Two Souls Adrift in the Same World

After they arrived at the small, secluded courtyard where the father and son lived, they went their separate ways and returned to their rooms. Lu Liang was busy every day, so getting enough rest was important.

Moonlight spilled through the window and fell beside the bed, keeping the room from growing too dark. Yet Lu Chuan lay in bed, unable to fall asleep.

There was no doubt that his failure to win Jiang Ziya over that evening had dealt him a heavy blow, dashing the beautiful plan he had made.

But he also knew perfectly well that trying to live an ordinary life in a world like this was far too dangerous. There were countless things that could threaten his life.

So he had to cultivate.

The biggest problem facing him now was deciding whom to take as his master. Jiang Ziya was the closest option, but since the man refused to accept him as a disciple, being near at hand didn't mean he could get what he wanted.

But finding another accomplished cultivator...

That would be difficult. King Zhou hadn't yet gone to war with Xiqi, so the eccentric cultivators of the immortal islands overseas and the Three Mountains and Five Peaks hadn't come out of seclusion. They were all holed up in their caves, cultivating.

If he wanted to seek one out, the journey would be long and arduous, with demons and monsters along the way. It would be no different from making a pilgrimage to the Western Heaven.

"What should I do..."

Lu Chuan lay in bed, constantly turning over his next move in his mind.

After a long while,

"Perhaps I still have three paths open to me..."

Lu Chuan murmured, thinking of three possibilities.

The first was to join the Western Sect and cultivate its methods.

Although the Western Sect was more open to accepting disciples, traveling there from the East would mean a longer journey and more demons and monsters. He didn't want to make an early pilgrimage to the Western Heaven.

Besides, he didn't have three disciples to protect him.

This plan would mean going far out of his way, and it carried the greatest risk, so he would set it aside for now.

The second option was to leave home and seek out a renowned master in the East, but even if he set off, deciding whom to approach would still be a problem.

Thinking of the oddballs in Investiture of the Gods who weren't particularly capable and were talked into joining the fight against the Exposition Sect by Shen Gongbao, only to be utterly useless as cannon fodder, made Lu Chuan's head ache.

So even if he went to a famous mountain to seek a master, he'd have to approach disciples of the Chan or Jie Sects. They were both orthodox branches of Xuanmen, and at the very least, he could learn some real skills.

But his most preferred choice of sect—

Was still the Exposition Sect.

Take Guangchengzi and Chi Jingzi, for instance. They were pretty good. When their disciples went down the mountain, they gave them all their magic treasures, only for those disciples to turn against them and rub their faces into the ground.

Now that was sincerity!

But reaching the places where these people cultivated wouldn't be easy. The journey would certainly be arduous and perilous, so this was his second-best option.

As for the best option...

Lu Chuan thought of Jiang Ziya again.

After all, he was a disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Lord. A great master produced great disciples. Even if his aptitude was poor, he still had real abilities, and he lived nearby, making this the least risky choice.

"Never mind. I'll keep at it and wait a while before trying to approach Jiang Ziya again."

Lu Chuan thought to himself, "I've heard that some great cultivators like to test aspiring disciples by refusing them at first, to see if they're truly determined to learn. If I give up this early, then I really won't have a chance."

After thinking it over, he decided that Jiang Ziya's refusal that day might have been such a test.

Of course, if Jiang Ziya still refused next time, he couldn't waste his time hanging himself from a single tree.

Only after he had thought everything through did Lu Chuan close his eyes, satisfied, and go to sleep.

The next day, having stayed up late worrying about finding a master, Lu Chuan slept until lunchtime.

Lu Chuan got dressed, washed up, and went outside. The sun was shining brightly. He had just stretched when Lu Liang returned with a food box.

Lu Liang glanced at him and scolded, "I'm telling you, young people can't be this lazy. How are you going to manage once you start a family?"

"I haven't started one yet, have I?"

Lu Chuan followed him into the room, speechless. His father really did have all the authority. The two of them sat around the low table.

Lu Liang said, "I've made up my mind. Since you've recovered, starting tomorrow, you'll go to the accounts office and learn bookkeeping from the clerk."

"What?"

Lu Chuan asked in surprise, "Dad, you're not really planning to make me a servant too, are you?"

Servants had very low status in those days.

Although he lived with the Song family, he hadn't signed a contract or become a servant of Song Mansion. After all, given what he had been like before, what use would he have been as a servant?

Lu Liang reached out and tapped Lu Chuan on the head. "You little rascal, do you think it's easy to get into Song Mansion? Plenty of people wish they could get in, but never get the chance..."

Lu Chuan could only smile bitterly. What could he say? That he didn't want to be a servant?

He couldn't even support himself right now. What gave him the right to say that?

"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and eat."

Lu Liang looked up and reminded his son to eat, but when he saw Lu Chuan, he fell silent too.

"If you don't want to stay at Song Mansion, I'll go find you a house here in Song Family Village tomorrow."

Lu Liang smiled. "You're all better now, and you can live on your own without me looking after you. Once you have a house, you can get married and start a family."

"What about you, Dad?"

Lu Chuan looked at Lu Liang and asked, "Are you planning to spend your whole life working for the Song family..."

"Heh, I eat and drink well at Song Mansion, and aside from the Song family themselves, I'm the man in charge. Why shouldn't I stay?"

Lu Liang laughed heartily. "Besides, the Song family pays better than other places. Your dad earns five taels of silver a month. Once you start a family, my wages can help you out, can't they..."

Silver?

Lu Chuan froze. They already had silver at this time?

He thought the currency during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods had been knife coins and the like. Before that, people had bartered, or used shells as currency.

Lu Chuan quietly voiced his doubts.

"In the Ancient Era, the Human King Great Yu settled the realm, received Heaven's mandate, divided it into the Nine Provinces, cast the Nine Cauldrons, and established currency..."

Lu Chuan fell silent after hearing this. Sure enough, a world with immortals and demons had a history unlike the real one.

"Mm. I'll look for a house when I have some free time over the next couple of days. I'll find one as soon as possible so you can move in."

Lu Liang smiled. "Then I can find you a new wife and arrange your wedding."

At this, Lu Liang himself grew so happy that he chuckled with delight.

"..." Lu Chuan.

Dad, you're finding a wife for me. What are you grinning foolishly about over there?

"Dad, what about my mother? I've never heard you mention her."

After Lu Liang had finished indulging in his happiness, Lu Chuan suddenly asked. He had never once heard Lu Liang talk about his mother.

Lu Liang paused. A flicker of pain and sorrow crossed his eyes. He shook his head and said, "She died."

"She died?"

Lu Chuan stared blankly for a moment, then murmured, "Please don't tell me she died in childbirth when she had me."

If that was really the case, it would be such a cliché.

The moment he mentioned his wife, Lu Liang's mood turned sour. He couldn't eat anymore. Setting down his bowl, he stared blankly at the food on the table.

This was the first time Lu Chuan had seen Lu Liang like this. He lowered his head and finished his meal, then resolved never to ask Lu Liang about his mother again.

After the meal, Lu Chuan went out for a walk to help his food settle. He hadn't gone far when he ran into Jiang Ziya.

"Hey, Lu Chuan, where's your master?"

Lu Chuan had thought it would be awkward to see Jiang Ziya after the previous night, so he'd planned to wait a couple of days before approaching him again.

He hadn't expected to step outside and bump into him so soon.

But the truth was, he and Jiang Ziya were probably the two most idle people in Song Mansion.

Lu Chuan shook his head and said, "I don't know. I went to bed too late last night and didn't wake until noon. Does Elder Jiang have business with the master?"

"It's nothing much. I just haven't seen him for most of the day since I got up," Jiang Ziya said with a smile.

As they spoke, the two had already made their way to the front courtyard.

"Oh, the master's back."

Lu Chuan suddenly pointed toward the entrance. A carriage had pulled up and stopped outside. The curtain lifted, and Song Yiren bent down as he stepped out of the carriage.

Jiang Ziya hurried forward to greet him at the gate. "Elder Brother, where have you been today?"

After getting out of the carriage, Song Yiren cupped his hands toward Jiang Ziya and began cheerfully, "Congratulations, worthy younger brother!"

"May I ask, Elder Brother, what is this happy occasion you're congratulating me for?"

Jiang Ziya looked at Song Yiren in confusion, then turned to look at Lu Chuan.

"Looks like Song Yiren's been playing matchmaker."

His father was pushing him to get married, and Jiang Ziya was being pushed toward the altar by his sworn elder brother.

Ah, they were two souls adrift in the same world!

Sure enough, Song Yiren laughed. "I went out of the village today to find you a match, younger brother. I've settled it already. Congratulations, younger brother! Hahaha..."

Watching the plump, good-natured Master Song, Lu Chuan nearly burst out laughing.

He'd arranged it before telling Jiang Ziya. That plump Master Song had pulled a masterful move: first he'd sealed the deal, and then Jiang Ziya would have to agree whether he liked it or not.

"What?!"

Jiang Ziya looked as if a muffled thunderclap had struck him. He stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

Lu Chuan had been smiling, but suddenly he couldn't smile anymore. He hoped his father wouldn't pull the same trick on him...

"Th-this... This..."

Jiang Ziya was at a loss for words and didn't know what to do. In the end, he could only heave a sigh and smile bitterly. "Elder Brother, may I ask whose daughter you've chosen?"

"The daughter of Ma Hong, a wealthy man from Ma Family Village. She's practically my younger sister."

Song Yiren said proudly, "There's nothing to fault about her. She's both talented and beautiful. Though she's sixty-eight, she's still an unmarried maiden. She's just right for you, younger brother."

A sixty-eight-year-old spinster?

And talented and beautiful?

Lu Chuan's face twitched. The old lady was nearly seventy, with half her body already in the grave, and she still wanted to carry on the family line?