"What? Great-grandfather, he...?"
Hearing the news from Ji Haoyuan, Ji Qingfei was evidently shocked.
Immediately, an uncontrollable deep sadness welled up inside him.
Ji Haochuan had always taken good care of him.
The two shared a rather deep bond.
Now, suddenly receiving this bad news, apart from sadness, he couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.
He feared that if he returned late, he might miss seeing his great-grandfather for the last time.
Ji Haoyuan seemed to see through his concerns and comforted him:
"Rest assured, your great-grandfather will hold on until we return, there’s no issue with that.
I’m telling you this now so you can be mentally prepared."
With Ji Haoyuan’s current abilities, extending Ji Haochuan’s life wasn’t that difficult.
But all of this had a condition, which was whether Ji Haochuan himself was willing.
Through several conversations with Ji Haochuan, Ji Haoyuan knew deeply that his brother had no such intention.
Perhaps he felt that the great path was hopeless, or maybe he had already let go of everything at heart.
In any case, whenever Ji Haoyuan mentioned this, Ji Haochuan would resolutely refuse.
This was something Ji Haoyuan found very frustrating.
Because such matters simply couldn’t be forced.
No amount of persuasion was of any use.
In a matter of days, Ji Haoyuan and his group returned to Qianyang Mountain, where the Ji Family resided.
Soon, Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei, nonstop, arrived directly at Ji Haochuan’s current residence.
As soon as they pushed the door open, they were greeted by a strong medicinal smell.
The Ji Family’s two Foundation Establishment members, Ji Bochang and Ji Yunfan, were both present.
Seeing Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei return, they exchanged simple greetings.
Afterwards, Ji Bochang and Ji Yunfan left the space to Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei.
After the two left, Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei immediately approached Ji Haochuan’s bedside.
There they saw Ji Haochuan, thin and frail, exuding an aura of decay.
With just one glance, Ji Haoyuan knew that his brother’s condition was worse than he had thought.
However, as Ji Haochuan saw the two approach, despite his previously languid demeanor and weak breath, he suddenly sat up from the bed.
His pale face now had a hint of rosiness.
His entire demeanor instantly rejuvenated.
Like a normal old man, with no sign of illness.
Seeing Ji Haochuan’s transformation, both Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei felt their hearts sink.
But before they could speak, Ji Haochuan began laughing and spoke first.
"Yuan, Qingfei, let’s not talk about those unpleasant matters anymore.
I know my own situation well.
Seeing you both return safely today has resolved my last concern.
Come, quickly tell me about what you gained on this journey."
Seeing Ji Haochuan , Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei could only temporarily put aside their emotions and began talking about the trip.
During this, they skipped over the dangerous parts and only spoke of the good things.
This made Ji Haochuan listen with great interest, occasionally asking questions.
However, as time went by, both Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei noticed that the rosiness on Ji Haochuan’s face was gradually fading.
A look of death had already crept onto his face.
Yet Ji Haochuan himself seemed completely unaware.
He nodded with a smile and said, "Very good, Qingfei, it seems your decision this time was not wrong.
Young people indeed need some spirit and zeal.
Your Uncle and I were the same in our youth.
Back then, I still vividly remember, when your great-grandmother was around...
Every time Yunfan and I returned from outside, she would make an entire table full of dishes for us.
Even now, I still remember her cooking skills, actually, it wasn’t very good at all."
Saying this, Ji Haochuan showed a rare expression of childlike innocence, winking at Ji Haoyuan beside him.
This made Ji Haoyuan feel momentarily lost.
As if time-traveling, pulling him back to seventy or eighty years ago.
Even if his sister-in-law’s cooking wasn’t good, his brother Ji Haochuan would eat it with relish, pretending it tasted great, and wanted him to do the same.
The way he achieved this was by giving him the now familiar wink.
"Actually, Yuan, I really liked the cooking your sister-in-law made, really, really, I liked it, not at all... tasting bad..."
Suddenly, Ji Haochuan’s eyelids slowly closed.
As if dreaming of the old days...
That modest, yet homely and lively place like a common town...
A ponytailed, slightly valiant and charming woman, standing by the stove, wearing an apron that didn’t match her aura at all, sweating as she cooked...
Ji Haoyuan always thought that with his current mindset, he had long seen through life and death. Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
But at this moment, listening to his brother’s stories and reminiscing that past, his eyes couldn’t help but redden.
Time passed for a long while.
When Ji Haoyuan and Ji Qingfei walked out of Ji Haochuan’s room.
Ji Bochang and Ji Yunfan had not actually left, but were waiting outside for them.
Ji Qingfei seemed still immersed in the sadness of his great-grandfather’s departure.
But at this time, Ji Haoyuan’s face didn’t show much emotion.
He nodded slightly at the two.
Then Ancestor Ji Bochang said, "Haoyuan, regarding your brother’s funeral, what do you plan to do?"
Ji Haoyuan paused slightly, then said:
"It doesn’t need to be too extravagant; just handle it simply according to his wishes during his lifetime.
At that time, just bury him together with my sister-in-law."
Hearing this, they all fell silent.
Ji Haoyuan turned to Ji Qingfei and said, "Qingfei, for the next few years, you should cultivate with me.
During this period, if you have any doubts about cultivation, you can come and ask me anytime.
I should still be staying in the family for a few more years.
During this time, I hope you can fully digest the gains from this trip and strive to lay a solid foundation for your Foundation Establishment in the future."
After speaking, Ji Haoyuan did not linger and turned into an Escape Light, heading towards his own cave dwelling in the back mountain.
In the blink of an eye, a few years had passed.
The Ji Family underwent significant changes.
Their second-grade low-grade Spirit Vein on Qianyang Mountain was upgraded to a second-grade high-grade Spirit Vein due to the resources Ji Haoyuan utilized.
The main merit of this transformation was the second-grade high-quality Spirit Plant, the Primordial Evil Gold Tree, which Ji Haoyuan took from that Golden Essence Stone mine years ago.