Mysterious mirror hanging high

Suddenly someone patted his back. Zhao Yuanchen turned around and saw that it was his sister.

"What are you standing there for? Go in."

Zhao Yuanxi was wearing an ice-blue robe today, which was a genuine high-level robe that could defend against magic. The ice flower hairpin on his hair was also a high-quality auxiliary magic tool. Over the past ten years, Zhao Yuanxi did not blindly accept protection under Jing Yu. Instead, he took the initiative to develop a lot of his own connections and accumulate reputation. Now, in addition to the spiritual resources provided by Jing Yu, more than half of them were earned by himself.

Today was the day to send her father off for the last time, so Fairy Yuan Xi's expression was naturally not very good. Seeing her own brother lingering at the door and not moving, she couldn't help but sigh, walked up to Zhao Yuanchen, patted him on the shoulder, and pushed open the door.

Zhao Yuanchen followed behind Zhao Yuanxi, dodging all the way to the bedroom, but saw the haggard Zhao Chengyan lying on the bed, breathing weakly. His mother, who was already showing signs of old age, was holding his father's withered hand with a worried look on her face, sighing constantly.

"Mother, Father! Yuan Chen and I are back!" Zhao Yuanxi's eyes reddened and he whispered.

Zhao Yuanchen hid behind Zhao Yuanxi, his face flushed red. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. The originally smooth cuffs of his robe were tightly grasped by him, causing many wrinkles.

Mu Pei turned around and saw his two flesh and blood. He could no longer hold back his tears. He threw himself on Zhao Yuanxi and began to cry softly.

Zhao Chengyan, who was lying on the bed with his breath barely moving, looked a little more listless. His eyes moved and looked at the two children. A tear fell from the corner of his eye and he mumbled something incoherently.

Zhao Yuanxi comforted his mother, lifted the hem of his robe, squatted in front of his father's bed, held the withered hand that looked like thorns, and spoke slowly, saying:

"Father! My daughter and I have received the letter you sent. Everything is fine in Xiaoyao Immortal City."

"My uncle's magical powers have just begun to develop. He has made friends with many descendants of noble families and sects in the Immortal City, and has gained a great reputation. My daughter is under his protection and is very popular in the city. Everyone she meets calls her "Fairy Yuan Xi."

"My daughter is now at the sixth level of Qi training. Her progress isn't fast, but she has a solid foundation and is cultivating her body. She's on a steady path. If nothing unexpected happens, she'll be ready to build her foundation within twenty years. By then, she'll have truly shed her mortal body and have hope of achieving immortality!"

Zhao Yuanxi paused and continued:

"Father, your letter seems to indicate concern for my marriage. My daughter has devoted her life to the pursuit of immortality and has no interest in romantic relationships... But if my path to immortality ends, as a member of the Zhao family, I will find a suitable husband to continue our family line. Please rest assured, father."

Zhao Chengyan forced a smile onto his lips, closed his eyes, nodded, pulled out his withered hand, and gently patted the back of Zhao Yuanxi's hand, all the words he wanted to say were melted in it.

Zhao Yuanxi turned his head and looked at Zhao Yuanchen. After hesitating for a while, he said:

"My brother... has become much more sensible over the years. He hasn't been to the Willow Garden to have fun for a long time!"

"I also tried to learn a lot of mortal skills. Although I didn't achieve anything special, at least my sincerity is commendable. I have the thought of supplementing the family income, which is a rare mentality."

"The good thing is that I've made some progress in the body training. Now that I've mastered the Iron Sand Body, I can be called a Body Refiner!"

"Brother, come over here and let father take a look!"

With Zhao Yuanxi's scolding, Zhao Yuanchen, who was in a daze, woke up as if from a dream. He cried out "Ah" and subconsciously walked forward and knelt in front of Zhao Chengyan's bed. Looking at his father with sunken cheeks, his mind exploded with a "boom" and he seemed to see what he would look like in the future.

Zhao Chengyan raised his hand and pinched Zhao Yuanchen's arm with difficulty. Although he was already exhausted at this time, his physical training was far superior to Zhao Yuanchen's, and he still pinched his good-for-nothing son so hard that it hurt.

Feeling the toughness of Zhao Yuanchen's arms, Zhao Chengyan seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief, and a look of relief flashed in his eyes.

Zhao Yuanchen felt desolate at this moment, thinking:

"My father has toiled all his life, and now he's so pleased to see a playboy like me barely making it to the threshold of physical cultivation. It seems his life has come full circle, but what does it mean?"

"Aside from my uncle and my sister, both of whom are cultivators, my father possesses the highest physical talent among the mortals of the Zhao family. Yet, in the end, he's still stuck in this tiny Wushan market. What hope is there in such a life... Is he just hoping to see his worthless son shed a few tears before he dies?"

----

Perhaps it was because of seeing the siblings Yuan Chen and Yuan Xi that Zhao Chengyan, who had been holding his breath, finally died that night. That night, white cloth was hung on the beams in the courtyard, and a simple mourning hall was quickly set up.

Everyone kept vigil for Zhao Chengyan in the mourning hall for three full days before lifting his coffin and burying him next to Zhao Mingyu's grave outside the market town.

After all, Mu Shan and Zhao Chenghuan were too old, and Mu Pei was too sad and had fainted several times from crying. The three of them were a little exhausted and went back first, leaving only Jing Yu, Zhao Yuanxi and Zhao Yuanchen to guard the two small graves side by side for a few days of worship and protection.

Jing Yu sat cross-legged in front of Zhao Mingyu's grave, took out the iron box containing the Black Blood Taoist's head from the storage bag, took out the head of this beast, and placed it in front of the grave for worship.

"Uncle, who exactly is this cultivator? That day in the Langhuo Blessed Land, you only said that he had a grudge against you, but you never said what the grudge was." Zhao Yuanxi was also puzzled. Logically speaking, since Jing Yu had established his immortal foundation, he had been staying in Xiaoyao Immortal City and had not even ventured into the secret realm outside the city. How could he have the opportunity to have a grudge with a foundation-building cultivator?

Jing Yu told Zhao Yuanxi the story of the feud between the Black Blood Taoist and the Zhao family, which made him suddenly realize.

Jing Yu said calmly, "Back when my eldest brother, Crown Prince Mingyang, was still alive, although the heirs to the throne had some friction behind the scenes, they still acted like brothers, respectful and friendly."

"If Prince Mingyang hadn't died, the brothers wouldn't have ended up fighting each other."

“So there is such a past.”

Zhao Yuanxi's expression was complicated. "I was wondering why my grandmother was so obsessed with spiritual roots, and why she placed so much importance on my brother before I was six years old. She didn't think either of us would have spiritual roots, and instead placed her hopes on my brother's future offspring."

Jing Yu was silent for a long time, staring at Zhao Yuanchen. "It's just that after Yuan Xi's spiritual roots were detected, your grandmother shouldn't have just ignored Yuan Chen like that... She even felt some regret before her death. Oh! Third sister was a wise woman throughout her life, and there were only a few times when she became confused. By treating Yuan Chen differently like this, aren't you afraid that Yuan Chen will resent her and make a big mistake?"

Zhao Yuanchen, who had been distraught, finally showed a look of sudden enlightenment on his face. He closed his eyes and shook his head: "Uncle, grandma may have felt a little sorry for me before she died, but she didn't think that my resentment was a big mistake. Now I finally understand..."

"In this world of immortal cultivation, no matter how evil a mortal is, he is only a minor evildoer. Without spiritual roots, he doesn't even have the qualifications to commit a major crime!"