The Path to Immortality Begins with the Life-Extending Lamp

Chapter 121 The Second Son of the Li Family
The Southern Kingdom of Tiandu has been established for hundreds of years, upholding the Six Arts as its national policy. It has bestowed titles upon ghosts and gods as judges of the prefectures and virtuous deities of the counties, and externally supported various Taoist sects. Only in this way has it been able to reverse the decline of the heavens, eliminate all evil spirits from the southern land of Tiandu, and allow humanity to flourish.

Jiangnan Circuit, the core of the Six Arts and National Scholar Culture of the South, is the largest "province circuit" with four prefectures.

The capital of the Southern Kingdom was located in Jinlin Prefecture of Jiangnan Circuit, which was the easternmost part of Jiangnan Circuit.

The Jiangnan Circuit runs along the Yangtze River, passing through Tianchang Prefecture, Shuijing Prefecture, and finally Guihua Prefecture in the far west.

The renowned Hongdou Academy, one of the two most prestigious academies in southern China, is located in Guihua Mansion!

Now, another unexpected event has occurred in the Guihua Mansion.

Years ago, some immortals, fleeing the calamity of the northern kingdom, came from the northwest and occupied Yun Gui Mountain outside the prefecture. They frequently contacted the prefectural governors, magistrates, and vice-governors, hoping to obtain an official title like the Qingqiu clan.

Although it didn't succeed, it still made a name for itself in the Osmanthus Mansion. Many ordinary people turned to worship the "immortal" from the north, which was considered to protect their homes and people and to gain their recognition.

But it's unclear what went wrong in the mountains, or if they revealed their true nature, but in recent years, there have often been conflicts between so-called immortals and hunters in the mountains, as well as wandering knights from the prefectures and counties.

It should be known that the chivalrous spirits of the South are deeply ingrained in their culture, indulging in wine and poetry with a penchant for extravagance and a fondness for fine animal hides and potent medicines found in the mountains. How could they possibly allow those immortals to monopolize the magnificent forests as they do in the North?

Hunters enter the mountains to make a living by relying on the treasures found there. If you occupy the mountains, aren't you cutting off their livelihood?
The village elders and shamans mediated for a long time without success. Then, a hunter, in a fit of rage, shot and killed the offspring of the immortal. But who knew that just a few days later, the entire family was brutally murdered, with everyone in the family skinned and disemboweled. This horrific scene shocked the prefecture and county.

However, the intimidation tactics used in the North are ineffective in the South, and may even backfire!

The Southern Kingdom itself evolved from a clan culture based on ghosts and gods. Even today, large clans still worship ghosts and gods who roam the land at night or even during the day. Although this practice has many drawbacks, it can be summed up in one word: "protecting one's own."

Moreover, the hunter himself was a chivalrous man, and how could wandering knights and respectable young men from all over the land tolerate such an insult? How many years had it been since a demon mountain in Jiangnan had dared to act like this? It actually dared!
Thus, many heroes prepared their bows and crossbows, led their warhorses, donned armor, and brought weapons. These wandering knights had been immersed in the Six Arts of the Imperial Academy since childhood, and many had even reached the level of warriors, possessing the strength to push mountains and split rocks. Trees that one person could hug could not withstand a few punches from them. They also launched fire arrows everywhere, surrounding the mountains and challenging them to battle...

Some of the more influential ones even mobilized state soldiers and local deities to surround the enemy.

In an instant, a fierce battle broke out at the foot of Yun Gui Mountain. Flames soared into the sky west of Guihua Mansion, and beasts in the mountain went berserk, with ghosts and gods howling.

The wandering knights of that prefecture gathered several hundred men and ventured fifty miles into the mountains, where they fought the "immortals" in about ten battles, with each side experiencing victories and defeats.

The battle lasted for several days. Upon receiving the news, the prefectural government immediately ordered Li Yong, the military officer in charge of the prefectural army, to lead a battalion to quell the rebellion.

The local officials did not know whether the rebellion had been quelled successfully. They only knew that the fire in Yun Gui Mountain had been raging for more than ten days and had not been extinguished for a long time. Many old beasts in the mountain were so frightened that they had nowhere to go but to fly or hide. They charged in panic all the way to the villages and towns...

It was at this time.

Osmanthus Mansion. Huaxuan Ward.

In the Hua Xuanli family mansion, everyone in the household was visibly worried.

This is all because the master of the mansion led his troops into Yun Gui Mountain ten days ago to suppress the chaos, but he has been gone for a long time and there has been no news of him since, which is really worrying.

"I've heard that the immortals on that mountain are actually monsters from the north, and they're very fierce."

"The hunter family in that mountain village was skinned and dismembered. I heard that even their internal organs were eaten and their blood was drained."

"Oh, you plague-ridden fairy, will something terrible happen to you?"

"If you ask me, the soldiers of all the prefectures and counties are all useless, and so are the officials of the prefectures and counties... They shouldn't have let those monsters into Jiangnan Circuit. Wouldn't it have been better to drive them out and kill them long ago!"

The neighbors all came to talk about the great turmoil that had spread to the west of the city for more than ten days.

A few years ago, the Li family also had a terrifying incident that terrified the entire prefecture. The second son of the Li family was marrying the Ghost Queen. The red bridal procession stretched for miles along the entire riverbank of the prefecture. Hundreds of wronged ghosts appeared, beating drums, gongs, and playing suonas, playing eerie music all night long, which was quite frightening!

But I heard that not only did the second son of the Li family survive, but after joining the immortal sect, he also kept in touch with the immortals. Now he is probably a deity.

Because of this connection, when Li Jia Dalang led the team to take action, it always gave the residents of the surrounding four neighborhoods some confidence.

After all, the Jiangnan region is known for its extravagance, and nobody wants to be bullied by things from the mountains...

Just as the neighbors in the four directions were discussing the matter, a handsome young man with an unfamiliar face slowly walked into Huaxuanfang.

When he left home years ago, he was just a naive young man. Now, when he returns home, he has become a handsome Taoist priest. Li Qing has changed so much in the six or seven years since he left home that no one can recognize him anymore.

Of course, the women of the various prefectures who were gathered around the well in front of the neighborhood also noticed this stranger immediately and turned to stare at him.

The fabric of this person's clothes is so shiny! It must be the legendary Heavenly Brocade from the capital of Jinling, probably worth a fortune.

Why did he go to the Li residence to knock on the door? Could it be to announce a death?
Those who were curious outside the neighborhood immediately began to speculate!

The young man, with a gourd slung over his waist, approached the Li family mansion in a few steps, and two men immediately came out from the gatehouse.

"Distinguished guest, which family's young master are you? My master is on duty at the manor and is not here at the moment."

The gatekeeper was discerning; upon seeing the young man in fine clothes and walking with a confident stride, he immediately recognized him as an extraordinary person. He bowed respectfully, inquired about the young man's name to report back to his master, and promptly began to apologize.

"Oh!"

Upon hearing that her elder brother was not there, Li Qing lowered her eyelids slightly, gave a soft reply, and strode towards the mansion.

Seeing that the two scoundrels were about to make a move to stop her, Li Qing rolled her eyes and gave a light scolding:

"it's me!"

"Li Qing."

Upon hearing this name, the head servant in the gatehouse suddenly realized that the Second Master from back then was just like that—tolerant, fond of quiet contemplation, and eloquent but concise.

Good heavens, isn't that Second Master?! By the time the old gatekeeper realized what was happening, Li Qing had already crossed the threshold and headed towards the front yard.

"Second Master!!"

"My Second Master!!!"

The old gatekeeper exclaimed in surprise and quickly caught up with Li Qing, grabbing a newly arrived servant boy next to him and immediately giving him instructions.

"Quickly, go and tell the master that our second master has returned."

Speaking of this second master, the old doorman kept stealing glances at Li Qing's appearance. Indeed, he still had the same features as before. At this moment, he felt that his second master was now truly a celestial being.

No wonder the Ghost King went to pay his respects to her back then; that female ghost had good judgment!
"By the way, when I came back just now, I heard from the neighbors that a group of mountain immortals were causing trouble in Guihua Prefecture, and it was my brother who led the team to suppress them. What exactly happened, Lao Zhang? Tell me the details."

As soon as Li Qing stepped into the mansion, he paused and turned to ask the old gatekeeper.

Jiangnan has always been the most stable heartland of the South, so how could it have fallen into such chaos in just a few years?

"Reporting to Second Master, it's like this, that battalion of immortals has been here for about thirty years..." Hearing that Second Master still remembered his name, the old gatekeeper grinned and immediately began to tell what he knew.

The immortals from Yun Gui Mountain have been in Guihua Prefecture for half a century, but back then, Li Qing was still young and had not yet come into contact with them.

The two continued their conversation in this manner, asking and answering questions, as they walked along the front courtyard corridor towards the mansion. However, before they even entered the main hall, a middle-aged man approached them with two servants, followed by several women who were also present in the mansion.

The patriarch of the Li family rushed over, but the moment the father and son he had been longing for saw each other, both fell silent.

"..."

"Greetings, Father and Mother!"

When Li Qing arrived, he was at a loss as to what etiquette to perform. He cupped his hands, stepped forward, bowed, and first greeted Master Li, then his wife.

Having been away from home for a long time, the master and mistress were most worried about the stubborn second son of the Li family, the young Li Qing.

But standing before them now was the Purple Mansion Daoist, Gui Lang-Li Qing, who had tamed the Xuan Yin, broken through the barrier between Yin and Yang, and whose Qi was now under control.

This truly left the two elders stunned for quite some time.

"Good, good, it's good that you're back. Two years ago, a message came from Tiannan Temple saying that you had gone missing, which made your brother very anxious. He sent several groups of people to Tiannan Prefecture to look for you!"

Master Li turned and exchanged a glance with his wife, gently stroking his long beard. He was extremely amazed by his grown-up son, and his words did not betray his fatherly dignity.

However, his trembling right hand still revealed his barely suppressed excitement.

The lady behind him simply stared at Li Qing with tears welling up in her eyes, shaking her head slightly, unable to utter a word.

"Yes! I was tricked and thrown into the ocean 300,000 miles away."

"With the help of the heroes of the East Sea, we have traveled to many places, visiting overseas countries and the immortal island of Fangzhang, and have finally returned today."

Li Qing nodded slightly, briefly explained the incident to her family, then stepped forward again, cupped her hands in greeting, and called out to the two elders.

"Father, mother!"

Upon receiving this answer, the members of the Li family breathed a sigh of relief. Although they did not know where the outer sea and the various countries were, the distance of 300,000 li was enough to make them wary.

Upon hearing Li Qing's call to her parents again, the two elders breathed a sigh of relief.

They had heard that many immortal masters, after entering the secular world, would no longer recognize their parents and relatives!
"My poor son."

"This is your sister-in-law. Did Dalang mention her to you in his letter? She is Yin Biejia's youngest daughter. This is Xiaoyu'er."

"Yu'er, quickly call him Second Uncle!"

The master and mistress of the Li family hurriedly summoned Li Qing into the hall and introduced Li Yong's wife and daughters to him.

The little girl was so shy that she hid behind the group and didn't dare to come out and call out "Second Uncle".
"Qing, I have met my sister-in-law."

Li Qing looked at the woman in palace attire, immediately bowed, and then, mentioning Lady Yin, said in a deep voice:
“If it weren’t for Prefect Yin’s intervention back then, you would already be a ghost in the underworld, and there would be no you today.”

"I wonder if Prefect Yin is at home? I will definitely go and pay my respects to you in a few days!"

These sincere words came from the bottom of my heart.

But the woman was so shocked that she was speechless. She had also cultivated the Dao of Pills and Talismans, and her spiritual power level was 316, nearly reaching the upper level of Qi Refining.

Therefore, when she faced Li Qing's aura, which was full of Daoist charm and as majestic as a divine peak, it was as if she were seeing the face of the heavens.

Purple Mansion Foundation! He's actually already at the Purple Mansion level!

"Yes, Father will be very happy to see Erlang."

Having cultivated for six years and entered the Purple Palace, what kind of extraordinary talent is this?
Back then, because of the ghost story at the Li family mansion, she was extremely disgusted with this marriage, if not for Li Yong being so good...

But at this moment, she suddenly understood why her father had valued the Li family so much!

(End of this chapter)