Douluo Continent: My name is Yang Jian, and I achieved sainthood through my physical body

Then, the iron gate was pulled open a crack from the inside, and a woman's face appeared from behind the gap.

Liu Erlong stood behind the door, her long, dark blue hair cascading over her shoulders, untied, with dry, split ends, clearly neglected.

She was without makeup, her brows furrowed with weariness and a hint of melancholy. Faint shadows hung under her eyes, and her lips were slightly downturned, as if she hadn't truly smiled in a long time.

Her gaze swept across the empty street, looked left and right, and finally settled on the direction where the gray-robed figure had disappeared.

After watching for a while, as if to confirm whether the person would return, she sighed softly.

The sigh was very soft and faint, like the sound of a leaf falling from a branch and gliding through the air for a fleeting moment.

She herself doesn't understand how things turned out this way.

My feelings for Yu Xiaogang used to be so deep and so unwavering. The storms we weathered together, the promises we kept, the names and commitments etched into my bones—now, when I think of them, it's like looking at a faded painting through a thick fog.

The outline is still there, but the colors are so blurred that they are almost unrecognizable.

After the destruction of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex clan, she found herself unable to shed tears or vent her anger; her heart was filled with only an empty calm.

I can't even muster the strength to hate. It's like standing in the wilderness for too long in the dead of winter, my limbs are frozen by the cold wind, and even the strongest wind and snow can't penetrate my body. I've even become dull and numb to pain.

She stood at the door for a while, her gaze wandering aimlessly across the empty street, before reaching out and slowly closing the iron gate.

The vermilion gate slammed shut with a dull thud, like a heavy hand gently closing the lid of a box, once again isolating her from the outside world.

Her footsteps faded away behind the door, disappearing into the depths of the academy, leaving behind a desolate silence.

……

Yang Jian wandered aimlessly through Tiandou City.

As the sun slowly sank westward, the shadows of the buildings along the street gradually lengthened from a short section at our feet, one step, two steps, three steps.

The light gradually faded from a blinding white to a soft gold.

He didn't follow a fixed route; he just walked along the road, turning at bends and choosing any fork in the road.

This state made him feel comfortable; walking without a goal or end was itself a form of rest.

He walked through the busiest commercial street once again.

The crowds were still dense, with stalls lining up one after another, and vendors shouting to attract customers.

The cloth vendors spread out various colored silks and hung them on bamboo poles, the satin surfaces shimmering with a flowing luster in the sunlight.

A porcelain vendor held up a blue-and-white bowl and tapped it lightly with his knuckles, the crisp sound attracting passersby to stop and watch.

A crowd gathered around the calligraphy and painting stall, watching the white-bearded old man demonstrate his skills. His brushstrokes danced and leaped on the rice paper, and in no time, a landscape painting was completed, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Yang Jian walked past the crowd like a quiet fish gliding across a bustling body of water, the ripples spreading and receding without leaving a trace.

As he passed a candied hawthorn stall, he saw a little girl with pigtails clinging to the hem of an old man with gray hair, refusing to let go.

Her little mouth was pouting high, and her two little legs were rubbing against the ground.

The old man, bent over, was pulled so hard that he swayed back and forth, muttering, "I have no money, I can't buy it today."

But the little girl's eyes filled with more and more tears, and finally, with her lips pursed and her voice trembling with sobs, she cried out, "Grandpa, please."

The old man looked at her face, which was about to cry, and remained silent for a few seconds, as if all his defenses had been broken down by that one word, "Grandpa".

He straightened up, sighed, and fumbled in his old purse for a long time before pulling out a shiny copper coin, which he handed to the vendor.

The vendor took a bunch of hawthorns coated with glistening sugar and handed them to the little girl. She took a bite, and the sugar coating crunched between her teeth.

Her eyes curved into crescents, and she spun around twice with joy. She didn't even bother to wipe the glistening sugar stains from the corners of her mouth, and she skipped and hopped away, holding the old man's hand.

Yang Jian's pace slowed slightly for a moment as he passed by, then returned to normal.

That smiling face, stained with sugar, was exceptionally clear in the afternoon sunlight, but his heart remained frozen like water, without a single crack.

There was a transparent barrier between him and the sunlight.

After walking a little further, four people were gathered at the entrance of the alley. It looked like two couples were arguing, and their relationship was complicated.

The round-faced girl put her hands on her hips, pointed at the girl with long, flowing hair opposite her, and demanded, "Where did you go with him last night? What's your relationship?"

The long-haired girl who was being targeted also got angry and retorted, "What's my relationship with him? What's it to you? Mind your own business!"

The round-faced girl's face flushed even redder, and she turned to the tall young man beside her: "Say something!"

The young man rubbed his temples, his face contorted in pain and helplessness, as if he were standing between two collapsing walls, caught in a dilemma.

Another young man with a buzz cut leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips.

The group argued back and forth, getting more and more agitated, their words sharp and barbed, drawing the attention of passersby.

Yang Jian didn't even glance at her as he passed by.

Those intense words and sharp emotions vanished like a gust of wind passing by, without even stirring the hem of his clothes.

As you walk further ahead, you suddenly hear the lively sounds of gongs, drums, and suonas.

A bright red wedding procession is turning from the opposite intersection.

The young man at the front rode a white horse, a big red flower tied around his chest, his face contorted with laughter.

On either side, sedan chair bearers carried a large red silk sedan chair, with golden tassels hanging from the four corners of the roof, swaying and shimmering in the sunlight.

Neighbors watching the ceremony on the street shouted "Congratulations!" and reached out for wedding candy. Some people said "May you have a long and happy marriage" while squeezing into the line.

Handfuls of wedding candies wrapped in red paper were tossed out from the line, tracing golden-red arcs in the air before landing among the crowd, eliciting a small scramble and laughter.

Chapter 219 Come and eat!

A wedding candy flew right towards Yang Jian. He instinctively raised his hand, and the candy landed steadily in his palm. The warmth of the wrapping paper, still warm from the sun, seeped through the paper to his fingertips.

He looked down at the candy in his palm, then looked up at the departing wedding procession.

As the procession moved further and further away, the sound of the suona gradually faded at the end of the street, and the laughter was like a ripple coming from a distant body of water.

Yang Jian put the wedding candy into her sleeve, her face devoid of smiles or any other expression.

Around a corner, several children were playing and laughing in the street.

A little boy with a topknot was chasing after a little girl with pigtails, holding a tree branch in his hand.

The little girl smiled and glanced back, then quickened her pace and ran into the alley next door, with the little boy following after her.

The sounds of their laughter and banter came from deep within the alley, as clear and crisp as the ringing of a string of bells.

Two even smaller children were squatting nearby, playing hopscotch by drawing squares on the ground with twigs, their drawings focused and serious.

A few smooth pebbles lay scattered at their feet as the two argued heatedly about how far they should take one step.

Yang Jian's gaze fell on the children.

They chased, ran, shouted, and laughed in the afternoon sunlight, and those images and sounds reminded him of himself from a long time ago.

Back then, he would chase after his older brother Yang Jiao like this, running across the dirt road at the village entrance, with his younger sister Yang Chan following behind, wobbling along with her short legs.

The sea breeze blew from afar, carrying a salty and moist scent. The setting sun dyed the entire sea surface into a flowing orange-red. His brother turned around, reached out to him, and called for him to hurry up and catch up.

A distant image flashed through my mind for a moment, like a pebble thrown into water, creating ripples that spread outwards, then slowly subsided before finally sinking to the bottom.

Yang Jian withdrew his gaze, his heartbeat remaining steady and regular, neither fast nor slow.

Those past memories were like old book pages blown open by the wind; he glanced at them, and then the wind blew them back together.

As dusk fell, the clouds on the horizon turned from white to light orange, and then slowly faded to dark red.

The number of pedestrians and vehicles on the street gradually decreased, and one shop after another lit up the lanterns in front of their doors.

The warm yellow light, in the darkening sky, resembled strings of amber beads hanging under the eaves.

The air was filled with the aromas of food from various households—the scent of oil from stir-fries, the aroma of meat from stews, and the aroma of charred flatbreads—all blending together to create a warm and comforting fragrance.

Yang Jian walked the streets all day, from dawn to dusk, from midday to sunset, covering almost half of Tiandou City.

He finally stopped and turned to walk towards home.

When I returned to the courtyard, dusk had completely fallen.

The sky above the courtyard wall was a color between deep blue and dark purple.

The aroma of the food filled the entire courtyard.

The warm aroma of oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, cooked over a flame, wafted out from the house and filled the air in the courtyard, mingling with the increasingly rich fragrance of osmanthus blossoms as evening approached.

Zhu Zhuqing, wearing an apron, carried a plate of freshly cooked food from the kitchen to the living room. Her steps were steady and quick, and her profile, illuminated by the lamplight from the stove, was gentle and warm.

Yang Jiao and Yang Chan had already sat down at the table and set out the bowls and chopsticks.

Yang Chan lay on the edge of the table, her head resting on her arm, staring blankly at the steaming dish, her nostrils twitching slightly as she sniffed the aroma, like a kitten waiting for its meal.

Yang Jiao was turned to the side, talking to his younger sister about what had happened at the academy that day. His voice was calm and gentle, with the patience typical of an elder brother.

When Yang Jian pushed the door open and came in, Yang Chan was the first to look up.

Her eyes lit up in the dim light, and she waved and called out, "Second Brother, come and eat!"

Yang Jiao smiled at him, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured a cup of warm water into the empty cup in front of him. The sound of the water flowing into the cup was thin and crisp.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything, but simply placed the dish in the center of the table, then sat down opposite him and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

The family sat around the table and enjoyed a quiet dinner.

The steam from the food rose and swirled above the table, creating a thin layer of white mist under the lamplight. The crisp sound of chopsticks hitting the rim of bowls mingled with the soft sounds of chewing, forming the background noise of dinner.

While eating, Yang Chan mumbled about trivial things at school: who got caught by the teacher for secretly reading extracurricular books in their desks during class, who came to her for judgment after arguing with whom, but after the judgment, neither of them would talk to her anymore.

She spoke with great enthusiasm, her mouth still full of food, her cheeks bulging.

Yang Jiao occasionally chimed in with a word or two, his tone gentle and restrained. His gaze swept over his sister's cheeks, which were still covered in rice grains, and he reached out to remove them for her.

Zhu Zhuqing sat opposite Yang Jian, eating quietly, her movements unhurried and deliberate.

Every now and then, he would put a piece of food into Yang Jian's bowl with his chopsticks, the action as natural as if he had done it a thousand times.

Her chopsticks traced a short arc across the table before she withdrew them and continued eating.

Yang Jian didn't say much. He slowly finished the rice in his bowl, then added half a bowl and ate most of the roasted pork.

The night outside the window changed from deep blue to complete darkness. The osmanthus tree in the yard swayed its branches and leaves in the night wind, making a soft rustling sound. A few leaves fell silently into the night.

After the meal, everyone went their separate ways.