Chapter 5

"When we fought the Shanyue back then, there were many Shanyue sorcerers who drove miasma, snakes, and insects. The army distributed these talismans to resist witchcraft. This talisman saved my life once. Now, its divine light is gone, like a piece of broken paper. This is the second thing."

"The Shanyue like to use animal bones, feathers, and glaze. I killed people and scavenged these valuable items from their corpses. This is the third thing."

"Tomorrow, I will take this piece of glaze and tell your second uncle that Xiangping picked it up from the river. Regardless of whether Li Yesheng saw it or not, we will insist that it is just a piece of broken glaze, merely sparkling in the moonlight."

Li Mutian took out a piece of broken glaze, packed the items away, and said softly to Li Tongya.

"Father thinks thoroughly." Li Changhu nodded. "Second Uncle is generous and understands the big picture; he won't fuss over anything."

"It's a pity Li Yesheng is a piece of trash." Li Tongya said softly, turning his head to look at his father.

Li Mutian picked up the mirror, placed it on the wooden table, and shook his head.

"Now we have to see how to use this treasure and how to use it. If we mess up, we'll end up with nothing."

Lu Jiangxian had listened the whole way in the mirror and had a plan in his heart. He couldn't move in the mirror, but whether to protect himself or escape from the mirror, if he wanted to find a path he could walk on the long road to immortality, he had to rely on the manpower and material resources of this land.

The Li family was of farming origin with a shallow foundation, yet all of them were outstanding.

Father Li Mutian had excellent courage and insight, eldest son Li Changhu was smooth in handling affairs and generous, second son Li Tongya was brave, agile, and decisive, and Li Xiangping and Li Chijing were also quick-witted. They were truly the best choice for a combination.

Moreover, he had no hands or legs, couldn't walk or run, let alone change people. Should he remain silent and be thrown back into the river like trash, silent for a hundred years like a prisoner?

"In any case, go to the east first to see, even if it's just a glance from afar." Thinking of this, Lu Jiangxian urged the airflow in his body to surge toward the upper left corner of the mirror body.

Inside the house, the Li brothers fiddled with the mirror for a long time and gained nothing, being extremely careful for fear of breaking it and losing their immortal fate. This moonlight felt cool and comfortable like water to the touch, but it wouldn't move when blown or sucked.

Until Li Xiangping picked up the mirror and stroked it lightly on the surface, Lu Jiangxian urged his energy, and the upper left corner of the mirror surface suddenly lit up, scaring Li Xiangping until he trembled, calling out repeatedly, not knowing whether to hold it or put it down.

Li Tongya looked closely, and a bright white arc of light lit up in the upper left corner of the mirror body, thin on the sides and thick in the middle, which was quite beautiful. It only slowly dimmed after several breaths.

"Brother, it lit up!" Li Xiangping said excitedly, suppressing his voice.

Li Tongya took the mirror, stroked the mirror surface like Li Xiangping, and sure enough, a white light lit up. He handed the mirror to his father, signaling him to do the same.

Li Mutian and Li Changhu both stroked the mirror and praised it repeatedly.

Li Tongya, however, gave a light "huh," took the mirror from his eldest brother, and stroked it with his back to the crowd.

"Father, no matter where this object is stroked, the bright light always points to the north. Just like..." Li Tongya looked at the mirror in his hand and spoke solemnly.

"A compass." Li Mutian nodded.

Lu Jiangxian in the mirror couldn't help but applaud loudly. This kid is really smart; he understands it at once!

"Go to the village entrance first."

Li Mutian stroked his beard, turned back into the house, and greeted his children.

"Take a string of cured meat; we're going to visit the teacher."

————

Li Yesheng wiped his eyes and entered his front courtyard, kicking the stones on the road while cursing.

"What kind of treasure are they hiding? They treat a few melons like treasure. A few turtles came to look with knives in the middle of the night; they must have a ghost in their hearts!" He sat on a stone, his heart moved.

"Li Mutian has been out fooling around for twenty years; he must have quite a few good things on him! It must be a treasure." He calculated secretly.

"But those few turtles have stubborn tempers; you can't even squeeze mud out of their fingernails. The old man is old and stubborn; he refuses to open his mouth even if he dies. Otherwise, once Li Mutian dies, we would all have a share of the things!"

Li Yesheng tilted his head and looked at the courtyard gate. His younger brother Li Yesheng entered the gate timidly. He glared and shouted loudly:

"You brat, get over here!"

He pulled his brother's clothes and threw him in front of the house. Li Yesheng rolled on the ground in a sorry state and curled into a ball in fear.

"I heard you and that dog Li Xiangping have a good relationship. Tomorrow, go to his house and steal two melons to eat." He scolded viciously.

————

Li Mutian led the three children from the end of the village to the beginning. Villagers resting on doorsteps along the way greeted them with a smile:

"Uncle Mutian! Where are you going~"

"Sending something to the teacher!"

Li Mutian smiled and lifted the cured meat in his hand.

When they reached the village entrance, Li Mutian looked around, patted Li Tongya and Li Xiangping on the shoulders, and whispered:

"Go."

The two understood, bent down, and quickly disappeared into the dense reed marsh.

Li Mutian looked into the distance with worry, and his eldest son couldn't help but remind him:

"We should have told them both earlier: if there is anything miraculous, just look from afar and retreat; don't linger."

"Tongya has a sense of proportion."

Li Mutian squinted, and all his calculations floated in his heart like fleeting light and shadows.

He understood that tonight he might lose two children, but he would still have Li Changhu as his heir. But the children might return safely and bring the Li family an opportunity for great prosperity. He felt deeply pained and guilty, clenching his fists.

"Two hundred years."

The Li family had been facing the yellow earth and backing the sky on this land for two hundred years. Facing the potential opportunity, Li Mutian rationally made a choice that served the family's interests, yet he was pained emotionally.

"Brother Li!"

The courtyard gate opened suddenly, interrupting Li Mutian's train of thought. Teacher Han Wenxu held a small bowl and looked at him blankly.

"Teacher."

A bright smile appeared on Li Mutian's face. He strode to the platform and placed the cured meat on the wooden table.

"How could I be so embarrassed." Han Wenxu nodded with a smile.

He took the cured meat, broke off a piece, cut it into a small dish, and also served a small dish of stir-fried salted vegetables. The two moved a small table, poured two small cups of rice wine, and sat in front of the door to chat.

"Those immortals flying high and low in the sky won't be coming anymore." Li Mutian let out a long breath, revealing a relaxed expression.

Han Wenxu shrugged, then answered with envy: "Immortals!"

"The year I was twelve, an immortal came to the town." He pursed his lips and said with melancholy:

"He said he wanted to find people with 'opened apertures.' Out of more than a thousand children in the town, he only found three, and he took those three away. The immortals flying high and low in the sky today might even include my fellow townsmen."

"Immortal fate is hard to come by!" Li Mutian was silent for a long time and comforted him.

"Immortal fate is hard to come by, immortal fate is hard to come by..."

Han Wenxu stared blankly at the moon in the sky, repeating this sentence over and over.

The two were silent, each with their own worries and heavy hearts.