The Undying Immortal System

Roughly a month later, I gathered up Mo and RuLan and took them to meet their parents.

RuLan was from a distant branch of the Su Clan that might have already been pruned from the family tree if I hadn’t stepped forward and started paying high prices for any Disciples with a Su bloodline. So, even though they were part of the Su Clan officially, all this meant was that their children were forced to endure the Su Clan’s training camp. The clan did nothing to support them.

Like most people in the Wastes, RuLan’s family lived in a small, unnamed farming village that focused on growing blue peonies and other simple Rank 1 herbs.

After dropping Mo and RuLan off on the outskirts of the village, I stepped back and watched from the shadows. I would intervene if I had to, but this wasn’t something that I had any desire to be a part of. My presence would only make the situation more tense and awkward.

As the two approached the home of RuLan’s family, I studied it closely.

It was a modest, one-room house with a living space on the ground floor and a sleeping area in the loft. Its small size and lack of ornamentation showed that RuLan’s family wasn’t very well off, but the home was clean and well-maintained. All the clay shingles on the roof were in good order, and fresh white paint had been applied to all the exposed wooden beams. Her family might be poor, but this home gave me the sense that they were honest, hard-working people.

Like when he had first asked me to bring him here, Mo was extremely nervous. When RuLan introduced him to her parents, he stumbled over his words and had a hard time expressing himself, but her parents were gracious and didn’t speak a word of criticism.

After the initial introductions were made, RuLan’s mother took her daughter out into the village to buy some vegetables, and RuLan’s father took Mo to a pair of wooden chairs behind the house that were positioned to give a good view of the expansive fields beyond.

Father and son-in-law had a good talk, and when RuLan and her mother returned, everyone sat down for a nice meal.

As things seemed to be stable, I took this opportunity to duck away and take care of a few random tasks, such as gathering food and supplies for the people back on Mount Jiang. A couple of hours later, I collected the two young lovers and carried them to Dragon Gate City to meet with Mo’s family.

The house Mo’s family lived in stood in stark contrast to the place that we had just left. Mo’s father was a minor official in Dragon Gate City, and it was clear to me that he wanted to use his home as a way to signal the importance of his position.

Dragon Gate City was a mélange of various districts mixed together into a single, messy whole. There were poor districts where people could barely afford a bowl of rice, and there were rich districts where wealthy Grandmasters secluded themselves while practicing crafts such as alchemy and talisman making.

Even though he had reached the rank of Martial Master, as a public official, Mo’s father wasn’t wealthy, but he had purchased a home adjacent to one of the wealthy areas. This allowed him to bask in the light of reflected glory.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

When Mo first arrived, his father seemed unusually excited. When he saw RuLan, his mood soured a bit, but he didn’t say anything and chose to ignore her.

As Mo was working on mustering the courage to tell his father that they were planning to get married, his father pulled him away into a side room and sat him down for a private conversation.

“Mo, you shouldn’t have brought that girl here with you. It will only cause problems later. You needed to remember to maintain the dignity of our household.”

Mo winced at this. “Father–”

“Let’s not talk about that anymore. Instead, we need to discuss your future.”

“But–”

“Over the last few years, I’ve had several discussions with high-ranking members of the Tong family of Prosperous Gulch. They know that you have joined Prince Fang’s retinue, and they are very interested in forming a connection with him.” A tone of avarice entered Mo’s father’s voice. “This is a chance for our family to finally rise to prominence.”

“What–”

“It’s an open secret that you hold some position of importance in Prince Fang’s retinue. The Patriarch of the Tong Clan has agreed to marry his youngest granddaughter to you. As part of her dowry, our family will receive ownership of several shops in Prosperous Gulch. All you need to do is wed her and introduce her to the prince.”

“Father–” Mo’s father tried to cut him off again, but this time, Mo kept on. “No. I intend to marry RuLan. I brought her here to meet you.”

Mo’s father’s face twisted with a hint of anger, but he held it in.

“Child, you are too young to understand the importance your marriage holds to your family. Have your fun with that peasant, but don’t let the Tong Patriarch hear even a word of her existence. You will be marrying his granddaughter, and I won’t hear another word otherwise. I have already contacted a master astrologist, and he has provided me with a list of several auspicious dates on which your marriage can be held. All you need to do is tell me which one you will be here for.”

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Finally, Mo had heard enough. He dropped his head, took a deep breath, and stood.

“Goodbye, father.”

Then, he started heading out the door.

“Unfilial child! Stop right there! Don’t think you can ignore me just because you are hugging the thigh of some foreigner. I am your father, and you will do as I say.” 𝘙

Mo just kept walking.

Enraged, his father used his qi to pull a stone from the wall and fling it at Mo.

While Mo had a solid foundation and was doubtless many times stronger than his father, he hadn’t spent much time learning to fight, and this attack caught him by surprise.

The stone slammed into Mo’s shoulder, sending him sprawling to the floor.

His father loomed over him.

“I don’t know what madness that foreigner has put into your head, but I will teach you to respect your elders. If you are so committed to that whore, then she can serve as an example of what happens to people who don’t know their place.”

A tear trickled down Mo’s cheek.

He didn’t say anything. He just pushed himself to his feet, turned, and started walking away again.

“You dare!?”

Mo’s father tried to fling another stone at him, but this time, Mo was ready. He used his qi and redirected it, forcing the stone to land harmlessly on the ground.

Mo’s father began to shout, but Mo didn’t listen. He just took RuLan’s hand and left.

Outside, I was already waiting for them.

RuLan hugged Mo tightly as tears streamed down his face.

“Patriarch, is he… Do you think it’s cultivation madness? Can you help him?”

I closed my eyes as I tried to think of the right answer.

“I don’t know. His cultivation base might have been what started it, but this might just be who he is now. You can try to change him. You can try erasing his cultivation base and seeing what happens, but I don’t know what will come of it.”

Mo’s head fell in sadness, and only RuLan’s support kept him upright.

After the new year, the Su Clan’s training camp went on as normal, and our clan welcomed 61 new recruits. A week later, NiangBa returned from his expedition.

When they had left, NiangBa and his four companions had a gleam of excitement in their eyes. They had been more than eager to go down the mountain to prove themselves.

When they returned, all five of them were a bloody mess. Their hair was ragged, their clothes were torn, and everyone had at least one deep wound somewhere on their body. The only thing keeping them standing was a combination of stamina pills and bandaging talismans.

However, while they looked to be in terrible shape, there was an undeniable confidence in the way they moved, and as they walked across the plateau, everyone just stopped and stared at them as they passed. People’s eyes were drawn both to their haggard condition as well as the massive demon beast that two of the men were carrying.

The group headed directly to the workshops where they were greeted by an over-excited receptionist.

“Whoa, are you here to sell that? I don’t know if I can take it. I’ll have to ask the leader.”

NiangBa shook his head. “We’ll leave it here for the Patriarch to take care of. For now, we just need the best healing pills available.”

Seeing the state everyone was in, the receptionist nodded hurriedly. “Yeah, yeah, I can see that. Man, you guys are in rough shape. What happened to you?”

The corner of NiangBa’s mouth twitched in a mix of bemusement and irritation. “The pills, please.”

“Oh, yeah, right… One second.”

Before the receptionist could dash away, I walked in and stopped her. Then, I took a close look at the demon beast they had brought me.

It was a Low-Rank 3 brown bear. At a brief glance, its skin looked to be as hard as iron, and its fur seemed more like the quills of a porcupine. From what I could tell, it had been killed a couple of weeks ago, so its energy had started to deteriorate, but there was still some potential research value in the specimen.

I turned and looked at NiangBa.

“The corpse of a Low-Rank 3 demon beast. I’ll pay you 500,000 contribution points for it.”

The eyes of everyone in the group lit up in excitement.

I held up a jade bottle. “5 Perfect Rank 3 Healing Pills with 136% efficacy. I’ll sell them to you for 100,000 contribution points each.”

This made everyone wince in pain. They had likely used a good number of items to take down this bear in hopes of a big payday, but if they wanted to use these pills to heal themselves, they would be left with nothing.

NiangBa looked around at his group, his brothers, and sighed in resignation.

“We’ll take the pills. Thank you, Patriarch.”

I nodded, pulled the beast into a storage bag, and passed him the pill bottle.

“In the future, be more careful when choosing your enemies. No fortune is worth losing your life over.”

Then, I tapped my jade token and distributed points to everyone.

“For choosing the correct option and purchasing the pills, I will give each of you 20,000 points. This time. However, I do not want to see this happen again. Understood?”

NiangBa dropped his head, both remorseful and excited. “Yes, Patriarch. Thank you.”

With everyone back in the clan, I brought ShouLi, Liang, Mo, NiangBa, GuiMing, and GuiAi to the Soul Cultivation Library.

“This year you have turned 25 years old, so it is time for the next step in your training.” I looked at NiangBa. “You are a year younger than everyone else, but since you have assumed a position of leadership, it is only right to include you in this. Still, I recommend you take things here a bit slower than the others. Don’t rush anything.”

NiangBa dropped his head wordlessly.

“This is a library that will help you cultivate your soul. By reading the books here and thinking about the knowledge they contain, you will learn more about yourself and who you wish to become.” I gestured to the soul cultivation techniques near the entrance. “These techniques will allow you to grow and strengthen your soul. Only use them when you are actively studying or doing something that you wish to make a core part of who you are.”

I looked around at the confused faces and grimaced slightly. “This is complicated… As you read and study these techniques, things will become clear. Just take your time.”

I went on to explain the various paths of cultivation in this world, giving them a brief summary of my understanding of each one. Then, I gestured to a certain bookcase that held otherworldly knowledge.

“Some of these books will contradict what I just told you. Yes, Daoists are usually regarded as aloof cultivators who only strive to better themselves and ascend while letting the rest of the world do what it will without them, but that is not necessarily true of everyone. There are opposing viewpoints that you should also consider during your studies.”

I took a step back and motioned for them to explore. “Take your time here. Read, and learn.”

Over the next several months, these six young cultivators each chose the path that was right for them.

ShouLi and Liang chose the path of Legalism.

GuiMing and GuiAi chose to follow the path of the Traditionalist.

NiangBa and Mo both chose to focus on Daoism.

These decisions were shaped by their pasts and what they had experienced up to this point.

These decisions shaped their futures and who they would become.