Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 386 Immortal Path to Immortality

Shi Laosi was helped up, but upon hearing this, he trembled again.

He was still somewhat hesitant, but when he turned around and saw the dilapidated thatched huts, the withered vegetable gardens, and the villagers' fearful faces, his heart began to waver.

"The Immortal Master... has gone to the mountains. What... what can we do?" a middle-aged woman asked, mustering her courage, her voice filled with humble bewilderment. "We only know how to farm and gather firewood..."

Jiang Yan smiled and took over the conversation, his round face looking particularly kind at the moment: "Sister-in-law, there's no need to worry. There are enough houses in the mountains, and there are also fields to cultivate. Our Yunyin Sect has just been established, and all industries are waiting to be developed, so we need manpower. Those who know how to farm can farm, those who know a craft can work, and young people who are willing can also learn a skill from us."

Upon hearing this, the villagers exchanged glances, their eyes filled with hesitation, struggle, and a fear of not being able to easily believe something they had suppressed for too long.

At this moment, Xiao Cui tugged at Shi Lao Si's sleeve and said, "Uncle Yong and the others have entered the Immortal Mountain. There are so many delicious things there. The kind immortals have prepared so many delicious things for us."

Old Man Shi suddenly grabbed his granddaughter's thin shoulders, his cloudy eyes gleaming with unprecedented light: "Xiao Cui, say it again? Shi Yong and the others... really went into the mountains? Did the immortal masters... give them food?"

Xiao Cui nodded vigorously, her dirty little face full of seriousness: "Yes! Uncle Yong told me to secretly come back and tell Grandpa! There are so many strange big houses in the mountains, bright and clean, with reflective stones on the ground, and... and magical pipes that produce hot water by themselves! The immortals cooked a huge pot of porridge, white and fragrant, and also soft flatbread! Uncle Yong and the others ate it all, and the immortals said that as long as you're willing to work, you can eat your fill every day from now on!"

"Eat your fill every day?" a woman holding an infant murmured repeatedly, her chapped lips trembling, her eyes quickly welling up with tears. In this land, "eating your fill" was a dream more luxurious than gold for ordinary people like them.

Shi Laosi's chest heaved violently. He released Xiao Cui, turned around, and glanced at the sallow, emaciated faces behind him, filled with longing and fear.

Years of caution and worldliness made him instinctively weigh the risks, but the pure light in his granddaughter's eyes and the vague outline of the "fairy mountain" that could be faintly seen in the distant mountains pulled him like two forces.

Huiming, Qilan, Shenzui, and the others waited quietly without urging them.

They understood that this decision was far too significant for these mortals who had been oppressed for generations.

Finally, Old Man Shi's hunched back seemed to straighten slightly. He looked at Huiming, his voice hoarse but carrying a resolute determination: "Immortal Master...we...we'll go with you!"

These words seemed to lift a heavy burden off the village, or open a floodgate. The villagers' tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and several elderly people even had their legs buckle and could barely stand, needing to be supported by those around them.

"Alright." Huiming nodded gently. "Let's not delay. Everyone, quickly pack what you need, and we'll set off immediately."

The villagers sprang into action immediately, their movements surprisingly swift. They were already accustomed to a life where they could lose everything at any moment, and their so-called "possessions" were already few in number.

A few tattered clothes, a small bag of treasured seeds, and perhaps one or two rough pottery jars that have been passed down for generations but are not even worth the attention of cultivators—that's all.

Women carried young children on their backs or wrapped them tightly in rags and tied them to their chests; the elderly helped each other.

Qi Lan watched the silent yet rapid preparations for the migration, a complex emotion flashing in her amber-colored vertical pupils. She recalled her conversation with Lingdang on the rooftop last night, and Shen Zui's sigh about "trust."

Perhaps, hunger and the instinct for survival can sometimes break down barriers more effectively than any words.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, dozens of people from Xiaoshi Village had gathered at the village entrance. Apart from the thatched huts they couldn't take with them and the barren land, they left almost nothing behind.

"Let's go." Huiming turned and led the villagers. Shen Zui, Feng Wenzheng, Jiang Yan, and others were scattered around the group, subtly protecting the villagers in the middle. Qi Lan walked at the very front, her beast ears twitching sharply, alert to any unusual movements that might come from the mountains or the air.

The group moved slowly along the rugged mountain path toward Yunyin Mountain.

At first, the villagers were a little timid and dared not get too close to the "immortal masters," but gradually, they saw that these "immortal masters" not only did not have a high and mighty attitude, but would also help the elderly who slipped and fall, and would gently answer the children's timid questions. The sense of distance melted away a little in silence.

The villagers were stunned when the resort's neat, clean, and uniquely styled buildings came into view.

They stopped in their tracks, mouths agape, staring at the glass windows reflecting the sunlight, the smooth, mirror-like cement pavement, and the houses of various shapes and sizes, as if witnessing a miracle from another world.

"This...this is the immortal's cave?" Old Man Shi murmured, the scene before him completely overturning all his imagination of "immortal's abode".

"This...this is the immortal's cave?" Old Man Shi murmured, the scene before him completely overturning all his imagination of "immortal's abode".

"It's not a cave dwelling, it's... a home." Shen Zui smiled and explained, "From now on, this can also be your home."

Having already received the news, Fatty Li, along with Wang Rui, Zhang Hao, Sun Wei, and others, came out to greet them, carrying steaming pots of porridge and steamers—clearly prepared in advance.

"Come on, come on, are you all hungry? Have something to eat first to warm up!" Fatty Li's loud voice was full of enthusiasm as he directed his young disciples to distribute food to the villagers whose eyes were wide open.

Shi Yong and several other able-bodied men from the village who had arrived earlier also ran over. Their faces were still flushed from the meal, and they excitedly pulled their relatives along, describing the "magic" of the place incoherently.

The aroma of the congee, the softness of the steamed buns, and the few rare and flavorful side dishes... for the villagers who usually subsisted on coarse rice and wild vegetables, this was an unimaginable delicacy. At first, they hesitated to start eating, but after seeing Shi Yong and the others eating heartily, they cautiously took the bowls and chopsticks.

The first mouthful of warm porridge slid down my parched throat, the first bite of soft steamed bun melted in my mouth...

Many people shed silent tears, which mingled with their food and were swallowed down. It wasn't sadness, but a bittersweet happiness.

Although Chen Anran was in seclusion, his divine sense was like an invisible net, enveloping this land.

The migration, arrival, and the scene of the villagers of Xiaoshi Village holding bowls of porridge and shedding tears at this moment are all clearly reflected in his mind.

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