I Shall Be Everlasting In the World of Immortals

Chapter 111: Different Choices

”How is the situation?”

Lan Changʼan didnʼt bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point.

”Uncle Renlong, itʼs been a month since he was buried.” Li Erqing replied with a downcast tone.

Lan Changʼan roughly estimated that Mu Renlongʼs death occurred around the time Mu Yunfei arrived at Wuqi Mountain. This aligned with his judgment that Mu Renlongʼs injuries were too severe to be saved.

If Lan Changʼan had been impulsive and rushed back with Mu Yunfei, it would have been useless and they would have been ambushed.

Upon entering Feiyue Lake, Lan Changʼan felt the unrest within the Mu Family. The clansmen appeared lifeless and expressionless, some looking helpless and bewildered as if they had lost their spirit.

Indeed, Feiyue Lake still had a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he was not from the Mu Family, which made the clan members uneasy.

Lan Changʼan first went to Moonheart Island to pay his respects to the late Mu Renlong, silently offering an apology. Objectively speaking, although he couldnʼt save Mu Renlong in time, he hadnʼt put in his best effort.

Years ago, saving Mu Xiuyun was an accident, which led to the discovery of the Evergreen Techniqueʼs secret, that it could consume longevity to heal people.

Leaving the burial grounds, Lan Changʼan saw two young men and women, both at the mid-stage of Qi-Refining, looking relaxed, one of them had a smile on the corner of his mouth.
”Who are those two young people?” Lan Changʼan asked casually.

”They are my grandson and granddaughter,” Li Erqingʼs old face turned red as he glared at them, his Foundation Establishment pressure forcing the two young people to kneel.

In the current Mu Family, only Li Erqingʼs descendants seemed to be in good spirits.

”Isnʼt Moonheart Island only accessible to those at the late stage of Qi-Refining?” Lan Changʼan asked again.

Li Erqingʼs expression turned awkward as he explained, ”According to the familyʼs rules, a Foundation Establishment cultivator is allowed ten family members to accompany them on Moonheart Island for cultivation. Additionally, temporary family visits are permitted as long as they donʼt cultivate on the island.”

Lan Changʼan hadnʼt frequented Moonheart Island much during his time cultivating in the Mu Family and was not familiar with the specific rules. Now, he sensed the potential for power imbalance. This was not solely due to Li Erqingʼs will; the numerous wives and children behind him, driven by interest, would push Li Erqing to act involuntarily.

...

Lan Changʼan arrived at Li Erqingʼs abode, where the two discussed the Mu Familyʼs future strategies. Specifically, Li Erqing, now the highest-ranking cultivator in the Mu Family, was seeking Lan Changʼanʼs advice.

”Big brother, the elders in the family have also considered Huang Tankongʼs malicious intent,” Li Erqing said solemnly. ”The Mu Familyʼs kindness is deeply ingrained in me. I will never harbor ill intentions, betray, or usurp the Mu Family.”

Lan Changʼan believed Li Erqingʼs words were sincere at that moment. But Huang Tankongʼs schemes were an open plot, involving the distribution of benefits between the Mu Family and Li Erqingʼs lineage. As long as people are driven by interests, conflicts, and disagreements will inevitably arise.

”Erqing, if you truly wish for the Mu Familyʼs stability, I have three suggestions,” Lan Changʼan said after some thought.

”Please, go ahead, big brother,” Li Erqing listened intently.

”First, as the only remaining Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Mu Family, do not involve yourself in family management. Leave it entirely to the elders such as Mu Chengji and Mu Xiuyun.

Second, quickly cultivate a new Foundation Establishment cultivator from within the Mu Familyʼs lineage to stabilize morale.”

Li Erqing nodded in agreement with the first two suggestions.

”Third, if one day the situation at Feiyue Lake stabilizes but no longer meets the cultivation needs of your lineage, you can take your immediate family and establish a new clan elsewhere.”

Hearing this, Li Erqingʼs expression changed, and he shook his head firmly, ”Big brother, I have been part of the Mu Family since my teens. My wives and children are all of Mu blood. I would never make such a choice.”

Among the three suggestions, the second one was the most crucial. As long as a Foundation Establishment cultivator emerged from the Mu Family, the situation at Feiyue Lake would naturally stabilize.

...

”Which ones of the Mu Family seedlings do you plan to cultivate?” Lan Changʼan and Li Erqing discussed the potential young cultivators. Currently, there were three members under forty with mid-grade spiritual roots: Mu Congren, Mu Bingyun, and Mu Juncai.

All three had genuine mid-grade spiritual roots, not just close to the threshold. Mu Congren, Li Erqingʼs grandson, was the youngest, not yet twenty. Mu Bingyun had not only good aptitude but was also a talisman master.

”Mu Bingyun is worth cultivating. We can support her a bit,” Lan Changʼan said straightforwardly, considering his past relationship with her.

Years ago, when Mu Xiuyun was at the right age for Foundation Establishment, he was only at the seventh or eighth layer of Qi-Refining and could offer limited help. By the time he returned after reaching Foundation Establishment, Mu Xiuyun was already too old, leaving some regrets.

”Mu Bingyun has both the roots and skills, which indeed makes her a good candidate. However, currently...” Li Erqing hesitated.

”What about Mu Bingyun?” Lan Changʼan frowned, realizing he had missed some information.

”Two months ago, Mu Bingyun was attacked near Feiyue Lake by two unidentified ninth-layer Qi-Refining cultivators. If not for her high-quality talismans, she might have perished. She escaped back to the family, but her dantian was damaged. Even with top-tier healing medicines, some damage is irreversible, affecting her foundation. Her future Foundation Establishment prospects are dim,” Li Erqing explained, smiling bitterly.

This incident had been overshadowed by Mu Renlongʼs critical injury and near-death experience. Naturally, a wounded Qi-Refining cultivator didnʼt garner much attention when the patriarch himself was on the brink of death.

”Mu Xiuyun didnʼt mention this in her letter,” Lan Changʼan said, deep in thought. It seemed Mu Xiuyun had taken the unprecedented step of writing a letter because she wanted Lan Changʼan to come to Feiyue Lake to take a look at her disciple Mu Bing Yunʼs injuries ”incidentally”.

If she had mentioned this...

On the basis of past love, he might have prioritized going to Feiyue Lake over killing Huang Changling.

Perhaps Mu Xiuyun didnʼt want personal feelings to sway Lan Changʼanʼs decision.

”Did Huang Tankong use this trick to lure me to Feiyue Lake?” Lan Changʼanʼs first suspect was the Huang Family. Among the Mu Family members he had ties with, there were only a handful with whom Lan Changʼan shared any bonds. But it wasnʼt certain whether the surrounding cultivation families were eagerly waiting for both the Mu and Huang families to suffer irreparable losses.

...

Moments later, accompanied by Li Erqing, Lan Changʼan arrived at a quaint cave dwelling on Moonheart Island.

”Uncle Lan,” a pale-faced girl in a green dress greeted him, Mu Bingyunʼs clear eyes shone with a hint of surprise as she gazed upon the white-robed man whose appearance remained unchanged after over a decade of separation.

Mu Bingyun hadnʼt changed much, likely due to beauty-preserving pills, and reaching the seventh layer of Qi-Refining. Yet her complexion was almost wholly devoid of color, adding a sickly pallor to her delicate features.

”Let me examine your injuries,” Lan Changʼan said.

Mentioning her injuries brought a shadow of sadness over Mu Bingyunʼs brows, like clouds obscuring the moon. She extended her pale wrist for Lan Changʼan to take her pulse.

”Uncle Lan, do you know medicine?” Mu Bingyun asked, a hint of hope in her eyes.

Her injuries had been confirmed to have damaged her foundation. Her master had once said that when the situation stabilized, she should visit Uncle Lan at Wuqi Mountain, as he had many connections and might find a way.

”I have dabbled a bit, but Iʼm not an expert,” Lan Changʼan replied, releasing her wrist. He had understood her condition—some of the damage to her dantian was irreversible.

Comparing this to the difficulty of saving Mu Xiuyun years ago, Lan Changʼan was confident he could heal her hidden injuries and restore her foundation, but it would require consuming his lifespan through the secret healing spell. With over four hundred years of lifespan, he could easily afford this, but he didnʼt want to reveal this ability.

He couldnʼt possibly ask her to swear a heart demon oath, as such oaths werenʼt foolproof if the oath-taker didnʼt value the Dao.

”If I heal her injuries too easily, it would be suspicious unless a third-rank physician and rare spiritual medicines are involved. What if I treated her over dozens of sessions spanning several years, and slowly ʼcultivatedʼ her back to health?” Lan Changʼan thought.

By taking a longer period to slowly heal her, it wouldnʼt appear extraordinary. Just like how earning ten thousand spirit stones in a year would be surprising, but earning it over decades wouldnʼt be. Moreover, the damage to her foundation wasnʼt considered terminal in the cultivation world, as third-rank healing medicines and certain rare treasures could potentially repair it.

...

”Bingyun, I have a nurturing technique that, combined with some medicines, might slowly restore your foundation,” Lan Changʼan said.

”Nurturing?” Mu Bingyunʼs eyes brightened.

Li Erqing also perked up. Lan Changʼanʼs life-nurturing and youth maintaining techniques were admired by those familiar with him. Using nurturing methods for healing was common in the cultivation world and could sometimes work miracles.

”However, I only have a twenty percent chance of success, and it requires you to leave the Mu Family and cultivate with me for some years,” Lan Changʼan added.

”Twenty percent?” Mu Bingyun hesitated.

”How many years will it take, Uncle Lan?” Mu Bingyun asked, her lips slightly trembling.

”As little as seven or eight years to as long as twenty,” Lan Changʼan replied, giving a conservative estimate.

Mu Bingyun pursed her red lips, hesitating as she fell deep into contemplation.

A girl who had grown up within the confines of her family suddenly needed to bet over ten years of her life on a twenty percent chance; it required courage and determination.

”Iʼll give you some time to consider,” Lan Changʼan said, turning to leave with Li Erqing.

Just as they reached the entrance of the cave-dwelling, a voice called out, ”Uncle Lan.”

The youthful voice was filled with resolve. ”Iʼve decided! I will leave the family and follow uncle to cultivate and receive treatment.”

Her eyes shone with determination, her pale face set in a firm expression.

”Hmm.”

Lan Changʼan paused, slightly surprised by her decisiveness. Li Erqing gave her an approving nod. Lan Changʼanʼs willingness to take her along might also hint at an intention to cultivate her further.

Li Erqing, despite not knowing the full extent of Lan Changʼanʼs abilities, had a gut feeling, formed over sixty years of acquaintance, that his big brother was no ordinary individual. He couldnʼt tell why but sensed that Lan Changʼan had hidden depths.

Never mind anything else, who could have believed that when his big brother resolutely left the family all those years ago, seeking to attain Foundation Establishment, that he would succeed?

In the cave-dwelling, Mu Bingyunʼs lone figure stood like a snowflower, whispering, ”Master, today I made a different choice from you. Will the future end differently?”

...

Lan Changʼan didnʼt stay on Moonheart Island but returned to his old lakeside courtyard, a place the Mu Family had deliberately preserved like a historic relic, maintaining it regularly. As the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had helped the Mu Family rise, Lan Changʼanʼs achievement of Foundation Establishment at an ancient age was notable enough to be recorded in the annals of the Liang Kingdom, justifying this treatment.

”Huang Tankong...” Lan Changʼan sat cross-legged in his room, his eyes flickering.

When he had come to Feiyue Lake, he hadnʼt found Huang Tankongʼs whereabouts. Considering the old manʼs dwindling lifespan, Lan Changʼan hadnʼt pursued him. But Mu Bingyunʼs plight made him realize that Huang Tankong was still a lurking threat, like a venomous snake capable of striking at any moment.

Mu Bingyunʼs attack might have been orchestrated by Huang Tankong to lure him to Feiyue Lake. However, it was also possible that surrounding cultivation families, eager to see the Mu and Huang families clash, were behind it.

Regardless, Lan Changʼan now knew he had to find Huang Tankong and neutralize the threat he posed. He couldnʼt allow such a dangerous adversary to continue lurking in the shadows.