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墨書 Inktalez
Chu Xi's surname is Lin, and the Lin family is a prominent clan from Hejian. Now, Hejian has fallen into the hands of the Jin people. The Jin Kingdom has existed for quite some time, and its customs and culture have begun to align with those of the Han people. As a result, when Li Hong arrived in Hejian, he surprisingly felt that it was not much different from the Southern Song.
The Lin family is well-known in the area. After inquiring along the way, Li Hong soon found himself standing at the entrance of the Lin Family Mansion.
On the surface, the Lin family operates a courier service and a pawnshop; their business is neither too big nor too small. Therefore, the Lin Family Mansion is not particularly grand, lacking the opulence of several local retired officials' residences. However, a glance reveals that the Lin Family Mansion is distinctly different from the surrounding houses. All the buildings show signs of age, indicating that the Lin family has a long history in the area, far from being mere nouveau riche. The main courtyard occupies the largest area and has been around the longest; its bricks are darkened with age, and moss has crept up to the windowsill. Yet every brick and tile is exquisite and substantial, even the stone carvings on the doorframe exude an air of ancient simplicity. The entire mansion centers around this main courtyard and the garden behind it, with courtyards connected to form a cohesive whole.
This was Chu Xi's childhood home.
Li Hong's gaze swept past two stone lions at the entrance that had been worn thin over time, onto the doorframe, entering the main courtyard and passing through to reach the garden at the back.
There, small bridges and flowing water created an elegant scene. Li Hong saw a clear pool of water and suddenly thought that as a child, Chu Xi must have walked over that bridge, played in the lake, perhaps even mischievously taking off her socks to dip her delicate white feet into the water...
Chu Xi... filled with longing, his mind was occupied by her beautiful face. Under the rising sun, Li Hong stood dazed at the entrance of the Lin Family Mansion.
Dressed in an immaculate white robe with a casual bun atop his head, a few strands of hair fell before his ears, giving him an air of carefree elegance that made him appear extraordinary. The servants of the Lin family had some discernment and quickly recognized Li Hong's exceptional nature. They exchanged glances and hurried inside to report to their master.
After a while, Lin Ying, Chu Xi's uncle and head of the Lin family, rushed out with his robe lifted.
Lin Ying sized up Li Hong from head to toe, and his expression immediately changed. He bowed deeply with his back arched high and his forehead nearly touching the ground as he approached Li Hong. Raising both hands high, he said, "Immortal Master! I am Lin Ying, current head of the Lin family. Please come inside for tea."
"Mm." Li Hong nodded and followed Lin Ying inside with his hands behind his back.
The neighboring residents looked on with disdain at this minor official who carried himself so grandly; they cast sidelong glances at Li Hong before dispersing. Only Lin Ying continued to secretly observe Li Hong with increasing astonishment. This person appeared to be no more than twenty years old; however, Lin Ying knew that one could not judge a cultivator's age by their appearance.
Lin Ying had received Vitality Restoration Pills from Ling Xiangzi. These pills were considered low-grade even among elixirs but were powerful for mortals as they could strengthen one's body and restore youth. Lin Ying's body had been transformed by these pills; he felt light as a swallow and was capable of extraordinary feats like leaping across rooftops. Yet despite being such an adept cultivator, he felt an unsettling absence of presence around him! Although someone stood nearby, he could not sense them! In his perception, this young man had no breath, no heartbeat—no trace of life or footsteps—meaning that in Lin Ying's senses, Li Hong did not exist!
This realization sent cold sweat down Lin Ying's back. For cultivation families like theirs, there was a simple method to determine if someone was a true cultivator: sensing their presence. If one could feel no aura at all—even if they moved without causing any disturbance in the air—it indicated that they were at least an elder of Golden Core Stage or higher.
In their view, Golden Core Stage cultivators were already considered immortals! They were divine!
How did such a celestial being come to his home? Lin Qi Ying was both surprised and frightened, feeling increasingly anxious as Li Hong delayed revealing his identity. Cold sweat gradually trickled down his forehead like a winding stream. However, he knew in his heart that he could only respectfully ensure the celestial being's satisfaction; even if the celestial being were to kill his entire family, he could not resist, for the entire Hejian populace might suffer the consequences! Moreover, resistance was simply not an option.
Li Hong was merely missing Chu Xi and had no idea of the chaotic thoughts swirling in Lin Ying's mind. When he reached the hall and inadvertently glanced at Lin Ying, he found that the head of the Lin family looked almost as pale as a corpse. He exclaimed, "Lin brother, are you alright? Why do you look so unwell?"
Addressing Lin Ying as "Lin brother" was already a significant honorific. Lin Ying quickly regained his composure; his complexion shifted from white to red, and the cold sweat ceased to flow. He spoke briskly, kneeling and bowing his head, saying, "It is an honor for the Lin family to have the celestial being descend upon us. Please let me know if our esteemed ancestor from the Nine Li Sect has sent any messages through you."
By saying this, Lin Ying made it clear that they had someone of importance in the Nine Li Sect. If Li Hong truly harbored any ill intentions toward the Lin family, he would need to think twice.
Li Hong carefully observed this head of the Lin family before him. Over sixty years old, with graying hair and beard, despite his age, one could still see traces of his youthful handsomeness in his features. Upon closer inspection, there were even faint resemblances to Chu Xi. After all, he was Chu Xi's uncle; blood is thicker than water. Li Hong sighed inwardly, feeling a slight reduction in his aversion toward this uncle of Chu Xi.
Chu Xi's parents had passed away when she was very young. At that time, she was just a little girl who did not understand much and could hardly remember her parents' faces. This was a lifelong regret that Chu Xi often mentioned. The one managing the household back then was none other than her uncle Lin Ying, who showed little kindness towards the small orphan and often forgot about her existence altogether. Consequently, anyone from the clan treated Chu Xi with disdain. The servants were particularly adept at currying favor with those in power and often ignored Chu Xi intentionally, leading her to experience many hardships at such a young age. Later on, when Ling Xiangzi returned home for a visit, it turned out that only Chu Xi possessed the Fire Spirit talent and was even an innate Fire Spirit. Thus, her worth skyrocketed, transforming her from an overlooked orphan into a princess of the Lin family.
Chu Xi was kind-hearted and cheerful; even after gaining power later on, she never thought of retaliating against those beneath her. Her experiences shaped her character into something more resilient as she employed various methods to diligently improve her cultivation in hopes of earning others' respect. She succeeded.
When Li Hong revealed his identity, Lin Ying was overjoyed and stood up abruptly: "So you are Xier's fellow disciple! That's wonderful! We haven't heard from our Great Ancestor or Xier for over a decade; I've been worried sick about them. May I ask how they are? Has their celestial magic reached great heights?" He added with emotion: "I am old now and have little time left; I wish to see Xier once more in my lifetime. I implore you to convey my message."
It turned out that after the calamity struck the Nine Li Sect years ago, no one had informed the Lin family about Ling Xiangzi's death in battle or Chu Xi's ascension to immortality. Upon hearing about their ascension, Li Hong hesitated for a moment before deciding to share only part of the truth: "Ling Xiangzi and Chu Xi have ascended to the celestial realm; they are now true immortals. This is indeed joyous news! I came here specifically to inform you of this."
Upon hearing about their ascension, Lin Ying understood immediately and was filled with joy; his face lit up with excitement as he jumped up and began pacing around the hall in delight, shouting: "Come! Gather everyone to the ancestral hall for a memorial ceremony! I have great news to announce!"
That day, Li Hong witnessed firsthand the scale and intricate rituals of a cultivation family.
The entire Lin family—both direct descendants and collateral branches—was summoned to the ancestral hall where Lin Ying publicly announced Ling Xiangzi's and Chu Xi's ascensions. Everyone was astonished yet delighted. Soon enough, two plaques appeared at the highest point of the ancestral hall. Unlike the lower wooden spirit tablets wrapped in white silk cloth, these two plaques were crafted from high-quality white jade with Ling Xiangzi's and Chu Xi's secular names inscribed in gold paint within finely carved grooves—glistening brilliantly and transparent—displayed prominently at the highest position to be honored by future generations.
In the main hall filled with incense smoke, Lin Ying led everyone in three kneelings and nine knockings of their heads in reverence. After completing their rites, he invited Li Hong to take a seat of honor while intending for everyone to bow down to him. However, Li Hong firmly declined this honor. Thus, Lin Ying had no choice but to relent.
Following this ceremony came a grand banquet.
The Lin family had long learned to conceal their strength and bide their time, publicly claiming to be honoring their ancestors. Therefore, there were no outsiders at the banquet; only prominent members of the Lin family were present. At the head table sat only Lin Ying and Li Hong, with the family members seated below them, creating a significant distance between them and the rest of the clan. The younger members of the family all knew that Li Hong was a "Celestial Being." Although they felt honored, none dared to approach him. The banquet was quickly consumed amidst restraint and glory. In fact, Li Hong hardly ate anything, only sipping three cups of wine as a formality.
After the guests dispersed, Li Hong was invited by Lin Ying to the main hall for tea. At this moment, Lin Ying finally made a request. Kneeling on the ground, he said, "Great Ancestor and Xier have ascended, and our Lin family has no successors. Over the past decade or so, our family has produced some offspring. I ask you, Celestial Being, to see if any among them possess the aptitude for cultivation. If so, it would be a great honor for our Lin family if you could take them with you."
Li Hong was slightly taken aback but nodded in understanding; it seemed Lin Ying's excitement was due to this matter!
A group of young boys and girls entered in single file, clearly having received instructions from the family head. Each one kept their heads down and dared not breathe loudly, appearing quite restrained. Only at the end was there a small girl with short hair who looked about six or seven years old. As soon as she stood still, she curiously raised her head to look at Li Hong.
Li Hong noticed her clear eyes that sparkled like mountain spring water. Suddenly struck as if by lightning—she looked so much like her!
Her demeanor and appearance bore a striking resemblance to Chu Xi from his childhood, almost six or seven parts alike. If he hadn’t known that Chu Xi had already ascended to the celestial realm, Li Hong would have almost believed this girl was her reincarnation.
The little girl noticed Li Hong staring intently at her and became even more curious. Tilting her head, she began to scrutinize him in return. Her big eyes blinked rapidly, and just then, Li Hong noticed something strange inserted in her hair.
It resembled a half-foot-long silver leaf; at first glance, it seemed like a silver hairpin. However, Li Hong distinctly sensed a faint yet extremely weak Fire Spirit fluctuation emanating from it. This Fire Spirit fluctuation combined with a subtle Fire Spirit energy within the girl that only Li Hong could perceive.
This girl clearly possessed a Fire Spirit Root. Moreover, feeling a surge of excitement in his heart, Li Hong leaped over and reached out to pull off the peculiar silver hairpin from her head. After just one glance at it, he was astonished and grabbed the girl's frail shoulders, exclaiming, "Where did this come from?!"
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