After a moment of silence, the old man finally spoke. "I had to."
He looked down at his wrinkled face that reflected on the tea's surface. "I am a part of the village. I had to sacrifice my grandson and my daughter for this village."
"What did this village give you that you can sacrifice your bloodline for it?" Yu Jing's curiosity piqued. He felt there had to be great history for this old man to have this kind of sentiment.
"Truth be told, I am not from this village. I lived in a rather well-known kingdom and had a noodle shop that was famous among mortals and cultivators. When my shop was at its peak, my son met a woman about the same age as him. That woman was kind and possessed the beauty of a divine maiden. He fell in love with her, and after his continuous efforts, so did she." Nostalgia began to flash in the old man's eyes.
"Later, their love came to fruition. She became pregnant with their child. This was also the moment disaster struck. I found out that she was the daughter of the king. My son committed a grave sin and brought punishment to my family. The king wanted to kill Arash before he was born, but he was stopped after Arash's mother begged with a broken heart. She…she also begged for my son's life. And somehow, the king agreed with her request; however, there was a condition. Arash could live, but not my son, and Arash had to vanish into a faraway land."
"My son immediately took his life to save Arash's life. With grief in my heart, I left the kingdom with Arash. After six months of travel, I finally arrived here. This village was built by some old cultivators who wanted to rest in their last few years of their lives. They also took us happily with open arms. However, I wish they didn't. Who knew some bandits were following us? The cultivators all died protecting us. Now the family of the cultivators and the entire village have hatred in their hearts for us."
After hearing all of this, Yu Jing became curious about another thing. "Old man, then why is only Arash getting punished but not you?"
"I distributed my entire wealth with the village, and I also guard the village. I scout the forest and its surroundings even if there are constant howls of beasts, thunderstorms, hail or even scorched heat."
"Even when your grandson cries." Yu Jing mocked.
"Yes, even the cries of my grandson can't stop me from protecting this village." The old man nodded, not taking Yu Jing's mockery to heart.
"Then why don't you just leave and go find another place?" Finally, Yu Jing asked the question that had been bugging him for a while.
The old man stared into Yu Jing's eyes and said calmly. "People gave their lives for our lives and their families. Despite us bringing this disaster to them, they never blamed us. On the other hand, in their dying breaths, they insisted everyone to treat us just like a family and not bring any harm. Sir, except for the children, no one tortured or abused Arash once. So tell me, how can I abandon them? A man should never throw away his virtue, no matter the situation he might be in. I can never deceive anyone, especially the people who I am indebted to."
Yu Jing's eyes opened wide as something struck in his heart. He then shifted his focus to Arash–who was carrying branches–and blurted out. "No wonder Arash has such a noble soul. In this cruel world, it is very rare to find."
"Thank you, sir. I am also proud of my grandson for not letting his environment change his heart, and talking to you lighten my heart." The old man stood and bowed toward Yu Jing. "Sir, I will take my leave now and remember my request."
"I will take care of him, old man. Why don't you let him know about you? That kid might feel better knowing he has a family."
The old man shook his head and left, leaving these drifting words in the wind. "If he knows me, he will know his past."
Yu Jing now finally understood the main reason for Arash's suffering. Even if the village kids treated him harshly, his grandfather could have fended them off. But to completely cut off the bloody past, the old man severed his relationship with his beloved grandson. The old man also had the belief that his grandson could lead a better life by himself even in such a harsh environment.
"What a cruel guy!" Yu Jing shook his head, laughing at himself. This old man also dumped all his history on Yu Jing. Probably knowing his days were coming to an end. So, he shared his past with Yu Jing, letting him pass this history to Arash sometime in the future.
Yu Jing looked at Arash and thought to himself. 'The more I look at this kid, the more it feels like he will have a protagonistic future. However, what will jumpstart his sto-"
Yu Jing's eyes widened as realisation hit him. 'Oh system, now I know why these connate providences are transferable. You foresaw the future.'
[ Host, this is the most beneficial path this system predicts. ]
'Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just give me good enough rewards; I do not care about other stuff.' Yu Jing rolled his eyes, familiar with the system's defensive response.
'Next year will be my 20th birthday. Now that I am at the 9th Stage Qi Refinement Realm, let's try to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm before I hit twenty.' Yu Jing set a small goal before entering the house.