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

Chapter 166 Wenya is seriously ill, relatives from heaven

The red paper pasted up during the New Year festival, after being exposed to the mountain winds for a long time, faded in color day by day, eventually turning into a desolate pinkish-white, and the edges curled up.

It's only been a few days since spring began, and the remaining snow on the ground hasn't completely melted yet.

Li Yunyi, the in-law, then entered the village, escorting two large carts and covered in dust.

The wheels crunched and creaked on the half-melted snow, leaving deep and shallow tracks that looked like signs of strain.

The guards accompanying the carriage all had faces that looked like they were covered in frost, and their hands never left the hilts of their swords.

"Father-in-law, this is just a small gift, nothing more."

Li Yunyi got out of the car and bowed with his hands clasped.

His usual shrewdness and composure were overshadowed by a heavy sorrow.

Jiang Yi glanced at the cart and immediately recognized that what was tightly wrapped under the tarpaulin were mostly common medicinal herbs for promoting blood circulation and detoxifying.

The herbs planted in the Jiang family's medicinal garden are all spiritual herbs that strengthen the body, nourish the vital energy, calm the mind, and soothe the nerves; they are all of the highest quality.

For common medicinal herbs like these that promote blood circulation and detoxify, and are used in small doses, we still have to rely on the Li family's extensive trade routes that allow them to travel all over the country.

He didn't say much, just waved his hand, signaling several members of the Gujin Gang to lead the car into the yard and unload it.

He personally invited Li Yunyi into the house, carried a copper kettle, brewed a pot of boiling hot tea, and pushed it to Li Yunyi's side.

"In these times, being able to gather enough for these two cartloads of things is no small gift."

Jiang Yi's tone was tinged with relief, and he casually asked, "The journey here hasn't been very peaceful, has it?"

Li Yunyi held the rough pottery teacup, and as soon as he felt a little warmth in his palm, he let out a long sigh, as if he wanted to expel all the frost and cold air from the journey.

"It's not peaceful?"

He forced a bitter smile.

“Longshan County is now like a pot of porridge that has been boiled dry. If we hadn’t been using that Protector of the Qiang’s banner, we probably wouldn’t have even been able to leave the county town.”

He tapped the teacup lightly on the table, his expression becoming more serious.

"To my shame, father-in-law... this is probably the last time we'll make this trip."

Jiang Yi held his teacup, listening quietly without showing any change in expression.

Li Yunyi sighed, as if speaking to himself:
"The family has discussed it and decided that it can't go on like this. While things are still relatively stable in Luoyang, we're planning to move there as a family."

When the epidemic first broke out, the Li family made a fortune thanks to the medicinal herbs they had stockpiled.

Who could have imagined that this fire would spread like wildfire and show no signs of dying down to this day?

Nowadays, official roads are mostly blocked and nine out of ten are impassable, and people's hearts are even more chaotic than official roads. They have made a lot of money, but holding it in their hands only feels like burning a hot potato.

"Even if you're alive to earn it, you still have to be alive to spend it, right?"

He added a final sentence, tinged with self-deprecating bitterness.

Jiang Yi then gave a soft "hmm".

"People thrive when they move, but trees die when they are moved; this principle has been true since ancient times."

Having said that, he stopped talking.

He knew perfectly well how corrupt the world outside was, even though he lived in the mountains. Being able to walk was a good thing.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Jiang Yi got up and went into the inner room. A short while later, he came out carrying a sandalwood box and placed it steadily in front of Li Yunyi.

"This is……"

"It's for Wenya."

Jiang Yi tapped the lid of the box twice with his fingers, the sound deep and resonant.

"It's a good deed for her to save people in Luoyang, but she shouldn't exhaust herself. These few medicines don't cure diseases, they just nourish life."

Though he spoke lightly, he was deeply worried.

That youngest daughter-in-law was not a naturally gifted spiritual cultivator; she only managed to get by through sheer tenacity and family background.

She's a year older than her son, Jiang Liang, and is approaching forty.

Unfortunately, he was caught in the vortex of Luoyang, dealing with epidemics and plagues every day, and his mental and physical strength must have been exhausted long ago.

Where would one find the leisure to read books, practice literature, or meditate to enlighten the mind?
If things continue like this, I'm afraid I might not be able to live to the age of refining essence into qi and achieving longevity.

Li Yunyi was a connoisseur; he only had to lift the lid a crack to let out a clear and unique medicinal fragrance, and he knew the weight of the contents.

These few plants are probably a rare find that no amount of gold or silver could buy.

He quickly stood up and solemnly bowed deeply to the ground: "My dear father-in-law, your kindness is truly admirable. Yunyi thanks you on behalf of my daughter!"

Jiang Yi immediately reached out to help the person up, saying that they were family and there was no need to speak like two different families.

After a few pleasantries, the conversation must come to an end.

As we saw people off at the village entrance, the mountain path wound its way through, and the spring chill still lingered.

The two walked side by side, neither of them fast, and they didn't say a word the rest of the way.

But as he passed the ancestral hall at the foot of the mountain, Jiang Yi suddenly paused.

A tiny ripple spread from the depths of the ancestral hall, like a stone thrown into a still well, creating a ripple in his mind.

It's Liang'er.

Jiang Yi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Why did they come at this crucial moment, just as our old in-laws were about to leave? I imagine it's not some trivial gossip.

He bowed slightly to Li Yunyi and said:

“My dear in-law, please wait here for a moment. There is a small matter at home that I need to take a look at.”

He spoke casually, without revealing the slightest hint of anything amiss.

Li Yunyi nodded: "Please do as you please, my dear in-law."

Jiang Yi nodded, turned around and pushed open the slightly heavy vermilion wooden door, his figure immediately swallowed up by the darkness of the ancestral hall.

The hall was still filled with the lingering fragrance of incense, the same astringent sandalwood scent.

As Jiang Yi walked to the incense table, before his hand even touched the incense holder, Jiang Liang's figure appeared out of thin air from the wisp of swirling smoke.

Today, the divine figure was somewhat less imposing than usual, and his face was as cold and indifferent as a stagnant pool in winter.

"father."

"Speak," Jiang Yi replied with just one word, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Please pass on a message to my father-in-law."

Jiang Liang's voice was flat and without any inflection, "Wen Ya is in Luoyang, testing medicine on herself, and has contracted the epidemic. Her condition is quite serious."

These words were like a cold needle piercing the bone.

A crack appeared on Jiang Yi's usually calm and composed face, and his pupils suddenly contracted:
"What did you say? When did this happen? Is there any treatment available?"

He asked three questions in a row, his voice already brimming with barely suppressed anger.

Jiang Liang, however, seemed completely unconcerned, his expression unchanged as he quietly watched him.
"Father, please pass this message on to your father-in-law first."

He continued, emphasizing each word:
"Please ask him again to spare no expense or regard for his reputation along the way to Luoyang, and to spread this matter far and wide, so that everyone in the counties and prefectures along the route knows about it."

The fire in Jiang Yi's heart was extinguished by these calm, almost ruthless words, leaving only a bellyful of suspicion.

His wife's life hangs by a thread, yet the husband doesn't think of saving her, but instead wants to make a scene known to the whole world.

He gazed into his son's calm, unwavering eyes for a long time, but ultimately swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

This kid has had his own ideas since he was little.

Now, bearing a divine mandate, his thoughts and schemes are beyond the comprehension of this old man in the mountains.

He nodded and uttered only three words: "Understood."

After saying that, he turned around and left the ancestral hall.

Outside the door, Li Yunyi was standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant mountain ridge. Hearing the door open, he turned around.

Seeing her father-in-law walk out with a normal expression, only his eyes seemed to have deepened a bit more than before.

"I've kept my in-laws waiting."

Jiang Yi stopped in front of him, his voice still calm, "Just now, my son sent a message back from outside, it was about Wenya." Li Yunyi's expression changed.

Jiang Yi said slowly, "Wen Ya is in Luoyang. She tested the new prescription on herself and has contracted the epidemic. Her condition is quite serious."

These words struck Li Yunyi like a heavy hammer, causing him to stagger and drain all color from his face.

His lips moved a few times before he managed to squeeze out a few words: "This...how could this be..."

Jiang Yi, however, did not allow him to panic, and calmly continued:

"My son also asked me to pass on a message: please ask your in-laws to spread this word widely along the way when you go to Luoyang. The bigger the publicity, the better. Don't worry about saving face or spending money."

Li Yunyi's bewildered face suddenly froze upon hearing the second half of the sentence.

That panic and fear felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand.

Then, a deep doubt flashed across his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a profound understanding.

"To announce it widely?"

He muttered to himself, as if he had realized something, and suddenly looked up at Jiang Yi.

There was no longer any panic in his eyes, only a heavy weight.

“Father-in-law…I understand.”

He said no more, only bowed deeply, turned and strode towards the convoy, leaving behind a distant remark:
"See you later!"

Seeing the patriarch's expression change drastically, the guards dared not ask any further questions and hurriedly urged the livestock on.

The carriages and horses suddenly became noisy, and the group was even more hurried than when they came, disappearing around the bend in the mountain road in the blink of an eye.

After seeing off the in-laws, the courtyard suddenly became quiet.

But the matter weighing on my heart did not dissipate with the receding train tracks.

Jiang Yi walked slowly back to the ancestral hall with his hands behind his back.

The composure he had maintained in front of others had vanished completely, replaced by an unconcealed seriousness on his face.

He stood before the incense table, staring at the gradually solidifying divine figure, and asked in a deep voice:

"Tell me, what are you really up to? How is Wenya doing?"

Jiang Liang's figure seemed much lighter at this moment, and a faint smile even appeared on his lips.

"Father, please don't worry."

He raised his hand and made a feigned gesture. "Wenya did indeed test the medicine on herself, and she was somewhat infected with the illness. However, the talisman water left by Feng'er is still there, keeping her alive with a bit of her true energy, so her life is not in danger."

Jiang Yi's face twitched slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the "hanging by a thread" explanation.

"If there is no harm, why make such a fuss?"

"Father, you don't understand."

Jiang Liang chuckled, “This time, what we’re going to do isn’t a private matter concerning one family or clan, but a major matter of saving the common people of the world.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's expression shifted slightly, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes:

"Oh? You... already have a solution?"

"I've gotten a feel for it," Jiang Liang said with a hint of mystery in his voice. "But this prescription is extraordinary. To put it bluntly, it's beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

Jiang Yi became increasingly confused as he listened, so he simply stopped interrupting, frowned, and waited for Jiang Yi to continue.

Seeing this, Jiang Liang moved closer and lowered his voice:

"This matter begins with a relative I contacted recently while I was in heaven..."

"Relatives?" Jiang Yi finally couldn't help but interrupt him.

The Jiang family has only existed for a few generations, and they have spent half their lives digging for food in the soil. The Liu family, on the other hand, has no connection to the immortals whatsoever.

Where in the sky are there any relatives who don't touch the ground?
"That's right, they're relatives!"

Jiang Liang responded immediately, and seeing his father's disbelief, he quickly added, "However, they are not blood relatives of our Jiang family, but rather from my younger sister's husband's side."

"Liu family?"

Jiang Yi paused for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening.

The Liu family received a dream from their ancestor and has guarded this place for generations;
This would also make those three old demons wary and dare not kill him.

It would be strange if they didn't have any tricks up their sleeves in heaven.

Seeing that his father understood, Jiang Liang's smile deepened: "Father, do you know where the Liu family's ancestors came from?"

Jiang Yi shook his head.

"I also spent a long time chatting with my younger sister and brother-in-law a few days ago, and then went back to the temple and spent half the night rummaging through old papers before I finally figured it out."

At this point, he couldn't hide his pride. "Father, have you ever heard of Liu An, the King of Huainan who invented tofu?"

"Liu An, the King of Huainan?"

Jiang Yi was startled; this name was quite familiar in popular folk tales and legends.

"Exactly."

Jiang Liang nodded, his tone taking on a storyteller's air.

"That prince was always fond of alchemy and magic. Back then, in order to refine the elixir of immortality, he dared to throw beans and gypsum into the furnace. In the end, he didn't succeed in refining the elixir, but instead made tofu."

"Who would have thought that this bite of tofu would, by some twist of fate, accumulate such immense merit that he unexpectedly ascended to heaven in broad daylight and obtained a respectable divine position."

After listening, Jiang Yi nodded silently.

Thinking to myself, it seems that the Liu family's obsession with immortality is truly inherited, ingrained in their very bones.

He thought for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, "What exactly does this matter have to do with the Prince of Huainan?"

"This is a very serious matter!"

Jiang Liang was beaming, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

"That prince was fond of alchemy, and because of this he obtained a divine position. When he arrived in heaven, he was naturally sent to the Tushita Palace."

"It just so happens that a while ago, the Kitchen God went to Heaven to report on his duties, so I asked him to help me set up a conversation. Before long, we actually started talking!"

His tone softened, and his divine figure flickered slightly in the cigarette smoke:

"Then I mentioned the plague in the lower realm, and the old ancestor of the Liu family immediately agreed to help."

At this point, he paused, as if weighing something or savoring a deeper meaning.

After a moment, he added in a low voice:

"Or rather... he and his ilk originally wanted to get involved, but just hadn't found a suitable excuse."

These words immediately made the atmosphere in the ancestral hall more somber.

Jiang Yi slowly opened his half-closed eyes, his gaze filled with an unfathomable darkness.

He had no doubt about the methods used by the Tushita Palace to quell the epidemic.

His worries were about something else entirely.

The epidemic broke out suddenly and spread throughout the world in an instant;

Those who arrived at the Celestial Master's Mansion remained inactive;
And now, the Tushita Palace is "willing to help"...

The experience here is far more complex than just an ordinary natural disaster.
The game is secretly planned, and now even their own children and grandchildren are being manipulated by others.

But things had already come to this point; Wenya was already "bedridden," and the Li family's caravan had long since set off on the official road carrying the news.

He remained silent for a long time, a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, but ultimately only a faint word of advice succinctly emerged:

"Be careful in everything you do. Never be careless."

Jiang Liang was feeling quite pleased with himself and didn't understand the deeper meaning in his father's words. He took it as ordinary concern and hurriedly replied:

"Father, don't worry! I understand!"

Before the words were finished, the divine figure swayed slightly and vanished without a trace, like wisps of smoke scattered by the wind.

The ancestral hall fell silent once more.

Only half a stick of sandalwood remained on the table, quietly exhaling a wisp of smoke.

(End of this chapter)