"I always feel like these past two years have been a dream."
Standing before a bronze mirror, Li Dazhi examined the brand new red official robes on his person. Seeing a few wrinkles on his slightly plump, fair face, he couldn't help but gasp.
He was getting old.
Li Dazhi wasn't particularly tall, slightly stout with a bit of a belly. These past two years had only made him look more like a scholar.
Li Dazhi scoffed inwardly: *Though I'm not much to look at, my son is renowned as the most handsome young man for miles around!*
A guard, dressed in trousers and a short jacket, quickly ran over from the side, bowing respectfully. "Master," he announced, "everyone on the streets is shouting – the immortals have arrived at Dengxian Terrace in the city!"
"So soon!" Li Dazhi felt an inexplicable sense of loss, sighing. "Where is Ping'an?"
"The young master is already waiting in line."
Li Dazhi nodded lightly, flicked his sleeves, and allowed the guard to support him.
"Is the carriage ready?"
"Yes, it's prepared."
Li Dazhi waved his hand, then looked at the bronze mirror, a hint of reluctance flickering in his eyes.
This grand city, known as "Ten Miles of Smoke and Clouds," was named Wan'an. Located in a corner of Dongzhou, it was part of the mortal realm controlled by the powerful human immortal cultivation sect, the Wanyun Sect.
Every ten years, Wan'an City held an immortal sect selection, where hundreds of children aspiring to cultivate immortals would gather.
Dengxian Terrace, seeking the immortal path.
His son, Li Ping'an, had arranged everything and was about to leave the mortal world with these immortals.
Li Dazhi naturally knew that ever since they had transmigrated, Li Ping'an had dreamed of immortal cultivation. How could he stop his son from pursuing his dream?
"Alas!" Li Dazhi sighed, turning to stroll towards the front courtyard, appreciating this family property that the two of them had built.
Soon after, Li Dazhi stepped out of the mansion and climbed into the carriage, which was escorted by guards. Two horses, not much larger than domestic mountain goats, slowly pulled the carriage forward.
Li Dazhi gazed at the road ahead, his thoughts gradually beginning to drift.
Facing the impending separation from his son, Old Master Li couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
It had been over two years since the two of them had transmigrated.
Li Dazhi remembered it very clearly.
It was the night of the twentieth New Year's celebration. He and his only son, Li Ping'an, were returning to their hometown to celebrate when something happened on the highway.
Arguments were actually quite normal, given the differing views of two generations.
Li Dazhi had worked in the town for many years and had grown accustomed to his young son's differing ideas.
There was nothing he could do. His mother had died early, so matters like urging marriage, having children, and blind dates could only be handled by Li Dazhi himself.
While at a highway rest stop, the father and son had fallen into a cold war because Li Dazhi had secretly arranged a blind date for Li Ping'an in their hometown. Neither wanted to back down, stubbornly eating their two bowls of noodles.
On their way back to their SUV, Li Dazhi saw a runaway truck, unable to slow down, hurtling towards a little girl in front of them.
Li Dazhi was a retired veteran. At that moment, he didn't think twice. His head hot, he rushed forward, successfully pushing the girl out of the way, while he himself remained in front of the truck.
Just as Li Dazhi's mind went blank, he suddenly felt someone pulling him. He turned his head to look and saw his son's young face illuminated by the truck's headlights.
Li Daizhi was so frantic he was on the verge of losing his mind, but the next instant came intense pain, and his consciousness plunged into an abyss.
When he next awoke, he was already on his son's back, the two of them slowly moving forward.
Thinking back on what had happened, Li Daizhi reflected with deep emotion: He lamented that he was truly old, and his thoughts couldn't keep up.
The language system of this world was somewhat similar to a distant dialect from their homeland in Huaxia, so learning it wasn't difficult either.
Li Ping'an carried him until they found a village, where Li Daizhi recuperated for several months.
When Li Daizhi was young, he had been a farmer and had made a name for himself in his village. He quickly earned the respect of the villagers in this new place.
One day, by chance, the father and son happened to see several "Immortals" riding clouds and drifting over the mountains.
Only then did they understand that this place was a world rich in spiritual energy, suitable for cultivation.
In Li Daizhi's opinion, they should be more practical: first settling down in this world and accumulating some wealth, then pursuing cultivation from the secular world, with a solid foundation of wealth and talent.
But Li Ping'an clearly had his own ideas.
After confirming that his father Li Daizhi's injuries were no longer serious, Li Ping'an asked a few familiar young men in the village to look after his father, then slung a bow and arrows over his back, grabbed a machete, and plunged into the vast mountains.
Li Daizhi worried about his son's safety, but he couldn't contend with his son's resolve and could only let him go.
After Li Ping'an entered the mountains, Li Daizhi, whose body was rapidly healing, soon began his journey of establishing a new life in this foreign world.
Having had successful experiences in his homeland of Huaxia, Li Daizhi found things smooth sailing from the start.
He first leveraged his accumulated expertise in farming to expand his business, taking some money to the nearest town, where he ensured a steady supply of goods and welcomed new stock.
In less than half a year, Li Daizhi was happily bustling about, running seven or eight shops and stalls.
During this time, every month, Li Ping'an would send someone to deliver a letter reporting his well-being, and Li Daizhi gradually felt at ease.
Once wealth accumulated, it inevitably attracted the covetous eyes of villains.
A gang of ruffians and bullies in the town set their sights on Li Daizhi's businesses; they smashed his shops, severely injured his shop assistants, and even declared they would burn down all his establishments.
Li Daizhi was not a timid man who shied away from trouble.
He secretly crafted a crossbow and ambushed them at night, severely injuring several of the bully leaders. Then he employed the "Two Tigers Fighting" stratagem to make two gangs of ruffians and bullies in town fight each other, while he fanned the flames and fished in troubled waters.
Finally, Li Daizhi gritted his teeth and spent more than half of his accumulated wealth to bribe the local government's yamen runners to clean up these ruffians and bullies. He took advantage of the situation to absorb more than a dozen young henchmen and expand the scale of his business.
The townspeople all clapped their hands in joy.
A few months later, Li Daizhi became the wealthiest man in town and purchased a large three-courtyard house.
In this cultivation world, some remnants of the slavery system still existed. Li Daizhi deliberately sent people to buy seven or eight young female slaves who were not bad-looking and had graceful figures.
That was, of course, not for his own enjoyment.
He was already quite old, and his desires in that regard had long since faded. Moreover, he didn't want to disrespect his mother, who had passed away from illness a few years prior.
But his son, Li Ping'an, was still a young man.
Lý Đại Chí already had a plan. He would wait for Lý Bình An to return, having encountered difficulties in his quest for immortals, then he would let his son live a life of opulence, find him several beautiful women, and expand his Lý family line.
Just at this moment, Lý Bình An, who had been gone for nearly ten months, sent someone with ten letters, then appeared before Lý Đại Chí, looking travel-worn and weary. He pulled Lý Đại Chí onto a strangely shaped beast-drawn carriage and headed straight for Uyển An City, over a hundred *dặm* from the village.
It was a hazy afternoon of drizzling rain.
Lý Đại Chí watched Lý Bình An push open two large doors with force, and saw inside two rows of maidservants, female slaves, mothers with children, with dozens of burly guards behind them.
These men and women all cried out in unison: "Greetings, Master!" "What is this?" Lý Đại Chí couldn't help but gape, his eyes wide.
"Father." Lý Bình An, dressed in an elegant coat, approached with a faint smile. "From today onwards, all of this belongs to you. Your son offers it as a filial gift."
"No!" Lý Đại Chí grabbed Lý Bình An with one hand, turned his head to look at the men and women around, who were watching the commotion, and asked in his local dialect: "You've committed a crime, haven't you! How else could you do this?"
"A small matter." Lý Bình An's handsome face was full of spring-breeze smugness.
"A small matter, my foot!" The conversation stalled. Lý Đại Chí looked bewildered, and in his daze, he had become the master of this grand estate.
That long, quiet night, the two father and son chatted in the back courtyard. Finally, Lý Bình An explained his path to wealth.
Lý Bình An smiled and said: "I thought, back when our homeland was in the Two Jin, Sui, and Tang Dynasties, many scholars, to advance their official careers, would come here to gain some reputation in cultivation. This is what's known as the Zhongnan Path."
"I also heard about Old Master Quan in the town. Your father set up stalls, engaged in speculation, rose early and was greedy, earning a bit of hard-earned money. Then he would go beat people up, fight bullies, and take in ruffians."
"Why don't you just stick to your petty trade? I went up the mountain to find immortals, and found cultivators guarding the mortal realm outside the Immortal Gate. I casually expounded on a bit of the *Dao De Jing*, *Zhuo Pu Zi*, *Huang Di Nei Jing* – wouldn't these cultivators then look at me differently?"
"I drank some wine with them, talked about life, and shared my ideals. A few bottles of low-grade elixirs that help mortals alleviate illness and prolong their lifespan could eventually prove useful."
Lý Đại Chí frowned and said: "If you have powerful elixirs, why don't you keep them for yourself? Why sell them? Wouldn't selling them be a slap in the face to those Daoist priests?"
"How could I sell them directly?" Lý Bình An smiled and said: "I took these elixirs, went to the mortal world to find the officials, deliberately revealing a hint of their fragrance. The local officials immediately perked up their noses."
"Here, the local government all serves the Immortal Dynasty, and they are all remotely controlled by cultivation forces from outside."
"Now, the two city lords of Uyển An City and I have become kindred spirits. A few bottles of elixirs were also given out, and people invested in me, seeing the logic. They brought me to several gatherings of high officials and nobles, and I officially gained some power and wealth."
"After I got rich, I got my hands on some rare and elegant mortal trinkets and presented them to the Daoist priests on the mountain to build connections. That Daoist Priest Trần's relationship with me has also grown steadily. Look!" Lý Bình An then took out two more bottles of elixirs.
—Father, please take these. This blue pill is for extending your lifespan, and this green pill can help you restore your manly vigor!
Li Ping'an said with a straight face: "Haven't you always urged me to marry and have children? From now on, I plan to get myself fixed. If you like children so much, why don't you make a few yourself? I have no objections whatsoever to you remarrying and having two more!"
"Pah! You little scoundrel!" Li Dazhi forgot whether he was ashamed for having harmed his son, or if he simply felt he'd lost face. He grabbed a shoe sole and chased his twenty-four-year-old son around the room.
Li Dazhi naturally understood in his heart that his son had arranged all of this so he could live out his old age in peace. His son's capabilities far exceeded his wife's, and Li Dazhi cherished the pride swelling in his heart. But thinking that his son would soon embark on cultivation, and might not be seen for decades, he might be left all alone, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness! Left alone in a foreign land as a stranger, each passing day, he yearned for their reunion.
—Alas! It would have been better if he hadn't transmigrated at all, what difference did it make? In the end, it was just like a widowed mother and an orphaned child, left alone in one place.
—Master, the road ahead is blocked.
Li Dazhi collected his thoughts and looked up. The path ahead was already packed with people. He could see children being pulled along by their parents, heading towards the central city platform. Near the Immortal Ascension Platform, Li Dazhi immediately spotted that familiar figure. Among the rows of children, a single young man stood out in brocade robes, somewhat like a crane among chickens. He could vaguely hear many people around him pointing and nodding at this sole adult, uttering a few mocking remarks. That was Li Ping'an.
Li Dazhi immediately burst into laughter. He was most proud of his son's handsome appearance, which even surpassed his own in youth!
—Still, I can't help but feel a little nervous.
Li Ping'an looked up at the high platform ahead, and a soft breath escaped him. He didn't particularly like the feeling of putting himself in others' hands. But under the current circumstances, he had to maintain his qualification as an immortal ascension disciple, and he absolutely had to seize this opportunity. There were always such self-important busybodies who deliberately spoke mocking words about others' dreams.
—Young Master Li! So old and still haven't had your physique measured? Must be soft and pampered, dreaming in broad daylight, yet still wanting to try?
—Haven't you heard what people say? Cultivation must begin at twelve years old or older. At that age, one still possesses a trace of Innate Qi. For adults, that Innate Qi dissipates.
A brawny man in a short jacket laughed loudly: —Brother! You're still a child, aren't you? Cultivation must start from childhood, as a virgin boy or girl. I wouldn't want to just fool around!
Loud laughter immediately erupted all around.
Li Ping'an stood there calmly, ignoring their empty words. He had asked Daoist Master Chen to examine him, who confirmed he had a chance to cultivate, though his aptitude wasn't outstanding. Also, because he started late, the gate of Innate Qi was blocked, and he hadn't preserved his virgin yang essence in previous years, his future achievements wouldn't be too high.
Having a chance was enough. As long as he could step onto the path of immortality, he would put in several times the effort later, and he wouldn't regret this arduous journey. These discussions were more cutting than anything he'd encountered in the safe, mundane world of his previous life.
Just as Li Binh An thought, he then heard a loud shout from behind: "Hmph! Manager Li, what brings you here to join the fun?"
Following that was Li Binh An's most familiar voice: "Please, no blame, no blame! My son and I have always lived in those mountains and waters, ignorant of immortal destinies, lacking in knowledge. To miss this opportunity for immortal cultivation now would truly be a regrettable life!"
Li Binh An turned his head to look, a slight smile playing on the corners of his lips.
He heard his father continue with a laugh: "Today, not only is my son participating in the assessment, but I also want to give it a try! Who says one can't seek an immortal destiny just because they're old?"
"Everyone here! After this, disperse. Each person, one by one, come into my pavilion! Each will receive a pot of the finest bamboo tea, plus two taels of good wine, and two plates of savory dishes! Excellent!"
The men and women around them all burst into chatter.
Li Da Zhi, the father, tucked both hands into his sleeves, laughing heartily as he walked up to Li Binh An and raised his eyebrows at him.
Li Binh An whispered, "Father, I can go by myself. What are you doing here?"
His father squinted, clutching his belly. He said in a low voice, "I also signed up."
Li Binh An laughed, "You want to cultivate too? That's great then, I might even have a chance to be your senior brother."
His father's voice slowly came: "Cultivate what? Half my body is already in the grave."
"—Just like last time, weren't you the oldest one here?"
"Damn it! I have a thick skin, I'm not afraid of losing face! Look ahead, keep smiling, leave a good impression on the immortals on the platform. Who knows, one of them might be your future master."
Li Binh An sighed inwardly, then he raised his head and puffed out his chest, letting his state of mind return to indifference.
Clouds drift past my ears, why bother with such worldly affairs?
*Clang!*
In front of the high platform, a young Daoist acolyte struck a gong, and his childlike voice rang out:
"Upon hearing your name, please step onto the platform.
If you lack immortal destiny, there's no need to linger.
Those on high need not speak much. Reach out and touch the Heaven-Asking Stone, and your fortune and innate talent will shine brightly."
*Clang!* Two gongs rang out.
The Daoist acolyte then called out a name and bowed as he stepped forward.
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