# Chapter 934: Things Have Changed, People Are Gone
The wind was cold. In this season, the northern temperatures were very low, especially in the early morning. Every breath came out white, and the trees stood bare and leafless.
Morning glow had just begun to rise as Ye Fan arrived in B City. This city had become even more prosperous. Skyscrapers stood tall in the dawn light, as if inlaid with a layer of golden edges.
Yet Ye Fan felt nothing but strangeness. He could no longer find the familiarity of before. He had once lived here for a very long time, but now everything had changed.
"Where do I go to find them?"
Ye Fan was anxious and uncertain, terrified that he might never see his parents again. After enduring countless hardships, nearly losing his life, returning from the brink of death—if nothing remained, he couldn't bear it.
He didn't go to his former residence. From far away, he could already see that the place had been completely redeveloped, utterly transformed.
Ye Fan was tense and uneasy, his heart filled with trepidation. He headed toward the outer suburbs. His parents hadn't liked the fast pace of the city. When he had invited them to come live with him, they had politely declined.
"This place has changed too..."
Ye Fan stood in a daze. Arriving at his parents' former residence, the tranquility of the past had been replaced by a constant flow of people, endless traffic. Tall buildings rose everywhere. The former satellite town had merged with B City into one.
He couldn't find a single trace of the past. If not for trusting his own intuition, he would have thought he had come to the wrong place. Everything had changed.
People often said that after many years away, when one finally returns, things have changed and people are gone. But now even the things had changed. He stood silently for a very long time.
Then, he climbed to the rooftop of a tall building and gazed into the distance. The only thing that remained was the natural lake, though it had been expanded considerably. A large park had been built around it.
In years past, Ye Fan's father had always liked to fish there to pass the time. That was impossible now. Some people were doing morning exercises, but he couldn't see a single familiar face. He couldn't even ask anyone.
Ye Fan came to the lakeshore and saw an old man practicing Tai Chi. He stopped, stretching his limbs a bit, moving like a dragon winding around a tree, like an ape embracing the moon.
"Oh, young man, you're pretty good! Your form is quite accomplished, even better than mine, and I've been practicing Tai Chi for forty years!" the old man said in surprise.
"Old uncle, let me ask you something. How many years has it been since this place was redeveloped? Where did all the original residents go?" Ye Fan asked while continuing his Tai Chi movements.
"Young man, you're not from around here, are you? It's been over ten years since the redevelopment. To be honest, it's not as good as before. I miss the old tranquility—fewer people, more trees, fresher air."
The old man was very talkative. He and his wife had specifically moved here to retire, seeking peace and quiet, close to nature. But later, it had connected with the city center, and now it was just as crowded with tall buildings—no different.
"Sigh, nothing to be done. The old villa district here was torn down too, wasn't it? Even they couldn't do anything about it. An old geezer like me has even less say. If they're going to tear it down, they tear it down." The old man complained.
"About twenty-something years ago, there were a few old folks who really liked fishing here to pass the time. Do you remember them?" Ye Fan asked while slowly practicing Tai Chi and sharing some insights about the practice.
"Oh, yes! I moved here later, but this lake is really a great spot. Pull up a little stool, sit by the shore for half a day—those days were truly leisurely. Not like now. The other day, I couldn't resist the itch and just put my hook in the lake. Before I knew it, four or five people ran over and told me I'd be fined five hundred. They wouldn't let me fish. I said I'd put the fish back after catching them, but they said that wasn't allowed either. No choice—I bought a few live fish and threw them in the fountain pool up ahead, just to get the feeling. But it wasn't the same, and I got fined a thousand on the spot."
Ye Fan was a bit dizzy. This old man really could talk. He had asked a few questions, and the old man had spun out all this. It was clear the old fellow lived quite comfortably.
"Well, you could go to a fishing park or something. Don't make things hard for the park staff either. They're probably nervous too," Ye Fan said with a laugh.
"With these old bones of mine, how could I handle that kind of fussing around? Just going there and back would take two hours. I'm trying to relax, not punish myself."
"Have you ever seen someone like this..." Ye Fan described his father's appearance.
"I think I've seen someone like that. But he didn't come often. I'd see him once in a while. I heard he was a serious fishing enthusiast, but something happened in his family. He was pretty downcast. He'd only show up once every ten days or half a month."
Ye Fan's heart grew heavy. A wave of sadness washed over him. All of this was because he had left this world. Losing a son in old age, the gray-haired sending the black-haired—who could withstand such a blow?
"Do you know where he went?"
"Before this place was redeveloped, he moved away. I heard he wanted a change of scenery, to avoid being reminded of things and feeling sad."
Ye Fan sighed inwardly. This would be a bit hard to find. But fortunately, the old man told him that after the redevelopment, some people still lived in this district. He should be able to find a few old neighbors.
"Hey young man, is that a Song Dynasty outfit or a Han Dynasty outfit? Where did you buy it? Watching you practice Tai Chi in it feels quite authentic. I think I'll get one myself tomorrow."
Before Ye Fan left, the old man grabbed his hand and asked about the ancient-style clothes he was wearing. He touched and felt the fabric, saying the quality was really fine—genuine good silk.
"I brought it back from the Big Dipper..." Ye Fan answered absentmindedly, his mind in turmoil.
"The Big Dipper Department Store? That's quite far from here. These old bones of mine are a bit intimidated by going there."
"It is a bit far..." Ye Fan almost let it slip. This old man really talked a lot. He quickly snapped back to reality and said his goodbyes.
Before he left, the old man kindly reminded him that his hair was too long. He said that while this was an era of self-expression, older folks still weren't used to it.
Ye Fan was speechless. He touched his thick black hair. Fortunately, it was just loose and flowing, not tied up with a wooden hairpin, or else who knew how people would point and stare.
Still, over twenty years had passed. In this era of self-expression and open-mindedness, no one really gathered around to stare at him. He was just a bit out of place.
"Liar!" The little kid was indignant, wrinkling his nose and blinking his eyes, but still hopeful. "Tell me, please! I want Mom to buy it too."
"Jingxuan, what are you doing?" A young woman approached from not far away, calling the little boy over and leading him to a car.
The little kid was stubborn and refused to comply. "Mom, I like those clothes. Can we not go home yet?"
"That style is so outdated. Even the non-mainstream fashion from twenty years ago looks better than that." The young woman picked up the little boy, put him in the car, and quickly drove away.
Ye Fan was speechless. Back in their day, their generation had been called the "lost generation" by some experts. People born after 1990 were called "non-mainstream." Now, children born after 2010, after 2020, and even after 2030 must have "risen up" by now.
"Huh, that woman looked familiar. Who does she resemble?" Ye Fan was suddenly startled. He tried hard to recall. She looked a lot like someone.
Suddenly, he quickly rose, concealed his form, and using the technique of shrinking the earth to inches, chased after them.
On Earth as it was now, his cultivation was suppressed. His power seemed to have dropped significantly, far less than before. But Ye Fan was still close to severing the Dao, so he remained quite strong.
Leaving the commercial street, he soon followed the car into a neighborhood with a decent environment. The young woman carried the little boy down.
"Mom, I'm unhappy. You didn't buy me the ancient clothes. I don't want to be friends with you anymore." The little boy pouted.
"Be good. What would you look like wearing those clothes? Very ugly." The young woman coaxed him upstairs.
"Excuse me, are you Liu Qian, Uncle Liu's daughter?" Ye Fan stepped forward.
"Wow, Uncle, do you live here too? Mom, I want this ancient outfit!" the little boy shouted.
"You... who are you?" The young woman was wary. A strange man following her made her uneasy.
Ye Fan immediately confirmed it. This was the daughter of his old neighbor, Uncle Liu. She still faintly resembled her childhood self. When he had left, this little girl had only been six or seven years old, hopping and skipping, full of energy. Now she had become a mother herself.
Back then, the old couple had had a daughter late in life and doted on her immensely. When he left, the little girl was still bouncing around, lively as could be. Now she was already a mother.
Ye Fan didn't linger. Dressed as he was, he didn't look like a "simple" young man at all. He took the hint and left.
Soon after, he cut his long hair, went to a shopping mall, and changed into modern clothes. Finally, he felt like he had blended into this world.
Having grown accustomed to the battle armor of the Big Dipper, wearing his old clothes again felt strange. He found them restrictive and unsuitable for combat.
Returning to that neighborhood, as expected, he soon saw an old man coming out for a stroll. It really was Uncle Liu. Nearly eighty years old, much older than before, but still quite healthy.
Ye Fan slightly altered his appearance. Otherwise, it would be too shocking and frighten the old man. He naturally encountered him in the neighborhood and started chatting.
"All the old neighbors have scattered. At this age, not many are left..." Speaking of the past, Uncle Liu was very emotional.
More than ten years ago, Ye Fan's parents had moved away from here. But they hadn't left the city—just moved to another district.
"Are you still in touch?"
"No. Ten years ago, we suddenly lost contact."
Ye Fan's heart sank. His body trembled uncontrollably, but he finally calmed down. He had some psychological preparation, and he hadn't yet seen the final result.
"Sigh, back then, you had to believe it. There really are immortals in this world."
"What do you mean?"
"Mount Tai, of course. Even though the authorities kept it secret, a lot of people saw it with their own eyes. Poor Old Ye's son—what a fine young man. He just vanished like that. But maybe he became an immortal. Nine dragons pulled them away."
The old man was getting on in years. He rambled on, telling many stories from back then. Ye Fan was silent, a thousand emotions churning in his heart.
Finally, he left and went to District K of B City, searching for the new address his parents had moved to. This was the suburbs, with a good environment—mountains and water.
In the past, this place had been desolate. But now, many people were escaping the city, choosing such places to retire.
Ahead, there was a row of old-style courtyard houses from the last century. Old but full of charm, surrounded by large woodlands and an artificial lake.
It looked very much like their old residence. He thought his parents, wanting a new environment, still had some nostalgia.
Ye Fan found the address. Descending from the sky, he landed in a courtyard, shouting, "Mom! Dad! I'm back!"
But it was completely silent. No one answered him. Ye Fan trembled, looking at the locked door. A chill ran through his body.
He entered the house. It looked like no one had lived there for a long time. A layer of dust had settled. This filled him with even more fear.
He searched carefully. The place lacked any human presence. No one had cleaned or entered for a long time. Finally, in the bedroom, he found a notebook. He casually opened it and saw a sentence that tore at his heart.
"In a daze, I saw Xiaofan again. I saw him come back. But when I woke up, there was nothing. Only some cold tears on my face!"
"Mom! Dad!" Ye Fan cried out, tears streaming from his eyes.