The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 118 The Correct Way to Use Pills (10,000-word chapter)

The ninth year of Changning.

The 71-year-old former prime minister, Zhang Jingheng, returned home.

The current Emperor Changning has already designated his eldest son as the crown prince.

Moreover, this crown prince is very intelligent and also values ​​people's livelihood.

Zhang Jingheng was given the title of Grand Tutor, but at his level, no matter how many more titles he received, that was the maximum he could ever reach.

On his return to Songguo Village, Zhang Jingheng looked noticeably older.

He walked with a shaky, unsteady gait.

Chu Xun advised him to retire and return to his hometown, Songguo Village, and not to go back to the capital.

But Zhang Jingheng did not agree; he devoted his life to the Jing Kingdom and its people.

The country is not yet stable, how can we leave now?

This trip back was only to visit Chu Xun and, incidentally, to burn paper money and offer sacrifices to Duke Liao Shouyi of Wei.

Emperor Changning built a shrine for Liao Shouyi in Pingshui Town.

The imposing statue of the general stands tall, attracting many visitors.

Those men from the guards remained to protect the Guogong Temple.

Liao Licheng and Liao Xingbang did not leave, but their two grandsons, one of whom was preparing for the imperial examinations, moved to Fenggu City.

They naturally stayed in that secluded little courtyard.

Zhang Jingheng had already sent someone to clean it up again, and Chu Xun couldn't help but think of the oil-paper umbrella at home that she hadn't returned yet.

Another grandson was fond of martial arts and followed Liao Xingbang to roam the martial arts world.

He would occasionally come back to deliver materials for crafting weapons.

It's mostly higher quality iron ore, but in Chu Xun's opinion, it's not that good.

After paying his respects to Liao Shouyi, Zhang Jingheng returned to Kyoto.

Before he left, Chu gave him some ginseng slices from an old ginseng plant.

They also instructed me to take one tablet if I felt unwell.

Zhang Jingheng readily agreed.

Chu Xun, using his supernatural ability to discern the signs of life, saw that although his chances of survival were slim, he should still have a few years to live.

After he left, Chu Xun returned to the courtyard.

Three hours of daily practice, followed by refining the essence of Ren water at Songliu River, has become an integral part of my life.

If I don't do it one day, I feel like something is missing.

The meteorite iron has been hammered more than eighty times over the years.

Its volume has shrunk by 30% compared to the original, and its surface emits a faint, eerie light.

Even before it was forged into a sword, it already exuded a strong aura of sharpness.

Chu Xun was almost entirely confident about the tribulation of the dragon protecting the path.

The water disaster isn't a major problem.

The blue-white python is now fifty-four zhang long and lies hidden beneath the Songliu River, rarely showing itself.

Although their ability to control water is still immature, they have already begun to integrate.

The tribulation of lightning, however, yielded nothing.

Soon, night fell.

Songguo Village fell silent. Inside the house, Chu Xun stood in front of the wooden table.

There was a pen and yellow paper on the table, but no ink.

Reaching out to pick up the brush, I infused it with spiritual energy, and the tip of the brush immediately glowed with a faint light.

He pressed down on the yellow paper with one hand, and the pen fell to the ground.

Using spiritual energy as ink, the brushstrokes glide like a swimming dragon.

Strands of light extend from the tip of the pen, leaving intricate and mysterious lines on the yellow paper.

Two years ago, after obtaining the Soul-Scattering Talisman from the City God of Zhangnan County, Chu Xun began practicing it every day.

From initially being able to draw one painting a day, it has now been reduced to one painting every hour.

The Soul-Scattering Talisman has a limited effect and is of little use to Chu Xun.

However, practicing with talismans can help control spiritual energy.

If the spiritual energy is controlled precisely enough, the power of the spell can be enhanced to a certain extent.

The scorching flames could no longer help Chu De, so he had no choice but to continue his progress in this way.

Fortunately, the effect is quite good. Although it is not as convenient as the Karmic Fire, it should not be underestimated over time.

After finishing drawing a Soul-Scattering Talisman, the brush handle made a "crack" sound and exploded from the middle.

Chu Xun shook his head, and spiritual energy surged in.

With the blessing of the Wood Element Technique, the penholder slowly closed and was repaired.

Ordinary wood is still unable to withstand the power of magic.

Even the yellow paper was covered with dense, spiderweb-like cracks.

This was the best yellow paper that Chu Xun had specifically sought out on the market.

If it were ordinary paper, it would have torn to pieces long ago.

Outside the courtyard, three figures crept in stealthily.

With their faces covered by black cloth, they sneaked up to the courtyard.

I peered over the wall and saw that the crows on the eaves had their eyes half-open and were completely still.

The weasel huddled on the stool and the field mice in the vegetable garden seemed oblivious to everything.

"Is this the place?" one person asked in a low voice.

The other person nodded: "This is it. I've been here several times. But be careful of those crows, they're way too big."

"They're just a bunch of beasts, what's there to be afraid of?" The third man drew a long sword from his waist and said, "Get in there, and hurry! If he dares to resist, kill him!"

The three of them clung to the top of the wall, leaping over it nimbly like wild geese soaring through the air.

Judging from his posture, he is no ordinary martial artist; he must be at least a sixth or seventh-rank martial artist.

Seeing that there was still candlelight inside, the group immediately sneaked over under cover of darkness.

Before he could take two steps, his foot suddenly slipped and he lost his footing.

Before it could even cry out, it was swallowed up by the earth.

The ground quickly closed in, completely silencing all sounds.

The crows on the eaves remained motionless, not even bothering to flap their wings.

Inside the house, Chu Xun glanced at the courtyard and shook his head slightly.

"People die for wealth, birds die for food"—this saying is timeless.

Over the years, thanks to his good deeds and the accumulation of good karma, the name of Chu the Great Philanthropist has become increasingly well-known.

While gaining the respect of the people, it also attracted some petty people.

Every now and then, some foolish thief would come and get himself killed.

The most formidable was a lone wolf, a second-rank martial arts master and notorious bandit.

He had been wanted by the authorities for a long time, but because of his ruthless methods, he never left any survivors.

So only his name remains, and no one has ever known what he looked like.

The result was the same; they were buried alive by earth magic before they could take two steps.

Chu Xun vaguely recalled that there had been a few scoundrels who tried to extort money from him.

Looking back now, those people should have been reincarnated a second time, right?

At this moment, a messenger from the underworld arrived at the door, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and said in a respectful tone, "Immortal."

Chu Xun raised an eyebrow: "You arrived so soon after being buried?"

The underworld messenger quickly replied, "Immortal, you misunderstand. It was the City God who sent me to inform you that there might be something in Haixing County that you might be interested in."

"Oh? What is it?" Chu Xun asked.

Only after the explanation from the underworld messengers did I understand.

A thunderstorm struck Haixing County a few days ago, blowing up the graves of several families outside the county.

Surprisingly, the ancestral graves of one family remained intact and were not significantly affected.

These city gods, whose power was held by Chu Xun, all knew that he was inquiring about resisting the lightning tribulation, and they diligently collected relevant information on a regular basis.

Chu Xun's heart stirred upon hearing this, and he immediately put down his brush, saying, "You handle those people in the courtyard."

Having said that, he took a step and instantly appeared two hundred meters away.

After bowing respectfully, the underworld official, carrying a black chain hook, approached the three unfortunate souls who had been buried alive.

His respectful expression turned grim and stern: "How dare you disturb the immortal! You deserve to die! Get out here and come with me to the underworld to be punished!"

Three bewildered souls drifted out from underground.

The underworld officials mercilessly swung their black chains and hooks, whipping them until their bodies were smoking and they writhed on the ground, howling in pain.

Gaa—!

An old crow on the eaves opened its eyes and cawed at the underworld official.

The underworld official seemed to sense its displeasure and quickly bowed to apologize, his blurred face even showing a hint of ingratiation.

"Take them away now!"

A crow is a crow, but it's a crow raised by an immortal; how can they be the same?

The three unlucky souls were caught by black chains and hooks and dragged out like dead dogs.

Not long after, Chu Xun arrived in Haixing County.

The City God of Haixing County sensed his arrival and quickly floated out from the City God Temple.

"Imperial sage, your arrival is a great honor. Please forgive my failure to greet you properly."

Chu Xun waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. Where are the ancestral graves of that family you mentioned?"

"Immortal, please follow me." The City God gestured and led the way.

Chu Xun followed him to the outskirts of Haixing County, where they soon came across an area that had been struck by lightning.

The area was charred black, and although it had been repaired, the charred and broken trees could still be seen.

A stench assaulted my nostrils.

The City God of Haixing County said, "The coffin lids of the other graves have been cracked from being beaten. Two of the graves were only buried two or three years ago, so they smell terrible."

Chu Xun paid no attention and went straight to the only intact grave.

It wasn't anything special; the scale was just that of an ordinary wealthy family, with a tombstone standing in front of it.

It says:

The tombstone erected by Chen Chengzong, the son of the late father and mother, is a simple and conventional structure, with no particular significance.

Chu Xun pondered for a moment, then used earth-based magic to probe the interior.

About seven feet below the surface lies the newly expanded tomb.

Two coffins were placed side by side.

Still unable to discern anything amiss, Chu Xun pondered for a moment, then silently apologized.

Then, using the wood element technique, they explored the inside of the coffin.

There was nothing unusual in the woman's coffin.

It wasn't until they reached the man's coffin that Chu Xun saw a bright yellow talisman placed on his chest.

Unlike the yellow paper he used, this talisman, though also made of yellow paper, was cast like gold.

Perhaps sensing the aura of magic, the talisman flickered with a faint light, but made no other move.

However, when Chu Xun tried to use his wood manipulation technique to control the coffin lid and turn it into a wooden hand to retrieve the talisman...

A beam of silver light suddenly shot out from the talisman, dispelling the wood-elemental spell.

Chu Xun's body trembled slightly. He withdrew his gaze from the grave and fell into deep thought without speaking.

That talisman might be the key to protecting this grave from lightning strikes.

But we'll have to verify what it is to find out.

The City God of Haixing County asked, "Has the Immortal made any discoveries?"

Chu Xun nodded: "There's a talisman in the coffin that I might need, but I have to open the coffin first."

"This—" The City God of Haixing County was somewhat at a loss for words.

After all, digging up someone's ancestral graves is against the natural order.

Such people, who are considered deities, are most averse to this kind of thing.

Chu Xun naturally understood that digging up someone's ancestral grave would result in a son being born without an anus.

Although he had no son, he did not want to add such a stain to the road to immortality for his own sake.

He then said, "Where do those people live? Take me there."

The City God of Haixing County led the way, taking him back to the county seat.

A moment later, Chu Xun stood in front of a house.

This place is located in the southwest corner of the county town, with streets on both sides.

The morning dew dampened the blue bricks, and several branches of the pomegranate tree planted in the courtyard stretched out straight.

When the wind blows, the small green leaves sway gently in the breeze, which is quite a beautiful sight.

Above the two vermilion gates hangs a plaque that reads "Chen Residence".

There are also two stone lions at the entrance, each about half a person's height.

The City God of Haixing County explained, "This family used to be just an ordinary farming household in this county. Many years ago, for some unknown reason, they suddenly became extremely wealthy."

"Although there is a lot of silver, the annual expenses are at most one thousand taels, no more and no less."

For ordinary people, one thousand taels is an unimaginable astronomical figure.

But for wealthy families, it's nothing.

Even for Chu Xun, a thousand taels of silver a year is just a piece of cake.

"You can go back now. I'll call you if anything comes up," Chu Xun said.

The City God of Haixing County bowed respectfully before returning to the City God Temple.

Chu Xun stepped forward and knocked on the door. By then, it was already dawn, and some early-rising vendors were setting up their stalls and making preparations.

The warmth of everyday life gradually rises.

A moment later, someone came and opened the door.

He was a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing an ordinary linen long gown.

His appearance was ordinary, nothing special.

Seeing Chu Xun standing outside, the man asked with some confusion, "Who are you looking for?"

Chu Xun cupped his hands and said, "I happened to be passing by and heard that your family is quite extraordinary, so I came to pay my respects."

The middle-aged man frowned slightly, seemingly not liking such compliments.

"There's nothing worth visiting."

As he spoke, he was about to close the door.

Chu Xun had already used his supernatural ability to read the situation by observing the aura, and swept his gaze across the area in one glance.

The person stood on a ball of golden energy, while his head was shrouded in black energy, which was extremely strange.

Metal signifies wealth and nobility, but it is usually found in the palms of the hands, not under the feet.

Moreover, that black aura was almost the same size as the golden aura, and both were very conspicuous.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this person didn't have many years left to live.

Chu Xun was somewhat surprised and asked, "May I ask if you have been feeling unwell lately?"

The middle-aged man turned around, his eyes showing surprise and a hint of guilt.

She said somewhat evasively, "I'm not feeling unwell at all. Don't talk nonsense, go away!"

He waved his hand haphazardly, about to close the door.

Chu Xun said, "If I leave, you will surely die within five years."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

The middle-aged man who had just chased people away paused for a moment upon hearing this, then hurriedly chased after him from inside.

While grabbing Chu Xun, he glanced around nervously.

Then he asked in a low voice, "You can tell fortunes?"

Chu Xun shook his head and said, "I can only observe qi, not tell fortunes. Your forehead is dark, and your life force is dim; you don't have many years left to live."

This is not a lie, and middle-aged men seem to believe it more.

A look of panic crossed his face: "Can we go inside and talk?"

Chu De did not refuse; he was going to go in anyway.

The two entered the courtyard one after the other. The middle-aged man quickly closed the gate and then bowed to Chu Xun.

"My name is Chen Guizhou. I apologize for any offense I may have committed earlier. May I ask your name, sir?"

Chu Xun did not correct his form of address, but instead surveyed his surroundings.

The various decorations in the courtyard are arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.

But for some reason, it just feels weird.

Some places that should have been filled with things are now empty.

Some things look exquisite, but they are missing a few pieces and are not complete.

Most importantly, Chu Xun sensed a familiar presence.

After careful examination, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The power of the Five Elements?

Seeing that he was constantly examining the things in the courtyard, Chen Guizhou became even more nervous and couldn't help but ask, "Immortal Master, have you noticed something?"

Chu Xun then waved his hand and said, "No need to call me Immortal Master, but your courtyard is indeed a bit strange. Is there a cultivator in your family?"

Chen Guizhou trembled, but hope gleamed in his eyes: "As expected of a sage, you saw through it all at a glance!"

As he spoke, he knelt down and kowtowed to Chu Xun: "I beg you, Immortal Master, save my Chen family! I beg you, Immortal Master, save my Chen family!"

His voice was full of pleading, so pitiful.

If the people of Haixing County were to see this scene, they would surely be shocked.

The Chen family was a well-known wealthy family in the county, and it seemed like they had an endless supply of money. They actually knelt down and begged for help.

Chu Xun helped him up and said, "You have to tell me what happened first before I know if I can save you."

Chen Guizhou looked up at him, his eyes showing a hint of struggle.

Greed and the desire to live—two emotions intertwined within him.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "Immortal, please come and see!"

As he spoke, he walked to a stone bench in the courtyard and reached out to touch it.

Without using much force, they managed to break off a piece of the stone bench.

Even more surprisingly, the stone in his hand instantly turned into a piece of silver.

There was no smugness in Chen Guizhou's eyes, but rather some pain and fear.

Chu Xun raised an eyebrow and took the silver from his hand.

It didn't turn back; after breaking it open again, it was still silver.

After glancing at the other things in the yard, Chu Xun suddenly understood why this place was missing some things.

"So the rumor that the Chen family has an inexhaustible amount of money comes from these things?" Chu Xun asked.

Chen Guizhou nodded and was about to kneel down and kowtow again.

Chu Xun had no choice but to help him up, saying, "You'd better explain how you got these things first."

A woman wearing an overcoat opened the door and saw two people standing in the courtyard talking. She asked, "Husband, who is this?"

"Go back! Go back!" Chen Guizhou shouted sternly.

The woman was taken aback, dared not say anything more, and quickly closed the door.

Sweat beaded on Chen Guizhou's forehead before he sighed and said, "This matter begins with my grandfather."

As the City God said, Chen Guizhou's grandfather was just an ordinary farmer.

Moreover, the family's two acres of land were meager, not even considered fertile land.

Let alone natural disasters and man-made calamities, even in a normal bumper harvest year, people are still so poor that they can't afford to eat after paying taxes.

Seeing that other families had a good harvest and were able to save some grain to get through the year, they were left with a mediocre life.

But his own family was so poor that even mice wouldn't come. He was almost thirty years old, and his pants were so torn that half of his buttocks were showing.

Chen Guizhou's grandfather couldn't bear such suffering, so he went to the Songliu Water God Temple to kowtow every day.

He prayed to the Pine and Willow Water God to bless him with wealth and prosperity, even if it was just for a few days of good fortune.

Chu Xun listened with a strange expression. "Your grandfather went to kowtow to the Pine Willow Water God?"

Chen Guizhou did not notice anything unusual about him and continued, "One day, after Grandpa finished kowtowing, he happened to meet Master Chu's wife."

Perhaps fearing that Chu Xun might not know who Master Chu was, Chen Guizhou added a special explanation: "There is a family surnamed Chu in Zhangnan County, which is near the border. Lord Zhang Jingheng, the Duke of Protectorate, is his nephew. You should have heard of him."

Chu Xun was taken aback. It wasn't unusual that Chen Guizhou's grandfather had kowtowed to the Pine Willow Water God.

Judging by the time, I should be over ninety years old by now.

The Songliu Water God Temple has existed for over sixty years.

But Chen Guizhou mentioned Zhang Anxiu.

He couldn't help but ask, "What was Master Chu's wife doing at that time?"

"They're buying medicine," Chen Guizhou said. "It's an old man wearing a tattered Taoist robe, and he doesn't look particularly impressive. The old lady bought a bottle of medicine from him. I think I heard from Grandpa that Master Chu has no children. The old lady is buying medicine because she wants to have a child."

Chu Xun frowned upon hearing this, and after recalling it for a moment, he realized that Zhang Anxiu had indeed bought medicine from the swindler old man wearing a tattered Taoist robe.

At that time, I was probably thirty-four years old?

Fifty-seven years ago?

He didn't ask any more questions, and said, "Go on."

Chen Guizhou added, "After the old lady left, the old Taoist priest who sold medicine called out to my grandfather, saying that his medicine could cure all diseases."

"My grandfather, as if possessed, asked, 'Can poverty be cured?'"

"The old Taoist priest said he could cure it, but it was very expensive."

How can someone who wants to cure a disease caused by poverty afford expensive medicine?

But they can actually afford it.

The old Taoist priest didn't give Chen Guizhou's grandfather any medicine. Instead, he took out a large piece of silver and told him to buy a house in Haixing County.

After entering the courtyard, the old Taoist priest took out a bottle of medicine from the wooden cabinet, crushed it into powder, and blew it towards the courtyard.

The medicinal powder was sprinkled in every corner of the courtyard and on everything, and then the old Taoist priest laughed and said, "From now on, this place will be a golden house."

Chen Guizhou's grandfather was puzzled, so the old Taoist priest told him to break off a piece of something at random, and he would know immediately.

Chen Guizhou's grandfather, just like his grandson today, casually broke off a small piece of the door frame.

To his surprise, it immediately turned into a piece of silver.

The old Taoist priest said, "The medicine is yours; how you take it is up to you."

"Spending a thousand taels of silver will shorten your lifespan by a year. Once all the silver in this courtyard is spent, your family line will end."

The old Taoist priest also gave Chen Guizhou's grandfather a talisman, saying that this matter had aroused some jealousy.

To avoid being struck by lightning after death, just put the talisman in the coffin.

Chen Guizhou's grandfather was overjoyed; this was a tremendous stroke of good news, and he never even considered refusing it.

It's just a thousand taels of silver that shortens his lifespan by a year. As long as he can live a good life, he'd be happy even if he died next year!

Just as he was about to kowtow to the old Taoist priest to express his gratitude, he discovered that the priest had already vanished without a trace.

From then on, the Chen family suddenly became a famous wealthy household, with so much silver that they couldn't spend it all.

A farmer who had been poor all his life could hardly bear to get married, have children, and spend money extravagantly.

As a result, he was only in his thirties when he suddenly became terminally ill.

He then realized that he had spent too much money, shortened his lifespan, and was nearing his end.

Most people only realize when they die that living is more important than anything else.

Chen Guizhou's grandfather was no exception; he regretted it.

Although he enjoyed a few good years, what was the point of dying so young?

However, regret was useless. Before he died, he told his son the secret and told him to control his spending and not to spend money recklessly.

Try to earn money with your own hands as much as possible in order to escape the fate of shortening your lifespan.

His son was obedient, but who could have imagined that the money the Chen family earned through their own hard work would turn into stone the very next day?

At first, I thought they had been tricked into switching things, but later I realized that they couldn't earn money from outside and could only spend their own money.

Moreover, even if you don't want to spend it, you can't. It costs a thousand taels a year, and by the end of the year, there will be fewer things in the courtyard.

Chen Guizhou's father also only lived to the age of thirty-four before suddenly dying.

Chen Guizhou is a third-generation descendant and already has a son, but he is thirty-two years old this year.

Even if he lives a few years longer than his father, he won't live much longer.

Therefore, the Chen family has kept a low profile all these years and has not done anything out of line.

Whenever Chen Guizhou heard someone say that the Chen family had so much money they couldn't spend it all, he would have nightmares.

Over the course of fifty-seven years, the Chen family's expenses far exceeded fifty-seven thousand taels.

There's still a lot of silver in the mansion, but it shortens the lifespan of each generation; who can bear that?

No matter how much money you have, is it more important than your life?

Chen Guizhou did not want to die, and he did not want his son and grandson to die like this.

After listening, Chu Xun fell silent.

From the moment he first acquired the Five Elements Techniques, he wondered if one day he could turn stone into gold.

But so far, it still hasn't been possible.

Perhaps only when one advances from Five Elements Techniques to Five Elements Daoist Techniques can this be achieved.

The old Taoist priest simply took out some medicinal powder and blew on it, and the entire house turned into silver.

Moreover, it is completely unnoticeable on ordinary days; only the descendants of the Chen family can turn the rotten into the miraculous.

Such methods are difficult for the current Chu state to comprehend.

Chu Xun had already seen the old Taoist priest in his tattered robe twice.

Chu De knew that Zhang Anxiu had asked the old Taoist priest to buy medicine, but he never expected that fifty-seven years later, he would have an encounter with another family.

"So the medicine the old Taoist priest sold was actually effective? Just not used in the right place?"

Chen Guizhou threw down the silver in his hand and pleaded with Chu Xun, "I beg you, Immortal Master, to save my family's lives! I'd be willing to serve you like a slave!"

Chu Xun had a thought, and the silver flew into his hand automatically.

Chen Guizhou was surprised, but also excited.

Immortal techniques!

The fingers slowly stroked the silver, which then turned into an inconspicuous stone.

Chen Guizhou became even more excited and couldn't help but speak.

The next second, the stone turned back into silver.

Chu Xun raised an eyebrow; the opponent's power of the five elements was superior to his own.

Techniques and Taoist arts may seem to differ by only one word, but in reality they are worlds apart.

One is deliberate and artificial, the other is natural and effortless.

At this moment, Chu Xun remembered that he had also bought a bottle of medicine from the old Taoist priest.

I recall Chen Guizhou saying that the old Taoist priest had simply ground the medicine into powder and blew a breath of air over the courtyard.

A thought struck him, but he didn't immediately go home to get the medicine.

Instead, he said to Chen Guizhou, "I have a method that we can try, but I'm not sure if it will work. Before that, you need to agree to one condition."

Chen Guizhou was still staring at the silver piece, filled with apprehension.

Hearing Chu Xun say he had a way, hope was rekindled in his heart, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Immortal Master, please tell me whatever you want, not just one condition, but ten or a hundred!"

Chu Xun's tone became slightly stern: "Your grandfather was like that, harming his descendants for his own benefit. Do you perhaps want to do the same?"

Chen Guizhou felt that the person in front of him was even more imposing than the county magistrate, and carried an indescribable air of otherworldly refinement.

Every word he uttered made it hard for her to breathe.

For a moment, he was hesitant and dared not utter a word.

Chu Xun said, "My condition is very simple: your grandfather's grave may contain what I need."

"Whether it can save your life or not, you have to agree to open the coffin and help me take that thing out."

Chen Guizhou was taken aback. If he remembered correctly, there shouldn't have been anything valuable in his grandfather's coffin.

What is it that the immortal is concerned about?

"Will you agree or not?" Chu Xun asked.

Chen Guizhou had no reason to hesitate, no matter what was inside the coffin.

He wouldn't even want a mountain of gold!

Having received his promise, Chu Xun then said, "Wait for me a moment."

Having said that, he took a step forward, used the Shrinking Earth technique to leave the Chen family.

Chen Guizhou witnessed this strange magic with his own eyes, and his heart was filled with trepidation and anticipation.

The fourteen-year-old son came out of the room.

She has delicate features, and it's clear at a glance that she's well taken care of.

"Dad, who were you talking to just now?"

Chen Guizhou ran over and hugged his son, his eyes welling up with tears, saying, "Our family is saved! Our family is saved!"

When Chu Xun returned home, he found an inconspicuous medicine bottle among a pile of wine jars.

I opened it and checked; the pills were still there.

So many years have passed, and nothing has changed.

Although I don't know if it will work, I've decided to give it a try.

He then poured out a pill, held it in his hand, and put the bottle back.

Before leaving, I reminded the crow to keep an eye on things in the house, especially medicine bottles.

An old crow flapped its wings twice and nodded knowingly.

Some of the crows were not much younger than Chu Xun, and some might even be a year or two older.

He's almost a hundred years old. Not to mention that he's always been cared for by Chu Xun's spiritual rain, even without the spiritual rain, he should have become human long ago after living for so many years.

Chu Xun took the pills and returned to the Chen family home, where Chen Guizhou was still waiting in the courtyard.

Upon seeing him, she immediately rushed forward excitedly: "Immortal Master—"

"I'll give it a try."

As Chu Xun spoke, he rubbed the pill in his palm into powder and then placed it flat near his mouth.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: Did that old Taoist priest really breathe air out of his mouth?

The power of earth element moved at will, whistling towards the medicinal powder in his palm.

To onlookers, the powder appeared to have been blown away by Chu Xun.

It fell freely and generously throughout the courtyard.

In an instant, the courtyard trembled slightly.

Flowers, trees, artificial hills, stone benches, doors, windows, tables, and chairs all seem to be bottomless pits, frantically absorbing spiritual energy.

Chu Xun's expression changed, as he felt the spiritual energy within his body spiraling outwards due to the power of earth element.

The feeling was like having your very soul torn away.

He immediately realized that this was due to the vast difference in the power of the five elements between himself and his opponent, which caused the spell to backfire.

Moreover, the pill looked unremarkable, but when crushed into powder, it caused the power of the five elements to surge many times over.

The spiritual energy of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is simply insufficient to support such powerful Five Elements energy, which is why the backlash is excessive.

Just then, on a rural road some distance away from Haixing County...

The old Taoist priest, carrying a wooden cabinet and holding a cloth banner, and dressed in a tattered Taoist robe, suddenly stopped.

He grinned, revealing his sparse teeth.

"Why are you meddling in their family's affairs?"

95

"So be it. We are bound by karma anyway. We cultivate the Five Elements together. What harm is there in this old Taoist giving you a hand?"

With a slight sway of the cloth banner in his hand, the earth elemental power of the Chen family mansion vanished without a sound.

A voice came from beside Chu Xun: "Boy, I saved your life, how are you going to thank me?"

Chu Xun knew this was the old Taoist priest's telepathic message. His eyes flashed, and he said, "My wife bought your medicine to try to have a child, but it didn't work."

The old Taoist priest, tens of thousands of miles away, chuckled: "So, it seems I owe you something?"

Chu Xun said, "I dare not say that you owe me anything, senior, but I am indeed indebted to you this time, and I will repay you in the future."

If anyone else had said this, the old Taoist priest wouldn't have listened at all.

There are very few people in the world who can repay his kindness.

But upon hearing Chu Xun say this, the old Taoist priest suddenly felt something.

He immediately did some quick calculations with his fingers and then showed a hint of surprise.

"Can't you figure it out?"

"Oh, so that's what you wanted to do."

The two sentences, one after the other, each represent a different meaning.

The voice rang in Chu Xun's ears again: "Not bad, not bad, very good."

"For the sake of our shared cultivation of the Five Elements, if you ever encounter trouble in the future, I, this old Taoist, will lend you a hand once again."

He paused, then continued, "If your wife can't have children, you can't blame me anymore. My medicine is always effective; how can you falsely accuse someone?"

Chu Xun was shocked. He had already sensed the area within a thousand feet, but had not detected the old Taoist's presence.

The other party, though located some unknown distance away, was able to easily resolve a troublesome situation that seemed impossible for him to handle.

What level of cultivation is this?!

"Thank you, senior."

There was no more sound in my ears, and everything in the courtyard had settled down.

Chen Guizhou didn't know who he was talking to, and stood aside looking uneasy.

Chu Xun said, "Go and break off another piece to take a look."

Chen Guizhou shuffled to the stone bench, gritted his teeth, bent down, and reached out to break it.

He was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.

I can't break it!

Without him needing to speak, Chu Xun had already discerned the clues from his expression and said, "Your family's matter has been resolved. From now on, do not let greed arise for money again. If it happens again, there may not be anyone to save you."

97

Chen Guizhou was so moved that he burst into tears, knelt down and kowtowed to Chu Xun: "Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you, Immortal Master!"

"I've done what I promised, but what about what you promised me?" Chu Xun said.

Chen Guizhou then remembered that he had promised to dig up the ancestral grave and open the coffin to retrieve the items.

Although he felt somewhat guilty towards his grandfather, the person standing before him was a celestial being who had saved his life and that of his descendants.

If I break my promise, I'm afraid I'll die a more miserable death than my grandfather.

He immediately said, "I will order people to dig up the grave."

"No need to find anyone, just come with me," Chu said.

Tens of thousands of miles away, the old Taoist priest chuckled, carrying a wooden cabinet on his back and holding a cloth banner, and strode forward once more.

With his cultivation level, covering a hundred miles in a single step is no problem for him.

But he walked slowly, like an ordinary old Taoist priest.

His withered, aged lips opened and closed, his tone low, yet his voice could pierce through the clouds and mist, reaching the mountains and the earth.

"When falsehood is taken for truth, even truth becomes falsehood; when nothingness is taken for existence, even existence becomes nothingness."

"How leisurely, how leisurely—"

"Selling medicine! It cures all diseases! Honest and trustworthy, young and old alike."

In Haixing County, Chu Xun pulled Chen Guizhou along at a brisk pace.

Chen Guizhou felt the wind howling all around him, and in the blink of an eye, he was already at the grave outside the county town.

I was filled with surprise and felt extremely honored.

How many people in this world can travel with immortals?

Chu Xun looked at him, gestured towards the grave, and said, "I'm going to dig up the grave."

Chen Guizhou respectfully replied, "Please proceed, Immortal Master."

Chu Xun no longer hesitated. With a thought, the soil automatically parted to reveal the coffin buried seven feet below.

"You're the one who needs to open this coffin."

Chu Xun casually grabbed an iron crowbar, which appeared out of thin air and handed it to Chen Guizhou.

Chen Guizhou was astonished; the methods of immortals were truly unimaginable.

Without saying a word, he kowtowed several times to his grandfather's coffin.

"Grandpa, today the immortal has helped my Chen family escape from suffering. Please do not blame your unfilial grandson for disturbing us."

After saying that, he jumped down into the tomb and used a crowbar to forcefully pry out the coffin nails.

Chu Xun watched from above, and he knew that poor people considered not having money a hardship.

The Chen family had more money than they could spend, yet they still regarded it as hardship.

After a long time, Chen Guizhou, covered in sweat, finally pried all the coffin nails off.

They then pried open the coffin lid with force, revealing the white bones inside.

A bright yellow talisman was pasted on the white skeleton's chest.

Chen Guizhou took off the talisman, and before he could speak, a hissing sound came from the tomb.

Chu Xun saw it clearly; a golden aura dissipated from it.

Removing this talisman signifies that the Chen family has completely severed ties with the karma from that year.

Whether you are poor or blessed in the future depends on yourself.

Chen Guizhou climbed up and respectfully handed the talisman to Chu Xun.

Then he jumped down again and closed the lid on his grandfather's coffin.

Chu Xun used magic to cover the soil from the grave, restoring it to its original state, making it almost impossible to tell that it had been disturbed.

After doing all this, Chen Guizhou was so exhausted that he was about to collapse.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and asked hopefully, "Immortal Master, my family no longer relies on immortal silver for a living. I wonder how much longer I can live?"

Chu Xun glanced at his life force and, without hiding anything, said, "It still won't exceed five years."

Even if the cause and effect are resolved, the lifespan that has already been shortened will not be spared from retribution.

Chen Guizhou was stunned, his eyes dimming.

Chu Xun said calmly, "Your grandfather was greedy, which shortened the lifespan of three generations of the Chen family. If you give up your greed, you will bring blessings to your descendants. Don't you think that's good?"

.

Chen Guizhou realized what was happening, and his eyes gradually lit up.

Even though I know I can only live for five more years, I still feel a bit suffocated.

But thinking about future generations, who won't have to die young because of money, I feel much more at ease.

He knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Chu Xun: "On behalf of my family and descendants of the Chen clan, Chen Guizhou thanks the immortal for his help. We will definitely enshrine a longevity tablet in our home in the future, but we beg the immortal to leave his name behind."

"We owe each other nothing, there's no need for such trouble."

Chen Guizhou hurriedly replied that his family's lives were at stake, how could he not owe them?

But there was no response. When he looked up, he found that there was no one in front of him.

He looked lost and dejected, and after a long while, he got up from the ground.

I glanced back at my grandfather's grave, then returned home.

A carpenter made a longevity tablet, which the Chen clan members offered incense to every day.

Since I didn't know his name, I could only write the three words "Nameless Immortal".

Back home, Chu Xun placed the golden talisman on the table, then picked up the medicine bottle again and poured out a pill.

No matter how you look at it, it's unremarkable, like something made of ordinary mud.

Who would have thought that this stuff, when ground into powder, would have such a powerful effect on enhancing the power of the five elements?

If you can't control your intake when using a whole capsule, then reduce the amount.

Even a one- or two-fold increase would be quite considerable.

Moreover, given that old Taoist's abilities, the pills might not only greatly enhance the power of the five elements, but also have other wonderful uses.

Chu Xun couldn't help but think of Zhang Anxiu, who had taken an entire bottle of pills without any effect.

I wonder if if we had let her grind it into powder and eat it, she would have given birth to a big, healthy boy.

Chu Xun sighed. Time had passed, and there was no point in thinking about it anymore.

"Indeed, there are always higher heavens and more capable people."

I remembered the old Taoist priest saying that he would help me once when I was in trouble.

Chu Xun felt much more at ease. With this person backing him up, even if the City God of the capital himself descended, he would have to return with a bruised and battered face.

He carefully put the pills back; from now on, these would be his most treasured possessions, even more useful than the Golden Essence.

Then, Chu Xun's gaze fell on the golden talisman.

The old Taoist priest gave it to Chen Guizhou's grandfather to protect him from being struck by lightning. I wonder if it can withstand the lightning tribulation of transforming into a dragon.