On the Road

Amidst the mountain forest.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The ground trembled slightly, kicking up clouds of dust. A caravan of five horse-drawn carriages laden with various supplies, flanked by a guard of forty or fifty men, was making its way through the woods.

"Faster! Pick up the pace! We're only ten miles from Dawan Village!"

"Don't slack off! Push through to the destination, and you'll have plenty of time to rest!"

A team leader in grey, close-fitting attire patrolled back and forth, his face taut as he shouted orders.

The commoners within the caravan, already exhausted from the long trek, could only grit their teeth and force themselves to carry on, their minds filled with the thought that they could finally rest once they reached their destination.

At this moment, At the front of the caravan, On either side of the most ornate carriage, two tall steeds trotted slightly ahead, guarding the flanks.

Sitting atop the horse on the left was an old man of sixty or seventy. Though his temples were frosted with age, his eyes remained sharp and piercing. A Decapitation Broadsword was slung diagonally across his back, and his entire being radiated an aura of fierce, seasoned courage.

To the right was a man with an honest, simple face and a burly build. Hanging from his waist was a mace over three feet long, its head studded with ferocious iron spikes and weighing several hundred pounds.

"Xiaochuan, your old man is truly biased! Regardless of everything, you are his son. Even if we couldn't be like those eldest young masters and go to major cities to serve as city lords and live in luxury, we should at least be sent to some small town to manage things, right? What kind of business is it to be exiled to this godforsaken Dawan Village?"

"We've been traveling for three months just to get here. This place is likely the very edge of what your Shen Family of Tiannan City can control!"

"What possible benefit could this backwater hole have for your cultivation?"

The fierce old man grumbled while riding his steed, his rough palm occasionally patting the horse's head, causing it to snort.

His words were filled with indignation regarding the treatment of the young man inside the carriage.

"Grandfather, the Family Head has over fifty children. I am merely one of the many unremarkable concubine-born sons."

"Though I am called a son of the Family Head, in the eyes of a great cultivation family like the Shen Family, I am no different from a servant."

Inside the carriage, Fifteen-year-old Shen Changchuan spoke calmly, his face bearing a maturity that belied his years.

As he spoke, his expression remained largely unchanged.

"This assignment to garrison and manage Dawan Village was something my mother paid a heavy price to secure for me."

"It is only because Dawan Village is far from Tiannan City, located at the very border of the Shen Family's influence, and has no income other than the Spirit Grain produced by the spirit fields, that it could fall into my hands."

"Otherwise, for a wealthy town near Tiannan City, someone of my status wouldn't even dare to dream of it."

At this point, Shen Changchuan could not help but sigh, Slowly explaining to the fierce old man beside him.

The seasoned old man, named Han Qinhu, was Shen Changchuan's maternal grandfather.

Han Qinhu had originally been a common farmer from a mountain village, but he was born with extraordinary talent. In his youth, he could wrestle tigers and leopards, and later, under the guidance of a master, he mastered the art of the broadsword.

After reaching adulthood, he traveled the world and earned a reputation as a hero among men.

Yet, even a renowned Xiantian hero of the mortal world was nothing in the eyes of a cultivator.

It was said that many years ago, Han Qinhu suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a cultivator, which led him to abandon his life of wandering, return to his hometown, marry, and have three sons and two daughters.

As for exactly what kind of humiliation he suffered before that cultivator, Han Qinhu's lips were sealed tight; he had guarded the secret for half a lifetime, and no one knew the truth.

Twenty years ago, By a stroke of luck, the middle-aged Han Qinhu managed to make a connection with a steward of the Shen Family, a cultivation clan, and sent his beautiful daughter—who was famous far and wide—to serve as a maid in the Shen household.

A few years later, Shen Changchuan's "cheap" father—whom he secretly maligned in his heart as a human seed-sower—the Shen Family Head, Shen Fuxing, had an accidental encounter with Shen Changchuan's mother after a night of heavy drinking, and thus, Shen Changchuan was born.

It was precisely because of this that, Compared to the eldest young masters born to the First Madam and Second Madam—who were products of marriages between cultivation families—or the concubine-born sons and daughters of various mortal royal and noble families, Shen Changchuan's status was arguably the lowest among the fifty-plus children of his "human seed-sower" father.

After all, the influence of his mother's family was, in the eyes of other noble clans, royal families, and even immortal sects, almost equivalent to that of a common mortal farmer.

It was only because he possessed a shred of cultivation talent, combined with the mature mindset of his past life and his cautious conduct, that he managed to survive in the treacherous Shen Family Estate; otherwise, he would have lived even worse than a servant.

After all, Within a great cultivation family like the Shen Family, there was no such thing as brotherly love or filial piety among the descendants.

"Actually, being further away is better. It suits my wishes perfectly. At the very least, I can avoid the infighting within the family and stay clear of the vortex of the First and Second Madams' struggle."

"Otherwise, with my fragile constitution, even the smallest ripple stirred up in the family would be enough to smash me against the shore."

Speaking of this, Shen Changchuan felt a lingering sense of dread.

This was not him worrying needlessly; it was a very real possibility.

Two years ago, one of his "cheap" brothers had simply shown a bit too much talent for cultivation, and as a result, he was found dead, having committed "suicide" with seven stabs to his own back.

The sinister power struggles within these great clans—how could a commoner like him, born a mere nobody in his past life, ever hope to participate in them?

To be honest, back when he was at the Shen Mansion, he could be said to have lived in constant trepidation and terror, fearing that he might lose his life at any moment for reasons unknown.

By comparison, being sent out to this Dawan Village, far removed from Tiannan City, could hardly be any worse than that.

"Sigh, that is true."

"It may be far, but at least there isn't all that nonsense to deal with."

Hearing this, Han Qinhu opened his mouth and muttered aloud, though his voice dropped low, clearly not daring to discuss the private affairs of an immortal clan's inner courtyard in public.

Yet, he was perfectly clear about the situation in his heart. The power struggle between the First Madam and the Second Madam in the inner courtyard of the Shen Clan head, Shen Fuxing, was something even the outside world had heard whispers of. As Shen Changchuan's maternal grandfather, he knew even deeper inside information. It was just that, as a mere mortal, Han Qinhu dared not delve too deeply into such private matters.

After all, disaster comes from the mouth. Having roamed the pugilistic world in his youth and experienced the ways of the world, Han Qinhu understood what could be said and what could not.

"I heard that a total of twelve mu of spirit fields have been cultivated in Dawan Village. If managed well, after paying the clan's share, it could serve as a high-quality foundation."

In truth, Han Qinhu had no dissatisfaction with being stationed at Dawan Village. As a mere mortal in the eyes of the immortal clan, what right did he have to be picky? One had to know that many great heroes who shook the human world would serve as dogs for the immortal clans for years without ever tasting a single bowl of spirit rice.

And Dawan Village, it was said, possessed a full twelve mu of spirit fields! As long as the annual quota of Spirit Grain required by the Shen Clan was met, the remainder belonged to the guardian. Relying on the connection to his grandson, he might just get to taste that spirit rice consumed by those on the path of cultivation. That was a precious commodity that, if consumed year-round, offered a chance to achieve Qi Induction!

It was precisely for this reason that when he received word from his daughter that his own grandson, Shen Changchuan, was to be sent out to guard a post and needed help, he had abandoned most of his family wealth and business, bringing his eldest son, Han Dayong, and the majority of his servants to follow his grandson to his new post.

To put it nicely, he was going to help his grandson, lend a hand, and assist in managing the personnel of the outpost. To put it bluntly, he was eagerly latching on, hoping that when one person attains the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, and that he could cling to his grandson's coattails to give his own family's younger generation a boost. How many famous martial arts heroes out there wanted to be dogs for the immortal clans but lacked the path to do so? If not for that layer of blood relation, how could such a good thing ever fall to him, Han Qinhu?

His earlier muttering was merely to voice his indignation at the treatment of his grandson, Shen Changchuan. In reality, he was looking forward to this trip to Dawan Village with bated breath. He had barely slept for days leading up to their departure. How could he possibly have any reason to truly despise it?

Shen Changchuan chatted idly with his grandfather, Han Qinhu, taking the opportunity to broaden his own horizons, having grown up in the deep confines of a great mansion, and to learn about the general state of the mortal world. To his right, his eldest uncle, Han Dayong, rode in silence, unable to squeeze out a single word for half the day, nor did he join in their idle chatter.

Just then, suddenly, "Ah!" A shrill, miserable scream erupted from the road ahead. Shen Changchuan was jolted into alertness. Something had happened!