Chapter 119: Chapter 119: An Acquaintance from the Past

The Uncle Bai that Xu Qi’an mentioned was, of course, Bai Fengxian—Lin Changheng’s friend and a fellow Bing Gui Immortal Seedling from the same period.

No extreme grief washed over him. Lin Changheng just felt an emptiness in his heart, a sense of loss.

At his age of forty-eight, he was only a step away from fifty, the age at which one is said to understand their destiny.

He had already experienced life’s great ups and downs and no longer let his emotions run wild as he had in his youth. He knew some things were simply beyond human control.

Partings and death were both unavoidable.

And if one does not become an immortal, they can never attain Changsheng!

’I just hadn’t expected... it to come so soon.’

"I understand."

He answered flatly and turned to leave.

"Sir..." Xu Qi’an subconsciously opened his mouth to offer a word of comfort, but in the end, said nothing. He watched the departing figure, who appeared fine on the surface but was in truth desolate.

Lin Changheng packed a simple bag, then glanced at the Nine-leaf Purple Ginseng. It had already grown two inches tall and was brimming with vitality, a truly welcome sight.

He knew he couldn’t take it with him on this trip, so he had no choice but to replace the Spirit Stones in the two Arrays to keep them running. Then, he departed.

He had to return to the clan to see Old Bai off on his final journey.

The three of them had made a pact before: whoever’s Immortal Dao came to an end, the survivors would find a good place to bury them.

He would naturally keep his promise.

After quietly giving a few instructions to Shopkeeper Xu, Lin Changheng retrieved a Cyan Flood Dragon Horse stabled by the Xu Family from the post station outside the Marketplace. In a mountain hollow, he changed his appearance and then galloped back toward his clan.

This was the first time he had returned to the clan in two years, and also the first time he had left the Marketplace.

The scenery along the way had changed dramatically, and there was much more human activity.

One should never question the Human Race’s ability to transform their environment.

But more people also meant more danger. Lin Changheng deliberately avoided contact with others, focusing only on his journey.

「Ten days later.」

Lin Changheng once again stood on the riverbank. Looking at the Black Water River before him, a flicker of memory passed through his mind.

He stated his identity, and someone came to ferry him across.

"Chief Lin?"

Hearing Lin Changheng state his identity, a woman waiting nearby for the boat exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Changheng turned and looked at the smiling woman with her hair in a bun. After a moment of thought, he recognized her.

Back in the Purple River District, after he had been confirmed as an Entry Tier Alchemist by an Ink Master, the clan had sent two Alchemy Apprentices, a man named Xu Liucai and a woman named Xu Liuli, to work by his side.

He had chosen Xu Liucai. The woman behind him was Xu Liuli.

"What a coincidence."

Lin Changheng gave a slight nod. One could hardly be rude to a smiling face.

They boarded the boat to cross together, and Xu Liuli chattered on excitedly, telling Lin Changheng about many things.

Lin Changheng didn’t spoil her mood and learned that she had married long ago. She was returning this time to visit her parents, and she had brought many things with her.

Her husband’s family was the Ge Family, a nearby Qi Cultivation Clan. They were on good terms with the Xu Family and often intermarried.

Xu Liuli, feeling her prospects in the Alchemy Dao were hopeless and that she would never reach the Entry Tier, had married into the family. Her life had been fairly comfortable.

Who would have known that the Xu Family would later leap to become a Foundation Establishment Clan, a status that made the Ge family look up to them. With the backing of her powerful maiden family, Xu Liuli’s life became even better, and she earned more respect from the Ge family.

And so, on this trip home to visit her parents, not only had her husband’s family prepared many gifts, but her husband himself had also personally accompanied her.

Her husband was tall and thin, dressed like a Confucian Scholar.

From behind, he watched his wife talking and laughing, practically beaming, with a man who looked even younger than himself. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Later, Lin Changheng noticed this and, not wanting to cause discord between the couple, chuckled and beckoned the man over to chat with them.

Xu Liuli’s husband soon learned who the man before him was: the chief of the Xu Family’s Pill Shop in the wildly popular Cyan Spirit District. Furthermore, he was a Middle Grade Alchemist who had received an Upper Grade Alchemy Inheritance and was expected to break through to the Upper Grade Realm.

His expression changed in an instant. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Lin Changheng held none of its earlier bitterness; instead, it was replaced by a visible reverence and admiration... and a hint of sycophancy!

The man’s shift from haughty to humble amused Lin Changheng.

They parted ways as soon as they reached the shore.

Lin Changheng headed directly for the Guanxia Daoist School.

He left Xu Liuli and her husband standing on the bank, watching him go.

After a long while, her husband, still in his Confucian Scholar getup, couldn’t help but say, "My wife, you should interact more with Chief Lin. If you become close in the future, he might be able to help us, or even our entire family."

Xu Liuli shot her husband a look. His complete change in attitude left her speechless. After a moment of silence, she said faintly, "You think I don’t want to? It was a stroke of luck that we could even travel with him for a short while. In the future, with our status and connection, I doubt we could even get through his door."

Hearing this, Xu Liuli’s husband glanced again at the distant spot where the figure had vanished and sighed, "What a pity, what a pity..."

...

「Guanxia Daoist School.」

At Bai Fengxian’s home.

White mourning cloths were draped everywhere, and the memorial hall was still set up.

On the altar, an ever-burning lamp flickered faintly. The wick occasionally sputtered with a few specks of green light, making the white mourning banners throughout the hall shimmer between light and shadow.

Bai Fengxian’s coffin was still there, but it held no body—only the set of clothes he wore most often.

His wives, concubines, and children, all dressed in sackcloth and mourning attire, knelt in rows on both sides.

The grief on Xu Fugui’s face was plain to see. He had also rushed back and was helping to handle Old Bai’s funeral affairs.

After paying his respects and comforting the widows and orphans, Lin Changheng went to a secluded spot with Xu Fugui.

"According to custom, Old Bai should have been buried long ago. I was the one who persuaded his wives to wait, to fulfill his old wish," Xu Fugui said with a sigh.

Obviously, this old wish was for Lin and Xu to find a good burial place for him.

Fugui hadn’t forgotten this either.

"That’s right."

Lin Changheng nodded.

"Because he died while developing new territory, the clan will issue a considerable sum of Spirit Stones as condolence and compensation. The basic Cultivation and living expenses for his wives and children won’t be a problem. I’ll keep an eye on it to make sure it happens."

Xu Fugui had thought things through carefully, and he relayed everything to Lin Changheng to ask for his suggestions.

"Good. With a contribution from us as well, they should be able to get through this difficult time. Later, when the children are grown, we can have them learn a set of Skills. Then Old Bai can rest in peace," Lin Changheng added.

"Agreed," Xu Fugui nodded.

After discussing a few more details, Lin Changheng finally asked the crucial question, "What was the cause of Old Bai’s death?"

"It looked like a Demon Beast attack, but there were traces left by a Cultivator. A deeper investigation yielded no new evidence... but afterward, the Qiu Family of Feiyun Valley took advantage of the situation and occupied that resource point."

Xu Fugui’s expression was grim as he gritted his teeth.

This matter was of great importance. It wasn’t just the loss of a man, but also the seizure of a resource point. The upper echelons of the Xu Family were shaken.

"The Qiu Family."

Lin Changheng muttered to himself.

The truth was obvious. Whoever benefited from the act was the one who did it—they were the most likely suspect.

In the Cultivation Realm, evidence wasn’t important; only the result mattered.

The weak are prey for the strong. The law of the jungle is king, and everything else is just window dressing.

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