The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

After finishing the last stroke, Han Mu put down his brush and examined the family portrait. The painting included him, the Fairy of Primordial Chaos, Han Nian, Zhou Meng, Luo Feng, Han Li, the Dao Ancestor of Primordial Chaos, and a crooked tree huddled in a corner. Everyone in the painting was all smiles.

"Perfect." Han Mu nodded in satisfaction.

Fairy Hongmeng leaned over to take a look and smiled, "Now it's finally all complete."

Luo Feng, holding a wine glass, leaned closer, glanced at the portrait with a drunken slur, let out a burp, and said, "My lord, this painting is quite good, but I always feel that something is missing."

"What's missing?" Han Mu asked.

Luo Feng frowned and thought for a long time, then slapped his thigh: "We're missing a dog."

Everyone paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Han Nian laughed so hard she slammed her hand on the table, saying, "Uncle Luo Feng, are you drunk? Where did this dog come from?" Luo Feng retorted, sticking his neck out, "Having a dog at home is great! It can guard the house and keep you company."

The crooked tree nearby quipped, "Are you talking about me? I may not be a dog, but I can guard the house and keep people company. I'm much better than a dog."

"Master Tree, that's not what I meant," Luo Feng quickly waved his hand.

"Then what do you mean?" The crooked-necked tree glared at him.

Luo Feng was speechless, picked up his wine cup and took another gulp, not daring to continue. Everyone laughed even harder, even the Hongmeng Dao Ancestor's beard twitched with laughter.

The commotion lasted until midnight before everyone dispersed. Han Mu carefully put away the family photo and placed it in the most prominent spot in his study. He stood in front of the portrait for a long time, a sense of indescribable satisfaction welling up inside him.

The next morning, Han Mu was still asleep when he was awakened by a commotion. He rubbed his eyes, got up and went out of his room, and saw a large crowd gathered in the courtyard. Zhou Meng was standing in the middle of the crowd, giving a speech.

"What happened?" Han Mu walked over and asked.

Zhou Meng turned around, his face looking rather grim: "My lord, last night some of the newly recruited team members got drunk and caused trouble, smashing up the neighbors' stalls. I'm dealing with this matter right now."

Han Mu frowned, walked up to the troublemakers, and asked, "Why did you smash their stall?"

The team members lowered their heads, not daring to speak. One of them, who was a little bolder, stammered, "We drank too much and were confused for a moment. Please forgive us this time, Lord."

"Being drunk is no excuse. You're wearing the uniforms of the Guard, which means you represent more than just yourselves; it represents the face of the entire Cosmic Sea Guard." Han Mu's tone was calm, but every word carried weight. "Zhou Meng, how should this be handled according to the rules?"

"According to the guard regulations, those who cause trouble while drunk will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane, expelled from the guard, and never rehired," Zhou Meng said.

Upon hearing this, the team members turned pale and immediately knelt on the ground, begging for mercy. Han Mu looked at them, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "The thirty strokes of the cane will still be given, but expulsion from the guard team is acceptable. Give them a chance to reform, and punish them by making them clean the streets for a month. If they offend again, the punishment will be doubled."

The team members kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude. Zhou Meng nodded and waved for them to be taken away to be flogged.

After dealing with this matter, Han Mu called Zhou Meng aside and said, "After the guard team was expanded, the quality of the personnel varied. You need to strengthen the training in discipline. You can't just train their skills without training their character."

"Your Excellency is right. It was my oversight. I will go and draft a new set of disciplinary regulations right away," Zhou Meng said.

"Go ahead, you don't need to ask me about these things in the future, you can make your own decisions." Han Mu patted Zhou Meng on the shoulder.

After Zhou Meng left, Han Mu returned to the courtyard, picked up his fishing rod, and prepared to start his fishing trip. Just as he sat down, Fairy Hongmeng brought over a bowl of porridge and said, "My lord, please eat something before you go fishing."

Han Mu took the porridge, took a sip, and found the temperature perfect, the rice cooked until soft and glutinous, melting in his mouth. He sighed contentedly and said, "Your porridge is still the best."

"You're so glib," Fairy Hongmeng laughed, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

After finishing his porridge, Han Mu was about to cast his fishing rod when Han Nian ran over, holding a letter in her hand. She said breathlessly, "Father, a letter has arrived from the Wanzhen Sect. They want to invite you to be their guest. They say they're going to hold a grand ancestral master celebration, and they would be honored if you could come."

Han Mu took the letter, glanced at it, and laughed, "This Han Li, he's making such a big fuss just to be a founding patriarch."

"Father, are you going?" Han Nian asked.

"Of course I'll go. I can't refuse Han Li's request." Han Mu put away his fishing rod. "I'll take you out for a spin and show you how powerful your Uncle Han Li is now."

Han Nian nodded happily and ran to tell Fairy Hongmeng the good news.

Three days later, Han Mu, along with Fairy Hongmeng, Han Nian, and Luo Feng who insisted on joining in the fun, headed to the Myriad Array Sect. Zhou Meng stayed home to look after the house, while Dao Ancestor Hongmeng and the Crooked-Neck Tree drank tea and bickered in the courtyard, each enjoying themselves.

The Myriad Arrays Sect is located in a mountain range in the eastern part of the Cosmic Sea. From a distance, the mountains are layered and shrouded in mist, with palaces built against the mountains, exuding a magnificent aura. In front of the mountain gate stands a huge stone tablet with three large characters engraved on it: Myriad Arrays Sect.

Han Li was already waiting at the mountain gate. When he saw Han Mu and his group arrive, he quickly went up to them, cupped his hands and said, "My lord, you have finally arrived."

"Congratulations, Master Han." Han Mu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

Han Li felt a little embarrassed by being addressed as "Grandmaster," scratched his head, and led everyone into the mountain gate. The disciples of the Myriad Array Sect lined up to welcome them, shouting in unison, "Welcome our distinguished Grandmaster!" The scene was so grand that Luo Feng marveled at it.

"Old Han, your entourage is even grander than the Lord's," Luo Feng said in a low voice.

"Don't talk nonsense." Han Li glared at him.

The celebration was held in the main hall of the Wanzhen Sect, and the scene was grand and lively. Han Mu, as a distinguished guest, was invited to the stage to give a speech. He said a few words of blessing, and then changed the subject, mentioning Han Li's experience of adventuring with him in the past, telling some interesting anecdotes, which drew continuous laughter from the audience.

Han Li sat on the stage, listening to Han Mu recount those past events, his eyes welling up with tears. He recalled that back in the Realm of Immortality, he was just an ordinary array master. He followed Han Mu all the way to where he was today, experiencing countless life-and-death trials, and now he had actually become the founder of a sect—something he never dared to dream of.

After the celebration, Han Li took Han Mu to the back hall for drinks. The two chatted for a long time, from the hardships of the past to the comforts of the present, from cultivation experiences to everyday family matters.

"My lord, thank you." Han Li raised his wine glass and said earnestly.

"No need for thanks." Han Mu also raised his glass.

"Thank you for bringing me out of the Realm of Immortality back then and giving me a different life," Han Li said.

Han Mu smiled and clinked his glass with his: "It's too formal to say such things. We're brothers, brothers for life."

The two drank it all in one gulp.