Chapter 1

In the height of summer, not a single cloud was in the sky.

The scorching sun shone directly down on the earth.

On the top of a mountain with graves, a young man with a rather handsome appearance was standing under the blazing sun, sweating profusely as he cleared the weeds around the graves.

The young man's name is Qin Zhengfan, and he is 23 years old, a doctoral student at Nanjiang University.

He was clearing the graves of his grandparents and parents.

His grandparents passed away of old age, while his parents died in an accident.

Today is the fourth anniversary of his parents' death, and Qin Zhengfan had come alone early in the morning to pay respects to his four beloved elders buried here.

After paying respects to the four elders and clearing the weeds around their graves, Qin Zhengfan stood silently in front of their graves for a long time. As the sun climbed higher and the heat became unbearable, he wiped his wet eyes, took a deep breath, and bowed three times to the graves of his elders before getting up and heading down the mountain.

The grave mountain is a desolate hill, overgrown with weeds, and there are almost no trees along the path to provide shade.

Qin Zhengfan was walking quickly when he suddenly saw an old man lying across the mountain road ahead.

The old man had disheveled hair and several festering sores on his head, and his body emitted a foul odor of decay.

Qin Zhengfan is a kind and simple scholar, and he has a special affection for the elderly because his grandparents loved him dearly when he was young.

So, seeing the old man lying alone on the mountain road in such hot weather, he did not hesitate to help, despite the old man's filth and stench. He quickly went forward to support the old man, helping him sit against his body, and asked with concern, "Old man, where do you feel unwell? Where is your home?"

"Where is my home?" The old man's body trembled slightly, and his eyes revealed a look of confusion mixed with沧桑 and sorrow.

"My home is far away, young man. You don't need to worry about me. I'm not unwell; I just need to lie down for a while." The old man quickly regained his composure and said with a hint of melancholy.

Seeing the old man's sorrow and the sadness in his words, Qin Zhengfan thought the old man's children might be unfilial or that his family had already passed away. He couldn't help but think of himself, alone, and of his grandparents who had loved him so much but were now gone. His heart filled with compassion, and he said, "That won't do. The sores on your head need to be treated with medicine. Besides, this is a grave mountain, and there's almost no one around. There are many insects and snakes here. If you lie here, something bad will happen."

"Something bad?" The old man seemed to find this amusing and finally looked up at Qin Zhengfan.

At this moment, a flash of sharpness, like lightning, appeared in his seemingly cloudy eyes.

"Yes, you will definitely have problems if you stay here alone." Qin Zhengfan nodded firmly.

"Death is the end of all things. If something bad happens, let it happen. Young man, you should go. Don't worry about me." The old man sighed.

"That's absolutely not acceptable! How about this, you come home with me first?" Qin Zhengfan suggested.

"Then what? You can see that I am old and weak, and I am alone. You can take care of me for a while, but not for the rest of my life. What's the point? It's better to let me die here in peace." The old man shook his head.

Thinking of the old man lying alone in the desolate wilderness, waiting for death to come, Qin Zhengfan felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't control his sympathy and said, "Who says I can't take care of you for the rest of your life? I have an old house in the village that is empty. You can live there. As for expenses, you won't need much. My parents left me some savings, and my mentor provides me with a living allowance. If I save, it should be enough for a year. Once I graduate and find a job, we won't have to worry about expenses anymore."

"Are you really willing to take care of me for the rest of my life?" The old man's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness again, and he looked at Qin Zhengfan with disbelief.

"Of course. Having an elder at home is like having a treasure. I live alone now, and I am young. I need an elder to guide me from time to time. If you live with me, it will be a blessing for me." As he spoke, Qin Zhengfan squatted down, not minding the old man's filth or stench, and carried him without hesitation.

The old man, lying on Qin Zhengfan's back, looked at his profile, and his cloudy eyes unconsciously revealed a hint of emotion.

"I never thought that at the end of my life, I would meet a young man with a constitution similar to mine and such a kind and simple heart. Perhaps this is fate. So be it. Even though I was forced to guard Tianfeng Star for eight hundred years, I have lived there for eight hundred years. I will make one last effort." The old man, who was actually Fang Hong, made a decision.

Qin Zhengfan, of course, had no idea that the person on his back was not an ordinary old man.

He only knew that he absolutely could not leave the old man behind.

Moreover, although the old man was dirty and emitted a foul odor, Qin Zhengfan felt an inexplicable sense of closeness and trust towards him, and he didn't even consider whether the old man might be a bad person!

This was actually not in line with his usually cautious nature!

The mountain path was already difficult to walk, and carrying an old man made it even harder. Soon, Qin Zhengfan was drenched in sweat, and his legs felt heavy as if filled with lead, but he did not complain. On the contrary, whenever the old man asked him questions, he answered patiently without any irritation.

When they stopped to rest, Qin Zhengfan was especially careful when he set Fang Hong down, showing no signs of fatigue or impatience, and he did not utter a single word of complaint.

"Grandpa, look, that's Fengwan Village ahead. Just hold on a little longer. We should be home in an hour." As the sun set, Qin Zhengfan climbed to the top of a hill and pointed to a small hill by the sea below, panting.

"You have a kind and simple heart, and you are persistent and determined. You are very good!" As Qin Zhengfan finished speaking, he heard Fang Hong's approving voice. Then he felt a dizzying sensation, and everything went black. When he came to, he found himself lying on the ground in front of his parents' graves.

By this time, the sun had almost set, and it was gradually getting dark. The mountain wind blew, and dry leaves fell, bringing a chill.

"Whoo-oo-oo—"

In the distance, the mournful cries of night owls echoed through the desolate mountain filled with graves.

Even though Qin Zhengfan usually did not believe in ghosts and spirits, he was startled when he found himself suddenly back at his parents' graves, with the sky growing dark, the mountain wind howling, and the owls crying. His heart pounded loudly in the eerie silence of the grave mountain, adding to the sense of terror.

"This must be where your family is buried. When I die, bury me under this cypress tree!" A voice suddenly rang out.

Qin Zhengfan jumped in fright and saw a middle-aged man standing under a cypress tree ahead, his hands behind his back.

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