Chapter 73: Relying on the Bodhi to observe the Dao Scriptures (1/2)

Chapter 73: Relying on the Bodhi to observe the Dao Scriptures

It was now close to midday but the little store was absolutely silent without any customers, only the sounds of choking sobs from Ting Ting could be heard.

Ye Fan lifted a buck while carrying grains and noodles as he pushed open the door of the little store and walked in.

Ting Ting’s large eyes were red and she was currently using a warm towel to carefully wipe the old man’s wounds, her heart was hurting as she sobbed bitterly while wiping.

The old man’s wrinkled face had finger marked bruises on it, blood was flowing mainly from his nose and mouth and even his white hair had been stained with blood.

“This group of bastards how could they bear to do such a thing……” Ye Fan felt something grip his heart, a kind old man in his later years received such violent treatment, this really made one’s rage boil over. Ting Ting was so cute, sensible and barely five to six years old, yet she had also been bullied and pushed down to the ground, her little face had a hurtful expression on it as tears streamed down, this simply made one’s heart wrench in sympathy.

“Big brother……” Seeing that Ye Fan had returned, Ting Ting’s tears began to fall anew as she loudly bawled.

“Ting Ting be good, don’t cry, there’s nothing wrong with grandpa.” The man man tried to console Ting Ting as he tried to use his wrinkled hands to wipe her tears, thereafter he looked at Ye Fan in shock: “This buck and those grains and noodles……”

“I hunted the buck in the forest, grains and noodles were traded with a deer.” Ye Fan placed these items on the ground before taking out a jade bottle from his bosom, pulling out the cork he poured out a little of the hundred plants extract and began to apply it on the wounds of the old man.

“You’ve only eaten a single meal of ours, there’s no need to be like this…….” The old man was not good with words and although he was very grateful, his words came out in such a manner.

“Old uncle you don’t have to say anymore, a meal really doesn’t count for much but the kind intentions and camaraderie behind it are very important.” Having said this, Ye Fan crouched down and helped wipe the tears on Ting Ting’s face as he said: “Ting Ting don’t cry, with me around I won’t let you feel wronged again.”

“Big brother……” Ting Ting’s eyes were red again as her long eyelashes trembled and tears began to fall, she looked down at her patched shoes and softly said: “But…… those bad people will still come and they will continue to bully us.”

“Don’t be afraid, big brother won’t let those bad people bully Ting Ting anymore.” Ye Fan rubbed her head in sympathy, such a sensible and cute young girl was bullied in such a manner, this really made one’s heart feel angst.

“Child, don’t be reckless.” The old man had experienced the hardships of life and felt Ye Fan’s anger. He was afraid that this youth would do something to make matters worst and drag him in as well: “We can’t afford to offend them, the Li family have cultivators among them and aren’t people we can offend.”

The old man then sighed: “I’m already so old and really quite unwilling to leave this town, I’ve already lived here for tens of years and the older one gets, the more he reminisces the past, it’s really difficult to cut all ties with this place. However, it seems that I’ve really got no choice but to leave, for Ting Ting I’ve decided to leave everything here behind. Even if I have to become a beggar and leave my hometown, I won’t continue to stay here any longer.”

“Grandpa……” Two lines of tears could be seen on Ting Ting’s face.

“Ting Ting, be good, don’t cry. Old uncle don’t talk about leaving this town anymore.” Ye Fan consoled Ting Ting while speaking to the old man: “You don’t have to worry, I won’t make matters worse. Close this small store for now and let me think of a solution. If there really isn’t any other way, I’ll leave with the two of you.”

Ye Fan knew deep down that many unfortunate things occurred to normal humans. The deepest kind of pain would be for one to be forced out of their hometown in their later years, the old man had also lost his son and under the current circumstances it seemed that he would be forced to leave this small town. The bitterness in his heart could only be imagined and he simply did not wish for this young and old duo to continue in their misfortune.

“Tell me precisely what backing does the Li family have?”

“Child, what are you planning to do? We’ll pack up tomorrow to leave this place and never return, we cannot offend them no matter what.”

“I’m not the rash kind of person, don’t worry.”

Finally, after Ye Fan’s constant cajoling, the old man finally answered his queries.

The Li family was the most outstanding great family within this small town, it was rumoured that their family had three to four people who were cultivating outside. Cultivators were a mystery to normal people and on a normal day they would not meet them, hence most people in the town were very afraid of the Li family.

Ye Fan felt as though there were some things which the old man had not mentioned. For example, the Jiang family seemed to have been doing quite well and had a restaurant within the town, what happened? Also, why did his son suddenly pass away? All these were not mentioned.

“Ting Ting, help to wash this towel in hot water.” The old man managed to get Ting Ting away before he continued: “Child, I understand that you aren’t a normal kid, so young and yet you are able to kill a buck, you probably know how to cultivate right. However, I advise you not to go and offend the Li family……”

The old man continued to talk, his son and daughter-in-law were both cultivators and had been viewed very highly within a sect, even the Li family within the town had formed good relations with them unwilling to easily cause any strife between the families.

“Yan Xia Immortal Sanctuary……” Ye Fan was startled, the sect that the old man’s son belonged to was actually one of the six within the Yan state, it was only two hundred over miles from this small town.

The few people from the Li family were also cultivating within the Yan Xia immortal sanctuary, one of which went into the sect at almost the same time as the son of the old man but was actually left far behind.