Old Li frowned and nodded.
The boy Chen Xun really had changed somewhat.
The way he had handed over the wooden sword earlier was enough to show that he was considerably more normal than before.
It gave the impression that his mind had awakened-but only a little.
Afterward, Old Li and Li Yuan cleared the table. They went into the courtyard to check on Chen Xun, told him to go inside and sleep early, then returned to their respective rooms.
In winter, the people of Little River Town generally went to bed right after dinner. There was little else to do for entertainment, except for the few who visited brothels.
Chen Xun stood alone in the courtyard until midnight before quietly returning to his room.
His room had originally been used for storage. Old Li had specifically cleared it out for him to live in.
The furnishings were simple: a wooden bed with a thick mattress, a table, and a stool. There was nothing else.
Old Li had made that wooden bed himself, using timber he had cut in the mountains beside Little River Town.
Now, Chen Xun sat cross-legged on the bed. His gaze held a rare, fleeting clarity, yet deep in his eyes, his consciousness struggled...
"Three more months..."
At this moment, Chen Xun was lucid, a rare occurrence.
He understood his own condition.
Each bout of madness lasted a full three years.
Only then would he enjoy a rare stretch of normality. How long it lasted was uncertain: barely a day, ten days or a fortnight, sometimes a month. Even the longest had only lasted three months...
Since his earliest memories, Chen Xun had gone through this cycle more times than he could count...
He had spent his time searching for the cause of his madness, but had never found an answer. He had drifted from place to place, floating with the current and leaving everything to fate.
And so, through the long years, Chen Xun had cycled endlessly between madness and lucidity, though he spent the vast majority of that time insane.
Of course, after all those years, Chen Xun had also become somewhat powerful.
Beyond that, he had a secret no one else knew: he was immortal.
Chen Xun had traveled to many places, witnessed countless lives and deaths, and bid farewell to many friends and loved ones. In the end, he alone remained alive. He had long since grown accustomed to it.
To Chen Xun, immortality felt more like torture, for no other reason than that his moments of lucidity were far, far too few.
Chen Xun glanced toward the rooms where Old Li and Li Yuanyuan slept, a trace of warmth surfacing in his eyes. But immediately afterward, the clarity in his gaze rapidly blurred beyond his control, turning "wise."
His features twisted, and a foolish, crazed grin spread across his face once more.
At last, he lay down, hugged his bedding, and fell asleep, a fragrant strand of drool dangling from the corner of his mouth.
The next day.
Chen Xun rose early and stood in the courtyard as usual, but he kept bobbing his head and grinning foolishly, occasionally making exaggerated gestures.
Li Yuan swept the snow from the courtyard with a broom. Every so often, she glanced at Chen Xun, shook her head helplessly, and smiled with her lips pressed together.
She could not help it. The way Chen Xun looked really was hilarious.
Yet Li Yuan was puzzled. Brother Chen had clearly seemed a little different over the last two days, but today, he seemed to have reverted.
Had Brother Chen only been so quiet these past two days because he was in a bad mood?
How strange. Come to think of it, could madmen be in bad moods too?
Sometimes, she really envied Brother Chen for living without a care in the world. Was that not a kind of happiness too?
"Chen Xun, we're out of firewood. You're coming up the mountain with me today to cut some. I can't let you keep lazing around."
Old Li came into the courtyard and spoke to Chen Xun.
A billhook was tucked into his waistband, and a coil of hemp rope rested on his shoulder.
"Heh heh heh."
Chen Xun turned and grinned at Old Li. There was no telling whether he had taken any of it in.
Old Li did not care. He went over, took hold of Chen Xun, and led him out of the courtyard.
"Yuanyuan, Chen Xun and I are going to cut firewood. Lock the door while you're home alone."
"I know, Grandpa. You and Brother Chen be careful."
On their way out of Little River Town, Chen Xun and Old Li met quite a few townspeople who greeted Old Li.
Little River Town was not large to begin with. Old Li taking Chen Xun in had long since ceased to be a secret.
To the townspeople, Old Li was far too softhearted. They could never take in a madman who did nothing but eat and drink at their expense.
Still, they were all grateful to Old Li from the bottom of their hearts. Ever since he had taken Chen Xun in, their lives had been much more peaceful.
Chen Xun and Old Li left Little River Town. Half an incense stick later, they arrived at a mountain outside town.
This mountain was the closest to Little River Town and rich in resources, so the townspeople had named it Little River Peak.
As the saying went, those beside water lived off the water, and those beside mountains lived off the mountains. Many townspeople made their living from Little River Peak, selling what they hunted, gathered, and so on.
Of course, danger lurked on every side of Little River Peak, and its wild beasts were ferocious.
People often heard of some hunter being eaten or seriously injured by wild beasts. Some even disappeared after entering Little River Peak.
Old Li was not worried. He never ventured high up or deep into Little River Peak to cut wood, generally gathering firewood around its foot instead.
Besides, most beasts hibernated in winter and were rarely seen.
"Hey, you've got quite some stamina, boy. Not a flushed face or a breath out of place. I really am getting old."
At the foot of Little River Peak, Old Li plopped down on a stump and spoke breathlessly as he looked at Chen Xun.
"Heh heh heh..."
Chen Xun seemed to be laughing at him.
Old Li gave a helpless smile. Once he had rested enough, he picked up his billhook and prepared to chop wood.
Naturally, he had never expected Chen Xun to cut trees. He had brought him along primarily for someone to talk to, and secondly so that, once the firewood was cut and bundled, each of them could carry a bundle home.
Time passed, and soon two hours had gone by.
Old Li had cut almost enough firewood and was tying it into bundles with hemp rope.
Throughout this time, Chen Xun had behaved himself, simply standing where he was without wandering off. Old Li was very pleased.
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Just then, the sound of footsteps trampling snow came from ahead.
Old Li's hands froze as he tied the firewood.
Chen Xun was right behind him, so naturally, he could not have made that noise.
Then...
As something occurred to him, Old Li's hands began to tremble. He jerked his head up and saw a huge beast crouching not far ahead, watching them with predatory eyes, poised to attack at any moment.
Old Li's pupils contracted sharply.
A b-black tiger!
Black tigers were unquestionably overlords among the beasts of Little River Peak. Normally, hunters could not get away from them fast enough. Who would have thought they would encounter one today?
Damn it, why would a black tiger be at the foot of Little River Peak?
Old Li dared not breathe loudly, yet his heart raced furiously. He was so tense he could barely breathe at all.
Despair rose in his heart. Glancing at Chen Xun from the corner of his eye, he said without hesitation, "Ch-Chen Xun, you... hurry, go..."
Anyone else would surely have left a mad fool like Chen Xun there to hold the black tiger up, buying more time and a better chance to escape.
But Old Li's first thought was to let Chen Xun escape with his life.
Chen Xun kept grinning to himself, seemingly unaware that danger had arrived.
Old Li knew he could not communicate with Chen Xun. All he could do was grit his teeth, grip the billhook tightly in both hands, and point it at the black tiger. His hands, however, were visibly trembling.
This was a black tiger. Even hunters armed with bows and arrows went weak in the knees at the sight of one, let alone an old man like Old Li.
After studying Chen Xun and Old Li for a moment, the black tiger seemed to decide they posed no threat. It began moving toward them, keeping low as it advanced one step at a time...
Old Li's face was deathly pale, and his legs could barely support him. He kept murmuring, "Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan..."
If he died, what would happen to his granddaughter?
And what would happen to Chen Xun? He was the one who had asked Chen Xun to come cut firewood. That meant he had brought Chen Xun to his death... Chen Xun was still so young...
Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Just then, Chen Xun suddenly walked in front of Old Li and dropped to all fours, adopting the posture of a beast, just as he had when chasing Old Li down the street that night.
"Grr! Grr! Grr!"
Chen Xun raised his head toward the approaching black tiger and let out low, beastlike growls.
It looked like the behavior of a madman with no regard for his own life.
But to Old Li, the sight was utterly unbelievable. His eyes reddened, and a jumble of emotions filled his heart.
"Chen Xun... good boy."
Truthfully, during all this time, Chen Xun had done nothing and lived entirely at his expense. Old Li had harbored at least a little resentment.
But the moment Chen Xun braved mortal danger and courageously shielded him, all that resentment vanished like smoke into thin air.
Before you continue