Chapter 88 Survival At Its Finest
Pain! Extreme pain!
Ren Ye couldn't hear anything as his body trembled from the intense pain. He felt suffocation as his chest was tight from holding back the stress inside his body.
His eyes wavered slightly before he exhaled softly, he tried lifting his one of his fingers but was unable to do so due to the other parts of his body being paralyzed.
Ren Ye's legs ached and his back was sore like he had been beaten many times before ending up here. A beam of sunlight beamed onto his face as he struggled to open his eyes.
With a tug of his quilt, Ren Ye subsconsiously sensed the presence of another person next to him.
Ren Ye was wide awake inwardly but he chose to close his eyes and think about what had happen.
What had happened the night before?
Ren Ye could recall vaguely he had been pushed against the wall by the its tail and half-consciously fainted. He was still able to release one final attack before fully fainting onto the ground from his wound.
No wonder, the pain in hid body was unbearable.
Old Yi had been the one to end the dragon once and for all.
Despite understanding Old Yi had once been a demigod, he still felt inferior to Old Yi. Perhaps had he been at a higher level he would have been able to withstand the attack of the dragon.
Currently, he was met by a surprise visit from his favorite friend; his own system.
[Congratulations on advancing to Establishing I]
[All of your skills have leveled up by one level!]
[10 million system coins has been added to your account!]
"Perhaps, me almost dying was worth it after all," Ren Ye managed to crack joke inwardly despite suffering internally and externally on the bed.
"Papa, you are awake!"
A crisp and childish voice broke him out of his own thoughts as tears slid down her delicate face. Her doe-like eyes were filled with distress and unhappiness as she bit her lips distressedly.
"Papa, you lied to me."
Ren Ye attempted to curl his lips into a gentle smile but the corner of his lips hurt as soon as he had thoughts of trying. Ren Ye hummed softly beside her.
"It is indeed my fault. I have broken my promise."
Battling inside the cave didn't hurt him as much as seeing innocent tears stroll down his daughter's cheeks. Ren Ye felt an ache inside his heart as he wanted to lift his hand and place them against his heart.
"I am sorry."
Ren Ye sincerely apologized to the little girl, desperately wanting to raise his hand and pat her little head but he could barely raise his finger.
"It is alright, Papa. Thankfully, Grandpa Yi saved you in time. I am thankful that Papa is here!"
Ren Jia nodded her head with a innocent expression as she tried her best to understand what her Papa is going through. Seeing him in pain caused as much pain as seeing her Mama sob silently in the corner of the room.
"Good girl," Ren Ye chuckled deeply as he managed to pat the tiny clenched fist gently, comforting the little girl with his action.
"Papa! Today, I saw a big bird!"
Ren Jia began to describe and tell what happened yesterday to her Papa, who was more than content to listen to her talking. Ren Ye hummed in agreement.
"If you really want to stay close to Wu Ling, I will talk to your mother about it first. Is studying at home bad?" Ren Ye was recommended home tutors by Jing Xue a couple of days ago.
Apparently, the home tutors had been the ones who tutored her cousins at home.
He reluctantly let the home tutor tutors Ren Jia yesterday. From what he was hearing Ren Jia, it was rather boring and unexciting for her to study alone. She has been telling about the many friends Wu Ling has had at her kindergarten.
"You are three year old, Jia'er," Ren Ye uttered calmly, "There's still a lot of time before you could go to school. Do you want to go with Wu Ling?"
Ren Jia made a thoughtful gesture, "I think I want to go to school to play with Sister Ling."
"…"
She didn't seem to be the type who would want to go to school for the sake of studying. Ren Ye chuckled helplessly inside his heart as he pursed his lips.
"Alright. Tell your mother about it."
Ren Jia nodded her head and whispered to her Papa's uninjured ears, "Papa, you made Mama very worried this time." pan(da-n0vel.c)om
"…"
Ren Ye was rendered speechless. Not because of Jing Xue's supposed reaction but from the attitude of his daughter. He had the urge to poke fun at her.
"Naughty girl, you are doing your Mama no help by exposing her like you," Ren Ye wanted to poke fun at her.
"Papa. If Papa want to survive, it is better to pretend to be dead right now," Ren Jia advised her Papa childishly, "If Mama is here. Papa is either dead or disabled."
"…"
Ren Ye wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
He stared at his daughter with a flabbergasted face before being interrupted by a knock on the door. The door suddenly opens after two more knocks and a middle-aged man dressed in a formal double-chested suit appeared beside the door.
"You are finally alive," Old Yi called out in an amused tone, "You have been sleeping for longer than I have been alive."
"Don't listen to Grandpa Yi's words, Papa. You only slept for three days."
Ren Jia told her Papa in a pretentious serious tone. Ren Ye raised his eyebrows as he stared at Old Yi before shrugging.
"At least, I am still in my human form and hasn't lost anything that belongs to me," Ren Ye replied with a deadpan expression.
Old Yi clapped his hands amusingly, "You sure know how to make a comeback."
"Of course. Or else, the worst possible outcome would be me being dead," Ren Ye rebuked with a funny expression.
Ren Jia went over to him and called out softly, "Grandpa Yi, can you check if my Papa is alright?"
She tugged his sleeves and stared at him with innocent and tearful eyes. Old Yi chortled with a flustered expression. He was an extremely old man if his actual age was bought up. To him, his life has always been about fighting wars and battles.
It was a rather heart-flattering moment for him to be called Grandfather in such a innocent tone. He felt his frozen heart dethaw even more as he patted her head in an almost paternal manner.
"Don't worry, kid. Your Papa is alright," Old Yi replied to the little girl softly as her tearful eyes began to be filled with hope, "It is a blessing enough for him to appear here."
Had he not been alright, you would seeing him on a tombstone.
Old Yi wanted to add but felt it was inappropriate to joke with a child in this manner. His grandfather's duties overtook whatever jokes he wanted to crack with Ren Jia around.
Old Yi has lived far longer than anything in this house but what he lacked the most was a family of his own. Ren Ye could be considered his student and his son.
To him, Ren Ye's daughter was a relative of his and Jing Xue is a daughter-in-law to him. For the first time, he felt his heart had soften for a mortal being whom he could kill in just one snap.
The former heartless He Yi was slowly changing inside him.
"I have gotten what you wanted," Old Yi snapped his fingers and an antique box appeared in his hand. He slowly extended it toward Ren Ye who was unable to hold it in his hands.
"Kang Lei's remains?"
"Mm. Before you decided to off yourself, I took it upon me to find the remains. It is a great thing that it only appeared after the cave's entrance had been closed."
Old Yi informed him as he placed the box back inside his inventory, "The closing of the cave did signify the opening of more opportunities for you."
"You mean as in?"
"A hot spot to find ingredients for advancement," Old Yi elaborated confidently, "Plenty of cultivators who are guarding the area will notice the closure and will send their most capable fighters there to investigate them."
"It is better if we do not go any near it."
Ren Ye wanted to shake his head and said, "Do I look like I could go anywhere near it?"
After having that, he slightly shook his numb legs in a funny manner. Old Yi chuckled.
"I guess not."
"Qi Yun became a somewhat leading figure after the cave had been closed. From what I read, they called you the 'Merciless Soldier'."
"…"
He didn't expect his fame to spread this quick right as he laid dead in his coma. Ren Ye snorted softly as he said, "They could have called me a much more terrifying name." fre𝙚𝓌𝒆𝚋noѵel.c𝚘m
"The group of reckless adventurers reported you to the officials who were stationed there. They told them of a villain who tried to shoot them with a tiny revolver."
"I am sure they sound stupid whenever they think about what they have said," Old Yi chuckled loudly.