Qingfeng

Once the middle-aged man had left to rest, the steward immediately straightened his back. Sitting in his armchair, he pulled a stern face, exuding a powerful and imposing aura as he commanded, "Come here!"

Outside Chongyun City, the merchants who had gone to the primitive tribes to purchase animal hides and spirit herbs emerged from the dense forest, returning in succession and heading toward the city gates.

Little One and his companion watched from a distance for a while before riding the Unicorn away at speed. He did not enter the city, fearing some unforeseen trouble, as there were guards inspecting people at the gates.

The Unicorn traveled at high speed; he planned to bypass this area and head toward the Second Ancestral Land of the Shi Clan.

Shi Lin did not accompany Little One, as he intended to enter the city to take a look.

The terrain was treacherous, filled with towering mountains and steep ridges. This detour ended up adding over a thousand miles to their journey, first blocked by sheer cliffs, then by vast stretches of marshland.

However, having already braved three hundred thousand miles, Little One did not care about an extra thousand. Eventually, he successfully entered the territory of the Stone Kingdom and hurried toward that dilapidated ancestral land.

Shi Lin also successfully entered the city.

Once inside, he was greeted by a bustling marketplace. There were vendors selling medicinal pills, precious artifacts, and precious techniques, creating a deafening roar of noise.

The city was filled with coming and going, a high volume of people, yet the order within was excellent. There was no fighting, and everyone seemed quite harmonious.

Shi Lin wandered around just like that.

By noon, Little One finally reached his destination. The sun was high and the light was abundant, yet the dilapidated estate appeared gloomy and lifeless, with many buildings on the verge of collapse. Little One did not approach immediately; from a distance, he released the Unicorn, letting it run off into the mountains, and proceeded cautiously with only Furball to scout. He had to be careful; the Shi Clan was too vast, and if someone were guarding this place waiting for him to walk into a trap, it would be extremely dangerous—a situation with no hope of survival.

For several consecutive days, Little One did not act rashly. He haunted the surrounding area, uncovering many things.

There were four villages and one town gathered in the vicinity, which was naturally quite unique in this sparsely populated Western Frontier. Under normal circumstances, one would have to traverse mountains and ridges, crossing many ranges, just to see a single village.

These villages were originally formed primarily to provide for this dilapidated ancestral land, eventually evolving into such a settlement.

This was a place of exile, yet ordinary people could not enter; only those with prominent status in the Shi Clan who had committed grave offenses were banished here.

"Sigh, it's becoming more and more lifeless. The old monsters have all died one after another; what is to become of that poor little thing left behind? It's a sin," an old man said, driving an animal cart away from the dilapidated estate. He had been delivering fruits, game, and other food.

Although there were some servants in the estate, the place still felt very desolate, like a forsaken land, barren and withered.

"Grandpa Hai, you must bring Big Black next time, let it play with me for a while." In the dilapidated estate, a frail child sat on the stone steps, waving his hand vigorously. As he spoke, he coughed, his small face deathly pale.

"Alright, once Big Black gives birth to that litter of cubs, I will send them over immediately so they can all play with you." The old man driving the cart shook his head and whispered, "What a pitiful child. No family, no playmates, guarding this graveyard-like old estate all day long; his childhood is far too bleak."

Not until the old man had driven the cart far away did the child stand up with reluctance. He walked with a limp, leaning against the wall as he slowly shuffled back into the estate.

In the distance, Little One stood in the woods, staring blankly at everything, nearly shedding tears. He muttered to himself, "Is that another version of me? He is here in my place, lonely and unhappy. His body is so weak, and he has a limp—was he harmed by someone?"

Little One touched the token in his bosom, which felt like neither gold nor stone, and whispered, "I will send you to the Heaven Mending Pavilion. No matter how far it is, I will accompany you there."

"Little Young Master, the last old ancestor is about to pass away, too. He doesn't have many days left to live; your life is going to be difficult from here on out," a servant at the gatehouse said. He sat there brazenly, showing not a shred of respect, his tone laced with mockery.

"You're lying! Great-Grandfather won't die!" The pale-faced child's large eyes filled with tears as he shouted a rebuttal, coughing incessantly.

"Then just wait and see," the servant said dismissively.

Another servant added, "I heard that the Little Young Master isn't actually the offspring of that Shi Ziling, but is actually the blood descendant of that old monster who is about to pass away, just filling in here."

"It's possible. If he were really Shi Ziling's descendant, he would have faced even more disasters than this," the servant sitting brazenly nodded. Facing the Little Young Master, he never once stood up, lacking all respect.

In the distant woods, Little One watched all of this, clenching his fists. It was much as he had gathered over the past few days: inside this cage-like broken estate, some of the servants had long since been bought off by outsiders. They were traitors, and with the passing of the old ancestors, they had become somewhat unscrupulous.

Inside the gatehouse, the two servants sat in a grand manner, showing no respect for their so-called little master. They were indifferent, gloating over the fact that the old ancestor was dying. "You are not allowed to talk nonsense!" The pale-faced child, his body very weak, had eyes full of tears; there was a sense of sorrow and even more, a sense of despair.

He was truly afraid that his only relative, his great-grandfather, would pass away; he could not bear to let go of that familial bond. And with these servants being so wicked, how was he to live in the future?

"Little Young Master, living in such a sickly state is actually quite a suffering. I think, after you see the old man off, you should also... you know." One of the men in the gatehouse chuckled dryly, not finishing his sentence, as it was too blunt.

"Enough, don't say any more. It's only a matter of time. Looking at his face, he won't live long either; he's definitely a short-lived ghost," the other servant whispered, accompanied by a sneer.

"You are wicked! I will never forgive you!" Tears welled in the child's eyes as he leaned against the wall, limping as he walked toward the interior.

He was very lonely, walking through the vast estate. He had no family, not a single playmate, only cold and desolate dilapidated buildings. When the wind blew, the old windows creaked and groaned.

The child walked deep inside, arriving at a courtyard that was still somewhat spacious. He pushed open a maple wood door, the paint long since peeled away, and called out softly, "Great-Grandfather."

Lying on that ancient bed was a white-haired old man, his face like gold paper, his breath as thin as a silk thread. His eyes were dim, having lost the luster they held in the years when he once shook the world.

"Child... if I die, the only thing I cannot let go of is you." The old man struggled to lift his arm, reaching forward. It trembled, and it took several tries before he could touch the child's hand.

"Great-Grandfather, you won't die." The child wept.

"Child... don't cry." The old man stroked the child's pale little face with his rough palm, tears streaming from his cloudy, aged eyes, filled with reluctance.

"Great-Grandfather!" The child wailed, feeling utterly helpless. He slumped by the bedside, gripping the old man's hand tightly, refusing to let go.

The old man held the child's small hand with his rough one, looking him over, filled with affection. Yet his eyes remained dim; he opened his mouth to say something, but his chest heaved, and he found himself unable to speak.

"Great-Grandfather, you cannot leave me behind. What will I do if I am left all alone?" The child's eyes were filled with sorrow as he shook the old man's arm.

Over these past few years, several old men had passed away one after another, leaving him heartbroken. Only this last one remained—his closest kin—and now he, too, was dying, filling the child with terror.

"Child..." The old man opened his mouth, but all his words dissolved into these two syllables. He could say no more; his eyes lacked luster, and he could only gasp for air.

Outside the door, Little One's large eyes were red. He had slipped into the estate silently, and after several days of scouting, he was certain there were no experts present, so he had come here.

He pushed the door open and walked in. Wiping away his tears, he looked at the old man on the bed and choked out, "Great-Grandfather."

"Ah, you..." The pale-faced child was startled.

The old man on the bed was confused. In these final moments, to see a child he had never met before address him in such a way, he looked on in bewilderment.

A generation of powerhouses who once shook the world had finally been unable to withstand the passage of time, ending his twilight years in such a desolate state.

"Grandfather, it is I, the child from back then. I have come to see you!" Little One choked back sobs. Through the Willow Deity, he had witnessed the events of the past and knew that these few elders, exiled here, had treated his family with immense kindness. The child beside him was the one they had brought forth to take his place.

Upon hearing these words, the old man on the bed snapped his eyes open. His once-dim gaze suddenly erupted with a piercing brilliance, and he trembled as he rasped, "You... are you truly him?"

He had actually managed to speak, his voice urgent and his gaze terrifyingly intense.

"It is me, Grandfather. I have come to see you." Little One grasped his hand, his voice thick with emotion. The other elders had already passed away, and he had not been able to send any of them off.

"Your injuries..." The old man wheezed, asking with a sense of urgency, though he could only manage these few words before falling silent again.

"My injuries have healed; I survived." Little One said. Knowing what the old man most wanted to hear, he added softly, "I now possess one hundred and eight thousand catties of divine strength in a single arm." He reported the truth. Sure enough, upon hearing this, the old man's eyes widened in shock. His lips quivered incessantly as he tugged at one of Little One's arms, as if to confirm the reality of it.

"Yes, that is the strength of just one arm!" Little One's eyes filled with tears as he nodded firmly.

"Haha..." In this final moment, as if experiencing a final burst of vitality, the old man let out a loud laugh. Turbid tears of old age rolled down his cheeks, which were now filled with surprise and relief, as if he had no regrets left.

Little One wept, for he knew the old man had exhausted his final essence and spirit; even a holy medicine could not save him now.

This old man was the biological brother of Shi Hao's grandfather. In terms of bloodline, they were very close, and he had indeed treated him well, unlike the cold and indifferent people in the Imperial Capital.

"Grandfather..." the child beside them wailed.

The old man's eyes lost their last glimmer of light. He used his final ounce of strength to grasp the child's hand, then looked toward little Shi Hao, his mouth opening as if to place that small hand into his, but he no longer had the strength.

Little One shed tears, reached out, and took that small hand, gripping it tightly before placing it into the old man's rough, large hand. He whispered, "Grandfather, please rest easy. I will take good care of him!"

The last turbid tear slid down the old man's face, and he went still. A smile remained on his face—a look of relief and the satisfaction of a burden finally lifted.

He departed this world with joy and liberation, his regrets settled, his eyes finally closing.

"Grandfather!" the child beside him cried out, throwing himself onto the old man's body, his heart-wrenching sobs echoing as tears streamed down his face.

Little One also wept. Finally, he pulled the child up, whispered a few words of instruction to him, and departed.

Two days later, the old man was buried. The child cried uncontrollably before the grave, and no matter how the servants tried to pull him away, he could not stand, fainting several times.

In the end, he was carried away by two loyal old servants.

Little One hid in the woods, wiping away his own tears and sobbing silently. He watched from afar, unable to reveal himself or draw near.

Not until everyone had left did he approach the grave to whisper a few words and pay his respects in earnest.

"Little Young Master, one of your feet is lame. Walk slowly, and be careful not to fall." Still at the gatehouse, those two servants were even more unscrupulous, laughing loudly. With the old men all dead, what kind of trouble could a pathetic little thing like him stir up? Weren't the people outside always wanting him dead? It would likely happen soon.

"You..." The child was furious, his small face pale and his large eyes bloodshot as he glared at them.

"You two scoundrels have gone too far! This is the Young Master, how can you speak to him like that?!" the two old servants shouted.

"Old fools, mind your own business! This dilapidated place is a cage; what kind of 'Young Master' is there? Calling him that on a daily basis was just gilding his face," the two servants in the gatehouse retorted.

The two old servants were trembling with rage; they took the child's hand and left in indignation.

That evening, in the child's room, Little One appeared and asked softly, "Do you have any wishes right now?"

"I want to go see Big Black, and the tiger cubs she gave birth to," the child said, weeping. Big Black was a black tiger raised by Old Man Hai, who was responsible for delivering game to the estate. The child lacked playmates and was very lonely; whenever Old Man Hai came to deliver game, only Big Black would play with him for a while.

Little One felt a pang of sorrow. He was also a kind-hearted child who had suffered a series of hardships, and he could deeply feel the state of mind and the pain of the child before him.

"Do you not want to punish those two servants at the gatehouse?" Little One asked.

"I do, but I don't want to make a scene," the child said with red eyes. Those two were very cruel, and since the passing of the elders, they had committed many evil deeds in the estate.

"Zhi zhi!" Furball shrieked. It had seen everything and was furious, signaling that they should be taught a harsh lesson.

"Furball, go handle it," Little One said. He had other things to do; he wanted to see who had bribed these servants. Although he had some guesses, he wanted to confirm them and take action, for the other party had gone too far! "Don't cry anymore. Forget everything here. In the future, I will take you to a place called the Heaven Mending Pavilion, where no one will ever dare to bully you again." Little One comforted him.

"Awoo..."

In the middle of the night, a fierce beast flew in and landed outside the estate. It was a Horned Man-Bear, three zhang tall, its body a pale gold. It had a golden horn on its head and a pair of wings on its back, allowing it to fly.

This creature could manifest runes, but it could not form a primal Treasure Bone. Much like the Unicorn, it possessed a certain level of strength but could not be considered a truly powerful fierce beast.

Sitting on its head was a fist-sized little beast, fleshy and round, shimmering with golden light. Upon arriving, it zipped away and vanished without a trace. It was Furball. Even Little One had not expected that it could tame such a fierce beast after going out for a spin.

"Bang!"

The golden man-bear swiped a claw forward, directly collapsing the gatehouse and jolting the two men from their sleep. Seeing a blood-red maw looming over them, they went limp with terror and screamed in horror.

The man-bear sat down on them. Several crisp cracking sounds echoed as their bones shattered; only their upper bodies remained visible, while their lower halves were reduced to a bloody mess.

"Help!"

In the dead of night, these shrill screams carried far. The two were paralyzed with fear, wailing in terror.

The people in the estate were startled, and many rushed over with weapons. When they arrived, they were all struck with shock.

The golden man-bear was "crunching" away, tearing at and devouring the men's legs. It was a gruesome sight, with blood flowing and white bone fragments exposed.

Seeing the crowd arrive, the man-bear stood up, shook its blood-stained claws, and flapped its wings, vanishing into the night sky.

"Ah, save us!" the two shrieked miserably.

Everyone knew these two were finished. Having lost their legs in the brutal Western Frontier, even if they survived, their lives were destined to be wretched.

"Serves them right! That's what they get for their wicked deeds!"

"Retribution! Heaven has eyes!"

Not a single person felt sympathy, which showed just how poorly they had treated others.

"Furball, you really are... quite wicked." After witnessing this scene, Little One looked at the golden Zhu Yan on his shoulder with some astonishment. He hadn't expected it to command the man-bear to do such a thing; it hadn't killed the two men, yet the outcome was far more cruel than death.

Furball waved its small golden claw, signaling that it was a trivial matter and that villains deserved to be tormented in such a way.

"Little Brother, I heard from the Clan Elder that the people bribed in the manor are merely clowns; the people outside are the truly formidable ones, possessing terrifying, top-tier experts." Beside him, the pale-faced child spoke.

"Don't worry, I have a way to deal with them." Little One clenched his small fists, wondering in his heart whether these were people from Shi Yi's lineage or someone else. He felt a deep sense of grief and indignation, and he decided to stir up a great storm here.

"But they are truly powerful, and we are still young," the child beside him said timidly.

"To deal with the most terrifying beasts, one doesn't necessarily have to fight to the death. Oh, I forgot, I often fight with ferocious birds and beasts, so I'm used to saying that." Little One scratched his head in embarrassment, then continued: "I have a way. Not one of them will be able to escape. No matter how powerful they are, as long as they are in the Western Frontier during this period, they will meet with great disaster and suffer punishment!"

In Chongyun Town, within a magnificent mansion, a slightly plump middle-aged man paced back and forth. His name was Yu Meng; his face was clean-shaven, and faint, intimidating runes flickered in his eyes. He was an expert from the Rain Clan.

This time, he had been ordered by the Clan Elder to inspect the Western Frontier, as the clan held various assets here, such as rare metal mines and tribute zones for exotic birds and beasts.

"Has Miss You Yu appeared yet?" Yu Meng stood on a stone arch bridge in the garden, gazing at a school of Purple-Scaled Fish in the water, and asked the steward beside him. Taking advantage of this inspection, he also intended to request a token from the envoy of the Heaven Mending Pavilion to hand over to an extraordinary genius within his clan.

That genius was deeply favored by the Clan Elder, so he did not want any mishaps to occur and hoped to obtain the token as soon as possible to send it back.

The steward was very respectful and said, "I have been inquiring constantly, but Miss Xia has not yet returned. As soon as there is news, I will report it to you immediately."

"How frustrating. The Clan Elder asked me to investigate news of Shi Ziling, and yet you haven't even found a single clue. And when I want to request a token, I can't even see the person!" Yu Meng's expression was displeased. He turned and walked off the stone arch bridge, entering a pavilion to sit down.

The steward's face turned pale; he hurriedly followed, bowed, and said, "Please forgive me, my lord!"

Not long after, the steward returned to a hall, sat in an armchair, and rubbed his temples. His aura surged again as he shouted, "Come here!"

Immediately, a group of people walked in quickly; these were all experts with extremely formidable strength.

"For so many years, I have had you investigate news of Shi Ziling, and yet you haven't even found a trace. A bunch of trash!" the steward roared like an angry lion, a stark contrast to his servile demeanor from moments ago, appearing immensely fierce.

A chill ran through the group. They knew well that this steward was not only vicious but also a high-level expert with profound cultivation, someone who could definitely be considered a figure of note in Chongyun City.

The steward's expression was grim as he said, "Furthermore, those old monsters in that dilapidated manor are all dead. Is that child still alive?"

"My lord, it has long been verified. That child is most likely a body double; it is impossible for him to be the Shi Hao from back then," someone replied, emboldened.

"Idiots!" The steward was furious. He slammed his hand down, causing the wooden table to shatter instantly. A shockwave surged downward, cracking the diamond-rock floor into pieces and causing it to sink over a foot deep, showing just how terrifying his cultivation was.

"Even if he is a fake, we must find a way to kill him. What kind of family is the Rain Clan? Ancient and glorious, existing longer than the Stone Kingdom itself, we value our reputation above all else. Letting that little brat stay alive is an insult to our face!" the steward roared.

The group below felt fear and couldn't help but retreat. The grim man above shouted, making their eardrums ache.

"Don't worry, my lord. With those old monsters dead, who else can protect him? There will be news soon," the group hurriedly assured him.

"I warn you, do not leave a single flaw, or I will pull out your tendons and peel your skin. If any accidents happen, no one will survive!"

"We will arrange it properly. Either he will be accidentally bitten by poisonous insects, or a ferocious beast will rush out from the mountains to frighten him into a 'fatal illness,' or we can even hire some thugs—not to attack him directly, but to..."

"Enough, just go. I only care about the results." The steward waved his hand, dismissing them.

The dilapidated manor felt even more desolate. The wind blew, causing the old-fashioned doors and windows to creak, sounding like ghosts wailing in the night.

The old men had all passed away, and for the last few decades, no new "criminals" had been exiled here. The place felt eerie and lacked human presence.

Once night fell, even the servants were unwilling to go out or walk around the manor.

"Your name..." Little One scratched his head. They shared the same name.

"Since I was young, they have called me Shi Hao," the child whispered, bowing his head with a dejected expression. With the old men all dead, he felt very lonely.

"How about this, you keep the name, and I'll change mine," Little One said. This child had suffered a great deal in his stead, and he didn't want to take away the name he had been using all along.

"No need, I'll just change mine. This name always stirs up too many memories, and I want to end all of this," the child beside him said.

After thinking for a long time, he chose a name for himself: Shi Qingfeng. He hoped that from now on, he could be as free as the wind and leave this cage behind.

A few days later, Shi Hao took Shi Qingfeng and left the Second Ancestral Land, arriving at the place he had agreed to meet Shi Lin: Chongyun Town.