The Path to Another World

The two packed everything Old Ye had given them into their backpacks. They tied the precious bronze Bagua (Eight Trigrams) given to them by their grandfather around their necks, then returned the beautiful pendant to Tian Jun. Only then did they go downstairs to say goodbye to the two elders. They walked almost a mile, turning back every few steps, and in the dim starlight, they could still see the two elders standing foolishly at the door, gazing intently in the direction the two had left. Ye Fan couldn't help but shed tears again, and couldn't help but recite the poem "The Wanderer's Song": "The thread in the loving mother's hand, the clothes on the wanderer's body. Before departure, she sews them carefully, fearing his return will be delayed. Who says that the heart of a blade of grass can repay the sun's rays?" Wasn't this the most accurate depiction? With a resolute turn, tears welling in his eyes, he strode off and quickly disappeared into the night with Tian Jun.

Ye Fan and Tian Jun lived not far apart; it took them about an hour to walk there. Because the two families were very close, Ye Fan inevitably visited the Tian family members that night, especially the patriarch, who was of the same generation as his own grandfather. They exchanged pleasantries and questions until almost ten o'clock before finally going to rest. Exhausted, neither of them noticed the exquisite pendant that once again seemed to emerge on its own, absorbing the moonlight. Bathed in moonlight, the teardrop-shaped gemstone appeared even more translucent and luminous.

Mornings come early in the countryside. As dawn breaks, many villagers rise to the crowing of roosters and begin their farm work. Birds sing, flowers bloom, clouds drift and mist swirls, and the people are simple and honest—it's a beautiful, idyllic scene, a veritable paradise. Ye Fan, just awakened, gazes at this rural morning picture, lost in thought. To live a quiet life in such a small mountain village for the rest of one's life—wouldn't that be a kind of happiness? The two loaded all their belongings into the carriage, bid farewell to the elders of the Tian family, and then sped away. Looking at the lovely villagers who got up early along the way, the tiled houses that had long disappeared in the big city, and the lush green vegetable fields and crops, Ye Fan couldn't help but take out his phone and start taking pictures, capturing memories of his hometown. He had a premonition that he might not be able to return for a while, and saying that he would be back in a month or two was just to comfort the two elderly people. Watching their hometown recede into the distance, both of them felt very heavy-hearted. They both wanted to stop and stay there for another day to feel the taste of home, but seeing a strong figure guarding the village entrance, they didn't care about the uneven rural road. Tian Jun stepped on the gas and sped off at more than 100 miles per hour, as fast as he could. Seeing the SUV suddenly accelerate past, Xiao Die, her eyes wide open, spotted the two unfamiliar yet familiar figures inside. She started running towards the car, "Brother Ye Fan, wait for me, take me with you..." Hearing this, Tian Jun was so frightened that he slammed on the gas, leaving a trail of dust as he disappeared under Xiao Die's resentful gaze. Watching Xiaodie gradually disappear into the rearview mirror, the two breathed a sigh of relief and slowed down.

According to Tian Jun's introduction, the ancient tomb was located in an unknown village near Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain. The village had been largely untouched for generations, so few people knew about it. Changbai Mountain has been a famous mountain and river since ancient times, and Tianchi Lake was once a rare sacred place for cultivation. Several sects once established their training grounds there. However, later, spiritual energy dwindled, and Tianchi Lake dried up, leading to the decline of the area and the search for new auspicious locations. Tian Jun's information came from a book he found inside an ancient tomb he had raided. He learned that such a historically significant tomb existed in this forgotten little mountain village. If he hadn't personally investigated and verified it, he probably wouldn't have believed it himself.

Tian Jun, a skilled driver, drove the SUV along the highway towards Changbai Mountain. After driving on the highway for almost a day and the national road for half a day, they finally stopped in a small county town dozens of kilometers away from the small mountain village. Since there was no road from the county town to the village, the two paid a few hundred yuan to park the SUV in the parking lot and unloaded all their belongings, because they would have to rely on their own two feet for the rest of the journey.

"Brother, how much further? Are we really going to have to carry all this stuff on foot? Can we call someone to come pick us up?" Ye Fan looked at the map, somewhat dumbfounded.

"It's still about several dozen kilometers away! Strangely, there's no signal within the village area, but you can make calls as soon as you leave the village, so there's no way to notify them." Tian Jun shrugged helplessly.

"It's getting late, why don't we find a place to rest?" Ye Fan suggested, looking at the darkening sky. Tian Jun quickly searched for any sign of an inn, when suddenly a familiar face caught his eye. An old man with white hair and beard, driving an oxcart, walked past from one end of the street. Wait, isn't that Grandpa Li from the village? Could it be that he's on his way to the market today? He quickly caught up with him, blocking the old man's path and excitedly called out, "Grandpa Li, do you remember me?"

The old man driving the oxcart saw a young man suddenly appear out of nowhere and instinctively covered his pockets. He only recognized him when Tianju got closer and happily said, "How could I forget you? Xiaojunzi, if it weren't for your life-saving money last time, my grandson would probably be in danger. You came so quickly?"

"Hehe, sir, you're too kind. This is my brother, Ye Fan. I was just on my way to the village when I bumped into you. This saves us trouble. Can we brothers share a ride?" Seeing that the old man still remembered him clearly, Tian Jun was very excited and quickly introduced Ye Fan. Ye Fan bowed and greeted him respectfully, "Hello, sir, I'm his brother. You can call me Xiao Fan!"

"It's alright, it's alright. Please come on up if you don't mind. It's lucky you met me on my way to town today, otherwise you would have had to walk. Although it's only a few dozen miles, it's not far, but it's not an easy walk either." Grandpa Li warmly invited the two onto the oxcart and casually put their belongings on it. "You're staying for a while this time, aren't you? You've brought quite a lot of things."

"Yes, yes, I guess I'll be bothering Grandpa for quite a while." Tian Jun said politely with a smile. Grandpa Li is a highly respected elder in the village, and there will probably be some people who try to stop him from entering the grave. At that time, we can just ask Grandpa Li to step forward.

"It's nothing, we're overjoyed to have you here! Little Yezi hasn't seen you in a while and talks about you every day; I'm sick of hearing it," the old man laughed heartily.

"How's Xiao Yezi doing? I miss him terribly too." Tian Jun and Grandpa Li were clearly very familiar with each other, chatting about everyday things.

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