Immortal Fortune Is Hard to Come By

"Back when we fought the Mountain Yue, they had many shamans among them who drove miasma, pestilence, snakes, and insects. The army issued talismans like this to ward off their sorcery. This talisman saved my life, but now its divine light no longer shows; it is no different from a scrap of paper. That is the second thing."

"The Mountain Yue liked to wear animal bones, feathers, and colored glass. I killed some men and stripped these valuable items from their bodies. That is the third thing."

"Tomorrow, I'll take this piece of colored glass and tell your Second Uncle that Xiang Ping picked it up from the river. Whether Li Yesheng saw it or not, we'll insist it was just a shard of colored glass that happened to glimmer under the moonlight."

Li Mutian took out a shard of colored glass, put the items away, and spoke softly to Li Tongya.

"Father has thought it through thoroughly." Li Changhu nodded. "Second Uncle is generous and sees the bigger picture. He will not fuss over such things."

"What a pity Li Yesheng is useless." Li Tongya spoke softly, turning his head to look at his father.

Li Mutian picked up the Mirror Fragment and set it on the wooden table, shaking his head.

"Now we need to see what this treasure does and how to use it. If we're not careful, we may end up drawing water with a bamboo basket—getting nothing for all our trouble."

Lu Jiangxian had listened from within the mirror all this while and formed a plan. He could not move within the mirror. Whether he wished to protect himself or escape from it, if he wanted to find a path through the long immortal road that he himself could walk, he would have to rely on the manpower and resources of this land.

The Li Clan came from farming stock, with shallow foundations, yet every one of them was outstanding.

The father, Li Mutian, possessed courage and insight. The eldest son, Li Changhu, was smooth in handling affairs and generous by nature. The second son, Li Tongya, was brave, sharp, decisive, and dared to fight and strive. Li Xiangping and Li Chijing were also quick-witted and clever. They truly made the finest possible choice.

Besides, he had neither hands nor feet; he could neither walk nor run. Never mind replacing them—was he supposed to remain silent and let them throw him back into the river like trash, trapped in silence for a hundred years? No matter what, I should first go north and take a look, even if only from afar. With that thought, Lu Jiangxian drove the current within him toward the upper-left corner of the Mirror Body.

Inside the room, the Li brothers fiddled with the Mirror Fragment for half the day without discovering anything. They were extremely careful, afraid of knocking it and losing their immortal fortune. The moonlight felt cool and pleasant like water beneath their fingers, yet it could neither be blown nor sucked away.

It was not until Li Xiangping picked up the Mirror Fragment and lightly stroked its surface that Lu Jiangxian circulated his energy. The upper-left corner of the mirror suddenly lit up. Li Xiangping shuddered in fright and called out repeatedly, not knowing whether to hold it or set it down.

Li Tongya stepped closer to look. A bright white arc of light had appeared in the upper-left corner of the Mirror Body, thin at both ends and thick in the middle, exceedingly beautiful. Only after several breaths did it slowly fade.

"Brother, it lit up!" Li Xiangping said excitedly in a hushed voice.

Li Tongya took the Mirror Fragment and copied Li Xiangping, brushing its surface once. Sure enough, a streak of white light appeared. He passed the Mirror Fragment to his father, signaling for him to do the same.

Li Mutian and Li Changhu both stroked the Mirror Fragment and clicked their tongues in praise.

But Li Tongya gave a soft exclamation. He took the Mirror Fragment from his elder brother, turned his back to the others, and stroked it.

"Father, no matter where one strokes this thing, the faint light it gives off always points north. It is like..." Li Tongya stared solemnly at the Mirror Fragment in his hand.

"A South-Pointing Chariot." Li Mutian nodded.

Lu Jiangxian could not help applauding wildly inside the mirror. This boy is truly clever—one hint, and he understands! First, go to the village entrance.

Li Mutian stroked his beard, then turned and went back inside. Calling to the children, he said, "Bring a string of cured meat. We're going to visit the teacher."

Li Yesheng wiped at his eyes as he entered his own front yard, kicking pebbles along the path and cursing under his breath.

"What treasure are they hiding? Just a few melons, and they treat them like precious gems. Those bastards even came carrying knives in the middle of the night. They've got guilty consciences!" He sat down on a stone, and an idea suddenly came to him.

"Li Mutian's been out roaming for over twenty years. He must have plenty of good things on him! So he really does have treasure." He quietly began calculating.

"Those bastards are stubborn as iron. You couldn't squeeze mud from between their fingers. The old man is old and stubborn too, and he would rather die than open his mouth. Otherwise, once Li Mutian dies, we should all get a share of his things!"

Li Yesheng tilted his head toward the courtyard gate. His younger brother, Li Yesheng, entered timidly. Li Yesheng glared and cursed loudly:

"You brat, get your ass over here!"

He grabbed his brother by the clothes and flung him before the house. Li Yesheng rolled miserably across the ground, then curled into a frightened ball.

"I heard you're close with that dog Li Xiangping. Tomorrow, go to his house and steal a couple of melons for us to eat." He cursed viciously.

Li Mutian led the three children from the end of the village toward its entrance. Villagers resting against their thresholds along the way greeted him with smiles. "Uncle Mutian! Where are you headed?"

"Taking something to the teacher!"

Li Mutian smiled and lifted the cured meat in his hand.

When they reached the village entrance, Li Mutian looked around, patted Li Tongya and Li Xiangping on the shoulders, and said quietly:

"Go."

The two understood. Bending low, they swiftly vanished into the dense Reed Marshes.

Li Mutian gazed worriedly into the distance. His eldest son could not help reminding him:

"We should have told them long ago that if they encounter anything divine or strange, they must only look from afar and then retreat. They must not linger."

"Tong Ya knows his limits."

Li Mutian narrowed his eyes as every calculation flickered through his mind like passing light and shadow.

He understood that tonight, he might lose two sons, though Li Changhu would remain to carry on the line. Yet perhaps the children would return safely and bring the Li Clan an opportunity to soar to great heights. Guilt tormented him deeply, and he clenched his fists.

"Two hundred years."

For two full centuries, the Li Clan had faced the yellow earth with their backs to the sky on this land. Faced with a possible stroke of fortune, Li Mutian had rationally made the choice that best served the clan's interests, yet emotionally he was in immense pain.

"Brother Li!"

The courtyard gate suddenly flew open, interrupting Li Mutian's thoughts. The teacher, Han Wenxu, stood there holding a small bowl and staring blankly at him.

"Teacher."

A hearty smile appeared on Li Mutian's face. He strode up to the platform and set the cured meat on the wooden table.

"How could I accept this?" Han Wenxu said with a smile and a nod.

He took the cured meat, broke off a piece and carefully sliced it onto a small dish. He stir-fried some pickled vegetables and served them on another small dish. The two moved out a small table, poured two little cups of rice wine, and sat before the gate to chat.

"At last, those immortals flying high and low in the Heavenly Realm have stopped coming." Li Mutian let out a long breath, his expression relaxing.

Han Wenxu shrugged, then clicked his tongue in admiration as he replied, "Immortals!"

"When I was twelve, an immortal came to our town." He pressed his lips together and spoke wistfully.

"He said he was looking for those whose apertures had opened. Of more than a thousand children in the entire town, he found only three whose apertures had opened, then took those three away. Among the immortals now flying high and low in the Heavenly Realm, perhaps there is one from my hometown."

"Immortal fortune is hard to come by!" After a long silence, Li Mutian offered consolation.

"Immortal fortune is hard to come by, immortal fortune is hard to come by..."

Han Wenxu stared blankly at the moon in the sky, repeating those words over and over.

Each harbored his own thoughts. Burdened with worry, the two fell silent.