laugh and pressed the "Hypnosis" button on the app toward Shino and Airi.
Instantly, a strange red light flashed on the phone screen, and a wave invisible to the naked eye immediately swept toward Shino and Airi.
A look of triumph appeared on the man's face; he had relied on this hypnosis app to play with countless ignorant young girls before, and today he could add another trophy.
However, something bizarre happened.
The red light enveloped Shino but was like a stone dropped into the ocean, without the slightest reaction, as if it hadn't even stirred a ripple.
Buddha Power flowed within Shino's body, and the acala dharma form in his Sea of Consciousness merely opened its eyes slightly, directly breaking the hypnosis.
On the contrary, Airi, hiding behind Shino, was caught off guard and struck by the red light. Her petite body jolted, and her once clear, bright eyes instantly became hollow and vacant, losing their focus.
Her gaze became blurry, her small mouth opened slightly, and she began to mutter to herself.
"Brother Shino, Airi feels so strange."
The voice grew lower and more seductive.
Seeing the change in Airi, the greasy man danced with excitement.
"Hehehe, little loli, big brother is here to help you!"
He opened his greasy mouth, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and lunged at Airi like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, wishing he could swallow this delicious "snack" immediately.
Out of trust in this hypnosis software on his phone, he subconsciously assumed that Shino was also completely hypnotized.
"Get lost!"
A cold light flashed in Shino's eyes as a surge of anger instantly rushed to his heart. He picked up the hypnotized Airi with one hand and kicked out with the other leg like a bolt of lightning.
Boom!
A dull, heavy sound exploded in the air like a clap of thunder.
The greasy man's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, tracing a parabola in the air before slamming heavily against the wall behind him.
Crack!
Even the wall emitted an overwhelmed cracking sound as spiderweb-like fissures instantly spread across it.
The greasy man let out a shrill scream, like a pig being slaughtered. His body curled up like a shrimp as he clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground in agony, wailing incessantly with tears and snot flowing freely. Where was his previous arrogance and lewdness?
He felt as if his internal organs had been run over by a truck. The intense pain almost made him faint, leaving him able only to emit meaningless groans.
...
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