The fire crackled in the stove, and Old Jiang finally opened up about his long-forgotten past.
Old Jiang said that the Jiang Family had not always been poor.
Ten years ago, they owned a restaurant and an inn in Green Forest Town, and were considered wealthy in the town.
Tingting's father, Jiang Ming, possessed extraordinary talent and was even regarded as a key candidate for cultivation by the elders of the Grotto-Heaven.
Tingting's mother was the daughter of a cultivator from a neighboring town. The two met and fell in love in the Yanxia Cave Heaven, and after their marriage, they had Tingting. Their lives should have been getting better and better.
"But ever since!!!"
Tears streamed down Old Jiang's face, etched with wrinkles.
A year ago, Ming'er and his wife received a mission to collect spiritual herbs in Black Wind Abyss.
Old Jiang's voice choked with emotion, "They never came back. The people of Yanxia Cave Heaven said they encountered Lightning Bird in Black Wind Abyss and both perished."
" Li Hu, the seventh young master of the Li Family, entered the family at the same time as Ming'er, but was always overshadowed by Jiang Ming."
Later, Li Hu committed a heinous act: he embezzled the spiritual herbs distributed by the sect and framed his fellow disciple for it.
Ming'er couldn't stand it anymore, so she exposed him in public, and from then on, the two became mortal enemies.
"Although Yanxia Cave Heaven has its own rules, it also emphasizes power and factions."
Li Hu's uncle was an outer sect elder of the Grotto-Heaven, who secretly suppressed him and assigned him dangerous missions on numerous occasions. However, Ming'er, thanks to his outstanding cultivation and the appreciation of the sect elders, never fell.
Li Qingshan's eyes darkened, and he understood.
This is exactly the same as the original text he knew.
Tingting's parents were victims of the poisonous actions of the seventh young master of the Li Family.
"That day, Ming'er told his wife that he was going into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs, saying that he had found a valley rich in spiritual resources."
Old Jiang's voice was hoarse, filled with profound sorrow, "Who would have thought that this departure would be a one-way trip, never to return?"
The old man's body trembled slightly with grief, his cloudy eyes staring into the Void, as if he had returned to the day the devastating news arrived.
"Later, the people from Yanxia Cave Heaven said that they found torn clothes and bloodstains at the foot of the cliff to the north."
They said they encountered the most ferocious Lightning Bird in that mountain range.
The words stopped there. Old Jiang's withered hands gripped the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles white, as if he wanted to crush that past soaked in blood and tears.
"They couldn't even find a complete corpse."
His voice choked with emotion, tears streaming down his face, "My poor, unfortunate son, and my kind wife, just like that, just like that, gone."
Li Qingshan listened quietly.
The firelight illuminated the crisscrossing tear tracks and endless sorrow on Old Jiang's face.
"Before the seven-day mourning period had even passed since the person passed away, the Li Family family came knocking on our door."
Old Jiang's voice was hoarse, filled with a profound sense of powerlessness and resentment. "They Ming'er owed the Li Family a debt before his death, forcing us to use the inn and restaurant to pay off the debt. How can we, an orphan and an old man, possibly compete with those cultivators?"
He looked around the cramped eatery, which could only provide shelter from the wind and rain, and an overwhelming sense of sorrow welled up in his heart.
In the end, all that was left for us was this dilapidated ancestral house, which we barely managed to turn into a restaurant to make ends meet.
If it weren't for a few old neighbors in town who still remembered our past friendship and occasionally helped us with rice and grain, the old man and the young woman would probably be long gone,"
The words were unfinished, but the sentiment was already desolate.
The coldness in Li Qingshan's eyes was like the accumulation of glaciers.
He knew all too well how cruel this world was.
The law of the jungle prevails, and the powerful bully the weak. The so-called immortal realms and grotto heavens are no different from the infighting in the mortal world.
What the Li Family did was merely a microcosm of the dark side of this vast world of cultivation.
Shi Hao defied the heavens, but his family and friends were stained with blood on the Border Wasteland.
Ye Fan Heavenly Emperor was revered by all, yet his legacy was filled with endless regrets.
The tragedy of Jiang Ming and his wife is just another tragic song that will be forgotten in this vast world.
His gaze shifted to little Tingting, who was nestled beside her grandfather; the girl's clear eyes reflected the flickering lamplight.
Seemingly understanding this tragic past, she tightly gripped her grandfather's clothes with her little hands.
Li Qingshan's resolve grew stronger.
He looked at the grief-stricken old man and spoke in a calm and solemn tone, "Old man, I am not a member of the Li Family, nor have I come here for revenge."
To be honest, I observe that Tingting possesses extraordinary talent and inner strength, and is Taiyin Physique, making her a cultivation prodigy, one in ten thousand.
With the guidance of a wise teacher, one's future achievements are limitless.
He paused, looking directly into Old Jiang's confused yet hopeful eyes. "I am willing to take Tingting as my disciple, to pass on the great Dao to her, to protect her, and to help her embark on the path of cultivation."
"When he has achieved great things in the future, the blood feud of today may well be avenged."
"Become an apprentice?"
Little Tingting looked up at Li Qingshan with curiosity, her childish voice breaking the heavy atmosphere, "Big brother, what does it mean to become an apprentice?"
Li Qingshan squatted down to be at eye level with the little girl, his voice gentler than ever before. "After you become my disciple, I will be your master."
I will teach you to read and understand principles, impart to you the supreme Dharma, and grant you immense power.
"Once you learn this skill, you'll be able to protect Grandpa, allowing him to enjoy his later years in peace and without fear of being bullied by bad people."
Little Tingting blinked her big, dark eyes, processing what she was saying. Then she turned to look at her grandfather, whose face was streaked with tears, and a determination beyond her years appeared on her little face. "Grandpa, I want to learn skills from Master! I want to protect you!"
That single word, "Master," was clear and natural, as if it had been destined long ago.
Old Jiang looked at his granddaughter, then at Li Qingshan, whose gaze was honest and whose demeanor was extraordinary.
During these days of contact, Li Qingshan brought precious spirit grain powder, interesting picture books, and helped repair the roof.
And the jade pendant that allowed Tingting to sleep peacefully—every little detail speaks to the young man's kindness and reliability.
The Li Family now very powerful and is pressing forward relentlessly.
Instead of doing that, why not strive for a better future for my granddaughter!
The person before her might truly be Tingting's benefactor, a ray of light in the darkness.
Old Jiang took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and pulled Xiao Tingting along, about to bow deeply to Li Qingshan: "Young Master Li, no, Mr. Li!"
On behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Ming'er, and on behalf of the ancestors of the Jiang Family, I thank you for your great kindness!
Tingting is now in your care!
Li Qingshan quickly reached out to support the old man, and a gentle divine force lifted his bowing figure. "Old man, you mustn't!"
Since you have agreed, starting tomorrow when she formally becomes my disciple, Tingting will be my first disciple Li Qingshan's disciple.
I will do my utmost to teach her.
He looked at Xiao Tingting again, extending his broad hand with a solemn expression. " Tingting, would you be willing to become my disciple and follow me in pursuing the supreme path?"
Without hesitation, Xiao Tingting stretched out her little hand and gently placed it in Li Qingshan's palm.
Her palms had the softness unique to children, and a faint, almost imperceptible, coolness.
The instant their hands touched, Li Qingshan felt a subtle fluctuation spontaneously arising within his body, where the Solar Divine Power God, as intense as a furnace under the blazing sun, was surging.
It's not rejection, but rather a natural attraction and harmony, like the meeting of Yin-Yang poles.
Xiao Tingting across from them seemed to sense something as well, letting out a soft "Eh" and blinking her eyes curiously.
She felt an incredible warmth in her future master's hand, which instinctively made her feel close and at ease.
The Taiyin Physique is indeed extraordinary. Even before it has begun cultivation, it can resonate with the Solar Sacred Force of this Dragon Transformation Secret Realm cultivator simply by relying on its original aura.
He composed himself, gently releasing his grip, knowing that now was not the time to delve deeper.
As night deepened, Tingting finally succumbed to sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep on the table.
Old Jiang carried her to the bed in the inner room and covered her with a light blanket.
The girl slept peacefully, a faint smile playing on her lips, perhaps dreaming of a future where she could protect her grandfather.
Li Qingshan stood by the window, gazing at the clear, cold moon in the sky, his thoughts churning.
The Taiyin Physique has been found, and I will formally accept it as my disciple tomorrow.
The path ahead is now clear:
The first priority is to guide Tingting into the path of cultivation, while simultaneously using his own divine power to nourish her meridians and temporarily stabilize the restless Lunar Origin.
Then, he would seek out the Earth Origin Fruit to prolong his life, and then try to obtain the Nine Marvels Immortal Medicine and the Taiyin Ancient Scripture.