Chapter 50: I Am Yang Fan, When You See—

In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.

“Just half a day more, and I’ll have dug through this narrow spot. The underground river ahead is smooth sailing, but who knows if it leads outside?”

By the subterranean stream, Yang Fan sheathed his Dragon Scale Blade, gazing at the murmuring waters, excitement flickering in his eyes.

Nearby was a pile of quarried stones, nearly forming a small hill.

“Brother…” came Shi Jianqiang’s voice from the direction of the palace. Turning, Yang Fan saw the tall man waving at him from within, his face animated with delight. “Come quickly, I’ve found something good.”

“Alright!” Yang Fan launched himself forward with a single bound.

His speed was at its peak.

He left only afterimages in his wake.

With both Swift Step and Wind-Chasing Footwork combined, his pace was far beyond anything he’d achieved before. If he were hunted by Xiang Yangkai now, he could leave the man in the dust.

Outside the palace, Yang Fan came to a halt.

Through the collapsed palace wall, he could see the towering Shi Jianqiang standing beside a spiritual plant, beaming with joy.

The spirit plant was no taller than three feet, crowned with a single blossom at its apex.

Pink petals unfurled like a lotus swaying in the breeze.

At its center was a small, unripe fruit, about the size of a quail’s egg, glowing with a verdant radiance.

A delicate fragrance drifted his way; a single breath of it sent a jolt of energy through him.

“This must be a high-grade spirit fruit!”

Yang Fan was thrilled.

He could sense the rich spiritual aura emanating from the fruit.

Carefully, he approached and stood beside Shi Jianqiang, asking, “Wasn’t there not even a bud yesterday? How has it suddenly bloomed and borne fruit overnight?”

He’d come in here several times before but had never dared to go too deep.

“I don’t know either. This place is strange—flowers blooming and fruit ripening in one night isn’t anything unusual here,” Shi Jianqiang said, scratching his head. “Brother, didn’t you say you liked spirit fruits? How about this one? I’ll try to get it for you.”

“Wait!” Yang Fan hurriedly stopped him.

This plant was beyond the safe zone.

He didn’t want to risk it—for a single fruit, no less.

His gaze shifted to a human skin lying quietly not far away. If Shi Jianqiang hadn’t assured him that this was a safe area, nothing would have compelled him to approach. Each glance sent a chill down his spine.

Just as he was about to look away, Yang Fan’s heart clenched, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. Words were appearing on the human skin.

One character after another.

“I am Yang Fan. By the time you read this, I am already dead.”

A jolt of terror shot through him.

He involuntarily took a step back.

More words appeared.

“I have already died once before. Don’t be startled—you, the present you, also died not long ago. I possess extraordinary abilities. Using my own skin, I crawled out from the abyss a hundred years in the future, conveying this message to you by unimaginable means…”

Yang Fan’s scalp tingled.

“Intimidation!”

His pupils contracted as he unleashed his supernatural power.

Beside him, Shi Jianqiang stiffened and shivered all over; some unknown force seemed to ripple through the air before them, distorting it.

The human skin trembled, but the writing kept appearing.

“You are unfortunate! You have already faced the greatest calamity of death in your life, and now you are about to encounter an event that will change your fate. Yang Family Town will be destroyed…”

At this, Yang Fan was tempted to rush forward and snatch up the human skin. But the clarity brought by his Intimidation kept his head cool. He patted Shi Jianqiang, turned, and said, “Let’s go!”

Outside the palace, cold sweat streamed down his forehead.

“Brother, what happened?” Shi Jianqiang followed, still trembling.

“Did you see any writing on that skin just now?” Yang Fan asked.

He’d already walked over to the giant’s corpse, where, for some reason, he felt at ease.

“No!” Shi Jianqiang scratched his head. “Brother, your eyes went red staring at it, but there was nothing on it!”

“Nothing?”

Yang Fan was taken aback, squinting his eyes.

He alone could see it.

Or perhaps, those lines were meant only for him.

“I am Yang Fan, I am already dead, I have suffered one death calamity…” Yang Fan pressed his lips together, pondering carefully.

Based on the message, the human skin was from the future.

It had somehow traversed to this place, waiting for him.

It also claimed that the present him had already died once.

“My former self is dead. I truly have died once!”

Yang Fan shivered.

A sense of foreboding clung to his heart.

“This isn’t a world of horrors—how could I encounter something like this?”

He forced himself to calm down and thought it over.

If someone could truly travel through time, why would they be trapped in a palace?

“It also mentioned Yang Family Town, but now it’s South Mountain Town, and will be in the future too!”

“It used to be called Yang Family Town!”

“So…”

“He isn’t from the future, but from the ancient past. Somehow, he learned about my history!”

“Most likely, it’s a trick—trying to spook me. Maybe he noticed something special about me and wants to lure me over to help him escape.”

“Why not Shi Jianqiang?”

Yet, something still didn’t add up.

Unbeknownst to Yang Fan, as he left the palace, blood began to seep from the human skin, forming twisted, chaotic characters: Battlefields and slaughter, the sky aflame, interference, no…

The bloody words twisted and vanished, and cracks appeared on the surface.

Once Yang Fan regained his composure, he resumed digging deeper along the underground river.

He had no wish to linger here.

The place was just too eerie.

In less than half a day, he broke through completely.

He made another excursion, returning with a python as thick as a bowl.

A campfire blazed.

He cut the snake into pieces and roasted them.

This was for Shi Jianqiang.

“Cooked food really is delicious!” Shi Jianqiang was finally able to eat a few bites. The flavor, like nothing he’d ever tasted, left him visibly moved. “Brother, is all the food outside this good?”

“No,” Yang Fan shook his head. “Given the circumstances, this is only barely edible. The delicacies outside are endless—there are countless flavors, all wonderfully varied.”

“Really? I wish I could go out too, but…” Shi Jianqiang glanced at his massive frame and remembered his father’s instructions, slumping down. “I want to go, but I can’t!”

“Next time I come, I’ll open a path and take you out. How about that?”

“Really?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“Haha, that’s great! Brother, are you leaving now?”

“Yes. There’s still much to take care of outside.”

“When will you return?”

“A year at most! Jianqiang, while you’re on your own, you must train hard. The world outside is dangerous, and you’re too conspicuous—you’ll be seen as a freak. Only by growing stronger can you live freely and taste more food!”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Brother. I’ll train hard and never sleep again!”

After a while, Yang Fan closed his eyes to rest.

He needed to recover his strength to its peak.

After some time, a strong fragrance wafted to his nose. Opening his eyes, he saw Shi Jianqiang sitting before him, holding several fruits in his large palm.

One was the green fruit from earlier.

But he was missing an arm.

“Brother, I don’t have much to offer. I could only pick a few fruits for you,” Shi Jianqiang said, grinning with his usual honesty.

Looking at his severed arm, Yang Fan felt a wave of warmth.

Even if it could heal,

he had still braved great danger.