Chapter 1

The sun was setting in the west, and the quiet little village was filled with the laughter and playful scolding of children. One by one, they stopped their play at the calls of their parents, returning home as the smoke from the chimneys rose gently and the water flowed beneath the ancient bridge. The willows by the riverbank gently caressed the water, and not far away stretched an endless expanse of wheat fields.

It was the time of the autumnal equinox, and the fiery wheat stalks were growing vigorously. A gentle breeze blew, stirring up waves of wheat.

Tang Ning leaned against the old locust tree in his family's courtyard, his clothes drenched in sweat.

Today was the last day of the month, and there was a tradition in the village: the last two days of each month, everyone was free from work and could rest.

For a child his age, rest days naturally meant playing with his friends all day. Indeed, he had been playing since morning and had just been called back by his mother for dinner.

"Tomorrow we have to work again," Tang Ning said, looking at the blue sky with a hint of reluctance.

He was nine years old, with a rather delicate appearance and a somewhat frail build.

This was a village in the southern part of the Chu Kingdom. Since everyone in the village had the surnames Tang or Liu, it was called Tang Liu Village.

The vast wheat fields outside the village were not planted with ordinary wheat but with spirit wheat, also known as immortal grain.

The immortal grain was specifically supplied to the immortals. The land here was fertile, and the air and soil contained a large amount of fire elements, making it very suitable for growing spirit wheat. Therefore, within a fifty-mile radius, all the fields were planted with this grain.

The spirit wheat bore fruit every three years, and when the fruit was ripe, the immortals would come to collect it. Each grain contained a large amount of energy, and if a frail person ate it by mistake, they would either fall ill or die from the energy overload.

Although Tang Liu Village was within the territory of the Chu Kingdom, it was not under the jurisdiction of the Chu Kingdom but was subordinate to the Qianyi Sect.

The Qianyi Sect was one of the top immortal sects in the Chu Kingdom, and the area within a five-hundred-mile radius around Tang Liu Village was under its control.

The people of the village mostly held the Qianyi Sect in awe, admiration, and gratitude. The Qianyi Sect not only exempted the villagers from taxes but also provided them with a substantial amount of silver for their daily needs.

It was the time of the autumnal equinox, and in a month or two, the immortals from the Qianyi Sect would come to collect the immortal grain.

Each household in Tang Liu Village had hidden a considerable amount of immortal grain, which they kept for their own use. A small amount could strengthen the body.

The Qianyi Sect never minded this; they only cared about the timely harvest of the immortal grain.

"Xiao Ning, come and eat," Tang's mother called from inside the house.

Tang Ning hurried inside, not for any other reason but because there was meat today. On the last two days of each month, Tang's mother would prepare a special meal to reward the family for their hard work.

Even before he entered the house, the smell of rabbit meat wafted to his nose. It was what his father had hunted the day before.

"You run faster than anyone else when it's time to eat. Look at you, all sweaty. All you do is play and never do any work," Tang's mother complained, but her eyes were full of affection.

Tang Ning had no siblings; he was the only child in the family. His mother had suffered a severe hemorrhage during his birth and almost died. Thanks to the experienced midwife, she survived, but she was left with a health condition and could no longer have children.

Tang's father sat at the door, smoking a pipe. He was a heavy smoker and felt uncomfortable if he didn't smoke at least twice a day. Due to years of hard labor, he looked like a man in his forties, even though he was only in his early thirties, with a few strands of white hair.

"Father, come and eat," Tang Ning called from his seat at the table.

"You eat first. I'm not hungry," Tang's father said without turning his head.

Tang Ning couldn't wait any longer and started eating with a clatter, finishing three bowls in one go and belching afterward.

"Slow down, no one is going to take your food," Tang's mother said with a smile, patting his head.

"Cough, cough. I've talked to your Uncle Liu. He knows the immortal envoys well. In two years, he will take you to meet them and then go to the Luoyun Mountains," Tang's father said, coughing a bit. He had a chronic cough from years of smoking, and sometimes it was quite severe.

"Ah?" Tang's mother's face darkened, and she said softly, "The child is still young!"

"Young? What do you mean young? Will he have another chance if he misses this one? Cough, cough..." Tang's father was a bit angry and started coughing loudly.

Tang's mother immediately went over and gently patted his back.

Tang Ning felt a mix of emotions upon hearing his father's words—anticipation, pain, and reluctance.

Uncle Liu was the village chief of Tang Liu Village, and the Luoyun Mountains were the location of the Qianyi Sect. The Qianyi Sect opened its doors to new disciples every ten years, and this opportunity was not to be missed. Once someone entered the Qianyi Sect, it meant they had leaped from a fish to a dragon, leaving behind their mortal life and entering the realm of immortals, and their family would surely prosper.

But Tang Ning was the only son in the family. Leaving for the Qianyi Sect meant leaving the mortal world. What good would it do for the family to prosper if he was gone?

The first condition for the Qianyi Sect to accept new disciples was that they must be between six and sixteen years old, so each person only had one chance in their lifetime.

"Go wash up and go to bed after you eat. I have to talk to your mother... cough, cough... about some things."

"Okay," Tang Ning nodded, stood up, and went outside to fetch water to wash.

"From today on, we need to give the child better food. The travel expenses to the Luoyun Mountains... and we can't be too... with Uncle Liu..."

"We have... from last time, when Er Dan..."

"Uncle Dasha... I talked to him..."

Tang Ning heard his parents' muffled conversation from the courtyard and felt a deep sense of melancholy, as if he had lost something precious.

After washing, he returned to his room, lay down on the bed, and thought about what his father had said—going to the Luoyun Mountains with Uncle Liu in two years.

Where were the Luoyun Mountains? What kind of people lived there? Could he become like those immortal envoys? But what about his parents?

He had never left the village. Were the people outside the village fierce? Would his parents miss him if he left? And Ruru...

Thinking about these things, he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, at dawn, Tang Ning woke up at the rooster's crow. He got out of bed, went outside to chop grass, and placed the grass in a basin. He then carried the basin to the pigpen, where they had three pigs, the most valuable assets of the family. The three pigs were two males and one female, and the whole family was hoping the female would give birth.

After placing the grass in the pigpen, he washed his hands and went inside. The table was already set with bowls and chopsticks, and breakfast was the same as usual—porridge and steamed buns. But when he reached the table, he found an egg had been added.

He remembered what his father had said the day before and felt a pang of sadness.

By this time, Tang's parents had already gone to tend to the immortal grain. The immortal grain was a precious crop but very delicate. It needed to be watered and fertilized on schedule, and they had to prevent animals from eating it. If an animal ate the immortal grain, it would not only damage the grain but also die.

Even frail people couldn't withstand it, let alone animals!

The village had assigned Tang's father three acres of land to grow immortal grain. For the villagers, tending to the immortal grain was the most important task and could not be taken lightly.

After breakfast, Tang Ning put on his boots, carried a basket, and took a hatchet, running to the house of his neighbor, Uncle Liu.

"Ruru, Ruru, are you ready?" Tang Ning called out loudly.

Soon, a little girl ran out of the house and came to him. She was very beautiful, with willow-leaf eyebrows, big eyes, a small nose, and cherry lips, with skin as white as snow, like a porcelain doll. She also carried a small basket.

The girl's name was Liu Ruru. She had grown up playing with Tang Ning, and they were the best of friends in the village. Tang's father and Liu's father were also very close. There was one more thing to mention: Ruru was Tang Ning's fiancée.

They had been betrothed as children. When Tang's mother and Liu's mother were pregnant, they had agreed that if they had a boy and a girl, they would become betrothed.

The villagers didn't have formal agreements or contracts. Once a promise was made, it was binding.

Perhaps it was fate! Ruru was beautiful, and everyone in the village, young and old, said she was the prettiest. She was also very gentle.

But she was born mute and couldn't speak. Several doctors had been consulted, but none could cure her.

She also had a brother who died at the age of three, so Uncle Liu treated Tang Ning like a son.

"Let's go!" Tang Ning held her hand and led her to the back mountain.

Their task today was to cut firewood and pick some fruit. Tang Ning had grown up going to the mountains with his father to cut firewood and hunt, so the mountain paths were very familiar to him.

Tang Ning held her hand and hummed a tune as they walked, his steps light. Ruru followed behind, the warm sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting a peaceful and serene light on their small figures.

After walking for a while, they came to a pear tree. Tang Ning put down the basket, hugged the tree trunk, and climbed up. "Ruru, catch them below."

Ruru stood under the tree, holding the basket. Tang Ning picked the pears from the branches, and Ruru moved around to collect them in the basket.

After finishing one branch, Tang Ning climbed to another and picked more pears. He did this for three or four branches before climbing down.

The basket was already filled with over ten pears. They each took one and leaned against the tree to eat.

Tang Ning put the basket on his back and continued walking.

After a short while, they reached the place where he usually cut firewood. He took out the hatchet and started chopping a tree, and Ruru also took out her hatchet and started chopping another tree.

In no time, they had felled two trees. Tang Ning filled the basket with firewood, and he was already drenched in sweat.

Ruru was also sweating. After all, they were just children, and cutting firewood was hard work.

"Ruru, let's rest for a bit and then go back," Tang Ning said, handing her a pear.

They leaned against a tree, eating pears and resting.

Halfway through, Ruru tugged at his finger and pointed to the grass on the left. Without her pointing, Tang Ning had already heard something rustling.

The sound grew louder, and Tang Ning felt something was wrong. It didn't sound like a person. He stood up, holding Ruru's hand, and picked up the hatchet, watching the bushes warily.