Steady Mortal Path: Starting from Obtaining the Golden Core Inheritance

The State of Yue, in the northwest.

Huangling Mountains.

The peaks stand tall and verdant, shrouded in thick fog year-round.

At the foot of the mountain, rows of fertile fields are neatly arranged, and occasionally one can see the figures of people working hard.

At the end of the country path is a 'gathering place' that resembles a village.

At the entrance stands a white jade stele about ten feet tall, inscribed with the powerful characters "Huangling Fangshi".

An old horse-drawn carriage drove up, and two men and two women got out, looking around curiously.

Of the four, a man and a woman were dressed in silk robes and bore a resemblance in their features; both appeared to be from wealthy families.

The other man and woman were dressed in simple cloth, looking rather shabby.

The man was holding the horse's reins, and the woman was carrying a bundle, looking every bit like a servant.

Lin Changsheng gripped the horse's reins tightly, trying his best to hide his excitement.

"This is the legendary gathering place for cultivators? It's a bit different from what I imagined, but at least I feel at ease."

There really are cultivators in this world!

So, those bizarre and fantastical scenes I've been repeatedly dreaming about might actually be real...

This year marks the nineteenth year since Lin Changsheng traveled from Earth.

He was born in a mountain village near Longshan County in the Yue Kingdom.

When I was four years old, the harvest started to decline, and the grain yield decreased for several consecutive years.

When I was six years old, the crops kept falling, and there was no more food left in the family to feed the four children.

Lin Changsheng is the third child in his family, with two older brothers and a younger sister.

The two older brothers have grown up and can help with some of the chores; the younger sister is still an infant crying in her swaddling clothes.

After discussing it at home, Lin's father managed to save a small bag of grain and bribe an old servant of a wealthy family in Longshan County.

For three taels and three ounces of silver, he sold his three sons to the Li family in the county town to work as servants.

When the harvest is bad, human life becomes worthless...

At this moment, Li Manting, a young girl dressed in a silk embroidered dress, turned to look at Lin Changsheng and another maid, and gave the order:

"Brother Lin, Xiao'e, it has been truly difficult for you to escort my brother and me in our search for immortal traces for the past three years. Now you may return to the Li family in Longshan County and use this letter to reclaim your indentures and regain your freedom."

The girl was only fourteen or fifteen years old, but she was already a beauty with a delicate and graceful temperament.

As they spoke, he took out a letter that he had prepared beforehand and handed it over.

The maid Xiao'e's face lit up with joy. Seeing that Lin Changsheng, who was holding the horse's reins, remained unmoved, she gently nudged him.

Lin Changsheng snapped out of his daze, looked at the beautiful and intelligent Miss Li before him, took a deep breath, and slowly said:

“Young Miss, I came to the Li family as a servant when I was young, and it has been thirteen years now. Not to mention the first ten years I worked diligently for the Li family, in the last three years alone, I have dealt with several bandits and wild beasts while escorting the young master and young lady, which is why the four of us arrived here safely... Whether it is merit or hard work, I want to use my thirteen years of loyalty as a servant to exchange for a chance to become an immortal.”

Lin Changsheng looked somewhat uneasy, and tightened his grip on the horse's reins slightly.

"Lin Sangou, you need to know your place. Don't take advantage of my sister's easygoing nature! Go ask around in Longshan County. Besides my Li family, where else would you find someone who voluntarily terminates their contract and returns their indenture? You brat, you actually dare to dream of becoming an immortal?"

Another young man dressed in silk, Li Xuewu, frowned, his tone full of dissatisfaction.

Lin San Gou is Lin Chang Sheng's real name in this life.

Lin Changsheng ignored Li Xuewu's dissatisfaction and continued to look at the girl in front of him with anticipation.

Li Manting looked at the gentle, handsome man in front of her and remained silent.

Suddenly, I remembered the older brother who used to take good care of me when I was little.

It left a ripple in the girl's delicate heart.

As she grew older, she realized that the two had different social statuses, and began to intentionally distance herself from each other.

From then on, they were no different from ordinary masters and slaves.

……

Soon after, the Li siblings entered the market.

"Brother Lin, I've heard that to become a Celestial Master, one must have spiritual roots. People like us shouldn't even dream about it. Why don't you come back with me?"

Xiao'e clutched the letter and money tightly, looking at Lin Changsheng with hopeful eyes.

"Now that we've been freed from slavery and have money, if you don't mind, marry me. We can go back, rent a few acres of good land, buy some household items, and make a living. In a few years, we can have a few children..."

As Xiao'e spoke, she pressed her body against mine, and I could feel the girl's soft body even through her clothes.

Xiao'e is sixteen years old this year, and she is considered quite pretty among the maids in the Li family.

Xiao'e had already developed feelings for Lin Changsheng, who was also a household slave and had a handsome appearance. She had hinted to him several times during the journey that they should live together after she returned and was freed from her slave status.

The falling flowers are sentimental, but the flowing water is indifferent. Lin Changsheng is focused on finding a path to immortality and pretends not to understand.

Later, because the journey was tedious and boring, Li Xuewu, being the young master, suggested that Xiao'e accompany him to bed.

These customs were quite common in wealthy households.

Miss Li Manting didn't say much.

From then on, Xiao'e began to avoid looking at Lin Changsheng.

Bringing up old stories today is not only a temptation, but also a test.

If young master Li Xuewu continues to hold onto the family business, then her status as a favored maid will naturally rise accordingly.

Once the young master gets married, there's a high probability she'll be taken as a concubine and live a life of wealth and privilege.

But now that the young master has left home to seek immortality, he will naturally not be her support in the future.

We have no choice but to find another way out.

It wasn't that she absolutely had to marry Lin Changsheng, but without a man by her side, she, a woman alone, simply couldn't protect so much gold, silver, and valuables.

Of course, if Lin Changsheng doesn't mind, she still wants to entrust the rest of her life to this man.

Over the past three years of close contact, she discovered that Lin Changsheng was not only refined and handsome, but also possessed remarkable martial arts skills. She felt very at ease whenever he was by her side.

"Xiao'e, even if we escape our slave status, we'll still be just ordinary poor farmers, toiling away for a full meal. Now that we've finally found a sliver of opportunity after traversing mountains and rivers, wouldn't we regret it for the rest of our lives if we couldn't seize it?"

Looking at Xiao'e's delicate and charming appearance, with a shy and hesitant expression, Lin Changsheng, oblivious to romance, sighed and said...

Now that it's confirmed that cultivators exist in this world, how could Lin Changsheng be willing to return to a mundane, ordinary life?

When he first arrived here, Lin Changsheng didn't know much about his surroundings and had many unrealistic ideas.

Ultimately, they discovered that in this rigid feudal society, even possessing a different soul was of no use.

To become an official, one needed a clean identity, to attend a private school, to pay tuition to the teacher, and to find someone to vouch for one's participation in the imperial examinations.

He studied diligently for ten years without participating in labor or production, relying on his family to support his education.

People often say that those who are poor can study literature, while those who are rich can engage in martial arts. Even studying literature requires money!

Although he possessed a soul different from that of his time, he was ultimately just an ordinary person with no particular advantages.

Even talented people often live their entire lives in frustration and unfulfilled potential.

To succeed in business, one needs not only a certain social standing and the protection of a clan background, but also the ability to do so.

With countless exorbitant taxes and levies, it was virtually impossible for a poor peasant to rise above his social class.

Just being alive and well is already a feat in itself.

During my years as a slave in the Li family, although I had to be mindful of others' moods, I never had to worry about food or clothing.

As he grew older, Lin Changsheng kept having the same dream.

It seems to be the splendid life of another cultivator, which he always observes from the perspective of an outsider.

I don't know why, but the dream started out very clear, but became blurry as it went on.

Therefore, Lin Changsheng only memorized some worldly martial arts techniques in his dreams.

After several years of practice, the results were surprisingly good!

It was only through these worldly martial arts techniques that Lin Changsheng was able to defeat the fierce bandits and beasts along the way and arrive at Huangling Market, a place where cultivators gathered.