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.

other, they limped back

third

voice immediately rose, "Oh my heavens, you

like

from home, checking for any injuries. Su Shan followed closely behind, his face ashen, lips tightly

wife Wang

face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot when he saw his

Su family's main hall, the atmosphere was

sat silently in the main seat, smoking his pipe one puff after another. Smoke

Su Shan finally spoke, his voice seeming to rumble from his

hung his head, not

an old grandpa residing in a ring saved

he said that, his parents would surely think he'd lost his

and got lost... in the woods." Su Ming spoke vaguely, "Then it got dark, it seemed like... we were chased by wild dogs, got scared and ran around, accidentally

at the moment, it

it to his mother and sister-in-law, his face somewhat embarrassed, "Mother, sister-in-law, these are... the date paste cakes I bought for

her eyes reddened again, but she forced a smile, "Silly child, why buy these... Mother knows you have a good heart. These cakes... still smell

took out the small cloth bag containing the tobacco shreds and handed

I bought for you... the stall owner said

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 trace of severity between

bowl against the sole of his shoe, then carefully pinched a bit of the golden tobacco shreds, filled the pipe, lit it, and took a deep drag. Amidst the swirling smoke, he vaguely grunted

solemnly picked up the heavy, thickly cloth-wrapped bluestone whetstone and handed

saw your firewood knife

Yang took the heavy stone. It felt cool and solid in his hand. He 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 words. He just kept rubbing the stone's surface, nodding heavily, "Good stone! Third Brother, good!

of pork belly

I bought for you is

fine!" Eldest Brother Su Feng interrupted him with a frown, "It's good that you're

with her mouth about "wasting

subsided amidst the family's complex emotions

to return to

Ming continued reading, practicing calligraphy, meditating, and "body tempering" every day, occasionally helping with household

only he himself knew that his world had already been turned

day, he would call out dozens, even

"Master?"

"Master, are you awake?"

"Master, are you alright?"

ring showed no

finger, cold to the touch, like an

One day, two days...

One week, two weeks...

bit. Panic and anxiety gradually gave way to an even

everything that night was just an

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

pain might have just been from the impact of falling down

grew wildly in his

scrutinize everything he had

exams"—was that

and worldly wisdom are the strongest armor"—was that