The more Jiang Fan thought about it, the greater the shock in his heart grew.
And so he once again asked himself a question he had asked before.
Who on earth was this Crazy Old Man?!
Only after a long while did Jiang Fan gather his thoughts and look again at the things inside the wooden box.
"What exactly are these?"
"Weight rings," Crazy Old Man replied.
Then, without waiting for Jiang Fan to ask any more questions, he continued explaining.
"I see you running up and down Plow Mountain every day. You must be trying to strengthen your physique. But just running like that does next to nothing for your body. Wear these weight rings forged from alloy, though, and your training will yield twice the results with half the effort."
Jiang Fan was startled again, wondering how Crazy Old Man knew he trained on Plow Mountain every day.
At that thought, Jiang Fan looked through the window toward Plow Mountain.
Although the cemetery's management office stood at the foot of Plow Mountain, the trees on the mountain were so dense they could be described as blotting out the sky and sun. From this angle, it was impossible to make out anything up there.
Far too curious to hold back, Jiang Fan asked, "Looking toward Plow Mountain from here, you shouldn't be able to see clearly. Even if your eyesight is good enough to vaguely make out someone on the mountain, there's no way you could see my face, right?"
Crazy Old Man gave a derisive chuckle and sat on the bench with one leg propped up on it. "Let me tell you, I was once refined in Supreme Lord Lao's Eight Trigrams Furnace. That gave me a pair of Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils."
As Crazy Old Man spoke, he imitated Sun Xingzhe, blinking over and over as though golden light really were shining from his eyes.
The sight reminded Jiang Fan of Sun Xingzhe leaping out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and then blinding all the gods with his hundred-thousand-volt eyes.
In the end, the corner of his mouth twitched speechlessly.
"If you don't want to tell me, I won't ask. But I'm curious. What's the difference between these alloy weight rings and the ordinary weight rings on the market? If all they do is add weight, I might as well just get an ordinary set."
"That's where your ignorance shows, doesn't it? Don't doubt me, and don't think these alloy weight rings are the same as the ones on the market. Let me tell you why these alloys are so expensive. It's because the ores used to make them are very special. The magnetic fields within the ores mesh exquisitely with the flow of the human body's qi and blood. So wearing weight rings made from these special alloys won't just increase the weight you carry. They'll also imperceptibly strengthen your physique and promote the circulation of qi and blood."
An expression of realization appeared on Jiang Fan's face as he listened to Crazy Old Man's explanation.
"Are all of these for me?"
"I do intend to give you all of them, but with your current strength, you can only wear the F-grade alloy ones at most. Leave the rest here with me for now. Come get them once you've grown stronger."
Before Crazy Old Man had even finished speaking, Jiang Fan eagerly took the F-grade alloy weight rings out of the wooden box.
Jiang Fan noticed signs of wear on the weight rings. "Someone's used these?"
Crazy Old Man opened his mouth, then walked to the window with a heavy heart and gazed at the cemetery in the darkness.
"These were custom-made for my precious grandson. Sadly, he passed away when he'd only gotten as far as the E-grade alloy ones."
Jiang Fan followed Crazy Old Man's gaze, frowning at the rows of cold gravestones.
"Are you really giving me something that means so much to you?"
Crazy Old Man waved a dismissive hand. "Objects are dead; people are alive. Your martial talent is nowhere near my grandson's, but you've been a grandson to me for several days, after all, taking such good care of me. You can have them."
Those few words made the sympathy Jiang Fan had just felt vanish like smoke in the wind.
He strongly suspected Crazy Old Man had meant the second "grandson" as an insult.
Jiang Fan crouched down, rolled up his trouser legs, and put on the F-grade alloy weight rings. Then he tried to walk.
But he discovered that it felt as though an enormous force had wrapped around his ankles. For a moment, he could not even lift his feet.
Crazy Old Man curled his lip, looking as though he had expected this all along.
"Don't rush. Take it slowly. Everyone starts by crawling when they're born. That's what I told my grandson back then, too. Here's my advice: you can start by crawling."
Jiang Fan turned to look at him. "Are you serious?"
"What's so embarrassing about that? Back then, my grandson-"
"Crawled too?"
"Of course not! My grandson was extraordinarily gifted, and his willpower far surpassed that of ordinary people. He resolutely kept his spine straight, and it took him only a quarter of an hour to walk normally. As for you, your qi and blood are so low I can't even sense them. I reckon you'll need at least five hours before you can walk normal-"
Before Crazy Old Man could finish, he saw Jiang Fan grit his teeth and try to walk.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Go on, keep pushing beyond your limits. This old man is going back inside for a drink."
Just as Crazy Old Man stepped one leg over the threshold, he suddenly heard a sound.
He whipped his head around. The next instant, his pupils abruptly dilated, and disbelief filled his face.
Jiang Fan was walking through gritted teeth. He was exerting tremendous force, veins bulging on his forehead and beads of sweat the size of beans covering his face. His legs, in particular, had been rubbed raw by the weight rings, drawing crimson blood.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
He walked faster and faster, his steps growing steadier and steadier.
Crazy Old Man's mouth fell wider and wider open. Only after a long while did he find his voice. When he spoke, he no longer sounded as flaky as usual. Instead, there was a measure of seriousness in his tone.
"Kid, why are you pushing yourself so desperately?"
Jiang Fan tugged at his pale lips, his gaze resolute. "Because I don't want to see my family buried in this cold earth."
Those words stirred a thousand feelings in Crazy Old Man!
Crazy Old Man stood rooted to the spot like a block of wood, his throat growing increasingly bitter. He looked toward a certain spot in the cemetery, at three gravestones standing side by side.
That was where his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson lay buried, beneath that cold earth.
Only after gazing for who knew how long did Crazy Old Man look away. When he looked back at Jiang Fan, he found that Jiang Fan could already walk normally and was heading forward, step by step, moving farther and farther away.
The sight once again brought a look of disbelief to his face.
How many minutes had it been? It seemed like not even two minutes, and this kid could already walk normally?
While he was still marveling, he noticed that Jiang Fan had already left the cemetery and was heading into the distance.
"Where are you going?"
Without turning his head, Jiang Fan replied, "To climb the mountain."
What?!
Crazy Old Man could not believe his ears. He had only just adapted to the weight of the F-grade alloy, and he was already going to climb the mountain?
Everyone called him a madman, but as far as he was concerned, this kid was the real madman.
For the time that followed, Crazy Old Man sat in a reclining chair with his wine flask, watching Jiang Fan go up and down the mountain. Suddenly, he sat upright, a rare look of excitement appearing on his face.
"This is getting more and more interesting..."