Chapter 27: There Really Are Immortals in This World

Ignoring their shock, Village Chief Du gazed into the distance as if reminiscing, and continued in a slow voice, "That time when I went to the prefectural city, I arrived just in time to see the Immortals recruiting disciples... The elders in the city said that every few decades, Immortals would come to recruit disciples, but because it happens only once in many decades, most people don't know about it. After all, a person's life only spans a few decades, and the prefectural city is so far away...

At the time, I found it fascinating, but when I returned to the village and told others, no one believed me. So I stopped talking about it. Over time, I even forgot about it myself... If it weren't for that Lin boy... I might never have remembered, not even on my deathbed."

Du Changsheng quickly interjected, "Pah, pah, pah! Father, you'll live a long life! Don't talk nonsense about coffins and whatnot."

Hu Shi, who was walking alongside, also added, "Father-in-law, do you think that Lin boy has become an Immortal?"

Village Chief Du squinted his wrinkled eyes with a smile, "I heard back then that becoming an Immortal requires slow and steady cultivation. Perhaps the Lin boy is on that path... Oh, right, didn't he say something about starting a sect in the drying field the other day?"

Du Changsheng nodded, "Yes, at the time, we thought he was just playing around. A lot of villagers went over to watch for the novelty of it."

Chief Du, seemingly recalling something, cheerfully brushed off his son's hand and strode forward with a renewed vigor.

"Hey! Father, slow down—"

——

After sending everyone off, Lin Xiao propped up the collapsed courtyard gate and set it in place as a temporary barrier. He then turned and entered Liu Yunan's house.

Inside, the unconscious Liu Yunan had already been moved to the bed by his mother and sister. Liu Yunan's mother was gently wiping his face and changing his clothes, which were soaked through. Liu Shengsheng, her eyes red and swollen, was in the adjacent kitchen boiling hot water.

Lin Xiao spoke to Liu Yunan's mother, "Aunt Liu, let me take care of him. You and Shengsheng should change into dry clothes and drink some hot water. It wouldn't be good if you caught a cold."

Knowing that her son was close to Lin Xiao and that she needed to stay healthy to care for her children, Aunt Liu didn't argue. She handed the cloth to Lin Xiao, her voice thick with emotion, "Xiao, thank you for your help."

Her voice was heavy with the sound of tears, and she added, pointing to Liu Yunan's left shoulder, "Yunan's shoulder was badly injured earlier. It looks severely swollen, and he also took a heavy kick to the abdomen and vomited blood several times..." The usually composed Aunt Liu, in her grief and anger, now referred to Liu Laoda as a thug.

Lin Xiao knew of Aunt Liu's situation, and due to the many rumors that circulated, he had a good grasp of the Liu family's circumstances.

Aunt Liu, despite years of hard work in the countryside, still retained an air of scholarly grace that set her apart. Her children, Liu Yunan and Liu Shengsheng, had names that reflected this refined background, names she had chosen herself.

She had come to Xiushui Village after losing her family in a disaster and was taken in by Liu Dashu. They later fell in love and married. However, because Liu Dashu married someone who wasn't a local villager, it caused a rift with his family, and they split up. As a result, Liu Laotai held a deep-seated dislike for her daughter-in-law, believing she was too delicate and not of the same stock as the rest of the villagers.

After Liu Dashu's death, Aunt Liu had to raise Liu Yunan and Liu Shengsheng on her own, relying on farming and odd jobs in town. The Liu family never offered any help and often came by to make trouble and take advantage.

Lin Xiao's admiration for Aunt Liu, who had single-handedly raised two children, was as strong as his disdain for the rest of the Liu family.

After Aunt Liu left the room, Lin Xiao gently touched Liu Yunan's injured left shoulder. His face grew serious as he examined it more closely. It was badly swollen, possibly even broken.

Lin Xiao began to worry. He didn't know how to set bones! What should he do?

Suddenly, he remembered something. He rushed out of the house and called out, "Aunt Liu! Yunan might have a broken bone. I'm going to get my grandfather to help set it!"

Without waiting for a response, Lin Xiao dashed out into the rain, not even bothering to grab an umbrella. Being at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, he moved so fast that he left an afterimage behind.

In no time, he arrived at the Lin family's ancestral home. The courtyard gate was locked, and everything inside was silent. It was clear that the commotion at the Liu house hadn't reached this side of the village, where the Lin family home stood. Everyone in the household was already asleep.

Not wanting to wake his uncle's family, Lin Xiao decided not to call out. Instead, he opted to climb the wall.

Climbing his own grandfather's wall shouldn't count as a crime... right?

The night was dark and quiet, with no moonlight, only the sound of the rain.

Since his grandfather always left the windows open for ventilation, Lin Xiao stealthily made his way to the window of his grandparents' room.

Sure enough, the window was ajar.

Carefully pushing it open, Lin Xiao nimbly climbed inside.

The moment he entered, he was hit with a thud.

Judging by the feel of it, Lin Xiao recognized the object as his grandfather's ever-present tobacco pipe.

"Hiss—Grandpa! It's me!" Lin Xiao quickly whispered, not wanting to wake the whole household.

"You little rascal, sneaking in here like a thief in the middle of the night!" Grandpa Lin hissed back.

Awakened by the noise, Grandma Lin sleepily asked, "Sanlang? What are you doing here at this hour? Is something wrong at home?"

Lin Xiao quickly clarified, "No, no. Grandpa, Yunan was beaten by his uncle, and I think his bone might be broken. I remembered you said you knew how to set bones, so I came to get you."

Hearing this, Grandma Lin, not waiting for Grandpa Lin to respond, nudged him, saying, "Oh dear, that poor boy! Quick, quick, get dressed and go help him!"

Grandpa Lin, now dressed in his rain gear and carrying a bottle of medicinal wine, stepped outside, only to find Lin Xiao standing by the gate, waiting.

He urged, "What are you standing around for? Let's go!"

Lin Xiao, rubbing his hands together, didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to Grandpa Lin, suddenly bent down, and lifted him onto his back.

"Hold on tight, Grandpa!"

Before Grandpa Lin could react, Lin Xiao was already rushing off into the night.