Cultivating Immortality Begins with Rejuvenation.

Chapter 3 Return to the county seat
Spring goes and autumn comes, the sun and the moon rotate, and five years have quietly slipped away.

He eats meat, eggs, and milk every day, and also insists on taking medicinal baths and bone-strengthening pills. Thirteen-year-old Li Ji'an is now nearly 1.6 meters tall. With proper daily exercise, he has mastered the movements of the "Golden Zhuang Gong" at the county martial arts academy in advance. He has an upright posture, strong bones and long muscles.

In the bathtub, Li Ji'an looked at his body carefully. Although he was very familiar with it, he still felt a lot of emotions every time.

In his previous life, at age thirteen, he was mutilated by animals, leaving him with damaged bodies and malnutrition. He was no taller than in the life before that, and even as an adult, he stood at just under five feet tall. (Each time he rejuvenated, the world line remained the same, the person remained the same, his soul remained the same, and his body remained the same. Furthermore, since he started at age eight, this wouldn't strictly be considered a single life. However, for ease of explanation and understanding, let's consider each rejuvenated life as a single life.)
Looking at his reflection in the water, his appearance was several times more handsome and sunny than at the same age in his previous life, and his whole body exuded a youthful aura.

"None of the backup plans I prepared in my previous life were used." Li Ji'an chuckled and dived into the water.

In the yard of the county town, he had hidden some medicinal herbs and some silver, just for use in his childhood in this life.

As a result, over the past five years, the temple has covered all his medical baths, supplements, and daily necessities, and will also sponsor him to learn martial arts at the martial arts academy, all because of the two prescriptions he gave to Liu Deshan.

Of course, these two prescriptions have indeed caused Zixiao Temple's income to soar again in recent years.

In addition to the treatment of disciples in the temple, the Citang was also expanded and named after Chang'an - Chang'an Citang!
The total number of orphaned children being taken in is nearly one hundred.

Moreover, after the senior brothers in Citang knew that Li Jian was interested in martial arts, they often gave him some wild animals from the mountains that had nutritious properties.

In the past five years, he has been treated like a star and received much care in the temple.

"I'm going to the martial arts academy tomorrow. I wonder if Old Huang is still alive? How's Instructor Xiao Wu doing? Has he been fired? Did that little guy who laughed at me make it to the martial arts exam..."

He held his breath for at least two minutes and was very satisfied with his current physical condition.

Moreover, during these five years, he also felt more clearly that his mental strength had been significantly improved after two rejuvenations. His thinking was sharper and he had more energy. He only needed to sleep six hours a day to basically return to his peak state.

Over the past five years, I have recalled the "Golden Strength Skill" that I practiced in the martial arts academy in my previous life, and my understanding has become deeper. Many unclear points about my past life have become clearer.

I don’t know if this is an extra benefit of “rejuvenation” or a natural change of “people becoming more spiritual as they get older”. After all, my body has been “rejuvenated” in every life, but my spirit has been superimposed.

"Junior brother, save me!" At this moment, a cry for help came from the large bathing pool next to them.

That was where other Taoist children under the age of fifteen in the temple took medicinal baths. Xiao Qingyun was playing and joking with those boys at the moment.

Li Ji'an had not intended to be treated specially, but the manager of the medicinal bathhouse was a child he had saved in his previous life, so he insisted on giving him a separate bathtub.

In addition, although he looks only thirteen years old, his soul has experienced too much. It is okay for him to play with children occasionally, but it is really a bit forced to let him have the innocence and childlikeness.

Sometimes, the unintentional display of maturity that is not in line with the age makes some children feel fearful and uncomfortable, so they just soak in the bathtub alone.

Xiao Qingyun is the real childlike innocence and fun.

"Junior brother, they all listen to you. Can you please ask Master for a favor and not let me go to the Martial Academy?" After coming out of the medicinal bath hall, Qingyun pulled Li Ji'an's sleeve and pleaded.

He is exactly like his father when he was a child. He would rather lie down than sit, and would rather not move than move. He has no interest in practicing martial arts or cultivating immortality.

Five years later, if Li Ji'an hadn't suggested to his master that he force him to exercise for his health, he would have been even fatter now.

However, everyone has their own aspirations and destiny, and he has never advised anyone to practice martial arts or cultivate immortality.

Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head, ignoring him.

Early the next morning.

Outside the main gate of Zixiao Temple, a group of Taoists stood quietly.

Li Ji'an and Qingyun stood beside the carriage and said goodbye to them.

"Master, I really don't want to learn martial arts. There are no immortals in this world. I just want to stay in the temple... serve you and be filial to you... Don't drive me away..." Qingyun even started crying.

Liu Deshan glared at him fiercely: "Look at your junior brother, how can I be so angry... Do you know how much money the martial arts academy has to pay for accepting a disciple like you? How many people want to learn martial arts but don't have the chance? Don't cry, hold it back immediately, you are so grown up!"

Shaking his head in disgust, Liu Deshan looked at Li Ji'an and his expression instantly softened.

But the more he looked at Li Ji'an's face, the more his heart ached.

How did Junior Brother give birth to such a beautiful son? How stunningly beautiful must his sister-in-law be!
He is tall and handsome, nothing like that unlucky kid.

Li Ji'an at this moment was completely different from the same age as in his previous life, except for some similarities in his eyebrows and eyes.

"Chang'an, the martial arts academy has been arranged. You don't have to worry about anything when you go there. Just focus on practicing martial arts. Well, don't be too stressed. There's no need to be stubborn. No matter what, this will always be your home."

"Thank you, Master!" Li Ji'an bowed deeply to Liu Deshan, whose temples were already graying.

"Okay, okay, go ahead and help me keep an eye on that kid. If he doesn't behave, you'll whip him. I said so."

Qingyun really wanted to cry this time.

……

The carriage went farther and farther away, and the people in front of the Taoist temple also went farther and farther away.

Qingyun fell asleep as soon as he got in the car. No sadness or worries could enter his heart.

As soon as he entered the county town, his nose woke him up without anyone calling him.

"Junior brother, look! Candied haws!"

"Wow, there are also fried dough sticks."

"Hiss~ That's a pig's hoof..."

Li Ji'an also looked outside through the window. He also felt very familiar with the place. After all, he had lived in this city for ten years.

In five years, the county town has not changed much.

As he walked along, he saw many familiar faces.

"Brother, please stop the car and let Qingyun buy me some food." Li Ji'an finally softened his heart because he was worried that Qingyun's saliva would flow onto his clothes.

The middle-aged Taoist priest driving the carriage smiled and stopped the carriage aside.

"Chang'an, just pamper Qingyun." Everyone in the temple knew what kind of person Li Ji'an was. He was not the kind of person who cared about food.

Qingyun suddenly showed ecstasy: "Thank you very much, Junior Brother, thank you very much, Junior Brother."

Li Ji'an patted Qingyun's head lovingly, took out about thirty copper coins from his purse and handed them to him.

After instructing the middle-aged Taoist priest to keep an eye on Qingyun, Li Ji'an turned a corner and came to a small courtyard behind the bustling street market.

This is the courtyard he purchased fifteen years ago. It is connected to the downtown area in front and not far from the county government office in the back. Most of the people living here are merchants, which avoids a lot of unnecessary contact and trouble.

I haven't been back for five years, and everything looks the same outside.

Li Ji'an walked a few steps around the outside of the yard, his eyes changed slightly, and then he walked away calmly.

When he left five years ago, he had covered the courtyard wall with embroidery needles, but just now he discovered that several of the needles were obviously broken, and even saw faint bloodstains in the cracks in the wall.

There is no need to verify what exactly happened, no matter whether it was a thief or a robber, and there is no need to go in to see if the mechanisms and traps you set up worked. It doesn't matter.

This arrangement was just to help him get through his childhood.

Now that Zixiao Temple has helped him complete this step, the significance of its existence is no longer worth taking any unknown risks or getting involved in any unnecessary trouble.

It's just a small amount of money.

When Qingyun returned with a big bag of food, feeling satisfied, the carriage headed towards the Shangyi County Martial Arts Academy, where Li Ji'an had been ridiculed and mocked in his previous life.

(End of this chapter)