Chapter 8: A Major Incident

The matters of karma and causality were the most profound and difficult to unravel.

"Defying the heavens" was easy to say, but doing it was incredibly difficult. It was harder than ascending to the skies!

Although Su Tan had already divined Village Chief Chen's fate and repeatedly warned him to be careful, he still couldn't guarantee that he could truly help the old man survive the ordeal.

Some things could not necessarily be changed even if known in advance. For example, Su Tan had clearly told Village Chief Chen that he would trip on his way back and break a few bowls by bumping into a table upon returning home... yet Old Chen still hadn't been able to change a thing!

If one argued that he only suffered this because Old Chen didn't take it seriously, and thus it wasn't strictly unchangeable, what about other things? Leaves were bound to fall, people were bound to die, and the sun would still rise tomorrow. Even if someone knew these facts, could they change them? They could not. Some things were just like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. What could foreknowledge possibly change?

Su Tan's worries were not unfounded.

"Sigh... I just hope he remembers my words and survives this calamity!"

Old Chen held a special significance for Su Tan. If it were a stranger, he might have just clearly stated the divination results and left it at that. Whether they believed it or not was up to them; if they died from disbelief, what did it matter to Su Tan? Why bother forcing his good intentions on someone indifferent?

Since arriving in this world, the first person Su Tan had deep contact with was Village Chief Chen. If not for the old chief delivering meals every day and taking great care of him, Su Tan might not have survived those initial days. Even the simplest task of eating would have been an impossible mission. As for answering the call of nature, Su Tan would have been forced to relieve himself wherever he could. That would have made his life utterly miserable. For someone who was somewhat of a neat freak, living in a place reeking of excrement would be unbearable.

Old Chen's help to Su Tan was immense, practically akin to a second parent.

Perhaps Old Chen was trying to repay the great kindness of the former Blind Su, which was why he took such good care of him. But no matter what, Su Tan was not the former Blind Su. The former Blind Su could accept others' repayment with a clear conscience, but Su Tan could not.

Some might say that this body belonged to Blind Su, and since Old Chen couldn't recognize that the soul inside was no longer the previous Blind Su, why not just play along and coast through life as him? Su Tan couldn't do that. He had his own principles. He believed in repaying debts of gratitude.

Su Tan treated Old Chen's care as a personal favor. He had always remembered this kindness and constantly thought about how to repay the old man once he settled down and adapted. That was why he had tirelessly cautioned Old Chen. Even though Old Chen's reaction had been slightly cold, he didn't mind.

Noon arrived. After getting out of bed, Su Tan tidied up the house a bit and sat in the courtyard, waiting for Old Chen.

"By this hour, whether Old Chen is dead or alive, there should be some news," Su Tan muttered to himself.

RUSTLE. A gentle breeze blew through the leaves under the brilliant sunshine of a beautiful day. Birds chirped. It was a scene of perfect peace. Su Tan lay quietly, half-reclined on a long chair, waiting.

"Has Village Chief Chen and his group returned from hunting the Demon Wolf?" Su Tan would ask whenever a villager happened to pass by.

Aside from Old Chen and Chen Xiaoqi—who delivered his meals when Old Chen was away—Su Tan didn't know anyone else. However, the villagers were no strangers to Su Tan. Across all the surrounding villages, who didn't know of him? He wasn't famous for having any special skills; his fame came purely from being blind.

"Not yet. They've been gone for days, and my son hasn't returned either," a passing woman replied.

"Oh..." Su Tan nodded, offering no further comment.

Listening to the passerby's footsteps fade away, Su Tan knew she had gone far. Since losing his vision, his other senses had slowly become sharper.

He waited for another hour or two. Su Tan estimated it to be around two in the afternoon, but there was still no news. Moreover, Chen Xiaoqi, who was supposed to bring him food, hadn't shown up today either.

He wondered, "Did something really happen? Chen Xiaoqi and Village Chief Chen have always been punctual. They are rarely late. Why are they so delayed today?" An uneasy feeling swelled in his heart.

He wanted to use his divination skills again to predict Village Chief Chen's fortune, but the system prompted that this operation could not be performed. A person could not have their fortune read twice between the start and the conclusion of a single divination event. Furthermore, performing a reading required the subject to be present or the use of other focal items, such as their hair or well-worn clothing.

PATTER PATTER PATTER!

Just as Su Tan was feeling anxious, his ears twitched as a string of familiar footsteps reached him. The metaphorical wrinkles in his heart smoothed out slightly. Everyone's footsteps were unique and generally difficult to imitate, allowing him to easily recognize who was coming.

"Su, I'm here!"

The newcomer wasn't Village Chief Chen, but rather his grandson, Chen Xiaoqi. Carrying a food box, Chen Xiaoqi trotted over with a bouncy, hurried pace.

Chen Xiaoqi wasn't very old. His voice was childish, sounding about eight or nine years old. If one could see him, they would surely find him an adorable little boy.

"You're here?" Su Tan stood up. Based on his deductions, Old Chen should have arrived home by now. Therefore, to find out if Old Chen was safe, he only needed to ask Qi.

"I'm sorry, Su. I'm late," Chen Xiaoqi said sheepishly. He immediately explained the reason for his tardiness. "While I was herding the cows today, one of them somehow wandered off. I searched the mountains for a long time before I found it, which is why I'm so late. I'm sorry, Su, for making you go hungry."

Su Tan didn't blame him. The Chen family owed him nothing, so how could he fault someone for bringing his food late? Just having meals delivered to him was more than enough.

Hearing Chen Xiaoqi's words, Su Tan deduced that Village Chief Chen must not have returned yet. Otherwise, the first thing Chen Xiaoqi would have mentioned wouldn't be a lost cow.

"It's fine. It was an unexpected situation, so I don't blame you. I'm not hungry yet either," Su Tan said gently, his voice possessing a very pleasant tone. "On the contrary, I'm very grateful to you for bringing my food. You must be tired from running. Come over and have a cup of water!"

"I'm not tired!" Hearing that Su Tan didn't blame him, Chen Xiaoqi smiled and completely relaxed.

"You're panting heavily, yet you say you're not tired. Go drink some water and rest for a bit," Su Tan said, shaking his head. He could clearly hear Chen Xiaoqi breathing heavily, sounding as if his lungs were about to burst.

"Mm, okay!" Chen Xiaoqi didn't decline any further. He ran to the table under the tree, poured some water, and drank with loud GLUG GLUG GLUG sounds.

"Hehe... That was delicious," Chen Xiaoqi said. "Su, your house is getting cleaner and cleaner!"

It was indeed different from before. The courtyard, the house, the tables, and the chairs had all been cleaned.

"I had nothing else to do, so I suddenly felt like cleaning up," Su Tan said.

"It's good that you suddenly love being clean," Chen Xiaoqi said with no filter. "But some places still aren't very clean. Once my grandpa comes back, I'll come over and help you when I have time."

After all, being unable to see meant cleaning relied purely on feeling. Certain spots were bound to be missed, a fact Su Tan was fully aware of. If Chen Xiaoqi could help out... more importantly, if the village chief returned safely and Chen Xiaoqi came over to help, that would be for the best.

"Oh right... I still have chores to do. I rushed over to deliver the food as soon as I got home, so I have to go back and finish my work. Goodbye, Su. I'll take off now. I'll come by later to collect the dishes..." In a fiery rush, Chen Xiaoqi took a few more sips of water and bolted off.

"Mm! Go do your work!" Su Tan nodded.

Youngsters truly were full of boundless energy.

Su Tan ate his meal leisurely, waiting. About another hour passed before someone finally came to visit. Furthermore... it wasn't just one person, but three strong, sturdy young men from the village. They, too, came sprinting over in a fiery rush.

Hearing their footsteps, Su Tan understood that the news he had been waiting for was finally arriving.

"Demigod Su, something huge... something huge has happened..."

"Disaster has struck!"

The three young men began shouting before they even entered the courtyard.

"Something huge?" Su Tan muttered to himself.