The village nestled against the mountains and beside the water. Patch after patch of fertile fields brimmed with lush greenery, while wildflowers bloomed all along the field ridges, giving off a rich fragrance.
Within the village, cooking smoke curled up from every household.
Men, women, old, and young moved back and forth through the village, their faces glowing with joyous smiles.
One unfamiliar face after another flashed rapidly through his mind, then gradually became familiar.
Su Shi'er's body jolted violently, an indescribable tangle of emotions knotting in his heart.
Turning his head, he saw a weathered old man with a bent back and a kindly face, grinning broadly at him.
"What's wrong, Shi'er? Hurry and come home with Grandpa for dinner!"
The aged, concerned voice made Su Shi'er's heart tremble all the more.
Before he could speak, two tears quietly slid from the corners of his eyes.
Had he not embarked on the path of cultivation, had Little Stone Village not suffered that calamity years ago, then everything before him would have been how his life was meant to be.
It was also what he longed for most!
Immortality, eternal life—none of it could compare, in his heart, to living safely and happily with his family.
Even if life was brief, at least his heart would remain at peace. It was better than drifting through the Cultivation World, living in constant fear and uncertainty.
Su Shi'er knew that everything before him was an illusion.
Yet invisibly, it was as though a voice whispered beside his ear, speaking to him without cease: so long as he was willing, everything before him could become real.
Though every string in his heart remained taut and he was filled with vigilance,
the instant that familiar, aged face appeared and tears quietly fell from his