In the turbulent flow of space-time, He Li remained calm. He clasped his hands together, leaving a small gap between them, within which was a tiny spatial cube.
The surrounding space was a distorted state of blue and green lines, as if he were in a data realm, yet it felt unreal.
He Li's clothes were decaying, and his skin was drying out. He knew this was time flowing at an accelerated rate, causing him to age rapidly. His clothes were about to disintegrate. He gritted his teeth. If this continued, even if he survived, he would age and his bones would mature at an alarming pace, leaving him frail and withered.
He stored most of his divine power into the spatial cube in his palms, then pushed it forward with both hands, hurling it into a distorted void.
Using the recoil force, he flew backward, crashing into another distorted void.
If he couldn't escape time, he would merge with it.
…
Rumble… Rumble…
Dark clouds and heavy rain poured down as if the sky were collapsing.
The large raindrops struck He Li's body. Rainwater pooled in his eye sockets. Judging by the downpour, the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon.
In the distance, near the village, a few houses stood. A young boy, wearing a raincoat, was hunched over, moving quickly through the heavy rain, his feet sinking with each step, heading towards He Li.
From a house behind the boy, a rusty iron gate opened, and another boy, also wearing a raincoat and braving the rain, emerged.
"Jin Fang, where are you going in this heavy rain?"
The boy turned back and shouted loudly, "There's someone over there, maybe some kind of backpacker from the city. They look like they've fainted. Let's see if we can help."
"Chen Sui, you better go back. I can manage myself. The rain is too heavy!"
"No way, with your scrawny arms and legs, I'll help you!"
Jin Fang waited where he stood. Once Chen Sui caught up, the two boys, braving the rain, grabbed each other's arms and walked towards He Li.
…
"You're going to the Second Middle School?"
"Yeah, my grades aren't as good as yours. Getting into the Second Middle School is already a huge stroke of luck. You're definitely going to the First Middle School. Jin Fang, you're so smart, have you thought about which university you want to go to?"
"Stop joking. We haven't even started high school yet, and you're already thinking about university? Let's take it slow. Let's finish high school first, then worry about university, hehe… But I want to go to a university far away, preferably in a major first-tier city, to broaden my horizons, work hard, and give my parents a good life."
"You can do it. You're the smartest. Your grades are excellent, so you don't have to worry. I'm not saying I can't do it, but I know my own limits. I'll steadily get into high school, then get into a decent university. As long as I can get out of this village."
"What are you afraid of? It's not too late to work hard in high school."
"Heh heh… I'll try my best."
He Li's ears were filled with the two boys' dreams of the future. The crackling sound of sparks erupted, and a warm heat emanated from his side.
He Li slowly opened his eyes. He first glanced towards the two boys. One was tall and strong, with slightly darker skin and a honest face. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed, giving him an endearingly simple look. The other had a refined appearance, his eyes holding a gentle smile when he spoke, and the corners of his mouth always turned upwards, a typical sunny boy.
"Chen Sui, you and Xiao Keke are still…"
"No!"
Chen Sui's dark face flushed, a rare sight. After loudly refuting, he fell silent for a moment, then said with his head lowered, "There was never anything between me and her. We've barely spoken a few words. It was just everyone making a fuss, Xiao Keke was very embarrassed, and I didn't want to say much. Over time, it spread, and it's annoying."
"Jin Fang, we country bumpkins need to study hard and get out of the mountains. One wrong step, and the price is a lifetime of toiling in the fields. I can't afford that. I just want to get out, and then live in the city with my parents and grandmother."
Jin Fang nodded gently, stirring the fire in the stove with a metal poker.
Perhaps it was because they had touched upon the boys' pain points, but they all fell silent. Yes, for the children of the mountains, there was only one way to change their fate. One wrong step meant a lifetime of consequences. The words "be careful" would accompany them forever.
Chen Sui?
Jin Fang?
He Li's mind exploded. What was going on? Was this Earth? Were these two boys the reincarnations of Jin Fang and Chen Sui?
He Li let out a soft groan and pushed himself up.
He Li's movement attracted the attention of the two boys. Seeing him sit up, they quickly gathered around.
"Are you alright? Is anything wrong?" Jin Fang asked. Chen Sui also stared intently at He Li's face.
Seeing their earnest expressions, He Li felt a warmth in his heart and smiled. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy. Don't worry."
He then looked at his worn-out, faded gray hoodie and asked, "Thank you for saving me."
"It's nothing, it's nothing. As long as you're okay. Autumn rain is cold, don't catch a cold. Come and warm yourself by the fire, have a bowl of ginger soup." Jin Fang said with a smile, making way for He Li to get off the wooden bed.
He Li nodded. He was barefoot. His long robe had likely been so corroded by time that it was beyond repair. He was wearing black casual pants and a gray hoodie, barefoot, and stepped into a pair of rubber shoes before coming to the stove.
He Li briefly surveyed the room. One word: poor. Two words: very poor. The wooden beams of the roof were blackened and carbonized from years of smoke. The entire room was filled with the smell of dampness and mold, mixed with the scent of smoke and fire.
"Your clothes are over there. Most of them are torn. The clothes you're wearing are Chen Sui's. They've been washed very clean," Jin Fang said.
Chen Sui looked at He Li, seemingly afraid that He Li would dislike his clothes. After all, He Li's previous clothes, though tattered, felt like they were made of expensive material.
He Li smiled and nodded at Chen Sui. "Thank you. You're taller than me, so they're very loose and comfortable to wear."
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Chen Sui was relieved, scratching the back of his head with a憨 smile, his eyes narrowed into a line.
He Li let out a long sigh. In the late autumn, with the heavy rain pouring down, the wisp of white mist was quite noticeable. He rubbed his hands together and brought them close to the stove, feeling the warmth.
Looking at the innocent expressions of the two boys, the images of Chen Sui and Jin Fang were exceptionally clear in He Li's mind.
Then,
He Li slightly mobilized his divine power and found that he still had divine power within him, but he couldn't control it. It remained as a final protective lock, instinctively safeguarding He Li's essence.
Jin Fang ladled a bowl of ginger soup and handed it to He Li. He Li thanked him, cupped the bowl in his hands, blew on the steam, and took a sip, praising, "The ginger is from our own land. Although it has a strong earthy smell, the ginger flavor is very rich. The scallions are just right. It's wonderful."
He Li flashed a wide smile at Jin Fang and chuckled.
Chen Sui and Jin Fang exchanged a look and smiled. He Li was very eloquent and polite.
Listening to the two boys' chatter and seeing the smiles on their faces, He Li couldn't help but smile along. He could tell that these two boys, with the sun and moon in their eyes and the wind on their shoulders, were kind and pure, yet they also harbored grand "ambitions" for their future plans.
Suddenly, Jin Fang asked softly, "Are you from a big city?"
"Not exactly a big city, uh… my name is He Li," He Li replied.
"Is the city good?" Chen Sui immediately asked.
The city is not good. The city will kill your innocence, kill your dreams, turn you into robots, into emotionless walking dead. You will be oppressed by a bastard called "life" and become indifferent and realistic.
"It's very good. Tall buildings, all the delicious and fun things, convenient transportation, advanced medical care. You must go out, use your efforts to earn money, take your parents out of the mountains, and look up at the world."
He Li paused for a moment and said, "Even if you can't take your parents with you, it's okay. Call them often, visit home frequently, and don't let your efforts become a part of your parents' longing.
Every child's success is a lifetime of hardship for their parents. It's even more so for us country kids."
"Mhm."
Jin Fang nodded earnestly and forcefully, then grinned. He turned and exchanged a look with Chen Sui, and the two boys smiled at each other again.
He Li forced a smile, but his eyes were filled with unconcealed pain. After leaving the mountains, then what…
He chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, "Remember to come home often to see your family."
He didn't know if he could ever go back to see Xiao Yue, Uncle Li, He Xi, and the others. To see Hua'er, to see Willow, to see those guys at the Spiritual Management Bureau, and the home they bought for him.
But he sincerely hoped that Jin Fang and Chen Sui here would be able to visit their families often in the future, and not get trapped in the city, not returning for years.
By then,
They would have the internet, jobs, and a colorful world, but their parents at home would only have sunrises and sunsets, and endless longing for their children.
"We will."
"Mhm, we will."
The heavy rain gradually stopped, and the sky cleared. Sunlight pierced through the thick clouds. Jin Fang opened the door. The mountains exuded a fresh air, a mixture of damp earth and the fragrance of grass and trees, refreshing the soul.
He Li changed his clothes, put on his tattered robe again, hung his long saber at his waist, and wearing rubber shoes, walked out of the house. He looked back at the two boys watching him from under the eaves.
He Li was full of heroic spirit, his eyebrows like long sabers, his posture proud. He smiled lightly and said, "Thank you for taking care of me, and for these shoes. They're very good, very comfortable shoes."
Jin Fang and Chen Sui nodded. They stared blankly at He Li, who looked like a wandering knight. Even in his tattered robe and muddy rubber shoes, with a long saber at his waist, he stood there like a story.
He Li smiled slightly and turned to leave. As he reached the main entrance, he noticed a small blade of grass growing in the cracks of the stone pile. A blade of grass, broken by the rain, had fallen onto the protruding stone below.
He Li reached down, picked it up, and put it in his mouth. Little grass, little grass, don't be afraid of having your roots broken, I'll take you with me.
He Li left, stepping on the muddy ground, his long saber at his waist, a blade of grass in his mouth, his figure lonely yet unrestrained. He understood that he couldn't stay any longer. He didn't belong to this time-space, and staying too long would bring trouble to Jin Fang and Chen Sui.
Even though he had a belly full of words to say, a heart full of longing to pour out, they were all blocked back into his heart with a bowl of ginger soup. Along with a pair of mud-stained yellow rubber shoes, they turned into a line of lonely footprints.
He said nothing, taking with him a blade of grass with a broken stem.
Jin Fang and Chen Sui were doing well. They were childhood friends, full of dreams and boundless aspirations for the future. Just as he had hoped, they were living their own lives. He couldn't disturb them, couldn't disrupt their lives.
Some paths must be walked alone; this is not loneliness, but choice. Some hardships must be borne alone; this is not adversity, but responsibility.
…
He Li walked for a long time, and the sky began to darken.
The night was dim, the path difficult to discern. The surrounding bushes swayed wildly in the cold night wind, emitting gusts of howling sounds, appearing like ferocious beasts, sending chills down one's spine. In the depths of the dark forest, it seemed as if a pair of eyes were staring at He Li's back.
Walking at night was like this, always feeling like something was following you.
He Li walked slowly, completely unconcerned. What were demons and ghosts? He himself had killed countless gods, why should he care about this?
As he walked, He Li suddenly stopped, tore off a branch, and threw it aside. The branch shot out like an arrow, hitting a large gray rabbit. It was old, and he hoped the meat wouldn't be too tough.
He Li came to the riverbank, started a fire, cleaned and skinned the rabbit, and began to roast it. Listening to the crisp sound of the flowing water, He Li's gaze became somewhat unfocused.
Jin Fang and Chen Sui had become ordinary people and were living well. But what about Xiao Yue, Uncle Li, He Xi, and the others? Were they doing well?
Also, was this really his original world? Everything felt so unreal. How could those with divinity reincarnate in just a few years to become teenagers?
He Li couldn't figure it out. He couldn't use his divine power now and couldn't fully see this world. But fortunately, in this time-space, he was not affected by the rapid flow of time.
The wind pounced on He Li like a beast.
He Li blinked and looked down. The rabbit was a little burnt…
Walking on the street, people kept looking at He Li. His tattered robe, the saber at his waist that looked like a wooden stick. Where did he escape from? A film set?
He Li paid no mind. Walking on the road, he wanted to know if there were gods in this time-space. After walking for a while, He Li looked around and saw a Cosplay event being held in the small square in front of a shopping mall. He looked down at his own attire and walked straight towards it. He wanted to wash his face in the mall's restroom.
Before he could cross the road, he saw a girl run out of the mall, open a taxi door, and get in. In just two seconds, she got out again and ran back into the mall.
A group of Cosplay enthusiasts nearby were showing off their costumes, and a few young people came over to take photos with He Li.
He Li smiled and didn't refuse, nor did he stop. He walked towards the mall. Suddenly, a girl ran out of a small door next to the revolving door and bumped into He Li's chest.
Bang!
He Li didn't move.
The girl stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground.
He Li was stunned. He was about to apologize when he heard,
"Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The girl sat on the ground and screamed hysterically.
He Li was bewildered. Was this… a new kind of staged accident?
…