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

Chapter 211 Another Great-Grandson Arrives
Jiang Xi was drinking soup when she heard this and was slightly taken aback.

As if reminded by these words, a look of realization flashed in her eyes, revealing a touch of playful annoyance.

“Father, I had really forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

"I was so focused on exploring the back mountain that I neglected this important matter."

Before he finished speaking, he was already intrigued.

She gently placed the soup bowl on the table, straightened her posture, and closed her eyes slightly.

When he opened his eyes again, a faint blue light shone in them, clear as water and cold as frost.

With focused concentration, the vital energy flowed through the pupils.

Those gazes, like two thin lines, gently pierced through the blue bricks, passed over the mud layer, and slowly probed into the deep underground.

The people in the hall gradually felt their breathing become less intense, and only the soft whispers of the candlelight could be heard.

Jiang Xi's eyes seemed to no longer belong to this world.

This one look seemed to capture one's very soul.

Jiang Xi's originally bright eyes gradually froze.

Her expression shifted from curiosity to focus; then from focus to a slight frown.

The focused look between his brows was like searching for something in the fog, making it all the more enigmatic.

Liu Chengming was alarmed. Seeing that his mother hadn't touched her chopsticks for a long time and was just staring blankly at the ground, he gently called out twice, "Mother? Mother?"

His voice was soft and sweet, but it failed to penetrate the silence.

Jiang Xi remained sitting upright, completely still.

Those eyes, gleaming with a pale blue light, seemed to have fallen into some bottomless abyss, held firmly by something invisible.

Everyone in the hall was also moved by her appearance.

The laughter subsided, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks ceased, and the lights in the room flickered. Only the breeze outside the window, carrying a few wisps of the aroma of food, gently swept through the night.

After a long while, the blue light slowly faded away.

Jiang Xi exhaled a long breath, as if emerging from the bottom of the water. For a moment, she was in a daze, and even her eyes were somewhat empty.

Jiang Yi had already put down his chopsticks, his gaze calm as he looked at her face.

"What did you see?"

Everyone at the table unconsciously held their breath and looked at her.

Jiang Xi remained silent for a moment, a hint of something indescribable appearing in her beautiful eyes.

She seemed about to speak, but then stopped herself. Her lips moved slightly, and she finally shook her head.

After a long pause, he finally uttered a soft voice, so faint it was almost inaudible:

"Below... is a mass of chaos. It's hard to see clearly."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi did not press further, but simply nodded.

“It’s alright,” he said slowly, his tone flat. “It’s a small matter. Just focus on your cultivation.”

After the meal, the dishes were scattered everywhere, but the lingering aroma still lingered.

As everyone dispersed and cleaned up, Jiang Xi, unusually, took the initiative to go forward and take over all the leftover food from the table.

The Jiang family now drinks from spiritual springs and eats spiritual food. Even leftovers carry a bit of spiritual energy. For an ordinary person, a couple of bites is equivalent to a Qi-replenishing pill.

She carefully scooped the leftover rice from the bowl into the wooden basin, then picked out a few medicinal vines and two unripe spiritual fruits from the basket, put them in as well, and carried them to the chicken coop in the backyard.

Jiang Yi stood under the eaves, holding a cup of tea in his hand, taking a small sip.

The daughter's figure moved through the light and shadow under the eaves, the hem of her clothes brushing against the blue bricks, her steps so light they were almost silent.

The look in his eyes gradually darkened.

This girl has never liked taking care of those few broods of chickens.

They were annoying because they were noisy, liked to peck at my ankles, and smelled of chicken feathers.

But tonight, she went to feed the chickens by herself.

……

The last snow under the eaves has just melted, and a few tender shoots struggle to emerge from the new mud, only to be bent over by the night frost.

Then, as dawn breaks, it quietly straightens up again.

After several ups and downs, spring finally took root in the mountains.

Another season has passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, incense smoke curled up in the ancestral hall.

That sandalwood incense burner has been burning for over a decade without ever going out.

But tonight, the smoke suddenly lingered, gathering but not dissipating.

Amidst the wisps of smoke, a figure could be vaguely discerned.

Jiang Liang's appearance, half-transparent and half-real, was brought back to the mortal world by a wisp of sandalwood incense.

Compared to last time, his spirit was even more solidified.

The wisp of green smoke solidified, and before it could fully take shape, it bowed deeply to the people in front of the hall.

The voice was clear and bright, penetrating the fragrant mist that filled the room.

"Father, there's good news from Rui'er's side."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Yi had already stabilized himself in his seat.

He remained expressionless, only giving a soft "hmm" to signal the speaker to continue.

"Qiqi gave birth smoothly last night, and both mother and child are safe."

A smile played on Jiang Liang's lips; though his spirit was weak, his voice was exceptionally clear.

“Rui’er has already given him a name, a single character called ‘Ji’.”

“Ji…”

Jiang Yi silently pondered the matter in his mind.

The "ji" in "ji shui cao sheng" (to relieve the suffering of the people) and the "ji" in "ji shui bian tian xia tian" (to benefit all under heaven).

Good handwriting.

The word implies generosity, which perfectly aligns with the wishes of the people in this chaotic world.

just.

The word "济" takes on a different flavor when it comes from Rui'er's mouth.

His grandson, ever since he went to the border region, has been doing things to save the world and doing good deeds to help people.

Seemingly upright and honest, he was actually already deeply embroiled in a vortex of human nature and fortune.

Jiang Yi couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He himself never had any such thoughts of saving the world and helping the people.

Sending Rui'er down to provide disaster relief back then was merely a way to gather public support and build a strong foundation for future endeavors.

With a change of heart, he ultimately just smiled.

Today is a joyous occasion, why let such negative thoughts spoil the celebration?

With a flick of his sleeve, he placed the prepared congratulatory gifts, along with several bottles of Qi-tonifying and Qi-nourishing pills sent by the Liu family a few days earlier, onto the offering table.

"Take them all," he said calmly, a slight smile playing on his lips. "These are gifts from the elders of each branch of the family to the little boy as a greeting."

The sandalwood incense was still wafting, and the smoke clung to the gold thread on his sleeve, faintly emitting a warm glow.

A breeze blew outside, and the bells tinkled, as if giving a soft ring to this new bloodline.

Jiang Liang responded and descended. With a slight flick of his sleeve, the objects on the offering table turned into light and shadow, which he then concealed in his sleeve without making a sound.

His soul dissipated and vanished without a trace.

Jiang Yi opened the book, preparing to take advantage of the opportune moment to explain another passage of the classics.

Unexpectedly, the incense burned brightly again in a short while, and Jiang Liang returned to the ancestral hall.

This time, however, he did not simply leave as soon as he had done it.

Standing below the hall, his gaze was heavy, fixed on his father, his lips moved slightly, then stopped.

His expression showed a hint of hesitation, as if he wanted to say something but held back.

Father and son, one alive and one dead, have faced each other like this for many years.

His thoughts could not be hidden from Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi gently closed the book with his fingertips.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked at the two children in front of him who were listening attentively with serious faces, but whose minds were already elsewhere.

"That concludes today's study of the classics."

His tone was indifferent, as if he had suddenly lost interest.

Upon hearing this, the two children were both taken aback, then their faces lit up with smiles. They hastily bowed and dashed away like the wind, their backs radiating relief.

I was afraid that if I was a step too slow, I would be called back to memorize the text.

At the other end of the ancestral hall, Jin Xiuer and the others also sensed that something was wrong.

They exchanged a glance, then wisely put down their work, tiptoed out, and closed the two wooden doors behind them.

With a creak, the door closed.

The room dimmed, leaving only the father and son sitting opposite each other through the incense smoke.

In the stillness, only the sound of incense ash gently falling from the bronze incense burner could be heard.

Jiang Liang raised his hand and waved it towards the offering table.

A subtle move, a faint glimmer of light.

A gold-inlaid jade longevity lock, a warm jade bracelet as smooth as water, and several bolts of fine silk.

Each item was displayed on that ebony altar.

The gifts that Jiang Yi had asked him to take away were all heartfelt wishes from each branch of the family.

Apart from those few bottles of tonifying and nourishing pills, everything else was returned.

Jiang Yi's gaze slowly fell on those few items.

The golden light floated and sank in the cigarette smoke, reflecting the cold light in his eyes, which seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist.

"What does this mean?"

His voice was not loud, but it was as clear as a breeze, piercing straight into the silence.

Jiang Liang smiled wryly and clasped his hands in greeting.

“It’s that brat Rui’er…” He sighed, his voice tinged with helplessness. “He said that these gold and jade items are neither good for eating nor drinking, and keeping them is pointless. He asked me to bring them back so that you could… exchange them for an equivalent amount of grain and send them over.”

The moment the words were spoken, the incense smoke in the ancestral hall seemed to freeze.

The sandalwood incense burner hissed as it burned, leaving a scorched mark, and its aroma changed slightly.

Jiang Yi remained silent for a moment.

His gaze remained fixed on the longevity lock and jade bracelet on the altar.

Those were objects meant to protect life, but at this moment, they looked more like a few cold stars, shining coldly.

There is indeed a considerable amount of grain stored at home.

That was a ballast stone prepared by the Jiang family in their early years, not for disaster relief today, but for an even greater calamity in the future.

The fate of giving the gift to Rui'er was already predetermined.

This child...

He sighed inwardly.

Ultimately, I'm still a bit too attached to appearances.

They mistook the means for morality.

However, this is a joyous occasion for the arrival of a new baby, so we shouldn't get angry.

He hesitated for a moment, then with a flick of his sleeve, all the objects on the table turned into light and scattered.

“These things,” he said calmly, “I will keep them for my great-grandson whom I have never met.”

His voice was calm and even, without the slightest hint of emotion.

"Go to the granary,"

He glanced up at his son and said, "Take some and send it to him."

He paused, then added, "Consider it a gift from me, the great-grandfather, to that child."

Jiang Liang responded, his expression complex.

That calmness, the more you look at it, the more it resembles the surface of a lake before the wind, so smooth that it makes your heart uneasy.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally whispered:
"Father...should I go and give him a few words of reprimand?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi's expression shifted slightly.

After a long while, he slowly shook his head.

What can you tell him?

His tone was mild, but there was a hint of a smile hidden in the last syllable.

"Did he make a mistake in helping disaster victims?"

Jiang Liang was taken aback, opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi stopped dwelling on the trivial matter. He lowered his gaze slightly, changed his tone, and asked:
"Have you heard anything about Taiping Road, which I asked you to keep an eye on before?"

As soon as the serious matter was brought up, the lingering fatherly emotions on Jiang Liang's face immediately vanished.

He bowed slightly, his expression solemn.

"Father, there have indeed been a few developments."

He hesitated for a moment before saying:

"The Way of Peace is now gaining momentum in the Jizhou area. It is led by three brothers surnamed Zhang, who are said to know some talismanic water techniques."

He paused slightly, his expression revealing a sense of urgency:
"This technique is no exaggeration. It can indeed cure diseases and save lives with remarkable effects. Wherever the three brothers go, they are met with countless followers, and the incense offerings are increasingly abundant. Now, even many officials and gentry in Jizhou have become their disciples."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent again.

Jiang Yi listened without showing the slightest ripple in his expression.

"That's right."

He smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"If one doesn't have the ability to charm the masses, how can one gather so many hearts and minds?"

Healing with talismanic water.

It sounds fantastical, but it's actually the fastest way.

In this world, illness and hunger can be just as deadly.

He who can save a life can win over a heart.

His gaze returned from the void to Jiang Liang's semi-transparent figure.

“Next time you go to Luoyang to see Wenya,” he said slowly and calmly, “please pass on a message to the Li family for me.”

Jiang Liang bowed and replied, "Father, please give your orders."

“Tell them,” Jiang Yi said, “to stay away from Taiping Road and not get involved.”

The Li family is a leading lineage in traditional Chinese medicine, dedicated to healing and saving lives.

Taipingdao also gained momentum under the banner of healing the sick and saving lives.

Although they may take different paths, they may end up in the same place, and some entanglements are inevitable in the future.

Over the years, the Li family has provided considerable assistance to the Jiang family, both openly and covertly.

Jiang Yi always remembered that kindness.

Giving you a reminder now is the least I can do.

Jiang Liang bowed his head in agreement, his soul trembling slightly.

He heard those words and thought them through.

During this time, he traveled around at his father's behest, carefully investigating the spread of the Way of Peace, the origin of the talisman water, and even the whereabouts of the Zhang brothers.

But I never dared to ask what my father intended to do.

The rise of the Way of Peace is ostensibly a blessing for the people, but it seems to be stirring up some deeper forces behind the scenes.

Today, his father spoke only a few words, and although his tone was indifferent, he could already detect a hint of coldness in them.

The doubts in my heart finally eased a little, and I had some idea of ​​what was going on.

(End of this chapter)