Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

Zhu He remembered the day her son was born, when his chubby little hand grasped her fingers.

During those days, her husband was working away from home, and the empty house was just her and her son.

To be honest, she had been feeling very uneasy before her husband came back.

Although she received letters, she couldn't see the person, and her mind would wander.

She looked towards the door every day, hoping that a familiar figure would appear.

While weaving cloth in the yard, I felt a dull ache in my chest.

Incredibly, whenever I heard my son crying inside the house, and went back to hold him, all my frustration vanished.

She always remembered those nights when it was just her and her young son.

Before going to bed, she would always play with her son for a while.

That was the child born from her belly. She watched the child roll over in bed, making cute little babbling sounds. She picked the child up, rubbed his face against her cheek, and all the fatigue of the day disappeared without a trace.

When she was little, her son would often hold her tightly and wouldn't let go.

But as her son grew older, he rarely acted like that anymore.

It's amazing how children grow up. That little bundle of joy has grown taller than her, his mother.

Although she noticed from a young age that her son was different from other children, she never imagined that he could be so capable.

She heard many things, including that even the prefect had given his son a horse.

She never told anyone that when she saw the horse, the first thing that came to mind was that tiger spirit exuding a bloodthirsty aura.

Horses and tigers have nothing to do with each other, but like tiger spirits, horses are both taller than her.

As the horse breathed, she saw the tiger's blood-soaked maw before her eyes.

Ten years have passed, but she has never forgotten that moment.

But despite the horse being so big, my son wasn't afraid at all.

"Mother, give it a try. Wuzhui is very obedient."

Looking at her son's smile, somehow, the fear in her heart disappeared.

Her son is really amazing.

With her son by her side, she was no longer afraid.

She actually saw it when she was hiding under the bed that day. The stove fell over, and the firelight illuminated the room. She saw the beast's legs covered in bristles and sharp claws.

She smelled blood and heard the sound of blood dripping.

She was so frightened that her whole body stiffened and she trembled. She held her breath and felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

But when she looked back at the little bundle of flesh that rolled around on the bed every night, babbling and crying, she suddenly felt courageous.

With her son by her side, she wasn't afraid.

The fact that that child was born into this world, born beside her, is truly, truly an amazing and incredible thing.

She thought this way when the child was born, before the child even had a name.

It has remained unchanged from beginning to end.

Chapter 220 The Heroine Arrives

That day, Zhuang Xing asked Master Wu to examine his sword in the sword forging hall.

I've used this Purple Crow Azure Gold Sword for many years. I replaced it after returning from the Old Mountain Demon the first year, which was six years ago.

He actually really liked using this sword, and he would go to Master Wu for maintenance at least twice a year to have the old master sharpen the blade.

But he has grown quite a bit taller. Liking something is one thing, but whether it suits you or not is another.

A sword is a weapon, used to kill enemies. As the saying goes, mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. When you encounter monsters on your way down the mountain, they won't reason with you.

As the saying goes, there are mountains beyond mountains, people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens. He is only twelve years old. There are always people and demons in this world who are more powerful than him. Just like Yan Huai'an, he still doesn't think that his swordsmanship and true qi can compare to a single finger of the female knight.

He often wondered, if he were to fight to the death with the Tiger Great Sage who was seriously injured after being slashed by Miss Yan, who would be stronger?

Although he couldn't come up with a solution, he was certain that he wasn't confident he could cut off the tiger demon's head.

It's uncertain whether his sword can even cut through the tiger demon's skin. After all, when he was traveling in Xizhou last year, he heard the fox talk about the Great Sage Tiger's achievements. Very few people could force the Great Sage Tiger to reveal his true form. The Great Sage Tiger loves to play this kind of trick, deliberately transforming into human form to fight people. When the opponent thinks he has a chance to win, he will attack in tiger form.

Imagine a tiger as tall as an elephant standing before you, with a body of bronze skin and iron bones. After activating the second stage, its injuries can be almost completely healed. Just thinking about it is terrifying. No wonder the Great Sage Tiger was able to run rampant in Xizhou for so many years.

Let alone Tiger Great Sage, even Master Wu, who was standing in front of Zhuang Xing, felt that he was unfathomable.

Master Wu's nonchalant acceptance of his full-force sword strike back then was still vivid in his mind. After returning to the mountain last year, he felt that he had made some progress and wanted to practice with the old master again. However, the old master said that he was not skilled enough. He said that although he had become a Red Hat, his qualifications as a Red Hat were not obtained by slaying demons and monsters.

Master Wu said that his foundation was not solid and that he needed at least another ten years to come back and learn from him.

Zhuang Xing found this very reasonable and became even more humble.

He stood quietly to the side. Today was not a day when the city was open, but the fire in the sword forging hall was still burning. Even in the cubicles, the clanging sound of hammering the sword blanks could be heard.

A good sword requires countless hammerings and forgings. Although there are about twenty sword-forging masters, disciples come in droves every month to pick up and exchange swords. Sometimes, even outsiders place orders. The sword-forging masters are inevitably busy every day.

Zhuang Xing also waited in line for two months before it was his turn.

Zhuang Xing watched silently as Master Wu drew his sword from its sheath; the blade gleamed purple-gold under the night light.

Master Wu picked up a small hammer, tapped the sword, listened to the sound, then bent it with his hands and sharpened it on the whetstone a couple of times.

"It's well-maintained, but I still suggest melting it down and reforging it. Purple Raven Gold and Celestial Stone are not cheap. Melt down the Purple Raven Gold and Celestial Stone from this sword, and you can add some money and tickets to pay a small fee for your trouble."

"I've used this sword for six years. Even if I don't use it anymore, I still want to keep it. Master Wu, please forge a new sword for me," Zhuang Xing said respectfully.

It is said that familiarity breeds affection. People develop feelings after seeing each other many times, and a sword also develops feelings after being used for a long time.

He wanted to keep the sword as much as he could within his means. He didn't need it anymore, but he could leave it to some junior brother or sister in the future. Besides, over time, the sword would become a cultural relic.

In any case, he was recorded in history books as the first Taoist priest to grind wheat into flour, the first to hand over cotton to the government, and the first to discuss coal with the emperor. In a few hundred years, his sword might become a national treasure.

He will definitely get married and have children in the future. He has already found a partner. Even if the Zhuang family declines in the future, he can pass this sword down to his descendants as a family heirloom. Wouldn't that be a way to wait for it to appreciate in value?

Master Wu may not have expected Zhuang Xing to have such a long-term vision, but seeing Zhuang Xing's firm attitude, he still agreed.

"Since you've put it that way, then let's do it your way. Your new sword will take three months to be forged. As usual, you'll pay a deposit first, and settle the rest when you pick up the sword."

"Master Wu, when the new sword is finished, may I ask you to test it out?"

Upon hearing this, Master Wu paused slightly, but remained expressionless, with a profound look on his face.

"Ahem." Master Wu cleared his throat. "I'm asking you, how many years have you been coming up the mountain?"

"It's been more than six years," Zhuang Xing answered truthfully.

"Do you know how many years I've been up in the mountain?"

"It's been at least twenty years."

"It's been thirty-five years," Master Wu said calmly. "Do you think I'm skilled enough to play around with a child who's only been practicing for six years?"

...

After a while, Zhuang Xing walked out of the Sword Forging Hall with some disappointment.

Master Wu ultimately refused to practice swordsmanship with him, and he realized once again that he was still very young and needed to grow.

We descended the stone steps and left the mountain city.

The sun shone fiercely, and the incessant chirping of cicadas filled his ears. He walked past the large birch tree that had stood there before. The birch tree had very lush leaves. Looking at the birch tree, he couldn't help but think of the Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley, and the towering spruce tree that he could never forget.

Looking at the large birch tree in front of us, the birch tree is also full of spiritual energy. Qingxuan Mountain is a blessed place. This tree has been growing on the mountain for many years. A Taoist has watered it and removed the insects from it. Perhaps in another few decades or hundreds of years, it will also develop its own intelligence.

Zhuang Xing looked at the red lanterns hanging on the branches of the birch tree. They were the lanterns that were hung up during the Spring Festival last year. The place where many Bai Sui disciples used to live is now empty. More than six years have passed, and the neighbors have all become Qing Sui disciples.

The place was very quiet and undisturbed. Zhuang Xing rested in the shade of the big birch tree for a while. He thought that in three years, many children would come to the mountain again.

While he was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a cool breeze blowing from behind him. The summer wind was usually hot and humid, but this wind carried a hint of chill.

He sensed something, and when he turned around, he suddenly saw someone he hadn't seen in a long time.

He felt that although it was very hot today, it must be an auspicious day, perfect for going out.

He looked at the female knight-errant dressed in plain clothes and felt very happy.

Sure enough, good things happen when you're alive.

Chapter 221 Come sit at my place

Meeting a female knight-errant in this sweltering summer is a delightful experience.

The last time we met was during the Yuanding era; even the reign title has changed since then.

In the first half of this year, news came that the reign title had been changed, the emperor had abdicated in favor of the crown prince and retired from court. The emperor who had a long talk with Zhuang Xing last year is now the retired emperor.

After the crown prince ascended the throne, he changed the era name to Yuankang. Yuan means beginning, and Kang represents peace and prosperity for the country and the nation. This year is the first year of the new era name, which is the beginning of the Yuankang era.

Zhuang Xing was involved in the major historical event of changing the reign title. Unexpectedly, he met the female knight in the first year of the reign title change. He felt that this was a good omen and that his life would get better and better in the future.

He thought that he hadn't changed much from himself in Yidu a few years ago, except that he had grown a bit taller. He figured the female knight wouldn't have forgotten him, so he took small steps and walked up to her.

Yan Huai'an stared straight at his face. If someone didn't know her, they would think her gaze was cold, but Zhuang Xing knew that Miss Yan usually didn't stare at others. Rather, she was afraid of making eye contact with others. The fact that she was looking at Zhuang Xing's face meant that she recognized him.

"Sister Yan, it's been a long time," Zhuang Xingxian greeted.

"Mm." Yan Huai'an nodded and responded softly, "Long time no see."

She spoke more fluently than before; perhaps she had encountered many things in the past few years.

"Sister Yan, are you here to buy something at Xuanqing Temple?" Zhuang Xing asked.

Master Qingxuzi once said that since Yan Huai'an formed a connection with the Taoist temple fifty years ago, he would come to the mountain every few years to do some business.

Zhuang Xing wondered if the female warrior had come to replenish supplies. Talismans and pills were consumables that cultivators always kept on hand. Talismans could greatly enhance a cultivator's combat power, and pills could help with cultivation. A cultivator from a sect would often keep these on hand.

Besides the more commonly used talismans and elixirs, each sect usually has its own specialties.

For example, Li Family Village, the place where corpses are driven, has Night Travel Talismans and Corpse Driving Talismans that cannot be bought in ordinary places. Another example is the Monkey Wine in Hundred Flowers Valley, which not only tastes good, but can also strengthen the body and increase cultivation. What's most rare is that ordinary people can also drink it.

It is important to know that many elixirs can only be taken by cultivators. The physique of cultivators who have cultivated true qi and opened their meridians is completely different from that of ordinary people. Most of the spiritual medicines that are beneficial to cultivators are poisons to ordinary people, and may even be fatal. However, the monkey wine is very special. Only Hundred Flowers Valley can produce monkey wine, after all, it is a spiritual wine brewed by using the trunk of the valley master's tree.

As a sect with a long history, Xuanqing Temple naturally has its own specialties. The temple has a complete market that is not biased towards any particular area. It has everything you've seen before and nothing you've seen before. Basically, you can find all kinds of talismans and pills. However, Xuanqing Temple is most good at offensive and combat-oriented pills and talismans.