Starting Cultivation During a Trip

After all, before the age of twelve, he had lived here all along.

”Not much has changed.”

The old surroundings evoked many memories for Zhang Fan. He remembered that back then, the family of three lived in an old house. His parents left early and returned late, and sometimes when there was no food at home, they would have him go to the alley entrance to buy some marinated food.

At that time, Zhang Fan’s family was like most ordinary families; their days weren’t affluent, but they were happy.

”There used to be quite a few stalls here.” Zhang Fan walked to the alley entrance.

He remembered walking home from school; every time he would pass by this alley entrance, before nightfall, there were many stalls: tossed vegetables, roasted duck, wrapped meat, fried tofu... nearly all were food.

”Xiao Fan... is that Xiao Fan!?”

Just then, a gruff voice rang out, pulling Zhang Fan’s thoughts over.

At the entrance of the alley, there was a solitary stall set up, and a thin middle-aged man, wearing a white apron, was making pancakes.

He squinted, scanning Zhang Fan up and down, as if he recognized him.

”You are...”

”Tsk tsk... So many years without seeing you, and you’ve grown into a young man... Don’t remember?” The thin middle-aged man put down his work, wiping his oily hands on his apron.

”Feng Ping’an... It’s your Uncle Feng... You used to eat Uncle Wang’s pancakes every day when you were a kid...” Feng Ping’an grinned.

”Uncle Feng!? I remember now...”

Zhang Fan slapped his forehead. Ever since he could remember, Feng Ping’an had been here making pancakes. Back then, a pancake with an egg and a sausage was only two yuan.

When he was in elementary school, Zhang Lingzong would leave fifty yuan with Feng Ping’an’s pancake stall every month.

Little Zhang Fan would grab a pancake for breakfast as he passed by in the morning.

”Uncle Feng, all these years, you’re still setting up your stall here,” Zhang Fan couldn’t help but say.

He glanced around and couldn’t help feeling a bit strange. There were hardly any residents left nearby, and setting up a pancake stall here probably couldn’t even cover the water and electricity bills.

”Getting older, don’t feel like moving anymore.” Feng Ping’an grinned as he spoke.

”Xiao Fan, how many years has it been since you last came back, must be seven or eight years now.”

”Seven or eight years!?” Zhang Fan’s heart stirred slightly.

After moving away ten years ago, in his memory, it seemed he never came back.

”Uncle Feng, I came back after moving?”

”A few times, your dad brought you back...” Feng Ping’an said lightly, ”Just a few times, not often. But your dad, he came back often.”

”My dad? You’re saying after moving, my dad often returned here?” Zhang Fan couldn’t help asking.

”Yeah, almost every week.” Feng Ping’an said casually.

”Ah!?”

Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, involuntarily looking towards that deep alley. He didn’t expect that after moving, Zhang Lingzong would actually come to the old house every week...

What was he coming for?

”So many years have passed, I still remember how your parents looked when they just moved here, back when they were just newlyweds...” Feng Ping’an’s face showed a hint of reminiscence.

”That must have been more than twenty years ago...”

Zhang Fan murmured softly, unable to resist asking, ”Uncle Feng, can you tell me about my parents?”

”Back then... your parents were a young couple, their relationship... how to put it?” Feng Ping’an paused, looking a bit embarrassed.

”Why? Were they not getting along?” Zhang Fan raised his eyebrows, couldn’t help asking.

”Not exactly bad, just your dad had some issues at that time... so he often couldn’t control himself and got physical with your mom.” Feng Ping’an said softly.

After all, it was an old house, not much soundproofing. Back then, neighbors often heard things crashing and the sounds of fights from Zhang Fan’s house.

Furthermore, Zhang Lingzong was a man of few words in daily life. People in the alley secretly gossiped, saying the man from the Zhang family was abusive, beating his wife right after getting married.

But the lady of the Zhang family was quite resilient, such noise, yet she never was heard making a sound or calling out.

”Issues? What kind of issues did my dad have?” Zhang Fan asked solemnly.

”Back when they just got married, he often couldn’t remember things, sometimes even failed to recognize your mom.”

At these words, Zhang Fan’s eye twitched sharply, and the four words ”Great Night” almost instinctively surfaced, ready to speak out from his heart.

”Great Night!?”

Zhang Fan knew that Zhang Lingzong had also cultivated [Divine Demon Holy Embryo], and if one practiced this technique, they must undergo the Great Night of Darkness.

Once caught in this tribulation, the main symptoms were loss of cultivation and memory.

Feng Ping’an’s description made Zhang Fan instinctively think of the Great Night.

More than twenty years ago, when dad and mom just got married, perhaps they were caught in the Great Night of Darkness!?

”However, after you were born, your dad seemed to no longer have the issue.” Feng Ping’an looked at the silent Zhang Fan, quickly added.

”After I was born?” Zhang Fan pondered.

At that time, Zhang Lingzong should have already escaped the tribulation!

All who cultivate [Divine Demon Holy Embryo], every time they enter the Great Night, their cultivation recedes, their memory fades, but once they escape, it’s like being reborn, their strength skyrocketing.

Since the birth of this Inner Core Technique, there have been very few cultivators, yet the strongest among them escaped the Great Night of Darkness nine times, having already transcended the Three-Five Transformation, joining the ranks of Earthly Immortals.

”However...”

Just then, Feng Ping’an’s voice rose again, his expression rather solemn.

”Ten years ago, after your mom’s accident, your dad’s old problem seemed to have recurred.”

”What?” Zhang Fan’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

”He couldn’t remember a lot of things... I heard he mentioned seeing a doctor...”

”Ghost Doctor of Yin Mountain!?”

The scene of visiting the Ghost Doctor of Yin Mountain surfaced in Zhang Fan’s mind. Back then, he thought Zhang Lingzong was taking him for a checkup, but the granddaughter of the Ghost Doctor of Yin Mountain recalled that when they were young, the one who came for checkups every time was Zhang Lingzong.

At that time, Zhang Fan didn’t understand why.

”Great Night of Darkness? Could it be that Dad entered the tribulation again!?”

Zhang Fan’s heart leaped wildly. If this were true, then he could understand why Dad had to hide with him in Yujing City for ten years, not telling him anything.

”Uncle Feng, when was the last time you saw my dad?” Zhang Fan couldn’t help asking.

This trip wasn’t in vain after all.

”Last month... Early last month, I think.” Feng Ping’an recalled.

”Early last month... Just when Dad went missing.” Zhang Fan pondered.

”Uncle Feng, is my dad’s illness getting better? Did he ever mention it to you?”

”It’s not better yet.”

Feng Ping’an shook his head, ”Last month when I saw him, he said he was going out for treatment, to a faraway place, and might not return for a while.”

Hearing this, Zhang Fan fell silent.

This was rather bad news.

He didn’t expect Dad to still be in tribulation.

The Great Night of Darkness, each time more perilous than the last, yet Zhang Lingzong evidently didn’t enter the tribulation for the first time, so unlike Zhang Fan, he hadn’t forgotten past matters.

He must have his own way to escape the tribulation.

But in such a state, he was still extremely perilous.

”Xiao Fan... Xiao Fan...”

At this moment, Feng Ping’an’s call sounded again, bringing Zhang Fan’s thoughts back.

”What?”

”You don’t have to worry too much, your dad has been working on construction sites for years, his body is still quite strong.” Feng Ping’an whispered, ”Maybe next time he comes back, the illness will be cured.”

”Yeah, I know.” Zhang Fan nodded, ”Uncle Feng, I have to go, I have things to do.”

”Since you’re here, let Uncle make you a pancake.”

As he spoke, Feng Ping’an bent down to light the fire, but tried repeatedly without success.

”Uncle, is it out of gas?”

Hearing this, Feng Ping’an bent to lift the gas tank from under the stall and shook it.

”Apparently, it really is out of gas.” Feng Ping’an showed an embarrassed look.

”Uncle, I’ll try your cooking next time.” Zhang Fan greeted, turning to leave.

”Uncle will wait for you, remember to visit often.”

Feng Ping’an called lightly, watching Zhang Fan’s figure gradually fade into the distance, then slowly retracted his gaze, staring at his pancake stall.

”The fifth time... it’s not something that’s easily cured.”

As the words fell, Feng Ping’an raised his hand, tapping on the iron plate for making pancakes, a wisp of flame rose robustly, bright and captivating!!