84: Chapter 84 Three Spiritual Roots

The children of Daliu Village had never seen a Spirit Stone before; it looked no different from the pebble stones picked up from the riverbank, only smoother.

Standing right at the front was the little girl with braided pigtails. Pushed by the village chief from behind, she took two steps forward and timidly pressed her hand onto the Spirit Stone.

The spar remained completely motionless, and nothing happened at all.

The little girl looked back at the village chief in a daze. The village chief sighed and waved his hand for her to step down.

The second, third, fourth... Seven or eight children went up in a row, but the Spirit Stone showed no reaction whatsoever.

The children changed from their initial nervous anticipation to disappointment and loss, and a few younger ones were already pouting and wanting to cry.

The adults stood behind the children, and the anticipation on their faces grew dim with each failed spiritual testing. A woman muttered softly, "I told you our Family doesn't have that kind of fate," yet she still couldn't bear to look away.

By the time Daniu was pushed up last, almost no one under the willow tree held any hope left.

He rubbed his hands on his coarse cloth trousers to wipe away the sweat on his palms, took a deep breath, and pressed his palm against the surface of the Spirit Stone.

The spar suddenly lit up with three rays of light: one glowing fiery red, one thick and earthy yellow, and one dripping with emerald green.

The three rays of light intertwined, illuminating the area under the old willow tree brightly. Daniu's face was reflected in alternating shades of red, yellow, and green. His eyes widened, his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg, and his whole body stood frozen in place as if under a body-immobilization spell.

The villagers were also completely dumbfounded. The jujube-wood walking stick in the old village chief's hand dropped to the ground with a clatter, and a rattling sound came from his throat. After a long while, he suddenly turned around, stumbling as he ran toward the end of the village, shouting at the top of his lungs as he ran.

"Daniu's mother! Daniu's mother! Come out quickly! Your Daniu—your Daniu has been tested positive! Three rays of light, there are quite a lot of them!"

A frail woman ran out from an earthen house at the end of the village, still draped in an old jacket layered with patches. Upon hearing the village chief's shouting, her entire body swayed, and she nearly collapsed at the threshold.

Supported by the village chief, she stumbled over to the willow tree and grabbed Daniu in a tight embrace. Tears streamed down her face in torrents, and she repeated over and over again, "My son has made something of himself, my son has made something of himself..."

Wang Shouren quietly waited until the mother and son had cried their fill before stepping forward.

He took out a heavy money bag from his sleeve and handed it to the woman: "This is the settlement allowance given by the Wang Family to the Family of an Immortal Seed. It will be provided every year from now on, and the farmland rent will be completely waived starting this year. You just need to focus on taking care of your health in peace."

He then took out a small celadon bottle, poured out a Medicinal Pill, and shoved it into Daniu's hand. "This Body Tempering Pill is for you; you can eat it yourself to strengthen your body."

Daniu lowered his head to look at the Medicinal Pill in his palm, then looked up at his mother's pale and thin face. Without hesitating for even a breath, he directly stood on tiptoe and shoved the Medicinal Pill into his mother's mouth.

"Mom, eat it."

Taken by surprise, the woman had her mouth stuffed full by her son, and it was already too late to spit it out. Her tears fell in rustling drops once more.

Wang Qingcheng stood to the side, pursing her lips with a stealthy smile, and leaned close to her older brother's ear to whisper something.

Wang Shouren's expression remained unchanged as he just nodded slightly.

He had taken note of the scene just now in his eyes and recorded it in his heart: this child has a sincere and honest Heart-Nature. If there is a suitable position in the Family in the future, he can be cultivated toward the direction of a steward.

This was not an explicit evaluation mandated by the Wang Family, but merely his personal habit. Spiritual Roots determine how far a person can go, but Heart-Nature determines whether that person is worth entrusting.

After the woman took the Medicinal Pill, Wang Shouren spoke again, his tone still gentle but carrying a bit more solemnity.

"Daniu, in three days, Lotus Pier will send someone to pick you up. From now on, you are a disciple of the Wang Family, free from worries about food and clothing, with a clear path to Cultivate."

"But remember, the path of seeking immortality is arduous and long; the Spiritual Root is merely the threshold, and the Heart-Nature is the true Foundation."

Daniu wiped his face with his sleeve and nodded forcefully.

Wang Qingcheng walked up to Daniu, reached out to pat his shoulder, and raised her chin as she said, "Daniu, when you arrive at Lotus Pier in the future, just follow my lead. My name is Wang Qingcheng, and I am the Young Lord of the Wang Family."

"Huh?"

"His biological sister. In the future, if anyone bullies you, just mention my name." Wang Qingcheng stuck out her tongue.

Daniu was completely taken aback by her little-adult demeanor and nodded honestly, "Thank you, Sister Qingcheng."

Wang Qingcheng nodded in satisfaction and was about to put on a few more airs when Wang Shouren walked up behind her and said indifferently, "Since you care for him so much, you will be responsible for bringing him back."

"Ah?" Wang Qingcheng abruptly turned around, her eyes wide as saucers, "So fast? We've only been out for a day! I haven't had enough fun yet!"

She pointed at the hillside in the distance covered in wild flowers, stamping her feet in anxiety, "You promised to take me to see the flowers! And those terraced fields over there, I still want to go down and see how farming is done! And..."

"An Aptitude of Three Spiritual Roots is of the utmost importance. We must return to the Family as soon as possible to avoid any complications arising from prolonged delays."

Wang Shouren pressed down on her shoulders, leaned down, and lowered his voice to say.

"Incidents of snatching Spiritual Sprouts have indeed happened within the Three Counties. This place is too close to Funiu County; if someone sets their sights on a Three Spiritual Roots sprout, you can weigh the consequences yourself."

"The spiritual testing for the surrounding villages is left to me; I will naturally return in two days."

"Qingcheng, Daniu is our Wang Family's sprout. His safety entirely depends on you. After returning to the Family, I will log a merit for you."

Wang Qingcheng was still pouting during the first half, but her eyes lit up at the words "log a merit". When she heard the three words "depends entirely on you", her little chest puffed out, and she raised her head to nod heavily, "Brother, you can rest assured. I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Wang Shouren broke into a smile and reached out to rub her head.

This little girl was simply easy to fool—no, she was deeply righteous and understanding.

He took out a communication talisman from his sleeve, stimulated his spiritual power to whisper a few words, and in less than half an hour, two rays of fleeing light flew over from two directions—they were precisely the younger generation members of the Shou generation responsible for the surrounding areas.

Wang Shouren entrusted Daniu and Qingcheng to the two of them, gave a few more instructions to be careful on the road, and watched as the three rays of fleeing light disappeared into the horizon. Only then did he sit down again under the willow tree, waiting for the children from the surrounding villages to arrive one after another.

Wang Shouren stayed in the village for another two days. The children from the surrounding villages were sent over one after another, some having traveled over a dozen miles of mountain roads. Unfortunately, when the little girl's hand was pressed upon it, the Spirit Stone still remained completely motionless.

The old hunter didn't say a thing; he merely pulled his daughter closer into his arms and slowly turned back along the mountain path.

Over the course of two days, no fewer than two hundred children were tested in total, yet not a single one possessed a Spiritual Root.

"Although it was within expectations, it is still somewhat a pity." Wang Shouren retrieved the Spirit Stone back into his sleeve, bid farewell to the village chief, gave a few instructions, and then stepped into the air, flying toward Lotus Pier.

After flying for about a major fraction of an hour, the continuous mountain forests below gradually thinned out, replaced by an overgrown vacant clearing. A few dilapidated earthen houses tilted at the edge of the clearing, long since uninhabited.

Just as he was about to speed past, his brow twitched slightly, and he suppressed his fleeing light to land mid-air.