102: Starting over

Gong Qing nodded: “Although the fighting is still ongoing outside, it’s mainly in the north and doesn’t concern us much here. I want to go down the mountain and have more freedom.”

Jiang Hanwen understood what this “more freedom” meant—Cultivate!

Perhaps due to experiencing great joy and sorrow in his life, the 《Mystic Truth Art》 was extremely suitable for Gong Qing.

Three months ago, Gong Qing had already repaired his Dantian, and he was now at the third stage of Mortal Transformation.

Because of his previous foundation and long-term consumption of Medicinal Cuisine with Spiritual Qi, his Qi and blood tempered remarkably fast. He told Jiang Hanwen that he had a chance to Breakthrough to the ninth stage of Mortal Transformation within five years.

From then on, Gong Qing's tumultuous first half of life could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Jiang Hanwen knew that the feast before him, meant to surprise him, was both a celebration of Mu Qiancheng's freedom and his joining the Tianyuan Residence, and also Gong Qing's farewell.

The bond they forged in the Medicine Field had lasted over twenty years to this day; it was time for a couple of drinks.

“Well, that’s good news, I support it,” Jiang Hanwen nodded.

“Here,” Gong Qing said, taking out two antique bronze tokens and demonstrating them in front of Jiang Hanwen, “these are tokens I had someone make. If I'm gone someday, no one can covet your share of the profits.”

“Click~” The two tokens stuck together, twisted with a snap, and text popped out from the back of each token.

One read “Gong,” the other “Jiang.”

“Alright, then I’ll just live off you, collecting money every day,” Jiang Hanwen didn’t refuse, taking the token with his hidden “Jiang” character.

“Hmph, you’re dreaming of marrying a wife—you wish,” Gong Qing rolled his eyes at him: “You definitely have a chance to Breakthrough to Qi Induction and will live longer than me.

I’ve told them that you are the main token holder. If I choose people poorly and ruin the reputation, you can directly re-select people, and no one is allowed to stop you.”

Jiang Hanwen looked at the token in his palm again. Rather than a responsibility, it was Gong Qing’s unconditional trust in him.

“Okay, I agree,” Jiang Hanwen nodded. After all, he had a forty percent share of the profits, so it was no problem to manage things if he had the spare capacity.

Gong Qing grinned, making the most rational choice of his life.

He thought that this token would allow Jiang Hanwen to help supervise the Tianyuan Residence, ensuring its safe existence in the world for fifty years.

However, he would not, and could not, have guessed what a colossal entity a small token would eventually create!

Life’s choices differ: the Medicine Field, the mountain, and below the mountain—these were the forks in the road leading the three of them to different futures.

After drinking until they were thoroughly drunk, Mu Qiancheng and his son were carried back to their beds by servants, enjoying their last two days of special treatment.

Zhao Shuang, who had drunk sparingly, waited for Gong Qing to get drunk so he could carry his master home.

“Second Master, why don’t you wait for me here? I’ll come back and carry you later,” Zhao Shuang looked at Jiang Hanwen earnestly, without any pretense of currying favor in his eyes.

“What, in your eyes, am I not as important as your master?” Jiang Hanwen asked with a smile.

Zhao Shuang’s expression stiffened: “I… I didn’t mean that.”

“Then why aren’t you carrying me home first?” Jiang Hanwen pressed on.

“I—”

He stammered for a long time without a word. Zhao Shuang’s face turned crimson. Unaccustomed to social niceties, he couldn’t think of how to respond for a moment.

“Alright, I’m not teasing you anymore,” Jiang Hanwen chuckled and stood up, all traces of drunkenness gone from his face.

“Remember to give him some hangover soup, so he doesn’t delay opening tomorrow.”

The late spring evening, no longer as desolate as the autumn wind of last year, still carried a damp chill.

Jiang Hanwen disappeared into the twilight alone, vanishing from Zhao Shuang’s sight.

The path to longevity might bring many friends, many enemies, but whether friends or enemies, they all eventually turn to dust.

Loneliness is the norm on this path, like a shadow under the moonlight, always by one’s side.

Jiang Hanwen pushed open his door and glanced at the room next to his.

No one would ever open that room again and ask him if he had eaten.

Thoughts are formless. In the days after his father left, besides taking care of the qi gathering grass, he had indeed become much more listless.

He hadn’t been down the mountain once, barely managed the pharmacy, and didn’t have to worry about things in the Medicine Field.

He wondered if the merchant association called Zongheng still existed.

Had the fertile land he bought with heavy money been taken away?

Were the grandfather and grandson who ran the bookstore still holding strong?

Too many questions needed answers.

Jiang Hanwen didn’t feel ashamed for wasting his time.

He was just a little melancholic.

The path to longevity is long and boundless; there’s no rush for anything.

Having emotions precisely proved that he hadn't forgotten his feelings, that he was still a living person with seven emotions and six desires.

But everything has its limits; enough is enough.

The formidable pass is truly like iron; now I step forward to conquer it anew.

When I return, I shall reclaim the old mountains and rivers, and ascend to the Heavenly Palace!

Now, it was time to set off anew and accomplish the goals he had long set for himself.

bitter apricot fruit, the Immaculate Body, the Cultivation Techniques from the book tower, five Spells, qi gathering grass… The fundamental Law for accomplishing many things was to do the first thing, then the second, without looking back or fantasizing, only focusing on the present.

Options scrolled through Jiang Hanwen’s eyes, finally settling on—bitter apricot fruit!

He pushed open his father’s door. It was as clean as new, just as it was when he left, nothing had changed.

Jiang Hanwen collected everything in the room.

The crowded room instantly became empty.

“Clang~”

A stand, made of a large circular ring connected by four iron bars in the middle, appeared on the ground.

Next came an iron pot with a diameter of one meter, a pile of dark green, special wooden blocks with emerald patterns, a water clock for recording time, and a stack of bitter apricot fruit.

Jiang Hanwen held a wooden block with emerald patterns. This was qinggang wood, containing a trace of wood Spiritual Qi. It was a high-priced wood used by second-tier Alchemists to assist in Alchemy, twenty times the price of equivalent firewood.

Better a poor pen than a good memory. On a nearby piece of paper, he began to make notes:

First time, three blocks of qinggang wood, three feet from the iron pot, twenty bitter apricot fruit.

He lit the qinggang wood, and heat surged out.

“Bang!”

The orange-yellow flame ignited instantly, and temperatures exceeding a thousand degrees danced with the flames, scorching the iron pot on the stand.

Twenty bitter apricot fruit were placed in the pot, and Jiang Hanwen began to stir-fry with a clanging sound.

After a quarter of an hour, the three blocks of qinggang wood burned out. The brown surface of the bitter apricot fruit deepened, but they weren't burnt.

The heat was insufficient. Jiang Hanwen readjusted the height, lowering it to two and a half feet… The stir-frying continued for three days. Jiang Hanwen emerged from the room, drenched in sweat, holding the perfect record in his hand.

The two hundred and twelfth time, four blocks of qinggang wood, two and a half feet from the iron pot, thirty bitter apricot fruit, stir-fried for half a quarter of an hour and two hundred and sixty breaths.

At midnight, he placed the bitter apricot fruit he had processed during the day into the pot. A faint, nut-like aroma filled the air.

The bright moonlight cascaded from the sky, illuminating the glossy bitter apricot fruit, making them resemble small, shining mirrors.

“Shashasha~”

Five clusters of water clouds rained Spiritual Rain in front of him, soaking the bitter apricot fruit.

Water vapor diffused, and wisps of Spiritual Qi slowly separated from the water as time passed, floating away.

Jiang Hanwen performed a Spirit Rain Technique every hour until dawn, when the sun pierced through the darkness, tearing a brilliant opening in the horizon.

“Whoosh~”

Jiang Hanwen scooped out the bitter apricot fruit.

The bitter apricot fruit, which should have been shriveled, were now plump and round, their brown surfaces gleaming. Although they were already dead, they were full of rich Qi inside.

Jiang Hanwen’s lips curved into an arc—success!