The Liu Family Grandfather and Grandson

The old man waved his hand and said, "You survived on your own merits. We didn't do much! Young man, your body is very strange. It possesses extremely powerful self-healing abilities. I've lived for so long and never seen anything like it!"

Yedong understood that his self-healing ability came from the blood drop. From the old man's words, it seemed that he hadn't noticed the presence of the blood drop, so naturally, he wouldn't mention it. Yedong just smiled and changed the subject, saying, "May I ask for your esteemed name?"

"What's in a name? I've forgotten mine. Just call me Grandpa Liu. This is my granddaughter, Liuxiang'er. You've already met her."

Yedong found the name of the girl very fitting, as she always emitted a pleasant fragrance.

Yedong's upbringing was strict, especially when facing elders, so after learning their names, he respectfully bowed and said, "Yedong greets Grandpa Liu and Miss Xiang'er!"

"Haha!" Yedong's courtesy evidently won Grandpa Liu's favor. Turning to Liuxiang'er, Grandpa Liu said, "Xiang'er, we rarely have visitors. Go prepare some snacks. I'll have a chat with Young Master Ye!"

"Got it, Grandpa!"

Although Yedong had initially intended to take his leave, he was curious about this grandfather-granddaughter duo living deep in the Tianduo Forest. Before he could decide, Grandpa Liu had already affectionately taken his hand and led him out of the house.

Outside the wooden house was a simple courtyard, where the two sat on stone chairs and began to chat.

After a while, Liuxiang'er had already brought some food and placed it on the table. Although the dishes were simple vegetarian fare, each dish was well-prepared and appetizing.

"Haha, young man, are you hungry? Don't be shy, dig in!"

Yedong was indeed hungry, so he didn't hesitate to start eating. However, Grandpa Liu and Liuxiang'er seemed to eat less and take more time, especially Liuxiang'er, who couldn't help but chuckle several times at Yedong's eating habits.

After eating and drinking, Grandpa Liu smiled and asked, "Young man, how did you end up alone in the Tianduo Forest? Don't you know how dangerous it is here? If you hadn't inadvertently stumbled into my Illusionary Shadowwood Formation, I'm afraid you wouldn't have survived!"

"The Illusionary Shadowwood Formation?" Yedong murmured the name, suddenly recalling the giant tree that looked like it was made of water before he lost consciousness.

Although Yedong had heard of formations, he was completely ignorant about them. Moreover, his grandfather had told him that he could only learn about formations after reaching the Dust Consolidation Realm.

"I know Tianduo Forest is very dangerous, but I was ambushed by bad people and had no choice but to flee deep into the forest. Thanks to your Illusionary Shadowwood Formation, Grandpa Liu!"

Having said that, Yedong stood up again and bowed deeply to Grandpa Liu.

Grandpa Liu waved his hand and said, "Alright, you don't need to thank me. I set up this formation not for you, but to prevent others from intruding. Nevertheless, it seems you have some fate with us!"

Yedong couldn't help but express his doubts, "Grandpa Liu, why do you and Miss Xiang'er live here? It's indeed very dangerous. If you don't mind, why not come back with me to my home?"

Grandpa Liu chuckled, "Haha, I appreciate your kindness, but we're only temporarily staying here. Mainly because there are a few herbs that haven't reached maturity yet. Once we collect them, we'll leave."

"Collecting herbs? Is there anything I can help with?" Yedong had decided that the Liu family grandfather and granddaughter were his saviors, so he naturally wanted to do something for them.

Grandpa Liu sighed and seemed to be filled with an indescribable sadness. He shook his head gently and said, "These are simple tasks. You don't need to trouble yourself, Young Master Ye. Xiang'er, tidy up and brew some tea."

Before Yedong could say anything more, Liuxiang'er, who had been standing by, immediately stood up and swiftly tidied up. Afterward, she left to prepare the tea.

Yedong noticed that there seemed to be something troubling them, but he didn't want to pry, so he dropped the subject and asked, "By the way, Grandpa Liu, how long have I been here?"

"Three days!"

As soon as Grandpa Liu finished speaking, there was suddenly a crashing sound from outside, as if bowls and chopsticks had fallen to the ground and shattered. Grandpa Liu's face changed drastically, and Yedong felt his vision blur as Grandpa Liu's figure disappeared.

Impressed by the speed, Yedong was shocked but didn't dare to delay. He hurriedly rushed toward the source of the sound.

Turning the corner of the courtyard, he saw broken dishes and Liuxiang'er lying on the ground, her eyes closed tightly, trembling slightly. Grandpa Liu's hands were swiftly patting her body, and strands of vigorous spiritual energy gathered into branches, which then merged into Liuxiang'er's body.

Then, as if performing magic tricks, Grandpa Liu produced nine colorful pills from his hands and stuffed them all into Liuxiang'er's mouth.

Yedong didn't understand what had happened to Liuxiang'er, nor did he dare to speak, so he could only watch silently.

After doing all this, Grandpa Liu gently lifted Liuxiang'er's body and quickly returned to the wooden house, with Yedong following.

After gently laying Liuxiang'er on the bed, Grandpa Liu frowned and muttered to himself, "What should I do? The episodes are getting shorter and shorter. At this rate, Xiang'er probably won't live for more than three years!"

Hearing this, Yedong couldn't help but speak, "Grandpa Liu, what's wrong with Miss Xiang'er?"

Although Liuxiang'er had a horrifying scar on her face, Yedong felt a hint of affection for her. Therefore, when he heard that Liuxiang'er might not live for more than three years, he couldn't help but want to find out what was going on.

Grandpa Liu sighed deeply and stood up, saying, "Let's talk outside!"

Back in the courtyard, after both of them had taken their seats, Grandpa Liu began in a soft voice, "Xiang'er is a poor child. When she was born, our family suffered a sudden catastrophe. I wasn't home at the time, and by the time I rushed back, everyone in the Liu family had perished except for her. She was also on the verge of death."

"Although I managed to save her in the end, she had been poisoned, and the scar on her face was left at that time."

"This poison recurs periodically. Originally, it occurred once a year, but over the years, I've been trying to research and find a way to completely remove it. With my abilities, I can only try to prolong the time between attacks. But now, it's

 occurring once a month. At most, I can only help Xiang'er extend her life for three more years. If we can't find a cure by then..."

Yedong listened quietly to Grandpa Liu's narration, feeling waves of turmoil in his heart. He hadn't expected Liuxiang'er's background to be so tragic.