In the blink of an eye, six years have passed.
On this winter, it was exceptionally cold, with thick snow covering the streets. There were no people on the road, only the snowflakes silently falling.
Ding Yan's appearance was no longer that of a boy, losing the immaturity, he had become a steady young man. He wore a green long gown, with a somewhat gaunt face.
The neighbors had gotten to know Ding Yan over the six years. They knew he was a scholar. He had ended up in Qiushui Town because he encountered bandits. Coupled with the fact that he was with a child, many neighbors would lend a helping hand and frequently provide them with their remaining rations.
Of course, in return, Ding Yan also taught the children of the town how to read and write. Over time, the people in the town all learned about Ding Xiucai. When children were born in many families, they would come to visit Ding Yan, asking him to give their children a name.
Indoors.
Ding Yan still wore the old green long gown, standing by the table, holding a brush, writing strokes one by one.
The paper and brushes were casually collected by him from the government when he borrowed money. The quality of the paper was much better than the ones sold on the market.
"Uncle, why do you always write these words?"
Sitting at the table, a five or six-year-old boy widened his eyes and looked at Ding Yan curiously.
The child was called Ding Chen!
The name was given by Ding Yan, meaning morning, symbolizing a new beginning. As for the surname, Ding Yan abandoned the child's father's surname, taking their mother's surname. In his eyes, this child was a continuation of his sister and the blood of the Ding family.
"Because these words all have life, and each time you write them, it's a new understanding," Ding Yan replied without looking up, still writing.
The brush strokes were neither hurried nor slow.
"Have life?" Ding Chen seemed to understand.
"When you grow up, Uncle will teach you how to write, okay?" After finishing the last stroke, Ding Yan rolled up his sleeves, then put the brush aside.
Ding Chen nodded.
In his heart, Uncle was the most powerful and could do anything.
Bang...
The door suddenly swung open, the wind and snow whistled in, snowflakes drifting in through the crack, bringing a chill.
A young man covered in blood burst in through the door, with a heavy cloak draped over him and holding a cold iron sword, a prominent sword wound visible under his ribs. At a glance, it was clear that this man was a martial artist.
After coming in, the young man quickly closed the door, then leaned back to sit against it, panting heavily.
Ding Chen looked at the person who suddenly rushed in, felt a wave of fear in his heart, and instinctively held onto the cuff of Ding Yan's trousers.
"Don't be afraid, I'm just hiding from enemies here. I will repay you later," the young man said with a somewhat pale face, as if suddenly remembering something, he took out a silver ingot from his chest and placed it on the table.
"This is for you. Later, no matter what sound you hear, don't make a sound, otherwise..."
The young man originally wanted to say, "Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless with the steel knife." However, when he lifted his head and saw Ding Yan's gaze, he instinctively held back the remaining words. Although this person seemed to be just a scholar, for some reason, the young man still felt a deep-seated fear from the bottom of his heart.
Damn, what has gotten into me! How can I fear an ordinary person!
The young man's name was Xue Pan, a killer of the Blood Cloth Sect, who had betrayed the organization due to dissatisfaction with their arrangements. The people who were pursuing him were also killers from the Blood Cloth Sect.
"You can stay, just don't scare Chen'er," Ding Yan withdrew his gaze, without saying another word.
As for the silver on the ground, he never even glanced at it.
"Thank you!" Xue Pan expressed his gratitude.
Instinctively, he felt that the man in front of him was not an ordinary person. Although there was no evidence, Xue Pan still trusted his instincts.
Outside, the wind and snow continued.
Xue Pan, who had been making a living on the edge of a knife for years, naturally carried some medicine for healing wounds with him. After some simple treatment, the bleeding had stopped.
Ding Chen hid behind Ding Yan, poking his head out, curiously watching Xue Pan.
In his young mind, he didn't understand what people in the martial arts world meant, he just felt very curious.
After resting for a while, Xue Pan's physical strength had recovered quite a bit, and it was only now that he began to size up the room. Apart from a wooden bed, the room was very simple, with only a table and a burning brazier left.
"This is..." Xue Pan paused, inadvertently noticing the calligraphy and painting of Ding Yan still in the corner of the wall.
These words were the failed handwriting of Ding Yan when he was contemplating the artistic conception.
In Qiu Shui Town, Ding Yan had decided to take care of Ding Chen for his whole life, in the guise of an ordinary person, as Ding Chen's uncle. At present, he did not emit any aura of an immortal, from the outside, he appeared to be just an ordinary person, who would grow old, fall ill, and eventually die.
The life of an ordinary person, compared to an immortal, is indeed very short.
After becoming an immortal, life would break free from the shackles of a cultivator, extending to five hundred years. After five hundred years, the first heavenly tribulation of the immortal would arrive. On this point, it was something that Ding Yan, as a foundational cultivator from his past life, couldn't compare to. After overcoming the first heavenly tribulation, the lifespan of an immortal would increase again, reaching a thousand years, and then the heavenly tribulation would appear once more. Afterward, with each heavenly tribulation, the lifespan would increase by a thousand years, and the heavenly tribulation would occur once a millennium.
Of course, the appearance of the heavenly tribulation is not absolute. Some people cultivate too quickly, breaking through the limits before reaching the time limit, and at that time, the heavenly tribulation would sense their aura and arrive early. This is also the reason why some immortals facing heavenly tribulations would be only a few hundred years old in the immortal world.
At present, Ding Yan was an immortal with a lifespan of five hundred years. Five hundred years may seem long, but in reality, he would need to spend at least eighty to a hundred years of time to accompany Ding Chen throughout his life, which means one-fifth of the time has already passed.
During such a long time, Ding Yan naturally would not completely give up cultivation, it was just a change in method.
A method to elevate one's state of mind through calligraphy and painting.
This method was something Ding Yan had learned during his past life when he was achieving godhood, and it could also be applied to cultivating as an immortal, because this method lifts one's state of mind, one's soul, and also accumulates preparation for future advancements.
"Where did you get these calligraphy and paintings?" Xue Pan's expression was somewhat excited.
The calligraphy and paintings were very profound, and with Xue Pan's current martial arts vision, he could not discern the mysteries within them. He vaguely felt that these calligraphy and paintings should contain an extraordinary martial art. If he could learn it, he wouldn't have to fear the pursuit of the Blood Cloth Sect anymore. He might even have a chance to join the Immortal Friends Association.
In the martial world, no one understood the terror of that force better than Xue Pan.
Everyone in the martial arts world knew that the Immortal Friends Association was established by an immortal, and the people who could join were at least the top-level masters in the martial world.
"Dad threw these away after writing them!" Ding Chen couldn't help but blurt out.
"What?!" Xue Pan was astonished.
His view of Ding Yan had completely changed.
Could a person who could produce this kind of calligraphy and painting be an ordinary person?
Heh! Heh!!
At this moment, a sudden, piercing cackling laughter came from outside the door...