The days that followed were peaceful, yet marked by subtle changes.
Ha Ha's presence brought a touch of joy and a sense of accomplishment to Lin Fan's life.
Every time Lin Fan saw Ha Ha eating with his mouth full of oil, he felt a surge of pride in his culinary skills. Being able to cook such delicious food made him think, "Perhaps, after I return, I should open a small restaurant with my wife. She can wash the vegetables, I'll cook, Old Zhang can greet the customers, and the hen can guard the house. That would be quite nice."
Seeing Ha Ha being a bit mischievous and loud, Lin Fan put a finger to his lips.
"Shh!" he whispered, hoping Ha Ha would stay quiet. He then arranged for Ha Ha to sit beside him and accompany him while he read. After seventy years of cultivation, reading had become a deeply ingrained habit for Lin Fan, even influencing his demeanor. He now exuded a refined, gentle aura that made him very approachable.
Sometimes, Lin Fan would explain the contents of the books to Ha Ha. Although Ha Ha couldn't understand what Lin Fan was saying, he found it fascinating. He would sit obediently beside Lin Fan, resting his chin on his hand, listening in a daze.
Time flew by.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Under Wu Zhi's diligent leadership, the Qian Yuan Sect flourished. Everything was developing smoothly. Liu Shanyue had chosen the right person; Wu Zhi was indeed the best choice for Sect Master.
Today, as Lin Fan was reading, Ha Ha rushed in excitedly, shouting,
"Born, born!"
Lin Fan said, "Let's go and see."
Ha Ha was from the village at the foot of the Qian Yuan Sect's mountain. Although he seemed a bit simple-minded, a year ago, he had met a village girl who liked him. They fell in love and, witnessed by the villagers, tied the knot.
In the village, the people depended on the Qian Yuan Sect for their livelihood. They often sold their produce to the sect, and some even worked there, like Ha Ha. Although they might be subjected to some bullying, their lives were generally stable.
The villagers all knew that Ha Ha had a good friend in the Qian Yuan Sect. As soon as his wife went into labor, he had rushed out, obviously wanting to inform someone important to him.
They were accustomed to seeing Lin Fan. He was initially thought to be an ordinary disciple. Indeed, who would have thought that someone of higher standing, or even an outer disciple, would befriend someone like Ha Ha, with his mental challenges?
"Born! You silly boy finally has an heir! It's a boy! Hurry up and give him a name," an old man said with a hearty laugh.
The villagers sympathized with Ha Ha. He had suffered from a childhood illness that had affected his mental development, leaving him with the intellect of a six or seven-year-old. However, he was a good person, hardworking and enduring, albeit sometimes behaving strangely.
Ha Ha looked at Lin Fan, hoping he would name his son.
"Uncle (Bai Bai) give name," Ha Ha said, holding the baby out to Lin Fan.
Lin Fan took the child. Newborns are often not the most aesthetically pleasing, but the baby's bright eyes captivated Lin Fan. He found himself thinking, "If my wife were willing, I'd love for her to give me a child."
As for naming the child…that required a certain level of cultural knowledge.
Wa Ha Ha?
Ha Ha Ha?
"Ha Lin," Lin Fan suggested.
"Good! Ha Lin, sounds good!" Ha Ha said happily, then burst into laughter, startling the baby, who began to wail. An elderly man patted Ha Ha on the head.
"Still laughing? Go and see your wife! Giving birth to this little one, she must have suffered greatly."
Lin Fan hooked his finger around Ha Lin's tiny hand, smiling and playing with him. His thoughts were simple: from now on, he would slowly learn how to take care of a child so that when he and his wife had their own, he wouldn't be at a loss.
Five years later, he was still in his room, reading as usual. The sect had changed quite a bit. Wu Zhi, as Sect Master, had implemented several beneficial policies for the disciples. All the disciples' accommodations had been renovated, and their monthly cultivation resource allowance had doubled. This was excellent news for everyone and had been met with cheers throughout the sect.
However, it didn't affect Lin Fan in any way.
During these years, former Sect Master Liu Shanyue had not reappeared. Someone had discovered a skeleton in the forbidden area, and judging by the tattered clothing, it seemed to be Liu Shanyue's.
The old man from the Scripture Library had also vanished without a trace. Dead or alive, no one knew.
The path of cultivation was perilous; one careless step could lead to utter ruin.
Suddenly, Lin Fan looked up at the window, where he saw half a child's head bobbing up and down. "Come in," he said. "It's cold outside."
"Bai Bai…"
A chubby little boy nimbly climbed through the window. He had a door, but he insisted on climbing through the window. Truly, great skill emboldens the heart.
Ha Lin was now five years old. He hadn't inherited his father's simplemindedness but seemed to possess some of Lin Fan's shrewdness. Hmm…that didn't sound quite right.
"Why did you come here?" Lin Fan asked, putting down his book and stroking the boy's head.
Ha Lin replied innocently, "Bai Bai, I missed you, so I came to see you."
Ever since he learned to walk, the boy had enjoyed visiting Lin Fan, as if he had a natural affinity for him.
"Eh, why is your arm bruised?" Lin Fan asked, grabbing his arm and lightly patting his head. "Were you fighting again?"
Ha Lin looked at the bruise on his arm and said angrily, "Bai Bai, Er Hu said my daddy is stupid. I got angry and fought with him. But I'm stronger, so I beat him until he was begging for mercy. He promised he wouldn't say it again."
Lin Fan stroked his head. "Good. You're a brave little hero for protecting your daddy."
Praised by Bai Bai, Ha Lin held his head high, his face beaming with pride.
Then, tugging on Lin Fan's arm, he whined, "Bai Bai, my daddy says you're very powerful. Can you teach me how to cultivate?"
"Haha," Lin Fan chuckled. "When you grow up, you can join the Qian Yuan Sect, and then you can cultivate."
Ha Lin shook his head. "No, I want to learn from Bai Bai."
Although cuteness had no allure compared to sexiness, a child's cuteness and coquettishness were powerful forces. Lin Fan was very fond of Ha Lin, just like he was of Little Bao.
Lin Fan asked, "So, what do you want to cultivate?"
"I like to punch people," Ha Lin replied.
Lin Fan thought for a moment. In that case, he would teach Ha Lin the Fist Scripture. It was a powerful martial art, although he hadn't used it much himself. But he knew that if Ha Lin wanted to learn, he should teach him the best.
"Alright, I'll teach you," Lin Fan said.
Hearing this, Ha Lin cheered excitedly, jumping up and down in the room, overjoyed.
"Thank you, Bai Bai."
Lin Fan smiled and continued reading. There were so many books in the Scripture Library that he didn't know when he would finish them all. But given the current situation, he would take his time.
The days that followed were peaceful. Young Ha Lin would come to Lin Fan to learn the Fist Scripture. It was a profound martial art, demanding a great deal from the cultivator. Ha Lin wouldn't tell anyone that he was learning cultivation from Bai Bai.
He thought to himself, I'll cultivate in secret and surprise them all one day.
Lin Fan had told Ha Lin not to tell anyone that he was learning from him. Lin Fan didn't want others to know how powerful he was. He figured that if people knew, they would bother him, making it impossible to finish reading all the books in the Scripture Library.
Our Lin Fan might have seemed like he had read himself silly, but he was actually quite clever. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of these things.
Of course, if One-Eyed Man were to see Lin Fan casually teaching the Fist Scripture to a child, he would definitely cough up blood. Damn it, our bond is so deep, why didn't you teach me?
But if Lin Fan knew, he would surely have said, If you wanted to learn, you should have asked. If you don't say anything, how would I know?
Several years later!
Under Lin Fan's careful guidance, Ha Lin made rapid progress and successfully became a disciple of the Qian Yuan Sect. Although still young, his iron fists had gained some renown. He was known as "Iron Fist Invincible Ha Lin."
He didn't tell anyone that he had learned his fist techniques from Lin Fan.
He was a bit curious, though. Why is Uncle still an ordinary disciple when he's so powerful? Eventually, seeing how much his uncle loved reading, he understood. Uncle is the legendary, most low-key person.
"Uncle, I killed a dozen zombies on my last mission," Ha Lin said. He was now ten years old, but due to his cultivation, he had a well-built physique. Apart from his youthful face, he didn't look like a ten-year-old.
Lin Fan replied, "That's amazing. You must have saved a lot of people."
"No, it's a pity. The people in that village had already been killed by the zombies. I heard from my senior brothers that a demon has appeared, something called the Blood Demon. Everyone is searching for him. Once he's eliminated, these incidents will stop," Ha Lin explained.
Lin Fan said, "That's truly unfortunate. Since you're back, go and see your father. He hasn't been well lately, coughing a lot."
"Yes, I know. I'll go see him later." Ha Lin hadn't thought much of his uncle before, but as he grew older, he increasingly felt that the fist techniques he was learning were extraordinary.
He was certain that his uncle was a true hidden expert.
Soon, Ha Lin left.
Lin Fan watched Ha Lin's retreating figure and smiled. He hadn't expected the chubby little boy to grow so slim and become so powerful.
He truly looked forward to seeing what Ha Lin would become in the future.
He continued reading, oblivious to everything else.
Back in the village, the villagers greeted Ha Lin warmly. They all knew that Ha Ha's son had become a promising disciple of the Qian Yuan Sect.
"Mother, I'm back," Ha Lin called out.
A woman emerged from the house. Seeing Ha Lin, a smile immediately spread across her face. This was the warmth of a mother's love, a genuine outpouring of affection.
"Where's Father? I heard from Bai Bai that he's not well. I happened to save some medicinal pills from my last mission that he can take."
Ha Lin was quite popular among the disciples. He was a good person, and everyone liked to team up with him. Therefore, when they came across good things, they would often share them with him, like the health-boosting pills, a gift from a senior brother, just in case.