Su Shi'er

Cultivators seize the power of creation to achieve longevity, steal the Qi of Heaven and Earth to endure eternally, and refine the essence of the Five Elements for self-preservation.

In the northern part of Muyun Prefecture, there is a Heavenly Absolute Peak, a forbidden land in the eyes of countless cultivators.

And at the foot of Heavenly Absolute Peak, at the entrance to the mountain, lies a thousand-year-old ancient village, Little Stone Village.

Little Stone Village gets its name because all its buildings are constructed from stone.

Legend has it that a thousand years ago, Little Stone Village was established by the descendants of Immortals who lived in seclusion here. However, so much time has passed that the truth is no longer known.

The Little Stone Village of today is inhabited by nothing more than a group of ordinary mortals.

The village has over forty households. They occupy fertile land and occasionally go to Huilong Town outside the mountains to exchange for rare items. Their lives are quite peaceful.

Evening.

In the woods east of Little Stone Village, five children, around ten years old, dressed in coarse linen and with sun-darkened skin, were hiding in the grass.

In the center, a child held a hemp rope. The other end of the rope was tied to a wooden stick, which propped up a sieve. Some crushed rice grains were scattered beneath it.

Nearby, a wild chicken was peeking out, trying to eat the rice grains. After a moment, it couldn't resist and finally darted inside.

The child decisively pulled the hemp rope in his hand. As the wooden stick fell, the greedy wild chicken was trapped under the sieve.

Seeing this, the children excitedly jumped up and down, clapping and cheering for the child in the middle.

"Wow, you caught it, you really caught it! Shi'er, you're so clever!"

"Brother Shi'er, you're amazing! Can I marry you when I grow up?"

"Shi'er, my mom said there are Immortals coming to Huilong Town to recruit disciples these few days. You're so smart, maybe you can become a disciple of an Immortal."

The little boy called Shi'er rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Forget it! You little fatty can't even count to three, what do you know? Do you really think it's that easy to become a disciple of an Immortal? Besides, what's the point of cultivating? Isn't it good to stay in the village with Grandpa?"

"Alright! You little flatterers, I've already taught you the method! You guys play on your own!"

After the little boy finished speaking, he walked to the sieve.

He skillfully reached behind it, pulled out the wild chicken trapped inside, and turned to walk towards the river not far away.

Shi'er's full name was Su Shi'er. He had lived with his grandfather since he was young, growing up on food from various families.

He was intelligent from a young age and learned everything quickly. In the village, he was like a king among children.

Su Shi'er arrived at the riverbank, skillfully bled and plucked the wild chicken. He then took out a fist-sized, tattered, miniature alchemy furnace from his embrace.

The alchemy furnace was filled with salt. Su Shi'er reached out, grabbed a pinch, and sprinkled it on the prepared wild chicken.

Afterward, he tore off a lotus leaf to wrap the wild chicken, then coated the outside with a layer of mud.

The alchemy furnace had three round feet and a belly. Its body was carved with intricate patterns of flowers, birds, fish, and insects. It was unclear what material it was made of—neither gold nor wood, neither jade nor stone. It was impervious to water and fire, and could not be damaged by a knife.

He had secretly retrieved it from the rafters of his home. His grandfather treasured the alchemy furnace and never let him touch it. Before, Su Shi'er hadn't paid much attention to it, as he thought it was just a strange, broken old furnace.

However, one time when he was making beggar's chicken, he casually used this alchemy furnace to hold salt.

As a result, he found that the salt stored in the alchemy furnace became exceptionally crystalline. The beggar's chicken made with this salt was exceptionally fragrant and crispy. After eating it, his mind became clear, and his thoughts became exceptionally agile.

From then on, no matter where his grandfather hid it, he could find it! Of course, he was beaten for it many times.

This time, he planned to make it for his grandfather to try.

"Heh heh, the old man must have never eaten such delicious roast chicken. This time, I'll definitely surprise him. After he eats it, he won't refuse me using this alchemy furnace anymore!"

Su Shi'er chuckled as he prepared.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind him, "Old man? Which old man?!"

An elder with white hair and beard, hands clasped behind his back, with a wooden stick hidden behind him, was walking towards the river from behind.

The newcomer was Su Shi'er's grandfather, Su Mingren. Su Mingren was the only educated person in the village and held high prestige.

"Of course, it's my Grandpa... Old man, why are you here?!" Su Shi'er answered without thinking. He turned his head and saw his grandfather walking towards him with the stick, startling him. The wild chicken he was handling slipped from his grasp.

"Calling someone an 'old man' to their face, have you read all those sage books for nothing?"

"How many times have I told you, you absolutely cannot take out this furnace! You little rascal, you've found it again! Today, I'll beat you to death!"

Su Mingren stared at the alchemy furnace in Su Shi'er's hand, his beard bristling. He brandished the wooden stick behind his back and made a move to strike.

Su Shi'er had already been watching his grandfather's every move. Before his grandfather could make a move, he stuffed the alchemy furnace into his chest, gave a jolt, and agilely dashed out, running towards the village.

As he ran, Su Shi'er looked back and shouted, "Old man, I was trying to make roast chicken for you, and you... you're going to hit me! You're not being fair!"

"I'm not being fair? You little rascal, have you forgotten who raised you!"

Su Mingren, holding the wooden stick, chased after him angrily.

"It's one thing for you to climb on the roof and tear off tiles, or steal chickens and dogs! I hide this furnace wherever I can, and you find it wherever I hide it. Are you trying to pick a fight with this thing!"

Although Su Shi'er was young, he was not slow when running. As he ran, he turned back to make a face at his grandfather, "Old man, this alchemy furnace is a family heirloom anyway. It'll be mine sooner or later, right? What's the difference between giving it to me sooner or later?"

Su Mingren chased closely behind, his face turning green with anger, "You little rascal, if I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know the gravity of the situation."

This alchemy furnace had been passed down for who knows how many generations, and no one knew what it was used for anymore.

Su Mingren only knew that his father had instructed him before his death to keep it safe and absolutely not let anyone know, otherwise, it would bring about a deadly disaster.

He had no intention of letting Su Shi'er know about this matter until the very last moment.

Su Shi'er kept looking back. Seeing that his grandfather was truly angry, he felt a little scared.

Taking advantage of his youthful agility, he circled around the village a few times. When no one was paying attention, he found a haystack and burrowed into it.

Su Mingren, after all, was getting on in years. After circling a few times, his face was flushed, and he could no longer run.

However, after all, he was the grandson Su Mingren had raised himself, and he knew his grandson's temper better than anyone.

After a full circle, Su Mingren's gaze locked onto a haystack not far away.

Carrying a wooden stick, Su Mingren tiptoed to the haystack and grabbed Su Shi'er, who was peeking out from inside.

"Hmph! You little rascal, you're quite good at hiding! Let's see where you can run today..."

As Su Mingren was scolding him, a series of exclamations suddenly reached his ears.

"Hey, everyone, look quickly, why is there someone flying in the sky?"

"Heavens, can people really fly in the sky?"

"Who is it? That's an Immortal Master! That Immortal Master seems to be heading towards our village?!"

Throughout the village, figures looked up at the sky, and for a moment, exclamations rose one after another.

Su Mingren also looked up.

In the air, a figure completely wrapped in black clothing, trailing a streak of light, was flying towards Little Stone Village.

Upon seeing the black figure, Su Mingren's pupils contracted sharply, and his expression changed instantly. He then shoved Su Shi'er back into the haystack and said sternly, "Shi'er, listen to Grandpa. From now on, hide in here and absolutely do not come out!"

"No matter what happens later, you must not come out! Do you hear me?!"

Inside the haystack, Su Shi'er was annoyed that he was going to be beaten today. Suddenly, seeing his grandfather's unprecedentedly grave expression, he froze and instinctively nodded.

Su Mingren quickly hid Su Shi'er and then quickly walked away.