Chapter 106: Bad News at Home

Not many days after returning to Mount Funiu, another major event in Qinghe County reached the Song family's mountain gate.

After the Qian family occupied Chifeng Ridge, in order to increase their strength to guard this second-tier spiritual vein, Qian Guangyao issued a bounty order in Qinghe County, inviting loose cultivators from all directions to go to Chifeng Ridge to assist them in guarding the spiritual mountain.

The bounty order issued by the Qian family was different from the conscription order issued by the Huang family. The conscription order was an order issued by the main family to the vassal families under their door. This kind of order was mandatory. As a vassal Qi Refining family like the Song family, they could not refuse the conscription of the main family, otherwise, what would welcome them would be a disaster of extermination.

The bounty order issued by the Qian family was the same as the task when the Liu family invited them to go to the Fuyun Mountain Range to hunt second-tier demonic beasts at the beginning. This was just an employment relationship. Whether to take the task or not was completely voluntary, and there were no mandatory requirements. The rewards given would also be higher.

Seeing that the price offered on the Qian family's bounty order was very high, not only the loose cultivators mixed in Qinghe County but also many cultivators from Qi Refining families like the Song family were moved by the spirit stones and came here.

For a time, many cultivators gathered on Chifeng Ridge. Although they were attacked by second-tier demonic beasts several times, they were all guarded by the Qian family without danger.

It was just that in order to be able to invite those powerful loose cultivators, the Qian family also gave a high price. Although the Qian family also had some foundation, it would be very difficult to persist for too long if this continued. At most, in half a year, the Qian family would face the crisis of bankruptcy.

For this reason, Qian Guangyao did not hesitate to mortgage several of the Qian family's mines and shops in Qinghefang to other families, and more than three months later, set up a second-tier formation on Chifeng Ridge, which ended this bounty order.

Thirteenth Uncle Song Changxiong, who broke through to the late stage of Qi Refining, was also a person who could not stay idle. Not long after he finished his seclusion, he followed several good friends to Chifeng Ridge to mix for two months and earned a lot of spirit stones, until the Qian family had no more employment tasks, and then he returned to Mount Funiu somewhat reluctantly.

However, some people were not as leisurely as him. Song Qingming, who had just returned to Mount Funiu, had not yet rested for a breath when he received the bad news from home at the foot of the mountain that his father was seriously ill, and he could only rush back to his home in Mujiao Town.

Song Dezhang was nearly sixty years old, which could be considered not young among mortals. In the past few years, his body had also developed many problems. Half a month ago, because the road was slippery on a rainy day, he accidentally fell in his own courtyard and lay on the sickbed at once.

For half a month, Song Dezhang could not speak, and his condition worsened day by day. The Song family invited many doctors to come for diagnosis and treatment, but none of them were effective. They could only inform the Song family's stationed cultivator in Mujiao Town, wanting to notify Song Qingming to go home and see if there were any other ways.

It was just a coincidence that Song Qingming was still on the Huang family's Mount Wufeng at this time, and it was not until he returned to Mount Funiu that he learned of this matter.

Song Qingming used his own magic power to investigate his father's body and found that several important internal organs in Song Dezhang's body had been seriously damaged, and he was already at the last moment of his life. Being able to hold on until he returned could already be considered very difficult.

Facing the expectant look in his mother's eyes, Song Qingming could only shake his head helplessly. Although he was a cultivator, the spiritual items in his hands could only cure diseases and eliminate disasters, and there were no high-tier spiritual elixirs that could make mortals grow flesh on white bones and bring the dead back to life.

In Song Dezhang's current situation, rashly spending spiritual elixirs for treatment would not have much effect, and might even accelerate the pace of his death. Song Qingming could only exchange some medicine from the clan for Song Dezhang to take, trying his best to reduce the pain on his body.

Half a month later, white banners began to hang everywhere in the Song family, and Song Dezhang, who was reluctant to part with his relatives, finally left the world.

Over the years, the Song family had already been considered a famous family in Mujiao Town, and Song Qingming also intended to let his father leave in a glorious way, so Song Dezhang's funeral was naturally held very grandly.

For several days, the people entering and leaving the Song family gate were all people from near Mujiao Town who came to pay their respects. The sound of wind instruments and gongs and drums, which carried the grief of relatives, also did not stop from morning to night. Song Qingming even went up the mountain to invite Fourth Elder Song Gucai, who was proficient in geomancy, to find a geomancy treasure land for Song Dezhang to be buried.

After being busy for four or five days, the fourth brother sent away all the guests who came to mourn. Song Qingming was not convenient to show his face too much among mortals, and Second Sister had to take care of the grief-stricken Song Mother, so basically, he and his brother-in-law were busy with the errands below.

After handling his father's funeral affairs, Song Qingming did not rush to return to the mountain and stayed at home for another ten days. The spiritual energy in Mujiao Town was scarce, and he did not deliberately spend spirit stones to practice. Contrary to his usual state of staying in his room every time he went home, he took the initiative to walk out of the room and get familiar with everyone in the family.

On this day, Song Qingming was playing with several young nephews in the backyard, unexpectedly, the elderly Song Mother took the initiative to come to him.

"Third son, your father has been gone for so long, why are you still huddled at home? When he was alive, he was most afraid of family matters delaying your cultivation. You came back this time to work on this matter, which can be considered as fulfilling your filial piety. After eating dinner later, go back. Don't worry about me here, there is nothing wrong. I know my own body."

Song Mother was originally a reasonable person. Seeing that Song Qingming had not returned to the mountain for so long, she took the initiative to put down the grief in her heart and came to persuade Song Qingming to leave. Although she also wanted her son to accompany her more at home, Song Qingming's future was obviously more important than these things in her heart.

Song Qingming also knew his mother's intention in his heart, nodded in agreement, and helped his mother to sit down on the side.

Song Mother looked at Song Qingming beside her, and then looked at the several grandchildren in the courtyard, and a smile that had not been seen for a long time gradually appeared on her face.

"It's just a pity that Yunshan didn't measure out spiritual roots last time. I don't know if these children still have immortal fate, and can follow me up the mountain to practice in the future."

Over the years, Fourth Brother had given birth to several more children. Song Qingming's eldest nephew, Song Yunshan, was already ten years old. Half a year ago, he went to the town to participate in the spiritual root test, but the result made this child very disappointed. He was just an ordinary mortal and did not measure out spiritual roots. In this life, he could not practice immortal methods like his eldest uncle, Song Qingming. If there were no accidents, he could only be a rich man among mortals like his father.

Song Mother heard Song Qingming's words and said somewhat displeased: "Why have you become as stubborn as your father? What if there is no immortal fate? If you ask me, it is enough for them to be safe and sound until old age in this life. If they all go to practice immortality, even if this family is big, it is cold and clear, what is the meaning?"

"You, if you could get married earlier, that would be great. You are all alone on the mountain, how can you let me rest assured to leave."

As soon as the words were finished, the tears in Song Mother's eyes could not stop overflowing again.

Song Qingming naturally knew his mother's idea of wanting him to get married long ago, but the family had a rule that cultivators could not get married before the age of forty. Even if he had this idea, his current age was still a few years away, so he could only helplessly explain to his mother again.

However, his father's sudden illness and death this time still left a trace of regret in his heart. Not being able to let his parents see him get married was indeed a great regret in life. Even if he was a cultivator, as long as his parents were still in the world, how could he completely cut off this secular relationship?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 107 =====