People were rarely found in desolate and barren regions, not fit for agriculture.

Briars and vines were everywhere; there were the only things that could grow on this dried up land. The sun didnt show any mercy either. Whether it be the sparse vegetation or the occasional bird and fish, all had to hide under the breeze and gasped for air.

Everything was fading away in this place. Though there was minor vegetation as decoration, anything with true life seemed to be waiting for death.

It was as if nothing wanted to live any longer, that there was nothing worth pursuing in this world. As one tried to find solace from the scorching sun, they would inevitably feel the urge to bury themselves here and die. No point in continuing to live.

In such a bleak place was a flat plain in the middle of a ridge. There were sogon grasses and sharp weeds throwing everywhere, surrounding a hut with the frame made out of old trees and stuck them together with mud. The rest was covered with tree barks, resulting in a very primitive hut.

From the house, one could extrapolate the level of poverty its master was suffering, a life of destitution.

The door was slightly opened and would quietly creak at the slightest breeze.

There was a path in front of the house but calling it a path was the polite way of putting it. It was covered in briars with no visible pathway but because people could walk through it, it could still barely qualify as a path.

This remote path finally had a traveler today. A youth was pushing through the bushes from the base to this hut at the ridge.

This was naturally Li Qiye who smiled after seeing the hut. There was a vegetable and potato farm right next to the hut.

An old man was working on the field. He wasnt that old, only around fifty if he was a mortal. However, he also appeared weather-beaten with a sad temperament.

His gray robe was turning white from being repeatedly washed. Due to the long years, it became old and dirty despite his meticulous effort.

There werent that many wrinkles on his face but his complexion was yellow while the rest of his skin was tanned. From this, one could see that he lacked proper nutrition on top of working on the farm for many years now.

He brushed his sparse, gray hair every day but they still became a bit disorderly from working.

When he opened his mouth, one would find that there werent that many teeth left. Even the ones left were stained and had cavities.

This old man lived in this desolate place, working in the day and resting during the night. He relied on this little plot of land to barely not starve to death while living one day at a time.

Just imagine, an old man living all alone without neighbors, friends, or any children to speak of in this desolate place. Toiling on the yellow soil during the day while sleeping on his bleak wooden bed at night; such a poor and lonely way to live.

He was swinging his old hoe at the moment by the sweet potato section. Due to his old age, each swing took a lot of effort. A young one could dig up enough soil to get a potato out with one swing while he needed at least eight for the same result.

After doing so, he squatted down to flatten the area and threw the potato into an old bamboo basket. He gasped for air from exhaustion after taking each potato out.

Li Qiye chuckled after seeing this and didnt go strike up a conversation. Instead, he began