Confusion and Sorrow

Not long after the boy sat down to eat, Mu began firing a barrage of questions at Ye Chen.

"Right, Ye Chen, how old are you this year? How tall are you? What about your weight? What was the fragment world you lived in before like? How is it different from here? What was your life like there? What kind of techniques did your teacher teach you?"

The endless stream of curious questions from Mu put quite a bit of pressure on Ye Chen.

However, when the other party mentioned the world Ye Chen used to live in and his teacher, Ye Chen's expression immediately dimmed.

"Ah, my bad."

The old man realized he had accidentally stepped on a landmine, so he hurriedly rubbed the mushrooms on his head and gave a sheepish, apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I haven't spoken to anyone in decades, so I got a bit carried away once I started. My apologies."

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen shook his head slightly.

"It's alright. After all, with Grandpa Mu here now, I'm at least not alone. Besides, if you hadn't stepped in, I would have already been killed by that Abyss Monster, so I should be thanking you instead."

Having said that, Ye Chen proceeded to ask Mu a question that had been weighing heavily on his mind.

"By the way, Grandpa Mu, you mentioned earlier that you were an acquaintance of my teacher, right? Could you tell me his story?"

Mu's expression changed abruptly upon hearing this, and he replied with a slightly unnatural tone.

"That... I can't."

"Because I have an agreement with your teacher. Under the current circumstances, I am only responsible for escorting you safely to the Holy Light Pure Land."

"As for his affairs, I cannot reveal a single word. However, he must have left you some notes or information, right? So you will have to figure those things out on your own."

After hearing Mu's reply, Ye Chen muttered to himself with a face full of desolation.

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

"He was clearly prepared for today's events, yet he only chose to tell me at the very end."

"Not only that, but I know so little about the existence of the Abyss. For instance, I have no idea what the background of the Abyss Walker that entered the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain with me earlier is."

"And when it comes down to it, I only just started to come into contact with and learn about species like the Abyss recently!"

"Even though he could have told me the information and weaknesses of these enemies back when I was just a child, why... why didn't he do it?"

Hearing Ye Chen's series of questions, filled with confusion and sorrow, Mu remained silent for a long time before offering a response with a helpless expression.

"That person had his own reasons. You will understand in the future."

"Besides, the last time your teacher encountered the Abyss was a very long time ago. The Eternal Winter Hidden Domain is different from ordinary hidden domains; it is completely isolated from the outside world. Species like the Abyss are constantly evolving and changing. So, unlike me, he might not even know that the Abyss has evolved new types of species like the Walkers."

"Furthermore, the reason he didn't tell you about the essence of the Abyss when you were young was likely because he didn't want you to come into contact with the 'concept' of the Abyss itself too early."

Ye Chen's expression became even more incredulous, so he immediately pressed Mu for more.

"Grandpa Mu, can you tell me why that is?"

Mu shook his head with a serious expression.

"No, I cannot say anything more about this point either. 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. He gripped his hands on his knees and then released them, gripping and releasing them again, showing just how painful and unbearable it was for him to be kept in the dark.

However, after a few minutes passed, the boy finally regained his composure and relaxed once more.

Since his teacher had done it this way, there must have been a reason for it. He just needed to trust him.

With this thought in mind, Ye Chen nodded and thanked Mu.

"Thank you, Grandpa Mu, for being willing to tell me this much."

"Hehe, you're welcome. Seeing you so sensible makes me incredibly happy!"

Seeing how polite Ye Chen was, Mu was deeply moved and hurriedly ladled a few more bowls of hot soup for him, leaving Ye Chen with no more room to grieve or sigh.

"By the way, Ye Chen, if you need to relieve yourself, just do it over there. There are very few animals in the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain, so excrement is actually a precious resource."

Seeing Ye Chen finish the mushroom and vegetable soup with difficulty, Mu pointed to a pit at the other end of the giant vine carpet and told him with a cheerful smile.

"Uh... alright."

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

The two continued to advance toward the Sun-Moon Mountain Range while riding the towering green waves.

Ye Chen turned his head to observe the vast grassland and looked up at the azure sky. He silently imagined the illusory scene of himself, Lyle, and Heiqi walking side by side on the plains. Then, with a look of desolation, he took out the journal Lyle had left behind before they parted ways and carefully opened the cover with trembling fingers.

Then, lines of handwriting that Ye Chen knew all too well appeared before his eyes.

As Ye Chen's gaze slowly moved across the page, Lyle's calm and steady voice seemed to ring in his ears once more, bringing a sense of distant nostalgia and profound pain to his heart.

At the beginning of the journal, Lyle briefly introduced the Sand-Grass Hidden Domain where Ye Chen was currently located and told him that if he ever met an old man who called himself Mu and knew him, Ye Chen could trust and rely on him wholeheartedly. He could ask for help with any needs or doubts without any hesitation.

This simple content alone spanned a tenth of the journal.

Ye Chen spent a full hour reading these few pages over and over again before carefully tucking the journal into his chest, unable to bear reading it all at once.

After all, now that Lyle was gone, if Ye Chen missed him, he would only be able to cherish his memory through this journal in the future.

Therefore, Ye Chen decided to deliberately slow down his reading speed.

Although this was a form of self-deception, it at least allowed Ye Chen to slowly come to terms with the loss of his family, making his heart and mind feel a little better.