"Back in the days of war with the Shanyue, the Shanyue had many witch doctors, who could summon poisonous mist, snakes, and insects. The army distributed talismans like this to counter the sorcery. This talisman once saved my life, but now it no longer glows with divine light, looking like nothing more than torn paper. That's the second item." <br><br> <br>"The Shanyue liked to adorn themselves with animal bones, feathers, and colored glaze. I killed someone and looted these valuable trinkets from their corpse. That’s the third item." <br><br> <br>"Tomorrow, I’ll show this piece of colored glaze to your second uncle and tell him it’s something Ping Xiang picked up from the river. Even if Matthew Lee never saw it before, we’ll insist it is just a piece of broken colored glaze that only glimmers under the moonlight." <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee took out a shard of colored glaze, carefully packed up the items, and spoke softly to Tongya Lee. <br><br> <br>"Father has thought everything through." Changhu Lee nodded. "Second Uncle is broad-minded and considerate. He won’t fuss over such matters." <br><br> <br>"Too bad Matthew Lee’s a useless fool," Tongya Lee said quietly, turning to look at his father. <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee lifted the inspection lens and placed it on the wooden table, shaking his head. <br><br> <br>"Now we have to see how this treasure works and how to use it; otherwise, it could all be a fruitless endeavor." <br><br> <br>River Sage Lu had been listening attentively from within the mirror, formulating his own plans. Whether it was to protect himself or to escape from the mirror, if he wanted to find a path he could tread on the long journey of immortality, he must utilize the manpower and resources of this land. <br><br> <br>The Lee family came from a farming background with shallow roots, yet each family member was remarkably outstanding. <br><br> <br>The father, Matthew Lee, was brave and perceptive; the eldest son, Changhu Lee, was smooth in dealings and kind-hearted; the second son, Tongya Lee, was courageous, decisive, and willing to fight; and even Xiangping Lee and Chijing Lee were clever and nimble. Together, they were truly an ideal team. <br><br> <br>Moreover, River Sage Lu himself was without hands or legs. He couldn’t run; he couldn’t walk, and swapping families was out of the question. What was he supposed to do? Stay silent and be treated as trash, tossed back into the river and left in silence for another hundred years? <br><br> <br>"At all costs, I must visit the northern area, even if only to take a glance from afar." Thinking this, River Sage Lu directed the current of wind within him to surge toward the top-left corner of the mirror. <br><br> <br>Inside the house, the brothers of the Lee family fiddled with the inspection lens for a long time without success, handling it cautiously as if it might break and ruin their rare fate with the divine. The moonlight on it felt as cool and comforting as water, yet no matter how they blew on it or touched it, nothing happened. <br><br> <br>Until Xiangping Lee picked up the inspection lens and gently stroked its surface, River Sage Lu channeled energy to activate it. Suddenly, a bright arc of white light shone on the top-left corner of the mirror, startling Xiangping Lee so much that he trembled. Unsure whether to hold on or let go, he called out loudly. <br><br> <br>Tongya Lee came closer to inspect and saw a bright arc of white light spreading from the top-left corner of the mirror. The middle was thick while the sides were thin, strikingly beautiful. A few breaths later, it slowly dimmed. <br><br> <br>"Brother, it lit up!" Xiangping Lee said excitedly in a hushed voice. <br><br> <br>Tongya Lee took the inspection lens, stroked the surface exactly as Xiangping Lee had, and sure enough, a white light appeared again. He handed the inspection lens to his father, gesturing for him to try the same. <br><br> <br>Both Matthew Lee and Changhu Lee stroked the lens and marveled at its brilliance. <br><br> <br>Tongya Lee, however, let out a soft "hmm," taking the inspection lens from his elder brother’s hands and stroking it again while facing away from everyone. <br><br> <br>"Father, no matter which direction it is stroked from, the light always points north, just like..." Tongya Lee said gravely, staring at the inspection lens in his hands. <br><br> <br>"A direction finder," Matthew Lee confirmed with a nod. <br><br> <br>Inside the mirror, River Sage Lu couldn’t help but applaud. This young man was truly sharp, catching on immediately! <br><br> <br>"Let’s head to the village entrance." <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee stroked his beard and then turned back into the house, calling out to the children. <br><br> <br>"Bring a string of cured meat; we’re going to visit the teacher." <br><br> <br>———— <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee wiped his tears as he stepped into his front yard, cursing under his breath and kicking stones along the path. <br><br> <br>"What treasures are they even hiding, clutching a few melons as if they’re worth gold? A bunch of cowards stalking around with knives in the dead of night—suspicious fools!" He sat down on a stone, his thoughts suddenly stirring. <br><br> <br>"Matthew Lee spent twenty years fooling around out there. He must have some good stuff on him! Could be some real treasure." He began calculating in secret. <br><br> <br>"Those stubborn fools just won’t budge, though, refusing to spill even a bit. That old man is stubborn as hell. Even if he dies, he’d never open his mouth. But if Matthew Lee were to die, I’d get my share of the spoils!" <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee tilted his head to look at the courtyard gate, just as his younger brother, Yesheng Lee, timidly stepped in. He glared at him fiercely and shouted: <br><br> <br>"Get over here, you brat!" <br><br> <br>He grabbed Yesheng Lee by the clothes and threw him onto the ground before the house, where he tumbled awkwardly and curled up in fear. <br><br> <br>"I heard you’re close with that dog Xiangping Lee. Tomorrow, go to his house and steal a couple of melons to eat!" he shouted angrily. <br><br> <br>———— <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee led his three children from the edge of the village to the entrance, where resting villagers sitting by doorsteps greeted them warmly: <br><br> <br>"Uncle Lee, where are you heading off to?" <br><br> <br>"Just bringing something to the teacher!" Matthew Lee replied with a laugh, raising the cured meat in his hands. <br><br> <br>At the village entrance, Matthew Lee looked around, then patted Tongya Lee and Xiangping Lee on the shoulders, whispering: <br><br> <br>"Go." <br><br> <br>The two nodded, crouched low, and quickly vanished into the thick reeds. <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee watched the distance with concern, while his eldest son quietly reminded him: <br><br> <br>"You should have warned them earlier—if they encounter anything supernatural, they should retreat immediately and not linger." <br><br> <br>"Tongya knows his limits." <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee squinted, his mind racing through countless calculations like fleeting reflections. <br><br> <br>He was painfully aware that tonight, he might lose two children. However, he still had Changhu Lee, his eldest, as an heir. Yet, there was also a chance the children would return safely, bringing an opportunity that could make the Lee family’s fortune soar. The weight of his rational decision to prioritize the family’s interests battled against his emotional torment. His fists clenched tightly with the anguish of it all. <br><br> <br>"Two hundred years..." <br><br> <br>The Lee family had toiled on this land, facing the earth with their backs to the sky, for two whole centuries. Presented with a possible opportunity of fate, Matthew Lee made the logical decision for the family’s benefit, but he couldn’t escape the emotional pain it caused him. <br><br> <br>"Brother Lee!" <br><br> <br>The gate suddenly swung open, breaking Matthew Lee's chain of thought. Teacher Han Wenxu appeared, holding a small bowl and staring at him in surprise. <br><br> <br>"Teacher." <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee broke into a hearty smile and strode to the front, placing the cured meat on the wooden platform. <br><br> <br>"Ah, you shouldn’t have!" Han Wenxu smiled and nodded. <br><br> <br>He took the cured meat, broke off a piece, and finely sliced it onto a small plate. He stir-fried some pickled vegetables and brought them out as well. The two set up a small table, poured two small cups of rice wine, and sat at the doorstep, chatting. <br><br> <br>"The immortals flying high in the sky won’t come down here anymore," Matthew Lee sighed, his expression easing. <br><br> <br>Han Wenxu shrugged and clicked his tongue in admiration. "Immortals, huh!" <br><br> <br>"When I was twelve, an immortal came to town," he said, sipping his wine with a wistful expression. <br><br> <br>"He said he was looking for enlightened ones. Out of over a thousand children in the town, he found only three and took them away. Those immortals flying high in the sky today might even include someone from my hometown." <br><br> <br>"Fate with the divine is rare indeed," Matthew Lee said after a long silence, trying to comfort him. <br><br> <br>"Rare indeed... rare indeed..." <br><br> <br>Han Wenxu stared blankly at the moon in the sky, muttering the phrase repeatedly. <br><br> <br>The two men, each burdened by their own worries, fell into a heavy silence. )
