Qiu Zu: From an apprentice in a medicine shop to an immortal ancestor.

The grass carp that Uncle Li sent was very plump, weighing a full four jin and six liang.

That day, the Qiu family killed the fish and made a full fish feast.

With Qiu Zhen's cultivation level, he had already reached the state of 'feeding on wind and dew,' rarely eating grains and worldly meat; at the very least, it had to be the meat of ferocious beasts to satisfy him.

This time, he indulged his appetite, eating a lot of fish and drinking several bowls of fish soup.

The taste…

The taste was very delicious, no less so than that grass carp from back then.

Even the eldest brother, Qiu Qing, praised the grass carp, going to the kitchen again and again.

However, the delicious fish soup and fish meat did not enter Qiu Qing's stomach; with a turn, he disappeared at the foot of the mountain behind the yard.

Qiu Zhen couldn't help but shake his head as he saw his elder brother carrying the tray into the Qiu Zhen Valley.

In the past, his elder brother Qiu Qing would think of him for anything good, but now it was different, his eyes were full of 'Yin'er'.

"Xiao Zhen, where's your brother?"

Qiu's mother came to the backyard, looking around with a strange expression on her face:

"I just saw him, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye."

"Brother probably went to the back mountain to practice martial arts."

"Practicing martial arts is a good thing, but he can't delay important matters. These days, your brother has been acting strangely and unwilling to talk about matchmaking."

Speaking, Qiu's mother looked worried, her face full of concern:

"Tell me, did your brother encounter some fox spirit on the mountain and get bewitched by a demon?"

Qiu Zhen was astonished.

Good heavens.

His mother's intuition was really accurate.

It's just that his elder brother Qiu Qing wasn't bewitched by a fox spirit, but was 'hiding a beauty in a golden house'.

When it comes to finding a wife, he was more active than anyone else, and almost 'eloped' with someone.

Qiu Zhen smiled:

"Mother, with me here, how could elder brother be bewitched by a fox spirit in the mountains?"

"That's true."

Qiu's mother nodded upon hearing this, deeply believing in her youngest son's words, but she still had worry on her face:

"Originally, a good marriage with the Liang family's youngest daughter, they took a fancy to our family, and the two of them were in love with each other, alas, it's really fate playing tricks on people…"

Speaking, Qiu's mother sighed heavily:

"In the past two years, our family has been thriving and prosperous, living a wealthy life. Your father and I have no other thoughts, just hoping to have grandsons and granddaughters and live a life of doting on our grandchildren, watching other people's children is truly envious…"

Qiu Zhen silently nodded, not surprised by the thoughts of Qiu's father and mother.

"Mother, don't worry, brother will soon marry a wife and have children, you don't need to worry."

"Your brother is sad right now, so it's not good to rush him."

Qiu's mother was very understanding, waving her hand, then looked at Qiu Zhen:

"Xiao Zhen, how about you…"

"Ouch, my stomach hurts, Mother, I'll go to the outhouse first, we can talk about anything else another day."

In a flash, his figure disappeared.

Qiu's mother looked helpless.

Qiu Zhen Valley.

"Luckily I ran fast!"

Qiu Zhen fled into the valley, secretly rejoicing.

Successfully avoiding a 'marriage urging'.

The shadow of 'marriage urging' from the previous life had not yet dissipated, and this time, even as a cultivator, he still had the trouble of 'marriage urging'.

Of course, Qiu Zhen wasn't surprised.

Passing on the family line and having offspring is a major event in the hearts of Qiu's father and mother, their greatest wish after living a wealthy life.

Qiu Zhen fully understood.

It's just that, as a monk, it's not good for him to marry and have children.

Returning to the small courtyard in the valley.

Qiu Zhen routinely watered the immortal vine spirit root first, and then went to see Bai Shu, who was sleeping.

Speaking of which, without paying attention for a day, some changes had occurred in the sleeping Bai Shu.

On the futon, the fox fur was burned to ashes, and a layer of shimmering light grew on Bai Shu's curled-up body, enveloping him completely.

Under the heavy shimmering light, Bai Shu's figure became somewhat blurred, like a giant silkworm cocoon.

"Little Jujube, when did the changes on Bai Shu's body start?"

"I don't know, last night I saw the mountain of trophies and focused all my attention on the treasures."

Little Jujube scratched his head, somewhat worried:

"Young master, Bai Shu's aura is becoming weak, will something happen to him…"

"It's okay, it's a good thing."

Qiu Zhen's discerning eyes looked around, not worried at all.

Bai Shu's spirit soul in the light cocoon was in a deep sleep, not lively, but steady and powerful, revealing an obscure aura.

Bai Shu's aura became weak, not because the situation was deteriorating, but because life was undergoing a transformation.

The temporary weakening of the aura was to build momentum for 'rebirth from the cocoon' in the future.

Once he breaks out of the cocoon one day, Bai Shu will be reborn and transformed.

"The situation seems to be better than expected."

Qiu Zhen was sincerely happy for Bai Shu, and his heart became more and more expectant.

He wondered which fox clan power Bai Shu had a greater affinity with, and where his bloodline leap would lead.

Just as Qiu Zhen was secretly anticipating, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard.

The visitors were none other than the eldest brother Qiu Qing and Liang Yin, who had finished their meal.

To be precise, it was Liang Yin who was looking for him.

Yesterday, after learning that her father Liang Wei was arrested, and also knowing that the dowry Liang's father left her was extremely rare and precious, she cried a lot last night.

Qiu Zhen, who was counting the spoils in the small courtyard next door, could hear clearly without using his divine sense.

After a night, although there were still a few lingering sorrows on Liang Yin's face, her emotions were obviously much more stable. When she saw Qiu Zhen, her tone was somewhat low, but her face revealed a bit of determination:

"Second Young Master, I've figured it out. Before the incident, Father had arranged the funeral affairs early, presumably hoping that I could live a good life and not let him down."

Qiu Zhen smiled:

"Sister Yin'er, it's good that you can think like this."

"Yeah."

Liang Yin nodded, handing the brocade bag in her hand to Qiu Zhen:

"I plan to give Qing Ge and myself one [Bone Returning Marrow Cleansing Pill] each, but we don't know how to take the elixir, please teach us, Second Young Master."

Qiu Zhen smiled slightly:

"Sister Yin'er, Uncle Yin took two [Bone Returning Marrow Cleansing Pills] as dowry, presumably to let you find a man to entrust your life to, marry you into the family, and then the two of you will take the elixir together, you can't take it now."

Liang Yin was surprised at first.

In fact, given her current situation, she basically had no choice but to choose to believe in the Qiu family, bet everything, and have no way out.

It was precisely because of this that she immediately approached Qiu's Second Young Master after only one night to express her attitude.

However, Qiu Zhen's response surprised her somewhat, and she was very surprised by Qiu Zhen's candor.

Of course, in addition to surprise, Liang Yin also heard the implication, and was very pleasantly surprised:

"Second Young Master, do you mean…"

"That's right, you two are not married yet. Wait until the day elder brother marries you properly, and then you can take it!"

Although Liang Yin and Qiu Qing were delighted and excited when they heard Qiu Zhen's words, they did not dare to have too much hope and were skeptical.

Qiu Zhen did not explain too much, but silently waited for the storm to pass.

In a flash, a month passed.

With Liang Wei's arrest, neither the government nor the Demon Suppression Division conducted large-scale searches for the Liang family.

Immediately afterwards, with the help of some people, the news that the Nascent Soul old monster 'Dan Yuanzi' had obtained the [Dragon Lord's Dan Book] spread like wildfire, causing a sensation in the cultivation world and becoming widespread in the Jianghu.

The news was very detailed, as if there was conclusive evidence.

The court and the outside world paid attention to the Liang family, seeking only the [Dragon Lord's Dan Book].

Now that the Dan Book had an owner, it was suspected to have fallen into Dan Yuanzi's hands.

Once the news fermented, the Liang family was no longer the target of public criticism, and no one paid attention anymore; the storm had passed.

Three more days passed.

Qiu Family Village was incredibly lively, with firecrackers popping and drums beating.

A magnificent wedding procession emerged from outside Qiu Family Village.

The bridal sedan was ornately decorated with exquisite silk curtains and auspicious patterns.

The band played festive music along the way, attracting groups of children from the village and the road to chase after the wedding procession.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

In the carriage, the Qiu family's elder was tossing exquisite candies, attracting the children to scramble for them, creating a chorus of laughter.

Even many adults joined the candy-grabbing frenzy.

With music playing and villagers grabbing candy along the way, everyone shared the joyous atmosphere, making it an extraordinary spectacle.

The wedding procession departed from Qiu Family Village and headed towards Qingmu City, entering the city gates and arriving directly at the An residence.

Indeed, it was the residence of his master, An Jishi.

Seeing that the storm over the Chonglou Commerce's Liang family case had passed, Qiu Zhen seized the opportunity to approach his master, An Jishi, again, requesting him to communicate with the imperial court.

The next day, his master, An Jishi, paid a visit to General Xu Guangmou, the Demon Suppression General.

Upon returning, his master and mistress adopted Liang Yin as their goddaughter, changing her name and surname, making her the current An Yin.

Before long, Liang Yin, dressed in a phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes, with a red veil over her head, was led onto the bridal sedan by Qiu Qing.

Soon, the wedding procession returned to Qiu Family Village.

In the Qiu family's main hall, Liang Yin stepped over the brazier, and under the officiant's guidance, first paid respects to heaven and earth, giving thanks for creation;

Then, she paid respects to her elders, bowing to her parents;

Finally, the bride and groom bowed to each other.

Neither the Qiu family nor the An residence held a grand celebration or invited a wide range of guests, but all the procedures were followed according to custom, making it a true and formal wedding.

Of course, although Qiu Zhen chose to keep a low profile and not hold a grand celebration, the scale was still considerable.

Tong Yuncong, Yu Lanyin, the Hong brothers, Liu Kang, and others, his fellow disciples and colleagues from Medicine King Valley, all came to offer congratulations and drink wedding wine.

Although the Medicine King Valley's sect leader and elders did not personally attend the banquet, they sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts.

The congratulations from the Medicine King Valley were not surprising.

After all, Qiu Zhen was a rising star of Medicine King Valley, and everyone gave him face.

For a time, Qiu Family Village was extremely lively, with dozens of tables set up for a flowing banquet, filled with guests.

Although Qiu Zhen was not the groom, he was the busiest.

Besides the Qiu family members and guests from neighboring villages, whom the Qiu family elder and Qiu's father could help with, he had to personally entertain all the other guests.

After all, most of the guests were coming for him, not his elder brother, Qiu Qing.

All morning, Qiu Zhen was busy welcoming guests, enjoying himself immensely. It was not until noon, when fewer guests arrived, that he had time to rest.

However, he did not rest; instead, he found two people among the guests and brought them to a remote and deserted place.

"Brother Zhen!"

Zhao Dou and Shen Liang were initially excited to see Qiu Zhen looking for them, but their expressions soon turned somewhat黯然.

Qiu Zhen smiled at them:

"Are you envious of my elder brother?"

Zhao Dou and Shen Liang were stunned for a moment, then scratched their heads and nodded honestly.

"Two clueless fools!"

Qiu Zhen shook his head secretly, inwardly complaining.

For the past two years, he had been waiting for Zhao Dou and Shen Liang to approach him.

For him, supporting Zhao Dou and Shen Liang in martial arts and helping them become Houtian martial artists was a trivial matter.

Unfortunately, to this day, neither of them had asked him for help.

Previously, at the pharmacy, Qiu Zhen had asked them to work for him and given them money, which they would accept, but they never proactively sought help afterwards.

"I am focused on martial arts and have no intention of managing family affairs. My elder brother alone may find it difficult to cope. If you are interested in martial arts, don't worry about the cost of training. In the future, when you have achieved success in your cultivation, I would like to ask you to help me take care of the family. I trust you two!"

Zhao Dou and Shen Liang were extremely excited upon hearing this.

Having worked at the pharmacy for many years, they were observant and perceptive, and they could not fail to understand Qiu Zhen's intention.

He clearly wanted to support them without any conditions.

With Qiu Zhen's current strength and status, he did not need their help to take care of the family.

Zhao Dou and Shen Liang were moved, their eyes slightly red:

"Brother Zhen!"

"Train hard and make a name for yourselves!"

Qiu Zhen patted them, just as he was about to say something.

At that moment, shouts of surprise came from the entrance of Qiu Family Village.

More guests had arrived to offer congratulations.

Qiu Zhen hurried to greet them.

It turned out that the Wei family from the Demon Suppression Division and the Liu family from Qingmu County had sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts.

This surprised the guests present, who began to discuss it among themselves.

Especially Kang and Liu, who, as "matchmakers," were very clear that the bride was the Liang family's daughter. Before the feast, they were surprised by Qiu Zhen's audacity, trembling and struggling with their thoughts before mustering the courage to attend the banquet.

The current situation left them dumbfounded and speechless.

Qiu Zhen, as the person most directly involved, was also somewhat surprised, but he quickly brushed it aside.

He knew that the congratulatory gift from the Liu family of Qingmu County was Yunrou Fairy's doing, a gesture from her and the Monk Zhenkong.

As for Wei Tanzhi...

Presumably, General Xu Guangmou had spoken privately, and Wei Tanzhi was representing the local Demon Suppression Division to make their stance clear.

"Wei Tanzhi is quite perceptive."

Qiu Zhen smiled slightly.

The same thing, done by different people, had different results.

If the Qiu family had no background and his elder brother dared to marry Liang Yin, martial artists from the Demon Suppression Division would have come to arrest him that day, disrupting the wedding banquet and turning a joyous occasion into a tragedy.

But now, the head of the Chang Le Prefecture Demon Suppression Division had sent a congratulatory gift.

This meant that Liang Yin had been cleared of suspicion.

From now on, Liang Yin could live a normal life, without fear, constantly worrying about being exposed.

Upon hearing this news, the worries in the hearts of Qiu's father and mother, as well as Qiu Qing and Liang Yin, vanished, and they were all incredibly excited.

—

That night, in Qiu Zhen's mountain valley.

"Young Master, it's wonderful that lovers have finally been united!"

"Yes, it's wonderful!"

Qiu Zhen retracted his divine sense.

Perhaps they were too excited.

On their wedding night, Qiu Qing and Liang Yin embraced each other, tears streaming down their faces.

However, he did not dare to watch too much.

When others disturbed the bridal chamber, they might only make mischief through the window paper, seeing nothing. But if he disturbed the bridal chamber, he would see everything clearly, like a small movie from his previous life, which would be inappropriate.

"My elder brother has finally gotten married."

Qiu Zhen exhaled a breath of turbid air.

As the saying goes, if you want to cultivate immortality, you must first cultivate humanity.

In humanity, filial piety comes first.

How could he not know Qiu's father and mother's thoughts? It was just that it was not convenient for him to marry and have children.

Now that his elder brother had married, in a way, he was marrying on his behalf.

For a moment, Qiu Zhen felt as if he had卸下了什么担子一般, and his whole body felt relaxed.

Unconsciously, his state of mind became more complete.

Nearby, Little Zaozi seemed to have noticed something, suddenly glanced over, and then looked surprised:

"Eh, Young Master, what's wrong with you? Why are you glowing all over?"