At the Pavilion behind the Yang Family estate, Fifth Uncle was usually the first to arrive.
He always sat there alone, taking his time, either staring into space or fiddling with little trinkets, passing the time while he waited for Yang Chang'an to come running over.
Today, however, things were completely reversed.
Not long after daybreak, Yang Chang'an came to the Pavilion alone and quietly sat down. He did not hurry to cultivate as he usually did. He simply sat in silence, his gaze calm, yet carrying a seriousness it had never held before.
Seated on the stone stool, he let the early morning breeze wash over him and thought about the original story's ending. After "Seven-Colored Splendor," Yang Wushuang was never mentioned again, and Spirit Hall collapsed overnight...
Everything was pushing him forward.
There was no way back, nor did he need one.
As Yang Chang'an sat lost in thought, a familiar figure came ambling down the distant path.
A crisp blue martial outfit, a striking head of white hair, a tall, straight figure, and a face handsome beyond reason, all paired with a casual, languid gait-who else could it be but Fifth Uncle?
From afar, Fifth Uncle spotted Yang Chang'an already waiting there. His brows lifted slightly, and a knowing smile immediately curled his lips.
His mind was as clear as a polished mirror. The boy had not come to play today. He had come to give him a definite answer.
Yang Chang'an also spotted Fifth Uncle approaching. Taking a deep breath, he immediately rose from the stone stool, his back ramrod straight and his expression solemn.
Fifth Uncle ambled into the Pavilion and sat on a stone stool. Propping his chin on one hand, he looked at Yang Chang'an with a cheerful smile and spoke in an utterly relaxed tone:
"Well, look at you, kid. Did the sun rise in the west today? You actually got here before me. Quite eager, aren't you?"
Seeing Fifth Uncle's irreverent manner dispelled much of Yang Chang'an's nervousness. He sighed softly and deliberately put on a considerate air:
"I was just putting myself in your shoes, Fifth Uncle. I came early to wait for you this once, and now I know how hard it must be for you to wait for me every day."
Fifth Uncle was instantly amused. Grinning, he stood and circled Yang Chang'an, looking him up and down several times as he teased:
"Oh? You've grown considerate, have you? Since you know how hard your Fifth Uncle works, how do you plan to repay me?"
Yang Chang'an straightened his expression, feigning gravity as he spoke with utmost seriousness:
"You've been so good to me, Fifth Uncle, looking after me and protecting me. Whatever you ask of me in the future, I'll brave boiling water and raging fire without hesitation."
In truth, Fifth Uncle had learned of the conversation between the Yang Family grandfather and grandson outside the Pavilion that day. He had known the answer for some time.
Yet hearing Yang Chang'an say those words so earnestly to his face still sent a flicker of joy through his heart.
He truly liked this child. If he could help it, he genuinely did not want Yang Chang'an to meet such a tragic end.
Fifth Uncle reached out and gave Yang Chang'an's shoulder a heavy pat, his smile turning considerably more sincere:
"Good lad. Don't worry. You'll never regret the path you've chosen today."
Yang Chang'an nodded firmly and offered no more empty words. Some things only needed to be said once.
The tension between them immediately dissolved, and they returned to their usual easygoing manner. Yang Chang'an had come prepared. He pulled a pile of little toys he had made recently from his Soul Tool and pushed the whole lot in front of Fifth Uncle.
"Fifth Uncle, look. I've brought you more good stuff."
"Oh, how thoughtful."
Fifth Uncle's eyes lit up. He immediately picked up the little trinkets and began fiddling with them, having the time of his life. He looked nothing like an old monster who had lived for who knew how many years, and more like a half-grown child.
The two sat in the Pavilion, chatting idly.
They talked from morning until afternoon, though most of the time, Fifth Uncle spoke while Yang Chang'an listened attentively.
Fifth Uncle had seen and experienced a great deal. He told him many secrets and amusing stories about the Douluo Continent that ordinary people would never hear, the origins of various hidden powers, the old monsters who never ventured into the world, and the past glory and decline of the great sects.
Some of those powers and names were not merely unfamiliar to Yang Chang'an-he had never even heard of them.
The more he listened, the more alarmed he became.
It turned out that this world was even larger, and far more dangerous, than he had known from the original story.
They talked until the sun was nearly setting and its golden afterglow spilled over the entire mountain behind the estate. Only then did Yang Chang'an stand, brush the dust off his clothes, and say to Fifth Uncle:
"Fifth Uncle, I've been out for quite a while. If I don't go back soon, Grandpa will worry. I'll head back now."
Fifth Uncle did not even lift his head. Still fiddling with the trinket in his hands, he waved casually:
"Go on, then. Remember to come chat with me again tomorrow."
Yang Chang'an murmured his assent and turned to leave the Pavilion.
But after only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
It was as though something had just occurred to him-or as though the final lingering worry in his heart needed an answer.
Yang Chang'an slowly turned around, looked at Fifth Uncle still seated in the Pavilion, and abruptly asked a seemingly unrelated question:
"Fifth Uncle, say... if someone spends his whole life watching every step, as though treading on thin ice, can he really reach the other shore safely?"
The moment he asked that question,
the Pavilion fell silent.
Fifth Uncle's hands abruptly stopped toying with the trinket.
He raised his head. For the first time, those eyes, always filled with amusement and irreverence, became unfathomably deep as they stared straight at Yang Chang'an.
Normally, Yang Chang'an would have instinctively averted his gaze under such a direct stare from Fifth Uncle.
But today, he did not.
He stood there and met Fifth Uncle's eyes, a faint smile on his face, his gaze calm and utterly unflinching.
Seeing his stubborn expression, Fifth Uncle sighed softly inwardly.
The little fellow seemed to be asking about ice, but he was really asking about his path, about his future.
Fifth Uncle remained silent for several seconds. Rather than explain directly, he merely lowered his head and offered an equally cryptic reply:
"If you don't walk it yourself, how will you know whether the ice beneath your feet is thin or solid?"
"Thin ice naturally won't get you to the other shore. But solid ice is perfectly steady. Walk however you please."
At those words, Yang Chang'an instantly smiled, his smile especially bright and carefree.
"I knew it had to be solid ice. Otherwise, who would be foolish enough to stake his life on a layer of thin ice that shatters at a touch?"
His smile slowly faded as he finished speaking, and he added a quiet, self-mocking remark. His voice was soft, yet unusually clear:
"Besides... I've already fallen through once."
With that, Yang Chang'an lingered no longer. He turned and walked toward the Yang Family estate, step by step through the sunset's golden afterglow.
The boy's clear, carefree voice drifted back on the wind:
"I'm off, Fifth Uncle! Going home to learn how to swim!"
Learning to swim meant no longer fearing a fall into the water.
Seated in the Pavilion, Fifth Uncle watched Yang Chang'an's small figure gradually recede. For the first time, a gratified smile appeared on his face.
Just then, a silent, burly man appeared soundlessly inside the Pavilion.
He glanced toward the direction Yang Chang'an had left and offered a matter-of-fact assessment:
"That boy has some nerve."
Fifth Uncle thought nothing of it. He chuckled softly, his tone carrying a hint of admiration:
"Could a timid man ever break through to become a Titled Douluo? Across the entire continent, which person standing at the top hasn't rolled across the edges of blades?"
He paused, his tone deepening slightly with conviction. "Besides, you understood those last few things he said too. The Yang Family matters more to him than anything else. Once someone like that pledges himself to a master, he'll be more dependable than anyone."
The burly man fell silent for a moment and did not argue.
A timid genius with no sense of responsibility truly did not deserve to reach the summit, much less warrant the attention of Enshrined like them.
After a moment of silence, the man casually glanced in the direction of the Niu Family estate and remarked:
"That little fatty from the Niu Family absorbed his first soul ring a couple of days ago too. His talent is passable. Bring him along as well."
"Sure. One more won't make much difference, nor would one less."