Chapter 68: Ershun's Tribute

Chapter 68: Ershun's Tribute

The good news is:

Li Erqing's ninth son, Mu Jiuan, was out collecting herbs when he was noticed by a passing Immortal who took him as a disciple.

The identity of this Immortal is mysterious; Li Erqing and his son had never heard of him in the Liang Kingdom.

Lan Chang'an’s first thought wasn’t that Mu Jiuan had good fortune, but that something was fishy about this letter. Perhaps there were some details left out.

Mu Jiuan's qualifications were close to high-grade spiritual roots, which was indeed impressive, but not enough to particularly move a Core Formation cultivator.

Most who could achieve Fake-Dan started out with high-grade spiritual roots.

Those who could achieve True Dan often had earth-grade spiritual roots.

High-grade spiritual roots are not considered scarce resources in the eyes of Immortals.

"Could it be that Mu Jiuan possesses hidden Innate Treasure Body? Or is there some hidden truth in this matter..." Lan Chang'an pondered.

Innate Treasure Bodies were too rare; Lan Chang'an had only seen a few cases in his previous life.

Mu Jiuan was taken away by that Immortal.

Lan Chang'an could easily guess: that Immortal had most likely given Li Erqing, the father, some benefits.

"This guy, he ate another wave of benefits from having children."

...

And as for the bad news, the Huang Family, after years of effort, finally formed a marriage alliance with the Beast Taming Zhou Family, becoming friendly with one or two branches of it.

What’s worse, the Beast Taming Zhou Family and the Ten Thousand Swords Zhuo Family had a conflict, and the affiliated cultivation families of both sides had already gone to war.

The Zhou Family's energy was diverted, making it difficult for them to care for the distant Mu Family at Feiyue Lake which is at the edge of its influence.

This was very disadvantageous for the Mu Family.

"The Maple Leaf Huang Family made steady progress, first giving concessions to the Beast Taming Zhou Family to gain their understanding. Then, through the interests tied to the market, they wooed the Zhou Family, and eventually, after many years, they formed a marriage alliance with one or two branches."

Lan Chang'an, who had run a family in his previous life, had long anticipated the strategies of the Huang Family's leader.

The Huang Family's strategy was not achieved overnight. It was accomplished subtly over twenty or thirty years.

The Bamboo Leaf Mountain Market Town was a crucial link, generating substantial profits for the Huang Family, providing them with enough financial resources to implement their many plans.

Stable operations, dormant for twenty or thirty years.

The Huang Family's power had reached unprecedented heights, and they had even produced a fourth Foundation Establishment expert.

Now, the opportunity had finally arrived!

Once the conflict between the Zhou Family and the Ten Thousand Swords Zhou family escalated, they would have no time to spare for Feiyue Lake.

...

When Li Erqing wrote this letter, his cultivation had reached the ninth layer of Qi-Refining, and he had been promoted to an elder of the Mu Family despite being of a different surname.

The letter mentioned at the end:

His second son, Mu Ershun, would bring a gift to Huanglong Immortal City to pay tribute to Lan Chang'an.

After reading the letter, Lan Chang'an realized the potential crisis faced by the Mu Family at Feiyue Lake.

Li Erqing's life changes were quite dramatic.

From a peasant background to joining a cultivation family by marriage, and in a few decades, he had become a family elder?

His life experience could be written into a book.

"From Farmer to Joining a Cultivation Family."

"Sister Qiu, this is my close friend, Mu Ershun, a senior middle-grade talisman master."

"Hello, sister-in-law! I’ve brought a small gift on behalf of my father." Mu Ershun sized up Lin Lu's wife, her looks were mediocre, not as pretty as his own wife.

He took out fifty spirit stones and a talisman box.

"Brother Ershun! This is too much—" Lin Lu felt ashamed and quickly refused. He thought Ershun was here to collect a debt, but instead, he brought a generous gift.

"Brother Ershun! This is too much for a present!"

Li Qiuyue's eyes lit up as she quickly accepted the spirit stones and talisman box, giving Lin Lu a surprised glance.

Her eyes seemed to say: You, a poor man, have such a generous friend?

When they got married, Lan Chang'an only gave thirty spirit stones and a few middle-grade talismans.

Li Qiuyue, rarely showing any signs of being virtuous, served tea and poured water.

After drinking the tea, Mu Ershun was about to visit Uncle Lan.

Lin Lu accompanied him and sighed, "It took me over thirty years of life to understand my father's last wishes. If I had been half as diligent as Uncle Lan back then, cultivating hard and avoiding women, I wouldn't still be at the bottom of the sect."

Lin Yi had advised him on his deathbed to learn from Uncle Lan's steady demeanor and humility.

Over the years, Lin Lu had regretted not taking his father's dying words to heart.

Mu Ershun praised, "Uncle Lan is indeed admirable, not marrying or having children for decades, being outstanding in talisman making, yet staying humble and practical. My father once said Uncle Lan is a benefactor to our family."

"Uncle Lan can interact with Senior Aunt Zhao and Senior Uncle Zhang, two Foundation Establishment cultivators, as equals. Such capability is beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators." Lin Lu, working in the Jin Yun Valley base, knew more about Lan Chang'an.

...

A quarter of an hour later.

Mu Ershun and Lin Lu arrived at Water Moon Residence.

An innocent and playful blue-skirted maid greeted the two of them.

Mu Ershun was secretly surprised: Uncle Lan's maid had a far better appearance and temperament than his own wife, comparable to his second mother, Mu Caiwei, in her younger days.

In the courtyard, a spirit turtle the size of a fan was resting by the pond.

Seeing strangers, the turtle's round eyes curiously observed them, looking cute and silly.

"Earth-grade spirit beast, Profound Water Turtle." Mu Ershun's heart stirred, recalling some rumors from Bamboo Leaf Mountain.

Entering the house.

A gentle and serene man in white stood tall, appearing before them.

"Young nephew, pays respects to Uncle Lu!" Mu Ershun respectfully bowed.

After more than ten years, seeing the familiar figure unaffected by time again, he felt emotional, and his eyes were moist.

...

(End of chapter)

Author Notes

Li Erqing's cultivation speed is quite normal, reaching the ninth layer of Qi-Refining at over fifty years old. Although he possesses a low-grade spiritual root, the protagonist's wood spiritual root is also low-grade and is subject to time constraints.

Moreover, Li Erqing relies on having children to continually obtain resources and can use pills to enhance his progress.

Referencing "A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality," Han Li relied on taking pills to reach Foundation Establishment at the age of 25, although the longevity and spiritual root settings in this book are slightly different.

Li Erqing doesn't have such great opportunities, only benefiting slightly from the protagonist's luck. Reaching the ninth layer of Qi-Refining at this age is perfectly reasonable.