Standing Next To You-Chapter 420: Ascending the mountain

Reading fate...

This was what monks usually do. But how was it connected to Fei Chuan’s illness?

"And what did he see?" Bei Sangyun asked.

The Head Master reminisced about that night. He still remembered the words spoken fourteen years ago.

"He said Fei Chuan was born with a dragon’s fate. He will rule the skies, and others will bow before him. A dragon is destined for greatness, no matter how many obstacles he encounters in life. And he will soar, regardless of what he does." The Head Master smiled bitterly. "It seemed like a grand destiny. Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time."

Bei Sangyun froze at the mention of a ’dragon’s fate.’ She was shocked to her core.

How coincidental that her dream had been about two dragons fighting in the sky, and now she was hearing that Fei Chuan was born with a dragon’s fate?

Was heaven playing a cruel trick on her?

Her throat felt dry. "The wrong time...? What does it mean that he was born at the wrong time?"

"The great monk spoke of two dragons swimming in the sky. Dragons are territorial beings. Only one can rule the skies. The two would constantly fight, draining each other’s life energy until one perishes and the other prevails."

"Bullshit." Bei Sangyun cursed angrily, refusing to accept such nonsense. "Born with a dragon’s fate? Fighting for life energy? There’s no such thing. Don’t tell me you actually believe him."

"I know it sounds unbelievable. When the great monk first spoke those words on the day Fei Chuan was born, I didn’t believe him either. But after everything that has happened, I have no choice but to believe."

Bei Sangyun clenched her fists, trembling inside. She didn’t want to believe any of it. This was all bullshit.

Just because Fei Chuan was born with a dragon’s fate, he had to suffer endlessly from this unknown illness?

What had he done to deserve such a cruel fate?

Bei Sangyun bit her lip, refusing to accept any of this. She wouldn’t place Fei Chuan’s life and well-being on something as dubious as reading fate or any such nonsense.

She lifted her chin, trying to suppress the unease gnawing at her heart. "So then? What did the great monk do to help Fei Chuan?"

"He opened a map and pointed to a specific place. He told me to send Fei Chuan there."

Bei Sangyun was surprised. "...You mean the River Village?"

"Yes. When I checked the nearby towns, I discovered that the Chuan family has a small villa there. I informed the Chuan family of my decision, and like me, they had already given up on Fei Chuan. Their final gift to him was that abandoned villa."

Bei Sangyun fell silent.

She was surprised that Head Master Fei hadn’t sent Fei Chuan there to abandon him to die but rather to give him a chance to live, even though they had given up hope.

But why River Village? Why did the monk choose that place?

"Did the monk explain why he chose that location?"

"...He didn’t. And at that time, I was beside myself. You see, sending away the grandson I took so much pride in was incredibly painful. It took a great deal of courage to send him away and leave his fate to the heavens."

Bei Sangyun fell silent again.

If she were in Head Master Fei’s position, she might not have had the courage to follow the monk’s instructions and send Fei Chuan to that place with only a nanny.

She asked more questions, but Head Master Fei had no answers.

"I am also in the dark as to why the great monk gave such instructions. We should meet him personally," Head Master Fei offered, leading the way for Bei Sangyun.

Bei Sangyun did not refuse his offer. Given the urgency of the situation, they left that very day.

They wasted no time with transportation. Using the Fei family’s private jet, they arrived at the distant mountains in just four hours.

The jet landed on a flat field, and Bei Sangyun and Head Master Fei disembarked.

Head Master Fei pointed to the mountain ahead of them.

"That’s the mountain where the great monk lives. When you reach the foot of the mountain, you’ll find a path leading to the top. It’s a long walk. I can only accompany you this far. The great monk only accepts one visitor at a time."

Bei Sangyun nodded and thanked Head Master Fei. She had already called her people to come and wait for her in this area so that Head Master Fei could return to the Fei mansion on his own. She didn’t want to owe him more than necessary.

Head Master Fei didn’t comment on it. He nodded. "I leave the rest to you. Since you took my grandson from me, take responsibility and make sure you take care of him."

"You don’t need to remind me of that. But I’ll tell him what you’ve done for him today."

Head Master Fei finally showed a smile. He wished Bei Sangyun well and then left.

Bei Sangyun began walking towards the foot of the mountain. It didn’t matter if she had to climb for hours—she was prepared to do anything to solve the mystery surrounding Fei Chuan’s unknown illness.

She didn’t want to believe that his strange illness was connected to his fate, but a large part of her was anxious because, deep down, her gut told her it was all related.

She arrived at the foot of the mountain and saw the staircase Head Master Fei had mentioned. Looking up, she could only see the endless staircase stretching to the top, filling her sight with nothing but steps.

Bei Sangyun began climbing. An hour passed, and she was still ascending. She paused briefly and looked up again—still, there was nothing in view but more stairs.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she continued her climb.

Another hour passed, and she started to feel thirsty. She paused once more, glancing up, only to find that the summit was still nowhere in sight—just a seemingly endless line of stairs.

Bei Sangyun took only a few seconds to rest before resuming her climb. As she continued, she wondered how many others had climbed these exhausting stairs to reach the temple. Perhaps they, too, were desperate like her, willing to endure the steep ascent.

As she ascended, the wind grew stronger, and the steps became steeper. One had to be careful and watch their footing; a moment of dizziness could lead to a fall, sending them tumbling down the mountain.