Immortality and Cultivation: Starting with Harvesting the Talents of Demonic Beasts

Chapter 120 Old Friends
The "Uncle Bai" that Xu Qi'an mentioned was naturally Bai Fengxian, a fellow student and friend of Lin Changheng from the same class.

Before any extreme grief struck, Lin Changheng only felt a sense of emptiness and loss in his heart.

At his age, forty-eight, he's only a hair's breadth away from fifty, the age of knowing one's destiny.

He has experienced the highs and lows of life, and he is no longer as emotionally impulsive as he was in his youth. He also knows what things are beyond his control.

Separation and death are both inevitable.

Without becoming an immortal, one can never achieve eternal life!
I just didn't expect it to come so quickly.

"I see."

Lin Changheng gave a curt reply and left on his own.

"Uncle..." Xu Qi'an subconsciously opened his mouth, wanting to offer a word of comfort, but ultimately remained silent, watching the seemingly unaffected yet desolate figure depart.

Lin Changheng packed his luggage simply, then glanced at the [Nine-Leaf Purple Ganoderma], which had grown to two inches tall and was brimming with vitality, and could be described as growing very well.

Knowing that he could not take them with him on this trip, he had no choice but to replace the two formations with enough spirit stones to keep them running before leaving.

He wanted to return to his clan to see Lao Bai off on his final journey.

The three had previously made a pact that whoever died would be buried in a good place by the survivor.

He will certainly agree.

After whispering a few words to Manager Xu, Lin Changheng retrieved a blue dragon horse that the Xu family had entrusted to him from the post station outside the town. He changed its appearance in a mountain valley and galloped back to his clan.

This was his first time returning to his hometown in the past two years, and also his first time leaving the market town.

The scenery along the way has changed dramatically again, and the area is even more popular.

Never doubt the human race's ability to modify the environment.

But people also meant danger, so Lin Changheng deliberately avoided them, not making contact with anyone, and just kept going.

Ten days later.

Lin Changheng stood by the riverbank again, looking at the Blackwater River before him, a memory flashing through his mind.

If you simply state your identity, someone will come to extradite you.

"Chief Lin?"

There were other people waiting for the boat nearby, and they were surprised when they heard Lin Changheng introduce himself.

It was a woman's voice.

Lin Changheng turned around and looked at the smiling face of the woman with her hair up behind him. After a moment's recollection, he knew who she was.

Back in Zichuanfang, after he was confirmed by Master Mo as an entry-level alchemist, his clan sent two alchemy apprentices, Xu Liucai and Xu Liuli, a boy and a girl, to work by his side.

He chose Xu Liucai. Xu Liuli was the woman behind him.

"What a coincidence."

Lin Changheng nodded slightly in acknowledgment, after all, one cannot hit a smiling face.

Then they boarded the boat together, and Xu Liuli chatted excitedly with Lin Changheng, her mouth never stopping.

Lin Changheng was not disappointed and learned that the woman had been married for a long time and had come back to visit her family, bringing with her many gifts.

Her husband's family is the Ge family, a Qi-cultivating family in the vicinity. They usually have a good relationship with the Xu family and often arrange marriages.

Xu Liuli felt hopeless about alchemy and could not advance to the next level, so she married him and lived a fairly comfortable life.

Who would have thought that the Xu family would later rise to become a Foundation Establishment family, making the Ge family look up to them. With the support of her maternal family, Xu Liuli's life became even better, and she was more respected by the Ge family.

When she returned to visit her family, her husband's family not only prepared many gifts, but her husband also accompanied her in person.

Her husband was tall and thin, dressed as a Confucian scholar.

He saw his wife chatting and laughing, even excitedly, with a man who looked several years younger than him, and he felt quite uncomfortable.

Later, Lin Changheng realized this and, not wanting the couple to be at odds, instead chuckled and called him over to have a chat.

Xu Liuli's husband quickly learned that the person before him was actually the head alchemist of the currently popular [Qinglingfang] Xu family alchemy shop, a mid-grade alchemist who had received a superior-grade alchemy inheritance and was expected to break through to the superior-grade realm. His expression immediately changed drastically, and his gaze towards Lin Changheng shifted from anything unpleasant to visibly filled with respect and admiration… and even a hint of flattery!
His initial arrogance followed by his later obsequiousness made Lin Changheng laugh when he thought about it.

We parted ways upon reaching the shore.

Lin Changheng went directly to the "Guanxia Dojo".

Only Xu Liuli and her husband remained standing on the shore, watching them leave.

After a long while, her husband, dressed as a Confucian scholar, couldn't help but say, "My wife should get to know Chief Lin better. They might become close in the future and he might even help us or our family."

Xu Liuli rolled her eyes at her husband. His change in attitude was truly speechless. After a moment of silence, she said quietly, "Do you think I don't want to? It would be good enough if we could travel together for a while on this boat trip. After that, given our status and relationship, I'm afraid we won't even be able to visit him."

Upon hearing this, Xu Liuli's husband glanced again at the figure that had already disappeared into the distance and sighed, "What a pity, what a pity..."

……

Guanxia Temple.

Bai Fengxian's home.

The mourning hall remains, with white mourners everywhere.

On the incense table, a lamp burned dimly, its wick occasionally flashing a few points of blue light, casting the white banners throughout the room on and off.

Bai Fengxian's coffin is still there, but there is no body inside, only the set of clothes he usually wears.

His wives, concubines, and children, all dressed in mourning clothes, knelt on both sides of the ground.

Xu Fugui's face clearly showed his grief, and he rushed back to help with Lao Bai's funeral arrangements.

After the memorial service, Lin Changheng comforted the widow and orphans, and then went to a secluded spot with Xu Fugui.

“According to custom, Lao Bai should have been buried long ago, but I persuaded my younger siblings to let me fulfill Lao Bai’s wish.”

Xu Fugui sighed.

Clearly, this old wish was for Lin and Xu to find him a good place to be buried.

Fu Gui never forgot about this.

"good."

Lin Changheng nodded.

"Since the accident happened during land reclamation, the clan will provide a substantial amount of condolence and compensation spirit stones, ensuring that the basic cultivation and living needs of my younger siblings and children are met. I will keep an eye on this to make sure it is implemented."

Xu Fugui thought it through very carefully, and repeated everything to Lin Changheng to get his advice.

“Alright, with our contribution, they should be able to get through this difficult time. When the children grow up, we can let them learn a skill, and Old Bai can rest in peace.”

Lin Changheng also added something.

"Okay." Xu Fugui nodded.

After discussing some more details, Lin Changheng finally asked the crucial question: "What happened to Lao Bai?"

"It appeared to be an attack by a demonic beast, but there were traces left by cultivators inside. After further investigation, no new evidence was found... However, later, the Qiu family of Feiyun Valley took advantage of the situation and seized that resource."

Xu Fugui's face was grim, and he gritted his teeth.

This matter is of great importance; it is not just about the loss of personnel, but also about the plundering of resources, which has shaken the Xu family's upper echelons.

"The Qiu family."

Lin Changheng muttered to himself.

It's obvious that the truth has been revealed, and whoever benefited is the one who made the move, making them the most suspicious.

In the world of cultivation, evidence is not important; only the result matters.

The law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is the only true principle; everything else is merely embellishment.

(End of this chapter)