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

Chapter 313 of this book, "Little One's Premonition Brings a Surprise," is available here. Click to unlock it now.

When Li Chenzhou left Stone Village, it was still dark. The little boy was still asleep, unaware that Uncle Li had left. He turned over, hugging the pottery jar tighter, mumbled something, and then fell into a deep sleep again. A faint smile lingered on his lips; perhaps he was dreaming, dreaming that he was drinking beast milk, chasing five-colored sparrows, and roasting spirit fish with Uncle Li. He didn't know that Uncle Li had already left, gone to the Fire Kingdom, to deal with things he didn't yet understand.

As the sun rose, the little boy woke up. He opened his eyes and habitually looked to his side. Uncle Li wasn't there. He paused, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. The room was empty; he was all alone. He sat up, grabbed the pottery jar, jumped out of bed, and walked barefoot out of the small stone house. A morning breeze blew by, carrying the mist from Linghu Lake and the fragrance of wildflowers from the mountains and forests. He took a deep breath, feeling refreshed, yet a strange feeling lingered in his heart. It was a peculiar feeling, as if something was missing, or as if something was approaching. He couldn't quite put his finger on it; he just felt uneasy.

He ran to find Uncle Li. The kitchen was empty; the stove was cold, the pot was empty. The study was empty; a scroll of bamboo slips lay open on the desk, a brush lay aside, and the ink had dried. There was no one under the willow tree either; only the willow's branches swayed gently in the breeze, scattering dappled green light. He stood under the willow tree, looking up at the light, a sense of unease rising within him.

"Willow Goddess, where is Uncle Li?" he asked.

The Willow God's voice echoed in his mind, calm and distant. "He went to the Fire Kingdom. He has some matters to attend to."

"When did you leave?"

They left before dawn.

Why didn't you call me?

"You're still sleeping."

The little boy fell silent. He knew Uncle Li didn't wake him because he didn't want to disturb his sleep. But he still felt uneasy. He was used to seeing Uncle Li every morning when he woke up, used to Uncle Li making him animal milk, used to Uncle Li flicking his forehead, used to seeing those calm, watery eyes as soon as he opened his eyes. Today, there was none, and he felt very uncomfortable.

He carried the pottery jar to the edge of Linghu Lake and sat on the rock he often sat on. The lake shimmered, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, the willows on the shore, and himself. He looked at his reflection; he was still that small child, with messy hair and a dusty face. But he felt that he was different today than yesterday. Not in appearance, not in height, but in his eyes. There was something new in his eyes, something he hadn't seen before. It was worry, anxiety, an indescribable feeling weighing on his heart.

He didn't know what he was worried about. Uncle Li had only gone to the Fire Kingdom; it wasn't like he wasn't coming back. He'd been to the Fire Kingdom before; it was a lot of fun, with lots of delicious food and drinks, and there was also the chubby older sister. Uncle Li should be fine there. But he just felt uneasy, uncomfortable, and had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

He closed his eyes, focusing his spirit within his body. The nine grotto-heavens slowly rotated, each radiating a faint light. The light wasn't dazzling, yet it was bright enough to draw the eye. Nine streams of power flowed through his meridians, forming a complete cycle. Fiery power flowed into the icy grotto-heavens, icy power into the vibrant grotto-heavens, vibrant power into the desolate grotto-heavens, desolate power into the luminous grotto-heavens, luminous power into the gloomy grotto-heavens, and gloomy power flowed back into the fiery grotto-heavens. The cycle repeated endlessly. He felt his power increasing, slowly but surely. He should be happy, but he couldn't feel any joy.

He opened his eyes and gazed into the distance, towards the direction of the Fire Kingdom. There lay Uncle Li, Fatty Sister, the Fire Emperor, and people he knew and didn't know. He didn't know what was happening there, but he could sense a surging power. That power was immense, so powerful it made his heart tremble. Not the kind of power that frightened a little one, but a power he had never seen before, a power beyond his comprehension. He didn't know what it was, but he instinctively sensed danger.

He stood up, picked up the pottery jar, and walked back to the village.

Over the next few days, Little One changed. He stopped chasing the five-colored sparrow, stopped bickering with the little red bird, stopped playing with the golden monkey, and stopped catching fish in the Spirit Lake. Every day, besides eating, sleeping, and drinking milk, he devoted all his time to cultivation. Before dawn, he would get up, sit by the Spirit Lake, close his eyes, and guide the flow of the essence of heaven and earth within his body. The sun rose, and he was still there. The sun set, and he was still there. Night deepened, and he was still there. He was like a stone statue, motionless, with only the nine inner heavens within him slowly rotating, emitting a faint light.

Shi Yunfeng looked at the little boy, a hint of worry in his heart. He didn't know what was wrong with the child, why he had suddenly become so diligent. He had been diligent before, but never like this, working tirelessly from morning till night. He went to his great-grandfather to ask if he should persuade the little boy to rest. His great-grandfather shook his head, saying there was no need to persuade him; the child had something on his mind, and he should let him process it himself.

Skinny Monkey and Snotty Boy came to play with Little One, but Little One said he didn't want to go. They pulled him, but he wouldn't go. They begged him, but he still wouldn't go. They had no choice but to go play by themselves, feeling a little disappointed. They didn't understand why Little One had suddenly changed, why he didn't like playing anymore, didn't like laughing anymore, and didn't like drinking milk anymore—no, he still drank milk, but he didn't laugh while drinking it anymore.

The little red bird perched on a willow branch, watching the small figure sitting cross-legged by the Spirit Lake, and rolled its eyes. It thought the little one was pushing himself too hard, it didn't need to. But it didn't say anything, because it knew it wouldn't matter. Once that child made up his mind, not even nine oxen could pull him back.

The little golden monkey perched on the little boy's shoulder and meditated with him. It didn't know what the little boy was doing, but it wanted to stay with him. The little boy didn't move, and neither did it. The little boy didn't laugh, and neither did it. The little boy didn't drink milk, and neither did it—no, it did drink milk, but it drank it secretly so the little boy wouldn't see.

On the evening of the third day, Little Dot stood up from the shore of Spirit Lake. He carried the pottery jar, walked back to the village, and came to the willow tree. He looked up at the willow god's branches and remained silent for a long time.

"Liu Shen, when is Uncle Li coming back?" he asked.

"Soon," said Liu Shen. "Maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after."

The little boy nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He lowered his head, looking at the pottery jar in his arms. The five-colored bird on the jar looked lifelike in the setting sun. It was a gift from Huo Ling'er, and he looked at it several times a day. Not because it was particularly beautiful, but because it reminded him of Huo Ling'er, of the Fire Kingdom, and of those happy times. Back then, Uncle Li was there, Sister Fatty was there, and everyone was alright. He didn't have to worry about anything, he didn't have to be afraid of anything, he could just eat, drink, and play. But now, he was worried, he was afraid, he didn't know why, he just felt uncomfortable.

"Willow Goddess, I'm a little scared." The little one's voice was very soft, as soft as a leaf falling in the wind. "I don't know what I'm scared of, I'm just scared."

The willow goddess remained silent for a long time. Her branches swayed gently, scattering dappled green light that fell on the little boy's head, on his shoulders, and into his arms.

"It's normal to be afraid," Liu Shen said. "Because you care. You care about Uncle Li, you care about Shi Village, you care about everything here. You're afraid of losing, afraid of getting hurt, afraid of never seeing them again. This fear isn't weakness, it's cherishing."

The little boy looked up at Liu Shen, a glimmer of light in his eyes. "Will Uncle Li be alright?"

"Yes, he will," Liu Shen said. "He is Li Chenzhou. No one can hurt him."

The little boy nodded, his unease lessening somewhat. He knew Liu Shen wouldn't lie to him; if Liu Shen said Uncle Li would be alright, then he definitely would. But a knot still lingered in his heart, one he couldn't untie or untie. He knew that only when Uncle Li returned could that knot be untied.

He carried the pottery jar back to his little stone hut. Lying on the bed, covered with the blanket, he closed his eyes, but couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, his mind filled with images of Uncle Li. Uncle Li boiling animal milk in the kitchen, Uncle Li meditating under the willow tree, Uncle Li strolling by the Spirit Lake, Uncle Li flicking his forehead, Uncle Li saying "Not bad," Uncle Li saying "I'll wait." Those images, like a revolving lantern, spun around in his mind, making him dizzy.

He sat up, clutching the pottery jar, leaning against the wall, gazing at the night sky outside the window. There were no stars, only thick clouds obscuring the moon. A breeze blew from afar, carrying a chill and a fishy stench. It was the scent of ferocious beasts, drifting from the depths of the wilderness. He used to be unafraid of this scent, knowing those beasts dared not approach Stone Village. But tonight, the scent sent a chill down his spine; he felt as if something was lurking in the darkness, watching him.

He shrank back and hugged the pottery jar even tighter.

"Uncle Li, please come back soon," he whispered. "I miss you."

His voice was very soft, so soft that only he could hear it. But he knew that Uncle Li would definitely hear it, because Uncle Li had said that no matter where he was, he could hear Little One's voice.

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