Cultivating a family of immortals

Upon hearing this, Ma Chunwang was greatly alarmed and repeatedly kowtowed, saying:

"Stop, young master, this is entirely my fault. If anyone should be punished, please punish me!"

"Shut up! Your purpose in consuming the Green Wood Powder is to give birth to an offspring with spiritual roots. Since Immortal Master Lin Wan happens to be here today, if you have a child in your family, you can bring him/her here so that Immortal Master Lin Wan can examine him/her and see if consuming the Green Wood Powder can indeed make the offspring develop spiritual roots!"

Xu Wanghe continued, echoing Xu Guanyi's words.

The father and son exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

If Ma Chunwang could think this way, then countless villagers would have the same idea, believing that consuming the items bestowed by the Immortal Sect would allow them to develop spiritual roots.

To nip this idea in the bud, the best course of action would be to summon the descendants of the Ma family and examine them one by one.

Afterwards, we examined Ma Chunwang's body again. He had been taking Qingmu San for a long time. Although the dosage was small, there were already a lot of toxins in his body. We just had to see how long he could live.

Only by publishing the results of the investigation can the villagers' wild speculations be stopped.

After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Ma Chunwang hurriedly came carrying a toddler.

Judging from his appearance, he is about the same size as Xu Jingheng.

"Stop here, this is my son, Ma Xiaoman. It's quite a coincidence that my wife and I have been married for many years without children. But three years ago, after taking some Qingmu Powder, my wife became pregnant. I suppose it was the effect of that Qingmu Powder..."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wanghe gave Ma Chunwang a deep look.

Lin Wan walked to his side, reached out her hand to the young boy, and felt his pulse.

"Ma Chunwang, the matter of spiritual roots is determined by fate. What are you thinking, daring to take Qingmu Powder in order to have children?"

Fang Shouzhou smiled and shook his head, asking the question.

Ma Chunwang was too weak to reply.

Just then, Lin Wan, who had been investigating with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and exclaimed in shock:

"This child... truly possesses spiritual roots!"

Everyone was shocked.

Fang Shouzhou's eyes widened and he jumped up, walked to Ma Xiaoman, and reached out to feel her pulse.

After a moment, he exclaimed in admiration, "Indeed, it has spiritual roots."

Ma Chunwang stared blankly at the two immortal masters in front of him, who were giving their affirmations one after another, his eyes gradually turning red.

"It really is! It really is! Garrison!" Ma Chunwang snapped out of his daze, knelt on the ground, and said through tears, "Garrison! That Green Wood Powder really works! My Ma family is finally going to rise again!"

Before Xu Wanghe could speak, Lin Wan shook her head and said in a cold voice:

"Your youngest son has developed a spiritual root; what is the connection between that and Qingmu San?"

Ma Chunwang raised his head and stared blankly at the immortal master in front of him.

Fang Shouzhou continued, "Whether you take the Green Wood Powder or not, your family is destined to have a young child with spiritual roots. Do you understand what that means?"

Even when Ma Chunwang was with Xu Jingtao, he was always extremely respectful. But today, in front of the two immortal masters, he felt jealous and thought to himself:

"Why do you say that, Immortal Master? It was clearly because I took the Green Wood Powder and gave birth to this child that my spiritual root appeared, yet they say it wasn't me..."

"That celestial artifact is indeed of great use; I suppose the immortal masters cannot allow this news to spread..."

Thinking it over, Ma Chunwang quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, my youngest son's spiritual root has nothing to do with the Green Wood Powder."

Xu Wanghe calmly said, "Immortal Master Fang, would you please examine his body for me?"

Fang Shouzhou reached out and placed his hand on Ma Chunwang's pulse point, but shook his head after only three breaths.

"He has accumulated a lot of toxins in his body and has at most a few months to live."

Ma Chunwang was shocked. Was this the plan to kill him to silence him and keep the secret of Qingmu San?

His face turned bitter, and he quickly knelt down on the ground, holding his young son.

"I will take full responsibility for the damage to the spiritual seedlings. I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit, I only beg you to spare my life. Furthermore, now that Ma Xiaoman has spiritual roots, he can cultivate immortality. He will then become an apprentice in your family, like Sun Erzhu's son, changing his name and surname. He is willing to die fighting for the Xu family in the future!"

Xu Wanghe quietly looked at Ma Chunwang kneeling on the ground, and understood his thoughts in just a moment.

This person is foolish...and extremely suspicious.

The villagers of Qingping Mountain Village had never planted spirit seedlings before. Seeing the spirit seedlings' fearless and lush green appearance, they regarded them as divine objects and treasured the Green Wood Powder...

Even if we let him go today, when he dies from the poison, we will shift the blame to the Xu family.

If he were to spread rumors that consuming Qingmu San could give one's offspring spiritual roots, countless villagers would foolishly embezzle the Qingmu San in the future.

With a sigh, Xu Wanghe turned to look at Lin Wan.

"Master Lin, now that Ma Xiaoman has developed a spiritual root, we need to test its attributes. I'll have to trouble you to make the trip."

Lin Wan nodded.

"It's my duty."

She took the child, walked into the courtyard, and boarded the spirit boat to go to the Immortal Sect.

"Jing Tao, go and lock the main gate."

Xu Jingtao hurriedly went to close the door.

Xu Wanghe looked at Ma Chunwang, his eyes remarkably calm.

Ma Chunwang immediately knelt down again, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy, his heart filled with great fear.

"No matter what I say, I don't think you'll believe me," Xu Wanghe slowly stood up and walked forward step by step. "Regarding the damage to the spirit seedling, I originally intended to punish you leniently, but if I let you go today, and you die from the poison in the future, the responsibility will still lie with my Xu family."

Ma Chunwang stopped kowtowing, raised his head, and said blankly, "Are they going to kill me to silence me?"

Seeing this, Xu Wanghe finally let out a soft sigh.

The last chance has been given.

But it didn't work.

Fang Shouzhou seemed to have anticipated Xu Wanghe's actions. If it were him, he would have done the same. So he calmly stood up and reached out to unsheathe the long sword from his waist.

Xu Wanghe walked straight ahead, past Ma Chunwang's kneeling figure, and headed towards the door.

"If you have any last words, you may say them here."

At this moment, Ma Chunwang was disheartened and trapped in a dead end, knowing that he was doomed.

Standing before him were two immortal masters.

In an instant, his eyes reddened and his breathing became rapid.

"If Xiaoman cannot join the immortal sect, please take him in, teach him immortal cultivation techniques, treat him well, and when he comes of age, arrange a marriage for him so that the Ma family can continue its lineage."

Xu Wanghe calmly replied, "Okay."

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Shouzhou's longsword was already at his neck.

Ma Chunwang closed his eyes, preparing to die.

Just then, an unexpected person stepped forward.

Xu Guanyi couldn't bear it and reached out to press down on Fang Shouzhuo's sword.

He turned to look at Xu Wanghe, "Father, this man's crime does not warrant death."

Xu Wanghe was taken aback, then flew into a rage and said:

Do you know what you're saying?

Xu Guanyi immediately knelt down, "Father, please calm down, I just feel..."

"What do you think?" Seeing Xu Guanyi kneel down, Xu Wanghe felt a little better, but said coldly, "Leaving aside what he did later, just the fact that he dared to embezzle the Green Wood Powder, causing the spiritual herbs that my Xu family had painstakingly cultivated for a year to turn to ashes in one day, makes him worthy of a hundred deaths."

"You've been cultivating immortality at the celestial sect for the past few years, staying aloof from worldly troubles. I don't blame you, but where did you learn to be so soft-hearted?"

"Do you know that when Jing Lei was stabbed to death by the Zheng family, your Second Uncle was still insane? At that moment, I knew that if my Xu family wasn't careful, we would be wiped out. You've shown mercy by letting him go today, but in the future, all the villagers in Qingping Mountain Village will embezzle the Qingmu San (a type of medicinal powder), and then come to me crying and complaining. Should I kill him or not?"

"The matter of the Spirit Seed is of paramount importance to the Xu family; are you unaware of this?"