In this desolate wilderness, the appearance of a large yellow dog was quite normal.
What was not normal was that this large yellow dog was kept by the Dog Daoist.
Back when they boarded the train in Rongcheng, the large yellow dog was not allowed on board, so the Dog Daoist directly released it. He never expected it to find its own way and run over three hundred kilometers to Chenjiacun.
It had even found Yan Shouyi in the mountains.
"Lao Huang, you truly are something!" Yan Shouyi happily hugged Lao Huang.
When Yan Shouyi was young, the Dog Daoist visited their home, and Yan Shouyi befriended this large yellow dog. At that time, the yellow dog already looked old and decrepit. Now, over a decade later, it still looked the same.
Back then, the Dog Daoist ate meat while Lao Huang could only have the soup. Yan Shouyi, unable to bear it, gave Lao Huang the meat from his own bowl. Lao Huang was also sentient and would never eat anything that Yan Shouyi picked up with his chopsticks. It would only eat the meat after it was placed on the ground.
Later, Yan Shouyi often took Lao Huang to steal apricots from the apricot orchard in the mountains. Yan Shouyi would climb the trees to steal apricots, and Lao Huang would keep watch for him. If anyone approached, Lao Huang would bark, and Yan Shouyi would quickly make his escape.
They could truly be called bosom buddies.
"Woof woof!"
Lao Huang barked twice, then looked towards the depths of the bamboo forest. Yan Shouyi seemed to realize something and couldn't help but follow Lao Huang's gaze.
Deep within the bamboo forest, three figures appeared and slowly walked towards Yan Shouyi and the others.
It was the trio of Yan Chou, the Dog Daoist, and Monk Miaoji.
"My father and them have arrived," Yan Shouyi said in a low voice.
The Ma siblings, upon hearing that elders had arrived, became somewhat reserved. They dared not sit on the ground and stood up, supporting their injuries.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong also helped each other up, preparing to greet Yan Chou and the others.
"Heh heh, as I, the Dog Daoist, predicted, this brat Shouyi definitely wouldn't listen to you and would go into the tomb. See? I was right!"
The Dog Daoist said with schadenfreude upon seeing Yan Shouyi and the others in a sorry state.
Monk Miaoji put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, it's good that we rushed over overnight."
"It seems you are unharmed," Yan Chou said, scrutinizing Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong sternly. The implicit meaning of a senior's scolding was clear.
Yan Shouyi shielded Lin Zitong behind him. Of course, he couldn't let Lin Zitong take the scolding from his father. "Dad, some special circumstances forced us to enter the Tomb of King Jian."
"Tomb of King Jian?" Yan Chou raised an eyebrow. "It seems you've learned quite a bit more."
Even Yan Chou only knew that it was a Song Dynasty tomb below, and knew nothing about it being the Tomb of King Jian.
The Dog Daoist asked curiously, "What did you all see in the Tomb of King Jian? Who are these two youngsters? Hiss... why do I feel like you've all changed a bit since before?"
Monk Miaoji sized up the Ma siblings and deduced, "Mojin school captains? It's been a long time since we've seen any trace of you."
The Ma siblings also sized up Yan Chou and the other two, as the combination of the Dog Daoist and Monk Miaoji was truly peculiar.
However, upon hearing Monk Miaoji's accurate identification of their identities, they became solemn.
Yan Chou ignored the Ma siblings and merely stared at Yan Shouyi, saying,
"I warned you not to enter the Song tomb, why didn't you listen to me? Do you think your life is too long, or do you think Zitong's life is strong enough? I only asked you to wait two days. Can't you even wait two days?"
At this moment, Yan Chou was adopting the demeanor of a father, and his tone was naturally stern when lecturing his son.
The younger generation, including Lin Zitong, did not dare to breathe loudly and all lowered their heads.
In front of Yan Chou, Yan Shouyi was like a child who had done something wrong, and the Ma siblings were his accomplices in misbehavior, now caught red-handed by their elder.
But this time, Yan Shouyi did not lower his head. Instead, he held his head high and said to Yan Chou,
"Dad, all that is unimportant now. What's important is that I saw Grandma in the Tomb of King Jian."
Yan Chou's expression suddenly changed, his heartbeat and breathing seeming to halt.
Yan Chou, who was always composed, was stunned for a full three seconds before asking in disbelief, "You saw Grandma? This... this is impossible..."
"Not only did I see her, but I also brought her soul out," Yan Shouyi said with a smile, taking out the Yin wood as an explanation. "After Grandma died, her soul reached an agreement with the Mountain God, staying in the Tomb of King Jian to suppress King Jian. The Mountain God has been secretly protecting me. This time, when I went to the Tomb of King Jian, I brought Grandma back. She is currently resting in the Yin wood, and I don't know if she can wake up now."
Looking at the piece of Yin wood in Yan Shouyi's palm, Yan Chou's hand trembled involuntarily.
Within the Yin wood was Yan Shouyi's grandmother, and Yan Chou's mother!
Compared to Yan Shouyi, a child who had never met his grandmother, Yan Chou's longing for his mother was truly heart-wrenching.
So many years had passed, yet Yan Chou still vividly remembered the life-and-death separation in the Tomb of King Jian.
He regretted every day why he hadn't been able to bring his mother out back then.
Every night, he was plagued by nightmares, dreaming of the suffering his mother must be enduring in that dark and lightless ancient tomb!
But now, his mother had returned?
And brought back by his own son risking his life?
All of this felt unreal, like a dream to Yan Chou.
At this moment, the Mountain God Yanzawa appeared, riding a green ox. He ignored everyone else and merely nodded at Yan Chou.
Then, he gently blew a breath towards the Yin wood in Yan Shouyi's hand.
A wisp of green smoke floated out and slowly formed the image of Grandma in front of Yan Chou.
This woman was dressed simply yet possessed an elegant demeanor, her eyes filled with affection and tenderness.
The moment Yan Chou saw her, he could no longer control his emotions. He immediately knelt down and choked out with a trembling voice,
"Mom!..."
Grandma also choked up a little. She leaned down and caressed Yan Chou's face.
"So many years have passed, you've aged quite a bit. You have white hair, and your beard is prickly. You're becoming more and more like your father..."
Hearing this, Yan Chou lost control again, and tears flowed like a spring. "Mom, your son is unfilial. After so many years, I never returned to find you, letting you suffer so much hardship! Father has also passed away. Our family will never have a chance to reunite..."
When parents are present, life has a place to return to.
When parents are gone, life has no destination.
Perhaps this was why Yan Chou, disregarding his appearance, burst into tears.
When Yan Shouyi informed Yan Chou of his grandfather's death, although Yan Chou did not show excessive grief, he knew at that moment that he no longer had a home.
Without his parents, he would never find his own sanctuary in this world. He had to bear all the hardships alone, with no one to confide in.
And now, he discovered that his mother's soul was still present. Even if he could speak one more word with his mother, he would be content.
Home, still existed!
Yan Chou, as strong as he was, had only cried three times in his life.
The first time was when Yan Shouyi's mother died in difficult childbirth.
The second time was when he lost his mother in the Tomb of King Jian.
The third time, which was this time, was the reunion of mother and son after nearly twenty years!
Yan Chou hugged Grandma and cried like a child.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong, standing nearby, also had reddened eyes.
Grandma sighed softly. She knew that her husband had likely passed away by now.
But fate was unavoidable, and she could do nothing about it.
She could only treat her remaining loved ones well.
The Dog Daoist coughed twice and said to Yan Shouyi, "Perhaps we should step aside and give your father some face. Honestly, your father and I have been brothers for so many years, and I've never seen him cry like this. It's a shame my phone is out of battery, otherwise, I'd definitely record it and show it to our brothers..."
Monk Miaoji said indifferently, "Great virtue."
Indeed, you are absolutely right.
Fortunately, after crying, Yan Chou quickly regained his composure. He wiped away his tears and, in turn, helped Grandma up. "Mom, your soul is still very weak. You should go back and rest first."
"Indeed." Grandma's face showed a hint of fatigue. She had not rested for nearly twenty years.
Yan Shouyi quickly took out the Yin wood, allowing Grandma to return and rest.
After Grandma dissipated into green smoke, everyone looked at each other, a bit silent and awkward.
Mainly because they had just witnessed Yan Chou's emotional breakdown, and now everyone was unsure how to continue the conversation.
"Uh... Dad..."
Yan Chou interrupted, "Alright, I won't pursue the matter of you entering the tomb privately. This place is not suitable for lingering. Let's return to Chenjiacun first."
It seemed his father wanted to change the scene and make everyone forget about him crying profusely earlier.
Yan Shouyi had originally intended to tell Yan Chou about Jiang Wusheng's matter directly, but now it seemed he could only go along with his father's wishes and give him an out.
Thus, everyone packed up and returned to Chenjiacun together.
However, on the way back to the village, Yan Chou's mood was clearly much more joyful, and the smile on his face was something that had never appeared in so many years.