Eternal Tale

However, he listened, but Zhou Guangdai and Zhou Guanghan didn’t.

They often went to find their Sister Heling. Zhou Guangdai would ask about academic matters, while Zhou Guanghan was a bit more carefree.

She just liked to accompany Sister Heling, often playing with Black Bull and Little Chi, living carefree and without ambition, only having some longing for the martial world, very simple-minded.

”Second sister, third sister, let’s go home.”

Zhou Guangyi looked at Little Chi on the ground and smiled, ”Little Chi, you should head home too, it’s getting late.”

”Woof woof~” Little Chi glanced disdainfully at the kids, leaped up, and instantly jumped onto the wall.

Bang bang~~!

”Oh no, that darn Little Chi is in my yard stealing chickens again?!”

”Chase it away.”

”Woof woof woof!”……

Little Chi grinned widely, letting out a few loud farts on the ground, causing chaos and disorder along the way, livening up the alley.

Zhou Guangyi and the others pointed and laughed from a distance, all with the hearts of children, slowly making their way home.

Outside the alley.

The old blind man was slowly tidying up his drawing table. Although there had been a scuffle nearby, it somehow didn’t affect this place at all, not even disturbing the papers.

He rolled up quite a few things, leaning on a decayed cane, slowly making his way into the alley, his posture much more upright than before.

What the old blind man didn’t know was that a divine sense had been watching over him, only withdrawing once he safely returned to his ancestral home.

The old blind man’s house was pitch black, with not a single light.

Only a table and a bed inside were exceptionally tidy, with hot food and a pot of wine prepared on the table, the aroma wafting for miles.

He seemed accustomed to it, slowly walking up the steps into the inner room, his vacant eyes never moving, a faint smile on his lips: ”Chen Xun, you are thoughtful.”

The old blind man sat down unhurriedly, eating the food in the pitch-dark ancestral home, but his heart was filled with light, the ancestral home serene and harmonious.

His face always bore a smile, meaningful, as if no one could fathom its significance.

Perhaps, this old blind man was indeed a remarkable person, different from worldly eccentrics, an extraordinary figure in the world of immortals, someone even Chen Xun couldn’t fully understand...

……

The next day, before dawn, all was silent.

A gentle breeze blew, with only the faint morning wind rustling through the treetops, gently stirring the flowers and leaves, creating an almost inaudible rustling sound.

Zhou Guangyi had quietly risen, nervously holding a wooden stick as he walked through the alley, a light mist enveloping the world, soft tendrils of fog swirling, shrouding everything in a hazy veil.

He took a deep breath, feeling refreshed, the lingering drowsiness blown away by the mist.

On many old trees in the alley, only a few early birds chirped softly on the branches. Zhou Guangyi walked along, smiling and watching them, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

He wondered if Brother Xun and the others were up yet, hoping not to disturb them.

Chen Xun’s house was easy to recognize, as the door was engraved with a long string of characters: Chen Xun, Ximen Black Bull, Nangong Heling, Beiming Red Lion’s home!

The neighbors didn’t know what it meant, having inquired but only considering it one of Brother Chen Xun’s peculiar habits, leaving it be since it was engraved on his own door.

Standing in front of the door, Zhou Guangyi took another deep breath, shivering from the cold.

He listened quietly for any sounds inside, but it was too quiet, indicating they hadn’t risen yet. He decided to wait there, occasionally shivering, his nose starting to run.

Buzz~

The door slowly opened, and a calm, serene voice came from inside: ”Kid, come in, don’t catch a cold.”

”Brother Xun!” Zhou Guangyi’s eyes lit up upon hearing the familiar voice. It turned out they were already up, Sister Heling was reading, and Black Bull stood under a tree, lost in thought.

Little Chi was curled up under a tattered quilt beside Black Bull, seemingly engaged in some sort of exchange.

He chuckled foolishly, holding the wooden stick as he walked in, quickly closing the door behind him. The courtyard was so clean, and for some reason, he felt a sense of peace upon entering.

It seemed as if the world outside and the world inside were different, even the cold seemed to dissipate...

”Guangyi, have you eaten?” Nangong Heling asked with a gentle smile, ”I made some flower cakes today, take some home after practicing martial arts.”

”Ah... Thank you, Sister Heling.” Zhou Guangyi was taken aback, gripping the wooden stick tighter without realizing it.

”Third sister, I remember when I first saw this kid, he was so short.” Chen Xun turned his head, gesturing with his hand, ”In the blink of an eye, he’s grown so much. Boys do grow faster than girls.”

”Hmph, big brother, are you saying I’m growing slowly!” Nangong Heling wrinkled her nose, giving Chen Xun a fierce look, ”I’ve grown up, don’t mention the past anymore.”

”Tsk~”

Chen Xun waved his hand with a sigh, ”Still just a kid, keep reading, the insights from these books shouldn’t be neglected, your big brother finds them quite enlightening.”

”Oh~” Little Crane giggled and resumed reading, lest she be scolded by her big brother again.

Zhou Guangyi lowered his head, his eyes widening slightly. Sister Heling was always so knowledgeable and graceful in front of others, someone he admired the most. He didn’t expect her to act like a little sister in front of Brother Xun.

He lowered his head further, not daring to look at them. As a ’person of the martial world,’ he shouldn’t pry into others’ family matters.

”Zhou Guangyi.”

”Brother Xun!”

Zhou Guangyi shivered, suddenly lifting his head, standing tall and proud, for he was here to learn martial arts!

”You came a bit early, didn’t we say at sunrise?”

”Heh, heh heh, then Brother Xun, I’ll wait outside, not to disturb you.” Zhou Guangyi scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, intending to leave when Chen Xun called him back.

”Since you’re here, accompany me in meditation for a while.”

”Oh, oh okay.”

Zhou Guangyi was a bit dazed, puzzled as to why martial arts required meditation, but he nodded, ”I’ll do whatever Brother Xun says.”

”Come, to the rooftop.”

Chen Xun waved, calling in another direction, ”Bull, bring our ladder.”

”Moo? Moo moo?”

”Yes, the ladder we used to pick peaches from that unclaimed land.”

”Moo!”

Black Bull nodded, charging towards the backyard, while Little Chi remained motionless under the quilt, its purpose unknown.

Before long.

Chen Xun and Zhou Guangyi climbed to the rooftop, overlooking the intricate network of alleys, the densely packed courtyards all in view.

A hint of joy flashed in Zhou Guangyi’s eyes, his heart inexplicably opening up, perhaps due to the morning breeze, or perhaps because of the distant horizon beyond the alley.