When Matthew Lee and Grace Tian entered the Reed Meadow, they parted the layers of reeds and took a closer look. The Blue-Gray Mirror in their hands emitted a warm, white glow. Grace Tian looked in a certain direction and whispered: <br><br>\"That is the direction of Lunar View Lake. Following the Gu Li Path, it will take half an hour.\" <br><br>Matthew Lee shook his head, saying, \"We shouldn't take the Gu Li Path. Let's cross through the Reed Meadow instead.\" <br><br>Grace Tian hesitantly responded in agreement, then crouched and began moving carefully through the dense reeds alongside his brother. <br><br>River Sage Lu felt an increasingly strong pull as he entered the Reed Meadow. Before long, his view suddenly brightened. A faint image of a serene, crystal-clear lake appeared before him. On the shore, a dozen white herons rested, each standing on one leg. <br><br>As Grace Tian pressed forward, the Blue-Gray Mirror in his hand grew scorching hot, causing anxiety to rise within him. He glanced nervously at his older brother, Matthew Lee, whose face remained stoic, though his eyes revealed deep concern. <br><br>\"Can Mere Mortals Claim Immortal Blessings?...\" Grace Tian murmured as he held the mirror, seemingly unaware of the burning heat. <br><br>\"Good mirror, great mirror, we're almost there,\" he muttered, cradling the pale-gray treasure. <br><br>Before long, the two brothers emerged from the layers of reeds. The sparkling Lunar View Lake stretched out before them, and startled herons scattered into the sky. <br><br>River Sage Lu gazed intently at a cluster of rocks forming a small island in the lake's center. Amid the moss-covered stones, a jade stone, shimmering with white light, was lodged tightly in a crevice. <br><br>The searing Blue-Gray Mirror in their hands emitted a faint, pale glow, and an image of the rocky island and the jade stone became faintly visible before Matthew Lee and Grace Tian's eyes. <br><br>Exchanging a glance, the brothers found astonishment and joy reflected in each other's expressions. Grace Tian nodded firmly, shedding his clothes in preparation to enter the water. <br><br>\"Wait!\" Matthew Lee stopped him, shaking his head. <br><br>\"I'll fetch it. You hold onto the mirror and stay at the shore. If the moon moves to that position and I haven't returned yet—\" <br><br>He pointed toward a spot in the sky. <br><br>\"Then hide the mirror in the Reed Meadow and head for the Gu Li Path. Don't go back home,\" Matthew Lee said solemnly, gazing intensely at his brother. \"Return to check the situation only after the sun has climbed high into the sky.\" <br><br>\"Understood...\" Grace Tian's voice wavered, and tears welled in his eyes as he looked at his brother. <br><br>Matthew Lee smiled faintly, removed his garments to reveal his muscular frame, and turned toward the lake. Grace Tian remained hidden in the Reed Meadow, staring blankly at his brother. <br><br>Matthew Lee had often swum in Lunar View Lake with his father and brothers in past years. Familiar with the route, he swiftly navigated to the lake's center. <br><br>Carefully searching among the crevices, he spent the time of a single incense stick thoroughly exploring the island. <br><br>\"Nothing,\" Matthew Lee frowned as he meticulously checked again, this time uncovering five or six small river crabs. <br><br>Finally, his fingers brushed against something smooth and cool. Applying slight pressure, he extracted a jade stone about two fingers wide. <br><br>The jade stone was elongated, with intricate carvings and inscriptions on its surface. Holding it up to the moonlight, Matthew Lee deciphered a portion of the words: <br><br>\"Lunar... Qi... Harmonizing Disk...\" He could only make out a few characters. Matthew Lee had learned to read as a child from a tutor, but the ornate and Antique and Distinctive patterns on the jade stone made it difficult to recognize the inscriptions. <br><br>Calmly glancing toward the shore, he clenched the jade stone in his hand and began swimming back to the land. <br><br>\"Third Brother!\" <br><br>As he emerged from the water, Matthew Lee called softly toward the Reed Meadow. Grace Tian immediately appeared. Just as Matthew Lee opened his palm to show the jade stone, it transformed into a streak of white light and was absorbed into the mirror with a \"whoosh.\" <br><br>The sudden change startled the brothers. They watched as the white light swirled within the mirror's surface, with beams of moonlight converging into halos and being drawn into the mirror. <br><br>Meanwhile, River Sage Lu felt as though struck by lightning. A blinding white light crashed into him, flooding his mind with boundless knowledge. Letting out a cry of pain, he promptly lost consciousness. <br><br>As the Blue-Gray Mirror in their hands gradually settled after swallowing the jade stone, the radiant glow dimmed bit by bit. <br><br>The golden-red dawn crept across the horizon, its light highlighting the golden lines on Matthew Lee's bare upper body. He glanced down at his brother and said: <br><br>\"Let's head home.\" <br><br>--- <br><br>Matthew Lee sat by the red-lacquered wooden table, listening as his two sons recounted the events in detail. Nodding, he turned to Matthew Lee and said: <br><br>\"You did well.\" <br><br>The previous night, Matthew Lee and Grace Tian had tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Now, seeing their two children return safely, their anxiety finally eased. <br><br>\"Our house is not small, with a backyard adjacent to the mountain. I think we should level the melon fields in the front and build two houses, connecting them to form a large courtyard. Once the front gate is closed, no one will be able to spy on us,\" Matthew Lee said leisurely. This idea had been in his mind for years, as his children were growing up and nearing the age to start their own families. <br><br>The Lee family, with Matthew Lee's savings, was considered prominent in Li Jing Village. After returning from the military, Matthew Lee purchased over ten acres of paddy fields. Along with the five-plus acres of fertile land inherited from his father, the family owned nearly twenty acres in total. <br><br>Li Jing Village, with its fertile lands and aquaculture, provided abundant resources. The Reed Meadow and tidal flats were lifesaving treasures. In good years, twenty acres of land could sustain over a dozen people, making the Lee family self-sufficient and potentially leading a landlord's life. <br><br>Because the family had resources, Matthew Lee ensured his four children had the opportunity to study and write. Disapproving of idle wealthy families, he required his children to read and farm daily to ensure they could lead good lives after dividing the family estate. <br><br>\"For now, we can't divide the family. As for spouses, they must come from reliable families,\" Matthew Lee said, recalling the grandeur of the prominent families he'd seen in the city—large courtyards housing close relatives who studied, became officials, trained as soldiers, and achieved great things. Poor farmers, however, divided their families cleanly, with no mutual support. <br><br>\"That's the plan!\" Matthew Lee's eyes lit up as he issued instructions to his children. <br><br>\"Go to the fields and call your eldest brother back to level the ground. The fields can be handed over to the tenants for now. This afternoon, your youngest brother won't need to go pick mulberries anymore. From now on, he will study full-time with the tutor.\" <br><br>\"Understood.\" Grace Tian, despite the night's exhaustion, responded energetically and dashed out the door. <br><br>Matthew Lee looked at his father, pondering for a moment before speaking: <br><br>\"Father, are you planning to adopt the ancestral clan system described in books—establishing a family shrine, opening a clan hall, pursuing scholarly and military achievements?\" <br><br>\"The Lee family's legacy spans two centuries. It's time to do so,\" Matthew Lee replied with a smile. <br><br>\"As for studying and training, the Gu Li Path is perilous, and traversing Dali Heights is nearly impossible. Achieving scholarly or military success for the Yue emperor isn't feasible. The goal is merely to preserve the family and protect ourselves,\" he added. <br><br>Matthew Lee nodded and said softly: <br><br>\"Perhaps there is something even better than studying and training.\" <br><br>\"Don't speak nonsense,\" Matthew Lee laughed heartily, patting Matthew Lee on the shoulder before walking out with hands clasped behind his back.")
