Chapter 123: Meeting Fatty Two Again

However, Grandfather shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Child, I do not know about her affairs. But I have watched you grow up; do you think I cannot guess what is in your heart?"

I lowered my head, remaining silent.

Grandfather then continued, "You should know that before I came to Old Boundary Ridge to serve as the Mountain God, Weiyang was already living in the Forest of Returning Treasures. She is very mysterious; I only know she has a profound connection to the Ghost Path, yet she has no contact with outsiders. Therefore, I have never been able to confirm her true identity."

"However, most descendants of the Phoenix Clan living in the world today conceal their names. Because they live in defiance of the Heavenly Way, if the Heavenly Way were to discover them, it would not tolerate their existence and would bring down a lethal tribulation. Beyond that, there are greedy individuals driven by avarice, for the Phoenix Clan possesses Phoenix Bile and Phoenix Blood—treasures comparable to Dragon Pearls and Dragon Essence—things they dream of obtaining."

Grandfather did not elaborate further on this topic. He simply looked at me, as if letting me grasp his meaning on my own. In truth, his intent was clear: he, too, suspected that Weiyang might be a descendant of the Phoenix Clan.

After a pause, Grandfather added, "Child, even if your guess is true, there is something you must consider carefully."

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Phoenix Clan is reborn through fire. After rebirth, it is a fresh start. She would be like a blank sheet of paper, remembering nothing of the past—including you. So, if your conjecture is true and you truly manage to see her again, in her eyes, you will be a stranger," Grandfather said.

This was something I had not considered. I fell silent for a moment before replying, "Actually, a few months ago, she was a stranger to me as well... no, she was a female ghost more terrifying than any stranger."

Grandfather seemed slightly surprised that I would say such a thing.

"None of that matters to me."

Once I finished, Grandfather merely sighed softly and said nothing more.

Later, Grandfather returned to the Mountain God Temple. Hua Yuyan approached and sat down beside me, saying, "Lin Yi, if you wish to search for the Wutong Forest, I can accompany you!"

"Yuyan, really... you don't have to do this," I said.

She smiled faintly and replied, "Lin Yi, if my presence makes you feel awkward, I should not be following you. So, please just treat me as your friend—even if only an ordinary friend. You do not need to feel indebted to me or pity me. Since we are friends, helping you and seeing you happy is what I want to do. I believe what the Flower Maiden said; Weiyang will surely return."

"Thank you," I said.

"Friends don't need to say thank you," she replied.

I looked at her and nodded slightly.

Afterward, I made a trip deep into the mountains of Old Boundary Ridge, to the place where my mother had vanished.

Once I arrived, the Mountain Spirit appeared.

I had intended to ask it about my father, but it knew nothing. I then asked if it knew of the White Dragon Clan, but it only shook its head.

With no results to be found, I had to return to the Mountain God Temple.

However, when I returned, Hua Yuyan was nowhere to be found.

When I asked Grandfather, he said he had not seen her either, assuming she had gone into the mountains with me. To be honest, I was worried about her. She had exhausted half of her vital energy to save me and was severely weakened; she could barely use her arts now. If she encountered someone with ill intentions, she would be in danger.

I wondered if she had gone to the Forest of Returning Treasures. Just as I was about to head out to look for her, I saw her walking back along the mountain path.

I asked where she had been, and she said she had gone to our village.

I was puzzled and asked why she had suddenly gone there. She explained that a few days ago, when we burned incense at the new grave on Old Grave Slope before heading up the mountain, she had felt as if someone were watching us. Thinking it strange, she had gone down to investigate today.

Seeing she was in good spirits, I asked if she had found any clues.

Hua Yuyan told me she had indeed found something. There were footprints near the new grave, and the ash in the incense burner had increased significantly, with both old and new layers, suggesting that someone was visiting the grave to burn incense every single day.

"The one burning the incense must be Erpang!" I exclaimed.

Since Erpang was visiting his mother's grave daily, he must be living in the village.

"Let's go back to the village," I said. This news excited me greatly. I had been wanting to find Erpang to ask him what had happened, and now I finally had a chance.

"Alright."

Hua Yuyan agreed, and we set off for the village immediately.

Of course, since Erpang was already in the village yet hadn't shown himself, it meant he was hiding from me. Therefore, we took the back paths. Upon reaching the village, we circled around to the small woods behind the village and quietly approached Erpang’s house. I peered over the wall, carefully scanning the courtyard, but Erpang was nowhere to be seen.

The village had long been abandoned, and other courtyards were overgrown with weeds, but Erpang's yard was clean. It seemed he was indeed staying in the village.

His front gate was bolted from the inside. I climbed over the wall and searched the house, but still found no sign of him.

It appeared he wasn't home.

With no other choice, I climbed back out, and Hua Yuyan and I waited in the nearby woods for him to appear.

Yet, we waited until nightfall, and still, Erpang did not return.

Hua Yuyan thought for a moment and whispered, "Lin Yi, your friend is very vigilant. Do you think he discovered our trail and is intentionally avoiding us?"

That was a real possibility. Although we were careful entering the village, those small paths were ones Erpang and I had frequented since childhood; he knew every one of them. Even the woods where we were hiding were a place we had played in as children.

"Perhaps we should wait at Old Grave Slope. Since he didn't show himself during the day, I suspect he might go there to burn incense at night."

Hua Yuyan's logic was sound.

So, we made our way to Old Grave Slope along the small paths.

However, I kept my guard up. As we neared the location, we deliberately took a detour into the mountains, approaching from a pathless area to hide on the opposite side of the slope.

Having staked out the village all day without seeing him, he was clearly hiding. By doing this, we hoped to make Erpang think we had grown tired of waiting and moved deeper into the mountains, causing him to lower his guard.

The night was dim, and an eerie wind whistled across Old Grave Slope.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, a dark figure appeared in the distance. As he drew closer, I could see he was wearing a black robe, his face buried deep within it, making it impossible to see clearly. However, I clearly remembered the way Erpang had looked when he returned the Mountain God Token, and I was even more familiar with his gait. I was certain it was him.

Once Erpang appeared, he walked straight to the new grave, knelt down, lit incense, and burned paper money.

"Mom," he said, "I'm leaving today. Forgive your son for being unfilial; I'm afraid I won't be able to come see you anymore. But here on Old Grave Slope, all our neighbors from the Lin family are buried. I hope you won't feel lonely..."

"Also, I saw my boss living in the Mountain God Temple in the mountains. When he sees your grave and it's time to offer incense, he will surely come to pay his respects..."

Erpang said a great deal, his voice choking with sobs as he spoke.

When he finished, he stood up, seemingly ready to leave.

I was grateful Hua Yuyan had found that clue; otherwise, Erpang would have left today, and finding him again would have been incredibly difficult.

"Erpang!" I shouted.

He was already preparing to leave, but at my shout, he paused and looked back toward us. However, he only glanced once and, without answering, walked away with hurried steps.

Seeing this, I immediately ran down the slope, pursued him, and blocked his path.

"Erpang, where are you going?" I asked.

He did not answer but tried to skirt around me. I moved to block his path again. He looked up at me, his face submerged in the shadows of his black robe, leaving only his eyes visible. They were red; he had just been crying at the grave.

"Lin Yi, move aside," he said, his voice ice-cold.

I shook my head, refusing to budge. "Erpang, what on earth has happened?"

"It has nothing to do with you," he replied.

"You are my brother! How can you say it has nothing to do with me?" His words stung, and I couldn't help but roar at him.

Still, he did not answer, attempting to bypass me once more. I reached out to stop him. "Erpang! If something has happened, you don't have to carry it alone. We are brothers; I can carry it with you! Just like when we were kids—whenever others bullied me, you stood in front of me and took the blows for me..."

As I said this, Erpang turned his gaze away.