The Quest for Immortality

Mo Hua had also made some calculations.

Although Solitary Mountain City was a Third Grade place, it was one of those very poor Third Grade territories.

The Golden Core cultivators that came and went were generally at the initial stage.

Now that his movement technique had integrated Concealment Technique, Water Passing Step, and Water Shadow Illusion, even if he couldn’t defeat an Initial Golden Core cultivator, he could still escape without any problem.

Once Mo Hua thought everything through, he tidied up slightly, then concealed himself and ventured into Solitary Mountain alone.

...

As Mo Hua entered Solitary Mountain, in Solitary Mountain City, Shen Xiuyan had already boarded a carriage, preparing to return to the Little Spirit Sect.

He had handed over the Shen Family’s archives, even some less important ones, to Mo Hua, which could be considered ”leaking information.”

Though it wasn’t a major mistake, it was better to avoid trouble.

Once the matter was concluded, it was better to leave early to avoid any involvement.

Besides, to be honest, Shen Xiuyan couldn’t help but feel uneasy when he saw Mo Hua, thinking about his origins, and he really didn’t want to have dealings with Mo Hua.

Shen Xiuyan drove the carriage, ready to head back to the sect.

But as soon as the carriage moved a few steps, it encountered a person head-on.

This person had an ordinary appearance, but an extraordinary aura, dressed like an elder of the Shen Family; it was the powerful elder of the Shen Family, Shen Shouxing.

”Xiuyan?” said Shen Shouxing.

Shen Xiuyan had no choice but to greet him, ”Brother Shouxing.”

”Heading back to the sect so early?” asked Shen Shouxing.

”There are some matters at the sect.”

Shen Shouxing nodded, then said, ”I have something I wish to ask you, please come with me.”

Shen Xiuyan felt a bit unsettled, but Shen Shouxing’s cultivation was high, and his authority greater than his, so he didn’t dare to refuse.

Though they had some private connections, in a family, connections were not as strong as interests.

”Alright,” said Shen Xiuyan.

The two went to the living room where tea was served.

Shen Shouxing then dismissed everyone else, seeing no one around, he was silent for a moment, then said to Shen Xiuyan, ”A few years ago, you asked for a divination for me...”

”A divination?”

Shen Xiuyan was stunned, and then slowly relaxed.

He thought it was about Mo Hua’s matter, but it turned out to be a false alarm...

”That divination said,” Shen Shouxing frowned, ”in my entire life, I’ll only have one son?”

Shen Xiuyan didn’t know why Shen Shouxing brought this up but after pondering for a moment, he suddenly realized.

He was considering ”reopening” his practice because it had been exhausted.

Shen Xiuyan nodded, ”That’s right.”

”The divination result cannot be changed?”

Shen Xiuyan paused momentarily, and said, ”That divination, I asked someone from Mystery Valley to perform. The Elder from Mystery Valley said the cause and effect are predetermined, and this is your fate, whatever actions you took, whatever results they have, it cannot be changed.”

This divination had some oddities.

Originally, he wanted Old Wen to perform this divination.

Old Wen was from Mystery Valley and had a treasure called the Three Talents Divination Copper Coin; it wasn’t exactly like he could foresee things like a god, but he could predict auspicious and inauspicious outcomes.

Back then, he followed Old Wen and Young Master Yun, the three of them traveled to Tongxian City, South Yue City, and Li State City.

Throughout the journey, they very much benefitted from his divination arts.

But after experiencing that incident, upon their return, Old Wen was frightened, saying he was afraid of becoming entangled with strange cause and effect, so he sealed away all his divination skills.

For fifty years, he vowed not to question the heavenly secrets or look at cause and effect, concentrating instead on preserving his life.

He had no choice but to ask Old Wen for an introduction, requesting another Elder from Mystery Valley to perform the divination for Shen Shouxing.

At that time, after finishing Shen Shouxing’s divination, the Mystery Valley Elder’s face turned ashen as he uttered many unpleasant words.

Shen Xiuyan couldn’t tell Shen Shouxing exactly what was said, so he could only selectively relay phrases about ”predetermined cause and effect” to him.

He also informed him: in this lifetime, he will only have one son.

But this divination was only casually performed.

At that time, both Shen Xiuyan and Shen Shouxing didn’t really pay any attention to it.

The cause and effect were elusive and vague; after all, a divination was just a divination, it couldn’t explain anything.

But now, Shen Shouxing truly only had one son. None of his publicly recognized Dao Partners or secretly kept concubines had shown any signs of pregnancy.

This was slightly peculiar.

Now, his only son Shen Qingsheng was acting wanton, causing trouble.

Raising children is like planting trees: if a tree grows crooked, you can prune it and straighten it out with an axe.

But if a son is raised crooked, then he’s truly crooked, and there’s really no way to fix it.

As Shen Xiuyan pondered the situation, he began to empathize with Shen Shouxing, the powerful elder, ”Do you want... to have another divination performed?”

Shen Shouxing nodded, ”I would appreciate it, Brother Xiuyan.”

”Then if...” Shen Xiuyan cautiously suggested, ”the divination remains unchanged?”

Shen Shouxing furrowed his brows, ”Then I would ask Brother Xiuyan to help inquire if there’s a way to ’reverse fate and change the life chart’...”

”Reverse fate, change the life chart...” Shen Xiuyan muttered once, suddenly a bit lost in thought, then nodded, ”Alright, I’ll ask for you...” .

”Thank you!” Shen Shouxing cupped his hands.

After their conversation finished, they had nothing else to say.

Shen Shouxing finished his tea, then intended to get up and leave, but after taking a few steps, he found that Shen Xiuyan was still sitting in the chair, motionless.

Shen Shouxing found it strange, furrowed his brows, and said, ”Brother Xiuyan?”

Shen Xiuyan sat there dazed, his expression somewhat confused, as if he hadn’t heard anything, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

”You...”

Shen Shouxing furrowed his brows even more tightly.

At that moment, a low voice echoed, ”No need for another divination.”

”What?” Shen Shouxing paused.

Shen Xiuyan slowly raised his head, his eyes dim, tinged with gray, ”I have divined for you... in this life, you will only have this one son.”

When Shen Shouxing met Shen Xiuyan’s gaze, he, too, momentarily lost focus, his eyes became obscure, and he murmured softly:

”In this life, I will only have this one son.”

Shen Xiuyan spoke in a low and unusual tone: ”If this son dies, you will have no descendants.”

”If this son dies, I will have no descendants,” Shen Shouxing repeated exactly the same.

Those words, like seeds, took root and sprouted in his heart...

”In this life, I will only have this one son.”

”If this son dies, I will have no descendants...”

”No descendants...”

Shen Shouxing’s eyes dimmed for a moment, then gradually brightened again, regaining their luster. He turned to look at Shen Xiuyan.

Shen Xiuyan was also somewhat shocked, then stood up and said, cupping his hands, ”It’s getting late, I must return to the sect.”

”Then I won’t keep you any longer, Brother Xiuyan,” Shen Shouxing replied.

”Farewell.”

”Take care.”

Their conversation over, they parted ways as if nothing had happened.

Shen Xiuyan boarded the carriage, the sound of hooves clattering and wheels rolling, as he left Solitary Mountain City, heading to the Little Spirit Sect.

The mountain scenery on both sides swept past one after another.

Seated within the carriage, Shen Xiuyan was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brows.

”Did I just... say something to Shen Shouxing?”

”Seems like... I didn’t say much? Just had a simple cup of tea?”

”That’s right, I didn’t have much to say to him.”

”I can’t quite remember...”

Shen Xiuyan shook his head, ”Perhaps I’m too tired, or maybe I’ve been dreaming too much, feeling mentally weary...”

He still occasionally dreamt during this period.

Dreaming of that dark, rundown temple outside of Li State City.

But this time it wasn’t a nightmare, he no longer used a knife on his own throat.

It was just an ordinary dream, and everything in the dream wasn’t so terrifying, dark, or bloody.

The figure of Little Mo Hua roasting sweet potatoes in the dream was becoming more vivid and clear.

Shen Xiuyan gently exhaled.

He sat calmly on the carriage, heading towards the Little Spirit Sect.

But at this moment, he still hadn’t realized, in his dreams, Mo Hua’s figure was becoming clearer, while the silhouette of the Taoist in the shadows was also becoming more distinct...