Immortal Mystery Sequence: I Establish a Divine Duty for Heaven and Earth

Inside the room.

Jiang Tu remained silent for a long while.

Initially, he did not marry because he felt that a marital relationship was a burden for an immortal. His other half would experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, become entangled in more karmic entanglements, and become a weakness that others could exploit to manipulate him. He needed a fake wife to silence gossip, an identity that was out in the open, rather than a real partner.

But after four years, he realized that his idea was wrong.

It wasn't until tonight's semi-confrontation that he truly understood Ning'e... She was intelligent, cautious, patient, tolerant, gentle, and insightful. Far from being a burden, she was someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

She shared his low-key and cautious nature, and although she was only in her early twenties, she was more clear-headed than many people who had lived most of their lives. She was a truly independent woman, not at all like a young girl.

Who wouldn't love a woman like that?

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect?

Jiang Tu looked at his wife, about to say something, when Zhou Ning'e suddenly looked up at him blankly, her expression somewhat dazed.

"My lord... if you are a Daoist cultivator who has undergone tribulations to achieve immortality, then your lifespan must far exceed mine! Then you..."

At this moment, her previous composure and gentleness vanished, her eyes suddenly reddened, she abruptly turned over to face him, buried her face in the pillow, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"It's alright, it's alright this way. You're eighteen years older than me, and I've always worried that you'd leave me behind, leaving me all alone in this world... It's alright, it's alright this way..."

Jiang Tu's heart softened, and he reached out to embrace her: "Don't be afraid, my wife, you're still young."

"What do you mean 'young'? Sooner or later you'll be nestled in my arms calling me 'Mother'..."

As she spoke, her voice changed, becoming choked with emotion, her feelings difficult to express.

Beauty fades and lifespan is short; birth, aging, sickness, and death, the waxing and waning of the moon—these are the natural course of life. She suddenly thought of herself decades later, with white hair, while he remained a handsome young man… How painful that would be.

Jiang Tu was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "So what? I can call you Mother now too."

Zhou Ning'e paused, her voice trembling with sobs: "?"

What?

"However, it's a little hard for me to call you 'Mother' all of a sudden. How about you call me 'Good Father' first?"

Zhou Ning'e: "???"

She paused for a moment, then flung his hand away and pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

Are you even human?!

I'm feeling really down here! And you're still trying to take advantage of me?! You want me to call you "Daddy"? What a dream!

The map of Yan is a bit short! You're really trying to outdo me!

Jiang Tu laughed out loud.

Zhou Ning'e let out a muffled groan from under the covers, seemingly sobbing softly.

Jiang Tu reached out to wipe away her tears and said seriously, "My wife, starting tomorrow you will come with me to work in the fields. I will teach you how to plow and plant. At night, you will come with me to see the fertile fields and I will teach you how to cultivate good seeds."

Zhou Ning'e was taken aback for a moment: "...Huh?"

"I hope you will not only be my good wife at home, but also contribute to the family business."

Zhou Ning'e blinked. She thought Jiang Tu would say something comforting like "I'll be good to you in the future," but what he actually said was... "Come work in the fields with me tomorrow?"

This way of comforting people is way too hardcore!

But suddenly she felt a warmth in her heart. He was willing to bring her into his fields, his domain. Wasn't that the best comfort for her?

This shows that her husband has truly begun to trust her wholeheartedly and is genuinely willing to entrust her with important matters.

"...Yes, I'll listen to my husband."

Jiang Tu smiled.

For the past four years, he had been raising Ning'e like a flower in a greenhouse, providing her with a life of luxury and carefree living, thinking that it would be enough for her to be happy for the rest of her life. But now he felt that Ning'e might be able to do more.

If she has talent, she will become Jiang Tu's first student to be actively educated, and the Jiang family's second cultivator of the agricultural path.

The couple's journey of farming together in pursuit of longevity, accompanied by companionship in the mortal world, is a unique and interesting aspect of life.

"By the way, don't let the fake pregnancy be revealed to anyone. It's best if only Melon, Snow Pear, and Old Tai-shan know about it. You can't trust anyone else—"

"It's best if the three of them don't know either." Zhou Ning'e's attitude was quite clear: "Xue Li and Xiang Gua have grown up with me since they were little, and I trust them. But they will eventually get married and can't stay in the manor forever. As for Father... his health has been poor these past few years. He will naturally be happy to find out that he has an heir. Why bother telling him the truth? Let him be happy for the rest of his life."

"This matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, you, and me; no third person should know about it. The matter must be accomplished in secrecy."

Jiang Tu looked down at her, his last bit of guard down: "Alright, then I'll find a way to make you a very realistic fake belly, and hire a few fake doctors to act it out. I'll have to trouble you to learn how to act like a pregnant woman and be careful when you come and go in the mansion."

Zhou Ning'e nodded, reached out and poked the little straw figure on the pillow. The straw figure slowly turned its head and tilted its head to look at her, its eyes empty and blank.

"This little thing looks dull and lifeless... but if that child from just now really were my husband's and my child, how wonderful that would be... Hmm, well, this unexpected joy, to be mother and child with it for life, is already the best gift for me. I am content. Things in this world can never be forced..."

Jiang Tu didn't reply.

He thought to himself that if Ning'e could become an agricultural cultivator under his tutelage and her physique improved, she might actually have a chance to have children. But he didn't say it out loud; he would tell her later if it happened.

Moreover, this matter cannot be rushed; he doesn't want to have offspring for himself.

After that, a new scene appeared in the daily life of the Jiang residence.

Jiang Tu no longer came and went alone. Servants and farmers often saw the master and mistress with their trousers rolled up and barefoot in the mud. The master would turn the soil in front and the mistress would follow behind to sow seeds. Their cooperation became more and more skilled.

Everyone found it quite strange that Zhou's beloved daughter, who had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, would actually be able to work in the fields.

But as time went on, everyone changed their story.

The lady was very efficient at her work. She sowed seeds more evenly than many farmers, never complaining of being tired when bending over, and never grumbling when she got tanned.

"The master and mistress are truly a match made in heaven!"

"Who says daughters of wealthy families can't do farm work? Look at Madam, she looks more like a farmer than any of us!"

Many farmers have even started mobilizing their wives to join in the farm work, with everyone working together!

At first, Xianggua and Xueli thought it was inappropriate for their young lady to do these things, and that she had been wronged. But later they also went down to the fields and ran around on the ridges to help feed the cattle and herd the sheep. Occasionally, they would listen to Jiang Tu talk about the ways of farming, and the more they listened, the more interesting it became, adding a lot of fun to the boring farming life.

At night, Jiang Tu would take Zhou Ning'e into the underground farmland. The high-quality crops and herbs hidden deep in the soil rose and fell in the dim light, each stretching out its own shape. Some were pure white, some shimmered with a pale purple glow, and some had gold threads inlaid on the edges of their leaves.

When Zhou Ning'e first saw those things, she was stunned for a long time.

"Did you do all of this by yourself over the years?"

"Yes, there will be more in the future."

After that, Jiang Tu began to teach her to recognize medicinal herbs, identify soil types, and sense the weather. Zhou Ning'e listened very attentively. Sometimes, when Jiang Tu was explaining something, she would rush to say the second half of the sentence. She was very quick to understand and grasped things immediately.

Jiang Tu saw this and understood the situation.

In the months that followed, the fake pregnancy plan proceeded as scheduled. Jiang Tu had someone bring in a stranger from out of town and bribed him. He told everyone that she was pregnant and had Zhou Ning'e wear a realistic fake belly to make her waist and abdomen bulge.

Not only is there no outward sign of abnormality, but even if you take off your clothes and look at your belly, it's hard to tell if it's real or not. She usually pretends to be pregnant, and when she gets up and moves around, she's just like a pregnant woman.

When the news reached the Zhou family, the old man stayed in his main room for the entire afternoon. Then, he suddenly stood up, looked up, and shouted, "Heaven has opened its eyes! Heaven blesses my Zhou family!!"

After shouting, tears streamed down his face, and he immediately had a carriage prepared and took him to the Jiang residence.

"Brother!" As soon as Zhou the tycoon entered, he rushed over and hugged Jiang Tu, crying with snot and tears streaming down his face. "Good brother! You have lived up to my expectations!! The Zhou family has an heir!! This is a miracle!! A miracle!!"

"Dad, calm down..."

"I can't calm down! I've been waiting for this day my whole life! Ning'e is amazing! And you are even more amazing! Go! Tell the whole county that my Zhou family will have a three-day grand banquet to celebrate that Ning'e and my good son-in-law finally have an heir!!"

Zhou Ning'e, supporting her back with her fake belly, watched her father's alternating tears and laughter. She couldn't help but turn her head and secretly exchange a glance with Jiang Tu. Neither of them spoke, but they both felt the same way: as long as the old man was happy.

Time flies in Zhuangzhong; several years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Mountains and rivers remain silent, while the sun and moon revolve.

The fertile fields outside the Jiang family's courtyard gradually expanded to 800 mu. Not only were crops planted there, but precious medicinal herbs were also introduced. The fields were divided into medicinal herb fields and farmland, and the quality of the underground farmland doubled. Several boxes of pills made from medicinal herbs were collected.

Zhou Ning'e was already able to complete a whole planting process independently, and had become an expert in managing superior seeds. Occasionally, she could even personally refine a few batches of high-quality pills, and had thoroughly mastered the General Principles of Herbal Medicine.

But... what puzzled Jiang Tu and made him anxious was that she had never been able to enter the Dao and become a cultivator of the agricultural path.

……

……

In the early spring of the thirty-ninth year of the Jingtai reign.

On the shores of Qingshan Lake, thousands of miles away, the Qin family of Qingshan Lake is quietly working and developing.

Ten-year-old Qin Tuyun had grown into a graceful young lady. Standing on a large rock by the lake with her hands behind her back, barefoot, a gentle breeze brushed the stray hairs at her temples. She gazed at the distant lake and mountains, feeling the subtle ripples emanating from the depths of the earth beneath her feet.

The barrier that had bound her for so many years was beginning to loosen—