Chapter 424: Little Nannan

Time flowed like water. Zhang Wenchang was engulfed in an old-age weariness, lacking any youthful vigor. In fact, his face was so aged that no one would have guessed he was a young man.

“Bartender, a pot of wine and four small dishes,” Ye Fan said as he entered the simple tavern.

Zhang Wenchang responded woodenly, like a soulless scarecrow. Mechanically, he presented the wine jar and silently brought four small plates of food, without uttering a single word.

“This useless old man is like a corpse; he can’t even string a sentence together. Did you hear what I just said to you?” the young man asked with great disdain.

“I heard,” Zhang Wenchang replied, his eyes dim as he slowly cleared the dishes and wiped the table.

Having inexplicably arrived in this world, he possessed no cultivation talent and endured constant bullying from his peers. For several years, he had lived in gloom and despair, silently bearing it all.

“What are you yelling about?!” Ye Fan slammed his hand on the table and shot a sideways glance at the young man.

“What business is it of yours? We’re talking to this old good-for-nothing,” another young man retorted, looking over.

“Get lost. Don’t disturb my drinking,” Ye Fan said, sweeping a disdainful gaze over him.

“Who are you to be so arrogant?” The young men all stood up and advanced, smirking coldly.

“Sir, please 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 pushed him, causing him to stumble and almost fall to the ground.

Zhang Wenchang’s temples were as white as frost. He steadied himself by holding onto the table, then stood silently to the side, saying nothing more, his demeanor dispirited and gloomy.

The young men converged, all staring at Ye Fan with cold smiles. One of them pointed at Ye Fan’s face and sneered, “Do you think you’re the Saint Son of Yaoguang, or the Golden-Winged Little Peng King?”

*Smack!* Ye Fan directly slammed the wine bowl he was holding onto the young man’s face, completely engulfing it. The young man couldn’t even cry out as he flew backward, landing on the street. He twitched and struggled for a moment, then quickly became still, having instantly died.

“Scram!” Ye Fan uttered only this one word, his expression utterly icy.

The others were stunned, not expecting such audacity from him. After a long pause, one of them finally gasped, “Grand-aunt Ji Hui’s great-grandson has been killed…”

“How dare you! You just casually kill someone from the Ji family!”

Ye Fan didn’t want to bother with them, but upon hearing the name “Ji Hui,” his expression immediately turned cold. “So what if I killed him?” he retorted.

“You… just wait!” The others turned and walked away.

“Still daring to threaten me?” A cold smirk appeared on Ye Fan’s lips. With a clang, he snatched the long sword from one of their hands.

*Thwack!* He swung the sword down, instantly severing a man’s head, which flew off and landed on the street. The headless body was also thrown out, not a single drop of blood spilling into the tavern.

“You…” The remaining men were terrified.

“I told you to scram, but you invited your own demise!” A surge of anger flared within Ye Fan. Seeing Zhang Wenchang so cruelly bullied, and realizing that Ji Hui was targeting him, he struck mercilessly.

*Thwack! Thwack!* He remained seated, swinging his sword repeatedly. Blood spurted as he sliced through the remaining men, sending their bodies flying onto the street.

Everyone passing by was dumbstruck, frozen in silent terror, not daring to breathe. Who was this person? To have killed members of the Ji family—what a temper!

“He’s Wang Chongxiao, the King of the younger generation in Zhongzhou.”

“It’s him! I’ve seen him before.”

People whispered among themselves, their fear deepening.

Ye Fan remained as steady as Mount Tai, his face calm. Before entering the tavern, he had transformed himself to look exactly like Wang Chongxiao, even adopting his domineering and ruthless demeanor.

For the past half month, since Wang Chongxiao entered the Southern Domain, he had been fighting everywhere, often killing people. Many among the younger generation had fallen by his hand, enraging even some elder figures who vowed to step forward and kill him.

Ye Fan figured that this young King from Zhongzhou had too many enemies; he probably couldn’t even keep track of them all. Even if Ye Fan created a few more major adversaries for him, Wang Chongxiao wouldn’t care.

“Why are you like this?” Ye Fan transmitted his voice telepathically. He clearly remembered that before he left, Elder Ma Yun of Jade Cauldron Heaven had taken Zhang Wenchang as a disciple, so his situation should have improved.

Zhang Wenchang was startled and gazed blankly at Ye Fan.

“Don’t be surprised. I am Ye Fan. You can simply speak in your mind.”

Zhang Wenchang’s lips trembled. He bent down to wipe the tables and chairs, using the action to cover his reaction, fearing that his agitation would be noticed.

“You need to leave quickly; they’re waiting for you to return. Someone is secretly watching.”

A cold glint appeared at the corner of Ye Fan’s mouth. He didn’t inquire further, to avoid implicating Zhang Wenchang, and used his divine sense to smooth over the recent events, making Zhang Wenchang unaware of what had truly transpired.

Ye Fan planned to help Zhang Wenchang regain his youth after acquiring the immortal medicine, and for now, he didn’t want to cause too much commotion.

Zhang Wenchang felt a momentary daze; everything that had just happened vanished from his mind, and he had no idea what occurred.

Three years had passed, and his circumstances were grim. He had opened a small tavern here to make a living, a strange sorrow for someone who had come from the other side of the starry sky.

His eyes lacked vitality, like a walking corpse. Only at night, lying on the rooftop and gazing at the stars, did he think of his wife and the child he had never met, often shedding tears.

“I’m going to help you change all of this,” Ye Fan murmured to himself.

He left the tavern, shedding Wang Chongxiao’s appearance. He had no desire to face enemies for this young Zhongzhou King who constantly sought challenges, though he wouldn’t mind shifting some blame onto him.

It wasn’t long before he saw the elders of the Ji family’s Dragon Transformation secret realm arrive. Naturally, they found nothing and left empty-handed.

Ye Fan walked aimlessly through the streets, when suddenly his expression brightened. He quickened his pace, rushing forward, for he had seen the little girl again.

She was pitifully begging a pot-bellied man for alms, but was frightened by his roar and timidly retreated, staring down at her little shoes with holes for her toes, unable to utter another word.

Ye Fan strode over and stood quietly nearby, observing her, hoping to find something unusual. But he was disappointed; his powerful spiritual sense detected nothing out of the ordinary.

The little girl, still shaken from the fright, dared not beg from passersby anymore. She tearfully wiped her eyes and walked forward with her head down, almost bumping into people several times.

She was very scared, afraid of being scolded again. Timidly, she lowered her head even further, looking very pathetic.

Ye Fan couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He appeared in front of her, knelt down, and looked at her gently.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” The little girl walked forward with her head down, looking dazed, almost bumping into him. Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she looked very frightened.

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

“You’re… the kind big brother,” the little girl said, her eyes wide. She wiped away her tears, a look of gratitude on her face.

Ye Fan patted her head and asked, “Do you have any family?”

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

“You don’t remember anything?” Ye Fan found this unusual and couldn’t help but ask for more details.

“Every now and then, Nannan forgets everything from the past. I won’t have any memories of it. After today, I might not even remember big brother,” the little girl said, lowering her head, her spirits somewhat down.

“Why is that?” Ye Fan felt a mix of surprise and uncertainty in his heart.

“Nannan doesn’t know either. I seem to have forgotten so many things. I don’t know where I came from or where I’m going. Everyone else has family, but I don’t. Nannan is very lonely and sad,” the little girl said, her head bowed, her eyes filled with tears.

“How about I take you to get something to eat?” Ye Fan said softly.

“Okay,” the little girl nodded obediently, her face brightening with hope. “Nannan is very hungry; I haven’t eaten for many days.”

Ye Fan took her for a hearty lunch. Afterward, he carefully examined her, but his brows furrowed; he couldn’t detect any abnormalities. Why was this happening?

This little girl was clearly extraordinary, yet why couldn’t he detect anything amiss? Doubt rose in his heart.

“Big brother… here.”

The little girl pulled out a small, crystal-clear stone from her tattered clothes. It shimmered with seven colors, clearly not an ordinary object.

“What is this?” Ye Fan was surprised.

“Nannan doesn’t know either. Every time I forget the past, a small stone like this appears. It’s edible, very sweet, and keeps Nannan from feeling hungry for many days,” the little girl explained, holding it up high and offering it to Ye Fan as a token of gratitude.

Ye Fan held it in his palm and examined it closely, but he couldn’t figure out its origin. However, this translucent, knuckle-sized stone was certainly not ordinary.

“Nannan, you should keep it safe,” Ye Fan said, trying to return it to her.

But the little girl kept stepping back, shaking her head. “Big brother, please take it. Otherwise, Nannan has nothing to repay you with.”

Ye Fan knelt down and sighed softly. It was heartbreaking to hear such a young child talk about repayment.

The little girl was stubborn. She pushed the clear stone into his hand and refused to take it back. Ye Fan had no choice but to accept it. He intended to study it slowly, hoping it might unravel the mystery of the little girl’s origins.

Seeing him stand up as if to leave, the little girl lowered her head, looked at her small shoes with holes for her toes, and tugged at a corner of her tattered clothes. In a barely audible voice, she whispered, “Big brother…”

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

“Can… can I go with you?” the little girl asked nervously, a hopeful look on her face. She lowered her head and whispered, “Nannan is very good. I can wash clothes, clean the floor, and learn anything.”

“I have some things I need to attend to soon…”

“Oh, Nannan understands,” the little girl said, her head almost touching her chest. She slowly turned, preparing to leave.

“I haven’t finished yet,” Ye Fan interjected. “I’m very busy, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to take good care of you. If you can wait for a while, I’ll take you with me when I leave then.” Naturally, Ye Fan wouldn’t allow this poor little girl to wander the streets again.

“Really?” The little girl instantly lifted her head, her pure, large eyes sparkling with delight. She looked very happy and excited.

“Come on, I’ll arrange for you to stay at 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 play at that little tavern and talk to the old man often,” Ye Fan instructed with a smile.

“Nannan understands. I won’t run off,” the little girl nodded obediently.

“Zhang Wenchang misses the child he’s never met. If little Nannan enters his life, I hope it will make things easier for him,” Ye Fan mused to himself.

Five days later, the Ancient Hua Dynasty and the Yin-Yang Sect finally took action, entering the Primeval Forbidden Zone. Ye Fan knew his opportunity was also approaching!

As soon as they failed, it would be his turn to act. On the nine sacred mountains lay immortal medicine and the Nine Dragons pulling the Coffin. He felt a surge of anticipation.

Many people gathered at the edge of the Primeval Forbidden Zone, all anxiously waiting for the results, as members of the two great powers had already entered the forbidden area.

However, after only a quarter of an hour, people gasped and all looked up at the sky.

“The divine attire has flown out!”

“That’s right, it’s the divine attire of an ancient sage!”

A set of golden battle armor, shimmering with dazzling light, flew out by itself. It was shaped like a human figure, holding a golden holy sword and carrying a golden divine bow, but no one was wearing it.

The peerless divine attire, imbued with sentience, flew back on its own. It possessed a life of its own, and inside the golden armor, specks of dust drifted down.

“Those are ashes!”

“Oh my heavens, the people who went in turned to ashes so quickly! They ceased to exist under the power of time!”

“The Primeval Forbidden Zone is indeed terrifying; it obliterates all powerful figures in the world!”

At the same time, people were astonished that the peerless divine attire of the ancient sage was so powerful that it had not been destroyed inside, flying out on its own, which was truly awe-inspiring.

“The divine attire is sentient; it must have felt threatened and dared not go deeper. Perhaps even near the sacred mountain, it couldn’t protect itself.”

Ye Fan’s mind was made up; it would soon be his turn to act.