Chapter 10: Wan Xuan

"You are welcome, my brother. I will take my leave now. Eighth brother, focus on your recovery. Once you regain your health, study diligently, and you will surely have your day in the sun in the future," Ye Wei said, nodding with a smile, and left while Chen Jiuniang repeatedly expressed her gratitude.

"You were lying down, and I have been at home these past two days. As soon as I arrived today, I heard about it, so I hurried over to see you. Last time, I heard you were clear-headed, but I didn't have the chance to meet you. " Ye Wei set down the box of snacks and the small paper bag in his hand and quickly walked to the bedside to sit down

However, listening to the words of Master Wan Xuan, the eyes of Ye Haoran and Ye Wei were filled with a longing for immortality. Not to mention anything else, just the prospect of eternal life was enough to make mortals envious and passionate.

Cultivators generally belong to various sects or families; however, these individuals devote themselves to their practice and disdain interactions with mortals, making them a rare sight.

Ye Haoran, feeling moved by what Master Wan Xuan had said, quickly changed the subject and remarked, "Immortals have long lifespans, far exceeding that of us mortals. I believe that the Master will also have his own opportunities."

The prolonged creaking of the door hinge echoed as a tall young man in his twenties stood outside the door

Elder brother. Ye Kong was somewhat moved upon seeing Ye Wei enter, even feeling a bit teary-eyed.

Keye Kong has no interest in poetry or literary works; he is more concerned with strange tales and anecdotes. For instance, he wonders whether there are Buddhism, Taoism, or Christianity in this world, whether immortals exist, where to find them, and whether anyone in this world practices talismans or if ghosts exist.

Thinking of Li Laosi, Ye Cai naturally thought of another person who had not received any news, Ye Kong. Hehe, you fool, who told you that you have poor social connections, who told you to upset the second madam, so I won't inform you

Chen Jiuniang was not as complex in her thoughts as he was; she happily picked up the silver and said, "Mother is saving this for you to marry a wife," and then went back inside to put away the silver

As Ye Kong had just left, he saw Ye Haoran, dressed impeccably, quickly walking out with Ye Wei and the second madam, a look of uncontainable joy on his face

At this moment, Ye Kong, who was wholeheartedly aspiring to cultivate immortality, remained oblivious, still flipping through books at Zhang Wude's place. He had no idea that a golden opportunity to enter the immortal sect was about to slip through his fingers.

"Sir, why does 'Cangnan Yizhi' only mention that the vast wilderness surrounds the continent? What exists within that wilderness? Do immortals reside there?" Ye Kong inquired.

Ye Cai followed closely behind, although he could not hear clearly what the master was saying, he felt very anxious. He prayed that none of the Ye family would be selected, so that the substitute players, including his son, could take the field. Hehe, if my son Ye Cai were an immortal, I could walk sideways in the Ye family. And that Li Laosi, who told you not to have the surname Ye? You probably don't even know the news.

Ye Kong's academic life has begun. Every morning, he goes to the study hall and returns home for lunch at noon

"Is there a fire? Or has someone died?" Ye Kong snorted and continued walking towards the academy

The young master is truly a good person. Chen Jiuniang couldn't help but repeat it again, and then said to Ye Kong, In the future, when you become successful, remember to repay the kindness of others

Thank you, elder brother. Ye Kong quickly expressed his gratitude

Since she cannot cultivate immortality herself, the second wife places her hopes on Ye Wen and Ye Wu. As long as one of them becomes an immortal, her position as the legitimate wife will surely be secured. The prefix "second" in the title "second wife" is indeed fixed.

Time flies; in the blink of an eye, more than ten days have passed

This elder brother cannot be said to take care of the foolish eighth brother; he is simply a person of integrity. Whenever he encounters injustice, he often steps forward to assist this unfortunate mother and son. However, he has spent many years leading troops away from home, and after getting married, he established his own office and government. While he can help Ye Kong for a time, he cannot provide lifelong assistance to this mother and son.

"Where, where? I have grown old. As a mere mortal, how could I possibly compare to the immortal master? I see that the master’s demeanor surpasses that of previous years; you must have made significant progress in your cultivation." Ye Haoran said while walking, offering his compliments.

The two chatted casually for a while. Ye Kong expressed his desire to study literature at the academy. Ye Wei informed him that the instructor was an old scholar, quite rigid in his ways, but his poetry and prose were exceptional. He encouraged Ye Kong to study diligently, as it could lead to a successful career in the future

Upon her reminder, Ye Haoran felt it made sense. After all, the aptitude for cultivating immortality is rare, one in ten thousand. If his own children cannot be selected, then perhaps the children of friends and loyal servants could. If one of them were to become an immortal, they would surely be grateful to Ye Haoran for helping them gain entry into this path

Zhang Wude smiled and did not place any blame; in fact, there was a time when he also desperately sought to cultivate himself into an immortal

After chatting for a while, Ye Wei realized that Ye Kong was indeed quite sharp-minded. He asked about some old matters and found that Ye Kong remembered them clearly, which made him feel even more at ease

However, having suffered significant losses, he no longer dared to attempt anything lightly.

The young master is truly a good person. After Chen Jiuniang saw off Ye Wei and returned to her room, she sighed and set aside her writing materials. She opened the snack box, intending to take some treats for Ye Kong, but upon opening it, she discovered that there were no snacks inside; instead, there was a letter containing fifty taels of silver.

In addition to organized cultivators, there are also some solitary practitioners. However, most of these solitary practitioners possess low cultivation levels, as they lack backing and support. When they are alone, they are often killed for their treasures, making solitary practitioners extremely rare. On ordinary days, they do not dare to show themselves in public.

However, for Ye Kong, this time of soul damage is not necessarily a bad thing. A reckless person like him, who dares to practice haphazardly without any techniques, might not know what he would end up cultivating once he has various techniques at his disposal. This experience of facing a calamity has made him more cautious on the path of cultivation.

Becoming an immortal is not as easy as it seems. Even if you seek them out, they may not necessarily accept you, as cultivating immortality requires a spiritual root. Although those with spiritual roots are rare, it is important to note that this spiritual root is influenced by hereditary factors. For instance, your Ye family has no ancestors who were immortals; even if a thousand Ye family members were to stand up, none would possess a spiritual root. As for the path of immortality, you should not harbor any delusions about it

However, these leaves were difficult to speak of to my mother. I stared at the tent top for quite a while, only to realize that my mother was still holding them. With no other choice, I took them from her, saying, "Alright, alright, can I drink now? Oh dear, I am truly afraid of you."

"Ah, the immortal master has arrived, please come in quickly." On ordinary days, the formidable General Ye would appear extremely imposing, but upon seeing this elder, his face blossomed into a smile like a blooming flower

Zhang Wude shook his head, "I do not know. The wilderness is fraught with internal crises, with various monsters rampaging. No one can venture deep inside; even those barbarians who have survived on the fringes of the wilderness since ancient times only dare to circle around the outskirts. No one knows the situation within the wilderness, nor what lies at its end. I estimate that even immortals would not choose to cultivate in that place."

However, after a few days, Zhang Wude realized that he had misjudged him. Although this child appeared lazy, he was actually very serious. He was neither like those older children who constantly surrounded the girls, nor like the younger ones who were always playing around. On the contrary, Ye Kong spoke and acted with a maturity that was not in line with his age, and his gaze was more akin to that of an adult.

Ye Kong smiled; he merely wished to learn to read and write, as well as to explore books, without any intention of diligently studying poetry and prose to achieve academic success

Just as I stepped out of the small courtyard gate, I looked up to see the steward Ye Cai hurriedly rushing in from outside, his demeanor suggesting that he had encountered some urgent matter, as he swiftly made his way toward the inner courtyard

Haha. Everyone laughed heartily

Even the Second Madam standing nearby felt a surge of warmth in her heart. If one could become an immortal and attain eternal life, how wonderful that would be. However, she also understood that Ye Haoran could allow his sons and daughters to pursue immortality, but he would not permit his wives and concubines to do so. It is important to note that Ye Haoran aimed to ensure the safety of the Ye family. If he allowed his wives and concubines to associate with powerful immortals, the risk of infidelity would be minor compared to the potential disasters that could arise, which would be counterproductive.

Ye Wei has indeed arrived; he is now twenty-six years old. He has established his own office, taken a wife, and had children. He leads troops into battle and has become a strong right arm for Ye Haoran

Zhang Wude also heard that besides cultivators, there are also practitioners of demonic arts. Originally, cultivators are known to be cold and ruthless, while those who practice demonic arts are even more terrifying. The biggest difference lies in the fact that cultivators kill for treasure, whereas practitioners of demonic arts kill without any reason at all

A complete collection of spells. Anything that can enter the mind is certainly not ordinary... But how can one unlock it?

Master Wan Xuan forced a smile and said, "General Ye, how do you know that the path of immortality is difficult? Like me, I have basically reached the pinnacle of cultivation. If I wish to break through further, without a bit of coincidence or fortuitous encounters, it is impossible to advance any further."

"My dear, good medicine is often bitter. You have already improved significantly after just three days of taking it. If you can persevere for another three days until you are completely well, we can stop, alright?" Chen Jiuniang advised while sitting by the bedside

Understood, Mother, you should quickly put away the silver to avoid being seen by Ye Cai and the others, who might have ill intentions. Ye Kong replied with a smile, but in his heart, he was wondering whether Ye Wei would need someone as useless as him to repay a favor after he inevitably took over the position of head of the Ye family from Ye Haoran

Oh, so that's how it is. Then where can one find an immortal?" Ye Kong, undeterred, directly asked.

He told Ye Kong that there are no sects in this world, but there are immortals. To be precise, they cannot be called immortals, as they have not yet attained immortality; they are referred to as cultivators.

After resting in bed for three days, Ye Kong felt much better. Just as he was about to get out of bed, he heard his mother talking to someone outside, and the voices grew closer.

Zhang Wude initially had a poor impression of Ye Kong, as he believed him to be foolish. He thought, why would a fool learn characters? Teaching a fool would only be an insult to oneself

When asked about unusual matters such as those found on https://www.hetushu.com, Zhang Wude was taken aback. However, this old scholar, having rich experiences, not only read countless books but also traveled extensively and served in official positions for many years, thus possessing some knowledge about matters that are unclear to ordinary people

However, he thought again that it was actually fine to call that fool over. Was the second madam overreacting? Could a fool possibly have the qualifications to become an immortal?

Fortunately, there is an older brother who treats him fairly well

Early that morning, Ye Kong had everything ready, asked his mother to style her hair into a bun, changed into a clean long shirt, and set off with his writing materials towards the academy within the residence

Ye Kong fell ill. This news did not stir much commotion in the grand courtyard of the Ye residence, and soon it was met with indifference. In their view, even if this fool were to regain his wits, he would still be incapable of causing any significant upheaval

Oh, you are too kind. It has been five years since we last met, and the general's demeanor remains as impressive as ever. Master Wan Xuan smiled and exchanged pleasantries before following Ye Haoran into the imposing gates of the Ye family.

"Please, man, I am only twelve years old," Ye Kong said with a bitter smile

Within the government academy, there is an elderly gentleman named Zhang Wude, who wears a face as stern as a door panel and rarely smiles or speaks.

In the eyes of the simple-minded Ye Kong, he is already very grateful to this elder brother, after all, in this residence, he is the only one who does not call him a fool, and he is also the only one who would help to speak a few words of fairness

"Last time I heard my father say that it is too late for you to practice martial arts and that you should prepare to study diligently, so I went to buy some writing supplies, including brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Ye Wei is indeed a considerate person; in this Cangnan Continent, the poor cannot even afford writing materials."

Master Wan Xuan was also reluctant to speak much about his own cultivation. He smiled and said, "Indeed, the lifespan of cultivators is significantly longer than that of ordinary people, and many cultivators possess techniques to maintain their youthful appearance, making it impossible to gauge their age by looks alone. When I first began my cultivation, I once encountered a youth who appeared to be in his twenties. To my surprise, upon inquiry, I learned that he was an esteemed elder who had gained fame five hundred years ago."

Thus, Ye Haoran made two preparations. First, he considered himself and his own children; if any of them possessed the aptitude for cultivation, then the candidates would not be mentioned. If not, then the second tier would consist of the children of relatives and friends, as well as the children of loyal servants who had been granted the Ye surname.

However, Zhang Wude still possesses a considerable collection of books, many of which are rare and unusual items. Ye Kong particularly enjoys reading such books, but his current understanding of Cangnan characters is still quite limited, and he does not recognize many of the characters, which affects his reading.

Moreover, and more importantly, www.hetushu.com has its own perspective on everything. Although Ye Kong often speaks with a stream of profanity, his arguments are quite reasonable. He frequently utters a classic saying that brings great joy to Zhang Wude, who believes he has encountered a talented individual and wishes to impart all his knowledge to him

Ye Kong closed his eyes, still lingering on the comprehensive spellbook. He had a feeling that to survive and establish himself in the cruel and helpless Cangnan Continent, he could only rely on this book hidden within his soul

In fact, Ye Kong is very clear that he has only suffered a wound to his soul, while his body is in excellent health. There is no medicine that can penetrate the soul. He is much better now, as the soul has the ability to self-recover. Moreover, he has merely overexerted himself, and has not sustained any actual injury.

Three days later, in Ye Kong's room

A few people walked in a line, taking two steps at a time, quickly exiting the main gate. Outside the gate stood an elderly man with white hair and beard, appearing calm and composed. He was dressed in a plain long gown, with an unremarkable face, and a small black-gray pouch hanging at his waist. Such an ordinary old man could be found everywhere on the streets of Nandu City. The guards at the gate did not understand why the head of the family, Ye Haoran, had personally come out to greet his son and wife.

As soon as I step out, Ye Kong, feeling bored, half-lies down and once again thinks of the book in his mind

Of course, I have heard that cultivating immortality also requires talent. Second Madam regrets not having given birth to more children; if she had a hundred or eighty offspring, the opportunities would have increased significantly. However, it is clearly too late to have more children now, so she previously implored Ye Haoran to have her brother's daughter assessed for her qualifications by the immortal.

"Mother, I am done, no need to drink anymore." Ye Kong disgustedly pushed away the bowl of medicine that was permeated with bitterness

Days passed one after another, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a month had gone by. Ye Kong's damaged soul gradually began to heal.

However, later he said he was no longer foolish, but if you truly are not foolish, then you should put in a bit more effort. With such a lazy appearance that barely keeps your eyes open, it is likely that you will not achieve anything in your studies

Ye Kongxin wondered if someone had come to visit him. The Cangnan Continent was indeed cruel; a useless person like him had lain for three days without anyone coming to see him. Who could it be today?

As for ghosts and talismans, he is not clear about them; after all, he has never practiced immortality and can only know some general information, while the detailed specifics remain unknown

During his time on Earth, Ye Kong believed he had a heart of iron and stone, and that he would not cry at anything touching. However, upon arriving here, he realized how fragile he truly was. The people here possess hearts of iron and stone; they show no compassion for the weak and only take the opportunity to kick them when they are down