Dongting Immortal Clan

Late at night.

Chen Xiaohu fed him the medicine every half hour.

They were still unconscious, and the medicine had to be forced down their throats. Chen Xiaohu wasn't in a hurry anymore; if they couldn't swallow it, he would take a break and force-feed it again once they had swallowed it.

Old Zhang hadn't slept; he sat on the doorstep, getting up every now and then to check on the three of them.

Each time, I would first check his breathing, then his pulse, and then lift his eyelids to check his pupils.

The old man's expression remained calm, and Chen Xiaohu dared not ask any further questions.

In the latter half of the night, the moon emerged from the clouds.

The moonlight shone into the courtyard, gradually turning it silvery-white.

Chen Xiaohu remembered the small cauldron, which had always been locked in his father's room; it was the biggest secret in his family.

……

As dawn approached, Chen Dajiang woke up.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the thatched roof of his west room, with chili peppers and garlic hanging from the rafters.

He was stunned for a moment, his head throbbing, before he gradually recalled what had happened yesterday.

"The boat capsized, Father fainted, and Changhe was dragged into the water by that thing..."

Chen Dajiang held his forehead, his mind a blur. He tried to get up but found he couldn't muster any strength and rolled off the bed.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Xiaohu immediately came over to check. Seeing his older brother lying on the ground, he quickly helped him up, exclaiming with delight:

"Big brother, you're awake!"

Chen Dajiang propped himself up on his arms, his whole body aching, and muttered to himself:

"Get me a bowl of water."

Chen Xiaohu quickly poured a bowl of water from the kettle on the table.

Chen Dajiang finished his drink in one gulp, and only then did the dryness in his throat ease a little. He asked in a hoarse voice:

"Where are Father and Changhe?"

"They are more seriously injured than you, and they haven't woken up yet."

Chen Dajiang's heart sank. He got up and was about to walk outside when Chen Xiaohu quickly helped him up and they moved step by step toward the main room.

When Chen Dajiang arrived at his father's bedroom, he saw his father lying on the bed with a pale face, and his heart clenched.

Looking down again, I saw my second brother lying on the floor, covered with two blankets. His face was as pale as paper, his lips were bluish-purple, and I could barely hear him breathing.

"Uncle Zhang said that whether Second Brother can recover depends on himself," Chen Xiaohu said in a muffled voice, standing behind him.

At this moment, Old Zhang brought a bowl of porridge from the kitchen, which contained some unknown medicinal herbs and scraps of meat.

"Eat something first to regain your strength. Someone has to hold the Chen family together."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dajiang took the porridge and swallowed it in large gulps.

After he finished drinking, a rosy glow appeared on his face. He turned to look at the old man and asked in a low voice:

"Uncle Zhang..."

"What exactly is in the east of that lake?"

Old Zhang found a chair and sat down. He pulled out his pipe from behind his waist and was about to light it when he glanced at the two people lying in the room and silently put the pipe down.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, his voice low and deep.

"I don't know the specifics, but I heard people say when I was young that there's something suppressing at the bottom of this lake, but no one knows what it is."

"To suppress something?"

Chen Dajiang frowned.

"These are just rumors, don't take them seriously..."

Old Zhang waved his hand and sighed:

"The lake is not safe these days, so you should avoid going there."

"That thing is injured and shouldn't come out again for a while. After spring arrives, a celestial master will naturally take care of this matter."

Old Zhang was unwilling to say too much, and Chen Dajiang didn't press him for details. He asked Chen Xiaohu to get another bowl of porridge from the stove so that he could slowly regain his strength.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Chen Chuansheng woke up when the sun was high in the sky.

When he opened his eyes, his vision was somewhat cloudy. He was stunned for a moment before he realized he was in his own home. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but no sound came out.

Chen Dajiang noticed the commotion, put his ear close, and then he heard him say "snake".

"Father, that thing has been driven away."

Chen Dajiang comforted his father while pouring him water.

After drinking some water, Chen Chuansheng felt noticeably better. He turned his head and saw Chen Changhe lying on the floor, and his eyes suddenly reddened.

That dream was actually real...

"Dad, how are you feeling?"

Chen Xiaohu leaned close to her father and asked in a low voice.

"How is your second brother?" Chen Chuansheng didn't answer, but instead pressed for an answer.

Chen Xiaohu hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth:

"Uncle Zhang said he injured his meridians, but his breathing has now stabilized and he is no longer in danger of dying."

"only……"

"Just what?"

Chen Chuansheng looked at his youngest son.

Chen Xiaohu said in a low voice, "I think the flame in Second Brother's heart has been extinguished, and he will probably have to start his cultivation all over again."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuansheng's eyes vacated, his grayish-white pupils devoid of much emotion.

After a long silence, he finally spoke softly.

"It's good that you're alive."

……

Chen Dajiang fed his father half a bowl of porridge.

Chen Chuansheng ate very slowly, chewing each bite carefully. When he was halfway through, he suddenly stopped and said to Chen Xiaohu:

"Go and invite your Uncle Zhang over for me."

Chen Xiaohu responded and hurriedly went out to the east side of the village.

Old Zhang stayed up all night, and after Chen Dajiang woke up, he left some medicine and went home.

Before long, Chen Xiaohu and Old Zhang entered the house together.

Upon seeing that Chen Chuansheng had woken up, the old man immediately went forward to feel his pulse.

After a moment, Old Zhang said:

"The pulse has stabilized, there's nothing else to worry about, but you can't do heavy work for three months."

"Brother Zhang."

"Thank you for yesterday."

Chen Chuansheng rose to bow.

"Brother Chen, there's no need for such a grand gesture."

Old Zhang helped him up and replied in a deep voice.

"Yesterday your second son came to me to learn boxing. I saw that he was resolute and adaptable, so I decided to take him in as my godson and pass on my mantle."

Old Zhang continued, "At noon, I came to your house to discuss this matter, but I heard from Xiao Hu'er that you had an accident on the lake..."

"Fortunately, both the eldest and second sons had already entered the Xuan realm, and they managed to hold on until I arrived thanks to their immortal cultivation methods."

As he spoke, Old Zhang's expression hardened slightly as he looked at Chen Chuansheng.

……

Chen Chuansheng trembled upon hearing this, remained silent for a moment, and then said helplessly:

"But I don't know how Brother Zhang figured it out."

"In my early years, I worked as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and I met many Xuanmen (Taoist) cultivators. I naturally had some knowledge of their methods."

Old Zhang smiled and said repeatedly:

"Your eldest and second sons should be first-level immortal cultivators, but Little Hu'er is now shining with light, so it won't be long before he can enter the second level."

Seeing that Old Zhang's words were certain, Chen Chuansheng's expression changed several times, and finally, as if relieved, he said with a wistful tone:

"I see, Brother Zhang has a good eye."

"Since you know about this place, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me... Our family's secret techniques have long been lost, leaving only fragments."

"Oh?" Old Zhang was taken aback, a strange look appearing in his eyes.

"If they didn't have the cultivation techniques, how did they break through the barrier and enter the path of immortality?" He looked at Chen Dajiang and Chen Xiaohu.

"It was all thanks to my eldest son. By sheer chance, he caught a few magic clams in the lake."

Chen Chuansheng slowly said, "The clam contained a golden pearl, full of spiritual energy, which is why it was able to cultivate itself by chance."

"I went to the lake yesterday to see if I could find a few more spirit clams as a gift for recognizing my relatives."

"Who would have thought that we would encounter trouble on the lake, causing my two children to suffer along with me."

"Ugh."

At this point, Chen Chuansheng's eyes welled up with tears, and he burst into sobs.

Old Zhang shook his head and said in a low voice:

"Brother Chen, I thought about this matter of recognizing relatives for each other for half the night yesterday, and I still feel it's not appropriate."

Why is that?

Chen Chuansheng looked up and said in a deep voice:

"You saved my family's life. Not only Changhe, but Dajiang and Hu'er should also call you godfather."

"This matter..."

Old Zhang scratched his head, sat down on the edge of the bed, put his hands on his knees, thought for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice.

"Actually, I once followed a master to cultivate in my early years. He looked at my destiny and predicted that I was born with five deficiencies and three lacks, and that I would not be able to have children."

"I'm afraid that having the children recognize me as their godfather would be a disservice to them."

Old Zhang even believed that Chen Changhe's current coma was due to his own destiny.

After all, this isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Chen Chuansheng was silent for a moment, then said seriously:

"Brother Zhang."

"We're family, so let's not stand on ceremony. From now on, you're a member of the Chen family."

Old Zhang's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't know how to start.

He is over seventy years old and now lives in the village. Children often ask him where he comes from. His relatives, his friends, and everything he knows are now just memories.

Family...

These are unfamiliar words.

He lowered his head, looked at his large, fan-like hands, and remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, Chen Dajiang shouted loudly:

"Godfather".

That call sounded perfectly natural.

Old Zhang's body trembled, and he looked up at Chen Dajiang, his eyes slightly red.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but responded with a trembling voice.

"Why."

Chen Xiaohu also came over and called out in a clear voice.

"Godfather!"

Old Zhang let out another "Hey!" This time, he smiled and reached out to pat Chen Xiaohu's head.

Looking at the two figures, one big and one small, the old man's eyes became somewhat dazed.

"Xiao Yu'er was about the same age as Xiao Hu'er back then, wasn't she?"

"well……"