The Young Swordsman of Dalu

Grandma Wen, in the end, could not withstand the relentless ravages of time, and her life came to an end. Reluctant to part with her grandson whom she had raised from a young age, she weakly groped under her pillow. After a moment, she pulled out a green jade thumb ring and placed it in Wen Fei's hand, saying feebly:

“Child, this is a family heirloom of the Wen family. I’m entrusting it to you now. From now on, you’ll have to live on your own. I can’t be with you anymore, but I will bless you wherever I go.”

The other members of the Wen family whispered among themselves upon seeing what was happening, but Old Mrs. Wen ignored them.

Grandma Wen looked at her son Wen Tao, who hadn't returned for a long time, and said, "I'm leaving now. You must take good care of Wen Fei and fulfill your responsibilities as a father."

"Mom, don't worry, I'll treat him well," Wentao replied.

"You still have some conscience. After all, he is your own flesh and blood. You've abandoned him with me all these years and neglected him. You've really broken his heart," said Mrs. Wen with a heavy heart.

"Mom, that green thumb ring is our family heirloom. Wenfei is just a kid, so I should keep it for him." Wentao finally couldn't contain his anxiety.

Wen Fei looked up and gave Wen Tao a disdainful look. Wen Tao met his gaze, and Wen Tao felt a pang of discomfort.

"This is the life-saving treasure I'm giving my grandson. Wenfei, you can't give it to anyone else. Remember what Grandma said," Grandma Wen said angrily, holding Wenfei's hand.

Wen Tao was about to argue further, but Wen Fei, seeing his grandmother's weak and listless state, felt extremely distressed.

"Alright, stop talking and let Grandma have some peace and quiet."

Wen Tao quickly shut his mouth; he had no choice, he knew he was in the wrong in front of his son.

In the evening, Grandma Wen fell asleep in Wenfei's arms and passed away. Wenfei held his grandmother in his arms for a long time, unwilling to put her down.

Three days later, according to local custom, Old Mrs. Wen was laid to rest. All of Wen's relatives and friends left. Wen Tao and his son returned to the small courtyard where Old Mrs. Wen had lived. Wen Fei got out of the car without saying goodbye to Wen Tao and silently went into Old Mrs. Wen's room.

As darkness fell, Wenfei sat quietly in his grandmother's bedroom without turning on the lights. He held her portrait in his arms and a jade thumb ring in his hand, weeping bitterly. Moonlight shone through the window onto Wenfei's face, and tears blurred his vision.

Wen Tao searched the room for a long time, turning it upside down, but found nothing. Muttering curses, he went into Old Mrs. Wen's bedroom and turned on the light. What he saw was Wen Fei's sad and resentful eyes, and the green thumb ring in Wen Fei's hand. He wanted to say something, but he didn't want to offend his son, so he held back and just said, "He's gone. Don't be too sad. Move to the city and live with us from now on."

“I don’t care, and I don’t need it. I just want to stay in this courtyard with my grandma,” Wenfei said calmly.

"You brat, don't be ungrateful. I'm your guardian now. Grandma told me to take good care of you. I'm not doing this for your own good," Wen Tao said irritably.

"I'm all grown up! I don't need a guardian!" Wenfei said, keeping his head down and not wanting to look at Wentao.

“You’re only sixteen, kid. You’ll have to wait another two years if you want to break free from me,” Wen Tao shouted.

"Then we'll sever our father-son relationship!" Wenfei said through gritted teeth.

"You're ruthless, kid. I see you're in a bad mood, so I don't want to mess with you. I'll deal with you another day. Since you're not coming back to the city with me, you can stay here by yourself for now. I'm leaving." Wen Tao said and left the courtyard.

Wentao drove off in a flash, leaving Wenfei alone. Wenfei stood up and looked around his grandmother's bedroom, the room where he had spent his childhood with his grandmother. It was filled with his grandmother's love for him. Every little detail of their life flashed through Wenfei's eyes, as if his grandmother was still by his side.

Wenfei lay curled up on his grandmother's bed, clutching her portrait. He knew that from this moment on, the person who loved him most in this world was gone forever. Thinking of this, tears streamed down his face again. He recalled images of his grandmother, then took out the green thumb ring she had given him from his pocket and examined it closely. He remembered how anxious Wentao had been when his grandmother gave him the ring, and how the clansmen seemed somewhat unconvinced, wondering what the purpose of this ancestral treasure was. His grandmother had never told him. Could this green thumb ring be the key to unlocking a treasure? This thought filled Wenfei with a little excitement.

A wave of exhaustion washed over Wenfei, and he could no longer keep his eyes open. Perhaps due to the grief over his grandmother's passing these past few days, his body had reached its limit and he simply couldn't hold on any longer. Wenfei fell into a deep sleep.

At that moment, the bright moonlight outside the window shone on the green thumb ring in Wenfei's hand. Suddenly, a bright light flashed, and Wenfei was transported to another time and space in his dream.

Wenfei didn't know how long he had slept, but when he woke up, a completely new world unfolded before him. He looked down at his arms; his grandmother's portrait was gone, as was the green thumb ring on her hand. What was he wearing? Ancient clothing! When did his grandmother's bed become so soft and comfortable, complete with a bed curtain? His grandmother never liked such trouble; she wouldn't even accept a mosquito net in the summer. Wenfei looked around the room again. It was incredibly luxurious. Uneasy, Wenfei got out of bed and cautiously observed the room, his mind racing, trying to figure out what was going on.

There was a bronze mirror beside the bed. Wenfei stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself. He found it very funny. He had an ancient hairstyle. "My God! When did my hair grow so long?" Wenfei thought to himself. He pulled his hair hard. It hurt. It was definitely his own hair. He looked at his clothes and was dressed like an ancient person.

Wenfei was unsettled. Who was playing this prank? Who was messing with him? It couldn't be his unreliable father, could it? Impossible. He knew he didn't like him and usually kept his distance. He wouldn't bother him. But the green ring his grandmother gave him was missing. Did he take it? Or was it his half-sister's prank? She loved to joke with him. Although he didn't get along well with his stepmother, this sister was good to him, and he genuinely doted on her. Wenyu was three years younger than him, but she worried about him constantly. She video-called him every day, asking if he had eaten, done his homework, was daydreaming in class, was happy, was dating, and so on. She had endless questions every day. Wenfei couldn't figure out what was going on, so he went out to take a look. He walked to the door and was about to open it when he suddenly heard voices outside: "Fourth Master fell pretty hard. He's been unconscious for three days and three nights and hasn't woken up yet." Upon hearing this, Wenfei quickly lay back down on the bed, covered himself with the blanket, and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.