Have become four Saints

The wind did not move.

Chen Xia's indifferent evaluation came out.

Zhang Feiyu's whole body was completely stiff, his expression flustered, his eyes wandering wildly, and his whole person was tense to the extreme, really not knowing what to do.

The existence he most admired and respected had denied the Zhang Family. This almost made Zhang Feiyu's beliefs collapse.

"But luckily there are some redeeming qualities." Chen Xia continued: "At least they are good at internal fighting. Don't worry about how to destroy them in the future. Anyway, they will just kill each other off."

This was meant to be mocking.

But Zhang Feiyu was too flustered to realize, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, crying out to Chen Xia,

"Thank you for Chen Ancestor's guidance. Thank you Chen Ancestor. Zhang Feiyu will definitely work hard to make the Zhang Family better and better."

"Is it not good enough now?" Chen Xia retorted.

"Not enough... enough... not..." Zhang Feiyu stammered. His whole person was so confused that he couldn't even speak clearly.

Beside him, Zhang Nianming really couldn't stand to see this. He said in a low voice,

"Master Chen, the family head is just too concerned about the Zhang Family. He really means no offense. Please forgive him."

After he said this, there was a moment of silence on the scene.

Wang Yangzi couldn't help but laugh. "This kid understands seniority."

Zhang Feiyu was calling Chen Ancestor, but Zhang Nianming still called him Master Chen. It seemed he was quite a few generations higher than his own family head!

Zhang Feiyu also heard the mocking meaning in Wang Yangzi's words. He hurriedly said to Zhang Nianming,

"Quickly kneel down and call Chen Ancestor! Quickly!"

"Chen...Chen Ancestor!" Zhang Nianming was very quick-witted and hurried to kneel down.

"Chen Ancestor!" Beside him, Zhang Guang followed suit, kneeling down and calling out.

"Who told you to call out! What qualifications do a traitor like you have to call Chen Ancestor? You beast!" Zhang Feiyu gritted his teeth furiously and stared at Zhang Guang.

Zhang Guang's body trembled. He knelt there not knowing whether to stand or not. His whole person was completely dumbfounded.

Chen Xia frowned slightly, waved his hand and said, "That's enough. After four thousand years of not seeing me, why do you have such a bad temper now? You didn't learn any of my good temper."

"Feiyu is stupid. He has made Chen Ancestor angry. My crime deserves death!" Zhang Feiyu quickly admitted his mistake without arguing.

Chen Xia sighed, rubbed his nose, shook his head and said,

"You are all juniors of the Zhang Family. Even for Old Zhang's sake, I won't do anything to you."

"Besides, it's not like I'm some untouchable god. Just saying a couple of unpleasant words. An apology will do. After all, you are Zhang Family juniors."

Indeed, only the Zhang Family juniors would get this treatment. If it were anyone else, Chen Xia would have already started beating them.

Zhang Feiyu hurriedly kowtowed to thank him. Zhang Guang was very perceptive and followed Zhang Feiyu to kowtow together, knocking the ground with a bang.

Chen Xia shook his head slightly. He didn't care much about these superficial manners, but leaned against a pillar of the wine shop and said softly,

"Four thousand years is not short but not long either. Seeing you now makes me quite sentimental. I can still vaguely remember what you used to look like, but only vaguely."

Zhang Feiyu raised his head and looked straight at Chen Xia, extremely excited.

"Before meeting you, I had imagined it a few times too. I thought it would be better, but the result did not satisfy me in the end."

Chen Xia chuckled and continued, "Let it be then. The ending of a story doesn't have to be satisfactory. After all it's just a middling story."

"There is no more so-called mysterious family head in the Zhang Family anymore. You are now the head of the Zhang Family."

Chen Xia took off his straw hat and placed it lightly to the side, revealing his old face covered with the traces of time.

"Chen...Chen Ancestor..." Zhang Feiyu's expression was blank. He really hadn't expected to hear this.

"After wandering for four thousand years, I'm also tired. It's time to start the next journey. Let's all go back." Chen Xia waved his hand gently, then turned around with his hands behind his back and walked away shoulder to shoulder with Wang Yangzi.

"Where to next?"

"Let's go back and take a look first. Then it's about time I went asking those sages."

"Then take me along. I'm a big shot in the upper realm. You're an old hand who has seen much. The two of us together will be unstoppable."

"You do know teamwork."

The two chuckled as they chatted.

Qiu Yi stuck closely behind Chen Xia, unwilling to leave.

Chen Xia just let her be. After all, she was a rare old friend.

As one journeyed further in life, one had fewer and fewer old friends. Some had died, some were once friends. Ones that you could still chat a few sentences with like Qiu Yi were not many anymore.

"Chen Ancestor, Chen Ancestor!" Zhang Feiyu cried out mournfully towards Chen Xia's back.

But there was no looking back, let alone turning around.

He just gradually disappeared into the heaven and earth.

Leaving behind only a wine shop.

Zhang Feiyu's face was ashen. He slumped down on the ground, unable to hold back his sobs.

Light rain fell from the sky, pattering down, as if crying.

This was the four thousand five hundredth year. It seemed the Zhang Family no longer had Chen Ancestor.

Two years later.

Under the arrangement of the Second Ancestor, the Zhang Family prepared to hold a feast to congratulate Zhang Feiyu's accession as the new Family Head.

The atmosphere throughout the Zhang Family was passionate. Surrounding sects all came to celebrate and the mood was brought to a climax.

But when it came time for the new Family Head to take office, Zhang Feiyu was still unwilling to come forward.

It was only when the Second Ancestor of the Zhang Family went to invite him that Zhang Feiyu numbly walked out on the sedan chair. But he never took that one step to assume the position of Family Head. Instead, facing everyone, he angrily shouted,

"Chen Ancestor saved the Zhang Family in our most difficult time. He remade me. He is to me as a reborn parent. In my heart, Chen Ancestor will forever be the Zhang Family Head! I will not take office as Family Head, and I absolutely do not allow anyone to become the Zhang Family Head!"

He clenched his teeth tightly, shouting at everyone again,

"Unless I die!"

There was silence below the stage. The lively atmosphere disappeared without a trace. No one knew what to say.

The magnificent inauguration of the Zhang Family Head thus ended in this awkward atmosphere.

That same year.

An old man wearing tattered clothes returned to the lower realm.

He stood on the blue stone-paved street, right in front of a house door.

The street was about a kilometer long with many bumps and holes, looking as old as the old man.

The old man had an ordinary expression as he started pacing.

One thousand meters of ancient road, one step per meter.

When he took the first step:

Sword intent surged, cries rang out incessantly.

On the hundredth step:

Faint thunder, heaven's sound murmured.

The five hundredth step:

Dragon roar shallowly issued, resounding through the universe.

The old man's body also changed. His hunched figure slowly straightened up. The mottled wrinkles on his face faded away as he gradually regained his youthful appearance.

From decrepit to glowing with vitality.

This was the journey of five hundred steps.

There were still five hundred steps to go before arriving at the small house's door.

Now there was no longer an old man.

The youth knocked on the door and gently pushed it open, laughing as he said,

"Old Zhang, I'm back."

No response.

The parasol tree was dead.

The small grave was tilted.

Four thousand long years, ending with the last thousand steps.

With these last thousand steps, the sword intent came out, the thunder came out, the dragon roar came out. The mountains and waters that never meet again came out. The light and shadows that do not flow backwards came out.

What came out was a sage.

The End!