"That won't be necessary. Too many of these pills would only invite endless disaster. They have already benefited from my fortune. If I'm not mistaken, the reason Li Yue was able to marry into the family of a first-rank official of the Imperial Dynasty was that the guardian cultivators in the dynasty knew of my existence. Therefore, they could use various opportunities to allow Li Yue to enter the circle of high officials. Otherwise, with her background as a village girl, how could she have so coincidentally met Fang Wende? They now have all the gold and power they could want; they have reached a peak. If they go any higher, do they want to become the emperor? It is the way of Heaven for there to be both prosperity and decline. The same is true for one's lifespan. I only gave them four pills because they are Third Brother's children, my two closest descendants. How they distribute the extra two is up to them. If they handle it well, the family can prosper for another cycle of sixty years. If they handle it poorly, it will cause the children to fight over them, even turning against each other. I cannot protect them for generation after generation. I am not the only one in the Imperial Dynasty with a cultivator background. If I reveal myself, they will only use my name to cause trouble everywhere. In the future, if they provoke someone who also has a cultivator background, will I have to fight that person? The Heavenly Dao, the way of the heavens, can be borrowed when one is able, but it cannot be defied!"
Li Yan explained a little more this time, and Zhao Min and Zi Kun both nodded silently.
Immortals and mortals walk different paths. This wasn't just in terms of ability, but two completely different roads. Although it was said that cultivation was an act of defying the heavens, that was a personal choice, not something to be imposed on others.
"Since I'm here, I'll give them one more thing!"
With that, Li Yan waved his great sleeve, and countless specks of starlight, invisible to the naked eye, rained down upon the village below.
As these specks of light drifted down, they entered the bodies of every member of the Li clan, yet none of them were aware of it, feeling nothing at all.
'Uncle Guoxin, Li Yu, Li Shan... the lifespans of your descendants will all be increased. This can be considered the settling of my karmic ties with this place!'
One by one, familiar, ageless faces flashed before Li Yan's eyes as he thought silently to himself.
These specks of light would slowly cleanse the marrow and bones of everyone here. Although the effects would not be immediate, over time, the bodies of these Li clan members would become stronger and stronger.
While not as effective as the bottle of pills he gave to Li Yue, it should still be possible to increase their lifespans by five or ten years.
Furthermore, this fundamentally changed their flesh and bones. The children they bore would also be blessed, but this power would grow weaker and weaker after three generations.
"There is one person here with a Spirit Root. Are you not taking him with you on the path of cultivation?"
Zhao Min's Divine Sense swept below. She looked in a certain direction. Li Yan shook his head.
"I also investigated carefully just now. He has a Miscellaneous Spirit Root, just like me. This is probably the aptitude of the Li bloodline. My cultivation method is not suitable for him. If he steps onto the path of immortality, he will only struggle at the lowest level. In a hundred years, his chances of reaching Foundation Establishment are slim. Apart from feeling even more resentful, it's better for him to know nothing now and live a fulfilling life."
Li Yan knew who Zhao Min was talking about. Li Yan had noticed the ten-year-old boy from the very beginning.
From him, Li Yan sensed the bloodline aura of Third Fat Auntie, the fat woman who used to enjoy pulling down little Li Wenwu's pants.
Upon careful investigation, Li Yan discovered that the boy also had a Miscellaneous Spirit Root, and it wasn't even the kind the Five Immortal Sects wanted. The five elements were chaotic; it was truly the worst possible Spirit Root.
If such a person were to step onto the path of immortality, unless he had a heaven-defying opportunity, ninety-nine percent of the time, he would be bullied, and his life would only be more miserable.
After discovering the boy, Zhao Min had carefully investigated. After all, every sect was constantly looking for suitable disciples.
She also knew about Li Yan's Miscellaneous Spirit Root aptitude. After so many years, she had never asked Li Yan, but she was already well aware that the cultivation method Li Yan practiced was very special, which was why she had asked.
She could see the emotional ties Li Yan had to the Li clan members, but she didn't know that the Five Immortal Sects' requirements for Miscellaneous Spirit Roots were even stricter. Since Li Yan said it wouldn't work, she naturally wouldn't say any more.
After doing all this, Li Yan no longer looked down.
"Let's go. Back to the sect!"
As Li Yan spoke, his figure had already shot up into the sky. Zhao Min and Zi Kun, their robes fluttering, followed closely behind.
Zhao Min quickly caught up to Li Yan. Looking at his back, she knew that Li Yan would probably never return to the small mountain village again, and would likely not even be willing to mention this place anymore.
In the old Li family residence, in a large room with bright windows and clean furniture, Li Yue sat in a wide wooden chair. Beside her sat an old man in his eighties.
The old man wore a long red robe. His white hair was combed neatly and smoothly. He had a long, three-stranded beard under his chin, a fair complexion, and an air of authority between his brows, a result of holding a high position for a long time.
At this moment, the old man was looking at Li Yue with a puzzled expression. During the meal in the front hall earlier, he had noticed that his sister's complexion was exceptionally good today, her face surprisingly rosy.
He also noticed that Li Yue seemed to have something on her mind today. Although Li Yue maintained a normal expression, as her brother, the old man still sensed a slight difference.
After the meal, Li Yue had indeed summoned him here and immediately dismissed all the servants. Even Huai Xiang was sent out.
This made him very strange. It didn't seem like his brother-in-law had any recent troubles in the court; his days were quite carefree.
The red-robed old man was Li Wei's second son—Li Jie.
"Third Sister, what is it? Did your husband send a letter?" Li Jie looked at Li Yue in confusion.
Li Yue seemed to have been lost in thought. It wasn't until Li Jie spoke that she snapped out of it and looked up.
Her gaze slowly focused from a scattered state. Then, she gently shook her head.
"Second Brother, do you still remember the Fifth Uncle that Dad and the others used to talk about?"
Hearing this, Li Jie was stunned. He had never expected Li Yue to bring up such a topic.
However, as long as it wasn't about his brother-in-law, he breathed a sigh of relief. His backing was, after all, this brother-in-law.
"What is it? That Fifth Uncle was said to have been an official in the court. Later, he came to the village with the two young ladies of two official families. But after we both became officials, at Dad and the others' request, we checked all the official archives in the court but found no information on those two young ladies. As for Fifth Uncle, we only found that he had served the emperor in Green Mountain Pass for a few years. But later, with a major change, he disappeared along with the marshal and strategist stationed there at the time. When he reappeared, it was when Eldest Brother was only a few years old. But what Fifth Uncle said about being transferred far away was completely false. Could it be that Third Sister has found some information about Fifth Uncle? This was what Grandpa and Grandma wanted to know most back then. But now they are no longer here. Whether the news is good or bad, you don't need to hide it for fear of worrying them."
After breathing a sigh of relief, Li Jie recalled what he had heard about the Fifth Uncle he had never met.
"That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the other legend, the one you also know about!"
Li Yue waved her hand. Li Jie was stunned. So his sister didn't have news of Fifth Uncle. But then he immediately thought of something, and his expression changed.
"You mean the village talk about Fifth Uncle being an immortal? Have you found some news?"
Li Jie couldn't help but become alert.
The legend of Li Yan becoming an immortal had been around in the village for a long time. Many people had talked about Li Yan's miraculous ability to heal the villagers.
Especially the fact that Li Wei's crippled leg had been completely healed, and that Li Chang and his wife, and Li Wei and his wife, had all lived for so long. This was something that even the top internal arts masters found extremely difficult to achieve.
These matters, especially after Li Yue and Li Jie became officials, made them realize the great danger such a situation could bring.
Many people desired long life, even the emperor himself was full of longing for it.
Their parents' peculiar bodies could have been taken by some evil martial artists to be refined into pills.
But in their memory, no martial artists had ever come to the small mountain village. It was as if this place had been forgotten.
Logically speaking, the people of the small mountain village also had to go to the city frequently. It was impossible for news of this place not to spread. But in the end, nothing happened, as if someone was secretly protecting the small mountain village.
"Back then, you were the one who investigated the military archives of Green Mountain Pass. You once found a portrait of Fifth Uncle in the army. Where is that portrait?"
Li Yue did not answer Li Jie's question but continued to press him. Li Jie thought for a moment before speaking.
"That portrait was treasured by Grandma and hidden away. I never saw it again after that. I think maybe Dad put the portrait in the tomb when he buried Grandma. At that time, it was Dad who personally placed Grandma in the coffin; he wouldn't let anyone else touch it!"
Disappointment immediately appeared in Li Yue's eyes. After their eldest brother passed away, this place was handed over to their second brother to manage. She had thought her second brother could find the portrait from the army.
"What's going on, Third Sister?" Li Jie became a little anxious.
Li Yue took a deep breath and then began to whisper to Li Jie. Just a few breaths later, Li Jie's cry of alarm echoed in the room.
"What? You saw Fifth Uncle?"
Li Yue glanced at Li Jie expressionlessly, and Li Jie immediately knew he had lost his composure.
Then, Li Yue continued to narrate...
After half a cup-of-tea's time, Li Jie stared at the jade-green porcelain bottle in Li Yue's hand in disbelief. He swallowed, his voice dry as he spoke.
"So this pill in your hand might have been given by that Fifth Uncle? And your illness is completely gone?"
"He did indeed give me this bottle of pills. Although there's no portrait to compare, thinking back on it now, I can feel the feeling he gave me. It was extremely familiar, the kind of familiarity one feels with family. My illness is completely gone; I can certainly confirm that!"
Seeing the flicker of greed in Li Jie's eyes, Li Yue couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This second brother of hers was somewhat cunning by nature. Li Yue preferred her eldest brother, Li Wenwu.
Li Wenwu was an upright man, willing to give up wealth and glory for the sake of filial piety.
But Li Jie's character was also a necessary condition for him to thrive in the officialdom. An upright person would have died countless times already.
Therefore, she usually held back three parts of what she said to Li Jie.
If she were to let Li Jie know that their Fifth Uncle had merely waved a hand at her, and now she felt as if her body had returned to the age of twenty-four or twenty-five—the peak of a person's life—who knows what he would think.
"Can you be sure it was him?" Li Jie was a little excited.
Seeing Li Jie's expression, Li Yue couldn't help but frown.
"Although you don't have Fifth Uncle's portrait, I think it should be correct. I went to that old house, and there were still fresh ashes in the incense burner. And the keys to that door are only in your hands and mine. Let me ask you, did you go to offer incense today?"
"No!" Li Jie shook his head repeatedly.
"Then that's it. I didn't go in today either. And that door was never opened!"
"That's right! It must be him! Where is Fifth Uncle? He shouldn't have left yet, right? Why doesn't he show himself and meet his nephews and nieces? We are his closest blood relatives!"
Li Jie's face twitched as he suddenly stood up!