Chapter 573: Parting
In the early morning, a gentle breeze brushed through the mountains, carrying a hint of coolness.
In front of the small hut, faint creaking sounds could be heard. Lin Feng lay on a rocking chair, his eyes closed, enjoying the tranquility of this early morning hour.
"The green mountains remain as they were, where now are the heroic warriors of ambition!"
"In youth, we set our aspirations high, vowing to trample these Nine Heavens mountains and rivers!"
"But alas, the world is filled with sorrow; youth has passed, leaving only vain grief, holding wine alone to recall the past, recall the past..."
A distant voice slowly drifted over from afar. Lin Feng opened his eyes and saw, beneath the mist, the old man carrying a medicinal basket, strolling slowly from a distance. Every night, the old man would go out to gather herbs, returning only at dawn, because the early morning hours were when the medicinal herbs were at their most vibrant.
"Alas, the world is filled with sorrow; youth has passed, leaving only vain grief, holding wine alone to recall the past, recall the past..."
Lin Feng murmured to himself, opening his eyes to watch the old man slowly approaching from afar, a faint smile appearing in his gaze.
"You're up."
The old man arrived nearby, his back hunched, nodding slightly at Lin Feng.
"Grandfather, good morning."
A soft sound came from a thatched hut to Lin Feng's left as Xiao Ya rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out of the room.
"Brother, good morning too." Seeing Lin Feng on the rocking chair, Xiao Ya smiled sweetly.
Seeing Xiao Ya's smile, Lin Feng's mood seemed to become especially cheerful. In his clear eyes, his smile was sunny and radiant.
Xiao Ya went to wash up, then returned to Lin Feng's side and said, "Brother, let me push you for a walk."
"Alright."
Lin Feng nodded slightly. Xiao Ya stepped forward, came behind Lin Feng, and pushed the rocking chair into motion. The rocking chair was woven by the old man, with several wheels underneath, making it easy to move.
Because Lin Feng had taken a special medicinal herb, his body was currently in a semi-paralyzed state, making movement inconvenient.
Xiao Ya pushed the rocking chair, walking through the mountains. Lin Feng closed his eyes in bliss, enjoying the feeling of the cool breeze brushing against his skin.
The old man put down his medicinal basket and watched the two figures leave, shaking his head with a smile. At least Xiao Ya now had company.
A peculiar light flickered in his eyes, as if the old man was pondering something.
"Brother, how is your body feeling now?"
Xiao Ya pushed the rocking chair and asked Lin Feng.
"Much better." Lin Feng replied with a smile. After being nursed back with the old man's herbs, he indeed felt much more comfortable, even more so than when his cultivation wasn't sealed. It was as if every pore on his body was breathing fresh air, especially when the wind blew, making him feel incredibly refreshed. This feeling was wonderful.
Lin Feng even looked forward to the state of his body after it fully recovered; it would surely be marvelous.
"Hehe, Grandfather has his own methods with medicine. It must be nothing but beneficial for your body. You just need to wait patiently for a full recovery."
Xiao Ya said with a smile. When alchemists used pills, the pill would take effect immediately upon entering the body. But a pharmacist's use of medicine was completely different; it required slow nursing and recovery until reaching the optimal state. Especially with the old man's methods, he never sought quick results. If he wanted Lin Feng to stand up, it would be easy, but he chose instead to let Lin Feng recover bit by bit.
"Xiao Ya, what is Grandfather's name?" Lin Feng suddenly asked. The old man had saved his life and helped restore his body, but until now, he still didn't know the old man's name.
"Wu Tian, Xiao Wu Tian."
Xiao Ya murmured softly, her gaze filled with warmth and reverence. Her grandfather had always been the person she admired most.
"Xiao Wu Tian." Lin Feng muttered to himself. Such a domineering name—to dance through heaven and earth—yet it didn't seem to match the old man's personality.
Xiao Ya pushed the rocking chair to the top of the mountain peak once again, gazing at the vast greenery and the rolling sea of clouds.
In the distance, the red sun of dawn slowly rose, especially amidst this verdant landscape, brimming with endless vitality.
"So beautiful. I wish I could watch the sunrise and sunset with my brother every day."
Xiao Ya murmured to herself. Lin Feng also watched the rising sun, his heart at peace.
Calm the heart, to observe the splendor of heaven and earth!
Both fell silent, no longer speaking, quietly appreciating this rare beauty.
Until a long time passed, the morning sun gradually reached its zenith, then slowly descended, turning into a fiery, gorgeous sunset.
Yet the two figures still refused to leave. Lin Feng lay on the rocking chair, watching the sun rise and fall, while Xiao Ya sat quietly beside him, occasionally lying down to enjoy this rare tranquility.
Only after sunset, when the glow faded and darkness gradually enveloped the world, did Xiao Ya push Lin Feng's rocking chair away, returning to the thatched hut.
When the sun rose again the next day, they would appear once more at the mountain peak to enjoy that tranquility. This life continued for three full days.
On the fourth day, Lin Feng was still there. Xiao Ya stood behind him, one hand on the rocking chair, her head resting on her hands as she played with Lin Feng's long hair, a playful smile on her face.
At that moment, Lin Feng's body stirred, and he sat up, startling Xiao Ya.
"Whoosh..."
A long breath escaped Lin Feng's mouth, and then his body stood up directly, taking a step forward. This step was light; Lin Feng's whole body felt ethereal, very comfortable.
"Xiao Ya, I can stand up."
Lin Feng smiled, clenching his fists. The power of Buddha and Demon, along with his true essence, circulated within his body, making cracking sounds. It felt great, very comfortable.
Although his true essence power was far from having returned to its peak, he knew it was only a matter of time. His true essence power hadn't disappeared; it was just sealed by a special medicinal force. This medicinal force would release bit by bit, merging into his body, and his true essence power would slowly recover.
As for his Buddha and Demon power, it remained intact—four thousand units of Buddha-Demon force, filling his body with strength.
"Hehe."
Seeing Lin Feng stand up, Xiao Ya's face also broke into a sweet smile. For Lin Feng, standing up proved that his injuries had completely healed. There were no injuries left, none at all; everything had recovered. What remained for Lin Feng now was only his sealed cultivation, but that too would recover sooner or later.
"Brother, let's go tell Grandfather the good news."
Xiao Ya happily grabbed Lin Feng and ran toward the direction of the thatched hut.
Lin Feng also enjoyed the feeling of running, letting the wind blow more fiercely against his face. Although it had only been a few short days, it felt like he hadn't enjoyed this feeling for a long time.
"Grandfather."
Running toward the thatched hut, Xiao Ya called out excitedly, but there was no response.
"Grandfather, Brother can stand up now."
Xiao Ya pushed open the old man's door, but found no figure inside, leaving her stunned.
"Could Grandfather have gone herb gathering again?"
Xiao Ya murmured, then smiled at Lin Feng and checked the other rooms. No one was there either. It seemed the old man was indeed not around.
But at that moment, Lin Feng approached the old man's room, walked to the wooden table, and called out, "Xiao Ya."
"Brother, what's wrong?"
Xiao Ya trotted over to Lin Feng's side, following his gaze, and then her eyes froze, and she stood there stunned.
On the table, several clear characters were carved.
"Lin Feng, take good care of Xiao Ya."
"Grandfather." Xiao Ya shook her head, stepped back, then shouted and rushed out of the room.
"Grandfather..."
Lin Feng quickly followed Xiao Ya out, only to see her running aimlessly, shouting the word "Grandfather" over and over, tears streaming down her face.
No, Grandfather wouldn't abandon her...
Xiao Ya comforted herself, but deep down, she already knew. Grandfather had left, truly left.
If Grandfather was determined to go, she could never find him.
After running for a long time, Xiao Ya seemed exhausted. She sat down limply on the ground, burying her head in her hands and crying bitterly. Her brother had left, and now Grandfather was gone too...
Lin Feng quietly walked up behind the girl from the rear, then sat down behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender body and gently patting her head.
He clearly hadn't expected the old man to leave without a sound, not even saying goodbye. But Lin Feng also understood that if the old man had said goodbye, he probably wouldn't have been able to let go of Xiao Ya. He had to leave this way.
Lin Feng also knew that the old man's weathered face and deep eyes were etched with stories. He was an old man with a story of his own.