Chapter 132: My ancestor!

Grandpa Bai was confused.

This was a good thing?

This... possession?

"Good deeds from the bygone era do not disappear with the passage of time, and the sincere wishes of those who have departed may still bear fruit in ways beyond our understanding."

The old abbot raised his eyes to the ceiling for a moment, as if he could see beyond the roof, through the clouds, and into the heavens. Then he lowered his gaze again.

He merely said, "Blue smoke rises from the ancestral graves."

Grandpa Bai’s eyes widened.

It took a while for him to recover.

The old abbot smiled gently, looking toward the doorway through which Lin Feng had left.

"Sometimes, when one person’s blessings are exhausted, another person’s merits may become the bridge that allows them to begin anew. Karmic ties can be resolved. This is a rare blessing. The old benefactor should cherish it."

"Master, are you saying..."

The old abbot smiled but did not answer directly.

"Amitabha. Heavenly secrets should not be spoken of too clearly. Some things are better understood in one’s heart."

"Just remember, old benefactor, do not dwell too much on what has passed. Treat the person before you with kindness. That is the best way to repay this blessing."

...

Lin Feng did not return to the meditation room as Grandpa Bai had instructed. Instead, he asked the monk to inform the others that he wanted to step outside for some fresh air before leaving the meditation rooms.

He went directly to the main hall, where he stood in the middle, gazing up at the benevolent smile of the Buddha statue for a long time.

Lin Feng bowed reverently before stepping out of the main hall.

Beneath the ancient pine tree, he paused to watch the wind sweep fallen petals across the temple grounds.

He took a slow breath, feeling the cool spring air fill his lungs.

As the breeze passed, the heaviness that had weighed on his heart since yesterday seemed to ease little by little, as though the wind were carrying it away along with the petals.

Lin Feng had no idea how long he had stood beneath the ancient pine tree, but after a while, he heard footsteps and the tapping of a cane behind him.

He turned around and saw Grandpa Bai standing just a few steps behind him, the old man he had regarded as his grandfather ever since arriving in this world.

Grandpa Bai recalled the old abbot’s words and thought of his own interpretations and suspicions about Lin Feng’s real identity.

They looked at each other quietly, each with their own thoughts.

Lin Feng: ’It seems the old abbot has finally told him that I’m not the original soul anymore...’

Grandpa Bai: ’The words that the abbot said earlier about the merits from a bygone era...’

They both came to a conclusion.

Lin Feng: ’It’s time to bid farewell.’

Grandpa Bai: ’He must be my family’s ancestor!’

Lin Feng’s shoulders relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. The soft brown locks of his hair tousled with the wind, and his amber eyes shimmered under the sun.

The boy bowed deeply to the old man.

"I am truly grateful for all the care and kindness everyone has shown me since I came to the capital. These days have allowed me to see a world I had never known before."

Grandpa Bai almost jumped up at the deep bow.

For a moment, he simply stared at the young man before him, as though he had not fully understood what he had just heard.

Then his brows drew together, and the hand resting on his cane tightened.

"Ance—Xiao Feng..." Grandpa Bai almost blurted out the word ’ancestor’, but recalled that heavenly secrets could not be spoken out loud, so he changed his words.

His voice grew heavy. "Do you really mean that?"

Had he offended the ancestor who had come down to save his grandson’s fate from karmic retribution?

The old man was inwardly anxious, but his face remained dignified, hoping to present himself as a capable patriarch in front of the ancestor.

Lin Feng was still immersed in his melancholic yet profound relief of finally being released, and nodded.

"Yes, Grandpa."

After hearing the boy, no, his ancestor, call him ’Grandpa’, Grandpa Bai almost knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

How could he bear such an address from the ancestor?

But he could not tell Lin Feng to stop calling him that, because the boy would likely think he was angry or something, unless he told the boy that he knew that he was the ancestor sent by the heavens to the Bai family.

But the old abbot’s words kept Grandpa Bai in check.

What if, by accidentally breaking the taboo of unspeakable heavenly secrets, the ancestor left them, and karmic retribution descended on their Bai family?

It was all too supernatural, and Grandpa Bai, being old and superstitious, naturally dared not violate the sacred taboos.

Unaware of the elder’s turbulent thoughts, Lin Feng slowly straightened, meeting the old man’s gaze with a quiet but firm expression.

"I have been fortunate to become part of this family, and I will always treasure the kindness you have shown me. But I cannot keep relying on the Bai family to make a place for me in this world. I want to take my own steps, face whatever lies ahead, and find a path that truly belongs to me."

The boy continued to speak. "I have been planning this for a long time. The Bai family has been truly kind to me. I did not wish to take advantage of the Bai family, considering that my surname is Lin—"

"Nonsense!"

The boy was startled at the sudden shout.

Grandpa Bai had accidentally raised his voice, and when he saw the boy’s startled appearance, he immediately lowered his voice.

"Xiao Feng, whether or not you’re..." The old man’s voice trailed off.

’Heavenly secrets must not be spoken, heavenly secrets must not be spoken,’ he reminded himself twice.