Chapter 71: Staying Behind
Ye Fan believed that in the next few days, this place would be anything but peaceful. There would likely be continuous great battles, with more Eastern Wasteland sects rushing here, and the entire ruins would boil over because of the Demon Emperor’s Yin Tomb.
Looking back from afar, he could still see blood light soaring into the sky in the direction of the ruins, with streaks of divine rainbows charging and colliding.
“Whether the Desolate Tower is in the Yin Tomb or not, it has nothing to do with me anymore…” Ye Fan was already very satisfied. For now, he needed to find a peaceful place to settle down and cultivate quietly.
The strange beasts and rare birds that had gathered at the edge of the ruins had long since scattered. As Ye Fan walked out, he didn’t encounter any ferocious birds or beasts.
At this moment, stars dotted the sky, and the bright moon hung high. Night had already fallen.
Ye Fan passed by the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven without any hesitation, striding far away. It was time to leave. Although he had left some broken Buddhist artifacts from the Great Thunderclap Monastery there, he didn’t plan to go back for them. If he ran into Elder Han, the trouble would be immense.
The most important thing, the Bodhi seed, was always with him. Even if he temporarily lost those broken Buddhist artifacts, he didn’t regret it. After all, his life was the most precious.
Ye Fan moved quickly, traveling under the stars and moon, rushing out of this mountain range overnight. The place of trouble behind him grew farther and farther away, but his heart hadn’t truly relaxed.
Three days later, Ye Fan appeared two thousand li away. Along the way, he had endured wind and dew, moving cautiously, almost never entering towns, always walking through the wilderness. Only now did he let out a long breath, his heart gradually calming down.
It was already late at night. Clouds obscured the stars and moon, making it exceptionally dark. Ahead, faint lights flickered, and a town of modest size came into view. Ye Fan felt he had reached a safe area and no longer needed to flee. He strode forward.
Approaching it, he found it was only a small town. Most people had already fallen asleep, with only a few lights still shining.
Ye Fan walked into the town, made a full circuit, and finally found a small shop in a remote corner that hadn’t closed yet.
It was truly a very small restaurant, with only seven or eight tables. The tables and chairs looked like they had seen many years, polished to a shine, appearing antique and very clean.
“Old uncle, what do you have to eat? Bring some up quickly.”
The owner was an old man with graying hair. Time had left many traces on his face, covered in wrinkles, weathered by hardship. His clothes were patched in many places, suggesting his life wasn’t very good.
Seeing an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy out alone so late surprised the old man somewhat, but he still responded with a kind smile: “I only have half a roast chicken, most of a plate of beef, and some steamed buns.”
“Good, bring them all up.”
“Wait a moment, I’ll heat them up for you.” The restaurant was too small, and the old man’s living conditions weren’t great. He was the owner, the waiter, and the cook all in one.
Before long, the fragrant roast chicken and most of a plate of sauced beef were brought out. Ye Fan’s mouth almost watered. Over the past year, he and Pang Bo had eaten only vegetarian food, with almost no meat at the Spirit Ruins Cave Heaven. This simple food made his stomach growl embarrassingly.
He quickly grabbed the bowl and chopsticks, bit into a white steamed bun, tore off a chicken leg, and began to wolf it down. At that moment, he felt that the most delicious food in the world was nothing more than this. All the delicacies of land and sea could step aside; none of them made him feel as satisfied as this meal.
“Take it easy, eat slowly. Have some soup to moisten your throat, don’t choke.” The old man brought over a bowl of hot soup and kindly reminded him.
“Thank you, old uncle. Your cooking has my stomach singing with admiration,” Ye Fan said, his speech muffled as he stuffed food into his mouth.
Seeing that Ye Fan’s clothes didn’t look like those of a poor child, yet he was eating so ravenously, the old man was a bit surprised. He rolled up his patched sleeves, picked up a cloth, and wiped the already clean tables and chairs, shaking his head with a smile. “You’re just too hungry. Right now, anything you eat will taste delicious.”
“Grandpa, why haven’t you closed up yet…”
Just then, a little girl of five or six came out from the back room. Her clothes were also patched, very plain and simple. She had two pigtails and a very cute face, with rosy cheeks like a red apple.
“You go to sleep first. I’ll close up in a bit.”
The little girl looked at the food on the table, her big eyes unable to look away. She quietly swallowed some saliva and nodded subconsciously. “Oh.”
Soon, Ye Fan had cleared the table of all the food. He stood up and said, “Alright, old uncle, you can prepare to close up.” As he reached into his pocket, he felt a bit awkward. He had forgotten—he had no money, no gold or silver items, and couldn’t pay.
“Young master, are you a bit short on cash?” The old man, experienced in the ways of the world, immediately saw his predicament.
“This… I really didn’t bring any money.”
“Ah, another bad person.” The little girl beside him widened her eyes, on the verge of tears, staring at Ye Fan. “You’re so mean, always coming to freeload and eat for free, just bullying me and Grandpa. We can barely afford to eat ourselves…”
As she spoke, she looked at the chicken bones on the table, her big eyes turning red. “Grandpa said if no guests came, he’d give me a chicken leg to eat… but you’re a freeloader, here to bully us too.”
The five- or six-year-old girl pouted, her long lashes trembling, and tears immediately rolled down. Her rosy cheeks were covered in tears as she wiped them with her patched sleeve.
It was obvious that their living situation wasn’t good, and they often suffered bullying.
“Little sister, don’t cry…” Ye Fan felt both embarrassed and ashamed. This old man and little girl seemed to be struggling, already in a difficult situation.
“It’s okay, young master, don’t blame yourself. I can tell you’re different from those thugs and hooligans. You’re not a freeloader; you really forgot your money.” The wrinkled old man pulled the little girl aside. “Don’t cry. Grandpa saved a piece of chicken and half a bun for you. You won’t go hungry.”
“Grandpa…” The little girl cried out in grievance. “I’m not crying for myself. It’s because Grandpa hasn’t eaten dinner either. We’re bullied by those bad people every day, and we have no savings left. If this keeps up, what will we do…”
Seeing the patched clothes on the old man and the little girl, and hearing these words, Ye Fan felt a pang of bitterness. His heart was deeply touched, and his nose stung a little.
The ordinary, simple life was full of joys and sorrows. The affection and helplessness of this old man and little girl stirred a long-lost feeling in him.
“Little sister, don’t cry. I’m not a bad person. I don’t have money, but I have something here that should be worth the meal.” Ye Fan took out a small jade bottle—it was a bottle of Hundred Herbs Liquid he had obtained during the trial at the edge of the ruins.
“This is a fine piece of jade, too valuable. I can’t accept it.” The old man shook his head. “Everyone has hard times. If you pass by here again, young master, you can pay me back then.”
Ye Fan sighed. The old man was so impoverished, yet he had such integrity and character. Ye Fan felt a trace of respect. “Please take it. It’s nothing to me.”
“It’s too valuable. I really can’t accept it. When you’re out in the world, everyone has difficulties. Young master, don’t blame yourself.” The old man’s hands were covered in calluses as he firmly pushed the jade bottle back.
Seeing his refusal, Ye Fan had no choice but to take it back.
“Since you won’t take it, then I’ll stay and help you with some hard work.” He had nowhere to go at the moment. Finding the old man honest and kind, he decided to stay temporarily, cultivate quietly, and help the old man out.
The five- or six-year-old girl looked down at her toes, her big eyes red, and whispered, “We can barely feed ourselves…”
Ye Fan crouched down, gently touched the little girl’s head with pity, and said, “If I stay, I won’t add to your burden.”