Song Qing had slept soundly, waking up to find it was already midnight. Realizing he was resting his head on Mr. Yue's lap—the very man who claimed to know him—he felt slightly awkward. Noticing his lips were slightly swollen, he hurriedly wiped the corners of his mouth, checking for any drool.
Fortunately, no such embarrassment had occurred…
Thanks to the potent effects of the Ten-Turn Golden Marrow Elixir, most of his injuries had healed significantly. As he tried to rise, he found that his medicinal ointments had been upgraded to more effective spirit medicines, complete with pain-relieving properties. The intense pain had vanished, leaving only a faint tingling sensation.
Mr. Yue opened his eyes from his feigned slumber as Song Qing awoke.
Song Qing gave him a grateful smile, only to find Song Jincheng kneeling in a corner, facing the wall in reflection. Even though it wasn't his place to intervene in another sect's disciplinary actions, he felt a connection with the young man and couldn't ignore him.
As he pondered this, Mr. Yue reached for his mustard seed bag, pouring an astonishing number of spirit stones into it. Startled, Song Qing hurriedly intervened: "I've already accepted valuable elixirs, I can't take these as well."
After all, the man wasn't his biological or even adoptive father—how could he accept so many spirit stones?
"These were always yours," Mr. Yue handed him a token exquisitely carved with a phoenix motif, explaining, "You had stored some spirit stones with me. I've managed them for a while now and have yielded substantial returns. You can use this token at any establishment bearing this emblem in Medicine King Valley; there is no spending limit."
Overjoyed, Song Qing asked, "How much money do I have?"
Mr. Yue pondered for a moment. He had eradicated several corrupt factions on the Peak of Immortality and confiscated their wealth and properties. Left unattended, it would lead to chaos and the proliferation of dark elements, so he'd enacted a host of new rules and restructured the industries.
For instance, auction houses were prohibited from trafficking humans or stolen goods. The social status of artisans, especially medical practitioners, had been elevated. Slave trade was banned, employment contracts enacted, and penalties for murdering and looting were increased. Several strict regulations were also in place, like the prohibition of littering in public areas.
While cultivators initially resisted these rules, rebellions quieted down as the heads of dissenters were displayed as grim lanterns. With each new generation of cultivators, these rules became ingrained habits.
Even though the darkness couldn't be entirely eradicated, it now dared not thrive in the open, and no one brazenly defied the terrifying existence at the Peak of Immortality.
Nowadays, businesses affiliated with the Peak of Immortality were spread all over the world. Every year, different sects and towns even paid tributes of rare treasures and local specialties to the Divine Lord—it had become a custom.
Mr. Yue hadn't kept track of his riches or the contents of his treasure vault in a long time. However, he knew Song Qing was proud and disliked being a burden; hence, he needed to find an appropriate reason to gradually offer him these resources.
He carefully stated, "You had invested over two million spirit stones during the most challenging period for Medicine King Valley. Now it's grown to several tens of millions. I've also invested in other businesses for you, which are continually growing. I'll provide you with the ledgers later."
Mr. Yue planned to have his subordinates fabricate some ledgers to conveniently add tens of millions of spirit stones creatively.
In his previous life, Song Qing was the heir to a wealthy family and had some knowledge of business dealings. But he had never encountered anyone going to great lengths to doctor accounts just to offer him money. What was the catch?
So, was all of this true?
He had made a highly successful venture investment during his amnesia?
Research funding would no longer be a concern in this lifetime?
Overwhelmed with joy, Song Qing felt like spinning around on the ground and letting out excited howls. A laundry list of previously unaffordable medicinal ingredients flashed through his mind. He was tempted to embrace his benefactor, Mr. Yue, and plant a couple of grateful kisses on him.
Grabbing Mr. Yue's arm, he asked, "What else did I do while I was amnesiac?"
Mr. Yue smiled, "You taught me how to raise lab mice. They've flourished under my care. I've bred several unique strains. When you come back to Medicine King Valley, I'll gift them to you as...presents."
He mumbled two words in the middle.
Although Song Qing couldn't make out the mumbled words, he noticed a discrepancy: "Special strains of mice would require a long period of cultivation. How long have we known each other?"
He felt that the memories he had lost were more extensive than he had initially thought.
Mr. Yue chuckled, "We've known each other for just over a decade, but we've been apart for millennia. I've been confined to a limited world and have no knowledge of what you've experienced..."
Song Qing was stunned. The length of his memory loss far exceeded his initial estimates. Could it be that his original body in this world had failed in closed-door cultivation, leading to a soul-transference from another world?
Pondering this, he became even more bewildered. Why was he able to seamlessly merge memories from two bodies into a new, singular identity, without feeling any dissonance? Was it because the two looked too similar?
His system had crashed; he couldn't find any answers.
Song Jincheng couldn't help but intervene, "Great Ancestor, you're joking. Who takes so long just to reach the Foundation Establishment stage?" With the laughter hiding in his voice, he continued, "I managed to reach it at 18, and one can only live up to 300 years at that stage. Even Lady Qingluan, who extended her life with rare elixirs, passed away at 500."
Mr. Yue felt he hadn't been punitive enough. With a gentle smile, he said, "Qing's cultivation was hampered due to injuries. Your medical texts have plenty of such examples, yet you seem to have forgotten them all. You'll be confined to the rear mountain tomorrow. You may only leave after reciting all 180 scrolls of basic medical texts left by Qingluan."
The color drained from Song Jincheng's face. He wanted to visit his friends at the Tianwu Sect, and thus crawled to Mr. Yue, tears in his eyes, to negotiate: "Great Ancestor, allow me a quick trip to Tianwu Sect before I begin my confinement."
The smile on Mr. Yue's face softened even more.
Song Qing looked at Mr. Yue and had an inexplicable feeling that the boy was in peril. He braved himself to intervene: "Do you have a compelling reason to visit Tianwu Sect?"
Sobbing, Song Jincheng replied, "I suspect something's happened to Ayu. I want to check on him."
Ayu, or Yuwen Yu, was the son of a Tianwu Sect elder. As a frail child, he had spent several years in Medicine King Valley to recuperate. During that period, he and Song Jincheng had become fast friends, sharing countless adventures.
After regaining his health, Yuwen Yu left Medicine King Valley but kept in touch through letters. However, for the past three months, no letters had arrived, which had left Song Jincheng anxious. Seizing the opportunity of failing his exams, he had decided to run away to Tianwu Sect but got sidetracked upon meeting Song Qing.
"He might be in closed-door cultivation," Song Qing rubbed his temples. He wanted to point out that cultivators often became incommunicado for years when busy, but hesitated, feeling as if he had failed in the realm of friendship himself, "Have you tried asking his elders?"
Song Jincheng delicately confessed, "His father despises me and forbids me from getting close to Ayu. We've been seeing each other in secret."
Mr. Yue began, "Tianwumen recently had its disciple examination, so he must've gone to the Yuanming Secret Realm..." He suddenly halted, recalling the unusual disturbances at Tianwumen lately—demons appearing more frequently. "Perhaps we should send someone to investigate."
"He might be injured and didn't want you to worry," Song Qingshi suggested a solution that would serve both ends. "I'll go to Tianwumen to check for you." He recalled reading about a certain gold-attributed grass in the Yuanming Secret Realm, its leaves as sharp as a knife's edge. While not particularly useful, its unique attribute intrigued him for research purposes.
Song Jincheng was deeply touched, "Bro, you're really loyal. I didn't save you in vain."
Mr. Yue crushed the corner of the table.
"I apologize, I forgot about the age factor," Song Jincheng quickly admitted his mistake, ingratiatingly adding, "Qingshi, you're actually my elder brother."
Mr. Yue pointed out, "Qingshi is much older than you in terms of generation."
Song Jincheng furrowed his brows, reconsidering how to address him.
Seeing his expression, Song Qingshi had a bad feeling. He quickly stopped him, "Don't you dare call me Grandpa!"
Half of his soul was still that of a youthful college student; he couldn't bear to be called 'Grandpa' by someone who looked his age.
"I'm not from the Medicine King Valley. Even if I were to re-enter, we would just be classmates. We can't take the generational hierarchy so seriously," Song Qingshi thoughtfully pondered the future. "I think the ranking should be based on cultivation levels, not age."
Song Jincheng turned to Mr. Yue with a pitiful look, "Great-Granduncle..."
Hearing this title, Mr. Yue felt a renewed sense of discomfort in his chest.
He decided that once he returned, he would retreat and change to an avatar of similar age to accompany Song Qingshi in his growth, to avoid being treated like an ancient elder and having his hands tied.
Song Qingshi cheerfully planned his journey to Tianwumen, discussing with Song Jincheng how to meet Yuwen Yu and investigate the situation.
The entrance exams for the Medicine King Valley wouldn't start for another three years. To prepare for special admissions now would still take months.
Song Qingshi was not willing to take shortcuts for admission.
Knowing that once Song Qingshi made up his mind he wouldn't waver, Mr. Yue realized now wasn't the time to forcibly bring him back. However, creating a new avatar would take some preparation time. After some hesitation, he decided to go along with Song Qingshi's wishes, allowing Song Jincheng to accompany him to Tianwumen and take good care of him along the way so that the elder would not be wronged.
While Song Jincheng wasn't particularly skilled at academics or serving his masters, he was diligent in discerning people's wishes. He began to suspect that Song Qingshi was not Mr. Yue's adopted son, but rather a secret illegitimate child. So, he vowed to treat Song Qingshi with the utmost reverence.
He happily blessed, "Brother Qingshi, you're really awesome. I'm not jealous that you have a goddess anymore."
Song Qingshi smiled and said, "I hope I encounter her on the road."
Mr. Yue inquired cautiously, "A goddess?"
"Qingshi is looking for a girl. Unfortunately, he's lost his memory and can't remember her name or face," Song Jincheng came to life upon receiving permission, seeing that his great-granduncle was interested in his future daughter-in-law. He quickly heaped praises on the woman who had captured Song Qingshi's heart, to ensure she would pass the elder's scrutiny. "She's gentle and virtuous, pretty and charming, vivacious and optimistic, kindly and innocent, considerate and dutiful, and even skilled at cooking."
Song Qingshi bashfully added, "Her constitution is rather frail; she needs some care..."
Mr. Yue suppressed the jealousy bubbling up inside him and asked, "So, you're fond of this kind of girl?"
He knew many cultivators were indifferent to gender, but he never thought...
Song Qingshi pondered the flutter in his heart he felt for the woman, confirming, "Yes, I like her. I will find her."
Mr. Yue gently questioned, "What if she doesn't like you? Will you still treat her well?"
"It doesn't matter," Song Qingshi's eyes were filled with resolve, vowing, "As long as I find her, I will give her all the best things and strive to win her affection."
He would pour out all he had, earnestly pursuing the one he loved.
Mr. Yue read his intentions and smiled in blessing, "You will certainly find her."
Though this task was significantly beyond what he had anticipated.
But, it wouldn't be difficult...
Imagining the prospect of shamelessly reducing Song Qingshi to tears in bed, Mr. Yue found the thought... quite intriguing...
Mr. Yue greedily observed the innocent beauty before him; his wild desires caused his lips to dry up slightly...
Patience; now was not the time to reveal himself.
He would execute his plan diligently.
He would regain everything he once had.