The Boy of Yesteryears

"You... what are you doing?"

The young man stared in astonishment at the skeletal figure he had always despised.

"Ababa ababa."

The skeleton merely clattered its jaw and extended the potato in its hand further toward him.

Glancing at the potato, the young man hastily grabbed it with both hands and devoured it ravenously. Tears welled in the eyes of the soul who had lived for over thirty years within him.

That single potato had been the key to surviving his darkest hour.

As spring arrived, his illness gradually improved.

Though the skills the system forced him to learn wouldn’t make him some legendary figure, he managed to turn them into small trades for survival.

In later winters, while he still couldn’t feast on meat, at least he could add a sweet potato or two to his meals of plain potatoes.

Seasons passed, year after year.

Master and servant lived on, relying on each other for survival.

The once-young man had now grown into a youth. Many of the city’s older residents had moved away, and the newcomers were far less cold-hearted than before, occasionally visiting the martial arts hall with small gifts of local produce.

One day, Aunt Li from the east side of the city stormed up to his door, brandishing a rolling pin and screaming.

"You inside—get out here this instant!"

"If you don’t come out, I’ll tear this shabby martial arts hall apart!"

The shouting at his doorstep ignited the young man’s fury.

"You old hag, what the hell are you yelling about?"

The youth stepped out, hands on his hips.

"Do you even know that little beast of yours beat up my son?"

Aunt Li’s face twisted with malice as she pointed at the small figure in black robes behind Yi Feng, raising her rolling pin to strike. "I’ll beat you to death, you little monster! How dare you lay a hand on my son? I’ll flay you alive!"

"You wretched woman—you think you can hit my people without my permission?" Yi Feng snatched the rolling pin from her and jabbed it at her face. "Calling him a ‘little beast’ over and over—where’s your decency at your age? Sounds like your whole family’s a pack of beasts to me!"

"You—you—you—!"

Aunt Li gaped at him in disbelief before shrieking, "You damned bastard! You think the Li family has no one to stand up for us? Your little monster attacked my son, and now there’s no justice to be had?"

"So what if he messed with your son?"

The youth sneered, hands still planted on his hips. "I’m warning you—call him ‘little beast’ one more time, and I’ll personally break your son’s legs next time I see him."

"You—you—!"

Aunt Li trembled as she pointed at him.

"Shut it and get the hell out of here!"

Yi Feng waved the rolling pin menacingly, driving the old woman away.

"Ababa! Aba…"

An excited chattering came from the black-robed figure behind him.

"Ababa my ass, you damn mutt!"

Fuming, the youth grabbed the robed figure and hauled it into a small room, locking it inside.

Another stretch of peaceful days passed...

Inside the martial arts hall, the youth lashed the black robes with a bamboo stick, cursing nonstop.

"You damn mutt! You absolute menace—I’ll teach you to cause trouble!"

He whipped it until exhaustion forced him to drop the stick, panting as he dragged the figure back to the small room.

"Stay put. No noise, no coming out."

After settling the matter, he straightened his clothes and hurried to the hall’s entrance.

A crowd of over a dozen people had gathered, shouting demands.

"Hand him over! Give us that thing now!"

"He killed my dog and wrecked my house! If I don’t teach that little fiend a lesson today, I’ll renounce my family name!"

"Exactly! That thing’s nothing but a curse on Pingjiang City. I say we drag it out and dump it in the wasteland beyond the walls—let it rot!"

"Open up! Open this door!"

Facing the angry mob, Yi Feng plastered on an apologetic smile, bowing and scraping as they hurled insults. Even when fingers jabbed at his face, he kept his head low, nodding along.

One by one, he compensated them for their losses.

Finally, the crowd dispersed, leaving him heaving a sigh of relief—and smiling faintly, even though his purse now held only a single gold coin...

Time flowed on.

The residents of Pingjiang City came and went.

As life gradually improved, the people grew less cold, less scheming. The city became a place of warmth and laughter.

The youth’s life improved too. Though he still paid compensations every month, winter meals now included eggs alongside potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Later, he took on a disciple.

He began writing books.

The martial arts hall, once home to just master and servant, now housed master, servant, and apprentice...

Eventually...

Lying on the beach, Yi Feng chuckled.

"You damn mutt, I almost forgot about your time limit. Good thing I didn’t die this time—if I’d achieved immortality, you’d have been done for."

He shook his head, equal parts regretful and relieved.

Glancing at the small mound behind him, his eyes softened with gratitude.

Then, he pulled a wooden plank from his storage ring, carved some words into it, and erected a new gravestone.

His gaze returned to the system panel.

He’d never understood how that damn skeleton—no eating, no drinking—even existed.

But it didn’t matter.

What mattered was this: the moment it appeared, the system had warned that its energy would last only ten years.

At first, Yi Feng had wished those ten years would pass in a day.

But now... nine years had slipped by in the blink of an eye.

He’d gone from a boyish figure to a "great power" who couldn’t die even when trying.

And the skeleton had only one year left.

The thought made his face twist in pain as he emptied his storage ring.

Celestial Crystals poured out, covering the small island in a glittering heap.

"Damn mutt, if I hadn’t prepared for this, you’d be six feet under next year."

"Remember—your life’s in my hands."

"Ugh... my Celestial Crystals... years of savings... gone just like that..."

"System, devour them."

"I don’t wanna live anymore. Next time I see you, I swear I’ll dismantle you bone by bone!"

As Yi Feng’s voice faded, the system activated, tearing an invisible rift above him.

The mountain of Celestial Crystals vanished in an instant, swallowed whole.

Years ago, he’d learned that replenishing the skeleton’s energy required items rich in spiritual essence—and Celestial Crystals were the best option.

"Hey—could’ve left me a few at least!"

Despairing, he immediately checked the system panel.

The stored Celestial Crystals had extended Lu Benwei’s remaining time from one year to five.

"Whew."

"You’re a money-burning machine, you know that?"

"But five years should be enough. By then, I’ll probably be truly immortal."

Yi Feng exhaled, reclining on the sand with a faint smile.

In the distant sky.

Several figures clad in black robes strode through the air.

Suddenly, Lu Benwei, who led the group, halted in his tracks.

"Big bro, what's wrong?"

Behind him, Dog and the others asked in confusion.

Under the black robe, Lu Benwei's skeletal frame trembled slightly as he instinctively stretched out his hand.

A faint, almost imperceptible gleam flickered across his bleached-white bones.

Tilting his head slightly, he gazed up at the sky.

His thoughts seemed to drift back to a time long, long ago.

By the time he snapped out of it, dusk had already begun to fall.

From beneath the black robe, an indistinct smile emerged before he finally spoke. "It's nothing."

Dog and the others scratched their heads, puzzled by their leader's unusual behavior today.

"Big bro, are you alright?" Centipede asked with concern.

Lu Benwei took a deep breath.

The group tensed, waiting for him to continue.

But just as he turned his head to speak, his eyes caught sight of something that made him freeze. In an instant, his earlier thoughts were swept away as he pointed excitedly and shouted, "Look! There are girls on the beach!!!"

"Damn."

"Such long legs."

Drool dripped from Dog's mouth.

"Come on, follow me!"

Lu Benwei yelled, already darting forward like a streak of light.