Setting Out

He chuckled and said to Lin Dayou:

"Dad, think about it. Our village is such a simple, honest place, yet somehow a scoundrel like Boss Liu came out of it and started terrorizing the countryside. I was doing a good deed, ridding the village of a menace."

Lin Dayou snorted softly.

"Have you taken a look at that little body of yours? What if you couldn't beat Boss Liu? He's stronger than even your dad. If you weren't capable enough and fell into his hands, where would you go to cry then?"

Seeing that he didn't look angry, Lin Xiao immediately slipped over to the table and plopped down.

"Oh, come on! You know your son. I'm clever as can be. How could I make such a stupid mistake, right? Come on, Dad, big brother, let's eat. The food's going to get cold."

As he spoke, he turned and looked expectantly at Lin Dayou.

Amused, Lin Dayou picked up his bowl, and Lin Xiao and Lin Yun immediately grabbed theirs and began wolfing down their food as though they hadn't eaten in days.

Before Lin Xiao had even swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth, he said indistinctly to Lin Dayou:

"Dad, tomorrow's market day. Let's go together, like we said before."

Lin Dayou glared at him.

"When has your dad ever gone back on a promise? You wanted a thatched shed, and didn't I put one up for you right away?"

Lin Xiao hurried to flatter him.

"That's right! My dad's a real man through and through. When he gives his word, it carries the weight of nine tripods!"

That evening, Lin Xiao sat in his room, taking stock of his progress on the various tasks.

Excluding himself, the sect now had six members and a chicken, leaving it just three people short of the goal of ten.

As for the earth needed to build the sect's main hall and cultivation room, the private vault and the Storage Bag had made the great digging undertaking go much faster over the past two days, far exceeding Lin Xiao's initial expectations.

Once Tietou led everyone who had stayed at the sect to cultivate out to dig another ten or so baskets at noon today, they would have more than enough.

Now, timber was the only necessary material they hadn't started preparing.

Lin Xiao was a little excited.

He would soon have a sect main hall!

Just then, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Ding-congratulations to sect member Lin Yun on advancing to the Qi Refining First Layer]

!

Hearing the notification, Lin Xiao was instantly even happier.

It seemed that because his big brother usually spent one less afternoon cultivating than everyone else, he cultivated very diligently after returning home too.

Early the next morning.

The roosters in Xiushui Village crowed a little earlier than usual that day.

Many households had risen early to prepare for the trip to the market.

The monthly market was a major event for many households in Xiushui Village.

They had to replenish many of the supplies their families would need for the coming month today.

The villagers also brought their families' stores of pickled vegetables and eggs to the market that day, along with things such as the various wild mushrooms and animal pelts some had found in the mountains, trading them for money to help support their households.

Early that morning, Lin Xiao followed right behind Lin Dayou to gather at the old Lin family home.

Although Old Master Lin had divided the family after both his sons married, for the sake of maintaining the brothers' bond in the years to come, he had also repeatedly told them to get along, to twist themselves into one rope and pull in the same direction when anything came up, and not to grow distant just because the household had been divided.

So, for all these years, the two Lin brothers had always gone to the market together.

Usually, Lin Dashan and his wife, Lady Qin, went with Lin Dayou. Today, the three of them had a little follower trailing behind them.

Pushing the handcart, Lin Dashan asked Lin Xiao with a smile:

"Brother Xiao, everyone in the village says you crippled Boss Liu's arms and legs. Is that true?"

Lin Xiao nodded modestly.

"Although the villagers always like to exaggerate, what they're saying this time is true."

Lin Dashan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well done, kid! Quick, tell your eldest uncle, how did you do it?"

Lin Xiao sighed inwardly. Here it came.

Ah, family is the hardest to deal with. This is exactly why I never told Grandpa before.

If they ask, I have to tell them. Once I tell them, they still won't believe it, so I'll have to demonstrate it for them, but then I'll be afraid of frightening them. Sigh, being a person is just too hard.

Lin Xiao looked at Lin Dashan, then at Lin Dayou, who was helping push the cart and pretending he hadn't heard a thing.

I can't count on Dad for this.

Lin Xiao scratched his head and said to Lin Dashan:

"Eldest Uncle, you might not believe me if I explain, so how about I just show you?"

The moment the words left his mouth, before Lin Dashan could even wonder what he meant, Lin Xiao cast a Body Immobilization Technique directly on him as he pushed the cart.

Before Lin Dashan could react, he suddenly froze on the dirt road, motionless in his cart-pushing stance.

Lin Dayou, who was still walking forward while holding the cart, nearly failed to stop in time and slipped.

Lady Qin, Eldest Uncle Lin's Wife, was walking beside Lin Dashan and jumped in fright when her husband suddenly stopped moving!

She gently shook Lin Dashan and said in a panic:

"Husband, husband! What's wrong? Don't scare me-"

After glaring at Lin Xiao, Lin Dayou hurried to reassure Lady Qin.

"Don't panic, sister-in-law. Big brother is fine."

As he spoke, he turned and glared at Lin Xiao again.

"Why aren't you hurrying up and releasing your eldest uncle from your Divine Ability?!"

Lin Xiao rubbed his nose and immediately withdrew the Body Immobilization Technique.

Lin Dashan's body immediately relaxed. He looked at Lin Xiao in shock and uncertainty.

"Brother Xiao, what was that...?"

Lin Xiao gave him a little smile.

"Well, um, Eldest Uncle, I came across some fortuitous opportunities a while ago and established a sect. I'm cultivating immortality now. Of course, I haven't become an immortal. I'm still a long way from that. Right now I'm just someone who's cultivating, and I've only just gotten started."

His eldest aunt beside him also looked at him in great surprise.

Lin Dashan and Lady Qin exchanged another glance, then looked at Lin Dayou.

"Dayou, is what Brother Xiao said true?"

It was Lin Dayou's first time encountering this kind of situation too, and for a moment he didn't know how to explain.

He could only give an awkward "yes" in answer.

Lin Dashan looked back at his young nephew.

"Good heavens, my eldest nephew has become an immortal!"

Sure enough! I knew my explanation would be for nothing.

Helpless, Lin Xiao explained again:

"Eldest Uncle, I'm not an immortal. I'm just a cultivator working hard to become one..."

Lin Dashan's face was flushed red with excitement, and he paid no attention to Lin Xiao's explanation. He reached out, grabbed Lin Xiao under the arms, and lifted him high into the air, exclaiming excitedly:

"Ha ha! My second nephew is an immortal! Hahahahaha-"

Held aloft against his will, Lin Xiao looked both ways down the road. Fortunately, they had set out early and there was no one on the road yet. Otherwise, he would have had to find a crack in the ground to crawl into!

Swinging in midair, Lin Xiao hurriedly called out to Lin Dashan:

"Eldest Uncle, Eldest Uncle! Put me down, quick! I have something to tell you!"

Lin Dashan was grinning so widely that his face, tanned dark yellow from years of labor, was covered in wrinkles. He put Lin Xiao down.

"What is it, Brother Xiao? What's the matter?"

Lin Xiao helped right the handcart they had forgotten about and said to Lin Dashan:

"Eldest Uncle, it's getting late. Let's talk while we walk."