In Mortal Hearthfire Lies Fleeting Warmth; in the Cloud Sea of the Immortal Path Lurks an Unspeakable Chill

"Water's here~ Water's here~"

Zhang Tiedan carried a basin of water and hurried to the bedside.

As he ran, water splashed everywhere.

The Middle-aged Woman was furious.

She took the basin and kicked the boy squarely in the backside.

"Ow, damn it!"

Zhang Tiedan cried out and went sprawling face-first onto the floor.

His head struck the table leg with a bang.

Yet even so, he did not cry.

Instead, he touched his nose, rubbed his head, got to his feet, and walked to the bedside.

He curiously stared at the utterly frail Zhang Xuanchen.

After glancing at his mother as she propped Zhang Xuanchen up and fed him water, he turned to the Maiden beside him. "Sis, is he a man or a ghost? Didn't that old doctor say he was dead for sure? How did he survive?"

Smack!

Zhang Qingqing slapped Zhang Tiedan on the forehead.

"How many times have I told you? He's been breathing all along. If you keep cursing him to die, I'll beat you up."

"Sis, why'd you hit me? I was telling the truth. Oh~ I get it. You want him to be your husband, like Mom and Dad. These past few days, you've always been staring blankly at his face. I saw it!"

After saying that, Zhang Tiedan crossed his arms, a smug smile appearing on his face as though he were terribly clever.

At those words, the waxy yellow skin on Zhang Qingqing's face instantly flushed crimson.

She admitted that Zhang Xuanchen was very handsome—the most handsome man she had ever seen.

But she definitely did not like him. Definitely not.

"Iron Egg, you... don't talk nonsense."

"Oho, Sis, you're blushing, you're blushing! I hit the mark, didn't I? I hit the mark, didn't I? Hahaha!"

As the two bickered and played around—

Zhang Xuanchen hazily opened his eyes. Looking at the shabby, simple furnishings around him and the squabbling siblings, he weakly asked, "I... where am I?"

As he spoke, he struggled to sit up.

The moment he moved, a wave of excruciating pain surged through his body.

Hiss!

Zhang Xuanchen sucked in a breath and gave up struggling.

Aside from several deeper wounds, all the other places cut by the leaves had already healed.

But his nearly severed meridians and displaced internal organs constantly reminded him not to make any large movements.

"This is Little Village. Half a month ago, you were covered in blood and unconscious on the beach outside. Qingqing and Tiedan carried you back. At the time, we called for the most famous doctor in the village. He said you'd lost too much blood, your internal organs were all displaced, and even immortals couldn't save you. He didn't even prescribe medicine, just told us to find a place and bury you. But I saw that you were still breathing, so I didn't do it. I planned to bury you once you stopped breathing. Who would've thought you'd stubbornly survive? Some people in the village even say you're one of those legendary immortals."

Though the Middle-aged Woman spoke rather bluntly, Zhang Xuanchen was not the least bit angry.

He knew that without this family, he might not have survived until now.

There were no shortage of wild beasts active at night.

He immediately thanked her. "Thank you for saving my life. Once my injuries recover, I will certainly repay you."

The Middle-aged Woman smiled and shook her head.

"We didn't save you because we wanted anything from you. Like rain from the heavens, it doesn't choose only good fields to water. Back when we were in danger, others helped us. We couldn't just watch a life die before our eyes without doing something. Besides, surviving was your own ability. It didn't have much to do with us. Rest here and heal properly. Leave whenever you've recovered. I'll go make you some food."

With that, the Middle-aged Woman carefully helped Zhang Xuanchen lie flat on the bed, then carried the iron basin toward the kitchen.

After her mother left, Zhang Qingqing glanced at the youth with faintly reddened cheeks and softly said, "You... that little bag at your waist and that mask are on the cabinet by the bed. We didn't touch them."

Then she hurried out to help in the kitchen.

Only Zhang Tiedan remained in the room, filthy and sniffling, staring wide-eyed at Zhang Xuanchen.

"Hey, kid, bring me that little cloth bag. Once I'm better, how about I buy you candied hawthorns?"

Upon hearing there would be candied hawthorns, a gleam flashed through Zhang Tiedan's eyes, and drool nearly spilled from his mouth.

But in the next moment, he composed himself.

With a solemn expression, he said, "I'm not called kid. I'm Zhang Tiedan! And don't think you can buy me off. To save you, my mom and sister gave you the big bed, and they spent all their money too. You have to pay that back. Otherwise, I... I... won't bring you the little cloth bag."

The little boy thought for a long time but could not come up with any threatening words.

In the end, he could only use the little bag as leverage.

Hearing Zhang Tiedan's words, Zhang Xuanchen was taken aback.

He had not said much, but his words contained much.

Looking at the shabby, simple surroundings—

And the patch-covered clothes he himself was wearing—

Zhang Xuanchen knew that Tiedan had not lied.

His heart swelled with countless emotions.

What a kind-hearted family.

He immediately agreed. "All right, I'll remember it. Once I'm healed, I'll definitely return the money to you. And how about I help you build a big house too?"

"I don't want that. I only want my family's own money. My sister said that even if we're poor, we must have dignity and backbone."

Zhang Tiedan shook his head in refusal without the slightest hesitation.

Then he brought over a stool and took the little cloth bag and mask from the cabinet, placing them by Zhang Xuanchen's hand.

"Good. You've got ambition. I believe you'll surely accomplish great things in the future."

Hearing Zhang Xuanchen's praise, Zhang Tiedan put his hands on his hips and sniffled. "Hehe, of course, of course. I'm the pillar of this family."

Then he looked at Zhang Xuanchen with a face full of curiosity and asked, "Are you an immortal?"

"Do you think I'm an immortal?"

"I don't think so. Immortals can soar to heaven and burrow into the earth, capable of anything. How could they be as miserable as you?"

Those words happened to be heard by Zhang Qingqing, who had come in to fetch a kettle.

Furious, she rushed into the room, grabbed the boy by the ear, and gave it a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree twist, making Iron Egg howl in pain.

After apologizing to Zhang Xuanchen, she dragged her younger brother out of the room.

Watching this scene, a faint smile appeared on Zhang Xuanchen's face.

It was as though he had seen himself as a child in his previous life.

"Fleeting warmth lies hidden in mortal hearthfire, while the Cloud Sea of the immortal path is wrapped in an unspeakable chill. There has never been any realm beneath heaven that was entirely a smooth road."

After sighing with emotion, Zhang Xuanchen looked toward the Storage Bag by his hand.

He took a deep breath.

His brows drew tight.

Enduring the intense pain, he swiftly took out a Grade 2 High-grade Healing Pill and stuffed it into his mouth.

He then began circulating his cultivation technique to heal his injuries.

Fortunately, his Dantian had not been damaged. Otherwise, let alone circulating his cultivation technique, he would not have been able to release even a thread of spiritual power.

He would have been no different from an ordinary person.

There were pills that could restore the Dantian! But Zhang Xuanchen had only ever read of them in ancient texts!

He had never seen one in reality.

Even if he did find one, the Zhang Family could not afford it.

But the meridians were much easier to treat.

One Grade 2 High-grade Green Spirit Meridian Restoration Pill would be enough to fully restore them.

Unfortunately, Zhang Xuanchen did not have such a pill at the moment.

He could only first heal the injuries other than his meridians, then head to a market town or an immortal city to buy one.

But it was too early to think about such things now. Even moving was difficult.

Everything would have to wait until he regained the ability to act.