Family Cultivation: My Ancestral Home Gets Infinite Upgrades

Chapter 128 Shocking News

On the tenth day after Jiang Xianghe returned home, a heart-wrenching message came from the foot of Qinglu Mountain.

The sky was overcast that day, with low-hanging clouds.

A man dressed in coarse cloth shorts and with a piece of plain white linen wrapped around his head hurriedly climbed to the top of Qinglu Mountain.

Upon receiving the news, Jiang Fu'an came out of the house and immediately noticed the white hair on the man's head. His heart sank.

In this place, such attire only signifies one thing: a recent death in the family.

Upon seeing him, the man's legs went weak, and he knelt down on the stone steps of the courtyard gate with a "thump": "Master Jiang, my master Sun has passed away."

Master Sun —

Jiang Fu'an's pupils contracted slightly, and he hurriedly asked, "Brother Sun left? When exactly did it happen?"

The servant sobbed and said intermittently, "It was three days ago, in the afternoon. The master said he felt a little tired and wanted to lie down and rest for a while."

"Who would have thought that once he fell asleep, he would never wake up again—"

Hearing this, Jiang Fu'an felt somewhat gratified.

To be able to pass away peacefully in one's sleep, without suffering from illness, is indeed a rare and peaceful death.

Sun Xiuyuan is nearing seventy. Although he is not particularly old, he has lived past the age at which most mortals in this world stop.

"The funeral hall—is it set up in the old house in Ping'an Town?"

Jiang Fu'an asked again.

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, this is indeed the old residence."

Jiang Fu'an nodded, his tone softening slightly: "Thank you for making this trip. I understand. I'll go to Ping'an Town to offer condolences later. You can go back and help take care of things."

The servant kowtowed again before staggering to his feet and descending the mountain path he had come from.

As soon as he left, Jiang Xianghe came over from the backyard.

She had clearly heard the commotion as well, and her brows furrowed with concern: "Father, is that Junior Sister Zhiwei's father?"

She and Sun Zhiwei were selected by the Miaoyin Sect in the same year, and they have cultivated together in the sect over the years, developing a deep friendship.

If he really is her friend's father, she should go and see him off, both out of courtesy and reason.

Jiang Fu'an sighed: "It's Sun Xiuyuan. I'm going to pay my respects. You look after the house."

Jiang Xianghe immediately said, "I'll go with you. I'll use a flying artifact to take you there; it'll be faster. Xiangqian can look after things at home."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fu'an's heart stirred.

Having cultivated for so long, he had never experienced flying, so he nodded: "Very well."

Half an hour later.

A dark green flying artifact, roughly one meter square and shaped like a willow leaf, rose steadily from the Jiang family courtyard.

Jiang Fu'an and his daughter stood on it, one in front of the other.

As the ritual implement rose higher, the mountain wind became fierce, whistling past our ears.

He stood on the edge of the magical artifact, with dazzling emptiness beneath his feet. He felt his body floating, as if he might be blown away by the wind at any moment.

He quickly reached out and grabbed his daughter's shoulders.

Jiang Xianghe turned around and gave him an apologetic glance: "This magic artifact is really too small, it startled Father."

"When I have more money in the future, I'll take you in a spacious flying boat."

Jiang Fu'an didn't seem to mind. He put his arm around his daughter's shoulder and casually asked, "Flying boats must be expensive, right? What's the usual price?"

He had never seen a shop selling flying boats in Moon Spirit Market and had no idea what they were.

"It's really expensive!"

Jiang Xianghe affirmed, "The materials required to craft a flying boat are extremely numerous. The price of even the most ordinary low-grade flying boat is equivalent to that of a high-grade attack magic weapon."

"If it's a medium to large size, the price is comparable to that of a top-grade magic weapon."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fu'an suddenly understood.

No wonder it's not sold in the market. Most cultivators in this area are short of money, so who would spend a lot of money to buy this flashy but impractical item?

This is just like in his previous life, where ordinary families wouldn't usually buy a motorhome or bus for daily use.

He had originally planned to acquire one once he reached the late stage of Qi Refining.

At that moment, most of that thought vanished.

Never mind, let's talk about it when there are more cultivators in the family and it's really necessary.

Qinglu Mountain and Ping'an Town are not far apart, only a two-hour walk away.

Riding on a flying magical artifact, they arrived in an instant.

Before long, the outline of the town below became clear.

Looking from afar, a house at the western end of the town was already draped in white.

Jiang Xianghe did not directly command the magical artifact to land inside the Sun family courtyard, but instead slowly descended outside the town entrance to show respect for the deceased and the host family.

As soon as the two of them stood still, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from behind them, growing louder as they approached.

Jiang Fu'an turned around and saw a rather magnificent half-spirit horse galloping towards him.

An elderly man with gray hair sat on the horse's back; he looked familiar.

The person who arrived was Ma Ping.

He spotted Jiang Fu'an and his daughter falling from the sky from afar and waved.

As the horse galloped closer, Ma Ping nimbly dismounted, his face heavy with grief. Before speaking, he sighed, "Alas! How could Brother Sun just leave like that!"

"The other day I was thinking, the three of us old brothers should find some time to have a good drink together—"

The sorrow in his words surprised Jiang Fu'an slightly.

When did Ma Ping and Sun Xiuyuan become so close?

Though puzzled, Jiang Fu'an also adopted a somber expression, echoing, "Yes, it was too sudden. We didn't even get to see each other one last time."

The three walked towards the Sun family residence. Before they even reached the gate, a female cultivator dressed in a light pink, fitted long dress came out to greet them.

Although she was not as beautiful as Jiang Xianghe, she still had delicate features and a refined temperament.

She spotted Jiang Xianghe at a glance, and a faint smile appeared on her face: "Senior Sister Jiang, you're here too."

Jiang Xianghe quickly stepped forward, took her hand, and said softly, "Junior Sister Sun, please accept my condolences."

Upon hearing this address, Jiang Fu'an suddenly realized that the female cultivator in front of him was Sun Xiuyuan's eldest daughter, Sun Zhiwei.

Compared to the innocent-looking little girl she was more than ten years ago, she was completely different. If it weren't for the current situation, he would never have recognized her.

After exchanging a few words with her senior sister, Sun Zhiwei turned her gaze to the two people behind her.

Ma Ping had aged considerably, but cultivators possessed exceptional memories, so she naturally recognized him.

However, the difference in their cultivation levels is now like heaven and earth.

She is already in the late stage of Qi Refining and is expected to break through to Foundation Establishment;

Ma Ping, however, has wasted many years and is still lingering in the early stages. His lifespan is coming to an end, and his path is essentially over.

Therefore, her gaze merely swept indifferently over Ma Ping without lingering.

When her gaze fell on Jiang Fu'an's face, she was clearly taken aback.

This face was almost identical to the one she had seen outside the gates of the Miaoyin Sect more than ten years ago, and even looked younger.

She looked at Jiang Xianghe with suspicion and hesitated, "Is this your younger brother, Xiangchun? I remember he was also at the mid-stage of Qi Refining?"

Jiang Xianghe smiled slightly and said gently, "This is my father, the one you met back then."

"My father's wood-attribute cultivation technique has some effect on health preservation and youthfulness."

A look of surprise flashed in Sun Zhiwei's eyes.

Wood-attribute cultivation techniques may have health-preserving effects, but it is rare to find one with such remarkable results, almost comparable to a youth-preserving elixir.

Seeing that Jiang Fu'an was also at the early stage of Qi Refining, she didn't bother to greet him.

He simply stepped aside to make way and gestured for the three of them to come in: "Please come in, everyone."

Sun Xiuyuan's funeral was conducted in a very respectable manner.

Before even entering the door, faint sounds of mourning could already be heard.

The courtyard was crowded with guests who came to pay their respects, most of them with sorrowful expressions.

Several people took the opportunity to approach, seemingly wanting to strike up a conversation.

It's unclear how many of these people genuinely came to mourn the deceased, and how many came specifically for the Sun family's daughter who was practicing at the Miaoyin Sect.

Jiang Fu'an and Ma Ping ignored all of this and went straight to the mourning hall set up in the main hall.

White candles burned brightly in front of the hall, their smoke curling upwards, and in the center was a black lacquered coffin.

The two took the incense, lit it with the candlelight, held the incense with both hands, bowed three times, and inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner in front of the spirit tablet.

Jiang Fu'an remained calm, revealing little outward emotion.

Ma Ping, however, was different. After offering incense, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he reached out and slowly stroked the edge of the coffin, murmuring to himself, "Brother Sun, why did you leave so soon? I dreamt of us drinking together just a few days ago—"

Jiang Fu listened quietly and suddenly understood why Ma Ping was so sorrowful.

This sorrow is likely largely a case of "the rabbit mourning the fox's death."

Seeing Sun Xiuyuan's present situation reminds me of my own not-too-distant future.

As for Jiang Fu'an himself, due to his long lifespan, he looked at the coffin at this moment and felt melancholy, but it was difficult for him to truly empathize with the situation.

At that moment, faint sounds of arguing could be heard coming from the adjacent room used for rest.

Sun Zhiwei looked at Jiang Xianghe with a puzzled expression: "Senior Sister, didn't we already agree that we would join forces and take care of each other on this trip to the secret realm?"

"Why did you suddenly change your mind? If you miss this opportunity, where will you get the Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Jiang Xianghe said apologetically, "Junior sister, I'm sorry. I discussed this carefully with my father when I went home this time."

"The risks in that secret realm were too great. After much consideration, we decided to give up."

"Regarding the Foundation Establishment Pill, I'll think of another way; there will always be a path."

"You're foolish!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhiwei's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of anger: "How could you listen to your father? His talent is limited, and he has already reached the end of his path to immortality."

"But we are different! We have the opportunity to attain the path to immortality and enjoy endless lifespan!"

"That's precisely why we should fight for it! Fight against fate for that slim chance of life, and fight against others for cultivation resources!"

"Take a step back and you'll be plunged into an abyss; this may be the end of your life."

Jiang Xianghe agreed with these words.

In the Miaoyin Sect, diligent cultivation is the least noteworthy thing.

Because this is the most basic thing, and many people can do it.

To truly stand out and acquire scarce resources, one must compete among countless peers.

Only by defeating opponents in numerous sect missions, competitions, and even explorations of dangerous places can one seize that opportunity.

However, her father's words lingered in her mind.

The secret realm is not only filled with competition among fellow disciples, but also with hostile foreign cultivators eyeing it covetously. The environment is unfamiliar and fraught with danger.

If I'm unlucky, all my cultivation and my prime years will be lost in that secret realm.

The Jiang family is just starting out and needs support. If her eldest daughter were to die prematurely, it would be a heavy blow to the family.

Thinking of this, her attitude remained firm: "I have made up my mind, I will not go to the secret realm this time."

"I feel really bad that my junior sister had to plan this whole thing for me."

"These few first-grade mid-level talismans are my way of apologizing."

"Keep it with you; it will give you more protection when you enter the secret realm."

As she spoke, she lightly brushed her fingers across the storage pouch at her waist, and a stack of talismans, about four or five in total, appeared in her palm.

Seeing that she had made up her mind, disappointment flashed across Sun Zhiwei's eyes, knowing that further persuasion would be futile.

She reached out and took the talisman, about to thank it, when her gaze fell on the unusual patterns on the talisman. She couldn't help but exclaim, "What kind of talisman is this? The patterns are so unique; I've never seen anything like it before."

Jiang Xianghe smiled slightly, revealing a proud expression: "These are our Jiang family's unique talismans, called the Great Fireball Talisman and the Stone Armor Talisman."

"Its power and defensive capabilities are about 10-20% stronger than ordinary talismans of the same level."

"Your Jiang family already has its own talisman master?"

Sun Zhiwei looked on in surprise.

She remembered that more than ten years ago, the Jiang family was just an inconspicuous ordinary family.

Jiang Xianghe did not hide anything and said frankly, "That's right. My father and my younger brother Xiangqian are both talented in the art of talismans. They are now drawing them together with several disciples."

"A new Spirit Talisman Pavilion has opened in Moon Spirit Market," which is our Jiang family's property.

"If you ever have the chance to pass by in the future, junior sister, please be sure to visit and patronize my family's business."

Hearing these words, Sun Zhiwei felt a mix of emotions, and a sense of envy welled up within her.

As for her Sun family, she is still the only male cultivator.

Not only could her family not provide her with any assistance, but every time she returned home, the elders in the family would try to extract benefits from her.

She nodded and said with a smile, "If I have the chance to visit Moon Spirit Market, I will definitely pay you a visit."

As dusk fell, the orange-red sunset bathed the houses in Ping'an Town in a warm glow, but it could not dispel the sorrow that permeated the Sun family mansion.

Jiang Fu'an and the other two bid farewell to their host and left. Ma Ping still looked reluctant to part, turning back to gaze at the white banner hanging above the door, his eyes filled with melancholy.

Just then, from the direction of the Sun family residence, a pale pink streak of light suddenly shot into the sky, piercing the darkening sky and speeding towards the southwest.

Jiang Fu'an looked up at the streak of light and softly asked his daughter, "Has Sun Zhiwei already returned to the sect?"

Jiang Xianghe said softly, "Yes. She plans to enter the secret realm and needs to return to the sect as soon as possible to make preparations."

Jiang Fu'an withdrew his gaze and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

Those who should stay left without hesitation. Those who shouldn't stay looked back every three steps.

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