Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 33: Awakening

The excruciating pain of being torn apart deep within Su Ming's soul was slowly fading, transforming into a bone-deep ache and exhaustion. He lay sprawled on the ground like a fish thrown ashore, without even the strength to lift a finger.

"Master..."

He called out weakly in his heart, but the only response was the ring's icy coldness and dead silence.

Master had fallen into a deep slumber.

This thought instantly seized his heart with a wave of immense panic.

He turned his head and saw Zhao Rui lying unconscious not far away, limp as a pile of mud.

Can't stay here!

This thought lashed at his weary nerves like a whip.

"Zhao Rui! Wake up!" Su Ming crawled over using both hands and feet, pushing and shaking him with all his might.

Zhao Rui's body was soft and limp, showing no reaction."Wake up!" Su Ming grew anxious and, not caring about anything else, raised his hand and gave Zhao Rui a resounding slap.

"Smack!"

The crisp sound was particularly piercing in the silent woods.

"Ugh..." Zhao Rui let out a pained groan, his eyelids fluttering a few times before he finally slowly regained consciousness.

His gaze was dazed, staring blankly at the night sky for a long while before finally focusing on Su Ming's anxious face.

"Su... Su Ming?" His voice was dry and hoarse, "I... what happened to me? My head hurts so much..."

The tide of memories suddenly flooded in.

The dilapidated temple, the twisted beauty lantern, and that indescribable, terrifying black shadow that came rushing at them!

"Ghost! There's a ghost!" Zhao Rui abruptly sat up, letting out a shrill scream, scrambling backward on his hands and feet, all color draining from his face.

"Shut up!" Su Ming roared in a low voice, carrying an authority he himself hadn't realized he possessed, "Do you want to attract something else? Get up, we need to leave here right now!"

Zhao Rui was stunned by his shout. Seeing Su Ming's equally pale but exceptionally determined face, that hysterical fear was forcibly suppressed a bit, leaving only uncontrollable trembling.

Su Ming struggled to stand up, his calves trembling. He grabbed the still-shaking Zhao Rui, dragged him, and stumbled desperately along the path they came from.

He didn't dare look back, always feeling that in the darkness of that ruined temple, countless eyes were still watching their backs.

The cloth bag on his back swung constantly as he ran, the contents inside colliding with each other. He heard something fall to the ground, but he couldn't care less.

The two of them scrambled and stumbled, falling who knows how many times, until they completely ran out of the woods and saw the vague outline of the village in the distance. Only then did they both collapse from exhaustion, plopping down into the grass by the roadside, gasping for breath.

The relief of surviving a disaster, mixed with boundless exhaustion, swept over their entire bodies.

Early the next morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone on his face, Su Ming finally woke up.

He and Zhao Rui, covered in mud and dew, looked like two little beggars.

limped

third boy and the

Li, washing clothes at the village entrance, sharp-eyed, was the first to spot them. Her voice immediately rose, "Oh my heavens, you two, did you fall

shout was like lighting

Shan followed closely behind, his face ashen, lips tightly pursed, still clutching the newly bought tobacco pipe in his hand, but the deep worry in his eyes couldn't

Feng and his wife Wang Chuntao,

was also taken away by his family who had heard the news. His father's face turned as dark as the bottom of a

family's main hall, the

main seat, smoking his pipe one puff after another. Smoke

Su Shan finally spoke, his voice seeming

Ming hung his head, not knowing how

a ghost, and then an

his parents would surely think he'd

shortcut back, and got lost... in the woods." Su Ming spoke vaguely, "Then it got dark, it seemed like...

was full of holes, but at the moment, it was the only excuse

and handed it to his mother and sister-in-law, his face somewhat

Looking at her son's guilty expression, her eyes reddened again, but she forced a smile, "Silly child, why buy these... Mother knows you have a good

the tobacco shreds and handed it to his father.

the stall owner said it was the best..."

silent for quite a while. He untied the string at the bag's opening, lowered his head, and took a deep sniff. The rich, mellow aroma of tobacco instantly dispelled the last

just knocked the tobacco pipe bowl against the sole of his shoe, then carefully pinched a bit of the golden tobacco shreds, filled the pipe, lit

heavy, thickly cloth-wrapped bluestone whetstone and handed

for you. I saw your firewood knife

lifted the thick cloth and saw the bluish-gray, fine-textured stone surface. His eyes immediately lit up. He was a practical person, not one for fancy

of pork belly was probably lost during

bought for you is

a frown, "It's good that you're safe. If things are

dirty cloth, complaining with her mouth about "wasting money,"

storm finally slowly subsided amidst the family's

to return to

and "body tempering" every

himself knew that his world had already been turned upside

he would call out dozens, even hundreds

"Master?"

"Master, are you awake?"

"Master, are you alright?"

showed

ancient ring just sat quietly on his finger, cold to the

One day, two days...

One week, two weeks...

and anxiety gradually gave way

it be... that everything that night was just

extreme fear and exhaustion, imagined an all-powerful master to save

have just been from the impact of falling

it grew wildly in his heart like

began to scrutinize

exams"—was that his

are the strongest armor"—was that also something