The teenager's name was Ding Yan, a failed scholar, and the child in his arms was his sister's orphan.
Yang Lao Han knew that Ding Yan's sister had been killed by bandits, and he had survived only because he had luckily encountered a martial arts master. Due to the changes in his hometown, he moved to Qiu Shui Town with his sister's child.
"Ding brother, come to my house tonight and have a drink. I have two urns of old wine stored for more than twenty years, and I've never had the heart to drink them..." Yang Lao Han invited warmly.
Yang Lao Han was quite fond of this teenager, especially since he was a scholar, a person of status and merit. As a former escort, Yang Lao Han naturally knew that people of status and merit had much higher social status than themselves. It was said that they could even see officials without the need to kneel. Therefore, Yang Lao Han did not dare to call him a little guy, but called him Ding brother.
Ding Yan nodded and agreed with a smile.
This long-lost tranquility made him feel as if he had returned to a previous life and experienced the feeling of spiritual awakening.
It had been over a week since he moved to Qiu Shui Town, during which time many neighbors got to know Ding Yan. Among these neighbors, Yang Lao Han was the most familiar with Ding Yan.
Back at home, Ding Yan closed the door and walked to the bedside. The child was still fast asleep.
Ding Yan walked over, reached out his right hand, placed it on the child's head, and infused a strand of primal energy, slowly integrating it into the child's body.
Seeing the child, Ding Yan already knew that the child had a rare illness - the cause was the intrusion of sinister energies. As the child had not received proper treatment, his body was extremely weak. To save him would be very difficult. The sinister energies could not be forcibly expelled all at once, as it would easily harm the child's body.
For this reason, Ding Yan had to divide his primal energy and slowly refine the sinister energies within the child's body.
After controlling the primal energy to circulate through the child's body for a week, Ding Yan withdrew his right hand with a sigh. Then he walked to the table, ground the inkstone, picked up the brush, and began writing.
Each word Ding Yan wrote was very deliberate, with every stroke appearing in a formal script.
Words are like life.
Each word represented a realization. In a past life, Ding Yan had achieved spiritual awakening through this calligraphy. Now, as he wrote again, it not only brought back memories but also gave him a different kind of feeling. Vaguely, Ding Yan felt that his realm had once again improved slightly.
Setting down the brush, Ding Yan picked up the wine jug on the table and took a sip.
The wine was bitter.
Bang! Bang! Bang...
A knock at the door.
Ding Yan went to open the door.
Outside, the cold wind was blowing, and it was already late autumn.
"Uncle Ding, Grandpa Yang asked me to call you over." Outside the door was a boy of about six or seven years old.
He had a rugged appearance, with long snot trailing from his nose.
The child's name was Xu Zhu, the son of Wang's wife next door, and he had just turned six this year. The little guy adored Yang Lao Han and would often go to him whenever he had the chance, as Yang Lao Han had traveled widely and knew many stories. Yang Lao Han was elderly and had no spouse, so he inevitably seemed a little lonely. Although Xu Zhu was a child, he was the only one who would listen to Yang Lao Han's talk, and so he was quite fond of the child.
Ding Yan ruffled Xu Zhu's head, showing a faint smile.
Looking at Xu Zhu, he suddenly thought of the dog on the nameless island. That little furry creature also loved to hear stories.
Yang Lao Han's house was very simple, with only a bed, a table, and a few stools. When Ding Yan entered, Yang Lao Han was sitting at the table, smoking a pipe.
"Ding brother, you finally came." Yang Lao Han pulled Ding Yan to sit down.
The wine and dishes for drinking were very simple, just a plate of vegetables.
After pouring a full cup of wine for Ding Yan, Yang Lao Han raised his glass and took a sip.
"Ah..." Yang Lao Han let out a long breath.
"Grandpa Yang, I want to drink too!" Xu Zhu said from the side.
Kids are always curious.
"Kids can't drink this stuff." Yang Lao Han chuckled.
"Why?"
"The kids won’t be able to cultivate martial arts if they drink it, and they will never become a great hero in the future," Yang Lao Han said, deceiving.
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhu wore a disappointed expression on his face.
Ding Yan laughed while eating the vegetables on the table, listening to the conversation between Yang Lao Han and Xu Zhu.
"How about it? Brother Ding, isn't this wine good?" Yang Lao Han, seeing Ding Yan being neglected, quickly asked.
Ding Yan nodded.
"Haha, I said before, this wine was bought in the northwestern desert when I was escorting a caravan. It would cost at least twenty taels of silver to buy a jar in the market," Yang Lao Han said.
Ding Yan finished his drink in one gulp.
As for money, Ding Yan didn't have much concept of it. The money he had on him was borrowed from the treasuries of some yamen when he was looking for his hometown.
"Oh, by the way, Brother Ding, have you heard? Everyone in the caravan is dead. I heard from others that they died inexplicably, and each person grew a vine on their body," Yang Lao Han, as if recalling some news, whispered to Ding Yan.
"Hmm," Ding Yan nodded.
"How could vines grow inside a person's body? I bet the immortals couldn't stand their actions and decided to punish them," said Yang Lao Han as he took another drink.
"Immortals..." Ding Yan fell silent.
"Why don't the immortals come out and control this chaotic world? All the countries are fighting for supremacy, and there are countless people dying on the battlefield. Maybe in the future, even Zhu Zi will have to go to war..." Yang Lao Han sighed.
The "Zhu Zi" mentioned by Yang Lao Han was none other than Xu Zhu.
"Maybe the immortals have their own things to do," Ding Yan said.
"Let's not talk about it. Let's not talk about it. What the immortals do is not something we can control. By the way, Brother Ding, do you think Zhu Zi has the potential to study? Is it possible for him to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar?" Yang Lao Han asked.
If he becomes a scholar, he will no longer be in the list of conscripts. Because in the laws of the Zhao Kingdom, scholars are regarded as literary people and can serve as teachers, chief clerks, or be exempted from military service.
"With effort, it's always possible," Ding Yan nodded.
"Why don't I talk to Zhu Zi's father and let him study with you?" Yang Lao Han said.
On the side, Xu Zhu listened, looking dejected.
"I don't want to learn those things. In the future, I want to learn martial arts! Become a hero!"
Ding Yan replied, "Okay."
...
When they returned to the house, it was already late at night.
Approaching the window, Ding Yan pushed it open, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, sat down cross-legged, and let his consciousness gradually leave his body. After becoming an immortal, his consciousness could approach the illusory Nine Heavens. Although he could not enter it, he could absorb the aura outside to slowly strengthen his divine awareness.