The old man's eyes instantly became moist, and turbid tears slid down his weathered cheeks and dripped onto his tattered clothes.
His lips trembled, as if there were thousands of words stuck in his throat, but he could only utter a few words with sobs.
"Why do you call me great-grandfather?"
"Because... because my great-grandmother's name was Mu Wanjun."
Hearing this name, the old man's emotions completely went out of control and his body trembled violently, as if years of loneliness and pain had found an outlet at this moment.
Lu Jingzhi didn't say much, just patted the old man's back gently, trying to calm his emotions with silent comfort.
After a while, the old man's breathing gradually stabilized and his trembling body slowly calmed down.
He raised his sleeve and wiped the tears from his face, his voice hoarse but with a hint of warmth.
"Son, let's go inside and talk."
"good."
Lu Jingzhi nodded and followed the old man into the small room inside the shop.
The furnishings in the room were extremely simple: a straw mat bed, a wooden table, and a tattered bookshelf with a few yellowed ancient books scattered on it.
However, what attracted Lu Jingzhi's attention most was the mural hanging on the wall.
The murals have turned a little yellow, but are still very well preserved.
The woman in the painting is dignified and smiling, with her hair piled high and fixed with a jade hairpin.
There was a gentleness and determination between her eyebrows, as if time had stopped on her face.
Lu Jingzhi stared at the mural, feeling an indescribable sense of familiarity.
Seeing how engrossed he was, the old man smiled slightly, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
"This is your great-grandmother when she was young."
"I know."
The two sat down on the chairs beside the wooden table. The candlelight flickered on the table, illuminating their slightly heavy faces.
Lu Jingzhi was silent for a moment, and finally spoke: "Grandpa, can you tell me how you survived back then?"
"Great-grandmother...she always thought you were dead."
The old man sighed deeply, his eyes gradually becoming deep, as if he had returned to that era full of blood and killing.
"Back then, the Heavenly Palace labeled our Tiansha clan as evil cultivators and launched an attack on them, citing Mu Tiancheng's cruelty to the people and harming innocent people."
"During that battle, Mu Hao, the head of the Mu family—that is, me—led some elders to resist the encirclement and suppression from the Heavenly Palace."
"And your great-grandmother, Mu Wanjun, fled with most of her clansmen and her son, Mu Zhenhua."
The old man paused, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes: "And I had my arm cut off by the elder of the Heavenly Palace, and I almost died."
"To survive, I spontaneously combusted my bloodline and used all my strength to severely injure the elder, which allowed me to escape."
"However, I was severely damaged and my cultivation declined significantly. I was hunted all the way and finally escaped to a remote village where I was rescued by a father and daughter."
"That lying there lasted for twenty years."
The old man's voice was filled with endless fatigue and helplessness.
"My cultivation level has fallen from the Saint Realm to the ninth star of the Void Realm, and I've almost become a cripple."
"After waking up, I gave the father and daughter some spiritual stones and natural treasures as a thank you, and then began to search for the Tiansha Clan."
"But no matter how hard I look, I can't find any news about any of my tribe members."
"Despairing, I finally came to Xuandan City and opened this shop. I've been living off buying and selling rare treasures until today..."
The old man's voice gradually became low, as if years of loneliness and despair flooded back into his heart at this moment.
However, when he saw Lu Jingzhi and smelled that familiar scent, his long-dead heart seemed to beat again.
The candlelight flickered on the table, illuminating Lu Jingzhi's clenched fists.
"Great-grandfather, I will avenge this sooner or later."
"Moreover, the Weapon Forging Sect, which was besieging one of our Tiansha clans, has been destroyed."
The old man looked up suddenly, a hint of shock and disbelief in his eyes.
"Who did it?"
"It's me."
The old man was stunned for a moment, then let out a low laugh, with a hint of relief and satisfaction in his laughter.
"Okay, okay... kid, you're much better than your great-grandfather."
"Isn't my great-grandfather equally outstanding?"
After saying that, Lu Jingzhi released the wood element into Mu Hao's body.
"This is the wood element lotus!"
"Well, let me heal you."
Afterwards, Lu Jingzhi increased the intensity of the release.
I was shocked to find that Mu Hao had many injuries.
Because of the burning bloodline, Tiansha bloodline is much thinner than his own.
Afterwards, Lu Jingzhi recovered from all his injuries.
Mu Hao's face also looked rosy and younger.
"Are Wanjun and the others doing well?"
Lu Jingzhi retracted the wood element and responded, "Grandma and the others are living well now."
"After I wipe out the outer palace, I will take you back to the clan."
"Destroy the outer palace?"
The old man's expression suddenly changed, and his voice was filled with anxiety and worry.
"That's unacceptable!"
"Above the Outer Palace is the Heavenly Palace. The power of the Heavenly Palace is too great for you to handle alone!"
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