Chapter 2

Wang Lu's performance successfully made him the center of attention, causing a flurry of discussions and speculations, but everyone was wary of him. If his performance had taken place in a regular setting, he would have been labeled as a lunatic. However, in Lingxi Town, at the foot of the Immortal Mountain, the accommodation voucher he held became particularly significant.

"Could it be that Wang Lu has connections in Spirit Sword Mountain?"

This speculation was partially accepted by some and quickly led to more far-fetched theories, such as Wang Lu being the illegitimate son of an elder from the Heavenly Sword Hall, which left people speechless.

Behind the counter, the innkeeper watched coldly and, after a while, sneered almost inaudibly, "A bunch of idiots."

A moment later, she muttered to herself, "I might as well double the room rates; it's infuriating just to look at them..."

At that moment, a commotion came from outside the inn.

"Master, Master!"

The lobby of the Rujia Inn was not large, but there were at least dozens of young masters seated inside. They all turned their heads to see a young, handsome boy, about ten years old, stumbling in as he called out.

Seeing the boy, everyone's eyes lit up.

It wasn't because of his extraordinary beauty, but because of the long robe he wore, which was the same style as Wang Lu's, though of slightly inferior quality, indicating his status as a book boy.

Wang Lu himself seemed difficult to approach, but the book boy looked much more approachable. If they wanted to learn more about this standout competitor, this was their chance.

"Little brother..."

A tactful servant coughed to get the book boy's attention.

"Have you seen my master? He's about my age..."

"Heh, little brother, why don't you come over and explain in detail? There are so many people coming and going, I don't know who you're talking about."

The book boy hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

But clearly, someone didn't want to give these young masters a chance to chat. The innkeeper tapped the counter, "Is your master called Wang Lu? He's already upstairs, second floor, third room on the left. And remember, no loud noise here."

The book boy was taken aback, hurriedly thanked the innkeeper, and then rushed upstairs, his steps filled with joy.

"Master, Master~! I'm here!"

The innkeeper flew into a rage, slamming the counter, "Didn't I tell you not to make noise!?"

Then everyone in the lobby saw a jar of Daughter Red fly out from behind the counter, hitting the stairs where the book boy was standing. The little book boy was so frightened that he nearly fainted and dared not make a sound, scurrying upstairs.

But the innkeeper's anger had not subsided. Her gaze swept the lobby, and she quickly identified the son of a certain national grand tutor.

"Hey, you, yes, you, the one I kicked earlier. You ordered a jar of Daughter Red just now, right? Come and settle the bill, one thousand taels per jar, thank you."

Wen Bao was shocked, "When did I order Daughter Red!?"

"Right when I threw it to hit someone. What, do you want to order another jar?"

Seeing the innkeeper already lifting a large jar of wine over two feet tall with one hand, Wen Bao was terrified, "I'll pay, I'll pay right away!"

After collecting the ill-gotten gains, the innkeeper's face showed no joy. Her gaze swept the lobby again, and she sighed loudly enough for many to hear.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings."

---

On the second floor, the book boy enthusiastically pushed open the door to his master's room.

"Master, I'm here!"

Wang Lu, who was at the desk, looked up in surprise, "Eh, why are you here!? Go back!"

The book boy stood at the door, on the verge of tears, looking pitifully at his master.

Wang Lu was also helpless, "I remember I told you not to come."

The book boy, with a pained expression, said, "Master ordered me to come. He said it's unsafe for you to come to this Ascension Conference alone."

"Is it safer with you? You don't even have the surname Du... Sigh, Father is always confused. I told you not to follow his confusion."

The book boy emphasized, "Master ordered me to come."

Wang Lu sighed, "If he ordered you to come, you could have broken your leg and taken a sick leave."

The book boy, "I..."

"If you don't want to do that, you could have drunk a laxative. Anyway..." Wang Lu, seeing the book boy's innocent and pitiful look, helplessly shook his head, "Forget it, come in."

The book boy cheered and ran into the room with his large and small bags.

Even though he was foolish, after years of companionship, he knew that his master was always tough on the outside but soft on the inside.

---

Contrary to the young masters' imagination, the book boy and his master were neither nobles nor immortals.

They were just ordinary farmers from Wang Family Village, located in the northeast corner of Dog Ear Mountain, Wuhou County, Dongdao Prefecture, Cangxi State, Daming Kingdom.

The master's name was Wang Lu, the son of the richest man in Wang Family Village, Wang Lao Ye. Before the age of nine, he was named Wang Tudi, a name full of rustic charm. Later, a scholar simplified "Tudi" to "Lu," giving it a slightly more refined touch.

The book boy also surnamed Wang, the son of a merchant in Wang Family Village. After a tragic accident that left his parents dead, the kind-hearted Wang Lao Ye took him in and made him a book boy to accompany Master Wang Lu, a role he had held for seven years.

After seven years, the book boy still found his master full of mysteries, always so incomprehensible and beyond understanding. Two years ago, Wang Lao Ye had spent a fortune to hire a scholar from the Hanzong Library in Dongdao Prefecture to tutor Master Wang Lu. The scholar, with a long beard, was known to have taught several top scholars and was a renowned figure in Daming Kingdom. He changed Master Wang Lu's name shortly after arriving in the village but taught him for only two years before concluding that there were indeed people born with innate knowledge, and he had nothing more to teach. He then left, unwilling to mislead his student.

The scholar praised Master Wang Lu as a top scholar, predicting a bright future in the imperial court. Wang Lao Ye was delighted by his son's promising future but was also heartbroken that the scholar had been paid ten years in advance and refused to refund the remaining eight years.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Although Master Wang Lu was a genius, he had no interest in poetry or the classics and showed no desire to become an official. After the scholar left, he buried all his books in the yard, claiming they would provide energy for future generations, a rather grandiose statement.

"Those who live off others' labor are contemptible; I refuse to associate with them."

Well, he didn't even care about the Daming Kingdom's court. When Wang Lao Ye, puzzled, asked what his son wanted to do, the answer was shocking.

"Immortality."

Immortality!? Wang Lao Ye was so shocked that he almost lost his ability to function.

How easy was it to achieve immortality? The path of immortality was different from the mortal world, and it was a well-known saying that it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to glimpse the mysteries of immortality. Just the initial step of guiding qi into the body was a challenge for most.

Only a few blessed by the heavens and endowed with immortal fortune had the qualifications to pursue immortality, known as the Spirit Root.

In the Nine States Continent, people with Spirit Roots were one in ten thousand, and in recent centuries, they had become even rarer, almost extinct. It was said that ten lifetimes of good deeds were needed to obtain a low-grade Spirit Root. Wang Lao Ye, despite a lifetime of good deeds and now the richest man in Wang Family Village, was still several lifetimes away from the elusive qualification for immortality.

But when his son spoke, what could a father do but push him onto the path of immortality with all his might? Wang Lao Ye, who had not slept or eaten for a month, lost ten pounds and finally found a way.

Everyone knew that pursuing immortality was difficult, but fortunately, there was always a way out. It was said that there were miraculous elixirs that could grant mortals a touch of immortality, or the ability to activate a Spirit Root. These elixirs could now be bought with silver. The second richest man in Wang Family Village, Wang Dafu, had spent one hundred thousand silver coins to send his son, Wang Xiaohu, to the Seven Stars Sect to cultivate.

Wang Lao Ye, who had always been frugal, was even more unwilling to disappoint his son. Silver flowed out like water, and he gathered all the resources he could find: Spirit Root Cultivation Pills, Six Harmonies Pills, Seven Stars Breathing Techniques... He placed everything before his son.

But Wang Lu was not interested at all.

"Father, you don't understand immortality. These things are useless."

Wang Lao Ye, fuming, said, "I spent tens of thousands of taels, how can they be useless?"

Wang Lu was silent for a moment, then nodded in gratitude. The next day, he sold the items to the eager Wang Dafu and Wang Xiaohu for a fifty percent markup, giving his father a sense of pride.

For the next few months, Wang Lu did not mention immortality again. The family thought the matter was over and that his interest in cultivation had waned. However, a month ago, news of the Spirit Sword Mountain Ascension Conference reached the village, causing another wave of excitement.

"Father, I want to go to the Ascension Conference. Can you lend me some travel money?"

"What Ascension Conference?"

"Not a fresh produce conference, it's the Spirit Sword Sect's recruitment event."

"You want to pursue immortality again!?"

"I've never given up!"

Faced with his son's determination, Wang Lao Ye's response was to take a new concubine—after all, with such a large estate, he couldn't rely on Wang Lu, so he decided to have another child.

Of course, Wang Lao Ye still gave Wang Lu his full support. The book boy, carrying a large and small bag worth no less than two hundred thousand silver coins, arrived at Spirit Sword Mountain a day after Wang Lu, a significant amount even for the wealthy Wang Family.

To ensure Wang Lu's successful ascension to immortality, Wang Lao Ye had spared no expense, showing deep paternal love that left the book boy both envious and moved.

---

In the room, Wang Lu looked suspiciously at the book boy's bags. "What's this?"

The book boy smiled and opened the bag, proudly presenting a porcelain bottle. "Master, look, it's a high-grade Spirit Root Cultivation Pill!"

Wang Lu slammed the table. "Damn, that junk again? Get rid of it, it's annoying just to look at!"

The book boy was shocked. "How can you throw it away! Master paid a high price for it! It's different from last time, it's high-grade, high-grade! Master, you know, for mortals to pursue immortality, they must take the Ascension Powder and cultivate for forty-five days to nurture a Spirit Root. But with the help of the Spirit Root Cultivation Pill, the process can be significantly shortened, and the quality of the Spirit Root will be more stable. There's only a week left until the Ascension Conference, and only a high-grade Spirit Root Cultivation Pill can ensure Master has a Spirit Root in time! Oh, and here's the complete Seven Stars Breathing Technique, which Master got from the Seven Stars Sect..."

Wang Lu sighed. "Enough, no need to take out those fake qigong techniques and strength pills. Take them back as you brought them."

The book boy was stunned for a long time, then said with a pained expression, "Master, if you want to pursue immortality, why won't you take these pills? It's the only way for mortals to achieve immortality..."

Wang Lu sighed. "Yes, why is that?"

The book boy tilted his head, blinking, wanting to say, "Maybe Master, you need to take the pills," but he didn't dare to say it, just prepared the Spirit Root Cultivation Pill with warm water, filling the room with the scent of medicine. The book boy praised, "It's truly high-grade."

Then he looked at Wang Lu expectantly.

In the village, the book boy used this trick to tease the big yellow dog in the neighbor's yard, and it always worked, though then it was with bones.

Sure enough, Wang Lu spoke, "Wang Zhong..."

The book boy nodded quickly, "Master, what do you need?"

"For mortals to pursue immortality, there is indeed only one way, but when did I say I was a mortal?"