[World of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, Timeline — 650 years ago]
[You were born.]
[In this life, you descended into the Human Realm, a mortal village far from the hustle and bustle. Here, the local customs are simple and life is basic.]
[From the day you were born with a cry, the Small Green Bottle has been with you, like a shadow. Although your family was dirt poor, your parents always silently gave you the best of everything. You experienced the warmth of a home for the first time.]
[One year, you shed your infant appearance, your features gradually opening. Unlike typical children, you never cried or made a fuss; you were exceptionally well-behaved.]
[The third year, time passed silently, nothing happened. Your mother sewed and wove, your father worked the fields. The small family worked from sunrise to sunset.]
[The fourth year, a joyful event was added to the family — your mother became pregnant again. Ten months later, you had a younger sister. She was named Hu Niu (Tiger Girl).]
[The fifth year, though your sister's arrival brought happiness, it made the already poor life even more difficult.]
[Summer arrived, and something worse happened. Heavy rain fell, and floods raged, swallowing the entire village overnight. The fields yielded nothing this year, and under the disaster, the entire village was displaced.]
[Half a year later, the government provided disaster relief, and you rebuilt your homes. Having experienced this disaster, you understood the cold realities of the world early on. Your personality became more mature and stable. Every day, you would carry a basket on your back and go up the mountain to herd the cattle.]
[The sixth year, you were herding cattle...]
[The seventh year, you were still herding cattle.]
[The eighth year, you seemed to be herding cattle, but in reality, over these years, you had secretly sworn to yourself that in this life, you must achieve Immortality with a mortal body, Immortality, Immortality!]
[The ninth year, deeply understanding the principle that "an innocent man is guilty only for possessing a treasure," you have always kept the Small Green Bottle hidden. Even your family only regarded it as a regular old bottle. After all, the more people who know, the more dangerous it is.]
[The tenth year, because you often sat alone in front of the door, spacing out, not only did your parents call you 'Er Leng Zi' (Simpleton/Dumb-Dumb), but even the neighbors started calling you Er Leng Zi. You didn't mind this. After all, compared to the kids in the village named 'Gou Wazi' (Doggy) or 'Sha Dan'r' (Simpleton), you were already much luckier.]
[Congratulations, you have acquired the title "Er Leng Zi."]
[This year you are ten years old, and your life has finally ushered in its first major turning point. Your story officially begins.]
The sun was high in the sky.
By the small river at the west end of the village, a child wearing coarse cloth was squatting in the grass, moving cautiously.
This person was none other than Liu Chang'an.
Beside him, a Small Green Bottle stood quietly on a stone, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.
It radiated a faint greenish light. The bottle looked simple and unadorned, but it subtly revealed an extraordinary aura.
After a long time.
Liu Chang'an gently picked up the Small Green Bottle. After a moment of shaking, he could distinctly feel that the liquid inside the bottle had increased.
As a Transmigrator.
He knew better than anyone the origin of this Small Green Bottle. Its real name was the Sky-Palming Bottle.
It was the destiny-defying item that had brought about the success of Heavenly Venerate Han.
Its greatest function was to ripen spirit herbs.
Any person in this world who saw such a heaven-defying magic treasure would likely harbor greed.
In recent years.
Liu Chang'an had always walked on thin ice, never daring to be careless, keeping the Small Green Bottle extremely well hidden.
In short.
Until he had enough strength to protect himself, he would never expose the existence of the Small Green Bottle.
Be cautious.
Be careful.
Grow stealthily.
Absolutely do not act rashly.
He planned to emulate Old Demon Han (Han Li) and cultivate to Immortality. This was the plan he had set for his life.
A gentle breeze brushed past his tender face, but his eyes held a maturity and steadiness far exceeding his peers.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
Under the setting sun.
After Liu Chang'an carefully put the Small Green Bottle back into his waistband to conceal it, he led the cow and walked towards his home as if nothing had happened.
Smoke curled up from the chimney in the courtyard.
From a long distance away, he could already smell the aroma of food.
His family had clearly prepared dinner and was just waiting for him.
"Brother! Are you finally done herding the cow?"
At the gate of the wattle-and-daub courtyard, the little girl, Hu Niu, was standing at the entrance, waving hard at him.
This snot-nosed, clumsy-looking little girl was his younger sister.
His biological sister, Hu Niu.
Since childhood, she had been especially clingy, following him like a small tail, a fact that made Liu Chang'an feel helpless.
The family of four sat around the table; the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.
After dinner.
His parents suddenly put down their bowls and chopsticks simultaneously.
His father, a farmer, spoke first: "Er Leng Zi, your mother and I discussed it last night. You're not a small child anymore."
"Starting tomorrow, your father plans to use the money we've saved to send you to the town school for an education. How about it?"
Reading and literacy.
For people at the bottom of the world, it was indeed the only opportunity to change their fate.
Especially for country folk like them, who had farmed for generations, let alone the Daoist priests who exorcised demons.
Even scholars were beyond their reach in daily life.
His usually gentle mother also looked at Liu Chang'an, her eyes filled with anticipation.
In their view.
It was a pity that their child, who was smart and sensible from a young age, had to herd cattle every day. If he could be sent to school in town, he would definitely have a better future.
However.
Liu Chang'an rejected his parents' proposal without a second thought.
"Father, Mother, your son does not want to study. I just want to be honest and stable, and just herd cattle every day."
"Herd cattle for a lifetime?"
His father was stunned, not expecting such an answer.
After a moment of silence.
He asked, unwilling to give up.
"Studying is a great thing. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
Under their expectant gazes.
Liu Chang'an ultimately shook his head, rejecting the proposal.
"Alas, this child... Do you really want to be a farmer like your father, herding cattle all day for the rest of your life?" His mother couldn't help but sigh mournfully.
Liu Chang'an said nothing, still concentrating on eating.
The two elders exchanged glances and could only reluctantly accept it.
Although this answer disappointed them, they didn't know that instead of going to school, Liu Chang'an was actually harboring a far more magnificent and great goal in his heart.
In this life.
He was going to use his mortal body to cultivate to Immortality.
Of course, he would never reveal this true intention.
His parents were just honest and simple farmers. If they knew their son had such an unrealistic idea, they would probably think he was having fantasies.
Due to Liu Chang'an's persistence.
The couple eventually did not force him to study in town. He remained a cowherd every day.
Working from sunrise.
Resting at sunset.
Under the blue sky and white clouds.
Liu Chang'an appeared to be cutting grass and herding cattle every day, but secretly, he was using the Small Green Bottle to accumulate the liquid inside.
He was waiting for a chance, the best chance.
In the blink of an eye.
Half a year passed.
On this day, the usually quiet village suddenly became lively with the sound of gongs and drums.
"Folks, come out and see! A Daoist priest has come to our village!"
"What? A Daoist has come here?"
In the world of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, Daoist priests are undoubtedly the most respected existence.
They exorcised demons and monsters.
To protect the peace of mankind, they stood in opposition to the monsters.
Especially the Daoist priest today, who even claimed to be from the One-Qi Dao Alliance.
Even this remote and poor mountain village knew the prestige of the One-Qi Dao Alliance.
It was the strongest alliance formed by the top human noble families.
It was precisely because of the Dao Alliance establishing order in the Human Realm.
That the monster race dared not act rashly.
Only then could the human race establish an order exclusive to the Human Realm in the most fertile Central Plains, surrounded by monster forces like Northern Mountain, Southern Kingdom, Western Region, and Tushan.
To be honest, Liu Chang'an's initial impression of the One-Qi Dao Alliance wasn't good.
Compared to Tushan's Reincarnation Reunion.
The Dao Alliance's style of doing things, such as breaking up human-demon romance and separating couples, made him feel more like an antagonist.
But experiencing all this in person, he truly felt that the humans and monsters who could go to Tushan for Reincarnation Reunion were all powerful figures.
For ordinary mortals living at the bottom, like them.
Let alone reunion.
Even eating their fill every day was a luxury.
If there were no protection from the Dao Alliance, the human race would probably have long been plunged into misery, the world would only be more chaotic, and more people would die.
He didn't deny that a portion of the Dao Alliance held selfish motives.
But to give a fair evaluation.
The existence of the Dao Alliance.
The benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Hearing the neighbors discussing excitedly, Liu Chang'an's thoughts gradually returned to reality.
However, unlike everyone else.
Others were delighted to hear that someone from the One-Qi Dao Alliance had arrived.
But he alone.
He suddenly furrowed his brows and instinctively took a step back.
An anomaly in an ordinary situation must mean something strange is afoot!