Chapter 23

......

The Qi Ling Pill can improve one's aptitude. It is said to be a pill specifically developed by a great alchemist to enhance human cultivation aptitude.

The great alchemist spent his entire life developing the [Qi Ling Pill], but the results were still somewhat disappointing, as the Qi Ling Pill only had a slight improvement for those with lower Xuanwu aptitude.

Moreover, it could only slightly improve Xuanwu aptitude, not significantly.

However, even so, the Qi Ling Pill was considered a very high-level "godly pill" for the Wang family of Ping'an, a ninth-rank minor noble family.

Especially for Wang Shouzhe, who had a lower Xuanwu aptitude of the first class, it was extremely practical. He was known as a young genius, barely falling short of the old ancestor Longyan in his prime, and he carried the hope of the family's future.

However, Wang Shouzhe was very clear that his aptitude, while considered good within the Changning Garrison, had a good chance of reaching the Lingtai Realm. But if viewed across the entire Longzuo County, it was not worth mentioning, and his overall conditions barely met the admission requirements of the Zifu Academy, and whether they would accept him still depended on subsequent tests.

Fortunately, Wang Shouzhe was considered outstanding even among those with lower Xuanwu aptitude of the first class, being just a step away from middle Xuanwu aptitude. If he had the opportunity to take the [Qi Ling Pill], he might make a significant leap forward, entering the ranks of middle Xuanwu aptitude, which would be a completely different story.

Old Ancestor Longyan, Wang Longyan, had a genuine middle Xuanwu aptitude.

Among the hundreds of thousands of people in Changning Garrison, the probability of middle Xuanwu aptitude appearing was very low. Once it did, the Zifu Academy would actively vie for it, and upon entering the academy, they would be given focused cultivation.

However, the Qi Ling Pill is a third-rank spirit pill, and its production is very scarce. Even when Old Ancestor Zhouxuan was alive, he could not guarantee obtaining the Qi Ling Pill.

Seeing the uncertain look in Wang Shouzhe's eyes, Wang Luojing, who was standing beside him, said obediently, "Fourth Brother, I will definitely work hard to get the Qi Ling Pill for you."

"Luojing, don't spoil your fourth brother too much," Gongsun Hui said with a smile, patting her head. "If you can revive the purple crystal spirit bees, that's great. If not, it's not a big deal. Cultivating a swarm from a few purple crystal spirit bee pupae is not an easy task. If you fail, consider it a learning experience, and don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Mother, Fourth Brother, I understand," Wang Luojing replied obediently, then held the purple crystal spirit bee hive and began to study it intently, her eyes filled with fascination, as if she had received her most beloved toy.

Wang Shouzhe then remembered that his fifth sister seemed different from ordinary people, having a natural fascination with insects. Even her own brother, Wang Shounuo, had said that when Luojing was two or three years old, she could watch ants in the courtyard for days and nights.

Well, well, let her have her fun.

Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui also wisely kept quiet, trying not to disturb her.

The carriage continued along the official road without any bumps, especially after entering Shanyang Town, where the road was smooth and straight.

The Gongsun family of Shanyang had been operating in this area for over two hundred years, deeply rooted. Because they had some special industries, they had high requirements for the roads, so they spent a lot of money on road maintenance every year.

The carriage traveled on the flat, hard road, and by lifting the curtain, one could see the distant mountain range with its high, arched ridges.

These were the residual ridges of Liuping Mountain, which circled around the outskirts of Ping'an Town, pierced through the An River, and formed the last major mountain range.

However, this segment of the residual ridge, like the back of a giant dragon, was even more steep and rugged than other parts of the Liuping Mountain residual ridge, hence it was called Longji Mountain.

The northwest side of Longji Mountain was called Shanyin, and the southeast side was called Shanyang.

Shanyang was dominated by the Gongsun family, while Shanyin was controlled by the Liu family.

The reason Wang Shouzhe and his group entered the Shanyang area from the Changning Ferry on the north bank of the river was to deliberately avoid the Shan Ying Creek area, which was the water territory of another major family in Ping'an Town, the Zhao family.

Not long after entering the Shanyang area, they heard the sound of hooves, and several riders quickly approached along the road.

One of the riders was Wang An, one of the Wang family's guards. Wang An had been sent ahead to inform the Gongsun family of their itinerary.

In front of Wang Shouzhe's carriage, the two guards, Wang Wu and Wang Yong, rode forward, keeping a certain distance between the riders and the carriage.

This was the duty of the guards, even if the riders included their own people.

"Wang Yong, quickly report to the family head," Wang An said loudly as the riders stopped and dismounted. "The young head of the Gongsun family has personally come to welcome the family head and Lady Gongsun."

His voice was loud enough to be heard inside Wang Shouzhe's carriage.

"It's my brother," Gongsun Hui, who had always been dignified and graceful, suddenly showed a childlike joy. But remembering that Wang Shouzhe and Wang Luojing were in the carriage, she quickly composed herself and said, "Zhe'er, Luojing, according to etiquette, we should get out of the carriage to meet Uncle."

Wang Shouzhe rarely saw his mother in such a childlike state, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly. He then realized that although his mother was usually serious and dignified, she had married Wang Dingyue as a second wife at the age of nineteen and gave birth to his sister Luomiao at the age of twenty-two, making her only thirty years old.

If in a big city like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, a thirty-year-old woman who hasn't married would be quite common, and they often still call themselves girls.

Putting that aside.

The two of them got out of the carriage with Gongsun Hui, and at this moment, the young head of the Gongsun family also led two guards to welcome them.

Gongsun Qiang, the current eldest son of the Gongsun family. He had a fair complexion and no beard, a rather handsome and heroic appearance, and his attire made him look even more handsome and tall. However, Wang Shouzhe knew that this young head, "Uncle," was already thirty-eight years old and had reached the peak of the eighth layer of the Qi Lian Realm.

"Little sister," Gongsun Qiang approached quickly, smiling, "You rarely come back to your parents' home, and you didn't even notify your brother in advance. I could have come to meet you outside Shanyang."

Gongsun Hui was the youngest among her siblings and was the most pampered in the family. Gongsun Qiang also doted on his little sister very much.

"Brother," Gongsun Hui bowed gracefully, "It is my duty to come back to visit my father and brother. How could I trouble you to come and meet me? Zhe'er, quickly greet Uncle."

She subtly gave Wang Shouzhe a look.

Wang Shouzhe understood and immediately bowed, saying, "Shouzhe greets Uncle."

Gongsun Qiang stared at Wang Shouzhe for a long time before finally saying, "Shouzhe has grown a lot, truly a heroic talent, far surpassing your father."

Although he was Gongsun Hui's elder brother, he did not have a good impression of Wang Shouzhe's father and even harbored some hostility.

The reason, of course, was that his beloved little sister had married an older man as a second wife, which made him very unhappy.

Later, due to personality conflicts with Wang Dingyue, they had a few disagreements, and he simply stopped visiting the Wang family.

When Wang Dingyue died, he, as a brother-in-law, did not even visit, but sent family elders and a few direct relatives to help.

Hearing this, Wang Shouzhe's face darkened. Although he was a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "a person who has traveled through time or space"), the memories of his previous life had merged with his own, and he was also Wang Shouzhe.

How could he remain indifferent to Gongsun Qiang's inappropriate words?

"Brother, don't speak nonsense," Gongsun Hui's face turned angry, and she said angrily, "Apologize! Otherwise, I will return to the Wang family immediately."

"Uh! Alright, it's my fault."

Gongsun Qiang hurriedly laughed and apologized, then bowed to Wang Shouzhe, saying, "Uncle also apologizes to you. I and your father just don't get along, but if you think about it, your father's talent and achievements far surpass mine."

His words were true. Wang Dingyue had reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Lian Realm at the age of forty, qualifying him to glimpse the Lingtai Realm.

For Gongsun Qiang to reach that level, it would take a long time.

Even though Gongsun Qiang was already thirty-eight, he was still just the young head, and his emotions were easily visible.

However, his straightforward personality made him easy to deal with. This was Wang Shouzhe's private assessment of Gongsun Qiang. ...

(Note: The term "穿越者" (chuanchuezhe) is a term used in Chinese literature to describe a person who has traveled through time or space, often used in the context of time travel or alternate universe stories. In this context, it means that Wang Shouzhe is a person who has traveled through time or space and has taken over the body and memories of his previous self.)