Han Clan Immortals: I have a hundredfold energy-gathering bottle

"The Oath of Life and Death... He actually has one of these too."

I had come to Donglu Market for three purposes: talismans, spiritual energy, and magical artifacts. I had already accomplished two of them before even entering the market. Li Mingjin was truly my lucky star.

Han Jieliu was secretly pleased, but pretended to be nonchalant and asked.

"Fellow Daoist Li, this Dao-Exhausting Life-Entrusting Oath Talisman is extremely rare. Is it available for sale in the Lake Mountain Market?"

Li Mingjin shook his head.

"This thing is rare. It's not available in the market, and it's even rare in Linjiang County. You have to go past Guanglu Lake or Dasuyuan to buy it."

"My master, Xiling Sanren, came from Donghe County. Donghe County is under the jurisdiction of a major sect called Tingzi Palace. It is said that they cultivate the [Thunder Control] path, which can control thunder and command it to subdue it. They are very majestic."

"Its territory is much larger than Linjiang's, and its cultivation level is also much higher. Apart from the Purple Mansion Sect above, there are several Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan below."

"My master had just reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining when he offended a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan, so he had to flee that place, cross the Great Stupa Plain, and come to Linjiang County."

"However, he still keeps in touch with an old friend who is proficient in the art of talismans. Not long ago, he bought three Exhaustion Dao Entrustment Oath Talismans from him. Because I wanted to investigate the mansion, I went to ask for one of them."

After listening to Li Mingjin's words, Han Jieliu slowly asked a question.

"Brother Li... I wish to purchase one of these Daoist oath talismans; I need it for something. Do you have any ideas?"

Upon hearing this, Li Mingjin showed a thoughtful expression and replied.

"My master, the Hermit of Xiling, is very cautious. He set up the Yimai Yingkan Formation in this market and has never left since."

"He is preparing to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining and has been in seclusion for more than ten years. He has entrusted all matters to the three of us on his behalf."

"The purpose of buying these three Dao-Exhausting Life-Entrusting Talismans is to sell them at a high price after the cave dwelling is born... If you want to buy them now, the price will probably be higher than usual."

Han Jieliu quietly calculated in his mind that the usual Dao Entrustment Oath Talisman cost only about a hundred spirit stones, and he could accept a slightly higher price. So he took out a hundred spirit stones from his bag.

"Brother Mingjin, is this enough?"

"That's enough. Wait a few days, and I'll give it to you on the day I depart."

Li Mingjin scanned the spirit stones with his divine sense, and was surprised by Han Jieliu's generosity.

As the manager of a market town, he spends his days ripping off his fellow cultivators, secretly deceiving his fellow cultivators, and even taking kickbacks from his master.

He had only managed to accumulate a little over a hundred spirit stones, yet this Han Jieliu casually took them out.

Seeing the change in Li Mingjin's eyes, Han Jieliu naturally realized the principle of not flaunting wealth and added a sentence.

"Brother Li, please hurry. This is entrusted to me by my family, not my own intention, and cannot be revealed to others."

Li Mingjin understood a bit more, nodded, briefly told Han Jieliu a few things to pay attention to, and then bowed and left.

Han Jieliu also remembered that he had come to this market for another purpose, which was to purchase a defensive magic weapon that he had been missing for a long time, so he set off into the market.

······

Under the blazing summer sun, the water level of Guanglu Lake had dropped slightly, revealing reeds that swayed gently in the wind.

In front of Hushan City, the old man was still the one sailing the boat.

The old man was just an ordinary person, but in just two years, he had already shown more signs of decline, with his sparse white hair hanging down.

But his hand holding the oar remained steady; his dry, wrinkled hand was no different from the wooden oar, as if they were naturally connected and had not been separated for a long time.

Surprisingly, he still remembered Han Jieliu, took off his straw hat, and breathed softly.

"Immortal, it has been a long time since you last visited. Next time you come here, it will probably be my grandson who will come to guide you."

"The waters of Guanglu Lake are strange, and there are spirits living in it. Ordinary people can't sail a boat. I taught him the skill, and then scolded and beat him a few times, so that he would know how to talk to immortals. Now his boating skills are even better than mine."

The old man's voice was soft, and his face was wrinkled, as if he were smiling.

Han Jieliu stood at the bow of the boat, watching it slowly move forward, parting the waves. He was neither in a hurry nor rushed, and casually asked a question.

"Grandpa, your grandson is with you, but where has your son gone?"

The old man's pride remained undiminished, and upon hearing these words, a hint of joyful smugness even shone through as he smiled and said...

"Immortal, my son discovered the spiritual aperture back then, and was taken in by that farmer to cultivate under him."

"I haven't seen him for a long time. Fifty years ago, he suddenly sent someone to bring me his grandson and a letter, saying that he was going into seclusion to cultivate and become an immortal as soon as possible, and asked me to take care of his grandson."

"My child seems to have been enlightened by a fairy. He was originally illiterate, but the letter he wrote was long and detailed. I have been rowing a boat all my life, how could I possibly understand such things?"

"So I took it to the schoolteacher next to me and had him read it to me. After reading it, the teacher didn't say anything, but just mumbled a few words, sighed, and told me to raise my grandchildren well and so on."

"Immortal, isn't this world strange? People who can't even understand letters can become teachers. Isn't that misleading students?"

The old man kept talking incoherently.

Han Jieliu recalled events from over fifty years ago, seemingly during the time when the Han family was in Daizhuang. He remained silent for a moment, understanding the situation, and did not speak.

The old man had rowed his boat all his life and had never left this place. All his memories were from decades ago, when his children had left home and the Zhuang, Yuan, and Wang families stood side by side.

Few cultivators here were willing to chat with him, and when he started talking about his son, he almost became extremely frustrated.

He spoke at length, which made him catch his breath again. He looked at Han Jieliu with hope.

"Immortal, what is your surname? The Zhuang family is a prominent family in Huannan. Do you know them? Have you heard of them?"

"But the Zhuang family seems to be quite far from here. My child hasn't sent any letters in a long time. In all these years, it's rare to see any immortals with the surname Zhuang come to this place, so I can't even ask them to say a word."

"Immortal, you say there's a difference between immortals and mortals. My child... has he become an immortal?"

The old man spoke at length, but Han Jieliu's mind was elsewhere. Standing on the boat, he was unusually drowsy and didn't hear a word he said.

In the end, he only heard the last sentence clearly and answered softly.

"He has become an immortal... perhaps he has become an immortal. If your child has become an immortal, he must have cast aside all emotions and desires, which is why he hasn't come back to see you..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boat reached the shore and fell silent for a moment.

Han Jieliu said no more, left the boat, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, a thought came to mind.

"No wonder that [Red Dust Cave Qi] had to go to the mortal world to collect it; so that's what it meant to collect it."

Han Jieliu was filled with many thoughts, but then he heard muffled water sounds and sobbing behind him.

It sounded like the gentle lapping of a small boat, like the rushing current in a lake lapping against the reeds on the shore, or even like the soft weeping of an old heron that could not catch any fish.

Perhaps the silence just now had already provided an answer. The old man had realized something long ago. Han Jieliu did not turn around and walked straight into the market.

When a vast lake begins to weep, the turmoil of his life is revealed, and what can he do about it?