Chapter 65 – The Truth Remained Untold
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"Fine. I’ll talk."
Zhi Zun sighed heavily, his tail flicking behind him as though he had already grown tired of the conversation.
He stared at Han Yan for a long time before finally speaking.
"Lin Xin was once one of the greatest talents in the Upper World."
His usual arrogant tone faded, replaced by a rare seriousness.
"The Upper World is also known as the Cultivation World. It is a place filled with spiritual energy, where countless cultivators seek strength and a longer life."
"There are spirit beasts there as well. Some of the more powerful ones can cultivate enough to transform into human form, while the weaker ones remain ordinary beasts, unable to gain enough intelligence to walk the path of cultivation."
Zhi Zun paused before continuing.
"Then there are human cultivators. Those who follow the righteous path can extend their lives through cultivation. But there are also humans who choose the evil path, using methods that are forbidden by the righteous cultivators. Those people eventually become outcasts."
Han Yan listened without interrupting.
Zhi Zun’s gaze drifted into the distance.
"Anyway, Lan Xin was once a disciple of the Great Elder. We called him Grandmaster."
A faint trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
"Grandmaster took Lan Xin in from an unknown world."
Han Yan’s expression shifted slightly, confusion appearing in his eyes.
"An unknown world?"
"You should know that there are many different worlds," Zhi Zun explained. "Some are vast and filled with spiritual energy, while others are much weaker. Each world is different."
He lowered his gaze.
"Grandmaster never told me where he found Lan Xin, and I never asked. He simply told me to watch over him."
A small smile appeared at the corner of Zhi Zun’s mouth.
"And I did."
"For years..."
He paused.
"Or perhaps I should say centuries."
His voice carried a strange weight when he said that.
"During that time, Lan Xin grew stronger and stronger. His talent was extraordinary. He wasn’t only gifted in cultivation; he was also a remarkable array master."
Zhi Zun’s expression gradually darkened.
"But when someone becomes too outstanding, there will always be people who cannot stand seeing them rise."
His claws slowly pressed into the ground.
"Some cultivators became jealous of us. They thought we had been blessed with too much luck in cultivation. Instead of improving themselves, they decided to take what belonged to us."
"They eventually came after me and Lin Xin."
Han Yan’s brows furrowed.
"They wanted to capture you?"
"Yes."
Zhi Zun’s voice became colder.
"Those trash even tried to cause trouble for our sect. They thought that because they had numbers, they could force us to submit."
A disdainful snort escaped him.
"They were wrong."
"Lan Xin stopped them."
Zhi Zun’s expression softened for just a moment.
"Even after fighting for so long, even when his energy was almost completely depleted, he still refused to let them harm the sect."
"He used the last of his strength to stop them."
Zhi Zun fell silent.
For a moment, his eyes seemed to lose focus, as though he were looking at something that had happened a very long time ago.
"And I followed him."
Those words were quieter than everything that came before.
Han Yan watched him carefully but did not interrupt.
Zhi Zun eventually looked away.
"That is all you need to know."
He had deliberately left things out.
He couldn’t tell Han Yan everything.
He knew Lin Xin had grown attached to this shameless human. He had seen the way Lan Xin looked at Han Yan and knew that this man had become important to him.
But some matters were better kept hidden.
The greatest secret surrounding Lan Xin’s past was not something Zhi Zun could casually reveal.
And he still didn’t know whether Han Yan could truly be trusted with it.
Especially the truth behind what had really happened to Lan Xin...
The event that ultimately caused his destruction.
Zhi Zun’s eyes narrowed slightly before he returned to his usual arrogant expression.
"Mere human, I have told you what you wanted to know. I shall be on my merry way."
Before Han Yan could react and ask more questions, Zhi Zun suddenly reached out and snatched the token from the ground.
With a proud flick of his tail, his figure disappeared.
Han Yan remained standing where he was.
For a long moment, he didn’t move.
His mind was still occupied with everything he had just heard. Something about it didn’t add up.
Then he thought about Xin’ger.
The Lin Xin he knew was gentle, soft-spoken and easily flustered. It was difficult to imagine that the same person had once been hailed as one of the most extraordinary talents in the entire Upper World.
It felt almost unreal.
Han Yan slowly lowered his gaze.
He couldn’t imagine how much Lin Xin must have endured before coming here.
Yet one thing was certain.
If Lin Xin ever wanted to return to the Upper World, Han Yan knew he could never bring himself to stop him. No matter what awaited them there, he would go with him.
Even if he couldn’t understand that world, even if it was filled with dangers he had never encountered before, he would protect Lin Xin to the best of his ability.
But...
A selfish part of him still wished Lin Xin would never have to return.
He wanted him to stay here.
Stay in this quiet little village.
Stay with him and Dong Hai.
Live an ordinary life without having to face those people or relive the things that had once caused him so much suffering.
Han Yan’s expression softened.
Thinking about Lin Xin’s past made his heart ache.
He didn’t know what had happened to Lin Xin or what he had been forced to leave behind.
But whatever the truth was, he knew one thing if Lin Xin ever chose to face his past, he wouldn’t have to face it alone.
From now on, he would make sure Lin Xin was cherished.
He would pamper him.
He would give him all the warmth he had perhaps never been allowed to have before.
A faint smile appeared on Han Yan’s lips.
With that thought, he finally turned around and walked outside.
There was water to fetch and firewood to gather, he also wanted to prepare something delicious for Dong Hai and Lin Xin. Perhaps when Lin Xin woke up, he would be happy to see a warm meal waiting for him.
Thinking of that, Han Yan’s footsteps became lighter.
Whatever the future held, he could not change Lin Xin’s past.
But he could make sure that his future was different.
Han Yan made his way toward the river, carrying a large bundle of firewood tied securely with rope across his back.
The villagers often carried firewood this way, using a thick rope to keep the bundle together and resting it against their backs as they walked.
By the time he arrived, several villagers were already gathered there.
Some women were washing clothes by the river, while others were filling their wooden buckets with water.
A few were sitting together beneath the shade, taking the opportunity to chat while their hands remained busy.
The moment Han Yan approached, a few people looked up.
"Isn’t that Han Yan?"
One of the women glanced at him before nudging the woman beside her.
"Mm. He’s here to fetch water again."
Her companion looked over and smiled.
"That man really doesn’t let his wife do much, does he?"
A few of the women immediately laughed.
"That’s because he’s completely henpecked" Madam Chen said, her eyes following Han Yan as he carefully lowered the bundle of firewood from his back.
"Henpecked?" another woman repeated, amused.
"Of course. Look at him. He’s carrying firewood and fetching water himself. If this continues, I’m afraid Lin Xin won’t even have to leave his chair."
The women laughed again.
One older woman shook her head.
"You really have too much to say. What’s wrong with a husband taking care of his wife?"
"Nothing," Madam Chen replied. "I’m only saying that Han Yan spoils him too much."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"Ever since they left the Han household together, haven’t you noticed? Han Yan is always worried about Lin Xin doing too much work."
Another woman nodded.
"That is true."
"He treats him like a treasure," someone added with a laugh.
Some of the younger women and gers couldn’t help but notice Han Yan when he arrived.
His tall, handsome appearance naturally caught their attention, a few exchanged quick glances before quietly returning to their work.
"Besides" a married ger continued, "Han Yan is doing well for himself now. A man like that who is strong and willing to work hard is hard to find."
His words made a few of the unmarried women and gers nodded quietly.
Someone laughed.
"Now you’re matchmaking already?"
"I’m only saying what I see."
Madam Chen clicked her tongue.
"You all make it sound so wonderful. If you ask me, Lin Xin has really found himself a good fool."
The laughter faded slightly.
An older woman frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Madam Chen shrugged.
"I’m just saying that Han Yan does everything for him. Doesn’t that make Lin Xin a little too comfortable?"
The woman beside her immediately frowned.
"That’s their business."
"Exactly," another woman added. "If Han Yan is willing to work and Lin Xin isn’t forcing him, why are you bothered?"
Madam Chen rolled her eyes.
"I only made a comment."
"And a rather unpleasant one."
The woman turned back to her washing.
"Let them live however they want. At least Han Yan treats his wife well."
The others nodded.
A few of the women began whispering among themselves again, while the younger ones occasionally glanced toward Han Yan.
Han Yan, however, paid no attention to their conversation.
He had already placed the firewood aside and crouched beside the river, dipping one of the wooden buckets into the water.
The sound of the river quietly filled the space between the villagers’ voices.
He filled the first bucket, then reached for the second.
Behind him, the gossip continued.
Han Yan heard bits and pieces of their conversation but simply ignored them.
Once both buckets were full, he stood and adjusted his grip.
He bent down, hoisted the bundle of firewood securely onto his back then picked up the buckets and made his way home.
The villagers watched him leave for a moment before Madam Chen muttered under her breath,
"See? Completely henpecked."
A few women laughed.
Another woman shook her head with a smile.
"Maybe so. But if being henpecked means having a husband who treats you that well, I wouldn’t complain."
The women laughed again as they returned to their work, their gossip continuing long after Han Yan had disappeared down the village path.
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