I tamed beasts and achieved immortality in the world of cultivation.

One day later.

Evening, Yunzhou City.

This is the largest city in the northern border of the Wu Kingdom. The city walls are over ten zhang high and are built entirely of whole pieces of bluestone. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, the walls are covered with mottled marks, but they are still majestic and imposing.

At the city gate, the crowds were dense.

Merchants, farmers, scholars, itinerant performers, and all sorts of people come and go, their cries of vendors, shouts, and children's laughter blending together in a lively, bustling atmosphere.

Chen Qing and Xiao Chunan put the dragon-scaled horse into their spirit beast pouches, concealed their auras, and slowly entered the city with the flow of people.

"I haven't been back for eleven years."

Chen Qing's gaze swept across the familiar streets, his tone tinged with emotion.

I left home at the age of nine. Eleven years have passed, and Yunzhou City has changed a lot, yet it seems that nothing has changed at all.

Xiao Chunan looked around: "Where do you live? This Yunzhou City is much bigger than I imagined, there must be over a million people!"

Chen Qing smiled and said, "Come with me."

The two walked through the streets and alleys for about half an hour before arriving at a three-courtyard house with a plaque that read "Chen Mansion".

Chen Qing stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, and raised his hand to knock.

"Here it comes—"

The gatekeeper was an old servant in his fifties. He opened the side door with a creak and poked his head out.

He looked Chen Qing up and down, his gaze lingering on the blue Taoist robe for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "Master, who are you looking for?"

Eleven years have passed, and the children from back then have grown into young adults, which the old servant naturally cannot recognize.

Chen Qing was not annoyed, and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting: "Uncle Ze, it's me, Chen Qing."

The old servant rubbed his eyes, examined him carefully for a long time, and his lips began to tremble: "Young Master? Is it really the Young Master?!"

"It's me," Chen Qing nodded.

"Young Master is back! Young Master is back!" Ze Bo turned around abruptly and stumbled into the courtyard. "Master! Madam! Young Master is back!"

Chen Qing was both amused and exasperated.

She exchanged a glance with Xiao Chunan and stepped across the threshold.

After passing the screen wall and crossing the front yard, just as we reached the second gate, a middle-aged couple hurriedly came out to greet us.

The man in the lead was of medium height, with a refined appearance, a short beard, and a long indigo robe. He was Chen Qing's father, Chen Zhonghai.

Behind him followed a woman who looked to be around forty years old. Her eyebrows and eyes bore a resemblance to Chen Qing's, and although there were fine lines around her eyes, she still retained her charm. She was his mother, Li Yun.

"Father, Mother," Chen Qing knelt down, "I have been away for many years, and I have caused you both great worry."

Although cultivators emphasize severing worldly ties, he was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, far from achieving the ultimate state of detachment.

"Get up, get up!" Chen Zhonghai helped him up, patted his shoulder, and nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad, your aura is stronger than before. It seems that all these years have paid off."

Li Yun held Chen Qing's hand and examined him carefully.

Although her eyes were already red, she still smiled and said, "You've grown taller and stronger, and you're even better looking than when you were little. I knew it! Sending you to cultivate immortality was the right thing to do; it's much better than staying cooped up in this city."

"Mother is right." Chen Qing smiled and took out two jade bottles from his storage bag, handing them over. "These are pills I brought for you two. They can prolong your life and strengthen your bodies. Remember to take them, Father."

Chen Zhonghai took the jade bottle and laughed heartily: "Very well, very well, I won't be polite about accepting something from my son."

Li Yun smiled and accepted the gift, then looked at Xiao Chunan and asked, "And this is...?"

Xiao Chunan stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Uncle, Aunt, I am Xiao Chunan, a fellow disciple of Chen Qing. I apologize for the intrusion and have brought a small gift as a token of my respect."

He took out two bolts of fine brocade, a box of spiritual tea, and a few spiritual fruits from his storage bag and presented them with both hands.

Chen Zhonghai quickly accepted the gift, his gaze towards Xiao Chunan full of admiration: "Good, good, nephew Xiao, you are a handsome young man, please come in! Uncle Ze, go and tell the kitchen to prepare wine and dishes, and also call the young master and young lady!"

A moment later, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old led a girl of about eight or nine years old out of the backyard.

The boy had grown tall and handsome, with features that resembled Chen Qing's. The little girl had her hair in two buns, and her round face was framed by a pair of big, dark eyes as she curiously looked at Chen Qing.

"Qing'er, this is your younger brother Chen An, he's fourteen years old." Li Yun pulled the boy over. "This is your younger sister Chen Ning, she's nine years old."

She then looked at the two children: "What are you all standing there for? Call him 'Big Brother'."

"Big brother."

Chen An bowed respectfully, but his gaze couldn't help but drift towards the sword at Xiao Chunan's waist. Chen Ning timidly called out "Big Brother" and then hid behind Li Yun, only revealing half of her face.

Chen Qing's heart softened, and she took out two jade bottles from her storage bag, handing them to Chen An: "These are Marrow Cleansing Pills and Qi Cultivation Pills, which can strengthen your bones and bones. You and Xiao Ning each take one bottle, and one pill a year is enough. Do not take more."

He then took out a jade pendant and handed it to Chen Ning: "This is a protective jade pendant; wearing it close to your body can ward off evil spirits."

Chen Ning took the jade pendant, his dark eyes lit up, and he said crisply, "Thank you, big brother," before clutching it tightly.

Xiao Chunan smiled and took out two crystal-clear spirit stones from his pocket, giving one to each of them: "Take these and play with them."

Chen An's eyes lit up. Although he didn't know the exact value of the spirit stones, he knew they were used by cultivators, so he quickly thanked them.

Everyone took their seats.

Chen Qing chatted with his parents about everyday matters and learned that neither Chen An nor Chen Ning had spiritual roots.

Chen Qing sighed inwardly.

Although his three spiritual roots are only considered ordinary among cultivators, he is still considered to have spiritual roots. The probability of a mortal having spiritual roots is extremely low. When the Ascension Envoy came to Yunzhou City, he tested thousands of children, but in the end, he only selected six.

Thinking of the four people who were burned to ashes during their robbery, and the entire Qi-refining family that was wiped out, Chen Qing comforted them, "It's alright if they're not. There's nothing wrong with being an ordinary person. Living a peaceful life is a blessing."

Chen Zhonghai nodded without saying anything more.

The food and drinks were quickly served.

The table was laden with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and delicacies from land and sea—even more abundant than during the Chinese New Year.

The family sat together, eating and chatting.

After a few rounds of drinks, Chen Qing mentioned that he was currently stationed in Linyuan County, which was only a few hundred miles away from Yunzhou City. He said that if there were any family matters in the future, he could ask someone to send a message to Linyuan County.

Chen Zhonghai and Li Yun exchanged a glance. Just as Li Yun was about to speak, Chen Zhonghai gently shook his head and said with a smile, "Everything is fine at home. You can focus on your cultivation and don't worry about anything."

Chen Qing saw it all but didn't point it out.

……

After dinner, Chen Qing and Xiao Chunan went to the backyard. Xiao Chunan leaned against a pillar and suddenly spoke, "You heard what your aunt said just now, didn't you?"

Chen Qing nodded.

During the meal, Li Yun casually mentioned that there was a gang called the "Iron Knife Gang" in the north of the city that had been coming to the pharmacy to collect some kind of "peace fee," and the amount was getting larger and larger. Chen Zhonghai was having a headache over this matter.

But Chen Zhonghai interrupted him halfway through his sentence.

"Do you need any help?" Xiao Chunan asked.

Chen Qing shook his head and laughed, "It's beneath you, a future great sword immortal, to get involved in such matters between mortals."

Xiao Chunan laughed and didn't force him.

Chen Qing suppressed his smile, looked up at the night sky, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.

……

Day three.

Early morning, outside Yunzhou City.

Chen Qing bid farewell to his parents, siblings, and left behind several bottles of pills, instructing them to take them on time. Then he and Xiao Chunan rode out of the city.

Ten miles outside the gates of Yunzhou, Chen Qing reined in his horse and patted the spirit beast pouch at his waist.

A flash of inspiration struck him, and Qingtian landed on his shoulder, its golden-brown eyes filled with excitement. Chen Qing rubbed its head, then took out a black robe from his storage bag and draped it over Qingtian to cover its fur and spirit beast aura.

"Go to the north of the city and find a gang called the 'Iron Knife Gang'," Chen Qing commanded in his mind. "Find out their background, warn those who need warnings, teach those who need teaching a lesson, and kill those who need to be killed!"

Qingtian blinked and sent back an excited thought:

"Don't worry, watch me! I've already memorized all the strategies in 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'!"

Chen Qing's lips twitched; he felt that letting this monkey read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was not a wise decision.

"Go."

Qingtian wrapped his black robe tightly, and with a flash, disappeared into the woods beside the official road.

Chen Qing watched the disappearing figure, his eyes narrowed slightly, and after a moment he looked away. He spurred his horse and rode off with Xiao Chunan towards the Yunzhou market.