Chapter 354: The Extreme Yin Physique
The cold wind howled, and chaotic snowflakes flew about. The small tavern was located at a street corner, looking shabby and desolate, with hardly any customers.
A few years had passed, and Old Man Jiang had aged further. His hair was completely white, and the wrinkles on his face had increased.
The tables and chairs were already very clean, but he still wiped them slowly. In his cloudy old eyes, there seemed to be a sense of nostalgia, as if he was reminiscing. His expression was somewhat dazed.
His clothes were very old and patched, his hands covered in calluses. His movements were slow, his back was hunched, and his white hair was sparse.
Seeing this scene, Ye Fan felt a pang in his heart. Why was this happening? The Jiang family had brought the grandfather and granddaughter to the Northern Domain, so why was their life still so difficult?
This lonely old man had lost his son in his later years and was raising Little Tingting by himself. Ye Fan had thought that coming to the Jiang family would change their living situation, but he never expected it to be like this.
He walked into the small tavern, bringing in a blast of cold wind. The old man's thin body immediately trembled as he slowly turned around.
Ye Fan quickly closed the door to block the cold wind, put on a smile, and said, "Old Uncle, do you have anything to eat?"
Seeing a customer arrive, Old Man Jiang seemed very happy. The wrinkles on his face relaxed a little as he wiped his hands and brought over some tea.
"What would you like to eat, young friend?"
"Just anything will do. No need to be fancy." Ye Fan didn't want him to go to any trouble. Seeing someone so old still running a small tavern made him feel uneasy.
"Alright, wait a moment." Old Man Jiang turned and walked away.
Ye Fan quietly surveyed the small tavern. It was very small, with only a few tables, but it was kept very clean, almost identical to the old tavern from before, with a similar layout and arrangement.
There was still no hired help, just the old man running it alone. In this freezing winter, there were almost no customers.
Ye Fan scanned every corner and noticed that the old man seemed to live here alone. He found no trace of Little Tingting, such as small clothes or anything.
Before long, the old man brought over some steaming hot food. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was appetizing.
Ye Fan ate a large bowl of noodles, a few flatbreads, and finished off all the dishes.
"Young friend has a good appetite. When I was young, I could eat this much too..." Old Man Jiang smiled kindly, asking if he was full.
"I'm full. It really hit the spot." Ye Fan smiled.
Old Man Jiang cleared the dishes and refilled his tea. Having a customer here brought a smile to his face, and he was genuinely happy.
"Old Uncle, do you live here alone?" Ye Fan began to inquire.
"Yes," the old man said, starting to wipe the table again.
"Old Uncle, the table is already very clean. Look, it's shining. If you wipe it any more, it could be used as a mirror."
"I'm old, with nothing to do. I can't help but want to wipe it." Old Man Jiang put down the rag, shook his head, and sat down.
"Don't you have any family?" Ye Fan asked carefully, afraid of making the old man sad.
"Yes, I have a granddaughter."
Although the old man was smiling, Ye Fan saw a hidden worry in his eyes, as if something was troubling him.
What was wrong? Had something happened to Tingting? Ye Fan was puzzled.
"Doesn't she live with you?"
"No, she's training with others. But this child is very filial. She comes back to see me every half month." The old man was gratified.
But Ye Fan became even more suspicious, because the old man definitely had a hidden worry that he couldn't shake off.
Ye Fan thought for a moment, then walked out of the small tavern. He took a turn around the small town, using his Source Heaven Divine Sense to sense everything around him.
He didn't find any cultivators. There were no Jiang family members here, just ordinary people. Soon, he returned to the small tavern.
"Come, young friend, have another bowl of tea." Old Man Jiang greeted him, not asking why he had come back.
"Old Uncle, do you still remember me?" Ye Fan's bones cracked as he returned to his original appearance. He needed to find out what had happened; he couldn't stop worrying about the grandfather and granddaughter.
"Child, it's you..." Old Man Jiang's cloudy eyes widened in surprise.
A few years had passed, and Ye Fan's appearance had changed somewhat. He now looked about fifteen or sixteen, but the old man quickly recognized him.
"Child, you..." The old man was very excited.
"Old Man Jiang, please sit down. Let's talk slowly." Ye Fan helped him sit in a chair by the stove.
"I heard from Tingting that you caused a huge uproar, and many people are after you." Old Man Jiang was very worried.
Ye Fan smiled and said, "I'm doing very well. Don't worry, no one can catch me."
"Every time Tingting comes back, she says she needs to train hard so she can save you in the future. I've been very worried about you too."
Ye Fan was deeply moved. When they parted, Little Tingting was only four or five years old. He thought that after a few years, at such a young age, she might not remember him. He never expected that this sensible child would still remember him and want to rescue him.
The Primordial Saint Body had stirred up endless trouble in the Northern Domain, carrying sacred artifacts. The news had spread to the Jiang family, and even Little Tingting had heard about it.
Old Man Jiang took Ye Fan's calloused hand and made him sit beside him, carefully examining him. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."
"Old Uncle, what exactly happened? Why aren't you living in the Jiang family?"
"They're all cultivators there. I'm the only ordinary person. The places they live are suspended in the sky. I'm not used to it."
"There must be more to it, right?" Ye Fan asked.
The old man nodded. "I don't want to hear those gossipy remarks. I can survive on my own."
Ye Fan felt a surge of anger. "You're this old, and they still have the nerve to let you leave?"
He had already learned that the Jiang family had wronged Old Man Jiang's father, Jiang Zhe, driving a once-in-a-generation genius to leave his homeland and die with resentment. How could they treat Old Man Jiang like this now?
"No, I insisted on leaving. I didn't want to stay there. To me, those people are all immortals. Living in a palace on the clouds as a mortal was truly uncomfortable. I didn't even have anyone to talk to."
"How is Tingting? Is something wrong?" Ye Fan felt there was something hidden.
"My poor granddaughter might not live past twenty." Tears streamed down Old Man Jiang's wrinkled face.
Ye Fan was shocked. "What happened?"
"Tingting has the Extreme Yin Physique. They say she will die young..." Old Man Jiang wept bitterly.
When she first entered the Jiang family, Tingting's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, putting many geniuses to shame. Her talent shocked even the old fossils.
Unfortunately, not long after, a retired old fossil from the Jiang family discovered that she had the extremely rare Extreme Yin Physique. In terms of physique, it was incredibly powerful.
But such people rarely lived long; most died young. Throughout history, except for one or two who left their names in cultivation history, none had lived past twenty.
After her physique was discovered, Old Man Jiang heard a lot of gossip. He was a mortal, while the Jiang family were all cultivators who could fly through the sky and burrow into the earth. He felt lonely there and didn't want to hear those words, so he insisted on moving out.
Through Old Man Jiang's account, Ye Fan keenly sensed that the Jiang family was very complicated, seemingly divided into two factions.
Old Man Jiang and Little Tingting were descendants of the Divine King Jiang Taixu's lineage. This lineage had few members, but they were all very powerful and took good care of Little Tingting.
The other faction was very cold toward them, and most of the gossip came from them.
"Even so, they shouldn't let you live in such a shabby little tavern!" Ye Fan was very dissatisfied.
"Those close to Tingting built me a mansion in a large city of mortals, but I couldn't get used to it. I'm old and always nostalgic. I miss the small tavern in the Southern Domain town, so I came here."
"Tingting, she..."
"Tingting herself is very optimistic, but I..." The old man's eyes grew cloudy again.
Little Tingting's cultivation progressed rapidly. In less than five years, she had already reached the Other Shore realm, and she was not yet nine years old.
Many of the older generation in the Jiang family were stunned. The Extreme Yin Physique's cultivation speed was astonishing, but it was destined to lead to an early death. They all found it regrettable.
Ye Fan was also shocked. This was almost one realm per year, immediately reminding him of Xia Jiuyou, who was already a Four Extremes expert at thirteen or fourteen. Little Tingting's cultivation speed was definitely comparable.
The old cultivators close to Little Tingting tried every possible method, scouring ancient texts and concocting various spiritual medicines, but nothing worked. In the end, they were at a loss.
"Is there really no way?" Ye Fan thought of the adorable Little Tingting with so little time left, and his heart ached.
"I heard them say that only by finding the Earthly Life Fruit can the Extreme Yin Physique avoid an early death." The worry on Old Man Jiang's brow was thick and unshakable.
Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. When the Human Origin Fruit matures, it becomes the Earthly Life Fruit, comparable to Primordial Divine Medicine and considered an extremely rare treasure.
Unfortunately, both Primordial Divine Medicine and the Earthly Life Fruit had almost become extinct. Even the old Saint Lords and old Imperial Lords, with their lives running out, had searched the vast wilderness but found nothing.
If one could be found, it could grant them a new lease on life. Its value was immeasurable! But no one had ever heard of anyone finding one.
"Old Uncle, don't worry. I can find the Earthly Life Fruit. Little Tingting will be fine."
"Child, you can find it?" Old Man Jiang's eyes widened, then he shook his head. "You don't need to comfort me. I've already accepted this reality."
"I once cut a Human Origin Fruit from a stone. When it matures, it becomes the Earthly Life Fruit. I think I can cut out this divine fruit in the future."
"Really?" Old Man Jiang was very surprised. "They said that unless the Origin Heavenly Master is reborn, there's only a slim chance of finding the Earthly Life Fruit."
Ye Fan smiled. "The reason I say this is because I have inherited the Origin Heavenly Master's legacy. Leave Little Tingting's matter to me. Even if I can't cut out the Earthly Life Fruit, I'll find a way to get her a Primordial Divine Medicine."
"Really... really?" Old Man Jiang choked with emotion, gripping Ye Fan's rough hand and asking over and over again.
"Really. Rest assured!" Ye Fan gave a firm answer.
"In a few days, Tingting will come to see me again. Child, you should see Tingting."
Ye Fan smiled. "Of course I will. It's been almost five years. I wonder what the little girl looks like now."
The cold wind was biting, and heavy snow fell. Over the next few days, Ye Fan kept an eye on various news. He hoped that the Divine King Jiang Taixu could walk out of Purple Mountain alive.
But he was worried. Even if Divine King Jiang was still alive, his lifespan was probably running out, and he might not be enough to intimidate the various Saint Lords.
"If only I had a few Earthly Life Fruits," he shook his head. That was too unrealistic.
"If I could cut out a complete divine medicine in the Divine City, that would also solve the problem." He truly hoped that Divine King Jiang Taixu was unharmed and could live a long time, so that Little Tingting would be protected and no one would dare to provoke her.
"Unfortunately, the successive old Imperial Lords of the Immortal Divine Dynasty, who ruled over billions of miles of territory, couldn't even obtain a Primordial Divine Medicine."
Four days later, a delicate little girl braved the wind and snow, landing in this small town. She skipped and ran into the small tavern.
"Grandpa..."
"Tingting!" Old Man Jiang quickly went to meet her.
"Grandpa, you don't have to worry about me all the time." The little girl was dressed in white, whiter than snow and ice. She looked like a porcelain doll, very beautiful and cute, her face full of happy smiles.
Old Man Jiang affectionately patted her head. "Have you been well these past half month?"
"Very well. Tingting is very happy. The ancestor specially allowed me to read the first half of the 'Eternal Universe Scripture'."