Ye Chen took the envelope from Village Chief Huang Bao and carefully opened it.
Inside was a neatly folded sheet of paper. Unfolding it, Ye Chen began to read.
After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Village Chief, who gave you this letter?"
Huang Bao nodded thoughtfully. "A few days ago, a man came to the village asking about your grandfather. He said they were old friends.
I told him that your grandfather, Ye Hun, had passed away. He was shocked at the news and asked to visit your grandfather's old home, so I took him there."
Ye Chen remained silent, listening carefully.
Huang Bao continued, "Once we arrived, he asked me to leave him alone.
I respected his wish and gave him space.
A few hours later, he returned and asked me whether Ye Hun had any children.
I told him Ye Hun had no children, but he did have a grandson Ye Chen who was away studying in the city."
"I see…" Ye Chen nodded. "So that's why I found fresh flowers at Grandfather's grave."
"Exactly," Huang Bao said. "He asked for a picture of you, but I didn't have one.
I told him you used to return home every few months, so he left this letter and asked me to give it to you once you came back."
Ye Chen glanced again at the letter, which contained an address and a short message asking him to come in person for a private conversation.
"He wants me to visit him," Ye Chen said. "It seems important."
"Oh, and one more thing," Huang Bao added, his eyes lighting up.
"That man was rich very rich. He drove a luxury car worth millions! In a village like ours, no one ever sees something like that.
Not even me, and I'm the village head! My whole yearly salary is just $20,000, and most villagers make less than $5,000 a year."
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "My grandfather never once mentioned having wealthy friends… or even any friends at all, honestly."
"If you're curious, why not just visit the address?" Huang Bao suggested. "Now that you're back in the city, it should be easy."
Ye Chen nodded. "You're right. I'll go check it out soon."
"Well then, it's getting late. I should get back to work," Huang Bao said, standing up from the creaky chair.
Ye Chen walked him to the door. After the village chief left, Ye Chen sat cross-legged on his bed once more and resumed cultivating.
At first, he found cultivation monotonous, but over time, he had gotten used to the rhythm. Though the longest he had ever cultivated continuously was five days, that alone had significantly strengthened his body and spirit.
When not cultivating, Ye Chen practiced physical training and martial techniques. He had also started learning how to forge spiritual equipment using an ancient book given to him by Gu Xuan.
As the first rooster crowed, Ye Chen opened his eyes and stretched. Today, before heading back to the city, he planned to renovate his old house.
The building was full of decayed timber, so Ye Chen headed to the mountain behind the house to gather materials. Using his sword, he swiftly cut down several trees. His house was far enough from the village that no one would see him using his power.
With the wood collected, Ye Chen worked throughout the morning, carefully replacing broken beams and rotting planks. He even carved intricate dragon motifs into the wooden pillars and walls, honoring ancient craftsmanship.
By the time he finished, the house looked almost brand new.
It was already midday, so Ye Chen prepared to leave for the city. Lacking any money, he chose to fly instead. Not only was it faster, but it also saved him from spending a single coin.
What would normally take six hours by vehicle took Ye Chen only fifteen minutes. As he neared the city, he concealed himself with a spiritual shield to avoid attracting attention.
He headed first to his old rented room, hoping that his belongings hadn't been discarded. When he arrived at the building, he walked up to the familiar door and tried to open it it was locked. He knocked.
A moment later, the door opened, revealing a chubby man. "Hello, can I help you?" he asked.
"Are you the new tenant of this room?" Ye Chen asked.
"Yes, I just moved in a few days ago."
"I see. Sorry for disturbing you." Without another word, Ye Chen turned and left, deciding to speak directly to the landlord.
Fortunately, the landlord's house was only a few hundred meters away.
He arrived shortly after and knocked on the door.
"Just a moment," a voice called from inside. A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing a woman in her forties. She wore revealing clothes and heavy makeup, clearly someone who prioritized appearance over class.
The woman blinked in surprise at the sight of Ye Chen tall, handsome, and radiant with spiritual energy. Lust flickered in her eyes almost immediately.
This landlord had a reputation. She was notorious for seducing young male tenants who couldn't pay their rent. Some called her a predator behind closed doors.
And now, standing in front of her was Ye Chen young, powerful, and far too attractive.
Like a tiger spotting an unattended rabbit, she licked her lips metaphorically and smiled.
"Well, well," she purred. "What brings you here, young man?"