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Ye Chen flew through the sky at a relaxed pace. After more than an hour, a familiar silhouette appeared in the distance an old, wooden house nestled near the foot of the mountain.
Its wooden beams were weathered and cracked, some nearly falling apart. The roof sagged precariously, and vines crept along the sides like time itself trying to claim the place. The house looked as though it could collapse at any moment.
But to Ye Chen, this house was more than just old timber and broken walls it was home. The house he had once shared with his grandfather.
He landed softly and walked toward the entrance. The moment he pushed open the creaking door, a wave of nostalgia hit him. The inside was just as he remembered. Dust covered the furniture, cobwebs stretched across the ceiling corners, but everything was in its place untouched since the day he left.
Ye Chen wandered into his room, opened an old wooden drawer, and took out a framed photo. It was the only picture he had with his grandfather, Ye Hun. Though not his blood relative, Ye Hun had raised Ye Chen from a child and treated him like his own grandson.
Ye Chen stared at the photo in silence, his fingers gently brushing over the glass.
He had once dreamed of working hard, studying diligently, and one day repaying Ye Hun for everything he had done. He wanted to give his grandfather a comfortable life, free from hardship.
But fate had been cruel.
When Ye Chen was just fifteen, Ye Hun had accidentally slipped into an abyss during one of their usual foraging trips into the mountains. His body was never found.
Since then, Ye Chen had been on his own surviving by picking wild fruits and vegetables from the forest behind their house. He sold what he could in the village to make ends meet.
One year later, by some miracle, Ye Chen earned a scholarship and moved to the city to attend school.
"Oh no…" Ye Chen suddenly remembered, smacking his forehead lightly. "I've been gone for so long... The school must have expelled me by now."
He realized that while more than a year had passed for him within the cultivation realm, only about a month had passed in the real world due to the difference in time flow.
Still, Ye Chen wasn't too worried. As a cultivator, small matters like school problems were nothing to him anymore. If needed, he could solve them with ease.
Shaking off the thought, Ye Chen stepped outside and headed into the forest behind the house. After a bit of searching, he found a wildflower growing in the shade a simple, white blossom. He carefully picked it, arranging a small bouquet with a few surrounding leaves, then made his way to the village's cemetery.
It didn't take long to find his grandfather's grave. The tombstone was weathered but stood tall, etched with the name: Ye Hun.
To his surprise, Ye Chen noticed another bouquet of flowers already placed at the foot of the grave. The petals were fresh it seemed someone had visited just a couple of days ago.
He frowned. Who could've brought these? Grandpa had no close relatives. I was his only family…
Pushing aside the thought for now, Ye Chen knelt down and gently placed his bouquet beside the other one. He ran his fingers across the tombstone, his voice soft and emotional.
"Grandfather… I'm sorry it's taken me so long to visit," he whispered. "But you don't need to worry anymore. Your grandson is no longer the weak child you once knew. I've grown stronger… and I promise to live a good, happy life. You can rest peacefully now."
Tears welled in his eyes as memories came rushing back hunting wild chickens in the forest, eating simple meals together by candlelight, the quiet warmth of a small, peaceful life.
By the time he stood up, the sky had already begun to darken. He turned and walked home.
There was no electricity in the house, only the faint scent of old wood and silence. Ye Chen took a luminous crystal from his storage ring and placed it on the table. As he poured his spiritual energy into it, the room lit up with a soft, blue glow.
He didn't feel like sleeping. Instead, he sat cross-legged and began to cultivate. It had become second nature to him by now like breathing.
Time passed quietly.
Suddenly—Knock, knock!
The sound of knocking echoed through the quiet night.
Ye Chen opened his eyes. "Who's visiting at this hour?" he murmured. He stood up and walked to the door.
When he opened it, he found a familiar figure standing outside an older man with graying hair and kind eyes. It was the village head, Huang Bao.
"Village Chief? What brings you here so late?" Ye Chen asked.
Huang Bao squinted at him, visibly confused. "Young man… who are you? Why are you staying in the Ye family's house?"
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "You came to my house and don't recognize me? Chief, did a horse kick your head recently?"
Huang Bao's eyes widened. "Wait a minute… You're… Ye Chen?!"
He stepped closer, eyes scanning Ye Chen from head to toe. "You've changed so much! I almost didn't recognize you.
You look… more refined than those actors on TV!"
Ye Chen chuckled. "It's me, alright. So, what brings you here, Village Chief?"
"Ah… right," Huang Bao said, suddenly remembering. "May I come in? It's a bit cold out here."
"Please," Ye Chen said, stepping aside.
The old man entered and sat cautiously on a chair that creaked under his weight. It was so old that it sounded like it might collapse at any second.
"I came to give you something," Huang Bao said seriously. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small envelope, handing it to Ye Chen.