Chapter 619: Chapter 303: Life Like Spark on Stone! Daoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain (Bonus)

The vast river gives birth to white hair, how many sit by the lamplight in dusk.

Yesterday’s youth seems as though it’s today, back then, bald grandpa’s head wasn’t as shiny, the little town at the mountain’s foot was more peaceful and harmonious than it is today, a sudden visitor was like a stone thrown into the lake, stirring up waves upon waves.

Zhang Tian Sheng, like a con-artist, wanted to exchange his chatter for a pot of old hen stewed for three hours, but all he got was bald grandpa swinging a big ladle, and the old dog in the courtyard wouldn’t stop barking.

When the thick stack of Red Notes in the pocket remained on the table, then one truly has friends afar, as close as neighbors.

The big ladle scoops a bowl of delicious chicken soup for a friend, comforting the weary one from afar, the dog in the courtyard stops barking, grinning, drooling, as if seeing a life of wealth with marrow bones at every meal.

"Zhang Tian Sheng!"

Divine Oracle Zhang Tian Sheng.

He was Zhang Lingzong’s actual father, also Zhang Fan’s grandfather.

He hadn’t expected, forty-odd years ago, Zhang Tian Sheng had also come to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, hiring bald grandpa’s ox cart.

The mystery of destiny, the nuance of fate, truly are obscure and hard to fully describe.

"In a flash, forty years have passed... forty years, and never met someone so generous again..." bald grandpa reflected.

"How did you describe them just now?"

"Right, a sucker, a big sucker."

"Never met such a sucker again," bald grandpa lamented.

"Well... grandpa, maybe he was just wealthy and kind-hearted," Zhang Fan said with a dry laugh.

"What’s up with you?"

Li Miaoyin looked at Zhang Fan with concern, as his expression seemed a bit unnatural.

"It’s nothing."

Zhang Fan shook his head, looking at bald grandpa driving the ox cart, asking: "Grandpa, why would Zhang the Second, with so much money, come to this poor mountain valley?"

"What else? Play around, have fun, rich people have to have some peculiar hobbies, must be different from not-so-abnormal normal people to count as wealthy," bald grandpa casually said.

"But, he didn’t seem like any respectable person, seemed terribly weak, like he was emptied out..." bald grandpa laughed, showing teeth: "At the time, I thought, with that frail body, going into the mountain valleys, even if he survives, he might be cut off from descendants."

"..."

"What’s up with you?"

"It’s nothing."

Facing Li Miaoyin’s concern, Zhang Fan shook his head, staring at bald grandpa’s back, but grandpa was like a broken faucet, once opened, couldn’t be shut.

"Hey, young man, guess what? That sucker you mentioned, years later, came again, even brought two little ones."

"Little ones?" Zhang Fan showed a peculiar expression.

"Yeah, truly old turtle makes offspring..."

"What do you mean?"

"All a bunch of bastards."

"..."

"But among those two little ones, only one was actually the sucker’s child," bald grandpa whispered.

That night, Zhang Tian Sheng brought the two kids, still stayed at their courtyard.

The old dog had long become a mound of yellow earth in the backyard, upon seeing old acquaintances, the con-artist seemed more ridden with illness, lost his former spirit.

He said he was dying!

"Since then, I’ve never seen him again."

Bald grandpa lamented.

At his age, it’s time to live on reminiscences of past life.

The mountain path is rugged, jagged rocks loom threateningly, ancient trees are like tangled algae, the mist rises like delicate gauze.

Suddenly, a rooster’s crow echoes from the town behind.

In the distance, the east reveals a sliver of white, the sunrise leaps up, dyeing the skies golden.

Looking back, the golden clouds stretch infinitely, the magnificent landscape is enthralling.

"Ha..."

Bald grandpa flicks his long whip, reins in the ox, gazing at the golden sky, his murky eyes show a unique gleam, at that moment, he seems to revisit nostalgic times, his chest stirs with passion, and poetic inspiration flows.

"Heavenly Dao applied lubricant, the golden glow cannot be stopped."

"..."

Zhang Fan and Li Miaoyin exchange a look, the ambient atmosphere dissipates invisibly.

Bald grandpa, however, is proud and wistful: "Back in the day, I almost got into college."

Saying this, bald grandpa’s brows reveal signs of disappointment.

"..."

The three ride the ox cart, jolting along the rugged mountain path, for about half a day, covering around twenty, thirty miles.

Bald grandpa reins in the ox, finally stops.

"Only up to here, there’s no road ahead."

The Hundred Thousand Mountains’ terrain is complex, there were never roads, these rugged paths were explored generation after generation by mountain dwellers nearby, for woodcutting and herbal foraging.

Later, it became a route for tourists, but it was only safe on the periphery, after twenty, thirty miles, further in became dangerous.

"Alright, grandpa, we’ll part ways here." Zhang Fan jumped off the cart, then helped Li Miaoyin down.

"Youngsters, the mountain isn’t peaceful, you two kids better not wander." Bald grandpa gave Zhang Fan a deep look, advised.

"Grandpa, we know in our hearts."

Zhang Fan called out, then walked shoulder to shoulder with Li Miaoyin, into the wild deep mountains.

Mist spread through the mountains, quickly engulfing the two as they walked away.

"Impermanence is swift, thoughts shifting, like sparks or fleeting flame, passing waves or fading glow..."

"No wonder back then Zhang the Second said, fate is like sparks from stone, how long can one live on earth... how many years have passed in a flash."

Bald grandpa looked in the direction Zhang Fan went, and gently sighed.