Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 119 Enlightenment
Looking at Master Liu's calm and collected demeanor, a thought suddenly flashed through Jiang Yi's mind.

This old rascal, could it be that he had planned this all along and deliberately let his own son spread the method?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a woman's smiling voice came from behind the courtyard. The voice wasn't loud, and carried a hint of casual conversation:

"That makes sense."

It was Madam Liu.

She stepped in with steady steps, her hair neatly styled, her skirt spotless, and her demeanor exuding elegance and poise.

With a mere lift of his hand, he took Jiang Xi's small hand in his, his gaze shifting to his two children, a smile blossoming across his face:

“I’ve always felt that Xi’er is not an outsider. These two kids are childhood sweethearts, they’ve been fighting since they were little, they’ve grown up together, who can be fooled if they don’t have some affection for each other?”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi was not angry; instead, he felt calm.

It's not that he had any dissatisfaction with Liu Zi'an.

I just feel that this matter has come a little too early, and it's not quite ready yet.

Master Liu glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he didn't urge him on. He simply smiled faintly and waved his hand.
"Madam, please take the two children to the back for a walk."

Madam Liu nodded, smiled in response, and led Jiang Xi and Liu Zi'an, one on each side, to the backyard with a cheerful smile.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Master Liu personally poured Jiang Yi a cup of tea, his movements unhurried and deliberate. His robe sleeve brushed against the corner of the table, and even the sound of water falling from the spout seemed to be drowned out by his words.

He always spoke slowly and deliberately, and even now he spoke calmly:

“I know that Brother Jiang’s lineage is quite remarkable, with a pure and upright spirit and a stable foundation. The path he will take in the future will certainly be extraordinary.”

The conversation shifted abruptly, then a meaningful chuckle escaped his lips:
"However, my Liu family's wealth, while not enough to claim to be a legendary immortal sect, is certainly not so bad as to be beneath anyone. After all... we have our own share of good fortune."

These words, spoken lightly, are like a feather brushing against the heartstrings, making one involuntarily take notice.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's heart stirred slightly, but he remained silent.

He simply lowered his head and gently tapped the tea lid, waiting for the person to continue speaking.

Master Liu continued, his tone still perfectly calm, as if he were merely rehashing an old family matter:
"To be honest, Brother Jiang, our ancestors were quite wealthy in the past. We wouldn't dare to boast about being richer than a country or having more power than the court, but we were certainly well-off and had a good reputation."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi nodded in agreement.

The Liu family's financial situation is no secret.

They uphold the old ways and guard the mountains and forests. Outsiders may not know the details, but anyone who has lived in this area for a long time can tell that this family is extraordinary.

What's more, his family name is Liu.

Master Liu spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone shifting as if gently wiping away a speck of dust from a desk:
"But, our ancestors have been navigating the mortal world for so long that they have achieved success, gained fame, and are never short of money. As a result, they have become too clear-headed about life."

He paused slightly, glanced at Jiang Yi, and spoke in a lower, more composed tone:

"And so, that thought of...immortality came to mind."

Jiang Yi remained calm, took a sip of tea, and showed no surprise.

As the saying goes, when all power is exhausted, one seeks the Way.

When fame and fortune come to an end, a change of heart leaves only the ancient and difficult path.

This has always been the case throughout history; there are no exceptions in this world.

"Initially, our predecessors also wanted to follow the righteous path of cultivating both body and spirit."

At this point, Master Liu's tone softened slightly:

"Cultivating inner alchemy and refining one's spirit and qi was a common path in the cultivation world back then. The price was considerable, and the methods were changed several times, but it wasn't like we had no way out."

He spoke softly, but shook his head slightly at the end, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes, as if sighing for that ancestor:

"But the deeper you delve into the path, the more difficult it becomes. Especially the path of deities, if you don't have a true lineage or the mark of your sect, even if you have the best comprehension and the strongest foundation, you may not be able to even take a single step into it."

Jiang Yi sat very quietly, not even moving his teacup an inch. He only lowered his eyes slightly, but his expression remained neither relaxed nor tense.

"Our ancestors also had a difficult journey back then."

Master Liu continued softly, "Having visited renowned teachers and extraordinary individuals across more than ten prefectures and worn down countless mountain gates and steps, in the end, there was still no way to enter."

“My spirit was already broken, and my soul was worn out. Just then, I had a dream.” He said this in a very low voice, as if afraid of startling something.

"In my dream, it was the ancestor who laid the foundation for my Liu family."

His tone softened, as if he had weighed those words in his mind several times before speaking:

“After that, my predecessor put away his obsession with cultivation.”

"I no longer searched for methods or sought supernatural powers. I simply changed my mind and began to cultivate the path of doing good deeds and accumulating merit."

“I’ve done everything I could—building schools, repairing bridges, and providing flood relief. I’ve spent almost all of my family’s wealth, all because of my desire to help people.”

He spoke lightly, but Jiang Yi could hear the strength of several generations hidden in those two words, "letting go."

"Until that year, a great flood swept through the mountains, threatening to destroy the village. Our ancestors devoted all their resources and strength, running around tirelessly for three consecutive nights without closing their eyes."

Master Liu paused for a moment, then smiled gently:
"At that time, a fortune teller who was passing by, I don't know where he came from, glanced at him, said only one sentence, and gave him a divination."

As he finished speaking, his tone finally came to a halt, like the end of a long letter:

“From that day on, my Liu family followed the divination and moved here. Generation after generation, we guarded the mountains and forests, protected the village and its people, and escorted passersby, all for that one sentence: ‘There will be opportunities in the future.’”

Jiang Yi listened in complete silence.

Steam rose from the edge of his teacup, but a story from several years ago floated before his eyes.

The monk, dressed in tattered robes and with a serene expression, was personally rescued by Master Liu and then personally escorted to the back mountain.

Although he had not yet grasped the true nature of the "opportunity" mentioned by the Liu family, he had already vaguely sketched out a general outline in his mind.

He even knew.

If there were no major upheavals, the Liu family would probably have to stay in these mountains for another three or four hundred years.

Jiang Yi didn't say much, only nodded, his tone calm and composed:

"Although they have desires, they are willing to give away their wealth to help those in distress, guard the mountains and forests, and slay demons and protect the people for generations... Such thoughts are already rare."

He paused for a moment, as if asking casually:
"But I wonder... this mountain that has been guarded for generations, this destiny that has been hoped for for generations, has your esteemed village... truly seen even the slightest trace of it?"

Upon hearing this, Master Liu simply shook his head slightly, his expression unchanged.

Jiang Yi stared at the cup of tea, not speaking immediately. After a moment of silence, he said, as if talking to himself:

"Your family has guarded this place for so many years... down from your ancestors, for generations? Has not a single person... ever had any suspicion?"

The voice was soft, yet utterly genuine.

If it were any other family, let alone three generations, they would have given up long ago after just one generation of waiting.

Upon hearing this, Master Liu seemed to have expected it and laughed:

"To be honest, when my father handed this responsibility to me, I did have some doubts."

“I asked him then, is it worth it for our family to have been guarding and hoping for this invisible and intangible ‘opportunity’ for generations?”

As he said this, a slight smile appeared on his lips, as if recalling his stubbornness from back then.

"But my father just glanced at me and said, 'You'll understand someday.'"

"The Liu family has been guarding this mountain for five generations, and I am the fifth generation."

Master Liu spoke in a low voice, as if he were talking about an ordinary family matter.

"The first four generations are enshrined in the ancestral hall behind the village, with incense burning continuously. Their birth and death anniversaries are remembered clearly every year, without missing a single one."

He paused, his eyes subtly shifting as if he were recalling something, and his words suddenly took a turn:
"That's what makes it so strange."

"Since I took over Zhuangzi, I have had a dream every night on the anniversary of my ancestors' death."

His tone remained calm, but the word "must" was like a nail driven into the eaves, leaving no room for doubt.

The person who comes in my dreams doesn't speak much, only a word or two each time. For ten years, it's been the same: 'Hold on, don't rush. When the time comes, fate will bring you together.'

As he spoke, he glanced up at Jiang Yi, his tone flat, but his expression remarkably clear:
"Four times a year, without fail. Over the years, it has always been the same."

(End of this chapter)