Chapter: Chapter 296
Chapter 296: Starting Anew From Scratch
The Spirit Platform shattered completely.
A piercing pain followed, causing Chen An to frown slightly. Fortunately, he had already developed immense resistance to pain, so he didn’t end up rolling on the ground in agony. His thought was simple: since the shattering of his Spirit Platform was a foregone and irreversible conclusion, he might as well let it shatter more thoroughly. It would mean his cultivation vanished into thin air, and he’d have to start from zero. But Chen An didn’t feel overly sad about it. He might not have had exceptional talent in other areas, but he was still confident in his cultivation path. In his ninth life, he broke through mortal ties and entered Qi Refining in three days. Then, he reached Foundation Establishment in thirty days and Core Formation in three months. Breaking through realms was as simple as eating and drinking for him. Any bottlenecks encountered by normal cultivators simply didn’t exist for Chen An. His body constantly absorbed spiritual energy from heaven and earth, so much so that eating and sleeping were all part of his cultivation. His body was like an incredibly enticing pastry to the spiritual energy in the world, constantly tempting the wandering spirits. This was why Chen An often said, “Cultivation is not difficult in the first place.” It was merely a matter of waiting for the spiritual energy to accumulate to a certain level, then breaking through was all that was needed. Everything would happen as naturally as water flowing into its course, as it should be. Other cultivators practiced by going against the heavens, cultivating diligently every moment, not daring to rest for even a second in their pursuit of the Great Dao. But Chen An was different. For his cultivation, eating and drinking were enough.
…
…
The dirty yellow minivan finally ambled into the small town and slowly stopped at a traffic light. Chen An turned his head to look out the window. The scenery that met his eyes seemed both strange and familiar. It was strange because having gone through nine lives and returning as a young man, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity. It was familiar because the town was an indelible part of his deep memories. The pitted road, the quiet streets. He didn’t have much of an impression of Qing City, but he remembered many things about the small town clearly. Like this traffic light right here; a few hundred meters ahead, one could see the old iron gate of the orphanage. There was also the snack and liquor store by the roadside, which had been there for many years. While other shops around it had changed hands one after another, this one remained standing. And the old grandmother who set up a stall in front of the tobacco and liquor store. She would appear here punctually around three in the afternoon every day. This was because the primary school across the street usually let out at four. Since it was opposite the primary school, the stall naturally sold things that children liked. For example, hot dog sausages, scallion pancakes, and so on. However, what Chen An liked best was the cold noodles the old grandmother made herself. The noodles were springy, and the seasoning suited his taste perfectly. His thoughts drifted aimlessly, as if everything in the small town had never changed. It was not affected by the rapid development of modern society. After all, it was just a small town under a small city. Apart from some left-behind children, there were hardly any other young people to be seen in the town. At this moment, a man’s quarrel could be heard from the front of the minivan. Chen An followed the sound and saw the driver of the minivan resting one hand on the steering wheel while holding a mobile phone to his ear with the other. As he spoke agitatedly, he spat out a few droplets of saliva. “I know, I know! You nagging old woman, don’t you get tired of calling all day?” “I’ll bring it, I’ll bring it! Just because I forgot to bring soy sauce last time, you have to go on about it? My ears are practically ringing.” “Alright, I’m hanging up. I’m getting off work soon, and when I get back, I’ll—” The man’s intermittent words could be heard; it seemed his wife was urging him to come home. Although the town was a bit backward and the wages were low, it was fortunate that it was close to home and there was no overtime. The green light turned on, the minivan jolted, and slowly started moving. When it reached the side of the road near the orphanage, Chen An called out to get off. These small-town buses were like this, stopping whenever someone asked, with no designated bus stops. Chen An got off the bus and looked at the sky; it was already getting a bit dark. The surroundings were quiet, with only a small shop next to the orphanage still open. Chen An walked over. The owner was a scruffy man with a beard. It was said that he had worked hard in a big city for a long time in his early years, even creating a small-town myth of earning a million a month. However, good times didn’t last. The following year, he lost everything because he became addicted to stock trading. “Others fear and I add, others have small losses and I go bankrupt.” Since then, he had never recovered and lived his days in a daze. His once inseparable wife also left him three months later. But the uncle never spoke ill of women. He just silently packed his bags and returned to the small town where he was born and raised. Then, he borrowed some money from his old friends and opened a small shop. Now, he spent his days guarding this small shop, watching sports, and drinking a little. In short, he couldn’t escape the life of most disillusioned middle-aged men. The uncle’s name was Wang Liang, and the sign of his shop read “Wang Liang Grocery Store.” He was lying on a rocking chair, hands behind his head, eyes squinted as he watched television. Hearing footsteps, the man looked up. Seeing it was Chen An, he quickly scrambled up. The uncle smiled heartily, “Good heavens, isn’t this our town’s top scholar? How did you get back without a word?” Chen An returned his smile, “Uncle Wang, I’m back.” Wang Liang chuckled and instinctively reached into his pocket, but he immediately remembered that the young man didn’t smoke and sheepishly put his hand back. “It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.” He patted the shelves, some in emotion, “So many children have come out of the orphanage, and you’re the only one who likes to come back the most.” “Perhaps big cities are too busy.” Wang Liang looked at him, “What, you think your Uncle Wang hasn’t been to a big city before?” As he spoke, he was about to boast about his glorious deeds from back then. However, upon seeing the young man’s indifferent expression, he chuckled self-deprecatingly, not wanting to embarrass himself further. He changed the subject, “Busy? How busy can it be? Aren’t you just used to living in a big city and don’t want to come back?” “You say that, but will you also become ‘busy’ after going to university and graduating?” Chen An shook his head, “I won’t be busy. I’ll come back more often, and it’ll be like coming back for them.” Wang Liang scoffed, “Alright, I won’t chat with you anymore. What do you want? I’ll get it for you.” Chen An glanced at the shelves. Most of them were snacks that children liked, such as spicy strips, as well as common items like oil, salt, and soy sauce. He pointed to the pile of snacks. “Pack a little of everything.” These snacks, costing a few cents each, were deeply loved by the children at the orphanage. When Chen An was young, he liked them very much too. After so many years, he had grown up, but the snacks hadn’t changed. The prices were still as cheap as ever. (End of this chapter)
