If it weren't for Ling Zhenfei taking He Lingxiu with him, He Lingxiu would still just be an ordinary village girl, unable to leave the mountains.

So, He Laogen has nothing but praise for Ling Zhenfei and treats him with great respect.

Ling Zhenfei also sat watching He Lingxiu make dumplings while chatting with her.

"Brother Afei, there's still a patient in the place I went back to before. After the New Year, I want to go help her with treatment."

He Lingxiu discussed this with Ling Zhenfei.

Ling Zhenfei said, "Of course, you can do that on your own now. Have you been reading the books I gave you?"

Ling Zhenfei had given He Lingxiu quite a few medical books, all found within Di Tian Shen Sui, old books passed down within Ling Zhenfei's own medical arts tradition.

These books are very helpful for mastering Ling Zhenfei's medical arts, so after reading them, he gave them to He Lingxiu.

He Lingxiu said, "I've been reading them, but there are still parts I don't understand that need your explanation."

"Just mark all those parts, and you can ask me directly when the time comes."

He Lingxiu said, "Brother Afei, after the New Year, I want to find someone to renovate the house. It's too rundown here. We couldn't afford to fix it before, but now that we have money, we should."

Ling Zhenfei looked at He Laogen's house, a place he and He Lingxiu grew up playing in. He knew where the roof leaked and where the big holes were.

"Just rebuild it. Make it a two-story small building to get everything done in one go. You don't need to worry about this; I'll talk to President Chen to help with the construction."

"Is this okay, though?" He Lingxiu was hesitant.

He Laogen chimed in, saying, "Xiu, what's not okay? We're practically family now, right?"

"Dad, what are you saying? Even if we're family, it's not right; we should build it ourselves."

Ling Zhenfei thought for a moment and said, "Here's an idea: you don't even need to build it. I'm planning to build a small hospital, and since you'll be working there, I'll just build a house for you next to it."

He Laogen laughed, "That's wonderful, Xiu gets a job and a house. This is great."

He Laogen wasn't clueless; he knew what was good and beneficial for himself.

He was fortunate to have a good daughter; otherwise, it would be hard for someone like him to survive in the village.

Time flew by swiftly; it was already very late. Ling Zhenfei told He Lingxiu he was heading home.

He Lingxiu saw him to the door, and Ling Zhenfei said, "Is there anything else? Go on back."

He Lingxiu looked around to make sure no one was there and said, "Brother Afei, I actually don't want to leave. I'd rather stay by your side."

"Why?" Ling Zhenfei asked.

"Once you're no longer busy, I won't let you leave; you'll stay by my side."

Ling Zhenfei suddenly thought of the old man in the cave beneath the cliff on Xianling Mountain. What would he be thinking this New Year's Eve, so lonely by himself?

Ling Zhenfei couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy. That man was a cultivator, perhaps with a glorious past, but after being injured, he hid in the cave for twenty years.

Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. Who knows how many skilled people became mere bones, and how many rose and fell in those twenty years?

Ling Zhenfei even wondered if he might one day, due to injury or evading disaster, live out his days alone in an unknown place.

People say one must constantly improve their strength to avoid being washed away by the tide of history, but is that really effective? There's a saying that good swimmers drown.

It means those who excel in something are more likely to die because of it, often due to negligence or carelessness.

Just like Watanabe Kazushi and Hoshino Yuji, who are both above Dawen's realm, even if their powers have diminished, they remain top experts, revered by many.

But they've also endured pain over the past twenty years.

The saying goes that there's always a taller mountain and a stronger person. Even if someone injured Watanabe and Hoshino, there might still be an even stronger person out there.

So, the best outcome is peace and security, but this world is full of uncertainties. Ling Zhenfei still needs to adventure on Xianling Mountain. Who knows if he will have a life-and-death struggle with that snake and eagle?

Although Ling Zhenfei's strength has grown, he still isn't confident in dealing with the eagle and the snake. He hasn't forgotten how they made a mess of him last time, despite his current strength.

As he walked, he couldn't help but picture that large snake sweeping its tail toward him.

Ling Zhenfei walked to his doorstep, with Chunyu being the first to spot him.

"Brother, hurry up and come home for dinner."

Xiao Ke also approached, wearing a thick down jacket, rushing into Ling Zhenfei's arms, and called out, "Dad."

This call of "Dad" made Ling Zhenfei's heart blossom with joy. Although Xiao Ke wasn't biologically his, he would treat her like his own daughter.

The world is wonderfully strange. He could treat someone else's child as his own, but with Xu Yuyu, his own biological child, he couldn't claim him, only be a godfather.

Xiao Ke's call of "Dad" left Chunyu stunned.

"Brother, did she call you 'Dad?'"

Ling Zhenfei said, "Yes, she's my goddaughter, so of course she calls me 'Dad.'"

Chunyu wasn't pleased, "That's not fair! Why does she call me 'Sister' then?"

Ling Zhenfei laughed, "Maybe Xiao Ke sees you as too young, which shows she likes you."

Chunyu seemed to realize something and asked, "Xiao Ke is your goddaughter, so is her mother your goddaughter-in-law?"

Ling Zhenfei brought the two back home, where most of the dishes were already prepared, but a few were left for him to cook, as his cooking was the best.

Ling Zhenfei didn't hesitate, cooking the remaining dishes quickly, including the ones from Xishan Manor and the Clearwater Chicken.

He spent very little time making the dishes and served them himself, filling the table with food.

On TV, the Spring Festival Gala was airing, accompanied by the crackling of firecrackers outside and occasional dog barks.

Ling Zhenfei looked at those seated around him—Zhou Yun, Chunyu, Liu Bingying, and Xiao Ke, all important people to him.

The cups before them held Heart-Talk Fruit juice. Ling Zhenfei raised his to toast Zhou Yun and Liu Bingying.

"This year was not an easy one, and in some ways, it was beyond my expectations. The changes have been so significant that even I find it somewhat unreal."

Zhou Yun said, "Yes, this year also felt somewhat unbelievable to me."

Ling Zhenfei said, "Although the year changed so much, I'm still me. I've stayed true to my original intentions, only wanting everyone to have a good life.

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