Confusion and Sorrow

Not long after the boy began eating, Mu launched into a rapid-fire series of questions.

"By the way, Ye Chen, how old are you this year? How tall are you? How much do you weigh? What was the Fragment World where you used to live like? How was it different from here? What was your life there like? What techniques did your teacher teach you?"

Mu's endless stream of curious questions put Ye Chen under considerable pressure.

However, when Mu brought up the world Ye Chen had once lived in and his teacher, Ye Chen's expression immediately darkened.

"Ah, no good."

Realizing that he had accidentally hit a sore spot, the old man quickly scratched the mushroom on his head and gave an apologetic, sheepish grin.

"Sorry about that. I haven't spoken to anyone in decades, so once I got excited, I couldn't quite control myself. I'm truly sorry."

Ye Chen heard him out and gave a slight shake of his head.

"It's all right. Now that I have you, Grandpa Mu, I'm at least not alone. And if you hadn't stepped in, that Abyss Monster would have killed me already. I can't thank you enough."

With that, Ye Chen went on to ask Mu about something he had been deeply curious about.

"By the way, Grandpa Mu, you said before that you knew my teacher, right? Could you tell me about him?"

Mu's expression changed abruptly. Then, with a hint of awkwardness in his voice, he replied, "I... can't."

"I made a promise to your teacher. Given the circumstances, I can only make sure you get safely to the Holy Light Pure Land."

"As for him, I can't reveal a single word. But he must have left you some kind of notes, right? You'll have to learn about these things on your own."

Hearing Mu's answer, Ye Chen murmured to himself, his face full of dejection.

"Teacher, why did you keep everything from me to such an extent?"

"He'd clearly prepared for what happened today, yet he didn't tell me until the very end."

"And that's not all. I still know very little about the Abyss. For instance, I know nothing about the Abyss Walker that entered the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain with me just now. I have no idea what it's capable of."

"Besides, I only started learning about and coming into contact with creatures like the Abyss recently!"

"He could have told me about these enemies and their weaknesses when I was just a little child. So why... why didn't he?"

Hearing Ye Chen's series of questions, filled with confusion and sorrow, Mu fell silent for a long while. Then, with a somewhat helpless expression, he answered.

"That man had his reasons. I think you'll understand someday."

"Besides, the last time your teacher encountered the Abyss was a long time ago. The Eternal Winter Hidden Domain is unlike ordinary Hidden Realms. It's completely isolated from the outside world, and creatures like those of the Abyss are evolving and changing constantly. So unlike me, he might not even know that the Abyss had evolved a new kind of creature—the Walker."

"Also, he probably didn't tell you about the nature of the Abyss when you were young because he didn't want you exposed to the very 'concept' of the Abyss too early."

Ye Chen looked even more bewildered. He immediately pressed Mu for an explanation.

"Grandpa Mu, can you tell me why all this is happening?"

Mu shook his head gravely.

"No. I can't say anything more about that. You only need to understand that everything your teacher did was for your own good. He had no other choice."

Ye Chen's eyes flickered. His hands, clasped around his knees, opened and closed, closed and opened. It was clear how painful and unbearable it was for him to be kept in the dark.

However, a few minutes later, the boy finally regained his composure and relaxed again.

If his teacher had done this, then he must have had his reasons. Ye Chen only needed to trust him.

With that thought, Ye Chen nodded to Mu in thanks.

"Thank you, Grandpa Mu, for telling me so much."

"Hehe, don't mention it. Seeing how sensible you are makes me very happy too!"

Moved by Ye Chen's good manners, Mu quickly ladled him several more bowls of hot soup. Ye Chen drank them all, leaving himself no energy to grieve and sigh.

"By the way, Ye Chen, if you need to relieve yourself, just use that spot over there. There aren't many animals in the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain, so their droppings are a valuable resource."

Mu watched as Ye Chen struggled to finish every last bit of the mushroom and leafy-green soup. Then he pointed toward a hole at the other end of the giant vine mat and cheerfully explained.

"Uh, all right."

Ye Chen wiped his mouth and replied with an embarrassed expression.

The two continued toward the Sun-Moon Mountain Range, riding atop the surging green waves.

Ye Chen turned to look across the vast grassland and gazed up at the blue sky. He silently imagined himself walking side by side across the grassland with Lyle and Heiqi. Then, looking utterly dejected, he took the journal Lyle had left behind before their farewell from his handkerchief. With trembling fingers, he carefully opened its cover.

Line after line of handwriting more familiar to Ye Chen than any other appeared before his eyes.

As Ye Chen's gaze slowly moved down the page, Lyle's calm, steady voice seemed to ring in his ears once more, stirring memories from long ago and deep pain in his heart.

At the beginning of the journal, Lyle briefly described the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain, where Ye Chen now found himself. He also told Ye Chen that if he met an old man who called himself Mu and knew Lyle, Ye Chen could trust and rely on him completely. If he needed anything or had any questions, he could ask Mu without hesitation.

That simple passage alone took up a tenth of the journal.

Ye Chen reread those few pages for a full hour. Then he carefully tucked the journal into his clothes, unable to bear reading it all in one go.

After all, Lyle was gone now. If Ye Chen missed him, the only way he would be able to remember him in the future was through this journal.

So Ye Chen decided to deliberately slow down as he read it.

It was a little like fooling himself, but at least it let him gradually accept the loss of his family and helped ease the pain in his heart, if only a little.