Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Immortality

At the entrance of the manor, Li Chenzhou stood with his hands behind his back.

The last rays of the setting sun had completely sunk below the horizon, leaving only a final touch of dark red on the sky. A gentle evening breeze began to rise, sweeping across the desolate land, swirling up a few withered leaves that drifted away into the distance.

Soft footsteps could be heard coming from inside the dilapidated door.

Li Chenzhou looked up.

Two small figures, hand in hand, slowly emerged from the dimly lit depths of the village.

The little boy walked ahead, holding Shi Qingfeng's hand. His little face still had traces of tears, his eyes were red, and the tip of his nose was red, as if he had cried a lot. But he walked very steadily, step by step, holding the thin child's hand carefully, as if afraid that he would fall.

Shi Qingfeng followed behind, head down, limping along. He kept wiping his eyes with his other hand, and his shoulders were shaking, clearly he was crying too.

Two small figures, hand in hand, walked out step by step from that dilapidated, cold village filled with indifference and hurt.

The little boy stopped in front of Li Chenzhou.

He looked up at Li Chenzhou. Tears were still welling up in his big, dark eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He just pursed his lips and spoke softly in a voice filled with grievance, anger, and unspeakable heartache.

"Uncle Meng."

Li Chenzhou lowered his head and looked at him.

"They are so bad."

Little Dot said.

This sentence is very short, only five words.

But the emotion in that voice was so heavy it sent a shiver down one's spine.

They are so bad.

The "they" here refers to the indifferent servants in this manor, those servants who ignored the child and mocked him, those who made him lame, dressed him in tattered clothes, and left him to endure each day alone.

The "they" also refers to those high-ranking figures in the capital of the Stone Kingdom—those who took away his supreme bone, those who exterminated his parents, and those who captured another innocent child and imprisoned him in this place where he was waiting to die.

They are all so wicked.

It was so bad that it made the little one truly understand for the first time that there is something called malice in this world.

It was so bad that when he looked at his other self, he felt so heartbroken he could hardly breathe.

So badly that his eyes were red, he stood in front of Li Chenzhou and used all his strength to utter only these five words.

Li Chenzhou remained silent.

He simply squatted down and looked at the little child at eye level.

He looked at the little one's red eyes, at the little face trying hard to hold back tears, at the hands that were tightly gripping Shi Qingfeng's little hand and never letting go.

Then, he reached out and gently placed his hand on the little one's head.

I rubbed it.

"I know."

His voice was soft, yet it sounded like a mountain.

"I know all of that."

The little one looked at him, and finally couldn't hold back her tears, which rolled down her cheeks again.

But he smiled.

I smiled through my tears.

Because he knew that Uncle Li really knew.

Uncle Li had been to the Wu King's mansion before, where he avenged himself and punished those bad people. Now, Uncle Li has brought him here again, allowing him to find another version of himself and take him home.

Uncle Li knows everything.

No explanation is needed.

Shi Qingfeng stood aside, staring blankly at the scene.

He looked at the child who looked so much like himself, at the adult squatting in front of them, and at the large hand covering the little one's head.

He suddenly felt something inside him slowly melting away.

That was the ice he had accumulated over the years.

Li Chenzhou stood up and picked up both children, one in each arm.

The little one wrapped his arms around his neck, while Shi Qingfeng timidly leaned on his shoulder, her two little hands tightly gripping his clothes, as if afraid that this was a dream, afraid that she would wake up if she let go.

Li Chenzhou held his two children, standing steadily in the twilight.

A gentle evening breeze stirred, ruffling the hem of his clothes. In the distance, the last rays of sunlight finally sank below the horizon, and night began to blanket the desolate land. Yet his voice remained remarkably clear amidst the deepening darkness.

"Bad people will have bad outcomes."

He spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable certainty.

It wasn't comfort, nor expectation, but a statement. It was as if it were saying something that had already happened, was destined to happen, and that no one could change.

The little one perched on his shoulder, looking up at him. His tear-streaked eyes reflected Li Chenzhou's calm face, and the hurt and anger in his heart seemed to have been soothed by those words.

Li Chenzhou looked down at the two tiny children in his arms.

The little one on the left had red eyes, but had already stopped crying. On the right, Shi Qingfeng's thin body trembled slightly, one hand tightly gripping his clothes, while the little one held his other hand firmly, never letting go.

His gaze lingered on the two similar small faces for a moment before he spoke.

"This child is here in your place, suffering a lot in your place."

The little boy pursed his lips and nodded. He knew, he knew everything. Looking at Shi Qingfeng's limping leg, at the indifferent servants, at this dilapidated manor, he understood everything.

The little boy pursed his lips and nodded. He knew, he knew everything. Looking at Shi Qingfeng's limping leg, at the indifferent servants, at this dilapidated manor, he understood everything.

"Remember this."

Li Chenzhou's voice became serious, each word clearly reaching the ears of the two children.

"He is your brother."

"Brothers."

The little boy paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously. He turned to look at Shi Qingfeng, whose face, so similar to his own, was still streaked with tears, and whose eyes were filled with unease and confusion.

He gripped that thin hand tightly.

"Did you hear that?" the little boy said, his voice still a bit hoarse, but extremely earnest. "You're my brother, my own brother."

Shi Qingfeng stared at him blankly.

Looking at this child I'm meeting for the first time today, looking at that face so similar to mine, looking at those red but incredibly sincere eyes.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

But his hand quietly grasped the little one's hand in return.

I used all my strength.

Little Dot took Li Chenzhou's hand and walked into the dilapidated manor.

The village looked even more dilapidated than it appeared from the outside. The walls were peeling, the doors and windows were crooked, and most of the stone slabs on the ground were broken, with weeds growing in the cracks. The few houses were pitch black, except for the one at the very back, which emitted a faint light.

The little boy held Li Chenzhou's hand tightly and walked step by step toward the room.

He stopped at the door.

A dim oil lamp burned in the room, its flame flickering and casting an intermittent glow. An old man lay on a simple wooden bed.

No, there are two.

Li Chenzhou's gaze swept across the room, and of the two auras he sensed, only one remained.

On the bed further inside, an old man had closed his eyes, his face peaceful, a faint smile even playing on his lips. His breath had completely dissipated; he had only recently passed away.

On the other bed, there was an old man.

He lay there, emaciated, his eyes sunken, his face ashen; clearly, he was nearing the end of his life, his life force exhausted. Yet his eyes were still open, staring towards the doorway.

Look at the little one.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in those cloudy old eyes.

The little boy stood at the doorway, staring blankly at the old man. He didn't know who the old man was, or what his relationship with him was, but when that gaze fell on him, he suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

The old man looked at him, his lips moving slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

But he no longer had the strength to speak.

He just looked at the little one, using the last bit of his strength to watch.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.

It was a smile.

It was faint and light, yet it carried a sense of relief and ease.

The other old man passed away without regrets. Because he saw the little one, the baby who had been taken away years ago, who was still alive and well.

And what about this old man?

Li Chenzhou watched this scene quietly.

He knew the old man wouldn't last much longer. At most a few years, maybe even less. He guarded this dilapidated village, and this child who suffered in place of the little one, year after year, day after day, until now.

Now, the little one has arrived.

The child finally arrived.

Shi Qingfeng entered at some point and stood behind the little boy, timidly looking at the old man on the bed. His eyes were red, clearly indicating that this old man was the only person in this cold manor who had ever given him warmth.

The old man saw Shi Qingfeng, and his gaze softened even more.

He looked at the two children, at their similar faces, at them standing together, hand in hand.

Something seemed to be gleaming in those cloudy old eyes.

The little boy suddenly released Li Chenzhou's hand and stepped forward.

He stood by the bed, looked at the old man, and spoke softly.

"grandfather."

The old man's eyes lit up.

The little one said again, "I've come to take Qingfeng home."

"From now on, he'll be my brother."

"Brothers."

Upon hearing this, a smile slowly spread across the old man's withered face.

That smile held relief, reassurance, and the satisfaction of finally being able to close my eyes.

The little boy held the old man's hand, leaned close to his ear, and spoke softly, yet with an undeniable affection.

"Grandpa, this is Uncle Meng. He's so good to me."

The old man lay in bed, turned his head with difficulty, and looked at Li Chenzhou standing by the bed.

Li Chenzhou's calm face was reflected in those cloudy old eyes. He looked at him for a long time, so long that the little one became uneasy, looking up at Li Chenzhou and then at the old man.

The old man and the little one are very close.

He was the little boy's great-grandfather's biological brother, a true blood relative. When Shi Ziling and his wife brought the dying little boy to their second ancestral home, the elders there took good care of them. Although Stone Village was already dilapidated and unable to save the child, these elders gave the desperate couple a final warmth.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, his body moved first.

He was about to get up.

He wanted to personally bow to the person who had taken care of the little one.

Li Chenzhou reacted quickly, stepping forward and gently pressing down on the old man's shoulder.

"Grandpa, just lie down."

His voice was soft and gentle, a stark contrast to his previous coldness in the capital.

The old man's health is failing.

He was too old, his blood and energy were severely depleted, and old injuries were constantly eroding his remaining vitality. It was a miracle that he had lasted this long.

The old man was pushed back onto the bed, took a few breaths, and looked at Li Chenzhou with eyes full of gratitude.

His lips moved again, and this time he finally made a sound.

"well……"

The voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, but the meaning was conveyed clearly.

Good boy.

I met a good person.

It's good that I survived.

The old man looked at the little one again, his withered hand trembling as he raised it and gently placed it on the little one's face. He stroked the tender little face, his eyes filled with love.

"You've grown up..."

The little one nodded, his eyes reddening again.

"Grandpa, I've grown up. Soon I'll be able to lift 100,000 jin (50,000 kg). When I'm even stronger, I'll come to see you and bring you lots and lots of delicious food."

The old man listened and smiled.

The smile was faint, but full of contentment.

He shook his head.

No.

No need to come again.

As long as I know you're alive and well, that's enough.

He moved his hand away from the little boy's face and looked at Li Chenzhou again. In his cloudy old eyes, there was a plea and a sense of entrustment.

Li Chenzhou understood that look.

He nodded slightly.

"rest assured."

Two simple words, yet they carry immense weight.

The old man smiled.

He closed his eyes, as if he could finally rest.

The little one stood by the bed, looking at the old man's closed eyes and his withered yet peaceful face, pursing his lips without saying a word.

After a while, he gently released the old man's hand, turned around, and pulled up the corner of Li Chenzhou's clothes.

"Uncle Li, let's go."

"Let great-grandfather get a good night's sleep."

Li Chenzhou looked down at him without saying anything, but simply reached out and rubbed his head.

Then, he took the little boy's hand and led him and Shi Qingfeng out of the room.

Behind him, the old man was still lying on the bed, his eyes closed, a faint smile on his lips.

His breathing was steady, as if he were truly asleep.

Outside, a gentle night breeze was blowing.

The little boy looked up at Li Chenzhou and suddenly asked, "Uncle Li, will Great-Grandpa get better?"

Li Chenzhou paused for a moment, then said softly, "He will be fine."

Li Chenzhou didn't say anything more.

He simply raised his hand and gently pressed it against the old man's forehead.

For a moment, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

The little boy's eyes widened as he saw a tiny light suddenly appear in Li Chenzhou's palm. The light was extremely faint and gentle, like dewdrops formed from moonlight, or like the first warm ray of spring sunshine.

A ray of light emanated from Li Chenzhou's palm, seeping into the old man's forehead.

The old man's body trembled slightly.

His withered skin regained its luster at a visible speed; his sunken eye sockets gradually became fuller; and his ashen complexion slowly regained its color.

Even more astonishingly, his old injuries, those chronic ailments that had lingered for decades, melted away silently, like snow meeting the spring sun.

The old man stared wide-eyed at Li Chenzhou in disbelief.

He wanted to say something, but Li Chenzhou just shook his head.

"Old man, there's no need to say more."

This isn't a joke, it's a recommendation for the treasure book "Covering the Sky: I Prove the Great Dao Through the Gate of Eternal Life":