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

A childish, cheerful shout broke the silence above Shicun Village.

"drive--!"

The voice was as crisp as a freshly broken lotus root, but the ending note had a sweet, milky quality, and you didn't need to guess who had returned.

Immediately afterwards, a series of "clattering" sounds came from the sky.

The sound didn't resemble horses' hooves; it sounded more like some mischievous imp hiding in the clouds, banging on two wooden planks.

The banging was quite rhythmic, like a real horse running, but it lacked the solid feel of four hooves landing.

The villagers looked up and saw a small figure waving its arms and legs as it fell from mid-air.

Her two short legs kicked incredibly fast, her arms spun like windmills, and she was like a spinning top. It was hard to tell whether she flew down or fell.

"Everyone—I, Hu Hansan, am back!"

The little one shouted at the top of his lungs in mid-air, and after shouting, he didn't forget to continue making "clunk clunk" sounds to himself.

He was so serious; anyone who didn't know better would think he was sitting on a real thoroughbred horse.

Li Chenzhou was standing at the kitchen door with a teacup in his hand. Hearing the sound, he looked up, then silently put the teacup down again.

He covered his face with his hands, letting out a long sigh through his fingers.

There was helplessness, resignation, and a heart-wrenching feeling that "this child is probably beyond saving."

The little golden monkey squatted on the wall, tilted its head and looked up at the sky, squeaking twice as if asking: Why did you change your name, little one?

As soon as the little one's feet touched the ground, he took two short strides and rushed towards Li Chenzhou in three steps at a time. He launched himself up like a cannonball and landed precisely in that familiar embrace.

"Uncle Li! I've finished! Three hundred thousand li! Not a single li less!"

The little boy hugged Li Chenzhou's neck, his face flushed red, his eyes shining, and his voice so loud that he wanted the whole world to hear him.

Li Chenzhou looked down at the little guy in his arms, who was covered in dirt and had a few bits of grass stuck in his hair, and his lips twitched.

"I know." He reached out and patted the little one's bottom, the force neither too light nor too heavy. "I'm not blind. The whole village heard the commotion you made when you came down from the sky."

The little one chuckled and buried his face in Li Chenzhou's neck, nuzzling against him.

"Hehe." The little one nestled in Li Chenzhou's arms, wriggling around like a little mudfish, radiating an aura of "Praise me, praise me!"

Shi Yunfeng stepped forward, but the old clan leader moved with incredible speed, reaching Li Chenzhou in just a few steps.

He reached out his slightly trembling hand, wanting to touch the little one's head, but was afraid that he would hurt the child if he was too excited. His hand hung in mid-air, and his eyes reddened.

"Well done, son!" His voice trembled, but was full of pride.

These days, he appears calm on the surface, but his heart is constantly filled with worry.

Three hundred thousand miles, all alone—that was the most dangerous road in the vast wilderness.

Countless nights he tossed and turned, dreaming of his little one being chased by ferocious beasts, trapped by poisonous miasma, and falling off a cliff.

After waking up, he could only pray silently to the Willow Goddess. Now that the child has returned, lively and energetic, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, has finally settled down.

The surrounding villagers also gathered around, shouting all at once. Some were wiping away tears, some were grinning, and some were clapping and cheering.

Skinny Monkey squeezed to the front, not even bothering to wipe his snot bubbles, muttering, "I knew the little guy was the best."

Shi Qingfeng stood at the back of the crowd, his lips pursed, his eyes red-rimmed, yet he smiled more happily than anyone else.

The little one peeked out from Li Chenzhou's arms, saw Shi Yunfeng's red-rimmed eyes, and immediately slid off him and buried his head in the old patriarch's arms.

"Grandpa Clan Chief, I'm back! I'm done!" His voice was muffled, coming from inside Shi Yunfeng's clothes, with a hint of coquetry and an undisguised pride.

Shi Yunfeng hugged the small body tightly, patting his back repeatedly with his large hands. The pats were light, but each one carried the longing and comfort that had accumulated over the past few days.

He didn't speak, afraid that if he opened his mouth, tears would fall.

He simply held her tightly, as if he were holding the future of the entire Stone Village.

Li Chenzhou stood aside, watching this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't say anything, but simply turned and walked towards the kitchen.

He took two steps, then stopped, and without turning his head, said, "We'll have more dishes tonight."

The villagers cheered.

"I want to drink animal milk! Five kinds of animal milk!"

Li Chenzhou paused, and his voice drifted from the direction of the kitchen: "No."

"Then the Four Beasts' Milk?"

"no."

"Wouldn't three beasts be alright?"

"...It depends on my mood."

The little one smiled contentedly and buried himself in Shi Yunfeng's arms again.

……

"Grandpa Chief, let me tell you, it's absolutely terrifying outside!"

The little boy's eyes widened, and he gestured frantically with his two little hands, as if nothing else could adequately describe the danger he had encountered.

"There was a ferocious beast, ridiculously large, lying there like a breathing mountain. When I looked up, it even blocked out the sun! Luckily, I ran fast, like my feet were greased, otherwise I would have become its... you know by now."

"There was a ferocious beast, ridiculously large, lying there like a breathing mountain. When I looked up, it even blocked out the sun! Luckily, I ran fast, like my feet were greased, otherwise I would have become its... you know by now."

He patted his stomach, looking terrified.

"There was also a swamp that looked peaceful and quiet, just like an ordinary mud pond. But guess what? Anything that fell in couldn't get out! I saw a big wild boar get stuck in it, thrash around a couple of times, and then sink without leaving a single bubble. I was so scared that I scrambled around it for thirty miles."

"There's one more thing..." His voice suddenly softened, and a hint of sadness flashed across his small face.

"I encountered a group of people, who seemed to belong to some powerful force. They were dressed neatly and looked very imposing as they entered the Great Wilderness to search for treasure. But halfway there, they ran into a ferocious beast. Before I could even warn them, they were... they were gone. I tried to save them, but it was too late."

"But the Great Wilderness isn't all scary stuff, there's a lot of fun stuff there!" The little one's eyes lit up again, and he started gesturing again.

"There's a huge lake, a deep, clear blue, like a giant gem embedded in the mountains. The water is so clear you can see the fish swimming at the bottom. I secretly went down for a bath, and it felt so good I didn't want to come up. The best part is, there aren't any ferocious beasts around that lake—it's truly a treasure bestowed by God!"

He paused, then clapped his hands excitedly.

"I even ventured out of the Great Wilderness! I went to those human cities outside, and wow, the city walls were so high my neck ached from looking up. The cities were bustling with people, selling all sorts of things. There were even spirit priests guarding the city, each one imposing and majestic, but compared to our Willow Goddess, they were far inferior, not even worthy to carry the Willow Goddess's shoes!"

When the little one said this, he held his chin high, his face full of pride that "ours is the best."

"Oh, right, I also met a plant spirit, a really, really big old tree, with a really good temper. A group of ferocious little beasts went crazy and charged into the village, and the old tree just waved its branches and stopped them all, without batting an eye."

He swallowed hard, his little face suddenly turning sly.

"And also, Grandpa Chief, let me tell you, some ferocious beasts look fierce, but they smell incredibly delicious when roasted! I was so craving them outside that I secretly hunted a few, roasted them over a fire, and the oil was sizzling out. I sprinkled some wild salt on them... Oh my, my mouth is watering just thinking about it now."

As Shi Yunfeng listened to his incessant chatter, the wrinkles on his face smiled like chrysanthemums, and he kept stroking the little one's head with his big hand. His worries had long since vanished.

This child, it's good that he's alive, it's good that he's alive.

The little one seemed to have opened a floodgate, talking non-stop, as if he wanted to break down and tell everyone every bit of scenery and anecdote he had accumulated on his 300,000-mile journey.

He described the lake hidden among the folds of the mountains, its water as clear as transparent glass, the sunlight shimmering on its surface like golden scales. He recounted how he squatted by the lake, watching the pebbles and fish at the bottom, almost forgetting to keep going.

He spoke of the cities that stood on the edge of the wilderness, their walls soaring into the clouds, their banners fluttering atop the walls, and their spirits perched atop the towers, their power permeating all directions.

He patted his chest and said that although those sacrificial spirits looked intimidating, they were far inferior to the Willow God in our village. They weren't even worthy of carrying the Willow God's shoes.

He also told a story about an old tree used for a ritual to appease spirits.

That tree had been there for countless years, its branches twisted and gnarled like a dragon, yet it was remarkably good-natured.

A horde of ferocious beasts, driven mad by the chaos, charged into the village. The old tree, unperturbed, simply swayed its branches, keeping the beasts at bay as if it were shooing away a few flying insects.

The little one spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

As he talked, his topic shifted to food.

He lowered his voice and said slyly that he had secretly roasted several ferocious beasts in the wilderness. The meat was roasted until it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the oil dripping onto the fire and sizzling. He sprinkled some wild salt on it, and one bite was enough to make your mouth water.

He spoke so vividly, his saliva practically dripping down his face, that the skinny monkey and the snotty-nosed boy next to him kept swallowing.

But from beginning to end, he never mentioned the danger he encountered.

He didn't mention that stormy night when he huddled in a narrow crevice, listening to the howls of ferocious beasts outside, clutching the pottery jar to his chest, biting his lip and daring not to make a sound.

He didn't mention the time he accidentally entered a valley filled with poisonous miasma, feeling dizzy and weak all over, almost thinking he was going to die there, and finally being saved by an unknown herb.

It didn't mention how he managed to shake off the ferocious beast that had chased him for three whole days at the last fork in the road, and how he was already exhausted and barely had the strength to crawl.

He secretly hid those thrilling, life-or-death moments, as if they had never happened.

How could a five-year-old child possibly have a smooth journey alone, venturing across 300,000 miles of wilderness?

The dangers he swallowed were the real 300,000 miles away.

Li Chenzhou leaned against the kitchen door frame, arms crossed, without saying a word.

He didn't press further, didn't expose the truth, and didn't even show any extra expression. But his gaze remained fixed on that fluffy little head, as soft as a spring breeze.

The little one finally got tired of talking; his throat was practically burning.

Li Chenzhou leaned against the door frame and suddenly uttered a sentence.

"Which tastes better, roasted beast meat or beast milk?"

He asked casually, as if it were just a casual chat, without even lifting his eyelids.

"Beast milk!"

The little one didn't even think; his mouth was a hundred times faster than his brain.

Those two words popped crisply from his mouth, resounding and confident, as if they were the most unquestionable truth in the world.

Before he could finish speaking, his smile froze on his face.

broken.

He saw the corners of Li Chenzhou's mouth slowly curving upwards, saw Shi Yunfeng's shoulders trembling from holding back laughter, and saw the skinny monkey and the snotty-nosed boy squatting down, clutching their stomachs.

Even the willow branches trembled wildly in the wind, scattering a shower of emerald light across the ground, as if slapping their thighs.

The little one's face changed from white to red, then from red to purple, and finally "whoosh" it shrank into Shi Yunfeng's arms, burying its face completely, with only the tips of its bright red ears showing.

"I mean... I mean... beast milk tastes good too... no, roasted beasts taste good too... no, no!"

He tried to explain incoherently, but the more he tried, the worse it got. Finally, he gave up and muttered, "Anyway, animal milk tastes good! So what if I'm five? Does that mean I can't drink milk at five? Who said that?!"

Laughter finally erupted.

Li Chenzhou burst out laughing, and even Shi Yunfeng laughed so hard he coughed, patting the little one's back, unable to utter a complete sentence.

The little one peeked out from Shi Yunfeng's arms and secretly glared at Li Chenzhou.

There was grievance, shame and anger in his eyes, and a hint of accusation that "you tricked me again."

Li Chenzhou shrugged, looking completely innocent.

He didn't say anything, he just asked a question.

The answer is your own; who can you blame?

The little one turned his face to the side, his lips pouting so much they could hang an oil bottle on them. "I'm ignoring you all! You're all bad people! You just bully me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of a familiar red color out of the corner of his eye.

That splash of red was hiding on the top of the willow tree, peeking down cautiously, its head bobbing up and down, just like a guilty chicken thief.

"Oh, Little Red!" The little one's eyes lit up instantly, and his little temper just now vanished into thin air.

He dashed over like a cannonball, tilting his head back and shouting at the treetops, "Little Red, what brings you here? Did you come to play with me?"

The little red bird flew down from the treetop and landed on the stone mill in front of the little one. It first shook its feathers, and then slowly, gracefully, rolled its eyes.

Xiao Hong? What a terrible name.

It is a dignified spirit of the Fire Kingdom, a descendant of the Vermilion Bird, and a being of the Venerable Realm. Does it deserve such a tacky and vulgar title?

But it was too lazy to correct him, because it wouldn't have mattered anyway; the little brat simply wouldn't remember.

"I'm not here to play along with you."

The little red bird was stubborn, turning its head to one side, refusing to look at the little one's expectant face.

"I was just... passing by. Yes, just passing by. I thought I'd check if you were still alive."

"Just passing by?" The little one tilted his head, looking incredulous.

"You could just fly over there, why did you have to perch on the treetop and peek?"

The little red bird's feathers ruffled.

"Who was peeping? I was... observing the enemy! Yes, observing the enemy! There are plenty of ferocious beasts in this wilderness, I have to keep an eye on them for you."

"Then why didn't you come down just now?"

"I...I hadn't finished observing yet!"