Huai'an

Huai'an Lane, West City of Yongzhou.

Huai'an Lane is still Huai'an Lane, quiet Anning, but the Su Mansion is no longer the same Su Mansion.

The Su Household suddenly became wealthy more than 20 years ago, but instead of moving away from this old alley to the places where powerful and influential families lived in the east or north of the city, they bought up several small courtyards in the neighborhood, demolished the walls and merged the houses, expanding it into a large mansion with five courtyards.

Only the outermost gate remains unchanged, just as it was back then. The two osmanthus trees in front of the gate have grown extremely lush, their branches gnarled and their dense shade covering half of the alley.

A pair of brand-new lanterns hung under the porch, their red gauze glowing brightly, the ink on which the two characters "Su Residence" were still fresh, as if they had just been written recently.

Deep within the mansion stands an old house with blue bricks and gray tiles, its simple style clearly indicating that it is the residence of the most senior member of the family.

At this moment, there were many people in front of the old house, but no one made a sound.

At the very front, an elderly man, about seventy years old, sat in a grand chair. His hair and beard were white, but his back was still ramrod straight, and there was still a hint of the fierceness he had shown in his youth between his brows and eyes.

Beside the chair stood a young man in brocade robes, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with exquisite features and a handsome appearance. However, at this moment, the young man's face was ashen, and he remained silent.

A little further away, under the left-hand corridor, stood a woman in red. Her face was covered by a red veil, revealing only her eyes, which were lowered, and she remained silent and motionless.

Further on, a dozen or so people stood in a dark mass, all prominent figures in the household. Their faces were filled with worry, yet none dared to utter a word.

The courtyard was so quiet that only the soft rustling of the wind through the laurel leaves could be heard.

Suddenly, the old man sitting in the armchair turned his head and looked at the young man beside him.

The young man noticed this and immediately whispered:

"Father, what is it?"

The old man smiled and waved his hand:

"It's nothing. I just looked at you and suddenly felt a bit emotional. You're almost thirty now, but you look like you're not even twenty. Those who cultivate themselves are truly extraordinary."

He paused, then looked at the woman in red under the left corridor. The woman still stood motionless, her face veiled in red, like a flower untouched by the dust of the world.

The old man sighed inwardly: He still couldn't figure out who this "cheap sister-in-law" was.

He withdrew his gaze and looked back at his eldest son. A mix of emotions welled up inside him.

Back then, he was just a traveling merchant who made a living by working hard. If it weren't for the fact that more than twenty years ago, his "cheap older brother" Su Yao came to Yongzhou, and on the day he left, a celestial master came to his door, claiming to be from Rosy Clouds Immortal Mountain behind Qinghe Commandery in the south, saying that his eldest son had Spirit Root and extraordinary talent, and wanted to take him as an outer disciple so that he could cultivate at home.

From then on, almost every family in Yongzhou City with anything related to cultivation, except for Confucian School, came to offer their congratulations. Only then did the Su Household truly gain face in Yongzhou City.

But then, first came a cheap older brother, and then a cheap sister-in-law.

This fate, whether a blessing or a curse, left him at a loss for words.

He composed himself, lowered his voice, and moved a little closer to his eldest son:

"Mingcheng, you are a cultivator. Could you possibly sense how your grandparents are doing in their room?"

Upon hearing this, the young man, Su Mingcheng, let out a soft breath and whispered:

"Father, Aunt has set up a restriction. My cultivation is too shallow to see through it."

The old man's lips twitched, and he finally nodded with a wry smile, asking no further questions.

Under the eaves, the woman in red seemed to sense something and looked up in their direction.

His gaze swept across the faces of the crowd before falling back down.

Su Mingcheng finally relaxed.

He began his cultivation more than twenty years ago. Qixia Mountain bestowed upon him many elixirs, and a Purple Mansion True Person personally taught him until he reached the Qi Refinement Perfection. However, his aptitude was ultimately ordinary, and he had only just touched the threshold of Foundation Establishment. A few days ago, he was preparing to go into seclusion to break through to Foundation Establishment, but his aunt suddenly arrived and told him that his grandparents were nearing the end of their lives. Only then did he temporarily put aside his seclusion.

Speaking of this aunt, she had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage when she first arrived two years ago. Later, through conversation, I learned that she had mastered all kinds of Secret Method and should have gone into seclusion to seek the Purple Mansion. However, my uncle was unable to leave Nanzhao, so she came to Yongzhou in person to send off my grandparents on their final journey on my uncle's behalf.

She arrived suddenly and without any proof, so Su Mingcheng risked a trip to Qixia Mountain to verify her identity.

At the Qixia Mountain, the Purple Mansion True Person who had taught him cultivation back then only said one sentence:

"I cannot make a decision on this matter; it all depends on how your uncle handles it. You only need to treat him with courtesy."

With these words, Su Mingcheng felt relieved and began to address her as "Auntie". However, having spent many years with the Purple Mansion True Person, Su Mingcheng naturally knew that there was more to her words than met the eye. This Auntie's relationship with her Uncle was probably not as good as he had imagined. He could only hope that his Uncle, whom he had only met once in his youth, would not hold a grudge in the future, since he had no say in front of this Auntie.

The interior was simply furnished.

Apart from the set of tables and chairs, which were clearly not ordinary, everything else was no different from what one would expect from an ordinary household.

On the bed, a thin old man leaned against the wall, his face ashen and his breath faint.

An old woman sat by the couch, her hands tightly gripping the old man's, tears streaming down her face.

Although she is old, the beauty of her youth can still be faintly seen in her features, suggesting that she must have been a stunning beauty in her prime.

But at this moment, only grief remained on that face.

The old man forced himself to lift his eyelids slightly, managed a small smile, and whispered:

"Why are you crying...? It's already an immense blessing that we, as mortals, have lived to be over a hundred years old thanks to the miraculous medicines of immortals..."

Before he could finish speaking, he coughed violently, and his whole body trembled.

The woman quickly supported him, gently patting his back with one hand, and took the medicine bowl from beside the bed with the other, scooping a spoonful and feeding it to him, choking back tears as she said:

"Say less and drink your medicine first..."

The old man took a small sip from her hand, but refused to drink any more.

He closed his eyes, rested for a moment, and then spoke again:

"The medicine tastes bitter; it's better not to drink it."

After saying this, without waiting for the woman's response, he continued:

Your voice is still as beautiful as when I first met you.

After saying this, the woman glared at him with tears in her eyes:

"What time is it? Still being picky?"

The old man smiled upon hearing this:

"This life has truly been worthwhile. To grow old with you, Gu Lanyin, to have children and grandchildren around me, to have an eldest son who can become an immortal, and an eldest grandson who has received a divine destiny, bringing glory to our family... What more could I, Su Shouzhuo, possibly ask for?"

The woman's tears fell again, and she gripped his hand tighter and tighter:

"But I... I always feel..."

The old man was silent for a moment, knowing what she was worried about, and then gently patted the back of her hand.

"Everyone has their own destiny. That child is already incredibly kind to remember the Su Household's kindness. Anything more cannot be forced. You don't owe anyone anything, so don't overthink it."