Cultivating a family of immortals

After saying these words, Xu Guan stared blankly at his father, whose temples were already streaked with white, feeling deeply ashamed.

He then understood his father's words and stopped trying to stop him.

"Father, I know I was wrong."

Xu Guanyi did not look at Ma Chunwang kneeling on the ground again.

Ma Chunwang was momentarily moved when he heard Xu Guanyi plead for him, but now he felt even more distressed.

With his eyes closed, Fang Shouzhuo calmly slashed across his throat.

…………

After dealing with the matters in the main hall, Li Rongping carried Xu Jingheng out of the dark room.

Upon seeing Xu Guanyi, Li Rongping stepped forward and embraced him, her body trembling slightly.

She looked Xu Guanyi up and down; he had grown taller and his face had become much more handsome.

Xu Guanyi also called out, "Mother, I'm back."

"It's good that you're back."

"This is..." Xu Guanyi looked at Xu Jingheng in Li Rongping's arms. At this moment, Xu Jingheng was looking at Xu Guanyi with his big, bright eyes.

"This is your nephew Xu Jingheng, whom you mentioned in the letter."

Xu Guanyi immediately smiled, reached into his pocket and took out a rattle drum that he had prepared beforehand, and handed it to Xu Jingheng, saying, "Call him Second Uncle."

Xu Jingheng didn't shout, but reached out to snatch the rattle drum.

"Haha, you silly child." Xu Guanyi handed it over affectionately.

After receiving the items, Xu Jingheng called out "Second Uncle" in a clear and cheerful voice.

Xu Guanyi was startled, but smiled and said, "Good, good, good."

The main hall had been cleaned up, and Ma Chunwang's body had been carried out by the village soldiers. Xu Wanghe wrote another notice and ordered Xu Jingtao to post it at the village entrance.

The notice clearly stated Ma Chunwang's crimes and also gave him a dignified way to die, which was to feel guilty and therefore commit suicide.

Xu Wanghe told Li Rongping about the spirit field, and then said:

"Go to the Ma family and give them some silver."

Li Rongping handed Xu Jingheng to Xu Guanyi before hurriedly going out to run errands.

Xu Guanyi held the child and comforted him. At that moment, he wanted to see his elder brother, but he suppressed his thoughts because Fang Shouzhuo was there.

Xu Wanghe brewed a pot of tea before asking:

"It's been over two years since we heard anything from Yuan Zuo. Guan Yi, do you know what mission he's on? Why isn't it over yet?"

Xu Jingheng grabbed Xu Guanyi's chin, and Xu Guanyi chuckled and turned around to say:

"I don't know either. I inquired in the sect and they said he is still on a mission. But Father, there's no need to worry. Brother Yuan is very strong. If he succeeds in this mission, he might be transferred to the inner sect. That would be a good thing."

Xu Wanghe thought to himself:

"Going on a mission is fine, but at least sending a message shouldn't be a problem, but there's been absolutely no news..."

"I wonder if that mission is dangerous, and if Yuan Zuo is safe..."

Wu Yuanzuo, as a staff member of the Xu family who came to Qingping Mountain Village with them, had a good relationship with Xu Wanghe, who truly treated him as a nephew.

After chatting casually for a while, Fang Shouzhou spoke up from the side:

"Now that the spiritual seedling has been destroyed, Patriarch Xu needs to make plans as soon as possible."

When the topic turned to serious matters, Xu Wanghe also sighed.

He turned to Xu Jingtao and said, "Post another notice saying that the matter of the spirit field has nothing to do with the spirit planters, and we will continue to pay their monthly allowances as usual."

Xu Jingtao hurriedly went to take care of it.

"This seedling is worth about thirty-five spirit stones. After last year's harvest, my family still had seventy-six spirit stones left. More than forty of them were given to Chang Le for cultivation. We still have more than thirty left."

Xu Wanghe sighed and said, "I'll take out the spirit stones later and give them to Immortal Master Lin Wan to take back with me."

Fang Shouzhou was startled and asked, "What realm has your eldest son cultivated to? He's used over forty mid-grade spirit stones in just over a year?"

Xu Wanghe said with a smile, "Chang Le's cultivation is diligent, which has cost a lot."

"I see. That's indeed diligent. However, this means the spirit seedlings delivered this year won't be ready for harvest for another year. What will your eldest son and the collateral relatives use?"

Fang Shouzhu asked.

Xu Guanyi stood to the side, his eyes lowered, wanting to speak, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

Xu Wanghe felt a pang of melancholy.

In the afternoon, Lin Wan returned in her spirit boat.

Li Rongping also walked in one after the other.

"This child possesses five spiritual roots," Lin Wan said.

"Then send it back to the Ma family. Rongping, you go there again," Xu Wanghe said.

Fang Shouzhou asked in surprise, "Does Patriarch Xu not want to take this child?"

Xu Wanghe smiled and shook his head.

…………

The Ma family.

A corpse lay on the ground, covered with a white sheet.

Ma Chunwang's wife, Zhang Aqin, sat blankly on the ground, staring at the corpse, seemingly lost in thought.

Li Rongping pushed open the door carrying her child and saw this scene, which also made her feel bad.

She had come here before and had a general understanding of the Ma family's situation.

Ma Chunwang was the only son in his family for three generations. Years ago, Ma Chunwang's father died in a battle with the Zheng family, and his mother also fell seriously ill. After helping Ma Chunwang marry Zhang Aqin, she passed away.

Over the years, Ma Chunwang and Zhang Aqin have had an extremely difficult time.

Until three years ago, Ma Chunwang had a sudden inspiration and said to her:

"Our master instructed us to administer Green Wood Powder to the spirit seedling. This Green Wood Powder is a gift from the Immortal Sect, and it must be incredibly mysterious. My husband and I have been childless for many years. If I were to consume some Green Wood Powder..."

Zhang Aqin knew something was wrong as soon as she heard this, but she was also swayed by the words "object of immortals".

What if?

If it works out, his family won't have to suffer like this.

Look at Sun Erzhu, the impoverished villager. Ever since his offspring was found to have spiritual roots, he has been stationed there to provide monthly stipends to the Sun family. The Sun family has long since transformed itself, with even their thatched hut replaced by a magnificent brick house with bluestone tiles.

After Xu Jinglei died, many villagers were waiting to see Sun Erzhu make a fool of himself. However, to their surprise, Sun Erzhu went mad, and the garrison sent people to take care of him around the clock, granting his every request. He was served wine and meat every day, allowing him to live a carefree life.

Who knows if he was faking madness?

Perhaps because he felt guilty about the death of his son and wanted to avoid working, he pretended to be crazy and enjoyed himself.

Therefore, Ma Chunwang eventually took Qingmu San.

Not long after, Zhang Aqin was pleasantly surprised to find that she was pregnant.

She and Ma Chunwang believed it was due to the effects of taking Qingmu San.

Now that the matter of Qingmu San has been investigated and Lingmiao has been destroyed, Ma Chunwang felt guilty and committed suicide.

This was stated in a notice posted at the village entrance, and the resident lady also personally came to the Ma family to comfort Zhang Aqin.

Zhang Aqin probably understood that her somewhat foolish husband, who loved her dearly, would probably never come back.

Until the villagers brought the body back.

He was covered with a white cloth, obscuring his face.

She sat diagonally in front of the corpse, her heart filled with grief, but her face remained expressionless.

It seems he's dead too.

Until Li Rongping came in again with the child.

Zhang Aqin's eyes suddenly lit up, and she asked eagerly, "After the Immortal Master's investigation, did he say that my Xiaoman has spiritual roots?"