The Long Queue

There were only a few he wasn’t entirely sure about, but he could sense that even if these children possessed spiritual roots, they were unlikely to be very good ones. At best, they would probably have five-element spiritual roots, which would be even worse than his own.

Wen Xiangzhi thought that, at the very least, he had been found to possess four-element spiritual roots back then. Yet after cultivating for so long, he had only reached the second level of Qi Condensation. As for those with five-element spiritual roots, they might not even be able to draw spiritual energy into their bodies. Rather than waste their time cultivating, they would be better off learning a practical skill and earning a stable living.

Only his eldest grandson was somewhat different.

Wen Xiangzhi’s eldest grandson was the first child of his eldest son.

His eldest son had married early, taking a wife at the age of sixteen. His daughter-in-law had also proved quite fertile, becoming pregnant only three months after the wedding and giving birth to the Wen family’s first grandson the following year.

The child was born in the afternoon. At the time, Wen Xiangzhi happened to be meditating in his study when he suddenly sensed something strange in the incredibly thin spiritual energy surrounding him. It seemed to be fluctuating faintly.

Unsure whether it was merely an illusion, Wen Xiangzhi, cautious by nature, nevertheless stopped cultivating and rose to inspect the surroundings. He found nothing unusual, however, and the faint, peculiar fluctuation vanished after only a brief moment.

The instant it disappeared, Wen Xiangzhi—whose hearing was far sharper than that of an ordinary person—heard the loud wail of a baby coming from his eldest son’s courtyard next door.

Wen Xiangzhi’s heart stirred at once. Could it be that his first grandchild was destined for something extraordinary?

Wen Xiangzhi named his eldest grandson Wen Liyun.

After that, he would bring Wen Liyun to stay by his side for several days every year, carefully examining his constitution.

Although he could not discern much, the child’s constitution did indeed seem somewhat different from other people’s. Whether it was learning to walk or learning to speak, he did so far earlier and faster than other children.

As a result, Wen Xiangzhi paid extremely close attention to this eldest grandson.

From the time Wen Liyun turned two, Wen Xiangzhi took him to his study every day. There, he would hold a highly mysterious book and quietly teach Wen Liyun from it. No one was allowed to disturb them during these lessons.

Wen Xiangzhi’s eldest son had caught glimpses of that book a few times while bringing his son to the study. It did not look like something formally sold in an ordinary bookstore. Instead, it seemed to have been bound by hand.

When Wen Liyun reached four or five years of age, his grandfather had repeatedly warned him never to reveal the book’s contents to anyone—not even his parents—but he was still a young child, and sooner or later, some things inevitably slipped out.

Because Wen Liyun was kept under close watch by the family, only his father, Wen the Eldest, and his wife ever heard anything.

Wen the Eldest had studied before, but the things he heard were so profound and obscure that he could understand almost none of them. His wife was merely a girl from the town who had received little schooling, so naturally she understood even less.

Later, when news spread that the Shangyang Sect was accepting disciples, and various legends about the immortals of the Lingxian Sect began circulating throughout the town, Wen the Eldest suddenly developed a strong intuition. He felt that the book his father was teaching his son might have something to do with cultivation.

From then on, even without Wen Xiangzhi reminding him, he kept an extremely close watch over his son.

Thus, when his father announced that he was moving to Xiushui City, it further confirmed Wen the Eldest’s suspicions. Moreover, his father had always taught only his own son with such care. The thought that his eldest son might one day become a cultivator filled Wen the Eldest with fervent excitement.

Unfortunately, the child was still too young. When the Lingxian Sect had accepted disciples previously, Wen Xiangzhi had been unwilling to send his eldest grandson there.

He had always thought it would be best to teach the child himself for a while first. Once his grandson could successfully draw spiritual energy into his body, it would not be too late to send him to the sect.

Who could have expected that after the Lingxian Sect held its first recruitment ceremony, Wen Xiangzhi would spend a great deal of money yet still fail to obtain any information from the cultivators about when the Lingxian Sect would accept disciples again?

Although the three great sects rarely announced their recruitment dates among ordinary people, there were always various channels through which such information could be obtained. Anyone with even the slightest connection to cultivation could spend some money to purchase news from the authorities or from various underground markets.

Who would have thought that the Lingxian Sect would refuse to play by the usual rules? This left Wen Xiangzhi increasingly anxious.

After all, he had heard that the disciples of the Lingxian Sect were not required to sever their ties with the mortal world. If his eldest grandson achieved success in cultivation someday, might he not be able to lend his grandfather a hand?

For the past few months, Wen Xiangzhi had been unable to sleep or eat properly. Every night, he tossed and turned restlessly, and he had even lost interest in visiting the rooms of his concubines.

Therefore, the moment he learned of Xiushui City a few days ago, he made up his mind without hesitation and decided that the entire family would move there and settle down.

Regardless of whether his children and grandchildren were willing, none of them dared oppose this aged yet authoritative patriarch. They could only pack their belongings and set out together as a family.

They were not lonely at all during the journey to Xiushui City, nor did they fear bandits.

Their old home was already next to Hufang Province, so the distance was not particularly great. Along the way, they frequently encountered other travelers heading to Xiushui City as well.

Some had long heard of the city and were going there to sightsee, while others, like the Wen family, intended to settle there.

Their party grew larger and larger as they traveled. Before long, the long procession of people and carriages stretched down the entire official road, so far that its end could not be seen.

Once they entered Hufang Province, the authorities even dispatched constables to escort them, stationed before, behind, and on both sides of the procession!

When Wen the Eldest asked one of the constables about it, he learned that the order had come from Liaju Prefecture, the capital of Hufang Province. The constables had been instructed to escort the common people traveling to Xiushui City.

When this news spread through the procession, everyone’s impression of the region immediately improved. The unease they had felt at leaving their homeland and traveling so far away vanished, replaced by a sense of security.

Aside from the road leading to Liaju Prefecture, the broadest and smoothest official road in Hufang Province was the one leading to Xiushui City.

The large procession moved quickly along the spacious road.

The closer they came to Xiushui City, the smoother the road became. Wen’s second daughter-in-law, who had been suffering from the jolting carriage rides during the first two days, now had enough energy to tease the little niece in her sister-in-law’s arms.

“Grandpa, I can see the city gates!” Wen Liyun’s voice came from the carriage ahead.

Inside the carriage, Wen Xiangzhi looked lovingly at his eldest grandson, who was peering outside through the lifted curtain, and said cheerfully, “That’s right. We’ll be reaching Xiushui City very soon.”

“Oh—oh! We’re almost there!” Eight-year-old Wen Liyun cheered happily.

He had been cooped up on the road for days and was bursting with pent-up energy.

“Quiet. What have I taught you all this time?” Wen Xiangzhi reprimanded him sternly.

Wen Liyun obediently fell silent. He watched the forests sliding past outside for only a few breaths before asking again, “Grandpa, is Xiushui City fun?”

Wen Xiangzhi patiently admonished him, “You’re older now, so you must not be so fond of playing. You’ve already neglected your studies during these past few days of travel. Once we enter the city and get settled, you will immediately put your mind back to your lessons and study properly.”