Chapter 38: Going Home, Bad News
After coming out of Snow Peak Mountain, Zhang Kai did not return to Wudang with the old fortune teller. He had many things on his mind and felt that it was not convenient to stay in Wudang right now. So, Zhang Kai decided to go back to his hometown.
The old fortune teller tentatively tried to persuade him to stay, but seeing Zhang Kai's determination, he didn't insist. Although Zhang Kai claimed to be from a non-traditional background, he had refused the old fortune teller's offer, which made the old man suspect that there might be more to Zhang Kai's origins than he let on.
Zhang Kai, however, was oblivious to the old fortune teller's thoughts and didn't care. As a player with god-like abilities, he was confident in his ability to handle any situation. The disparity in strength was evident, and he believed that no one's intentions could pose a threat to him.
That night, Zhang Kai took a night bus and left. The next afternoon, he arrived in a small county called Kaiyang County. It was a remote town surrounded by mountains, with a slower pace of life and more affordable housing compared to larger cities. The town had not suffered from industrial pollution, and many areas retained their natural beauty, making it a good place for retirement.
Zhang Kai's hometown was originally in a village, but his parents, who were resourceful in their business of collecting wild mountain products, had moved to the county and settled there. They had accumulated some wealth over the years and established a comfortable life for themselves.
His family members were all safe and well, except for his grandparents who had passed away in earlier years. His grandparents on both sides were still alive, and his parents and siblings were in good health. Zhang Kai had a younger brother who was thirteen years old and a younger sister who was eight. His brother was doing well in junior high school, and his parents had high hopes for him. His sister was playful and loved games, but she had a sweet mouth, which endeared her to their grandparents, and her parents couldn't do much about it.
It was a typical family. If Zhang Kai hadn't obtained the "god mode," his life's path would have been clear-cut and predictable.
This time, Zhang Kai had returned with no intention of disrupting his family's life. Instead, he wanted them to continue as usual. If, in the future, he had the opportunity to cultivate for longevity and had the confidence to do so, perhaps he could achieve immortality. However, before that, maintaining the status quo was the best approach.
Just as he had returned and hadn't even had a chance to drink a sip of water, Zhang Kai received shocking news: His second grandfather had passed away.
In Zhang Kai's grandfather's generation, there were six siblings, and his second grandfather was the third in line. It was common in the past to have many children in a family, especially among those who were not well-off.
When Zhang Kai was at home during the Lunar New Year, his second grandfather was still in good health and could even do physical labor. However, in just a few months, he had suddenly passed away, which left Zhang Kai feeling bewildered.
There was no joy in the family's reunion, and Zhang Kai was informed that his second grandfather had died while collecting herbs on the mountain. He had been attacked by wild boars, rolled down the mountain, and hit his head, leading to instant death.
In Kaiyang County, surrounded by numerous mountains, wild animals had multiplied in recent years, and wild boars were among the most numerous and troublesome. Every year, there were incidents of wild boars damaging crops.
Zhang Kai had not expected that even his own second grandfather would fall victim to a wild boar attack.
"Originally, I was planning to call you tomorrow and let you know, but since you're back now, you can come with me to the village tomorrow to handle the arrangements for your second grandfather," Zhang Kai's father, Zhang Mingren, said with a solemn expression.
Zhang Kai inquired, "What about Big Uncle and Second Uncle? Are they coming back?"
His second grandfather had two sons, and they were cousins to Zhang Kai's father. However, in the Zhang family, relationships between cousins were usually treated as if they were brothers.
Zhang Kai's father had asked about them but received no response. He sighed and said, "I contacted them. Whether they come back or not is their decision. But no matter what, your second grandfather is my real second grandfather. When I was a child, I even nursed from your second grandmother. These years, your second grandfather has also helped us a lot. Blood is thicker than water. Even if his two sons don't handle it, I will give your second grandfather a decent funeral."
"I don't object to that. You can handle it however you want," Zhang Kai's mother, Wang Hui, added.
Zhang Kai said, "Alright, I'll go with you tomorrow."
"Oh, by the way, why did you come back? Did things not go well with your job?" Wang Hui asked, showing her concern for her child.
Zhang Kai replied, "It's not that things didn't go well. I just wanted to come back and see everyone. When you're away from home, you don't realize how good it is here. I've missed you all."
Wang Hui rolled her eyes. She, as a mother, naturally cared more about her child's well-being than anything else.
"This boy, the sweeter your mouth, the more you're trying to say something," she thought. "Well, as long as he doesn't break the law or do anything wrong, I'll be satisfied."
"In that case, you and your father can handle this matter. I'll take Hua Hua and Xiao Yue to the village the day after tomorrow for the memorial service," Wang Hui said.
With the arrangements made, Zhang Kai was left to his own devices.
He found a quiet place and used his inner energy to convert it into true qi. After learning the Taoist techniques and spells from the Maoshan tradition, he could see ghosts and spirits, although this ability was relatively minor. However, after scanning the surroundings, Zhang Kai was puzzled.
He couldn't see anything.
How was this possible? Even if the spiritual energy hadn't fully recovered, his second grandfather's spirit should have passed to the afterlife within a year or so, at the very least, right? It had only been one night; where was his second grandfather's spirit?
Zhang Kai's brows furrowed in confusion. He couldn't find any trace of his second grandfather's spirit.
Even after he secretly took out the "Seal of the Gods," attempting to deify his second grandfather, there was no response from the seal.
Zhang Kai became even more perplexed. Could something unfortunate have happened to his second grandfather's spirit?
Lost in thought, Zhang Kai gazed toward the back of the mountain, known as Hu Zi Mountain, which had a history of eerie legends.