The furious dragon surged, toppling mountains and overturning seas, pushing mountains and splitting veins, its roar shaking the heavens. The torrential waters of the Yellow River swept across thousands of miles, sweeping up yellow waves and rumbling and shaking the earth.
The Yellow River of the past, the familiar surging yellow water, a giant dragon galloping into the sea!
How many times had he dreamed of the Yellow River? How many times had he dreamed of returning to his hometown? Xiao Chen stood at the bank of the Yellow River. His black hair fluttered about, covering his resolute face. He let out a long roar, causing the water of the Yellow River to churn up huge waves. The huge dragon roared as it rushed into the distance.
Xiao Chen looked into the distance. That incredibly familiar land was filled with an intoxicating aura. It was like a magical force was summoning him. He soared into the sky and quickly flew high in the sky. He had only one target — a small village by the Yellow River.
When he got closer, he really saw the familiar mountain range and ravine. This was not a dream. Xiao Chen realized that he had really returned to the Mortal Realm.
He had never thought that he would return like this. He had trained hard day and night, all for the sake of returning to the mortal realm. How many times had he dreamed of returning, and how many times had he woken up in disappointment? Who would have thought that after working so hard for so many years, he would be swallowed back by a spatial eye?
What an … opportunity!
He smiled bitterly and helplessly, but even more than that, he was excited. The Hands of Fate were so unpredictable. They had actually helped him realize his dreams.
Closer and closer. After flying along the Yellow River, Xiao Chen finally arrived at his familiar hometown. Looking at the vast land in the distance, Xiao Chen's heart fluctuated. His eyes actually turned blurry, but there were no tears to shed. He wanted to roar, but his throat seemed to be blocked.
He wanted to say something … but he was rendered speechless.
He landed on the bank of the Yellow River. Xiao Chen walked forward step by step, following the yellow dirt road towards the small village several kilometers away.
Beside the yellow dirt road, there was a huge bluestone that bore many memories of his childhood. He used to climb up and down with his childhood friends. This was the gathering place for the village children after dinner. Every time they went to the Yellow River to play, catch fish, or swim, They all gathered here.
There were also ancient trees at the side of the yellow earth road that were planted by his grandfather's grandfather's generation. Now, their roots were intertwined, tall and strong like a horned dragon. The old branches sprouted new leaves. This was the place where the elderly liked to live.
The air was filled with the smell of soil mixed with the fragrance of grass. Xiao Chen liked this season. It was like this in the past, and it was still like this now. This season always gave people a feeling of hope.
He had finally arrived at the village entrance. The rows of willow trees in front of them were fluttering like snowflakes.
The tender yellow-green grass, the fluttering willows, the fresh greenery in the fields, everything was filled with the flavor of the countryside. Everything was so familiar, everything was so intimate.
Rows of simple houses were hidden behind the weeping willow. Xiao Chen's eyes gradually turned blurry.
At the village entrance. A pair of white-haired old men were supporting each other as they walked over, gazing at the end of the yellow dirt road.
Xiao Chen immediately felt a heart-wrenching pain. How many times had he dreamt of this scene in the world of immortals? His white-haired parents stood at the entrance of the village in a desolate manner. In their lonely old age, they firmly grasped onto that last bit of hope as they gazed at the dirt road in front of the village. Looking forward to the return of the wanderer who had been far away for many years.
Every time he dreamed of such a scene, he would startle awake. Every time, he would feel the corners of his eyes moisten.
Xiao Chen rushed forward quickly, kicking up a cloud of dust on the yellow dirt road.
"Lil Chen … …"
An aged voice transmitted from the front. The tone was filled with doubt and disbelief.
Xiao Chen immediately stopped. Those were not his parents. There seemed to be something wrong with the village. It was already close to noon. However, it was completely silent, as if there was no sign of life.
He wiped away the tears that blurred his eyes. Looking ahead, that pair of white-haired old men was actually his uncle and aunt. They were his father's uncle and aunt.
"Uncle … …"
"Lil Chen, is that really you?"
The two old men staggered forward, their hair was as white as snow. They scrambled a few steps forward and pulled Xiao Chen's arm.
"It's me, I have returned."
Xiao Chen tried his best to calm himself down. He supported the two old men and asked, "What happened in the village? My parents, they … … they?"
The two old men were already close to eighty years old. Their skin was wrinkled like the skin of a dried orange. Their bodies were even more so like a bag of bones. They trembled as they touched Xiao Chen's cheek. They used all their strength to pinch Xiao Chen's palm and said, "It's Lil Chen … … it's really Lil Chen."
"It's good that you are back, it's good that you are back!"
The old man sighed incessantly and said, "It's been eight years, it's been eight whole years!"
That's right, Xiao Chen had already left the mortal world for eight whole years. He was trapped on the dragon island for one year, recuperated in the pure land of the barbarians and the forest race for three years, and spent four years in the desert of ancient gods. More than eight years had passed. When he left the mortal world, he was already twenty years old.
"Child, these past few years, your parents must have been very depressed. They hoped for you every year, every day. Every evening, they would support each other to the village entrance and look at the dirt road in front of the village, hoping for your return!"
Speaking until here, the two old men couldn't help but sigh. They used all their strength to poke Xiao Chen's forehead and said, "You heartless child, you left for eight years in one go, eight years! For the old man, how many eight years is there? Their hair has already turned white … … "
Tears flowed down Xiao Chen's cheeks. He forcefully slapped his own mouth twice and said, "It's my fault, it's my fault!"
The two old men grabbed his hands and said, "I think you must have your own difficulties. Otherwise, why wouldn't you come back? Don't worry, your parents are still here, it's just that … … sigh! "
"What's wrong, what happened?"
Xiao Chen's sword-like eyebrows immediately stood up.
"It's still the same Lil 'Chen from before. As soon as you set your eyes on us, all the ruffians in the surrounding villages became well-behaved for ten days to half a month. Your drive didn't decrease at all."
The two old men sighed and said, "But this time … … it's not the ruffians in the vicinity that are bullying people. It's the Nine Regions' Orthodoxy that is stirring up trouble. They forced everyone in the village to go upstream to build a huge project. They said that they were going to build something called the Ancestral Dragon Stage, and there was another saying that they were going to build something called the Heavenly Death Bridge … "" That's right.
"Until now. Only the old men like us, who are in our seventies and eighties, and some children under the age of ten are left. What a sin! "
The two old men were incomparably angry and anxious as they said, "Many people died during the construction of that troublesome project. In the past, only your parents were watching from the village entrance. Now, at dusk, even the old men in their seventies and eighties will come here to look at the dirt road. They are afraid that their children won't be able to come back. They are afraid that the old will send the young before them. "
"My parents … …"
"Your parents also have to build that Ancestral Dragon Platform every day, or that damn thing called the Heavenly Death Bridge. Everyone in the village in their fifties is not spared."
"Damn it!"
Two dazzling rays of light shot out from Xiao Chen's eyes. The materialized sharp glint shattered a willow tree at the side.
The two old men at the side were dumbstruck. They pulled him back and said, "Child … … don't act recklessly. Brother-in-law knows that you know martial arts, but you can't go against the government. Otherwise, it will bring disaster to our village. "
"Brother-in-law, don't worry. I won't act rashly. I will go upstream to take a look."
"No way!"
The two old men firmly held onto his arm, afraid that he would act recklessly. This made Xiao Chen feel very helpless. He said, "I really won't cause trouble. I just came back. I just want to see my parents as soon as possible. "
"The sun is about to set. There is no need for you to go. They should already be on their way. Don't worry, nothing will happen to your parents. They are usually very kind. Also, because of your sudden disappearance, the people in the village are very sympathetic and take care of them. Even if they go to the embankment. They don't have to do any hard work. "
It could be seen that the two old men were very afraid of the so-called orthodoxy of the Nine Prefectures. They were afraid that Xiao Chen would cause a disaster and bring disaster to the village.
Xiao Chen felt very strange. In the past, there was no such thing as an orthodoxy. After asking around, he found out that this orthodoxy was actually only established in the past two years. In an instant, it became the leader of the world's sects. It was said that there was an immortal in the orthodoxy who used to call the wind and summon the rain in the imperial palace. He scattered beans to form soldiers and even summoned celestial soldiers.
The sun was indeed about to set. Xiao Chen didn't want to disobey the two old men in front of him. Accompanied by them, he returned to his home after eight years.
It seemed … … it had never changed. Everything in the courtyard was the same as before. It was as if he had only left for a short while.
He pushed open the door to his room. The bedsheet was clean, the quilt was folded neatly. The desk and wooden chair were spotless. It was no different from when he left. Xiao Chen felt a lump in his throat. He knew that this must be the result of his mother cleaning the house every day.
The mother worries about her son when he travels a thousand miles!
From this, it could be seen how much his mother missed him.
When he arrived at his parents' room, it was still as neat and tidy as before. Inadvertently, he saw a few small wooden swords and knives beside the pillow. This is … … Xiao Chen felt his eyes were filled with tears.
He liked to play with swords and knives since he was young. These were carved by his father for him. When he grew up, they were all kept in the room. He didn't expect that now … … they were placed beside the pillow by his parents.
This was yearning!
His parents deeply missed him. They were looking forward to his return at all times. They even found his childhood playthings and placed them beside the pillow … … This was such a deep yearning. His parents, who were lonely in their late years, were looking forward to his return as soon as possible.
Tears trickled down his cheeks. Xiao Chen could imagine the bitterness and loneliness of his parents in their later years. They missed their son so much that they couldn't believe that an accident had happened to their missing son. They looked forward to it day and night … …
In the room, Xiao Chen picked up a strand of snow-white hair. His parents were really old. Their gray hair was now completely white … … His heart was filled with sorrow.
I want to see my parents, I want to see my parents now!
Xiao Chen shook off the two old men who were chasing after him and rushed towards the village entrance. There were already more than ten old men and children looking at the dirt road in front of the village.
"Eh? That's Chen Zi."
"Chen Zi is back."
"It really is Chen Zi!"
Eight years had passed, the years didn't leave any trace on Xiao Chen's body. He was a practitioner of Zephyr Realm. His lifespan had been extended by several hundred years. His outer appearance was the same as when he was twenty years old. As a result, the old men in the village all recognized him. Some of the children even stared at him curiously.
The old men immediately surrounded him and asked him all sorts of questions. They wanted to know where he had been all these years.
Just at this time. One of the children shouted happily, "He's back, he's back."
At the end of the dirt road in the distance, the old and young people in the village returned. They were covered in mud and extremely exhausted. All of them were supporting each other as they returned.
"Damn the Church. Are you treating people like livestock? "
The old men in the village were incomparably distressed as they said, "More than ten people have already died in the village. God knows how long the remaining people can last … Wuwu …"
At a distant place, a snow-white haired old woman let out a cry of alarm as she ran over while staggering. Her shoes had fallen off, but it seemed like she didn't even notice. She was barefooted with tears streaming down her face. She fell on the dirt road several times.
"Mother …"
Xiao Chen shouted loudly and rushed over. He knelt on the ground with a plop sound and supported the old woman.
"Chen Zi, my child. Is it really you? Wuwu … My child, you are finally back … Wuwu … "
Her hair was already snow-white, and her face was covered in wrinkles. The gloomy expression on her kind face gradually disappeared. She hugged Xiao Chen's head and cried loudly. Her calloused hands stroked Xiao Chen's cheeks with all her might.
"Child … My child …"
Xiao Chen's mother kept repeating these two sentences. Her tears flowed out unceasingly as she stroked Xiao Chen's cheeks with all her might. Child … child … "
Xiao Chen's father also ran over while staggering. His whole body was covered in mud. An excited smile blossomed on his exhausted and haggard face. His white hair was so eye-catching, and the accumulated wrinkles made him look old.
"Father …"
Xiao Chen moved a few steps forward while kneeling. The whole family hugged each other and cried bitterly.
In this world, everything could be fake. Only the familial love between parents was not fake at all.
After eight years, he finally returned to the human world. Xiao Chen hugged his aged parents tightly. His heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife. His tears fell like rain. His parents were really old … and he wasn't by their side for so many years.
Looking at his white-haired parents and feeling the calluses on their palms, Xiao Chen felt heartache and anger at the same time. His family's conditions were not bad. They had some assets. They didn't need to work hard at all. But his parents were so miserable in their later years. Their palms were actually filled with calluses. This … was all caused by the "Orthodoxy". He couldn't help but clench his fist tightly.
"Xiao Chen, is it really you?"
"Xiao Chen, you finally returned!"
"Xiao Chen, you damn brat. You left for eight years!"
However, those who were squeezed in the innermost area were all his childhood friends.
"It's me. I'm back."
Xiao Chen looked at his former friends. All sorts of feelings welled up in his heart. He called out their names one by one, "Dazhou, Xiao Hu, Er Bing, Xiucai, Baldy …"
"It's me!"
"It's me!"
One by one, big hands reached out and held Xiao Chen's hand tightly.
Xiao Chen's parents shed tears of happiness. They smiled as they looked at Xiao Chen reuniting with his former friends.
"Boohoo …"
Just at this time, someone started to cry.
"Xiao Chen, you finally returned … Three of our childhood friends have already died. If you still didn't return, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to see you again."
Speaking up to here, everyone in the village was very sad. This was a small village with less than a hundred people. But not long ago, more than ten people had already died.
His companions were covered in mud and extremely tired. There were even whip marks on their bodies. Some people's wounds were ghastly to look at.
"Do you still remember Dazhuang? He had a straightforward temper. He only talked back to the supervisor at the Yellow River's bank and was beaten to death. There's also Xiao Han. His body was weak and sickly since young. He couldn't work hard at all. Even though we shared most of his work, he still died of exhaustion. And there's also Xiao Hai … "
Dazhuang, Xiao Han, Xiao Hai … … His childhood friends passed away just like that. Looking at his parents, then looking at his exhausted companions, Xiao Chen's heart was filled with anger. He clenched his fists tightly.
"If it wasn't for these children helping us move the stones and soil, I'm afraid we would have already died of exhaustion at the Yellow River's bank … …"
Xiao Chen's father had mixed feelings. Meanwhile, Xiao Chen's mother was wiping away the tears of the children in her eyes.
"I'm back, I won't let you suffer anymore!"
Xiao Chen stood up straight and looked towards the upper reaches of the Yellow River. His eyes emitted two cold glints.
"Lil Chen, don't act recklessly. That is the Nine Regions' Orthodoxy. Its influence is unimaginable. Not only were the villagers near the Yellow River recruited as coolies, they even brought over hundreds of thousands of slaves from all over the country. No one dared to resist. "
The elders in the village sighed one after another.
"That's right, Xiao Chen, don't act recklessly."
Even Xiao Chen's childhood friends dissuaded him, "We know you know martial arts. You have been training outside since you were a teenager and your skills are extraordinary. However, the people of the Orthodoxy are stronger than you can imagine. We once saw with our own eyes, their patrol could actually fly. They know magic! "
"That's right. The most we saw was a dozen youngsters riding on flying swords and traveling upstream along the Yellow River."
"The men are handsome, and the women are as beautiful as flowers. However, they show no mercy when they attack. I once saw them use their flying swords with my own eyes. It was just a beautiful girl who attacked by herself. A flying sword cut through the sky, and with a gentle turn, she cut off the heads of a dozen martial arts masters."
Xiao Chen frowned. What exactly happened in the human world? There were actually such experts. It seemed like there were more than one or two of them. It seemed like the so-called Orthodoxy had a lot of such practitioners.
Seeing everyone's worried expression, Xiao Chen had no choice but to promise them that he wouldn't cause any trouble. However, he still made a promise that he would immediately think of a way to help everyone get out of this predicament.
How could he let his parents continue to be coolies? How could he just watch his friends suffer? It was impossible for Xiao Chen to not make a move. However, he had to make a plan. After all, the people around him were not like him who could move unhindered in the world. In the future, these people would continue to live by the Yellow River.
When he returned home, almost everyone in the village had come to see Xiao Chen return. This was the simplicity of a small village. There were only about thirty households. If one of them was in trouble, everyone would come to help.
He only saw off his uncles and friends very late at night.
His parents held his hand and had endless words to say, telling him how they missed him all these years.
Xiao Chen listened quietly and tried his best not to cry.
As they spoke, the two old men seemed to recall something and let out a long sigh.
"Father, mother, what's wrong?"
"Don't you feel that you are missing something?"
Xiao Chen looked at his parents doubtfully.
"Ruoshui would come to visit us a few times every year. However, after she came at the beginning of last year, she left behind more than we could spend in a few lifetimes. After that, she never appeared again."
Xiao Chen's expression immediately froze.
"Don't blame the girl."
Xiao Chen's father sighed, "She is the same age as you. She waited for you for seven years. An ordinary girl would get married at the age of fourteen or fifteen. However, she is already twenty-seven years old and still hasn't married. In the nine provinces, she can already be considered an old lady who can't get married. To tell you the truth, we advised her many times to not wait for you … … "
"She … …"
Xiao Chen wanted to say something, but he felt that his throat was blocked.
"She left behind a lot of jewels last year and never appeared again."
Xiao Chen's mother sighed and said, "What a good girl. She is even more beautiful than the fairies in the paintings. She is also well-educated, gentle and virtuous. Even if the Moon Fairy came, she would not exchange her daughter-in-law for this!"
Xiao Chen walked to the window and silently looked at the starlight in the horizon. He was already mentally prepared for this result, but he still felt somewhat bitter. Was she really only late by a year? Could it be that Ruoshui was destined to be someone else's passing water?
Looking at the starry sky, Xiao Chen softly said to himself, "I will silently bless you … … I will pray for you from afar … …"
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