Twenty-First Year: The Expanding Network
Li Qingshan stood in front of a large map that covered his study wall, with green dots now scattered across three provinces. Each dot represented a community that had adopted and adapted the "Hexin Model"—the approach to community response and sustainable development that had grown from a simple experiment in Harmony Alley.
From one small village to a widespread movement, he reflected, touching one of the farthest dots—a coastal city named Haizhou, where Xiao Hua now led an integrated health and community development program.
A knock on the door made him turn. Chen Daming entered with a bundle of letters in his hands, his face showing a mixture of excitement and overwhelm.
"Uncle Qingshan," Daming said, placing the letters on the table, "correspondence from the network keeps growing. Just this week, we've received requests for consultation from seven new communities, invitations to speak at two regional conferences, and..."
He paused for a moment, "...an official invitation from the Imperial Academy in the capital to present on 'community-based governance innovation.'"
The Imperial Academy. A level of recognition I never imagined.
Li Qingshan took the elegant, letterheaded invitation, reading it carefully. "This is... a significant development."
"Uncle, will we accept?"
Li Qingshan looked at the map again, his mind processing the implications. Imperial attention could open doors for wider impact, but it could also bring unwanted scrutiny and pressure to formalize approaches that work best when they're organic.
"We will discuss this with the council," he decided. "A decision like this affects the entire network, not just the two of us."
That afternoon, in the expanded meeting room of the School of Harmony, Li Qingshan sat with a circle of twenty-five leaders—a combination of local coordinators, senior teachers, and regional representatives. Most notably, A-Ming was present via a written report because he was handling a crisis in the northeastern region.
"Friends," Li Qingshan began in his familiar voice—calm but commanding attention, "we need to decide how to respond to this increasing national attention."
Master Shen, now seventy but still sharp, spoke first. "The fundamental question is: will wider exposure help or harm the authenticity of the work we do?"
Jin, who had returned from the western region for this meeting, added, "From my experience with merchants and traders, once something becomes an 'official system,' it often loses the flexibility that makes it effective."
Wise concerns. They understand the potential pitfalls.
"But," Liu-er countered, "if we could influence policy at the national level, the potential impact is enormous. Imagine if the principles we practice could be adopted in hundreds of communities."
Chen Daming leaned forward. "Maybe the question isn't whether to engage, but how to engage. How can we share the wisdom without letting it be co-opted or oversimplified?"
Excellent framing. It shows a maturity in his thinking.
Li Qingshan nodded approvingly. "Daming raises an important point. The Imperial Academy invitation is an opportunity, but we need to be careful about how we present the concepts."
"What do you suggest, Uncle?" asked one of the local coordinators.
"Focus on the principles and philosophy, not on specific methods or systems. Share stories about successes and challenges, but emphasize that each community must develop approaches that are appropriate for their unique circumstances."
"And most importantly," Li Qingshan added, "make it clear that this is not the 'Li Qingshan Method' or the 'Hexin System.' This is collective wisdom developed through the collaboration of many communities and many leaders."
Twenty-Second Year: The Shadow Consultant
Three months later...
Li Qingshan returned from a two-week journey to the capital, where he had presented at the Imperial Academy and met with various government officials. His face—which now showed clear signs of middle age with grey streaks in his hair and deep lines around his eyes—betrayed a fatigue that was not just physical.
"Uncle," Chen Daming greeted him at the gate with a concerned expression, "how was the trip?"
"Educational," Li Qingshan replied with a slight irony. "And a reminder of why we choose to work at the community level rather than the political level."
They walked together toward the house, Li Qingshan explaining his experience.
"The presentation at the Academy went well. The audience was genuinely interested, the questions were thoughtful. But afterward... meetings with officials showed how easily concepts can be distorted when filtered through bureaucratic thinking."
"Distorted how?"
"They want to create standardized curricula, formal certification programs, measurable outcomes for every activity. Everything that would kill the spontaneity and responsiveness that make our approaches effective."
Exactly what I feared. A systematic approach to something that must remain organic.
"What did you recommend to them?"
"That the government's role should be supportive, not directive. Provide resources when communities request them, remove barriers to collaboration, but don't try to mandate specific approaches."
Li Qingshan paused at the door of his house, looking toward Harmony Alley which was bustling with normal evening activities.
"But what was most clear from this trip," he continued, "is that my role is changing. I'm not meant to be a public figure or an official spokesperson. I work best as a... quiet consultant, an advisor who helps from the background."
And preparation for an eventual disappearance from public view entirely.
Over the following months, Li Qingshan deliberately stepped back from visible leadership roles. When communities requested consultation, he increasingly sent Chen Daming or one of the senior coordinators. When invitations for conferences or meetings arrived, he recommended others to represent the network.
"Uncle," Sister Lin commented one afternoon when they sat in the garden, "people are starting to refer to you as the 'Hermit Sage of Hexin.'"
Li Qingshan laughed. "A Hermit Sage? I still live in the middle of a community."
"But you are increasingly... elusive. Available when truly needed, but otherwise staying in the background."
Exactly the transition I want. Present but not prominent.
"Sister Lin," he said in a thoughtful tone, "there is wisdom in being available without being visible. People often value advice more when they need to seek it out, rather than when it's freely offered."
"And," he added with a slight smile, "it forces others to develop their own decision-making abilities rather than always depending on external guidance."
Twenty-Third Year: Memory and Mortality
Li Qingshan sat in the front row of the funeral for Granny Zhou, one of the original residents of Harmony Alley who had welcomed him when he first arrived in Hexin more than twenty years ago. The kind old face was now peaceful in its final rest, surrounded by flowers and attended by dozens of people whose lives she had touched through simple acts of kindness.
Another connection to the past severed, he reflected with deep sadness. So many of the generation that knew me when I first arrived in Hexin have gone.
In recent years, he had attended an increasing number of funerals—Master Zhang the baker, Uncle Wang who taught woodworking, Mrs. Chen who used to make the best dumplings in the neighborhood. Each departure was a reminder of the passage of time and the natural cycle of life and death.
What was more unsettling: some of the older residents who were still alive occasionally looked at him with confusion.
"Master Li," Mrs. Feng had said to him just last week, "you look exactly like the young man who arrived here twenty-five years ago. How is that possible?"
Li Qingshan had deflected with a joke about good living and clean air, but the incident reminded him that he needed to be more careful about the aging of his conscious body. As an immortal being with full control over his physical appearance, he sometimes forgot to maintain the appropriate progression of age.
Time for a more dramatic adjustment, he decided, looking at his reflection in the mirror that night.
With careful concentration, he used his Understanding of Body to modify his appearance more significantly. Deeper lines around the eyes, hair that was more fully grey, a slight stoop in his posture that suggested a man in his late fifties approaching sixty. Changes subtle enough not to shock people, but significant enough to explain twenty-five years of aging.
And a reminder to myself that normal human relationships are bound by time and mortality in ways that immortal beings could easily forget.
Twenty-Fourth Year: The Third Generation
The sound of children's laughter filled the courtyard of the School of Harmony, but now they were the children of Li Qingshan's former students. A-Ming's eight-year-old daughter, Xiao Mei, sat in a circle with twelve other children, listening attentively to Chen Daming who was teaching a lesson on empathy and understanding.
The third generation, Li Qingshan observed from a distance with a mixture of wonder and melancholy. Wisdom transmitted not through bloodline, but through choice and commitment.
"Uncle Qingshan," Xiao Mei ran up to him after class ended, "Daddy said you are the hero who saved him when he was a little boy."
Li Qingshan knelt to meet her eyes. "Your daddy is the hero who saved himself. I just... provided an opportunity."
"Will you teach me too?"
An innocent question that touches on a complicated reality. By the time she's old enough for serious study, will I still be here?
"Your Teacher Daming is a much better teacher than me," he answered gently. "But I will always be available to answer questions or help when you need guidance."
Later, discussing with Chen Daming, Li Qingshan raised a concern that had been growing in his mind.
"Daming, in a few years, when the next generation begins their formal education, I may be... less available for direct teaching."
"Why? You're not planning to retire completely, are you?"
A complicated question with an answer I cannot fully share.
"I feel a... calling to explore other parts of the world. Other communities that might need help, other approaches to community building that need to be studied and understood."
Chen Daming studied his mentor's face with careful attention. "Uncle, there's something you're not telling me about these future plans."
Perceptive as always.
"Maybe," Li Qingshan acknowledged. "But what is important now is to ensure that the transition of leadership is smooth and complete. By the time I... move on... the network and the community must be fully functional without dependence on me."
"How long of a window do we have?"
A direct question that deserves an honest answer.
"Five or six years. Maybe less."
Chen Daming nodded with a seriousness that showed a full comprehension of the weight in that statement. "Then we need to accelerate certain preparations."
"Exactly."
Twenty-Fifth Year: The Growing Calling
A winter evening, alone in his study...
Li Qingshan sat with correspondence from the network, but his attention was scattered. In recent months, he had been experiencing an increasing sense of... restlessness. Not dissatisfaction with his life in Hexin or the work being done, but a growing feeling that this phase of his journey was approaching its natural conclusion.
The Eldest Breath, he whispered to himself, remembering the ancient calling he once felt centuries ago. The search for ultimate understanding is still not complete.
But simultaneously, there was a strong attachment to the community that had become his home, to the people who considered him family, to the legacy that was still developing.
A conflict between the duty to personal spiritual growth and the commitment to tangible service.
The sound of a gentle knock interrupted his contemplation. Chen Daming entered with a troubled expression.
"Uncle, there are reports from the northeastern region that are... concerning."
"What's happening?"
"A-Ming sends word about growing political tensions between the provincial government and local communities over resource allocation. A situation that could escalate rapidly."
Li Qingshan immediately refocused on the immediate crisis. Personal spiritual quests can wait. People need help now.
"How serious is the situation?"
"Potentially very serious. It could undermine years of cooperative work that have been built up in the region."
"Who do we have to handle the mediation?"
"A-Ming is capable, but this level of political complexity might require... more experienced intervention."
Li Qingshan stood, his mind already shifting into crisis management mode. "Prepare for a trip to the northeastern region. We need to assess the situation firsthand and coordinate a response."
A clear duty. A needed service. The personal journey can wait.
But as he prepared for his departure, the underlying calling continued to flow in the background of his consciousness—a reminder that even as he fulfilled commitments in this world, the larger questions of ultimate purpose and destiny remained unanswered.
Twenty-five years in Hexin as Li Qingshan. Success beyond expectations in building a sustainable community and transmitting wisdom. A network of cooperation spanning multiple provinces. A generation of leaders who are carrying on the work with competence and commitment.
And simultaneously, a growing awareness that this phase in his infinite journey is approaching a transition point.
Five more years to complete his obligations here. And then... an unknown path toward a deeper understanding, a different service, the next phase in his exploration of the vast world and the infinite possibilities for growth and contribution.
For now, the crisis in the northeastern region requires immediate attention. Personal spiritual development is always secondary to the urgent needs of the people who are depending on his help.