4: Jiangye's seal has been discovered

The elder's brow furrowed, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and reproach as he shouted urgently, "Wait! Ling Yi, eight years have already passed. Your wife still hasn't woken up, and you refuse to let other Alchemists treat her. This can't go on forever. Your elder and younger brothers' children are almost grown; you need to consider this side of things too. That woman from the Wang Family has been waiting for you; don't let her down."

Jiang Lingyi paused in his tracks. With his back to the elder, his voice was low but firm: "I understand. I'm leaving now!"

"You..." The elder was none other than Jiang Lingyi's father, Jiang Shanba. He watched his son's departing back, wanting to say more but ultimately only able to sigh.

The eldest brother, Jiang Lingfeng, frowned and said in a low voice, "Second Brother has been running off quite a lot lately, and it's becoming more and more frequent."

The third brother, Jiang Lingren, shrugged, his tone speculative: "Maybe there's something important he can't tell us."

Jiang Shanba was somewhat displeased and slapped the table. "Aside from that wife of his who never woke up, what else could he have going on? My eldest grandson is fifteen now, yet he still doesn't have a child. Your mother is nagging about it every day!"

Jiang Lingren sighed, his tone sympathetic. "Perhaps Second Brother loves Second Sister-in-law too much, so he's been waiting for her to wake up."

Jiang Shanba snorted coldly. "It's been eight years! And he won't let anyone see his wife—not even the people from the Lin Family. I really don't know what he's trying to do."

Jiang Lingfeng pondered for a moment before saying slowly, "What exactly did Second Brother mean by what he said to Lin Zhennan back then? He said he would give him an explanation in twenty years, and if he wasn't satisfied, he would slit his own throat right in front of him."

Jiang Shanba shook his head, his tone complex. "He must be hiding something from us. Otherwise, with Lin Zhennan's explosive temper, there's no way he would have let him off so easily. After all, his wife isn't just that old man's pride and joy; she's also the Lin Family's number one Genius."

Jiang Lingfeng nodded, his gaze deep. "Let's wait and see. Since Second Brother dared to make such a promise, he must have some sort of plan."

---

Shiyuan Village.

By now, the sky had turned dark, and the village was silent. In a deserted spot, space suddenly tore open. Jiang Lingyi, dressed in plain clothes and carrying several jars of wine, stepped out from the rift.

A moment later, Jiang Lingyi returned home and saw the three families gathered around a large table, getting ready to eat. Shi Bao's father saw him return and joked with a smile, "Ling Yi, did you follow the scent back?"

Jiang Lingyi laughed heartily and raised the wine jars in his hand. "Hahaha! I figured these little rascals would have a harvest today, so I specifically bought a few jars of wine. It turns out I was right. Come, come! The three of us will have a drink tonight."

Jiang Ye's eyes lit up, and he leaned in to ask, "Dad, did you only buy wine? Did you buy any treats for us?"

Shi Bao chimed in, "Yeah, Uncle Jiang, the three of us put in a lot of effort to drag that wild boar back."

Jiang Lingyi smiled and pulled a package from behind his back, shaking it. "Hahaha! Is that so? Look, what's this?"

"Wow! It's roasted dried fruits! It smells so good, give it to me, give it to me!" Jiang Ye ran over excitedly, reaching out to grab it.

Seeing this, Lin Min immediately spoke up to stop him. "Put it down. You little things can split it after you've finished your dinner."

"Oh!" Jiang Ye pouted, reluctantly putting down the dried fruits.

Shi Feng's father called out with a smile, "Come, come! You guys worked hard today. Eat more meat so you can grow up quickly and be strong."

Shi Feng's mother also smiled and agreed, "That's right. In a few more years, you little ones will be heading to a Sect to Cultivate the Martial Path."

Shi Bao's mother said with some concern, "I heard from Tianyang's mother that the recruitment of Disciples is getting stricter and stricter. I wonder if these little ones will make the cut when the time comes?"

Shi Bao's father puffed out his chest and said confidently, "Don't worry. They're only eight years old, yet they can already bring back a wild boar. Among children their age, their strength is much greater—especially this little brat Jiang Ye."

After the children finished eating, they played for an hour before going to bed early.

---

In the dead of night, Jiang Lingyi and his wife quietly entered Jiang Ye's room. Lin Min gently rolled up Jiang Ye's sleeves and whispered to Jiang Lingyi, "Look at his arms."

Jiang Lingyi leaned in for a closer look, and his expression changed instantly. His voice was filled with shock and unease: "What happened? Where did this come from?"