Chapter 655: My Axe

The old man took the chainsaw, his fingers pressed the start switch, the chainsaw let out a roar, and the chain spun at high speed.

He appeared very skilled in using the chainsaw.

He gripped the chainsaw and walked toward the thick tree, his posture as practiced as if he had used it countless times.

The chain bit into the bark, emitting a harsh scraping sound; sawdust flew, landing on the old man's beard and on his gray clothing.

Yu Lin stood to the side watching.

The saw blade spun at high speed, leaving a shallow circle on the bark, but that was all.

The bark was harder than the saw blade; the blade's temperature rose, the chain turned red, and sparks flew from the cut like tiny fireworks.

With a bang, the saw blade broke!

The broken chain snapped off the bark, flung to the ground, and twisted into a messy shape.

The old man turned off the chainsaw, looked down at the broken chain on the ground, squatted to pick up a piece, turned it over in his hand, then stood and handed the chainsaw back to Yu Lin.

"Young man, this thing isn't as good as my axe."

Yu Lin took the chainsaw and glanced at the barely visible notch on the tree.

"Looks like that; let's switch to another."

He shoved the chainsaw back into his backpack, felt around inside, and pulled out a larger one.

It was twice the size of the previous one, with an orange‑red housing, a thicker chain, larger teeth, and a cold gleam.

He handed the chainsaw to the old man.

"Grandpa, this one's more powerful; use this."

".................."

The old man stared at the chainsaw offered to him, silent for a moment.

"Alright, I'll give it a try." He took the chainsaw, gripped the handle with both hands, and started it.

The chainsaw's roar was louder than before, the chain spun so fast it became a blur, shaking the old man's arm muscles.

He gritted his teeth and pressed the chainsaw against the trunk.

The chain bit into the bark, sawdust flew more violently, piling up a small heap at the roots.

The old man spoke while sawing, his voice loud enough to overpower the chainsaw's roar.

"Young man, what's your name? This place is hard to get to, but you're in pretty good shape."

"I'm Yu Lin; I train regularly, so I can make it up here." Yu Lin said.

"Grandpa, what's your name? Are you a local?"

"Sort of a local." The old man broke into a grin, his smile sincere, like an ordinary rural elder.

"What should I call you… just call me Grandpa; that's fine."

Yu Lin looked at his genuine smile and nodded.

"Hmm."

He found a flat stone nearby, sat down, and watched the old man continue sawing.

The chainsaw chain spun faster and faster, cutting a groove into the trunk that ran from the bark inward, penetrating one‑third of the way.

The old man's smile deepened, and he exerted more force.

But.

The chainsaw emitted a sharp abnormal noise, the chain stopped, the motor still turned, but the chain wouldn't move!

The old man released the switch, tapped the chainsaw's side, then pulled the starter cord, but the chain still wouldn't move.

He pulled the chainsaw out of the trunk, revealing the cut that had been made.

The cut was deep enough to reveal the yellowish‑white wood inside.

But at the moment the old man withdrew the chainsaw, the edge of the cut began to writhe, like a living wound healing.

Wood grew outward from within, the bark closed from both sides, and the opening shrank and became shallower.

In less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, the trunk returned to its original state, even the faint white mark disappearing.

The old man lowered his gaze to the chainsaw in his hand, tapped its body a few times, started it again, but the chain still wouldn't move.

He set the chainsaw on the ground, lifted it with both hands, and handed it back to Yu Lin.

"Yu Lin, this chainsaw isn't any good either."

"I'll just use my axe; at least it can cut." He shoved the chainsaw back into Yu Lin's hands, turned, and drew the axe from his waist.

"Hey." Yu Lin tugged at his sleeve.

"Grandpa, don't rush; I still have another."

He reached into his backpack and felt around for a long time.

The axe Lao Jun had given him was stuffed at the bottom of the pack, beneath the bread and two bottles of mineral water.

He pulled the axe out and handed it to the old man.

The old man took the axe and held it up to examine it.

The axe wasn't big, a bit smaller than the one at the old man's waist.

The handle was wood, dark brown, smooth and cool to the grip.

The blade was bluish‑gray, unsharpened, so dull it couldn't even cut paper.

Afterwards, he rubbed the blade with his thumb, but nothing came off.

He shook his head and handed the axe back.

"This one looks no better than mine; forget it."

Yu Lin didn't take it. He smiled and pushed the axe back.

"How can you know without trying? Come on."

He shoved the axe into the old man's hand, stepped back, slipped his hands into his pockets, and jerked his chin toward the tree trunk.

The old man looked at the axe in his hand, then at the tree, and sighed.

"All right."

He gripped the axe handle, walked to the tree trunk, planted his feet shoulder‑width apart, and lifted the axe over his head.

The axe blade flashed a bluish‑gray in the sunlight, so dull that the sand pits and casting marks on it were visible.

The old man drew a deep breath, the axe came down, and struck the tree trunk.

Thud—

The sound burst from the axe‑tree contact point, spreading in all directions, shaking the mountaintop meadow into tremors, rustling the forest leaves down, and tearing the distant clouds as if by an invisible hand.

The old man steadied himself and looked up.

The sky split open.

No.

Not the sky.

But a whole world!