TNIBFT -Chapter 153 Wait for Me to Come Back

Go out to look for people at a time like this?

Listening to the continuous rumbling sounds outside, Ye Tian felt a bad premonition rising in his heart. The avalanche hadn’t stopped yet—snow on the mountainside was unstable, and a single disturbance could trigger a chain reaction. Like aftershocks following an earthquake, the avalanches kept coming one after another.

At the very least, going out now was unsafe.

Looking at the doors and windows shaking constantly, as well as the tightly patrolling guards outside, Ye Tian turned to Duan Qingshan behind him and asked, “Where’s Shi Hao?”

“He should still be in the kitchen.”

Ye Tian said, “His father must think he’s in Lingfeng Village—that’s why he went to rescue him despite the danger. Go get him quickly. I’ll take him to find his father.”

In this world, aside from the protagonist Shen Jie, none of these NPCs had any plot armor.

Their existence was merely to push the story forward. If they weren’t tied to the plot, their life or death could be decided in an instant.

“You can’t go out, Boss! Going out now is a death sentence!” Yuan Heipang said anxiously, grabbing Ye Tian’s sleeve, wanting to persuade him further.

Ye Tian cut him off, “Shi Hao is my daughter’s friend. He’s at my house, but his parents don’t know that. If we don’t go find them now and something really happens—do you want these two children to carry that guilt for the rest of their lives?”

“Duan Qingshan, go call Sun Wuji and Old Yang out.”

Ye Tian gave the order.

The employees in the hall all wore solemn expressions. The candlelight inside flickered dimly, but on Ye Tian’s face, they saw determination—and hope.

Duan Qingshan dashed toward the backyard.

The atmosphere in the hall grew tense; everyone’s breathing became heavier.

When Shi Hao arrived in the hall, he held a radish in one hand and a steamed bun in the other, his eyes darting around curiously.

Seeing everyone looking at him with pity, Shi Hao gave an awkward smile.

Just as he was about to speak—

Sun Wuji appeared, his hair sticking up in a messy white bird’s nest, his face full of irritation from being woken up. Pouting, he cursed, “Ye Tian, you brat! What do you want now? It’s the middle of the night—this old man still needs his sleep!”

“What are all of you doing gathered here?”

Ye Tian looked at Sun Wuji seriously. “Tonight, I’m entrusting the three children to you. The city isn’t safe these days—their safety is in your hands.”

Before Sun Wuji could react, Ye Tian turned to Shi Hao. “You’re coming with me!”

“There’s been an avalanche outside—Lingfeng Village has been buried under snow. Your father thinks you’re in the village, so he’s already gone to rescue you. Shi Hao, your father knowingly risked his life to save you. I think you need to know this. Otherwise, if something really happens and you don’t go this time, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Clatter…

The radish and steamed bun fell from Shi Hao’s hands instantly.

His eyes filled with panic and disbelief as he shook his head repeatedly, crying, “Uncle Ye, I’ll go—I’ll go! Please take me with you! My father—we have to go bring him back!”

“My father went to save me?”

“My father, he…”

Shi Hao was both agitated and full of guilt, unable to stop sobbing.

Seeing this scene, everyone in the hall felt uneasy. Duan Qingshan brought over a straw raincoat and hat and handed them to Ye Tian. “Boss, I’ll go with you.”

Ye Tian nodded.

Yuan Heipang glanced at Duan Qingshan, gritted his teeth, and raised his hand. “I’m going too!”

“If the boss is saving people, count me in!”

“Let’s go together!”

Several of the shop assistants also volunteered one after another.

Old Yang, however, shrank back to the rear. Going out now was basically courting death—these people must be crazy. Wouldn’t it be better to stay home and sleep?

Sun Wuji kicked Old Yang in the back, sending him stumbling forward. Old Yang flew straight to Ye Tian’s front and dropped to his knees with a thud.

Ye Tian reached out and helped Old Yang to his feet. “In that case, everyone be careful when you go out—we leave now!”

Old Yang could only nod.

“Let’s go, there’s no time to lose!” Ye Tian urged.

“Dad!”

“Dad!”

Ye Tian pushed open the hotpot restaurant door. Outside, fierce winds howled, thunder rumbled, and lightning flickered across the sky.

He turned back—his three children were trying to rush out, but Sun Wuji was holding onto their clothes.

“We’re going too!” Ye Shuangxue said.

Xiao Jiang also shouted, “You said our family would always stay together!”

“Knowing it’s dangerous, why still go?” Ye Yunting asked, his little face crumpling as he looked at Ye Tian.

Ye Tian felt a surge of emotion. Looking at the three children, their faces streaked with tears—this kind of bond was something he had never known in this life or the last. He smiled gently.

“Wait for me to come back. You’re still too young. I can’t let you take risks. Stay home and listen to Grandpa Sun. He won’t let anything happen to you.”

Now that sounded like something a proper adult would say.

Sun Wuji snorted proudly, then looked at Ye Tian and grumbled, “Brat, go and come back quickly. If anyone dares bully these three little ones, I’ll chop them down in one stroke.”

Old Yang, standing among the crowd, immediately shrank his neck.

Ye Tian led the group out, disappearing beyond the shop door.

Sun Wuji narrowed his eyes, then turned to the three children. “Whether your father is a good man or not, I don’t know—but he’s definitely a good father. Just like me. I may not be a good person, but I’m a good master.”

“Splendid, splendid! Hahaha!”

He burst into loud laughter. As the three children turned around, an invisible surge of qi swept forward, and the door slammed shut instantly.

…

Snow had piled thickly throughout the city.

Shi Hao ran at the very front alone, tireless. The boy cried the whole way. Back in the kitchen, he had sworn he would cut ties with Shi Shanxiang as father and son.

He had meant every word at the time.

But the moment he heard that Shi Shanxiang might have gone to save him, he completely broke down. All past grievances vanished in an instant—how could there be a child in this world who truly didn’t love their parents?

“Who are you people? By order of the City Lord, no one is allowed to enter or leave the city without permission!”

At the city gate, several guards stopped Ye Tian’s group. Duan Qingshan and Old Yang’s expressions darkened—years of battle experience had already put them on full alert, ready to fight at any moment.

Ye Tian stepped forward with a smile, distributing the prepared silver ingots among them. “My elder brother is Shi Shanxiang—you should know him, right? He thought his child was buried in the snow and already rushed out to save him. Let us pass, and I’ll treat you all at Guodila next time.”

The lead guard glanced over the group and noticed Shi Hao, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Shi Hao immediately pleaded, “Sir, please let us go!”

“I’m begging you—my father… it’s all my fault…”

The guard leader weighed the silver in his hand—it was substantial. His face immediately lit up with a grin. “Not that I want to discourage you, but right now people are only coming into the city—who’s going out?”

“It’s chaos outside. Just look—those people at the gate are all trying to save their lives. Shi Shanxiang hasn’t been gone long; you might still catch up to him.”

After a few perfunctory exchanges, Ye Tian and the others were finally allowed through the city gates.

Outside, countless civilians with their families huddled in corners, faces filled with panic. Ye Tian glanced at them—this was the cruel reality of Sifang City. In the author’s brief strokes lay the tragic lives of all these people.

Within the crowd, it felt as though a sharp gaze was fixed on him.

Ye Tian turned his head.

In an instant, everything was calm again.