Shrouded Sky

It was nearly noon, and the small restaurant was empty and desolate. Not a single customer was in sight, and only the sound of little Tingting's sobs echoed inside.

Ye Fan dragged the muntjac and carried the rice and flour through the door.

Little Tingting's eyes were red and swollen. She was gently wiping her grandfather's wounds with a warm towel, tears streaming down her cheeks as she worked, her heart aching.

The old man's wrinkled face was covered in bruises, finger marks clearly visible. Most of the blood had flowed from his nose and mouth, staining even his disheveled white hair.

"How could those beasts bring themselves to hit them…" Ye Fan's chest tightened. An elderly man, already at the twilight of life, kind and harmless, beaten like this, it filled him with rage. And little Tingting, so sweet and well-behaved, just five or six years old, had also been struck and knocked to the ground. Now her face was streaked with sorrowful tears. It was heartbreaking.

"Big brother…" When Tingting saw Ye Fan return, fresh tears welled up in her eyes and she burst into loud sobs.

"Tingting, be good. Don't cry. Grandpa is fine." The old man quickly comforted her, wiping her tears with his callused hands. Then he looked at Ye Fan in surprise. "This muntjac… and all this rice and flour…"

"I hunted this muntjac in the mountains. The rice and flour I traded for a roe deer," Ye Fan explained, setting the items down. Then he took out a small jade bottle from his robe, opened it, and poured out some Hundred-Grass Liquid, applying it carefully to the old man's wounds.

"You only ate one meal here. This is too much…" The old man was not a talkative man, but he was deeply grateful, he just didn't know how to express it.

"Uncle, no need to say more. That one meal may seem like nothing, but the kindness and warmth behind it meant everything." Ye Fan then knelt down to wipe the tears from Tingting's face. "Tingting, don't cry anymore. I'll be staying here now. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

"Big brother…" Her eyes grew red again, her long lashes trembling. Tears fell silently as she looked down at her patched shoes and whispered, "But… those bad people will come again. They'll bully us more…"

"Don't be afraid. Big brother won't let them bully you again." Ye Fan gently stroked her head. Such a sweet and innocent girl shouldn't have to suffer like this, it stirred something deep and painful in him.

"Child, don't be reckless," the old man warned. He could sense the anger in Ye Fan and feared the boy would act impulsively and bring disaster upon himself. "We can't afford to offend them. The Li Clan has cultivators. We're just ordinary people, we don't stand a chance."

The old man sighed. "I'm old. I didn't want to leave this place. I've lived here for decades. The older you get, the more attached you are to your home. But… for Tingting's sake, I've made up my mind. I'll leave everything behind, even if we have to beg on the streets. We can't stay here anymore."

"Grandpa…" Tingting burst into tears again, her cheeks wet.

"Tingting, be strong. Don't cry. And Uncle, don't talk about leaving just yet," Ye Fan comforted the girl and then turned to the old man. "Let's close the shop for now. I'll think of something. If all else fails, I'll also leave with you."

Ye Fan knew all too well the tragedies that befell ordinary people. There were few things more painful than losing a child in old age and being forced out from one's home. The old man had already lost his son, and now he was being driven from his home. The weight of his sorrow was unimaginable. Ye Fan couldn't bear to see this kindhearted pair suffer like this.

"Please, tell me clearly, what exactly is the background of the Li Clan?"

"What are you planning to do? We're leaving tomorrow, and we'll never return. Please, don't provoke them now."

"I'm not reckless. You don't have to worry."

Eventually, under Ye Fan's persistent questioning, the old man began to share.

The Li Clan was one of the most powerful households in the town. It was said they had three or four members training as cultivators in distant sects. Cultivators were mysterious and unreachable for commoners. Most people had never even seen one. That alone made the townsfolk fear the Li Clan greatly.

Ye Fan suspected there was more the old man wasn't saying. For example, the Jiang Clan had once run a thriving inn and restaurant in town. Why had it all come crashing down? And why had his son died so suddenly?

When Tingting was sent to reheat the towel, the old man finally spoke more openly: "Young man, I know you're not an ordinary child. At your age, to hunt game like that, you must know a bit about cultivation. But I still advise you: don't cross the Li Clan…"

The old man continued. It turned out that his son and daughter-in-law had also been cultivators, once highly valued at a certain sect. Even the Li Clan had sought their favor and avoided conflict with them.

"Red Mist Grotto-Heaven…" Ye Fan was shocked. The sect the old man's son belonged to was one of the six great Grotto-Heavens of the State of Yan, and only two hundred miles from this town.

The Li Clan had several members training in the same sect. One of them had even entered at the same time as Jiang's son but had fallen far behind in cultivation.

"That Li boy had a twisted mind and did something despicable. My son was too upright and couldn't stand by, so he stepped in. That sparked a deep grudge…"

Tingting's father had extraordinary talent and was held in high regard at Red Mist Grotto-Heaven. He wasn't afraid of the Li Clan's disciple. But fate can be cruel, two years ago, while out collecting spirit herbs, he and his wife were killed by a lightning bird.

After their deaths, the Li Clan no longer had anything to fear. They took over the restaurant first, then the inn, driving the old man and little Tingting into desperation, and still refused to leave them alone.

Just then, Tingting returned with the warmed towel. She looked like a porcelain doll, so delicate and pure, but said something shockingly mature for her age: "Why is it that in this world, the good people always get bullied, and the bad ones live long lives…"

Her innocent voice and sorrowful expression left Ye Fan and the old man speechless. They didn't know how to comfort her.

"There are still more good people in the world than bad. You're only seeing one part of it, Tingting. Everything will get better soon…" Ye Fan didn't want her young heart to be filled with bitterness too early.

"Yes, your big brother is a good person. He's helping us, he and you will both live long and happy lives." The old man smiled kindly. "Today, I'll stew the muntjac for you."

Following Ye Fan's suggestion, the old man shut down the restaurant. That afternoon, the three of them shared a hearty meal. Tingting's little face turned rosy, and she finally smiled again.

In the afternoon, Ye Fan wandered around town to learn more. He located the Li Clan's properties, including the stolen restaurant and inn, and even picked up more gossip from townsfolk.

He didn't want to act rashly. If he made a wrong move and brought trouble upon the old man and Tingting, it would only make things worse.

"The Li Clan has several disciples training at Red Mist Grotto-Heaven…" Ye Fan felt uncertain. After all, he had only just begun his cultivation journey. That wasn't even the worst of it, one Li Clan member was rumored to be training at a powerful sect beyond the State of Yan and had made considerable progress.

"The Li Clan won't be easy to deal with. I'll need to think of another approach." This only deepened Ye Fan's conviction to grow stronger. Without power, he couldn't even defend others. Helping Uncle Jiang and Tingting would remain out of reach.

"But those thugs from earlier today, I won't let them go unpunished." Ye Fan didn't act immediately. He knew that impulsive revenge could only backfire. Calmly, he returned to the restaurant, went to his room, and began meditating. Ever since acquiring the golden scripture page and the mysterious green bronze, he hadn't had a proper chance to examine them.

He activated the Dao Scripture technique and turned his focus inward. His golden Bitter Sea, no larger than a soybean, shone like a divine moon in the darkness. The ancient green bronze sat at its center, steady as a mountain, silent and immovable.

The golden page had been pushed to the edge of the Bitter Sea. It glowed with flowing god light, dense with words that sparkled like stars. Golden radiance pulsed from it, sacred and ethereal. The page seemed to long for the center but no matter how dazzling its brilliance, it couldn't budge the green bronze, it could only float at the outer edge.

Ye Fan focused entirely on the golden page, but ran into the same problem as before. Each golden character emitted pin-like rays of light that pierced into his spirit, causing searing pain and making it impossible to read.

"Why is this happening? Is there no way to cultivate the technique recorded in this golden page?" Ye Fan frowned. It was like having a mountain of treasure he couldn't access, not even a single coin could be claimed.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and reached into his robe.

He pulled out a dim Bodhi Seed, about the size of a walnut. Natural runes on its surface formed the image of a Buddha.

The image of Buddha had formed on its own, entirely through nature's work. It looked ancient, dull, and unrefined, yet it exuded a quiet spiritual aura.

"The Bodhi tree is said to help one attain enlightenment. I'll try using this seed." Ye Fan remembered how, thanks to this seed, he had obtained a mysterious ancient sutra in the bronze coffin. Now, faced with the same problem, he hoped it would help again.

The Bodhi tree was also known as the Tree of Wisdom, the Tree of Awakening, and the Tree of Thought. Legends said it could awaken the divine nature within and lead to self-realization.

As Ye Fan held the Bodhi Seed, he activated the Dao Scripture. Instantly, golden threads flowed from the Bitter Sea, gathering around the seed.

In that moment, whether it was real or just a feeling, Ye Fan's heart became utterly calm and still.

He turned his gaze inward again and focused on the golden page.

"It's working…" Ye Fan was shocked. The Bodhi Seed had brought complete mental clarity, helping him see through the blinding gold light. The once piercing rays had softened, no longer hurting his eyes.

"I've unlocked a treasure trove!" Even holding the Bodhi Seed, Ye Fan could barely contain his excitement. He had finally accessed the complete Oceanic Wheel Chapter of the Dao Scripture.

The ancient characters lit up with divine brilliance, imprinting themselves upon his mind like countless stars twinkling in the sky.