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

Chapter 169 The Spirit Spring Surrounds the Forest, Jiang Xi the Divine One

Jin Xiuer's words, spoken so casually, struck Jiang Yi like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

His hand, holding the bamboo chopsticks, remained suspended in mid-air for a long time, unable to fall.

Over the years, he had thought about the clear spring in the back mountain, but it was just a thought.

He knew better than anyone that the back mountain, though seemingly ordinary, held profound mysteries.

Back then, even with his eldest son Jiang Ming, whom he knew best, he only carefully guided a wisp of spring water to the foot of the mountain, and then used the roots of the spirit tree to absorb some of the scattered spiritual energy, not daring to get any closer.

That is almost the root of their own Taoist practices.

Tampering with the roots too easily will lead to big trouble.

But right now, this eldest daughter-in-law, who is usually not very talkative, is...

Yet they described this enormous secret as as casually as digging a new irrigation ditch in the yard to water the vegetables.

Jiang Yi's gaze unconsciously fell on her face, scrutinizing her closely.

His face was calm and composed, showing no sign of unease or any hint of probing.

Those eyes were clear and bright, as if they truly didn't think this was any important matter.

For a moment, Jiang Yi was also unsure.

She simply didn't understand the intricacies of the matter; she was like a newborn calf that wasn't afraid of a tiger.

Or are they truly confident and fearless?
The thought lingered in his mind for a while, but he eventually suppressed it.

"This matter... I need to think about it some more."

He looked away, mumbled something, and changed the subject.

The meal was finished in a somewhat inexplicable and somber mood.

As night deepened, Jiang Yi did not return to his room as usual. Instead, he put on an outer robe and went to the ancestral hall outside.

Inside the ancestral hall, a single lamp burned quietly as always.

Jiang Yi lit the incense and candles with practiced ease, then took two sticks of incense from the side, lit them on the candle flame, and casually inserted them into the incense burner.

Smoke swirled and incense flickered.

In a short while, the newly added smoke swirled in the air, gathering without dispersing, and a figure slowly appeared among the incense smoke.

It was Jiang Liang's already solidified Yin spirit.

"Father," Jiang Liang said, his smile fading as he saw his father's grave expression, "has something urgent happened?"

The father and son have met almost every day for the past three years, so formalities have been omitted.

Jiang Yi didn't mince words and immediately explained Jiang Xi's current situation and the conversation he had with Jin Xiuer at the dinner table.

Finally, his gaze fell upon his son's increasingly heavy spirit, and he asked in a low voice:

What do you think of your sister-in-law's words?

He knew in his heart that ever since Jiang Liang obtained this divine position and was able to glimpse some of the patterns of this world, his eldest son had shared many secrets with him.

Among them are many secrets related to the back mountain.

The details of this matter are probably less clear to him, the father, than to his youngest son.

"Did your elder brother mention anything to you?"

Jiang Yi lowered his voice even further, "Is this... really feasible?"

As the incense smoke flickered, Jiang Liang pondered for a long time before finally speaking:
"This would be extremely difficult for anyone else. But for my sister-in-law... she might actually have some confidence."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's expression shifted between excitement and bewilderment.

He was increasingly puzzled by his eldest daughter-in-law's background.

Jiang Liang hesitated for a moment, then added:
"However, it is best for the eldest sister-in-law to handle this matter herself, and no one else should interfere."

Jiang Yi understood this in his heart.

Even Ao Moang, the crown prince of the Western Sea, was wary of that area behind the mountain and dared not approach it rashly.

We should be even more cautious with our own family.

Seeing that his father had made up his mind, Jiang Liang changed the subject and brought up a family matter:
"By the way, Rui'er wrote a letter a few days ago, saying that he might be transferred to the Liangqiang border soon, and that he wants to send Jiang Han back to the village for education."

His second son, Jiang Rui, had been training under the command of the Protector of the Qiang since his death.

Two years ago, he married the captain's youngest daughter, and later they had another daughter, named Jiang Han.

Jiang Yi had no objections to his own children and grandchildren, and simply nodded.
"It would be best if the granddaughter-in-law could also return to the village for a while to establish a foothold."

Jiang Liang agreed, then bowed, his figure gradually fading until he finally dissipated as a wisp of smoke.

……

The next day, Jiang Yi gave his morning prayers in the ancestral hall as usual, and then the members of the Jiang family went about their business.

Some went to the school to give lectures, some went to the training ground to supervise training, and some picked spiritual fruits and dashed off to the back mountain.

The bustling mansion quickly became deserted, leaving only Jin Xiuer alone.

She cleared away the dishes, picked up a hoe, and headed towards the back woods.

When we arrived at the treehouse, it was still quiet all around.

The younger sister-in-law stayed indoors, as if the foliage in the forest had isolated her from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Jin Xiuer didn't disturb them. She simply found a spot and pried out a palm-width gap at the bottom of the bamboo fence near the edge.

The gap opened, and a trickle of water, carrying a refreshing and invigorating spiritual energy, flowed out.

She didn't rush to widen it; instead, she slowly and deliberately began to widen a narrower ditch outwards, following the original irrigation canal.

The trickle then flowed slowly outwards along the new canal.

The ordinary hoe in her hand moved with a methodical rhythm, turning the soil into fluff without scattering it.

Before long, a ditch about three fingers wide gradually took shape, neither too deep nor too shallow, winding around the orchard behind the Jiang family's house, just enough to encompass the entire spirit fruit forest.

Then, she dug a small pond about half a meter square near the treehouse.

The clear spring water, drawn from the gap in the fence, flowed silently into the new canal.

The pool wasn't large, but it filled up quickly; in no time, a thin mist of water vapor rose from the surface.

The surrounding spiritual energy gradually condensed into mist, visibly swirling around.

She then built a gentle slope along the edge of the pond, making it easier to fetch water in the future.

The entire valley was eerily quiet, save for the muffled sound of the hoe hitting the soil and her slightly rapid breathing.

Even the old hens in the coop fell silent for some reason, stretching their necks and staring blankly in this direction.

Even after Jin Xiuer put down her hoe and leaned against a tree to catch her breath, she still didn't see anything unusual.

It seemed like an ordinary farmhouse, with a ditch dug in the backyard to draw water from a spring.

Only the spiritual energy of the forest, flowing in a ring with the spring water and gradually filling the pool, is slowly accumulating with a steady and irreversible momentum, becoming increasingly rich.

She then casually picked a fruit, wiped it on the hem of her clothes, took a bite, and savored the sweet and sour taste, but her gaze remained fixed on the newly formed pond.

As evening approached, Jiang Yi returned from the school and paused as soon as he stepped outside the courtyard.

In the past three years, he has not neglected his duties of preaching and teaching. Although he does not show off his spiritual abilities, his perception has become much sharper than before.

In just half a day, I felt that the spiritual energy inside and outside the house, though invisible to the eye, was clearly perceptible and was rising in wisps.

Jiang Yi didn't even bother to go back to the house, and went straight to the orchard under the house. As soon as he got to the treehouse, he saw a three-finger-wide stream of water flowing gently around the orchard, right next to the corner of the wall.

The forest is filled with a spiritual energy that seems to cover every leaf with an invisible glow.

A figure was squatting by the canal.

Jin Xiuer rolled up her sleeves, picked up a wooden ladle, and washed the mud off the hoe.

The newly dug pool was crystal clear, with a light mist rising from its surface.

Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow when he saw that she was actually using the spiritual spring water to wash the hoe.

If this ladle of water were left outside, countless people would fight tooth and nail to snatch it.

Hearing the noise, Jin Xiuer turned around and smiled at her father-in-law, her face showing some relief after her busy work: "It's finally done."

She spoke of it so casually, as if she had just watered a patch of land, without taking it to heart at all.

After washing the hoe, he flicked his wrist and carelessly splashed the dirty water under the tree.

Then he picked up a wooden bucket, quickly filled it with spring water, and carried it into the house, saying as he did so:

"I'll go cook right away."

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yi's expression changed.

As he originally intended, he only planned to quietly draw a water line to nourish the old trees behind the house, so that his daughter and family members would have more spiritual energy to use when cultivating, and also more opportunities for breakthroughs.

Unexpectedly, the eldest daughter-in-law made no attempt to conceal her actions, and openly and ostentatiously brought water, circling the forest and even digging out a pond.

Moreover, judging from her posture, she even wanted to use the spiritual spring water from the back mountain to cook rice and vegetables in the house.

This development was completely unexpected.

Jin Xiuer, with a bucket in one hand and a hoe in the other, was about to turn the corner when she seemed to suddenly remember something.

Turning back to Jiang Yi with a smile, her eyes crinkling, she said softly:
"Father, from now on, when watering the herbs, you can just scoop water from this pond. It's less effort than drawing well water."

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Jiang Yi's reaction, he carried water back to the kitchen, his back view showing a natural and orderly demeanor.

Jiang Yi watched his daughter-in-law's figure disappear around the corner of the house, but did not immediately follow her inside.

Instead, he strolled around the circular water channel at a leisurely pace, noting down the general direction of the watercourse, before returning to the newly dug pool.

He slowly squatted down, hesitated for a moment, and finally scooped up a handful of spring water with his hands.

The moment you touch the water, you feel its refreshing coolness.

That pure spiritual energy melted in my palm, as if I were holding an invisible, warm, and cool piece of jade.

Jiang Yi's face unconsciously lit up with a smile.

Having embarked on the path of medicinal herb cultivation with the help of the spiritual energy of this mountain behind our home, and after so many years of twists and turns, this is the first time we have truly touched the source of this spiritual spring. It is indeed extraordinary.

He carefully drank the spring water in his hand in one gulp, even licking away the water droplets on his lips with the tip of his tongue, not wanting to waste a single drop.

He then stood up, looked at the misty back mountain, and then at the lush treehouse beside him.

His smile widened, and his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the chicken coop to the side.

The chicken coop was unusually quiet today.

Even the few pheasants that usually love to peck at grass and insects in the woods were nowhere to be seen.

But Jiang Yi thought about it, and realized that in a few more days, Rui'er might have to take his wife and daughter back to his hometown...

He shook his head, ignoring the flock of spirit chickens, and chuckled as he returned to the house with his hands behind his back.

As the days passed slowly, the previously stagnant spiritual energy in the Jiang family mansion began to gradually become richer again.

Nowadays, whether it's drinking water or cooking, we use the spiritual spring water flowing from the back mountain.

The whole family is in much better physical and mental condition than before.

The grandchildren, whose physical constitutions are still developing, benefited the most, becoming energetic and lively, leaping and bounding like little tigers.

Jiang Yi was a little reserved at first, but after discovering that the spring water was truly flowing endlessly, he relaxed.

Whether watering trees or irrigating medicinal herbs, water was drawn from that pool.

Nourished in this way, the spiritual trees and medicinal herbs surrounding the Jiang family grew even more vigorously.

Consequently, the spiritual energy dissipating into Liangjie Village also increased rapidly.

Of course, these gains were all unexpected surprises for Jiang Yi.

What's really important is the treehouse behind the main house.

The spiritual energy of the water and wood grew stronger day by day, and the treehouse was now completely enveloped in spiritual energy, water vapor, and mist.

Jiang Yi sometimes goes to the back of the house to fetch water, and if he doesn't look closely, he can hardly see the shape of the treehouse anymore.

Another month or so passed.

That night, Jiang Yi was concentrating on visualizing the Yin and Yang dual essences within his soul when suddenly, his soul trembled, as if sensing something.

He opened his eyes and sensed it carefully. He felt a powerful aura coming from behind the house, in the direction of the treehouse.

This fluctuation of energy lasted for about half an incense stick's time, then suddenly returned to calm, as if it had never appeared at all, completely disappearing.

Jiang Yi was overjoyed. He had felt this same way about his eldest son back then.

He immediately got up and left the room.

The rest of the family members had obviously noticed as well, and they gathered in twos and threes in the yard, their eyes filled with barely concealed excitement.

Jiang Yi did not go to the back of the house, but stood quietly in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, waiting.

Before long, a long-absent figure finally emerged from the corner of the house.

Jiang Xi.

Jiang Yi could no longer sense Jiang Xi's specific aura, but he could feel an indescribable freshness and weightiness.

The feeling was like standing under a precious tree with extremely vigorous vitality, its branches and leaves flourishing, its roots deep and firmly planted, forming its own world.

Jiang Xi walked step by step into the courtyard and stopped under the old locust tree.

She first bowed deeply to her parents. Then, she turned to her sister-in-law, Jin Xiuer, and bowed deeply as well.

Although she hadn't left the treehouse these days, she was well aware of what was happening outside.

She knew perfectly well how much effort her sister-in-law had put in to make things this way.

Liu Xiulian could no longer contain herself. She took a few steps forward, pulled her much thinner daughter along, and looked her over from left to right. The tenderness in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Jiang Xi is now thirty-four years old.

However, due to her cultivation since childhood and the nurturing of her spiritual energy, she entered a higher realm early on. She still looks like she is seventeen or eighteen years old, but there is a sense of calm and serenity between her brows.

The family gathered around, and there was no shortage of congratulations.

As the excitement subsided, the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Jiang Yi looked at his successful daughter, his face beaming with an uncontainable smile.

Without lingering, he turned around, went back into the house to get an outer garment, put it on, and immediately set off for Liu's Village.

Firstly, it's such a joyous occasion, so we should let them know.

Secondly, Liu Zi'an, the prospective son-in-law, has now reached a critical juncture.

Since the area behind the house has been transformed into a sacred place, it is only right to discuss letting him also experience the training in the treehouse.

(End of this chapter)