Ye Tiancheng was startled awake by a nightmare. This daily ritual of killing to activate the Nuwa Stone was something Ye Tiancheng found truly unbearable.
"Brother Ye, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Ye Tiancheng's heart pounded wildly, and he was sweating profusely. Hearing Hou Qing'er's gentle comforting voice, he slowly calmed down.
That girl was truly considerate. While speaking softly to Ye Tiancheng, she also gently patted his back. They say a woman's tenderness is her greatest weapon. At first, Ye Tiancheng felt a bit lonely and just needed a woman, but slowly, he was truly moved by her.
"Qing'er, I had a dream that was bad for you, so I was a little scared. Fortunately, it was all just a dream, and you are safe in reality."
Ye Tiancheng's words made the innocent young girl almost cry with emotion. She hugged Ye Tiancheng's waist tightly, burying herself in her beloved's embrace.
"Brother Ye, it seems you really care about me. Actually, you don't need to care about me so much. I didn't have many demands from the start. I like you, and it's enough to see you happy."
Looking at Hou Qing'er's stubborn little face, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but hold her tighter.
"Alright, stop overthinking. Go to sleep quickly."
Ye Tiancheng didn't anticipate what would happen later, so he quickly put the nightmare out of his mind and fell into a deep sleep.
Not long after falling asleep, Ye Tiancheng had another dream. He dreamt of his ancestor, who was watching him with a loving mother's smile, arms crossed.
"This time is a test for you. I hope you can pass it. After all, your previous successes were too easy. Now the game has increased the difficulty for you. It all depends on yourself."
After waking up, Ye Tiancheng still recalled his ancestor's appearance. It was indeed the same as in his dream. Could all this be a coincidence?
Ye Tiancheng wanted to connect the dots and see if there was anything suspicious, but he didn't have the time because he had to go farming.
There was a lot of work left undone, and he really had no time to be sentimental. Ye Tiancheng picked up his hoe and set off again.
After eating Hou Qing'er's homemade breakfast, he had more energy for work than usual. Around noon, a simpleton from the village named Hu Zi suddenly ran over in a hurry.
"Brother Ye, it's bad! Sister Qing'er had a car accident."
Ye Tiancheng was still happily thinking about eating the delicacies Sister Qing'er would cook for him that night when he heard such devastating news. He felt as if struck by lightning. Were those dreams not illusions but premonitions of a bloody disaster?
"Where is she? I'll go see!"
"She's already been taken to the hospital. She was tightly clutching this stone in her hand, and before she fainted, she called out your name, Brother Ye."
He couldn't care about anything else now. Ye Tiancheng had to see Hou Qing'er immediately. It was only at the moment of possibly losing her that he realized how important this woman had become in his heart.
Ye Tiancheng took the stone from Hu Zi. The blood-stained stone showed no change in Ye Tiancheng's hands.
He couldn't think about anything else at this moment. Ye Tiancheng got into Hu Zi's four-wheeled vehicle and sped towards the town hospital.
Along the way, Ye Tiancheng thought a lot. Although he hadn't spent many days with Hou Qing'er, he truly felt healed when he was with her.
He really didn't want to lose this woman who was so sincere towards him.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Ye Tiancheng found the girl he cared about in the emergency room. Seeing the doctors busy entering and exiting the operating room, Ye Tiancheng truly felt that the car accident had really happened, and the life of his beloved was hanging by a thread.
"Qing'er."
Ye Tiancheng had to admit that after experiencing so much turmoil, he was completely stunned at this moment. He knew that many things in this world could be bought with money, but sincerity was hard to come by.
In the hospital corridor, Ye Tiancheng seemed to have grown up a lot in an instant. It was as if everything had been too easy before, which had fostered Ye Tiancheng's arrogance. Now he understood that the bond forged through shared hardship was even more precious.
Ye Tiancheng suddenly felt something cool and damp on his face. He reached up to touch it and found it was tears. He was shocked by himself.
He was actually crying for a country bumpkin. Was this still him? After experiencing such a long dream, Ye Tiancheng felt like he had changed.
Unbeknownst to Ye Tiancheng, his tears dripped onto the stone in his hand, and it quickly produced a miraculous reaction.
"Stinky boy, you've passed the test and activated communication with me. I am your Guardian Stone."
What was going on? Ye Tiancheng was completely bewildered. Wasn't it said that it could only be activated with fresh blood?
"Stinky boy, why are you so indifferent to your life-bound stone? Are you full of questions? This is all the work of your ancestor, who wanted to test you. What truly activates and connects the guardian stone is not the girl's blood, but your sincere tears."
Now Ye Tiancheng understood. He hadn't expected his ancestor to have so many tricks. They really didn't seem like a family. Ye Tiancheng felt quite simple-minded, while this ancestor was clearly a bit cunning.
"Why aren't you curious at all? Are you scared silly?"
"What's there to be curious about? I know it was that day in the field when I discovered you, and that's why you were struck by lightning. I know your background. You are a stone left over from Nuwa mending the heavens in ancient times. Although you are a divine stone, you are very useless. If it weren't for my ancestor suppressing his bloodline onto you, you wouldn't be able to play such a significant role."
Ye Tiancheng's explanation completely stunned the Nuwa Stone. It felt the horror of having its lines stolen.
"How do you know everything? And wouldn't most people find it unbelievable? You actually believed me so easily!"
The Nuwa Stone was shocked. Although it was genuine, most people would think they were dreaming upon hearing such a bizarre and incredible story.
"Look at you, your temper is still so bad. What's there to be surprised about? The world is full of wonders, and life itself is a miracle. I hope you can be more calm and not get angry so easily."
To be mocked by a mere young lad, the Nuwa Stone felt extremely embarrassed.
"After all, I will protect you in the future. Be more polite to me. However, I'll tell you in advance that you must cultivate diligently to the third level of Qi Refining before I will officially protect you. Then you will be invincible!"
The Nuwa Stone wanted to show off, but for Ye Tiancheng, this was not new information.
"Alright, stop rambling. I know it all. You are indeed very capable. Let's take it step by step. Young people shouldn't be impetuous. I know what you want to promise me..."
Once again, Ye Tiancheng lectured it. Moreover, the Nuwa Stone could see that Ye Tiancheng had great ambitions and seemed disdainful of things like the Nine Netherworld and the Upper Pure Divine Emperor.
"Kid, stop pretending. How many people want to become immortals? Why are you so aloof, pretending not to care?"
"Those are just empty titles. Stop bragging. If you can really help, tell me how to save Hou Qing'er."
"I'm very angry and don't want to talk right now."
It was normal for the Nuwa Stone to show off in front of mortals. No matter who it appeared before, it would receive exclamations of disbelief, eventually turning into admiration. However, it unexpectedly met its match with Ye Tiancheng, gaining no advantage and even being lectured.
Therefore, at this moment, the Nuwa Stone was furiously cursing Ye Tiancheng's ancestor, Ye Huantian, in its heart. This person was truly a troublemaker.
"Hurry up and say it. Lives are at stake. You must save that innocent girl."
Before, Ye Tiancheng's mind was filled with thoughts of chasing girls and making money. Now, he had been sublimated considerably, feeling that human life was more important. Moreover, being with Hou Qing'er was down-to-earth, and he was living a rather comfortable life.
He had already enjoyed wealth and status. He was no longer that poor guy, so he naturally felt that those empty titles held less temptation for him.
"I finally showed myself, and you only want to save that wild girl, just a village woman. In the future, you can easily have celebrities and models."
Ignoring what the Nuwa Stone was saying, Ye Tiancheng repeatedly emphasized the need to save a life.
This was different from the dream before. Ye Tiancheng remembered eating a pear then, and the Nuwa Stone had tampered with the pears, making the ones Ye Tiancheng grew incredibly valuable. At that time, he had soared.
But now it was different. Ye Tiancheng wasn't a saint. He had walked the path before and saw no need to repeat it.
"Why should I listen to you? Ye Tiancheng, you are asking me for a favor now. Don't try to order me around. I won't listen to you."
The Nuwa Stone was still a bit proud, but Ye Tiancheng knew the rules well and wasn't fooled by the Nuwa Stone at all.
"Don't be ridiculous. You are my Guardian Stone. We are interdependent. You have been imbued with my bloodline. We have a contractual relationship. As long as I don't die, you have to stay by my side for life and be my guardian."
It was over, it was over, it was over. Where on earth did Ye Tiancheng learn all this knowledge? He had revealed all its secrets. The Nuwa Stone felt a sense of despair. It had originally wanted to play some tricks, but Ye Tiancheng knew everything.
"Alright, I won't chat with you anymore. Since you've made your wish, I can help you. But don't think about constantly ordering me around. I won't listen to you so easily."
Despite saying that, the Nuwa Stone still helped. Hou Qing'er's car accident was quite serious, but miraculously, the surgery was very successful, and she was fine. Even the doctors found it incredible. When did they become such great figures in the medical field, so skilled that they could bring the dead back to life?
"Ye Tiancheng, you're truly hopeless. I'm so disappointed in you. To give up such lofty ambitions for a woman."
"Whatever you say. If you want to fight the Jade Emperor, go ahead. Anyway, I just want to live a peaceful life."
Upon hearing that Ye Tiancheng had no fighting spirit and wasn't talking about getting rich or chasing girls, the Guardian Stone was very disappointed and fell into a slumber.
Before falling asleep, it even complained about Ye Tiancheng: "It doesn't matter. My lifespan is long, yours is short. After you die, I'll find someone with aspirations and won't have to be stifled here with you."
These words were somewhat familiar. Ye Tiancheng smiled helplessly.
"Everyone has their own destiny. I can't control you. Do as you please. Anyway, you are a Nuwa divine stone, and many people want to curry favor with you."
Hearing that Hou Qing'er was fine, Ye Tiancheng had no other thoughts and only wanted to live a stable life.