"Can this immortal cultivation technique, the 'Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body,' help an external martial artist find their sense of Qi and enter the Realm of Qi Sensing?"
Hearing these words, Kou Liang and Wei Fei exchanged glances. The sense of frustration caused by their failure to make any progress in immortal cultivation vanished instantly, replaced by intense excitement.
At this moment.
Among the four brothers, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou—the youngest, the third and fourth brothers—had already entered the Qi Sensing Realm. Internal Qi had been born within them, making them Qi Sensing Realm martial artists capable of both internal and external cultivation.
Only the two eldest remained stuck outside the Qi Sensing Realm, unable to make any headway. As the eldest and second eldest brothers, they couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat, feeling as though they were a step behind Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou.
But now, that sense of disparity was about to be erased, for they too had an opportunity to enter the Realm of Qi Sensing.
Even if the chance was slim and the hope was faint, it was far better than the "utter hopelessness" of before.
Furthermore, once they entered the Qi Sensing Realm, their martial prowess would increase. Following Wei Tu's precedent, they could participate in the provincial martial examinations and be commissioned as eighth-rank martial officers.
To them, this was an opportunity to ascend to a higher station in a single leap.
"From this, it can be seen..."
"My two sworn brothers, do not neglect your cultivation of the immortal techniques."
"Even if we do not become immortals, once we become Xiantian martial artists, we will have two hundred years of lifespan."
After finishing his deduction, Fu Zhizhou paused slightly, his gaze turning toward Kou Liang and Wei Fei as he offered his counsel.
For five years, there had been no progress in his immortal cultivation... Before he had found his sense of Qi, he had even once considered tearing up the manual and giving up on wasting his years.
He judged others by his own standards.
Fu Zhizhou believed that if even someone with his tenacious temperament had struggled this much, then the three of Wei Tu's group would surely be in the same boat.
They must have been on the verge of a breakdown.
This was precisely why, as soon as he made progress, he immediately sent word to arrange this reunion at Xuanhe Pavilion.
"As for the third brother..." After advising Kou Liang and Wei Fei, Fu Zhizhou turned his gaze toward Wei Tu. He momentarily found himself at a loss for words.
He could urge Kou Liang and Wei Fei to cultivate using the excuse of finding their sense of Qi, but Wei Tu was different. Wei Tu had found his sense of Qi long before him, his martial realm leading him by six whole years.
For him, practicing the immortal techniques...
Seemed... unnecessary.
"My ambition lies in seeking immortality; a little wasted time does not trouble my heart."
Seeing Fu Zhizhou's expression, Wei Tu, who had worked alongside him for a long time, immediately guessed his thoughts. He shook his head with a smile and replied.
—He possessed the "Late Bloomer" destiny, which guaranteed he would reach the Xiantian stage. By then, he would still have at least one hundred and fifty years of life to pursue the Dao, so he would not lose his drive due to a momentary setback.
"That is good then." Hearing this, Fu Zhizhou smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did he realize that although Wei Tu usually appeared stiff and solemn, he had never frequented taverns or brothels to drown his sorrows.
Clearly, he did not carry much emotional baggage.
Thinking of the pleasure quarters, Fu Zhizhou glanced at Wei Fei and couldn't help but shake his head.
Over these five years, he and Kou Liang had both established families, married, and had children.
But Wei Fei had remained unattached.
Even when Wei Tu advised him, Wei Fei remained unmoved, saying he did not want to witness the scene where his wife and children grew old and died while he achieved great immortal success.
With no wife to keep him in check and living alone in Qingshan County, Wei Fei had gradually developed a habit of frequenting the pleasure quarters, and his body was beginning to show signs of being depleted by wine and lust.
"Second Brother knows his limits. Now that there is a chance to enter the Qi Sensing Realm, he should be able to abstain from women and focus on his martial arts again," Fu Zhizhou thought to himself.
...
The banquet at Xuanhe Pavilion ended.
It was already afternoon.
Seeing that a table of fine food remained untouched, Wei Tu could not bear the waste. He had the manager pack it up and carried the food containers back home.
As soon as he entered the courtyard.
Through the doors and windows, he heard Xinghua singing a nursery rhyme inside, accompanied by the babbling sounds of their daughter.
It had been five years since the twenty-eighth year of Qing'an—four years ago.
Seven years after Wei Tu and Xinghua married, they finally had their first child.
The child was a boy.
But unfortunately, he was frail and lacked luck; he did not survive past his first month.
After Xinghua had recovered her health for over a year, she and Wei Tu had a second child.
The second child was a girl.
Once she passed her first birthday, following tradition, Xinghua gave her the childhood name "Yanyan."
"You're back?"
Inside the house, hearing the familiar footsteps, Xinghua stopped the cradle and rose to greet him, handing Wei Tu a warm towel to wash his face and wipe his sweat.
"Mhm," Wei Tu responded simply, taking the towel to wipe away the sticky sweat from his body.
They had been married for eleven years, well past the "seven-year itch." The intense passion of their early years had long since faded, and they now interacted more like inseparable kin.
A single gesture or a glance was enough for them to guess what the other was about to say.
"A few days ago, Xiao Fang came to our house again. She wants to arrange a betrothal for the child."
In the evening, while wiping Wei Tu's back, Xinghua hesitated for a moment before sharing this private matter regarding her sister-in-law.
"A betrothal?"
Hearing this, Wei Tu furrowed his brows in silence, lost in thought.
Xiao Fang was a concubine taken by Shan Yancheng seven or eight years ago, as designated by Lady Shan Min.
However, Xiao Fang had proven her worth by giving birth to a son shortly after entering the Shan family.
This boy had originally been quite favored by the Shan martial official and his wife, seen as the heir to carry on the family line. But unexpectedly, two years later, Shan Yancheng's legal wife also conceived and gave birth to a son.
The struggle between legitimate and concubine-born children had existed since ancient times.
The Shan couple was pragmatic; before long, they shifted their affection from the eldest grandson to this second grandson born of the legal wife.
"I have no objection to a betrothal with the Shan family, but... I certainly won't agree to Xiao Fang's son..."
Before Wei Tu could respond, Xinghua huffed in dissatisfaction.
Times had changed.
With Wei Tu being commissioned as an eighth-rank martial officer, the social standing of the Wei family and the Shan family was no longer equal.
Based solely on the Shan family's status, if one ignored the relationship between Wei Tu and the Shan martial official... marrying the daughter of an eighth-rank officer would be considered an upward move for them.
Now, a concubine-born son of the Shan family was opening his mouth to propose a marriage to her daughter; naturally, Xinghua was unwilling.
"I suspect that Yancheng's wife deliberately prompted Xiao Fang to come. Her goal is likely to have her son betrothed to Yanyan..."
"Her son is five, and Yanyan is three. The ages are quite suitable..."
Wei Tu shook his head, pointing out the scheme to Xinghua.
"Then, Brother Wei, what do you think? Do you agree to the betrothal with Xianshou?"
Xinghua pressed him urgently.
Xianshou was the name of Shan Yancheng's second son.
He was born during the Shan martial official's seventieth birthday celebration.
Thus, Shan Yancheng had used the occasion to name his son "Xianshou" (Offering Longevity) as a way to celebrate his father.
"If the Shan family brings this up, even if I disagree, I won't be able to refuse," Wei Tu sighed.
Having memories of his past life, he naturally hoped his daughter could fall in love freely and live happily.
But unfortunately, the social customs of this era would not allow it. He could refuse a proposal from an ordinary person, but he could not possibly refuse one from the Shan family...