Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 594 The Curtain Falls and a New Beginning

Time flies, year after year.

After Lin Chen refined the will of heaven and earth, the martial arts of Tianyuan Continent became increasingly prosperous.

In the past, a celestial being could roam freely in the martial arts world; now, she can only be considered a skilled fighter.

The True Lord became the mainstay, while the Holy Venerable was the true leader of the sect.

The Tower of Babel has become a pilgrimage site for all cultivators, with countless young people coming from all over the country every year to queue up and try to conquer it.

There were rogue cultivators dressed in coarse cloth, scions of noble families riding spirit beasts, and old men walking shakily with canes—saying that if they didn't come to challenge the tower, their lives would be wasted.

Flowers bloom in front of the monument to the fallen heroes all year round. In winter, people bring dried flowers, and in autumn, people place freshly picked wild chrysanthemums on the ground.

As the old generation gives way to the new, generation after generation comes here to bow, offer toasts, and murmur names that are almost forgotten.

Lin Chen's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are all doing very well.

Some became high-ranking officials in Tongtian City, some became key members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and some became leaders of various local forces.

Lin Nian'er remains unmarried, devoting her entire life to cultivation and caring for her family. She has now reached the early stage of Saint Venerable cultivation.

Lin Nianjun became the head of the Lin family, while Lin Chen stepped down to the second line and fully entered into retirement.

I sleep until the sun is high in the sky, then get up and do a couple of rounds of boxing. After breakfast, I take a stroll in the yard, play with my great-grandchildren, and get pestered by a bunch of little kids to tell me stories.

He casually made up an opening line, something like "Once upon a time there was a mountain, and in the mountain there was a cave," and then he started laughing at himself.

The children protested, grabbing his sleeves and refusing to let go.

"Great-Grandpa, please finish telling your story!"

"What happens next?"

"What's in the cave?"

Lin Chen had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep making things up, even though his stories were completely nonsensical, the children listened with great interest.

Occasionally, I would go to Hehuan Valley to take a stroll, to see the girls and their lovers.

That evening, Lin Chen sat on a recliner in the courtyard, basking in the sun.

As the sun began to set, its warm afterglow bathed the entire courtyard.

Liu Ruyan sat next to him, drinking tea at a leisurely pace.

Lin Nian'er sat quietly reading a book on the veranda.

The osmanthus trees were in full bloom, and when the wind blew, the fragrance drifted down and spread to every corner of the courtyard.

Lin Chen suddenly spoke up: "I want to go out and take a look."

Liu Ruyan paused for a moment, her knuckles tightening and then relaxing slightly.

"Where to?"

Lin Chen looked at the sky, his gaze piercing through the clouds and through the void:

"The Primordial Realm".

Liu Ruyan paused for a moment, then put down her teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the stone table.

"Go ahead, and come back soon."

Lin Chen turned to look at her: "Aren't you going to ask me when I'll be back?"

Liu Ruyan smiled, a smile like the surface of water ruffled by the evening breeze, the ripples spreading and then closing gently:

"We'll wait for you no matter when you come back."

Lin Chen did not tell his family when he was leaving.

He was afraid that the old lady would grab his hand and ask him where he was going, and he was afraid that Su Wanqing would secretly wipe away her tears.

He was afraid that Liu Ruyan and the others would pretend to be calm as they saw him off, and he was afraid that Lin Nian'er and the others would stand at the door watching his back without saying a word.

These are the things he fears most.

While the family was having dinner, Lin Chen went alone to the osmanthus tree in the backyard.

Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Lin Chen stood for a moment, then reached out and touched the trunk of the old osmanthus tree. The rough bark pressed against his palm, giving him a slightly cool sensation.

Then he released his grip, took a step, and disappeared into the void.

The leaves swayed gently, as if blown by the wind, and then fell silent again.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The modern world.

Skyscrapers, bustling traffic, and flashing neon lights.

Lin Chen stood on a bustling street, watching the crowds of people coming and going.

During rush hour, the streets were packed with people.

White-collar workers hurried along, their bags slung over their shoulders, the heels of their shoes clicking rapidly on the ground.

Students gathered in small groups, heads down, scrolling through their phones. The light from the screens shone on their faces, creating a bluish glow.

Delivery riders weave through traffic, their electric bike wheels scraping against car bumpers with a screeching sound.

A line of people stood at the traffic light intersection, waiting to cross the street. Some anxiously checked their watches, while others stared blankly at the red light.

Lin Chen stood on the street for a while and realized that he was no longer used to the noise.

Centuries of living in a foreign land gave him a dull, painful sense of unfamiliarity with this noise.

Lin Chen went to a convenience store and bought a bottle of soda. It was in a glass bottle, ice-cold, and covered with a layer of fine water droplets.

He stood by the roadside drinking, the bubbles of soda exploding on his tongue, carrying an industrial sweetness that was far inferior to the wines made from spiritual fruits in the Tianyuan Continent.

Lin Chen gulped down a few mouthfuls, feeling the coolness slide down his esophagus and spread in his stomach, then let out a burp.

He watched the rush hour crowds surge past him, wave after wave, like a tide.

Someone answered the phone, their voice mostly drowned out by the surrounding noise; all that could be heard was, "Hey? What did you say? Speak louder!"

Someone was squatting by the roadside smoking, head down, seemingly looking at something.

No one noticed Lin Chen; he was like a transparent shadow, standing in the crowd, yet not in the crowd.

After finishing his soda, Lin Chen threw the bottle into the trash can and walked along the street for a while.

I passed by a stall selling jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes), and the stall owner was busy flipping the crepes and spreading sauce on them.

The oil sizzled on the griddle, and the batter made a hissing sound as it was spread out.

Lin Chen stood to the side and watched for a while. The proprietress looked up and asked him:

"Want a set?"

Lin Chen smiled and shook his head, then continued walking forward.

Walking through a narrow alley, at the entrance of the alley, a tabby cat was squatting on a trash can, licking its paws. Its fur was filthy, and there was a bald patch on its back.

The tabby cat looked up at Lin Chen, twitched its ears, and then lowered its head to continue licking its front paws.

Lin Chen stopped and watched for a while, but the cat ignored him. He didn't care and turned to leave.

Then I stood for a moment in front of a closed supermarket.

Half of the lights on the sign were off, leaving only a few words shining alone in the night.

A "Prime Location for Sale" sign was posted at the entrance, its corners curled up and rustling in the wind.

Lin Chen stared for a long time before turning and walking away.

He and his friends used to stay up all night here, playing games all night long. When they lost, they would curse and when they won, they would slam their fists on the table.

That internet cafe has been closed for a long time now, and I don't know how many owners it has had.

The subway station's announcements played on a loop, with a mechanical female voice repeating the same thing over and over again.

People on the escalator looked down at the light from their phone screens, and that light shone on everyone's faces like a row of moving lanterns.

As the train pulled into the station, a gust of wind stirred up Lin Chen's clothes, causing them to flutter slightly.

No one glanced at him, no one gave him a second look.

Lin Chen stood on the platform, watching the train pull into the station and then pull out again, his eyes reflecting tired and unfamiliar faces through the windows.

Some leaned back in their seats with their eyes closed, some were scrolling through short videos with their heads down, and some were staring blankly out the window.

He didn't recognize any of the photos.

Lin Chen stood there for a long time, so long that an empty car stopped in front of him, the door opened and closed again.

Lin Chen didn't get on the car. He stood there and suddenly felt very quiet.

Centuries have passed, and everything here has changed, yet it seems like nothing has changed at all.

The streets, shops, smells, and sounds he once knew so well have long since changed hands.

Even the plane trees along the roadside are gone, replaced by a row of ginkgo trees, their leaves gleaming golden under the streetlights.

He doesn't recognize this place anymore.

Or rather, no one here recognizes him anymore.

A strange feeling welled up in Lin Chen's heart, like a thread being gently tugged, not broken, just tugged.

He turned around, took a step, and disappeared into the night.

The tabby cat on the street corner looked up at the direction Lin Chen had disappeared in, then lowered its head again to continue licking its paws.

……

In the void.

Lin Chen looked down at the blue planet beneath his feet, which was getting farther and farther away, and smaller and smaller.

The lights, the streets, and the crowds all became a miniature map.

The outline of the continent became increasingly blurred, and the color of the ocean faded, eventually turning into a speck of light and disappearing into the dark void.

Lin Chen withdrew his gaze, turned around, and looked in another direction.

The Primordial Realm.

The spirit said that it was the center of all realms, the source of all laws, and where the fortunes of countless worlds converged.

There are great emperors, gods, and a vaster world.

Lin Chen smiled, took a step, and disappeared into the depths of the void.

The point of light behind me was still there, but it was getting farther and farther away.