Shrouded Sky

The old man refused multiple times, insisting that Ye Fan didn't need to stay. He said that repaying the cost of the meal the next time he passed through would be enough.

"Sir, I have nowhere to go right now. Please let me stay. I'll help out in any way I can."

"Big brother, you don't have a home?" The little girl, sweet and innocent, her face still streaked with tears, looked up at him with sympathy in her eyes.

In the end, the old man agreed and let Ye Fan stay. He cleared out a small room for him in the backyard and told him he could leave at any time.

That night, Ye Fan couldn't sleep. Eventually, he got up quietly and climbed onto the roof, lying down and gazing up at the sky. By then, the clouds had drifted away. The bright moon hung high, casting a soft misty glow, and stars dotted the heavens like diamonds.

The deep bond between the old man and the little girl had inadvertently touched something buried deep in Ye Fan's heart. The warm faces of his parents kept surfacing in his mind.

"Are you two alright…"

He gazed at the stars, as if trying to pierce through the endless cosmos, to reach the other side of the galaxy and return to his parents. Every time he thought of them, his heart grew restless. His sudden disappearance must have caused them immense grief.

For aging parents to lose their only son, such a pain was unbearable. Just imagining them grieving brought knots to Ye Fan's chest. He wished he could immediately return to their side to ease their pain and bring smiles back to their faces.

But how? The stars stretched infinitely. The distance was too great. A sense of helplessness filled his heart. All he could do was stare silently at the sky.

Thinking about how his parents must feel tore at him. Since arriving in this world, he had buried his longing deep inside, not daring to dwell on it. Every time he thought about it, his emotions spiraled.

"No. I have to find a way back. I can't let the people who gave me life and raised me spend their twilight years in tears…" Ye Fan sat up suddenly, speaking to himself. "There must be a way. I have to return."

Seeing those cultivators in the ancient ruins flying through the air, and witnessing the awe-inspiring power of the five great figures, had shown him how mighty cultivators could be. Maybe… if he became strong enough, he could one day cross the stars and return home.

The terrifying power of those cultivators had sparked a glimmer of hope in Ye Fan's heart. The road home wasn't completely cut off, there was still a chance.

"I need to grow stronger. I must break through the barriers of this universe. I will go home. I won't let my parents cry anymore. I want to fill their old age with joy…" Ye Fan's words grew firmer. He was building his confidence: "I will do it. I have to. I will return to them!"

Sorrow and worry were useless. Ye Fan began to calm his thoughts. The love between the old man and the little girl had wiped away the last of his confusion. He had found his purpose and direction.

"The Nine Dragons carried the coffin across the stars. If they could do it, so can I. I'll become strong enough. One day, I will traverse the void and return home." His eyes shone brighter and brighter. He knew that whether it was saving Pang Bo or going back to Earth, he would need great power.

Before he knew it, sleep overtook him, and he dozed off on the roof. At dawn, he was awakened by the old man's voice.

"Child, why are you on the roof? Be careful, you'll fall!"

The little girl, still sleepy, stepped outside. When she saw Ye Fan sitting up on the roof, her big eyes widened in surprise. "Big brother, what are you doing up there?"

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Ye Fan said, "It was too hot last night. I came up for some cool air and accidentally fell asleep."

After washing up, the old man called Ye Fan to breakfast. It was just a small bowl of white rice porridge and some pickled vegetables, very simple, as their means were limited. The little girl had already set the table and served Ye Fan a bowl of porridge. She filled a bowl for her grandfather too, but when it came to her own, she only took a little bit. Her bowl was small to begin with, and she only had a few spoonfuls before putting it down.

"Why did you eat so little?" the old man asked.

The girl, though dressed in patched clothes, looked like a delicate porcelain doll. She patted her little belly and said, "I'm full."

"Nonsense. You only had a few bites."

"Really! I ate the chicken Grandpa saved for me last night and half a bun. I'm not hungry now," she said, picking up her bowl to rinse it.

The old man pulled her back and refilled her bowl. "Good girl, you're still growing. You need to eat more. Don't worry, we still have food at home."

"I'm not worried. I am full. Grandpa, you need to eat more…" She poured most of her porridge into his larger bowl.

The old man couldn't stop her in time. He sighed and said nothing more.

"Grandpa, will those bad people come again today?" The little girl's rosy cheeks showed a trace of fear. Her young voice trembled as she asked, "They already took our restaurant. Now they come here every day to make trouble. We can't even do business. We're barely eating. Why won't they leave us alone?"

"It's okay. Don't worry. As long as Grandpa is here, you won't go hungry." The old man stroked her head and refilled her bowl.

Ye Fan remained silent as he finished the simple breakfast. But inside, he felt deeply unsettled.

The old man's surname was Jiang, an ancient and noble name, though he himself was ordinary, just one of many common folk now living in hardship. The little girl, named Tingting, was endearing and mature beyond her years. Her parents had died two years ago, leaving her and the old man to rely on each other.

Ye Fan didn't say much. After breakfast, he said to the old man, "Uncle Jiang, I'm going to take a walk."

"You don't know this place very well. Be careful," the old man warned.

The town wasn't large, about a thousand households and nearly five thousand people. The busiest area was a crossroads where inns, restaurants, and shops were clustered. Most of the rest was residential.

Ye Fan wandered through town, then headed out. Fields bordered the town, and beyond them lay the forest. Hunters entered the mountains daily.

The deeper Ye Fan went into the mountains, the more surprised he became. From a tall peak, he could see endless rolling mountains and mist-covered forests, seemingly without end.

"Roar…"

Deep in the woods, beastly roars echoed. Ye Fan wasn't worried. Instead, he smiled. This small town was ideal for peaceful cultivation, quiet, close to mountains, full of beasts and spirit herbs. Exactly what he needed.

He explored the forest for half a day but didn't go too deep, he had plenty of time. Near noon, on his way out, he saw hunters and herb-gatherers in the woods.

"Life for ordinary people is truly hard…" Ye Fan sighed. He saw some hunters carrying game along with a blood-soaked corpse. Someone had clearly been killed by a wild beast.

Far off, a few roe deer were drinking at a stream. Ye Fan silently circled around and hurled a rock with all his strength, bam!, striking one down. Then he bagged a muntjac as well and headed back.

Some hunters stared in surprise at the sight of a boy around eleven or twelve dragging a roe deer and a muntjac. Ye Fan didn't care. He planned to live here long-term, this sort of attention was inevitable.

By midday, Ye Fan was back in town. He sold the deer to a butcher, bought some rice and flour, and took the muntjac with him back to Uncle Jiang's restaurant.

From a distance, he saw a large crowd gathered. Tingting's helpless crying reached his ears. Ye Fan's heart dropped. He rushed forward.

Uncle Jiang's white hair was disheveled. His face was bloodied, and he sat on the ground, limp and weak. His patched clothes were filthy. Little Tingting was crying bitterly, using her tiny sleeve to wipe the blood from her grandfather's face. She sobbed toward the foul-mouthed men in front of her: "You're bad people! You already stole Grandpa's restaurant. Now we don't even have food, and you still won't leave us alone…"

A yellow-faced middle-aged man crouched down and smacked Tingting's forehead hard, knocking her to the ground. "What do you know, little brat?!"

"If you have a problem, come at me. Don't take it out on a child…" Uncle Jiang pulled Tingting behind him, wiped the blood from his face, and asked, "What exactly do you want?"

"We're not asking much. Just came to eat. You said there's no food. What kind of restaurant is this? Might as well close up."

"You jerks come every day to eat for free. How can we afford to feed you…" Tingting sobbed behind her grandfather.

Many people in the crowd looked upset but didn't dare step in. They only tried to persuade him: "Uncle Jiang, just shut the shop down. Take your granddaughter and leave."

"Yeah, they've got cultivators in their family. Ordinary folks like us can't afford to provoke them. You should go."

"It's hard, but leaving is better than suffering like this."

…

"What are you all muttering about?" the yellow-faced man barked, standing up and sweeping his eyes across the crowd. The voices immediately went silent.

Ye Fan was boiling with rage. But he didn't act, not yet. Their family had cultivators, and if he rushed in, it might bring even more trouble for the old man and Tingting. But he would not let this go. Just because he didn't act now didn't mean he wouldn't make them pay later.

At that moment, the yellow-faced man and his companions swaggered off. The crowd gathered to help Uncle Jiang, while Tingting's heartbroken sobs continued.

It was a long time before people began to disperse. Tingting, her eyes swollen from crying, helped her grandfather to his feet and led him slowly back into the little restaurant.

Seeing the kind, elderly man get bullied with such cruelty, and the tearful, patch-clothed little girl suffering like this, Ye Fan's anger surged uncontrollably. He stared down the street where the villains had disappeared, and clenched his fists, tightly.