Chapter 140: The Disappearance of Zhang Pu's Parents

However, in the southern mountains during autumn and winter, beyond the pervasive green, there appear splashes of golden yellow and fiery red. Even in the south, the mountain forests harbor deciduous trees and those that turn crimson as the season deepens.

Zhang Pu walked slowly. As he took in the scenery, he thought of how arduous it must have been for his parents to manage such a vast expanse of forest, wondering how many workers they had hired to assist them. Back then, he had been too caught up in play and neglected his studies, let alone helping with his parents' enterprise.

In his previous life, Zhang Pu had lived a mediocre, aimless existence, ultimately becoming a burden to his parents. He had ended his first life in failure, only to be granted a miraculous second chance in the world of cultivation. Yet, in that immortal realm, he had lost all trace of his parents. Had it not been for this rebirth, they might never have met again.

Walking along this mountain path now, a profound sense of guilt gnawed at his heart. He swore that in this lifetime, he would ensure his parents lived well. Now that he had returned, he finally possessed the power to do so. He had already toyed with the idea of either moving the Floral Inn—which he had managed in his previous life—to this location, or simply settling his parents in a place where they could enjoy their retirement. Whatever they preferred, he would accommodate. It was as if he wanted to provide for his parents while they were still in their prime, as if he had suddenly shed all grand ambitions, content to reach his peak within the Qingwu region and never again venture into the wider world, no longer seeking the vastness beyond.

"Huh?"

Just as pleasant thoughts filled his mind, he arrived at the forest his parents had contracted, and an unsettling feeling washed over him.

Zhang Pu looked around, but his eyes did not meet the vibrant, multi-colored fields of medicinal herbs he had imagined. There was nothing. The slopes were devoid of any such cultivation. No herbs? What was going on? Why were there no signs of the medicinal crops his parents had supposedly leased this land to grow? Was he hallucinating?

Zhang Pu rubbed his eyes vigorously, forgetting for a moment that he was now a cultivator whose senses were infinitely sharp; how could he possibly suffer from hallucinations? Everything before him was real. In truth, the forest was not merely lacking in herbs; it had become little more than a desolate thicket, save for a few patches of bamboo.

A sudden, ominous premonition seized him.

He began to run, racing toward the house he remembered his parents building on the mountain. He reached the summit in a single breath. As he called out for his parents, he waited for a long time until an elderly, disheveled man emerged from one of the rooms.

"Who’s making all that racket?" the old man asked, clearly irritated by Zhang Pu’s shouting. "Who are you?"

Zhang Pu recognized him immediately: it was Uncle Fu. But Uncle Fu had changed drastically; he looked remarkably aged, and his temperament seemed far harsher than before. *Has something truly happened here?* Zhang Pu wondered. A person’s temperament rarely sours without a catalyst in their life.

"Uncle Fu, it’s me..." Zhang Pu said. He figured that although he had been away studying in Qingwu City and rarely saw Uncle Fu, who was always guarding the mountain, the old man should still recognize him.

"Oh! It’s Ah Pu... you’ve returned," Uncle Fu said, his eyes narrowing in recognition.

Something had definitely happened here. With the experience of a thousand years in the cultivation world, Zhang Pu was certain of it. As Uncle Fu spoke, tears streamed down his face, his voice choked with grief. He revealed that Zhang Pu’s parents had vanished overnight.

Zhang Pu’s mind went blank. In his previous life, he had been a failure who dragged his parents down. In this life, he had returned with the resolve to give them a good life, yet fate had moved faster than his efforts. Though the news of his parents' disappearance struck like a bolt of lightning, he was no longer the naive student of his youth. He was a master of cultivation reborn. His maturity far surpassed anything Uncle Fu could fathom.

Zhang Pu calmed himself immediately, knowing that negative emotions were useless in such a situation. He began to question Uncle Fu about the details. Uncle Fu wiped his tears, looking at the boy with a hint of bewilderment; the sudden composure of this child truly surprised him.

Behind Zhang Pu’s calm exterior, however, his heart burned with a desperate need to know the truth. How could his parents disappear without a trace? Who had targeted his family? He vowed that if he found the culprits, he would show them no mercy.

Yet, even as Uncle Fu recounted the events, it became clear that he didn't really know what had happened. He only knew they had disappeared overnight, leaving nothing behind—no word, no bodies, just a complete and utter void.

Zhang Pu had never known his parents to have any significant enemies. Uncle Fu also noted that it didn’t seem to be a dispute over the forest, as no one had come to claim the lease after they vanished. The workers had been forced to scatter, but Uncle Fu, who had made the mountain his home, remained. He couldn't bring himself to leave, and no one had come to drive him away.

*Could it be that no one wanted this land?* Zhang Pu wondered. Then what was the cause? He was at a loss. If he were still a naive child, he would have believed Uncle Fu implicitly. But with the weight of a thousand years of life, Zhang Pu viewed the old man’s words with a grain of salt. Everyone was a potential suspect. Even those who seemed the most virtuous might not be entirely innocent, or they might have been forced into wrongdoing by hidden factors. Life and human nature were far more complex than they appeared.

Since Uncle Fu couldn't clarify the disappearance, Zhang Pu would have to investigate for himself. Uncle Fu mentioned that the police had been notified, but there were no results. Zhang Pu understood: cases like this were rarely solved by the authorities. Although the name Zeng Guoxing flashed through his mind, Zhang Pu quickly suppressed the thought. He didn't want to involve the police just yet.

Since he had already climbed the mountain, he was in no hurry to leave. He decided to stay, if only to sit in the stillness and feel the presence of the forest where his parents had once lived.