True Man Houde comforted the group of children and took Li Ji'an and Qingyun to the cemetery behind the mountain.
"This is your Master's grave, and also the grave of your father... your most beloved uncle. Pay your respects." True Man Houde said with a sudden expression.
He vividly remembered the scene ten years ago when the master was buried here, and junior brother Zhenzhen fainted from crying at the scene.
The heartbreaking cries, as if the sky was falling, and the swollen eyes from crying made him realize how deep junior brother's feelings for the master were!
"Dong, dong, dong!" Li Ji'an solemnly kowtowed three times.
This time, he did not cry.
On his youthful face was only remembrance and blessing.
Ten years ago, when the master passed away, he was thirty years old. The ambition of a traveler that had been extinguished reignited after the master's death, especially since the age coincided with the first Rejuvenation, reminding him that he also had a golden finger.
Shangshan Zhenren's kindness rooted deeply in Li Ji'an's heart, making him willing to assist those in distress without cause when he was fully assured.
The evil of taking life also made Li Ji'an not shy to conjecture others with utmost malicious intent.
So, after the master passed away, he spent the family savings he had accumulated for over a decade to buy a small courtyard near the County Yamen in Shangyi County at a high price because he was uncertain when the next Rejuvenation would occur, so he actively prepared for the next Rejuvenation.
Besides ensuring livelihood and safety after Rejuvenation, he was also thirty years old dragging a remnant body, facing cold-eyed mockery, and moved the Martial Arts Academy in the county city with sincerity worth hundreds of taels of silver, patiently accumulating experience for the next Rejuvenation.
Additionally, he worked at the exclusive pharmacy of the Martial Arts Academy, learning pharmacology while exploring various medicinal baths and supplements step by step.
This wait lasted ten years!
Until he turned forty, which was five days ago, he Rejuvenated again.
The last time he Rejuvenated, he was only thirty years old.
This time, he waited until he was fully forty years old.
Fortunately, this time he was mentally prepared, his life was stable, and he was filled with anticipation.
Finally, five days ago, he captured the overlooked information from the first Rejuvenation.
It turns out his Rejuvenation was not based on age, but based on physical functions and vitality conditions. Whenever the physical functions declined, and vitality started to fail, when the body began to go downhill, he would Rejuvenate.
Simply put, his body only ascends.
The reason for the first Rejuvenation at thirty was because those thirty years were too miserable, especially the despair after returning home humiliated, which daily eroded his vitality. Normally, his lifespan would be estimated at around forty, and his body began to go downhill at thirty.
The subsequent twenty-seven years were relatively stable, especially the last ten years filled with expectation and hope, even though the five years of hellish experience survived, living normally up to fifty should be no problem, so until forty, the body began to fail.
However, this "Rejuvenation" only works when physical functions decline. If killed midway, it would mean true death, while illness, injury, etc., would drain vitality leading to early Rejuvenation.
After Rejuvenating five days ago, as planned, he returned to Purple Cloud Temple with his tokens and letters as only here he could safely pass the early childhood stage.
"This time, the body returned to eight years old, cleared all negative effects, but thoughts and memories remained. With funds prepared from the previous life and supplements enhancing the body from childhood, everything was filled with hope..."
After worshipping the ancestor, Li Ji'an followed True Man Houde back to Qingxin Hall.
"Chang'an, regarding your query about joining the temple, Master has not replied, ask again if you will."
"Master, is there really Immortals in this world?"
"Naturally there are!" True Man Houde assured.
"..." Li Ji'an was slightly taken aback, looking at True Man Houde with some suspicion.
He recalled Liu Deshan scoffed at the idea of Immortals since childhood, saying: "If there are Immortals, why couldn't they save you when you suffered so much? Instead, it was Master who saved you.
I say, if there truly were Immortals, then Master is one."
"Is it due to the position that their perspective changed? Or due to elevation in status and contact with information beyond normal understanding?" Li Ji'an respectfully offered thanks.
True Man Houde then turned to Little Qingyun: "Qingyun, in the future, you brothers must practice martial arts earnestly. I will assist you in entering the Martial Arts Academy in the county city. If you excel in martial arts, you can catch the attention of the Immortal Seeking Envoy in the Prefecture City and, as Immortal Seedling, hope to meet the Immortal Master and seek the path of immortality."
Little Qingyun lowered his head, sneered at his father's words, but secretly scratched Li Ji'an's foot.
"Of course, there are only ten Immortal Seedlings in the whole world every ten years, one cannot be too demanding or obstinate; mastering martial arts, returning to the Daoist Temple still allows one to guard the land." Liu Deshan shifted tone.
"Yes, Master." Seizing the moment to bow again, Li Ji'an exposed Little Qingyun's mischievous act to Liu Deshan's eyes.
"You little... disciple, mischief again." Liu Deshan frowned and walked over with a ruler.
Amidst Little Qingyun's cries for mercy, Li Ji'an felt relieved.
The Immortal Dynasty, legend tells, was granted divine power by an Immortal to the Grand Ancestor, unifying the entire continent.
Immortal Seedling, every ten years, the top graduates of martial arts by counties to prefectures, then into the Imperial City, finally select ten talents under thirty waiting for Immortal Master's arrival to transport them to the Immortal Realm.
As for why martial arts capability is the selection criteria instead of novels' Spirit Root, Li Ji'an did not know.
He was not completely sure if the so-called Immortal Seedling was true.
After all, in a feudal society, mandates from heaven for governance appeasement are very common.
But... at least it is a hope.
If one could truly Ascend to Immortality, it provides hope for longevity, no longer fearing the hellish suffering after each Rejuvenation.
In this society, an eight-year-old child without family or relatives struggles to safely survive till adulthood.
This time, returning due to a familiar senior and pre-last life's mutilation affecting physical and facial development, thirteen looked considerably different from eight, thus returning here.
But this could only happen once, next time the senior brother will no longer be there, and this current appearance has been noted by others, to return again, fearing captivity and forced inquiry of Rejuvenation's secret or suffer long-term torment.
Furthermore, even if one could not Ascend to Immortality, practicing martial arts still provides strength sufficient to eradicate such evil in the world.
Kidnapping children, mutilating lives, all deserve death, chained to the eighteenth level of Hell suffering endless torment unforgiven forever.
After Liu Deshan and son quieted down, Li Ji'an took out an envelope from his bosom.
"Master, this is from Uncle for you."
Upon hearing it's from junior brother, Liu Deshan quickly took it, filled with anticipation.
Although junior brother suffered disability, his will was strong, wise, and clever, with meticulous thoughts always having unique ideas.
Indeed, upon opening the envelope, found inside was a prescription for a medicinal bath useful for children under thirteen years, enhancing bones development effectively.
Such a prescription is a single inheritance by martial academies, a money tree, never easily shared.
If Purple Cloud Temple possessed this formula, financial avenues would expand.
Besides the medicinal bath prescription, there was also one for nourishing bones, enhancing children's root development even better, such prescriptions being hard to find.
These two formulas were meticuloustly researched and developed by Li Ji'an over the decade, differing from Shangyi County Martial Arts Academy's with slight variations, but incorporated strengths of other martial academies.
"Good! Good! Good! My junior brother... Hahaha..." Liu Deshan finished reading the formula and laughed heartily, hurriedly running toward Jade Emperor Hall.
Little Qingyun, observing his father now losing composure repeatedly, sighed: My father seems not as formidable as little brother's father.
"Junior brother, your father is amazing, I'll stick with you!"