The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 269 Perfect Ending (3k)

In a daze, the old man seemed to have returned to that afternoon.

He was herding cattle there at the time, and he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, he was shocked to find that the cattle he had brought were nowhere to be seen.

This gave him a real fright. You see, a farmer's cow is more valuable than a person, let alone the one he was herding—the owner's cow!

Even though he was just a teenager at the time, he knew that losing it would be a very serious matter.

In a panic, he searched everywhere, but to no avail. Just then, a slightly aged yet powerful voice came from behind him:

"Young man, are you looking for this ox?"

He was both surprised and delighted when he turned around and saw an old man in a gray shirt leading the cow he had lost.

Such a moment of unexpected joy, even at this age, would be a source of immense happiness, let alone in youth.

He was naturally overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward to thank the old man repeatedly, only to see the old man suddenly grasp his wrist and say:

"Young man, I've found your precious ox, but you have to promise me one thing in return!"

He immediately agreed and then asked what it was about.

But the old man did not answer immediately. Instead, he took his hand and led him to where he was standing. He pointed to the entire mouth of the gourd and began to talk about the wonderful terrain.

Although the old man's clothes were not luxurious, his speech was extraordinary, far surpassing that of anyone he had ever met in his life; the content of his words was ordinary, but when the old man spoke them, they were far more captivating than what he was now recounting.

Only after the old man finished speaking did he realize that he had been so engrossed that he had forgotten the time. Fortunately, the sun was setting and it was not yet truly night.

Just then, the old man in the gray robe suddenly looked at him intently and said:
"I tell you these things today in the hope that you will tell them to someone who comes after you in the future."

He asked blankly, "Who are you going to tell?"

They say they're from later, but how long exactly is "later"? And how can they know if they'll meet the right person?

The old man in the gray shirt did not answer, but simply smiled and said:
"You'll know when you meet them!"

Having said that, the old man in gray stroked his beard, chuckled, and left.

So many years have passed that the old man himself has forgotten what he said.

The reason he stayed here, repeating these things to passersby over and over again, was simply to enjoy the way they marveled at his knowledge and abilities.

But today, after meeting Du Yuan, he suddenly remembered this instruction.

The old man stared at the young man in astonishment.

He looks refined and cultured, as if he were a scholar.

But apart from that, there's nothing particularly remarkable about it. Why did I suddenly think of this?

The old man believed that Du Yuan was the person the old man had asked him to wait for.

But deep down, I wasn't quite sure.

After thinking it over, he simply asked:
"That old man told me to wait for someone so I could tell him all this. Little one, do you think it could be you?"

He didn't even glance at the man in black who had followed him.

He only focused on Du Yuan in front of him.

This surprised Du Yuan.

There's actually this cause and effect?

After thinking for a moment, Du Yuan shook her head and smiled:
"Sir, I am not that person, so how could I possibly answer your question? I can only say that if you think so, then that should be it!"

This old man has been keeping this matter for decades, and it's a good thing that it's finally settled today.

The old man seemed to be trying to say something, but a clear female voice came from behind him:

"Grandpa, Dad asked me to come and call you home for dinner."

Upon hearing the voice, the old man's wrinkles seemed to smile.

"Oh my, it's my little Yuanyuan here to see Grandpa!"

Everyone knows that he had scrimped and saved for many years to buy the old ox that he now owns, and he treated the ox with more care than he treated himself.

His son grew up and became the pillar of the family, but if you asked him what he cherished most, it wasn't the cow or his son, but rather the little granddaughter who called him Grandpa. Everyone in and around the village who had seen Little Yuanyuan loved her dearly.

So much so that every time he took Xiaoyuan out, the little guy's pockets would be stuffed full of candy given to him by his aunts.

During holidays and festivals, the best things that each family doesn't even have time to use for their own children are almost always given to her first.

Du Yuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl in a pink and white floral jacket skipping over. She had two round pigtails with light red velvet strings tied to the ends. The pigtails bounced as she ran, making her look incredibly endearing.

I'd guess he's only twelve or thirteen years old.

Before the old man could go to greet her, the little girl had already bumped into his arms. The old man quickly caught her, his wrinkled hands gently patting her back, showing her great tenderness.

The little girl wasn't idle; she reached into her pocket, pulled out a warm candy, and popped it into the old man's mouth.

"Grandpa, have some candy! Aunt Wang from the village entrance just gave it to me! We'll definitely catch a couple of fish at the river later and bring them over!"

Looking at such a sensible granddaughter.

The old man's mouth tasted sweet, but his heart was even sweeter, and he responded repeatedly:
"Okay, okay, we'll catch two fish and send them over in a bit!"

Only then did the little girl notice Du Yuan and the other girl beside her. Her bright black eyes curiously scanned them twice, then she reached into her embroidered peach blossom purse, pulled out two candies wrapped in oiled paper, and handed them over.
"Gentlemen, you look like you've come from out of town, right? Try this, it's homemade by my aunt, it's so sweet!"

Du Yuan smiled and accepted it, saying:
"Then thank you very much, young lady."

As she took the item, Du Yuan glanced at the little girl as well, and couldn't help but give the old man a word of advice:
"This child has a bright and intelligent look in his eyes. He has a promising future and should pay more attention to him, sir."

At this point, the old man straightened his chest and said:

"Little girl, you don't know, almost everyone who meets my precious granddaughter says the same thing. Oh, and that old gentleman mentioned it too!"

"Oh? Could you elaborate?"

The old man said:
"When that old gentleman was leaving, he suddenly turned back to me and said something that I didn't understand at the time."

"Yes, if I have a granddaughter, it would be best to name her Yuanman (meaning 'complete'). That way, she can make up for the last bit of her destiny."

"I later consulted many fortune tellers who claimed to be skilled, but none of them could say anything about it."

Du Yuan nodded, peeled back the oil paper with his fingertips, and popped the candy into his mouth, the sweet taste instantly spreading. He then looked at the little girl and asked the old man with a smile:
"But you still named her 'Perfect' in the end?"

"Of course!" The old man squinted, his eyes brimming with joy. "'Perfect' is wonderful, it means complete and joyful!"

The man in black suddenly interjected: "Did that old gentleman ever tell you what you would do if you were born with a grandson?"

"Grandson?" The old man was taken aback upon hearing this, a look of surprise on his face.

"Yes, did he say what to do if you have a grandson?" As he said this, the man in black had a burning gaze, his eyes full of scrutiny and inquiry.

The old man shook his head and said, "That old gentleman didn't mention it, but I did ask about it. At the time, he just looked me over carefully for a while, and then suddenly waved his hand and said that I would have one in the future, but it should be a granddaughter."

Upon hearing this, the man in black couldn't help but sigh softly.

The sigh puzzled the old man, who quickly asked, "Is there some reason behind your sigh? Otherwise, why would you sigh for no reason?"

Because it involves his beloved granddaughter, even the little baby has become "you".

Du Yuan, who was standing to the side, also cast an inquiring glance. Seeing this, the man in black waved his hand and said:

"Don't worry, it's just a little thing on my mind, it has nothing to do with you. By the way, as I said before, your granddaughter has quite an impressive presence, and now her name is complete with the addition of 'Yuanman'."

"You must pay more attention to her in the future. This doesn't mean finding her a good family, but teaching her to read and write, and to understand right from wrong. That's how you plan for her future!"

Even after saying this, the man in black still felt uneasy and added another piece of advice:
"Also, you'd better not live in such a small place anymore. Even if the conditions are tough, you have to move to Hexi County. It's not just that it's better than here, but most importantly, it's much safer!"

Upon hearing this, the old man couldn't help but laugh: "Sir, you're too kind. The world is at peace now, so why talk about safety or unsafety?"

The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, a true dragon, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. Their Hexi region is a wealthy county; how could there be any safety concerns?

But the man in black suppressed all his emotions and solemnly instructed, "The world will change drastically sooner or later. Moving to the county town is the best choice for you and for this child."

The man in black was a great cultivator. Although he deliberately concealed his aura, once he got serious, his imposing presence could still easily intimidate ordinary people.

The old man, intimidated by the oppressive aura, immediately felt fear and took several steps back. Only the young girl suddenly pulled out a slingshot from her bosom, aimed it at the man in black, and said with slight anger:

"Don't you dare scare Grandpa!"

This scene, while not frightening the man in black, did make him chuckle as he looked at the slingshot.

"You little girl are really interesting. It's a pity I've lost that ambition, and I'm even a swordsman. Otherwise, I would really like to take you as my successor."

As he spoke, he looked at Du Yuan and said to her with a hint of helplessness:

"You're excellent for me, but you're not quite up to the task for this person. What a pity. But then again, this is probably for the best."

Finally, the man in black addressed the bewildered old man:
“If you really have a grandson, today I must advise you to make sure he becomes his disciple.”

As he spoke, the man in black pointed to the surrounding fields and said:
"Furthermore, no matter what he wants, I will risk my life to get that sword for him!"

(End of this chapter)