Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 423: Chapter 428 Pitiful Little Girl

Time passed like flowing water. Zhang Wenchang was shrouded in a heavy gloom, completely devoid of youthful vigor. In fact, his appearance was so aged that no one would believe he was a young man.

“Boss, bring a jar of wine and four small dishes,” Ye Fan said as he walked into the simple tavern.

Zhang Wenchang answered woodenly, like a heartless scarecrow. He mechanically brought over the wine jar and silently served the four dishes without uttering a single word.

“This useless old man is like the walking dead; you can hardly squeeze a word out of him. You heard what I just said to you, didn’t you?” one of the young men said with disgust.

“I heard.” Zhang Wenchang’s eyes were dim as he slowly cleaned up the tableware and wiped the table.

Having inexplicably arrived in this world, he lacked any talent for cultivation and suffered constant bullying from his fellow sect members. These past few years had been spent in quiet sorrow and decay, silently bearing it all.

“What are you yelling about?!” Ye Fan slapped the table and shot the young man a sidelong glance.

“What’s it to you? We’re talking to this old waste,” another young man retorted, looking over.

“Get lost. Don’t disturb my drinking,” Ye Fan replied, surveying them with contempt.

“Who do you think you are, acting so arrogantly?” All the young men stood up together, advancing menacingly with cold smirks.

“Sir, you should leave quickly,” Zhang Wenchang said woodenly to Ye Fan.

“You old man, get out of the way!” One of the young men stepped forward and shoved him, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

Zhang Wenchang’s temples were as white as frost. He steadied himself by holding onto a table and stood quietly to the side, saying no more, looking dejected and gloomy.

Several young men moved closer, all staring at Ye Fan, their faces bearing indifferent smiles. One pointed at his face and sneered, “Do you think you’re the Flickering Light Saint Heir or the Golden-winged Little Peng King?”

SPLASH!

Ye Fan slammed the wine bowl he was holding directly onto the young man’s face, submerging it completely. The man couldn’t even cry out as he was sent flying backward, landing in the street. He flailed for a moment before going still, drawing his last breath.

“Get lost!” Ye Fan uttered this single command, his expression extremely chilly.

The others were stunned, not expecting him to dare such a thing. After a long moment, one of them stammered, “Ji Hui’s great-grandnephew… he’s been killed…”

“You’ve got some nerve, killing someone from the Ji Family so casually!”

Ye Fan had no desire to stoop to their level, but upon hearing the name Ji Hui, his expression instantly turned glacial. “So what if I killed him?” he asked.

“You… just you wait!” The few remaining men turned to leave.

“Still daring to threaten me?” A cold smile touched Ye Fan’s lips. With a CLANG, he snatched the longsword from one of their hands.

THUD!

He swung the sword down, instantly cleaving one man’s head from his shoulders. The head flew off and landed in the street, while the corpse was simultaneously blasted away. Not a single drop of blood stained the small tavern.

“You…” The rest were horrified.

“I told you to get lost, yet you insisted on courting disaster!” A fire burned in Ye Fan’s heart. Seeing Zhang Wenchang bullied so, and then thinking about Ji Hui targeting him, he acted without mercy.

THUD! THUD!

He remained seated, swinging the sword repeatedly. Blood spurted as he cut down several men, sending all their bodies flying out into the street.

Everyone passing by was dumbfounded, trembling like cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe too loudly. Who is this person? He butchered all the Ji Family’s people! What a temper!

“He is the king among the young generation in Central States—Wang Chongxiao.”

“It’s him; I’ve seen him before.”

Someone whispered, their fear deepening.

Ye Fan remained as stable as Mt. Tai, his face calm. He had transformed into Wang Chongxiao’s appearance before entering the tavern, even matching his aura—forceful and ruthless.

For the past half-month, Wang Chongxiao had roamed the southern region, fighting everywhere and killing readily. Many young individuals had fallen at his hands, and some elders were so incensed they wanted to kill him themselves.

This king from the Central States has too many enemies; he himself might not even know how many. Even if a few more powerful foes were added to his list, he likely wouldn’t care, Ye Fan thought.

“How did you end up like this?” Ye Fan communicated using divine scan. He clearly remembered that before he left, Elder Yun Ma of Jade Cauldron Paradise had taken Zhang Wenchang as a disciple; his situation should have changed for the better.

Zhang Wenchang was shocked, staring at Ye Fan in a daze.

“Don’t be surprised. I’m Ye Fan. Just speak in your mind; that will suffice.”

Zhang Wenchang’s lips trembled. He bent over to wipe the tables and chairs, trying to conceal his reaction, afraid his agitation would be noticed.

“You should leave quickly. They are waiting for you to return; someone is watching in secret.”

A hint of coldness touched Ye Fan’s lips. He didn’t probe further, to avoid implicating Zhang Wenchang. He used his divine scan to erase his memory of what had just happened, leaving him completely unaware.

Ye Fan planned to gather the Undying Divine Medicine to help restore Zhang Wenchang’s youth, and he didn’t want to cause too much commotion for now.

Zhang Wenchang experienced a momentary daze; everything that had just transpired vanished from his mind, leaving him unaware of what had occurred.

Three years had passed. His condition was very poor; he had opened a small tavern here merely to eke out a living. For someone from Paramita, a realm beyond the starry sky, this was an inexplicable sorrow.

His eyes lacked vitality; he was like the walking dead. His only solace was lying on the rooftop each night, gazing at the starry sky, thinking of his wife and the child he had never seen, tears often rolling down his cheeks.

I want to help you change all this, Ye Fan murmured to himself.

He left the tavern, shedding Wang Chongxiao’s appearance. He had no desire to face the enemies of this combative young king from the Central States, though he didn’t mind leaving him to deal with the trouble.

Not long after, he saw elders from the Ji Family’s Dragon Transformation Secret Realm arrive. Naturally, they found nothing and departed empty-handed.

Ye Fan wandered aimlessly down the street. Suddenly, his expression enlivened, and he quickened his pace, for he had spotted that little girl again.

She was pitifully begging a portly man, but his roar frightened her. She timidly retreated, lowering her head to stare at her worn shoes, with holes exposing her toes, not daring to say another word.

Ye Fan strode over and stood a short distance away, observing her quietly. He hoped to find something different about her, but he was disappointed; his powerful spiritual perception detected nothing unusual.

The little girl, still frightened from her recent encounter, no longer dared to beg from passersby. Wiping her tears in distress, she walked forward with her head down, nearly bumping into people several times.

She was terrified, afraid of being scolded again. She lowered her head even further, looking utterly pitiful.

Ye Fan couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He appeared before her, squatted down, and looked at her gently.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” The little girl, advancing with her head down and a dazed look, almost bumped into him. Tears glistened in her eyes; she was very afraid.

“Don’t you recognize me?” Ye Fan smiled, watching her quietly.

“You are… that kind-hearted big brother.” The little girl’s eyes widened. She wiped away her tears, her expression grateful.

Ye Fan patted her head. “Don’t you have any family?”

The little girl blinked her large eyes and shook her head in confusion. “No, the pitiful little girl doesn’t remember anything.”

“Don’t remember anything?” Something is definitely unusual, Ye Fan thought, and couldn’t help but inquire further.

“Every once in a while, the pitiful little girl forgets everything from the past, without a single trace of memory. In a few days, I might even forget you, big brother,” the little girl said, her head lowered, sounding somewhat dejected.

Why would this happen? Ye Fan wondered, feeling dubious and uncertain.

“The pitiful little girl doesn’t know either. It seems I’ve forgotten many things. I don’t know where I came from or where I’m going. Others have family, but I don’t. The pitiful little girl is very lonely and very sad.” The little girl kept her head down, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Shall I take you to get something to eat?” Ye Fan asked softly.

“Okay.” The little girl nodded obediently, a hopeful look in her eyes. “The pitiful little girl is very hungry. I haven’t eaten for many days.”

Ye Fan took her for a sumptuous lunch. Afterward, he examined her carefully but frowned, still unable to find anything unusual. Why is it like this?

This little girl is obviously quite out of the ordinary, but why can’t I detect anything? Doubts arose in his heart.

“Big brother… this is for you.”

From her tattered clothes, the little girl took out a crystal-clear small stone. It flowed with seven kinds of light and was clearly no ordinary item.

What is this? Ye Fan wondered in surprise.

“The pitiful little girl doesn’t know either. Every time I forget the past, a little stone like this appears. It’s edible and very sweet. It can keep the pitiful little girl from being hungry for many days.” The little girl held it up high, offering it to Ye Fan to express her gratitude.

Ye Fan held it in his palm, observing it carefully. He couldn’t make out what it was, but this knuckle-sized, transparent little stone was certainly not mundane.

“Pitiful little girl, you should keep it safe,” Ye Fan said, wanting to return it to her.

But the little girl kept backing away, shaking her head. “Big brother, please accept it. Otherwise, the pitiful little girl has nothing to repay your kindness with.”

Ye Fan squatted down and sighed softly. It was heartbreaking to hear such a young child speak of repayment.

The little girl was very stubborn. She stuffed the crystal-clear stone into his hand, refusing to take it back under any circumstances. Ye Fan had no choice but to accept it. He intended to ponder what it was and perhaps unveil the mystery of the little girl’s origin.

Seeing him stand up as if to leave, the little girl lowered her head, looking at her shoes with the toe holes. Her small hands clutched a corner of her ragged clothes as she whispered, almost inaudibly, “Big brother…”

“What is it?” Ye Fan asked with a smile.

“I… can I follow you?” The little girl was very nervous, a hopeful look on her face. She lowered her head and said softly, “The pitiful little girl is very obedient. I can wash clothes, wipe the floor… I can learn anything.”

“I’m going to be busy with some things recently…”

“Oh, the pitiful little girl understands.” The little girl’s head drooped so low it nearly touched her chest. She slowly turned, about to leave.

“I haven’t finished speaking yet. I’m very busy and might not be able to take good care of you. However, if you can wait for a while, I’ll take you with me when I leave.” Ye Fan naturally wouldn’t let this poor child wander the streets again.

“Really?” The little girl suddenly lifted her head, her pure, large eyes shining with delight. She looked very happy and joyful.

“Let’s go. I’ll arrange for you to stay in an inn. Wait patiently for my return.” Ye Fan chose an inn next to Zhang Wenchang’s small tavern.

“While I’m gone, you can go to that little tavern to pass the time. Talk more with that old man,” Ye Fan advised with a smile.

“The pitiful little girl understands. I won’t wander off,” the little girl nodded obediently.

Zhang Wenchang misses the child he has never seen. If the pitiful little girl enters his life, hopefully, it will bring him some comfort, Ye Fan mused.

「Five days later」

The Ancient Hua Dynasty and the Yin Yang Sect finally took action, entering the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land. Ye Fan knew his opportunity was approaching!

If they failed, it would be his turn to act. On the nine sacred mountains, there was the Undying Divine Medicine and the nine dragons pulling the coffin. He looked forward to it with anticipation.

Many people had gathered at the edge of the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land, all waiting nervously for the outcome. Members of the two major powers had already entered the Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land.

However, after only a brief interval, cries of alarm went up as everyone looked towards the sky.

“The divine armor flew out!”

“Indeed, it’s the divine armor of the ancient sages!”

A set of golden armor, shimmering with light that pierced the heavens, flew out by itself. It was humanoid in shape, holding a Golden Holy Sword and carrying a Golden Divine Bow, yet no one was wearing it.

The extraordinary divine armor, imbued with Spirit Communication, autonomously flew back. It possessed its own life. From within the golden armor, fragments drifted down.

“Those are ashes!”

“Heavens! The people who went in turned to ash so quickly, obliterated by the power of time!”

“The Ancient Desolation Forbidden Land is truly terrifying; it annihilates all powerful cultivators in the world!”

At the same time, people were shocked. The ancient sages’ extraordinary divine armor was incredibly powerful; it hadn’t been destroyed inside and had autonomously flown out, leaving everyone amazed.

“The divine armor, possessing a spirit, must have felt threatened and dared not venture deeper. It was likely that it could not even protect itself if it approached the sacred mountains.”

Ye Fan felt a great sense of reassurance. My chance will come very soon! he thought with anticipation.