Chapter 2012: The Down-and-Out Chen San'er, Demanding the Truth

After Master Chen arrived outside the ancestral hall, he swept a glance at the crowd below the steps and said in a loud voice, "Alright, all the sacrificial rites have been arranged. Just wait for the priest to come. Everyone can go back now. The River God said he does not want bystanders watching when the priest appears."

Seeing Master Chen say this, the crowd had no objections and turned to walk toward their own homes one after another.

Just as Master Chen was also about to return, that decadent man suddenly ran up, grabbed Master Chen's sleeve, and said, "Master Chen, have my pair of children long since died? Have they?"

Master Chen did not answer immediately but glanced sideways at the people walking away. He suddenly let out a long sigh and said, "Chen San'er, you have lived like neither man nor ghost all these years. Guixiang ran away, and you don't even farm your land anymore."

"I have ten taels of silver here; take it first. You still have to live your life; you must pull yourself together."

Who would have thought that when Master Chen offered the silver, Chen San'er didn't even look at it and shouted, "I don't want silver! I want my Xiao Min, Xiao Qiang! I want my Guixiang!"

"I just saw two people who looked very strange over there, and a white horse. Did they come from the Tongtian River?"

"Can you tell me, Master Chen? Are my children still alive?"

Master Chen's eyes were filled with sorrow. In fact, he had long guessed the result of the matter, but he could not reveal it now.

He glanced at the Chen Family Ancestral Hall. At this moment, the Chen clan members had already closed the two large doors, and the boy and girl transformed by Sun Wukong and Fahai were waiting for the priest's arrival.

Master Chen grabbed Chen San'er's hand, stuffed the silver into his palm, looked steadily into his eyes, and said, "Chen San'er, I don't know the truth of the matter now either, but I believe we will be able to see the truth very soon."

"However, Chen San'er, think about it: you were such a diligent person before. Ever since Guixiang ran away, it's as if your soul has been sucked out of you. Regardless of the truth of the matter, shouldn't you continue to live?"

After Master Chen finished speaking, he put the silver into his palm and turned to leave.

Chen San'er stood frozen in place for a long time without coming to his senses, until finally, he raised his right arm, wiped the corner of his eye, and disappeared into the snow.

At this time, Marshal Tianpeng and General Juan Lian had already led the White Dragon Horse behind a small mound and hidden themselves.

Sun Wukong and Fahai were still sitting quietly cross-legged inside the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.

"I say, Fahai, why hasn't he come yet? He isn't going to not come, is he?"

Sun Wukong turned his head to look at Fahai and spoke.

"Don't talk, Wukong. Be careful not to give us away. If this fellow appears, I fear it will be in a way we don't expect."

Fahai glared at Sun Wukong and spoke immediately.

Wukong felt that Fahai's words made sense, so he shut his mouth and quietly maintained his meditation posture.

And just at this moment, in the empty space behind Fahai and Wukong, a rift actually appeared out of thin air.

An old man wearing a yellow robe walked out of the rift. He had a very small head—one could even say this head was deformedly small, making people uncomfortable to look at—and his pair of eyes were also terrifyingly small, just like a mouse's eyes.

He held a torch in his hand, burning with white flames. Seeing the boy and girl transformed by Sun Wukong and Fahai, a wicked smile curled at the corners of his lips. ===== CHAPTER 2014 =====