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Chapter 244: Ancestor Worship
🕑 Added 2024-09-25 07:26:58 +0000 UTCDuring his secluded cultivation, as his cultivation level increased, Lin Xiao found it increasingly easy to create minor spells at will. Now that he had reached the Golden Core stage, he no longer needed the system's spell creation function and could develop small spells on his own.
Before long, the crowd watched as the pig in the wooden basin visibly turned white and fully cooked.
Once everything was prepared and the time was right, Grandpa Lin led the Lin family to meet up with other Lin family members in the village, and together they made their way to the Ancestor's Mountain.
Along the way, many villagers noticed that the Lin family seemed different, especially that young lad, Lin Xiao.
Many people wanted to ask questions, but they were too hesitant. Only a few of the village elders dared to chat with Grandpa Lin as they walked at the front of the group.
Unable to contain their curiosity, they inquired about the rumors of the family becoming immortals. Grandpa Lin quickly waved off the idea, explaining repeatedly that they hadn’t become immortals, they were merely cultivating. Whether they could truly ascend to immortality was still far from certain.
To Grandpa Lin, the most astonishing part of cultivation was the newfound efficiency and convenience in farming.
So, when his old friends asked about it, he emphasized how easy and productive farming had become since they started cultivating.
Hearing this, the group marveled at the idea. "So, even immortals need to eat and farm!" they thought. In that instant, the image of immortals they had in their minds began to change.
They realized that despite the Lin family becoming immortals, nothing much had changed. They simply had an easier time farming. Still, becoming an immortal had its perks, right? Farming with less effort seemed fitting.
With this revelation, the elders, who had been somewhat reserved earlier, now relaxed and once again cheerfully patted Grandpa Lin on the arm, giving him thumbs-up and praising the hefty pig the family had brought along today.
Grandpa Lin, pleased by their praise, beamed with pride as he explained that his eldest grandson slaughtered the pig, the second grandson scalded the skin, and his youngest grandson collected the blood.
His two sons, who had merely carried the pig, were conveniently left out of the praise.
Behind them, the older women of the Lin family, including Aunt Lin and Grandma Lin, finally felt comfortable enough to join in on the gossip and casual conversation.
Lin Xiao, without needing to turn around, could sense the interactions of everyone around him. Seeing the ease with which his elders were able to get along with their old friends and relatives, Lin Xiao felt a wave of relief.
He had been worried that cultivating might create a distance between his family and their friends, but it seemed his fears were unfounded. For them, cultivation and becoming immortals simply meant being healthier and having more ways to do things—just like learning a powerful new skill.
Everyone was still the same, living their lives step by step, grounded in this land.
Other families in the village had similar experiences.
In Tie Tou’s household, the relatives who used to look down on them no longer dared to say a word and instead flattered Tie Tou’s mother all the way up the mountain.
Tie Tou’s mother, remembering how they had once forced her son to serve in the labor draft, now felt a sense of triumph, and her tone became slightly more confident.
But after a while, seeing how her old friends were being overly cautious, she began to feel uncomfortable. Reflecting on it, she thought, "Ah, people live such hard lives. Now that things are finally getting better, what’s the point of showing off? Wearing the skin of an immortal doesn’t mean I’m not still part of this village."
With this realization, her attitude softened, and she returned to her usual friendly demeanor, happily chatting with her friends again.
Her friends, seeing her change in attitude, also relaxed and became more genuine in their conversations.
It was much the same with the Qin family. Qin Jianghe had rushed back early in the morning just to participate in the family’s ancestor worship.
Former friends, who used to make snide comments, didn’t dare say anything, while those with better relationships gathered around the Qin family to exchange warm greetings.
As for Jiang Youfu’s family, things were going well. His relatives kept praising how lucky he was, to the point where Jiang Youfu started to feel a little embarrassed.
The Sun family, on the other hand, remained largely unaffected. Being the only Sun family in Shuishui Village, they had few relatives, and most of them lived outside the village. Since it was time for ancestor worship, there weren’t many friends or family members walking with them.
By noon, the families of Shuishui Village had all gathered at Ancestor's Mountain, setting up their offerings and beginning their respective rituals.
Li Zhanying had spent the last few days learning about the customs of Shuishui Village and knew that the villagers performed their ancestor worship at noon today. With nothing else to do, he decided to follow from afar and watch.
At his cultivation level and age, he no longer felt any taboos about these sorts of things. As long as he didn’t interfere with the villagers or bring them bad luck, it was fine.
He found these rural customs particularly fascinating. They were so different from what he had learned in the palace, and he found himself drawn to the earthy simplicity of the villagers’ traditions.
Having spent so much of his life in the deep, cold confines of the palace, he envied and longed for this kind of warmth.
As he listened to the villagers talk about their lives, Li Zhanying felt his long-tense soul relax ever so slightly.
Watching how the villagers responded to the members of the Lingxian Sect, and how the sect members treated their old friends and relatives, Li Zhanying couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of admiration.
A simple heart—truly, that is the most valuable thing in this world.
He hadn’t expected that the Lingxian Sect would be so different from the other sects he knew. Although he didn’t know much about the sect yet, judging by their demeanor, he could already tell a lot about their character.
Whether the sect was strong or not, Li Zhanying felt that their victory over Wei Hai was proof enough.
But what made this sect special was the humility and simplicity of its members. Just by observing their disciples, he could already sense the sect's values.
For Pusi Kingdom to have a sect like this emerge, perhaps it was a gift from the heavens, a rare opportunity for their nation.
It seems that coming here was the right decision after all.
When he reached the outskirts of Ancestor's Mountain, Li Zhanying carefully concealed himself and watched quietly from a distance. He observed the family elders, or clan leaders, reciting their ancestral prayers.
The rising incense smoke ascended straight into the sky, gathering and then dissipating into the air.
At the mountain, as Lin Xiao stood before the tombstones of his ancestors, he bowed his head solemnly, paying deep respect alongside his family.
To Lin Xiao, his hardworking and diligent ancestors were the gods he revered the most.
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