An ancient road, a west wind, a lean horse. The setting sun sinks in the west, a heartbroken traveler at the ends of the earth.
Xu Ning, carrying a long axe, rode on the back of Tie Dan, who had transford into a donkey, ambling along a country path.
Li Xunbei had reappeared in the martial world, but no one recognized him anymore.
After completing his tribulations, Xu Ning had left behind a legacy and departed.
As for the titles of Holy Son and Holy Daughter his master ntioned, Xu Ning didn't care. He simply reminded his master not to use the na Xu Ning.
This ti, his goal was to cross the mortal world and head to another cultivation mountain range called the Ancient Chen Mountain Range.
Luo Xiu had already sent him information about the Ancient Chen Mountain Range a couple of days ago.
Among the many cultivation worlds, the Ancient Chen Mountain Range was one of the oldest.
Similarly, because it was so ancient, the spiritual energy had beco depleted over ti, and the strength of the cultivators there was generally not very high.
In the Ancient Chen Mountains, even the most powerful sect couldn't compare to the once-mighty Tianbao Sect. The highest cultivation level among them was only at the Foundation Establishnt stage.
When Xu Ning first saw the information, he was overjoyed. With his current cultivation level, plus his array techniques, he could practically roam freely in the Ancient Chen Mountains! It was perfect for a life of hiding and low-profile cultivation!
So Xu Ning imdiately decided to go.
Since he would be passing through the mortal world anyway, Xu Ning decided to make a stop. He wanted to visit the grave of his master Zhao Datou and see the village he had once lived in.
Two months later, Xu Ning arrived at Tianxiang Village.
This was the village where he had t his master Zhao Datou, and where Xu Ning had lived with him for a long ti.
More than a hundred years, almost two hundred, had passed since he left. The place he rembered was long gone; he couldn't find a trace of its forr appearance.
However, what surprised Xu Ning was the enormous, extravagantly luxurious mansion built right in the center of the village.
Xu Ning frowned as he looked at the location of the mansion.
Then, Xu Ning dismounted from the donkey and led it to a large tree nearby where so elders were resting.
"Hello, old sir!" Xu Ning greeted an old man sitting under the tree.
The old man nodded politely. "Hello."
Xu Ning gestured towards the direction of the mansion. "Uncle, what's the situation with that family? They seem very wealthy!"
The old man looked up and snorted disdainfully. "That's the Chen family. Why are you asking about them? Let tell you, they're scoundrels!"
Xu Ning asked curiously, "Uncle, what do you an by that?"
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The old man then began to tell Xu Ning the story.
It turned out that about seventy years ago, a mother and son had co to Tianxiang Village. The mother was frail and sickly, and the child was emaciated.
Hearing this, Xu Ning couldn't help but interject, "That's not right! Uncle, seventy years ago, the Daxuan and Baiyin kingdoms were peaceful and prosperous. How could such pitiful people appear?"
"Let finish!" the old man said impatiently.
Then, the old man continued, saying that after the mother and son arrived, the villagers, seeing their pitiful state, found them an abandoned place to settle down.
Gradually, everyone learned the child's na: Chen Zhilei.
He learned that Chen Zhilei had left his original village because his father had died young and he had suffered all kinds of bullying there.
Initially, Chen Zhilei relied on the villagers' charity to survive.
However, one day, he suddenly cured his mother's illness and quickly beca wealthy, soon becoming one of the richest n in Tianxiang Village.
But after becoming rich, Chen Zhilei showed no gratitude to the villagers. Instead, he bullied them in various ways, having long forgotten who had helped him and his mother in the first place.
Finally, the old man sighed. "That's why people shouldn't have money! Once they have money, they forget their roots!"
Xu Ning nodded and smiled politely. "Thank you, sir. I'll be going now."
With that, Xu Ning led his donkey straight to the Chen family's gate and knocked.
Soon, the door opened, and a young girl dressed as a maid stood inside. Seeing Xu Ning, she asked in confusion, "Hello, who are you?"
Xu Ning replied calmly, "I am Li Xunbei. I am here to visit your master, Chen Zhilei."
The maid was startled and quickly said, "Please wait a mont, sir. I'll go and inform him."
Soon, the maid returned. "Sir, the master invites you in."
Xu Ning nodded and led the donkey inside.
A servant then ca over. "Sir, let take this donkey to feed him."
Xu Ning nodded and handed the donkey's rope to the servant.
Led by the maid, Xu Ning quickly arrived at the main hall.
There, an elderly man who looked to be in his fifties sat in a grand chair, drinking tea.
Looking up, he saw Xu Ning and was also taken aback. "May I ask who you are?"
Xu Ning cupped his hands in greeting. "Master Chen Zhilei, how is my land being used?"
Clang!
The old man's teacup fell to the ground with a loud thud.
After a long while, Chen Zhilei, trembling, asked in a shaky voice, "You, you are... you are an immortal?"
Xu Ning didn't deny it, nodding gently.
An immortal? He was currently just a cultivator, but in the eyes of mortals, he was indeed an immortal.
Chen Zhilei quickly stood up, then knelt down directly in front of Xu Ning with a "plop," bowing deeply. "Immortal, you are the greatest benefactor of my life, Chen Zhilei!"
Xu Ning ignored him for a mont, instead walking to the armchair beside him and sitting down.
Chen Zhilei turned around while still kneeling, continuing to face Xu Ning, not daring to get up.
Xu Ning spoke. "I lived in this Tianxiang Village for a period of ti back then. That land was where I used to grow thatch."
That's right, Xu Ning had used manure to irrigate the land and cultivate top-grade thatch in order to upgrade his thatched hut to the legendary mortal level.
Later, when he had enough thatch, he had dug up a stalk and fed it to Tie Dan, then left, leaving that land behind.
He never imagined that a simple piece of land he had abandoned would allow a poor boy to beco so wealthy.
Chen Zhilei explained, his voice still trembling. "Immortal, back then I ca here with my seriously ill mother, surviving on the charity of the villagers. To treat my mother's illness, but having no money to buy dicine, I could only frequently go up the mountain to gather herbs. That's when I accidentally discovered that piece of land."
Xu Ning frowned. "But I heard that after you beca wealthy, you repaid kindness with enmity and bullied the villagers."
Chen Zhilei trembled upon hearing this and quickly defended himself. "Immortal, I'm innocent!"
Xu Ning gestured. "Get up and speak."
Chen Zhilei felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly stood up, then said, "Back then, after I beca wealthy, I would give silver to the villagers every year."
"I distributed the money for ten years straight. But as the saying goes, 'a small favor is appreciated, but a large one breeds resentnt.' The villagers beca insatiable. In the eleventh year, I was delayed by so business and couldn't distribute the money on ti."
"So they brought people to cause trouble! They smashed my house and emptied my possessions!"
"When I returned, I was so angry I couldn't sleep for three days. After ten years of giving, I felt I had more than repaid their initial kindness, so I stopped distributing the money."
"But they were still resentful. In the twelfth year, they ca to cause trouble again. In a fit of anger, I reported it to the authorities. Then they accused of colluding with officials to oppress them! Good heavens! Where can I go to seek justice?!"
Xu Ning listened quietly, then nodded slowly. "You haven't forgotten your roots."
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