Ye Yan spent the rest of the morning in the hut, letting Grandpa Chen tend to his wounds with simple herbal medicine.
Although the ointment didn't help much, Grandpa Chen's warmth and sincerity were more valuable than any pill. "How many times have I told you not to go into the forest?"
The coldness from his hands made Ye Yan wince, then he smiled foolishly and said in a childish tone. Perfectly imitating Ye Mu's words and expressions on his shoulder. "Hehe, I know, Grandpa. Don't be angry, Mumu will get you the big rabbit Mumu saw yesterday."
Grandpa Chen smiled gently, holding Ye Yan's hand. He looked intently at Ye Yan, his lips opening several times as if he wanted to say something before closing again.
"Okay, get some rest. Grandpa is going back to work." Grandpa Chen got up from his seat and gently stroked Ye Yan's head.
"Um." Ye Yan nodded, still smiling foolishly. "Be careful, Grandpa."
After Grandpa Chen turned around and his footsteps faded away, the foolish smile on Ye Yan's face disappeared as quickly as morning dew.
His expression returned to being cold and dignified, his black eyes radiating a sharp and intelligent light.
Ye Mu circled in front of him, looking at Ye Yan in confusion. "Brother, why did you trick Mumu?"
A tired sigh was faintly heard as Ye Yan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Be quiet, don't bother me."
Ye Mu snorted and flew faster, obstructing Ye Yan's view. He said arrogantly, "Hmph, stupid brother!"
Ye Yan then got up, walked to the corner of the room, and sat cross-legged on the straw mat. He closed his eyes, focusing his mind to try to gather Qi.
Meanwhile, Ye Mu continued to fly around Ye Yan, chirping, "Stupid brother! Stupid brother!"
Just you wait, I'll pluck all your feathers and make you a bald bird. Ye Yan took a deep breath and exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. He refocused on gathering Qi.
Here, in this spiritually impoverished Mortal Realm, Ye Yan had to work hard just to sense traces of energy. The sensation was like trying to fill a giant container with raindrops. The creases between his eyebrows deepened as he managed to gather only a small amount of Qi.
"It's not enough," he muttered. "I can't waste time. I have to find the Cold Star Flower."
His meridians were blocked, his dantian was dry, and his spiritual power was thin. I can't go on like this. The fastest way right now is to use medicine. Ye Yan opened his eyes and glanced at the foolish bird flying around.
"Ye Mu, come here," Ye Yan called softly.
Ye Mu flapped his wings and flew closer, but as if remembering something, he stopped a few steps away from Ye Yan and snorted in annoyance. "Hmph, Mumu doesn't want to."
Ye Yan sighed, picked up Ye Mu, and placed it in the palm of his hand. "Ye Mu, your grandfather doesn't need to know that 'the stupid one' is gone. He'll be safer if he thinks I'm you."
Although still sulking, at least Ye Mu understood now. It nodded its bird head up and down. "I know, brother. I'm sorry for calling you stupid."
His hands itched to hit this stupid bird. But Ye Yan managed to hold back; he still needed this bird. "Listen, if you say the word 'stupid' again, get ready to become a bald bird."
Ye Mu's big eyes widened in horror at Ye Yan's cold threat and murderous aura. It made him fly away. "Mumu knows, Mumu knows."
A happy smile spread across Ye Yan's face as he watched the foolish bird cower in fear, giving him a sense of satisfaction. "Is there a plant in the forest with thick leaves and pale blue flowers that only bloom at night? It's called the Cold Star Flower."
"A blue flower?" The bird tilted its head, thinking for a moment. "I know, that flower is near the river where my sister bathes."
Before Ye Yan could ask any further questions, the slam of a door caught his attention. His brow furrowed, and he immediately got up and walked towards the entrance.
Grandpa Chen stood there panting, his gaze sweeping around the house. He looked panicked and anxious, searching for something. He breathed a sigh of relief when Ye Yan approached him.
"Are you okay?" Grandpa Chen's voice trembled, his hands squeezing Ye Yan's shoulders tightly.
"Mumu is fine, Grandpa," Ye Yan replied, shaking her head.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness." Grandpa Chen breathed a sigh of relief. "Stay home, don't go out, okay?"
Ye Yan tilted her head, asking in confusion. "Why can't Mumu go out?"
Grandpa Chen gently stroked Ye Yan's hair, whispering weakly. "Just don't go out. Grandpa will make your favorite food later."
Ye Yan nodded, watching the old man's back as he hurriedly walked out. She sensed Grandpa Chen's panic and anxiety.
"Mumu, go and see what's going on outside." A cold glint flashed in Ye Yan's eyes.
Ye Mu immediately flew outside, returning shortly after, screaming in panic. "Brother, it's bad."
"Brother... they... they..." Ye Mu's breathing was irregular, panic and fear evident in his voice.
"Calm down, speak clearly. What's going on outside?" Ye Yan said.
"They're going to kill me, brother. They're going to kill me." Ye Mu kept repeating those words, as if under a spell.
His body was shaking violently, the bird flying around Ye Yan. It kept chirping frantically, tears falling to the floor.
Ye Yan quickly grabbed Ye Mu, stroking its feathers. Calming the bird. "Calm down, take a deep breath."
"GET THAT MONSTER OUT OF HERE!" A man's shout came from outside.
Ye Yan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, his expression cooling as he watched the villagers gather in front of the hut with Grandpa Chen trying to prevent them from approaching.
"No, no, no. You can't drive Ye Mu away like this," shouted Grandpa Chen.
"Move aside! We have to chase that monster away!" replied one of the villagers.
"What did he do to deserve being chased away?" asked Grandpa Chen.
"Ever since that monster came to the village, disasters have been happening one after another," chimed in another.
Shocked and angry, Grandpa Chen retorted, "That has nothing to do with Ye Mu!"
"How many times have we failed to harvest and how many villagers have died in the last 10 years?!" Uncle Li's angry voice rang out.
"That's right! Drive that monster out of the village!"
"It wasn't Ye Mu who killed anyone or caused our harvest to fail. He's just a child!" Grandpa Chen replied again.
However, none of the villagers listened to Grandpa Chen's words. They pushed Grandpa Chen's old body aside, causing him to fall to the ground.
Ye Mu's body trembled even more, the villagers' angry voices frightening him. His small beak chirped softly. "No, no, no..."
Ye Yan stood at the doorway of the dark hut. His dark eyes flashed coldly, silencing the entire crowd. In his eyes, they were not humans, but ants daring to challenge a dragon.
"Grandpa Chen," Ye Yan called out, his voice soft but piercing, full of undeniable authority. He stepped forward, letting his cold aura creep out.
He pointed straight at Uncle Li, who was now pale as a sheet and hiding behind a group of larger men.
"One more time," Ye Yan's voice became low, trembling with pure killing intent. "One more time the word 'monster' is uttered, I will make sure you become monsters who freeze to death."
The entire crowd fell silent, the fear Uncle Li had experienced a moment ago now spreading. They saw "The Fool" now standing tall, his aura too heavy to breathe, as if they were facing the King of Death himself.
Ye Yan glanced briefly at Grandfather Chen lying on the ground. Pure rage burned in his eyes.
"Did you push him?" Ye Yan asked. There were no shouts, only a flat question. However, the vibrations in the air caused some of the villagers to unconsciously take two steps back.
Without waiting for an answer, Ye Yan reached out his hand. Not to attack, but to create an illusion. He channeled Qi into the air above Uncle Li's head and released the accumulated pressure.
Boom!
Although nothing was visible, a loud boom suddenly sounded in the air, as if thunder had struck right above Uncle Li's head. The man screamed hysterically and fell to the ground, thinking he had just been struck by lightning.
"This is a warning," said Ye Yan, his voice echoing coldly. "Grandfather Chen is the only protector of this village, and you dare to hurt him. From now on, every grain of food you eat, every drop of rain that falls, I will question. If I find out that anyone has hurt Grandfather Chen, or stolen my porridge, you will face the consequences yourselves."
Ye Yan turned around, picking up Grandpa Chen in his arms. This sudden strength surprised Grandpa Chen.
"Little Mu... you..." Grandpa Chen stared at Ye Yan with wide eyes, not understanding the power his adopted grandson had just unleashed.
"I am strong, Grandpa Chen," Ye Yan replied briefly, carrying the old man's body into the hut.
As Ye Yan closed the door, he let his final words linger in the cold air:
"Leave, before I change my mind and decide to eliminate all the plagues in this village."