Chapter 80: Seizing the Source

Chapter 80: Seizing the Source

At noon, Ye Fan returned to the small restaurant. He really enjoyed the atmosphere of eating with Old Man Jiang and Little Tingting.

After the meal, Little Tingting dutifully went to wash the dishes. Seeing this, Ye Fan felt quite embarrassed; he seemed to have done nothing to help.

"Let me do it. You're still small; you don't need to do this yet. Go take a nap to grow taller."

"You don't need to do it, Big Brother. I can wash the dishes, and I wash them very cleanly." The little girl insisted on pushing Ye Fan aside.

Old Man Jiang's face was full of smiles as he cleared the dishes, his gaze towards his granddaughter filled with doting affection.

A sudden voice interrupted the warm atmosphere. "Two years later, this little girl has grown up a bit and can do things now."

A young man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, walked in. He had a faint smile on his face, dismissively glanced at Old Man Jiang and Ye Fan, and then fixed his gaze on Little Tingting.

"Uncle, who are you? Do you know me?" Little Tingting's voice was sweet. Although she sensed something unpleasant, she still dutifully called him "Uncle."

"Of course I know you. I knew you when your parents were still alive." The young man had a fair complexion and thin lips, giving him a sinister impression. He didn't shy away from mentioning that Little Tingting's parents were deceased.

The little girl's big eyes immediately turned red. She vaguely remembered her parents' appearance and used to cry herself awake from nightmares. Later, living with Old Man Jiang, she gradually stopped crying in her dreams as time passed.

Now, with her parents brought up again, she couldn't help but shed tears. She turned her small body away and slowly washed a blue-and-white bowl, her small shoulders trembling.

Seeing Little Tingting's distress, Old Man Jiang's expression changed. "Seventh Young Master Li, do you need something?"

The young man pulled up a chair and sat down without being invited. "Nothing much. I'm just a bit nostalgic and came to see how you two grandparents are doing."

Old Man Jiang showed no emotion, replying, "Thanks to your blessing, Seventh Young Master, we are barely managing to get by."

Ye Fan said nothing, standing by. He had already recognized this person as the young man on the Dragon-Scale Horse from that morning.

"Why do I sense a surge of resentment? Old Man Jiang, do you resent me?" The young man asked condescendingly, with a faint sneer.

This man had entered the Misty Cloud Grotto-heaven at the same time as Little Tingting's father, but due to his limited talent, he had been left far behind by Tingting's father. Furthermore, he had committed misdeeds and been severely punished by Tingting's father, leading him to harbor resentment. After Tingting's parents died, he was the one who instigated the Li family to seize Old Man Jiang's restaurant and inn, forcing the grandfather and granddaughter into a desperate struggle for survival.

"How dare I resent you, Seventh Young Master? There's nothing of the sort."

The young man's thin lips gave him a very malicious look. He said, "There's no need to bottle things up. If you're resentful, you might as well just let it all out. Otherwise, suppressed anger can harm your health. You're already over seventy; you don't have many years left to live."

Old Man Jiang's body trembled a few times, but he eventually calmed down. "Seventh Young Master, I just want to ask you one question. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest in peace."

"Go ahead and ask," the young man said, snapping open a folding fan and gently fanning himself, appearing completely at ease.

"I just want to know, did Tingting's parents truly die by accident?" The old man's emotions seemed to be losing control. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning blue, and his body trembled slightly.

Ye Fan quickly walked over and supported him. On the other side, Little Tingting was silently sobbing, her small back turned to them, her shoulders shaking constantly as her little hands slowly scrubbed a small porcelain bowl.

"Old Man Jiang, it seems you're holding a tremendous amount of resentment, but what can you do? You're so old; do you intend to fight to the death? If you die, your beautiful granddaughter will truly have no one to rely on."

"How exactly did Tingting's parents die?" Old Man Jiang's breathing was rapid, his chest rising and falling, and his face was etched with sorrow.

"Guess all you want," the young man said, snapping his fan shut. He then looked at Ye Fan and said, "I heard you led people to cripple Steward Liu?"

Ye Fan didn't respond, simply supporting Old Man Jiang and standing to the side. The young man glanced at him, said nothing further, stood up, and walked towards Little Tingting.

"What are you doing?!" Old Man Jiang's eyes showed fear. Like a mother hen, he spread his arms, blocking the young man's path and shielding Little Tingting behind him.

"Old Man Jiang, why are you so nervous? Do you think I'd actually lay a hand on a little girl?" The young man carefully observed Little Tingting, nodding repeatedly and muttering to himself, "So alike, too alike. What a pity about Fairy Yanxia; her death was in vain. Two years have passed, and I can't believe your daughter already resembles you so much."

Little Tingting bit her lip. Although she was sobbing, she didn't cry loudly, seemingly not wanting to weep in front of Seventh Young Master Li.

The young man tapped his left hand gently with the folding fan in his right hand. "Alright, Old Man Jiang, you won't have to suffer anymore. I'll take this little girl away from now on. You can enjoy your golden years in this small town."

"What do you mean?!" Old Man Jiang immediately gasped for breath, shielding Little Tingting behind him and glaring fiercely at Seventh Young Master Li.

"This little girl is clever and dexterous. I plan to take her to the Misty Cloud Grotto-heaven to work by my side. It's certainly better than her living hand-to-mouth with you."

"No! Unless I'm dead, Seventh Young Master Li, you cannot bully people like this!" Old Man Jiang was overcome with rage, struggling to breathe, his eyes red, and his body swayed.

Ye Fan quickly steadied him.

"Grandpa, are you okay? Don't scare Tingting..." Little Tingting hugged the old man's leg, looking up with a small face filled with worry and fear, tears streaming down.

The young man scoffed, "Old Man Jiang, why are you getting so worked up? You should understand that after leaving you, she'll live a different life. Perhaps she'll even shine brightly in the Misty Cloud Grotto-heaven in the future."

Old Man Jiang kept gasping for air, finally calming down after a long while. He pleaded, "Seventh Young Master, please just leave us alone."

"What kind of talk is that?!" The young man's face darkened, looking very sinister. "You're unwilling to enjoy your golden years. You really don't know what's good for you."

"I'll always stay with Grandpa!" Little Tingting's eyes were red and swollen as she tightly clutched Old Man Jiang's leg.

"I have important matters to attend to this time, and I must return to the Misty Cloud Grotto-heaven tomorrow. I will personally come to take her away in a few days." After saying this, Seventh Young Master Li turned and glanced at Ye Fan. "Even when hitting a dog, you still have to consider its owner. Although he's a dog that's been driven out, no outsider should be allowed to humiliate him." At this point, he lightly patted Ye Fan's shoulder twice and said, "Impulsive people don't tend to live long."

*Bang*

Ye Fan suddenly sat on the ground, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth, and the chair behind him was shattered.

The young man glanced at him, sneered coldly, and walked away.

"Child, what's wrong?!" Old Man Jiang cried out in alarm and anger, rushing to help Ye Fan.

"Big Brother..." Little Tingting's face also showed terror, and she used her small hand to wipe the blood from the corner of Ye Fan's mouth.

Seeing Seventh Young Master Li depart, Ye Fan quickly stood up and said, "I'm fine."

"Are you really okay?" The old man was half-convinced, half-doubtful.

Little Tingting also looked anxious, asking, "Big Brother, are you really okay? Your mouth is bleeding."

"Something almost happened."

"It's nothing serious, right?" Old Man Jiang showed worry again.

"You misunderstood me. I meant I almost couldn't resist striking back; I myself am fine. However, that person is truly sinister. If it had been an ordinary person, those two blows would have killed them within half a month."

"It's my granddaughter and I who have caused you trouble. If you were alone, you wouldn't have to endure such humiliation," Old Man Jiang reproached himself.

"Don't say that, Old Man. The blood just now was something I forced myself to spit out," Ye Fan chuckled. "In fact, I should thank Seventh Young Master Li, because he's giving me a great opportunity by personally coming here and telling me when he plans to leave."

"You..." Old Man Jiang looked confused.

"There's no need for a sinister person like him to remain in this world. And he actually intends to take Tingting? Not in this lifetime!"

That night, Ye Fan kept a close watch on the Li family's movements. After nightfall, he left the small town and waited on the mountain road about twenty li away, the only path connecting Qingfeng Town to the outside world.

The moonlight was hazy, and a dark cloud drifted by, instantly plunging the mountain forest into darkness. The roars of unknown beasts echoed unceasingly, making the late-night forest feel eerie and terrifying.

In the latter half of the night, the mountain road vibrated, and heavy hoofbeats echoed. Under the dim starlight, a Dragon-Scale Horse, its body shimmering with green scales, charged forward like a streak of green light.

Ye Fan waited quietly. It wasn't until the Dragon-Scale Horse galloped close that a blazing golden light suddenly erupted from his body, exceptionally brilliant in the darkness, like a blazing sun across the sky.

*Pfft*

Blood splattered, and a scream came from the Dragon-Scale Horse, but the person did not fall off.

Ye Fan's heart tightened. He quickly maneuvered the Golden Tome, sending it flying to strike. With a soft *pfft*, the Dragon-Scale Horse was split in two, its lifeless body collapsing heavily to the ground, while the person on top was sent flying over twenty meters before landing.

*Hiss*

A silver gleam lit up. A half-foot-long silver spear shot rapidly towards Ye Fan, like a silver bolt of lightning.

*Clang*

A flash of golden light. Ye Fan's Golden Tome struck the silver spear, and the half-foot-long spear instantly broke into two pieces, falling to the ground.

Not far away, the person who had fallen from the Dragon-Scale Horse quickly sprang up, about to dash into the forest.

At that moment, Ye Fan attacked again. The Golden Tome transformed into a streak of lightning, tearing through the dark void and striking in an instant. With the force of a whipping silk, it was unstoppable. With a *pfft*, it severed the person's left leg.

"Ah..."

The person finally shrieked and began to roll on the ground.

Only then did Ye Fan let out a long breath. He cautiously advanced, drawing closer. This was his first time ambushing an enemy, and he was inevitably a little nervous at first, missing his mark slightly.

"Seventh Young Master Li, we meet again."

The young man, still rolling on the ground and bleeding profusely, turned pale. When he recognized Ye Fan, he could barely believe it, exclaiming, "How could it be you?"

"Is something wrong?" Ye Fan asked, his expression calm, as he watched him from a distance.

"I can't believe it's you, you little brat! I truly misjudged you!" Seventh Young Master Li's face was contorted with extreme pain and fury, looking utterly terrifying.

"Thank you, Seventh Young Master, for granting me a great opportunity," Ye Fan said from a distance, a faint cold smile on his face.

"You... you..." Seventh Young Master Li's body trembled violently with rage. At this moment, he was filled with despair, resentment, and extreme fury.

"How exactly did Tingting's parents die?" At this point, Ye Fan's tone grew colder. With a flash of golden light, the Golden Tome shot out swiftly.

With two soft *pffts*, both of Seventh Young Master Li's arms were severed. Still feeling somewhat uneasy, Ye Fan again summoned the Golden Rainbow, lightly striking his 'sea of suffering'.

"Ah... You little brat, I won't let you off even if I become a ghost!"

"Why do people always say such useless things?" Ye Fan walked closer to him and said, "You beast, you've committed countless evil deeds and are utterly devoid of conscience. What's happening today is your just retribution. I'll take my time with you."

*Slap*

Ye Fan slapped him, sending him flying four or five meters away.

"You..." Seventh Young Master Li's eyes blazed with fury.

Ye Fan walked over and stepped on his still relatively smooth face. "What goes around comes around. Do you really think you can get away with committing such heinous acts for your entire life?"