Chapter 72: Hope in the Heart
The old man declined several times, saying Ye Fan didn’t need to stay. He told him that if he ever passed by again, he could make up for the meal then.
“Elder, I have no home to go to now. I don’t have anywhere else to be. Please let me stay. I’ll be able to help out.”
“Big Brother, you don’t have a home?” The little girl was innocent and adorable. The tears on her face hadn’t dried yet as she looked up at him, her young face showing sympathy.
In the end, the old man let Ye Fan stay. He cleaned out a room in the backyard for him and told him he could leave whenever he wanted.
That night, Ye Fan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, he got up and quietly went to the rooftop. Losing an only son in old age was an unbearable pain. Thinking of his parents’ grief, Ye Fan felt restless and agitated. He wished he could return to their side immediately, calm their hearts, and bring smiles back to their faces.
But separated by endless star domains, so far away—how could he go back? A sense of powerlessness filled him. He could only stare blankly at the starry sky.
Every time he thought of his parents’ feelings at this moment, Ye Fan’s heart ached. Ever since coming to this world, he had buried his longing deep, afraid to touch or recall it. Whenever it was stirred, he couldn’t find peace.
“No, I have to find a way back. I can’t let the parents who gave birth to me and raised me spend their old age in tears…” Ye Fan sat up abruptly, muttering to himself, “There has to be a way. I have to go back.”
Seeing those cultivators flying through the sky in the ancient ruins and witnessing the overwhelming might of the five great figures had shown him the power of cultivators. Perhaps one day, when he was strong enough, he could cross the endless starry universe and return to his hometown, to his parents’ side.
Having witnessed the terror of cultivators firsthand, a spark of hope rose in Ye Fan’s heart. He felt that the path home wasn’t completely severed. Maybe there was still hope.
“I need to become strong. I need to break through this starry sky. I need to go home. No more letting my parents grieve and cry. I want their old age filled with smiles…” Ye Fan’s words grew more and more resolute. He was building his own confidence. “I can do it. I must do it. I have to return to their side!”
Sadness and worry were useless. Ye Fan slowly adjusted his emotions, letting his heart gradually calm down. The bond between the old man and the little girl today had touched him, dissolving the last traces of his confusion and doubt. He had found his goal and direction.
“The Nine Dragons pulled the coffin, crossed the star domain, and came to this space. They could do it, so can I. I need to become strong enough. One day, I too will traverse the void and return home.” Ye Fan’s eyes grew brighter. He had to become stronger—whether to save Pang Bo or to return to his homeland, both required formidable strength as a foundation.
Unconsciously, drowsiness crept over him, and he fell into a deep sleep on the rooftop. It wasn’t until the next morning, when the old man’s voice called out, that he opened his eyes.
“Child, how did you get up on the roof? Be careful, don’t fall.”
The little girl, still sleepy, walked out of the room. Seeing Ye Fan sitting up on the roof, she widened her eyes in surprise. “Big Brother, what are you doing?”
Faced with the old man’s and the little girl’s confusion, Ye Fan felt a bit embarrassed. “It was too hot last night. I came up to cool off and accidentally fell asleep.”
After Ye Fan washed up, the old man called him to eat. A small pot of white rice porridge and a dish of pickled vegetables—very simple, because their means were limited. The little girl was very sensible. She had already set out the bowls and chopsticks, then filled a bowl of porridge for Ye Fan and a full bowl for her grandfather. But when it came to herself, she only filled a tiny bit. Even though she was using a small bowl, she took so little that she finished it in a few mouthfuls and then put down her utensils.
“Why are you eating so little?” the old man asked her.
Though the little girl wore patched clothes, she was as pretty as a delicate porcelain doll. She patted her small belly and said, “I’m full.”
“Nonsense. You only had a few bites. How could you be full?”
“I really am full. Last night, I ate the chicken leg Grandpa left for me and half a steamed bun. I’m still not hungry.” As she spoke, she picked up her small bowl, ready to wash it.
The old man pulled her back and filled her small bowl with porridge. “Good child, you’re growing. You need to eat more. Don’t worry, we still have food at home.”
“I’m not worried. I really am full. Grandpa, you need to eat more…” The little girl poured a lot of her porridge into the old man’s large bowl.
The old man couldn’t stop her in time. He said nothing more, only sighed.
“Grandpa, will those bad people come again today?” The little girl’s rosy face showed a hint of fear. Her voice was very young. “They already stole our restaurant. Now they come here every day to cause trouble. We can’t even do business anymore. We’re almost out of food. Why won’t they leave us alone?”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry. As long as Grandpa is here, you won’t go hungry.” He patted her head and added some porridge to her bowl.
Ye Fan said nothing beside them. He silently finished the simple breakfast, but his heart couldn’t calm down.
The old man’s surname was Jiang—a very ancient surname with a great origin if traced back. But the old man himself was ordinary, just one among the masses, now living in great hardship. The sensible and beautiful little girl was called Tingting. Her parents had died two years ago, leaving her and her grandfather to depend on each other.
Ye Fan didn’t say much. After breakfast, he said to the old man, “Uncle, I’m going to take a walk around.”
“You’re a stranger here. Be careful,” the old man cautioned.
The town wasn’t big or small—over a thousand households, close to five thousand people. At the busiest crossroads, there were a few restaurants and inns, along with general stores mostly clustered there. Elsewhere, it was mainly residential areas.
Ye Fan walked around the town, then headed outside. Many fields bordered the town, and further out were the mountains. Every day, hunters went into the mountains to hunt.
Ye Fan entered the forest. The deeper he went, the more astonished he became. Standing on a high mountain and looking into the distance, he saw rolling mountain ranges stretching endlessly, shrouded in mist. The primeval forest seemed to have no end.
“Roar…”
From deep in the mountains came bursts of howls. Instead of worrying, Ye Fan showed a pleased expression. The town was indeed a good place for him to cultivate in peace. Not only was it quiet, but it was also close to the deep mountains, which surely held strange beasts and spiritual herbs—things he desperately needed.
Ye Fan spent half a day in the mountains but didn’t go very deep. There would be plenty of time later; no need to rush. Around noon, he headed back, encountering some hunters and herb gatherers on the way.
“Ordinary people really have it hard…” Ye Fan sighed. He saw a few hunters carrying some game, along with a blood-soaked corpse they were hauling toward the town. The man must have been killed by a large beast while hunting.
In the distance, several roe deer were drinking at a mountain stream. Ye Fan silently circled around, then hurled a rock from his hand with force. With a “bang,” he knocked one roe deer down into the stream. Afterward, he also caught a musk deer in the forest before heading back.
On the road, some hunters saw an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy dragging a roe deer and a musk deer, all showing surprise. Ye Fan didn’t mind. He planned to live in this town long-term, and this was unavoidable.
Around noon, Ye Fan returned to town. He sold the roe deer to a butcher, then bought some rice and flour. Carrying the musk deer, he walked toward Old Man Jiang’s small eatery.
From a distance, he saw a crowd gathered there. Tingting’s helpless cries came through the crowd, and Ye Fan’s heart “thumped.” He rushed over quickly.
The old man’s graying hair was disheveled. There was blood on his face. He sat weakly on the ground, his patched clothes covered in dust. Little Tingting was crying sorrowfully, using her small sleeve to wipe the blood from the old man’s face. Facing several people who were speaking harshly, she sobbed, “You’re bad people! You stole Grandpa’s restaurant. Now we don’t even have food to eat, and you still won’t leave us alone…”
A sallow-faced middle-aged man crouched down and forcefully poked Tingting’s forehead, making her fall to the ground. “What do you, a little girl, know?”
“If you have something to say, say it to me. Don’t treat a child like this…” Old Man Jiang shielded Tingting behind him, wiping the blood from his face. “What exactly do you want?”
“We don’t want anything. We came here to eat, and you say there’s no food. What kind of restaurant is this? If that’s the case, just close down.”
“Bad people! You come every day to freeload. Where would we have the money to feed you…” Little Tingting cried from behind Old Man Jiang.
Many in the crowd couldn’t bear to watch but didn’t dare step forward. They could only advise Old Man Jiang. “Old Jiang, just close this little shop. Take your granddaughter and leave this place.”
“Yeah. Their family has cultivators. How can we ordinary people afford to provoke them? You’d better go quickly.”
“Even if it means leaving your hometown, it’s still better to leave.”
…
“What are you all saying?” The sallow-faced man stood up and swept his gaze over the crowd. The voices immediately fell silent.
Ye Fan’s anger surged, but he didn’t act immediately. The other party’s family had cultivators. He feared that acting rashly might harm the grandfather and granddaughter instead. Of course, he had no intention of letting these people off. Not acting now didn’t mean he wouldn’t settle accounts later.
At that moment, the sallow-faced man and the others swaggered away. The crowd gathered around, urging Old Man Jiang to leave, mingled with Little Tingting’s sorrowful sobs.
It was a long time before the crowd gradually dispersed. Little Tingting, her eyes red, helped the old man stand and walked back into the small eatery.
Seeing such a kind old man in his twilight years bullied like this, and Little Tingting in her patched clothes crying so sadly, Ye Fan felt a rage beyond measure. He looked at the figures disappearing at the end of the street and clenched his fists tightly.