Matthew Lee walked with his hands behind his back to the courtyard of the Tian family. Grace Tian, who was squatting and humming a tune while sorting vegetables, looked up and noticed him. Upon recognizing Matthew Lee, she shyly smiled and greeted him: <br><br>“Uncle Lee!” <br><br>Then, putting the vegetables aside, she stood up quickly and called into the house: <br><br>“Father! Uncle Matthew is here.” <br><br>“It’s me,” Matthew Lee replied warmly, his eyes scanning Grace Tian from head to toe. <br><br>Over the past three years, the girl had blossomed, her figure curvaceous and elegant. Although she couldn’t be described as conventionally beautiful, her features were symmetrical, and when she smiled, there was an alluring charm about her. <br><br>“Not bad, not bad,” Matthew Lee remarked, raising the hand he had kept behind his back. He was holding a wild goose. <br><br>“Uncle Lee, you’re too kind.” <br><br>Grace Tian was startled to see Matthew Lee carrying something with him. Taking a closer look, she exclaimed in surprise: <br><br>“Is that a goose?” <br><br>The *Book of Etiquette: The Gentleman’s Wedding Ceremony* states: “In a wedding ceremony, the groom must deliver the Proposal Ritual using a goose.” <br><br>In the Yue Kingdom, when a man wished to marry a woman, he would bring a goose to her home as part of the Proposal Ritual. <br><br>For humble farming families, the elaborate customs could be burdensome. In Li Jing Village, it wasn’t uncommon for men to propose marriage empty-handed, let alone with a goose. This was the first time Grace Tian had witnessed a proper Proposal Ritual, and it took her a moment to react. <br><br>“Do you fancy my son Xiangping?” Matthew Lee chuckled with the intention of teasing her. <br><br>Grace Tian’s face reddened, the blush spreading from her ears down to her neck. Out of modesty and shyness, she stammered, unsure how to respond. Fearing that Matthew Lee might take her hesitation seriously, she finally blurted out: <br><br>“Yes, I do!” <br><br>At that moment, Tian Shoushui stepped out of the house. Hearing his daughter’s response, he heaved a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest. <br><br>As a father, how could he not know that his daughter’s heart had long been set on Matthew Lee’s son, Xiangping? <br><br>But Xiangping, being cautious and reserved, never revealed his feelings openly. Tian Shoushui had worried that his daughter’s interest might be unreciprocated, so he chose to remain silent until now. <br><br>“Brother!” Tian Shoushui addressed Matthew Lee with a hearty laugh. <br><br>At the age of five, Tian Shoushui had begun following behind Matthew Lee, and at twelve, they had joined the army together under the command of Ren Pingan. The three of them had stuck together in the army, surviving through thick and thin, more like brothers than mere comrades. <br><br>After returning to the village, they had overthrown the powerful Yuan family, washed their hands of the violence, and taken up farming. Matthew Lee had always taken good care of him, sharing land and even arranging his marriage. <br><br>Tian Shoushui had been intertwined with the Lee family’s fortunes ever since. He had personally helped raise Li Changhu, Matthew’s eldest son, treating him more affectionately than his own children. With his daughter marrying into the Lee family, what was there to lose? <br><br>Grace Tian was unaware of the many thoughts running through her father’s mind. Seeing him emerge, she quickly retreated as if fleeing, which made Matthew Lee laugh heartily. <br><br>“Brother, besides this marriage, there’s something else I need to discuss,” Tian Shoushui said, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness, his demeanor becoming serious. <br><br>“What is it?” Matthew Lee asked, looking up in puzzlement. <br><br>“A few days ago, I was passing by the Yuan family’s ancestral tomb in the mountains and heard some noises. When I went back to investigate, I found nothing.” <br><br>“Could there still be surviving members of the Yuan family?” Matthew Lee's brow furrowed as his expression turned dark. <br><br>“Perhaps it’s just distant relatives sneaking in to pay their respects,” Tian Shoushui reassured himself, though he couldn’t shake a sense of unease. <br><br>“Yes, you’re probably right,” Matthew Lee replied, his expression relaxing as he nodded. “We did confirm back then that there were only five members of the Yuan family, and none were missed.” <br><br>“Brother, I shouldn’t have brought up such a grim topic on a joyous day!” Tian Shoushui scolded himself lightly, eliciting a soft laugh from Matthew Lee. <br><br>Leaving the Tian family’s house, Matthew Lee walked calmly along the dirt road, his thoughts wandering as he gazed toward the Dali Heights. <br><br>———— <br><br>After settling the marriage matter, Matthew Lee hummed as he returned to his own courtyard. He stepped across the front yard, where his three sons were idly chatting around a wooden table. <br><br>His youngest, Li Chijing, was inside the house, meditating with his eyes closed. Although Moonlight Radiance was faint during the day, progress was slow, and Li Chijing practiced diligently day and night, wasting no time. <br><br>In the yard, Li Xiangping was flipping through *The Seed of Guidance*. The fabric of the manuscript had been crumpled from overuse, with the ink smudged in many places. <br><br>“Third Brother, be gentler!” Li Tongya scolded him playfully while continuing to carve on a wooden slip with a knife. <br><br>Eldest Brother Li Changhu, who was meticulously calculating accounts from the land deeds nearby, raised an eyebrow and remarked, “He’s been at it all morning.” <br><br>Matthew Lee stepped up to the stone steps, grabbed a cup of tea from the wooden table, and sat down casually. He announced nonchalantly: <br><br>“I just went to the Tian family to propose.” <br><br>At this, Li Xiangping jumped up from his chair, his expression filled with urgency as he stared at his father. <br><br>“What did they say?” <br><br>“Grace Tian said she fancies you,” Matthew Lee replied, taking a sip of tea before letting out a contented sigh. <br><br>“Great, great, that’s wonderful,” Li Xiangping exclaimed, nodding enthusiastically. <br><br>“Hahaha…” The two older brothers couldn’t help but burst into laughter. <br><br>“Listen carefully,” Matthew Lee said, setting down the tea cup and turning serious. “The path of immortality may be wondrous, but who knows what terrors and risks lie in wait? Our Lee family has few descendants. If something happens to you, who will carry on the family line?” <br><br>Seeing that his sons were listening intently, Matthew Lee waved his hand and continued: <br><br>“This Mirror of Judgment is both our opportunity and our potential downfall.” <br><br>He sighed, “I hurried to arrange a marriage for Changhu, hoping he will quickly produce offspring. That way, even if something happens, our family will have a chance to survive.” <br><br>“You’re no exception,” he said, pointing at Li Xiangping before turning to Li Tongya with a resigned look. “As for you, Tongya, I’m too old to argue with you. You have no interest in the women here, but you still need to leave some heirs…” <br><br>Li Tongya nodded silently, waiting a few breaths before replying, “Don’t worry, Father. I’ll take care of it.” <br><br>“That’s for the best.” <br><br>Matthew Lee brushed at the white hairs on his temples, his heart heavy with worry. <br><br>At nearly sixty years of age, though healthy and well-fed, he understood the unpredictability of life. It was better to take care of family matters sooner rather than later. <br><br>“Father!” <br><br>A clear voice interrupted the somber atmosphere in the courtyard. Li Chijing rushed out from the house, stopping in front of his elder brothers. <br><br>“I’m about to complete the cultivation of eighty-one strands of Moonlight Radiance and condense The Celestial Vision Disc!” Li Chijing declared proudly. <br><br>“That’s my boy!” <br><br>Matthew Lee, who had heard his youngest son chatter endlessly about The Door to Inner Vitality and The Celestial Vision Disc, couldn’t hide his delight. He hugged the boy tightly, laughing heartily as he looked at him. <br><br>The joyful mood spread to the other brothers, who all smiled. Li Changhu even pinched Li Chijing's cheeks until the boy cried out in protest. <br><br>“The next Seed of Guidance will have to wait until the summer solstice,” Li Tongya remarked, smiling at the lively scene in the courtyard. He added thoughtfully: <br><br>“We missed the preparations for The Day of Lunar Darkness, but the summer solstice is just a few days away.” <br><br>“The path of cultivation, here comes Li Tongya,” he mused silently, carving *The Seed of Guidance* into the wooden slip. Inside, however, his heart surged with excitement and anticipation.")
