“This humble girl, Qiushuang, greets you, sir.”
Among the many women, Li Changsheng chose one who looked not very clever.
Qiushuang had willow-leaf brows and bright apricot eyes. Draped in a simple gauze dress, she carried herself with a bold, almost unrestrained air.
Li Changsheng had seen much of the world. His manner was neither stiff nor anxious. Every gesture he made bore the effortless poise of someone born to wealth.
The second floor was the dining area. The selection of dishes was abundant, but the prices were absurdly high.
A single bright red fruit that cost one silver coin for an entire basket outside could only buy one piece here.
Qiushuang deliberately selected the most expensive fruits and pastries, then ordered several dishes and two bottles of wine.
This single table cost a full 2 gold coins.
“Sir, come, have some~” Qiushuang coaxed sweetly.
Looking at the spread of fruit and delicacies before him, Li Changsheng felt like a fool being taken advantage of.
He had endured decades of hardship. Even if he now had money, he had no desire to squander it carelessly.
But here, he had little choice.
“Are you still a maiden?” Li Changsheng asked lightly, his gaze resting on the woman who appeared to be around 20 years old.
Qiushuang froze for a moment, then replied with a faint note of displeasure in her voice, “Sir, what are you saying? Aside from the sisters on the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors, where would you find maidens? Are you looking down on me?”
“Wasn’t it said that all the girls of Spring Moon Pavilion are maidens? Why is it different from the rumors?” Li Changsheng continued calmly, as if merely making idle conversation.
Qiushuang smiled, unconcerned. “Where in the world are there so many maidens? We do have them in Spring Moon Pavilion. But surely, once a guest has had his turn, we cannot simply throw the girl away if he does not return?”
She teased lightly, then added, “To say something you might not like to hear, sir, if you had come half a month earlier, you might not have had the chance to see me.”
“Oh? And why is that?” Li Changsheng asked.
“Because half a month ago, I was still on the ninth floor. Not someone a sir like you could easily meet.”
Hearing this, something stirred in Li Changsheng’s heart. He masked it with a trace of disdain and said, “As long as one has money, there is no girl here one cannot see.”
“Sir, this is your first time here. You do not understand the rules.”
“On your first visit, you may only rest on the fourth floor. If you wish for better company, the highest you may go is the seventh floor.”
“The seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth floors all have their own rules.”
A faint pride lingered on Qiushuang’s face.
She had once been on the ninth floor. In Spring Moon Pavilion, and even throughout the Northern District, she had been considered among the finest beauties.
“I would like to hear what rules exist that money cannot buy,” Li Changsheng said with mild curiosity.
For first-time guests, selecting a companion also served to introduce these unspoken rules.
“The women on the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth floors are all maidens.”
“On the seventh floor, anyone with money may go up. 7 gold coins allow you to choose one.”
“On the eighth floor, only regular patrons may select. 8 gold coins per choice.”
“The women on the seventh and eighth floors are equally beautiful, each like a celestial maiden.”
“As for the ninth floor, like me,” she said with a faint smile, “we are skilled in at least one of the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, or flowers. To enter the ninth floor, one must be true nobility, officials of rank, or distinguished elites. 9 gold coins per choice.”
“I see…” Li Changsheng nodded thoughtfully. “And the tenth floor?”
“The tenth floor is only for cultivators. It is said the sisters there all possess spiritual root aptitude. The price is uncertain.”
Li Changsheng was astonished. He had not expected Spring Moon Pavilion to even conduct business with cultivators.
The Great Shang Empire, and indeed this entire continent, was ruled by cultivators. There were no sects; the empire itself was led by them.
It had been over 100 years since Li Changsheng transmigrated into this world. He had seen cultivators in his early years but had never dared approach them.
One gold coin equaled 100 silver coins. Ordinary people could not earn even 10 silver coins in a year. Spring Moon Pavilion was not a place for commoners.
From the entrance to the second floor alone, Li Changsheng had already spent 5 gold coins. To reach the sixth floor would require at least 10 to 20 gold coins. Adding the seventh floor would push it close to 30 gold coins.
To understand this place thoroughly, Li Changsheng chose to experience each level one by one.
The third floor was the bathing area, divided into male and female baths.
The male bath resembled a grand bathhouse. Hot water flowed continuously, fed by hot springs and pools. Beneath each pool lay more than a dozen fire spirit stones, automatically heating the water.
Fire spirit stones were items from the cultivation world. Each stone was worth 10 gold coins and could function continuously for one month without replacement.
Spring Moon Pavilion truly spared no expense. There were over a hundred fire spirit stones here alone.
The female bath consisted of smaller private pools separated by curtains. Women from outside were not permitted here; only the girls of Spring Moon Pavilion bathed within. Of course, a guest could bathe privately with one of them, but that would cost an additional 3 gold coins.
Li Changsheng chose the male bath. Qiushuang went alone to the female bath.
Afterward, they proceeded to the fourth floor—the resting quarters.
Each room was private and elegantly furnished. The environment was quiet. Li Changsheng noticed that the entire floor was outfitted with formation arrays from the cultivation world: soundproofing arrays, spirit-gathering arrays, defensive arrays. It was extremely private and serene.
“Sir, shall we rest?” Qiushuang’s eyes were sultry, her tone suggestive.
Most guests stopped here.
Spending one night on the fourth floor cost 4 gold coins.
Li Changsheng was not tired. He took Qiushuang up to the fifth floor instead.
The fifth floor offered massages, acupuncture, and cupping therapy. The prices were not low.
In fact, this floor was the most popular. The massage and therapeutic services were performed by cultivators who examined and adjusted the bodies of ordinary people.
It was rumored that even those suffering from kidney weakness could be cured here. Many guests began at 5 gold coins, with no upper limit.
“To the gambling hall,” Li Changsheng said.
After making his rounds, he brought Qiushuang to the sixth-floor casino.
Qiushuang was beginning to feel displeased. The man had not even touched her. He did not seem like someone who had come here for pleasure.
Yet he was undeniably wealthy, producing gold coins one after another without hesitation.
Inside the casino, beauties accompanied every table. Many patrons dressed in fine garments, each with a glamorous woman at their side.
Li Changsheng casually exchanged 6 gold coins for 500 silver coins. Spring Moon Pavilion immediately deducted a 100 silver coin commission.
He sat at a gambling table where several wealthy young masters had piled gold and silver before them.
“Sir, shall we bet big or small?” Qiushuang asked eagerly, glancing at the 500 silver coins before him.
As the dice rolled, Li Changsheng focused intently, discerning the outcome by sound alone. He had not played such tricks in decades and watched carefully.
“Place your bets! Place your bets!” the dealer called out.
Across from him, a portly middle-aged man pushed several hundred silver coins onto the “big” side.
Others placed their wagers on “small.” Overall, most favored “big.”
Li Changsheng calmly pushed all 500 silver coins onto “triple.”
Qiushuang’s eyes widened in shock. The others at the table stared at him in disbelief.
“Three ones, triple! The house takes all!” the female dealer announced brightly.
The dice were fair. Though the casino took a heavy commission, it did not cheat.
“Sir! You won! You won! You’re incredible!” Qiushuang cried excitedly, throwing herself forward to gather the winnings.
In an instant, 500 silver coins became 6,000 silver coins.
The next round began. Li Changsheng casually placed another 500 silver coins on triple.
This time, it did not hit. He lost 500 silver coins.
Li Changsheng sighed faintly and rose, leaving with 5,500 silver coins.
The 500 silver coins lost had been intentional. He did not wish to draw too much attention.
Holding the equivalent of 55 gold coins, Li Changsheng glanced toward the seventh floor.
“Sir, shall we rest now?” Qiushuang’s voice turned even more alluring. If she could serve this man well, the commission she would receive would be unimaginable.
Once he went to the seventh floor, she might never see such a patron again.
Li Changsheng looked at her, then ultimately chose not to ascend.
Instead, he returned to the fourth floor.
He selected a secluded, dimly lit private room. Qiushuang followed in, her cheeks flushed with anticipation.
“These four gold coins are for you,” Li Changsheng said, placing them on the table.
“Th-thank you, sir. Tonight, I belong to you,” Qiushuang said softly, her voice trembling as she began to loosen her gauze robe.
Li Changsheng’s expression remained calm. In the dim light, he arranged the coins neatly.
“Next, I will ask you some questions. If your answers satisfy me, you will not suffer a loss.”
“Ask anything, sir. I will tell you all I know,” Qiushuang replied, assuming it would be some intimate inquiry.
Her expression changed when he asked, “I heard that the girls of Spring Moon Pavilion are all maidens. Where do these maidens come from?”
“Of course, they are recruited from outside~” she answered lightly.
Li Changsheng’s brows drew together.
“It seems you are not being honest.”
He picked up the gold coins and turned to leave. Qiushuang panicked and hurriedly blocked his path.
“Sir, don’t go. I will tell you the truth.”
“Some are abducted from outside. Some come willingly. Some are bought…”
“And you? Were you abducted or bought?”
“I… I was bought,” she whispered, her eyes dimming. A glimmer of tears shone at the corners.
“What happens to those who are abducted and refuse?”
Li Changsheng placed another gold coin into her hand.
Qiushuang stared at the coin. She now understood this man had not come for pleasure.
“Those who refuse are beaten,” she said quietly. “Some sisters cannot endure it and submit. Those who still refuse… some are beaten to death.”
At the words “beaten to death,” Li Changsheng’s heart sank. In the dim room, a flicker of killing intent flashed and vanished.
He placed another gold coin into Qiushuang’s hand.
“If those abducted women are beaten to death, aren’t you afraid the authorities will pursue responsibility?”
“Pursue responsibility? How could that be? The background of Spring Moon Pavilion runs very deep. The authorities themselves stand behind it.”
Qiushuang looked at the gold coin in her hand, her face brightening. Any lingering hesitation vanished. The so-called secrets of Spring Moon Pavilion were neither truly secret nor openly acknowledged. Even if spoken aloud, no one could shake it. No one could move it.
“I remember a few days ago, a woman was beaten to death. Do you know about that?” Li Changsheng asked quietly.
“Yes. She had been sold here. She had a stubborn temperament. Even when beaten until her body was covered in wounds, she refused to yield. In the end, she did not survive the night.”
Qiushuang spoke without much feeling, but Li Changsheng trembled all over as he listened.
“Do you know who sold her here?”
“I don’t know that. Some are sold by acquaintances. Some are abducted.”
She continued, “For the sisters who come here, there are only two ways out. One is to be beaten to death. The other is to be redeemed by a client. There is also another way: when they grow older, they are sold off cheaply.”
“I was sold here too,” she said softly. “I fear pain, so I chose to obey. Apart from losing freedom, life here is actually quite leisurely.”
…
Li Changsheng did not linger long. After obtaining the information he needed, he left.
Qiushuang naturally would not mention anything that had been said. Words spoken in that room were forgotten once one stepped outside.
After leaving Spring Moon Pavilion, Li Changsheng understood clearly.
No matter who had caused his daughter’s death, this debt must be laid at the feet of Spring Moon Pavilion. Anyone connected to it—thugs, madams, the hidden owner, the authorities, the yamen, even that Wu family dandy from the Academy—none of them were innocent.
He had lived for over 100 years. He understood enough of the world.
At this moment, he no longer cared to identify the original culprit. He only knew that his daughter had died in the Imperial Capital. If he had the strength, he might have made the entire Great Shang Empire pay with her.
Whether there were innocent people or good individuals among them no longer mattered.
To Li Changsheng, it was all the same. In this world, good and evil, loyalty and treachery, were often only a single thought apart.
It was not about right or wrong anymore. Once his daughter died, there was no right or wrong left to speak of.
Of course, with a wife still alive, Li Changsheng had responsibilities. His current strength could not contend against the entire Imperial Capital.
He had to endure.
He would endure until Ya Yue grew old. After he sent her off, he would slowly erode this rotten empire. With his own hands, he would corrupt it from within.
His daughter was dead. He had no more attachments. This empire might as well be buried alongside her.
Li Changsheng would not target one individual. He would target this Imperial Capital, this dynasty, this world.
Since he could not change anything, then let the world descend with his daughter.
…
When he returned home, Ya Yue was still weeping in a daze. She had grown visibly haggard. She barely ate and drifted through her days in a fog.
“In a few days, we will return to Li Family Village. We will leave this place of sorrow,” Li Changsheng said gently.
Ya Yue’s eyes regained a flicker of awareness. She wanted to ask something but could not speak. She had been mute since birth.
Her hands lifted slightly as if to gesture, then fell again.
“The dead cannot return. We must still move forward.”
Li Changsheng’s temperament was firm. He had once tempered himself on battlefields.
Even with hatred in his heart, he suppressed it.
Now he only wished to grow old beside Ya Yue. After sending her off, he would begin anew and carry out his plan of destruction.
Ya Yue remained silent. Tears slid down once more.
She was consumed by guilt. They had raised their daughter with such care. Their once happy family of three had been shattered.
She felt she had failed Li Changsheng. She had not protected their daughter. He had lost his only child in middle age.
The next morning, Zhou Zhi came.
“This is for you,” Zhou Zhi said, handing over a slip of paper before hurrying away.
Li Changsheng opened it, glanced at the contents, then threw it into water and crushed it.
Zhou Zhi had indeed learned something from her husband. The note stated that Wu Chi of the Wu family in the Northern District had sold Li Siyue for 1 gold coin.
Heh.
Li Changsheng had no heart to argue, no desire to seek justice. He did not want to implicate anyone else. The Northern District, the Imperial Capital, the dynasty—they were all mortal enemies in his eyes.
If the dynasty had done its duty, how could such tyrants and corrupt officials exist?
If the Imperial Capital had proper order, how could there be human trafficking, gangs, and hired thugs?
If the yamen had upheld justice, how could there be so many wrongful cases and broken families?
If officials and merchants were not colluding, how could Spring Moon Pavilion even exist?
There was no need to argue facts. One wrong led to countless wrongs.
Enemies, black-market dealers, officials, the dynasty—it no longer mattered. No need for justice. No need for innocence. No need for evidence.
His daughter was dead. That was the evidence. That was the fact.
Let the Great Shang Empire prepare to be buried.
…
Ya Yue resigned from her work. Li Changsheng terminated their rental and left the Imperial Capital, heading toward the outskirts.
By nightfall, they returned to Li Family Village.
He took out 200 silver coins and distributed them among the villagers, claiming he had spent his fortune and only wished for a peaceful life in his remaining years.
Two mu of good farmland—approximately 1,333 square meters—and a small house were enough to provide food and shelter. He desired nothing more.
Li Changsheng buried the remaining gold and silver underground, dividing it into fifty or sixty portions. He kept only a small amount on his person, just enough for daily needs.
Each year, tax officials came to the village two or three times. Li Changsheng would give them a small bribe.
The tax officer was not excessively greedy. He did not press further. Over time, as familiarity grew, visits became routine and manageable.
Ya Yue lived in constant sorrow. Every month, waves of melancholy would return.
One or two years passed. Ya Yue often thought of having another child, but in her thirties, it was no longer possible. Li Changsheng had no desire to raise another child through hardship.
So they simply leaned on each other and quietly aged.
In the blink of an eye, 30 years passed.
Li Changsheng was now over 60 years old. His face had aged. He deliberately feigned weakness in his legs.
Ya Yue had become an old woman. Her eyesight had grown dim.
Living past 60 in this world was already considered longevity for a mortal.
Most ordinary people died in their forties or fifties from exhaustion or illness.
Inside a small earthen house, Li Changsheng reclined in a chair, eyes half-closed. Before him, a frail figure bent over a vegetable basket, sorting vegetables.
Ya Yue, now silver-haired, had unexpectedly reached her sixties in relatively good health. She still walked outside daily, basked in sunlight, and could prepare simple meals.
But they had no descendants. Ya Yue had lived in loneliness for 30 years. Being unable to speak, her solitude had been silent and enduring.
Many of their peers in the village had passed away. Only the two of them remained, living into their sixties, regarded as elders of Li Family Village.
The village had grown. More than a dozen new households had arrived. It had become a small town of several dozen families.
Another 10 years passed.
Li Changsheng felt a faint surprise in his heart.
“Ya Yue?”
“Ya Yue?”
“Old woman?”
“Old thing?”
“You stubborn old soul?”
He called out in a deliberately hoarse voice.
Beside him, in another reclining chair, lay an elderly woman with white hair.
“Are you dead…”
After several calls without response, just as he assumed she had passed and was about to rise, he suddenly saw her stir as if startled awake.
Ya Yue slowly opened her aged eyes and sat up.
Li Changsheng stared at her in shock.
She said nothing, only looked at him gently. Then she slowly stood and walked to the cabinet, taking out pastries she had spent all day making yesterday.
She tore off a small piece and put it into her mouth as her meal.
Then she tore another piece and slowly walked to Li Changsheng, feeding him a bite.
Li Changsheng had never imagined Ya Yue would live so long—into her seventies. In the village, that was already considered a miracle.
If their daughter had lived, she would now be in her fifties. She might have remarried, borne children, and perhaps they could have seen four generations under one roof.
Li Changsheng remained silent as he watched Ya Yue shuffle outside. As was her habit, she would sit in the courtyard in the sun, tidy something by the doorway, or slowly circle the house.
Their farmland had long been taken over by villagers. With no heirs, the elderly couple lived off their savings.
Sometimes villagers would bring food, casually checking whether the old couple had died.
Perhaps this was what people called “waiting to inherit from a childless household.” They pitied the couple while occupying their land. Only the crumbling house remained.
Rumors spread that the old couple had once earned substantial savings in the city and must have hidden wealth in the house.
They waited for the couple to die so they could tear down the house and search for treasure.
More than 10 muddled years passed. Li Changsheng had not expected Ya Yue to still be alive.
He continued pretending to be an old man, lying in his reclining chair day after day for decades.
Inside the house, two coffins had been prepared.
He had asked the village carpenter to build them for 2 silver coins.
After the coffins were brought in, the old couple slept beside them every night, waiting for the day they could climb in themselves.
Rumors in the village grew stronger that the old couple hid gold and silver inside.
There was indeed some hidden wealth. No one had ever found it.
Now, Ya Yue was 88 years old. She could no longer walk.
That night, she lay down inside the coffin, knowing her life had reached its end.
Beside the coffin stood Li Changsheng, appearing equally frail.
Ya Yue looked at him with lingering attachment. She wished to say something, but she had never spoken.
Slowly, she closed her eyes. Her breath ceased.
Li Changsheng reached out and slowly placed his hand near her nose. After a long while, he confirmed she was truly gone.
After enduring over 50 years, he had finally seen Ya Yue off.
As he looked at her, he could not quite name the feeling in his heart.
Perhaps there was a trace of guilt. He had deceived her all her life.
His secret of immortality could never be told—not even to the closest person.
He withdrew his hand. He did not close the coffin lid. Even knowing she was dead, he dared not relax.
After all, how could a frail old man possibly move a coffin lid?
He calmly lay down inside his own coffin, staring blankly at the thatched roof.
Quietly waiting.
Creak—
In the deep of night, the door opened.
A shadow slipped inside, moving stealthily and searching through the room.
Over the past decade, thieves had entered countless times.
On average, two or three visits each month. Each time, they would find a silver coin. Li Changsheng had deliberately left one behind so they would have something to take.
Tonight, the thief finally came again.
“Young man…”
While the thief was rummaging through the house, Li Changsheng’s hoarse voice suddenly sounded.
The thief stiffened and looked toward the two coffins.
He often visited this house and knew only the two elderly people lived here. Even if discovered, he was not afraid. What could two frail old people possibly do to him?
Moreover, he was agile and had never once been caught, so his courage had grown bold.
“You… come here…”
Li Changsheng’s voice sounded again.
After a moment, a man approached. Under the moonlight, he appeared fairly young.
“Old man, sorry about this. I’m just borrowing a few things. I’ll leave soon, hehe,” the thief said with a grin.
Everyone in the village knew these two elderly people were long-lived, over 80 years old, yet childless. Rumors had always spread that they must have hidden gold and silver somewhere in the house, though no one had found it.
The thief believed the same. He had inquired before. The couple had once earned a fair amount in the city and returned after their daughter died. Surely, they had savings they could never spend.
“My… old wife has died. I… am about to die too…”
“Please… help me close… her coffin lid…”
The man’s face changed. Dead? What bad luck to encounter a corpse tonight.
But then another thought crossed his mind. Wasn’t this his opportunity to strike it rich?
“Old man, since you’re about to die, can you tell me where the gold and silver are hidden? I can bury you properly.”
“That… would be good. I… indeed have a bag of gold and silver. As long as you… bury me…”
Overjoyed and afraid the old man might die mid-sentence, the thief hurried to the center of the room.
By moonlight, he quickly felt around inside the coffin. Finding no burial goods, he was disappointed but still pushed the coffin lid shut.
“Old man, the old lady’s coffin is closed. Now tell me where that bag of gold and silver is. I’ll close yours too.”
He leaned close, listening carefully.
“Under… the bed… inside… the bricks…”
At those words, the man was overjoyed. He rushed to the bed and pried up every brick beneath it.
Sure enough, before long, he found something wrapped in a tattered cloth.
When he opened it, there was indeed 1 gold coin and several dozen silver coins inside.
“Hahaha… I’m rich! I’m rich!”
Ecstatic, he stuffed the gold and silver into his clothes and ran back to the coffin.
“Old man, is there more?”
“N-no more… thank you…”
“Rest easy, old man. I’ll inform the villagers and have you buried.”
With a loud thud, he slammed the coffin lid shut.
In the darkness, Li Changsheng sighed. Over these years, he had gained many insights.
Yet to someone who possessed immortality, it was merely a fleeting episode in endless time.
He lay quietly, waiting for dawn.
After an unknown amount of time, faint voices sounded outside the coffin.
“They’re really dead? Who closed the coffins?”
“It was Li Dahu from the village. He found them this morning.”
“Sigh, they were the longest-lived in our village. Over 80 years old. Let’s bury them together.”
“Village head, we can’t let anyone touch the house.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll keep watch over it.”
People bustled about, talking over one another. Soon, Li Changsheng felt the coffin being lifted.
Nearly every household in the village came. Women and children surrounded the earthen house, guarding it. No one would be allowed to touch it until the men returned.
They waited for the chance to tear the house down in search of hidden treasure.
The villagers carried Li Changsheng and Ya Yue to a barren field. They dug a large pit and lowered the coffins inside.
Though the burial was simple, it was at least completed.
…
After the hurried funeral, there was eerie silence.
Inside the coffin, Li Changsheng waited patiently.
He waited until everyone had left, until deep night.
For safety, he decided to wait two more days.
Under the night sky, a full moon shone brightly over Li Family Village.
On an ancient tree in the distance stood a breathtaking figure.
The woman was peerless. Her pale silk robes drifted in the wind, and her dark hair flowed freely, giving her an ethereal presence.
Her exquisite face carried liveliness, allure, seduction, purity, longing, and a trace of sighing sorrow.
In her beauty was a familiar resemblance to Ya Yue in her youth.
Her gaze fell upon the barren field—the graves of her husband Li Changsheng and herself.
This lifetime had finally passed in peace. Only upon death had she recovered her memories and completed her cultivation.
Thinking back on the years she had lived as a mute mortal, ripples stirred in her heart. Those memories had been undeniably beautiful.
Yet she had deceived her husband for a lifetime. Even their daughter, Li Siyue, had merely been an unconscious dream projection, a substitute born from her illusion.
Back then, she had not expected the fabricated daughter to die midway.
At that time, Ya Yue truly had no memory of her original self. Her feelings for the child had been genuine.
If the substitute daughter had not died, perhaps they could have lived happily, surrounded by descendants.
Now, it no longer mattered. Only her mortal self had suffered half a lifetime in sorrow.
Even more pitiful was her husband, who had accompanied her for 88 years, all for nothing but illusion.
But for a mortal, was that not a form of release? In Ya Yue’s eyes, worldly ideas of lineage and descendants held little meaning. Once dead, nothing remained. Why cling to future generations?
Her beautiful eyes shifted toward the village.
Even at night, Li Family Village seemed unusually lively.
The earthen house she once lived in had already been torn down. Villagers were still digging through the remains.
For the sake of a little gold and silver, these mortals exposed their greed so plainly. It was something she could never understand.
With a soft sigh, Ya Yue shook her head and vanished into a streak of light.
…
Two nights later, in the graveyard, a dark figure climbed out of the earth.
Under the cover of darkness, Li Changsheng brushed dirt from his body and stretched his limbs. His youthful and handsome appearance returned.
He carefully restored the grave to its original state. After one final glance at it, he left without hesitation.
Sooner or later, the grave would be leveled and forgotten. Perhaps after thousands or tens of thousands of years, he too would forget this wife named Ya Yue.
No system reward notification appeared.
Clearly, this lifetime had been in vain.
This proved that marrying and having children brought no special reward. Only taking disciples did.
Although he had “wasted” 88 years, it meant little to Li Changsheng.
Under the night sky, he quietly approached the village entrance and circled toward where the earthen house once stood.
It had been turned upside down. Some villagers might have found scattered silver coins. Even Li Changsheng himself no longer remembered whether any gold or silver remained there.
After one last look, he turned and vanished into the darkness.
The next morning, Li Changsheng entered the Imperial Capital in his original youthful appearance.
Nearly 60 years had passed since he last came. The city had changed drastically.
Many buildings had been rebuilt. Familiar shops had been replaced again and again.
The faces on the streets were all new. Those he once knew were long gone.
After walking for some time, Li Changsheng stopped before a shop.
It was now a general store. In his memory, this had once been Zhou’s Restaurant.
He had not expected it to have disappeared and closed down nearly 60 years ago.
After making inquiries, he learned that Zhou’s Restaurant had indeed closed decades ago. Only the elderly vaguely remembered it.
By all logic, even if it failed, it should not have vanished so completely.
Following old memories, Li Changsheng found the former Zhou family residence.
It had new owners now. A sign read “Wang Residence.” Clearly, the Zhou family had lost even their home.
Upon further inquiry, he learned the Zhou family had declined long ago. Once wealthy in the Northern District, they had no male heirs to continue the line. After Zhou Zhi’s parents passed away, the Zhou family line ended.
Li Changsheng then went northwest to another residence.
Fortunately, this house was unchanged. It was the Sun Residence.
Back then, Zhou Zhi had married into the Sun family as the principal wife. The Sun family had been officials.
“Who are you looking for?” An old man opened the courtyard gate and peered out.
“My name is Li San. I’m looking for work. Do you have any openings?” Li Changsheng asked.
“Work?”
The old steward examined him from head to toe.
“We are indeed hiring servants. The wage is not high. Half a silver coin per month, food and lodging included. Are you willing?”
“I am. As long as there is food and shelter, it is enough,” Li Changsheng agreed without hesitation.
The old steward led him inside.
This was Li Changsheng’s first time stepping into the Sun Residence. Years ago, Zhou Zhi had invited him to cook here, but he had declined, and she never mentioned it again.
“There are many rules in the Sun Residence,” the steward warned. “Speak carefully. Do not ask what you shouldn’t. Do not say what you shouldn’t. Speak less, work more. If you are diligent, you will not be mistreated.”
“Yes, I understand,” Li Changsheng replied.
As they walked, the steward explained much. Li Changsheng listened while quietly observing the surroundings.
There were few servants in the Sun Residence. The estate felt desolate.
The steward gave him servant’s clothing, showed him around briefly, then brought him to the servants’ quarters before leaving.
Several servants lived there. After introducing himself simply, Li Changsheng chatted with them.
He asked about the meals, whether the work was tiring, whether the head of the household was strict.
Through subtle questioning, he learned the basics of the Sun family.
The head of the Sun family was named Sun Xing, a cultivator who had lived over 190 years.
Sun Xing had once held office in the Northern District of the Imperial Capital but was later dismissed for unknown reasons.
Now he lived idly at home, his official career ended.
The family survived on its remaining wealth and had declined.
Most servants had left. Only older ones remained. Even new hires rarely stayed long.
The main reason was simple: there was no profit to be made here.
If a household prospered, servants could earn considerable bonuses and side income. But now the Sun family had fallen. Even family members lived frugally. There was nothing extra to gain, so servants left.
After being dismissed, Sun Xing had taken several new wives, striving to produce a child with spiritual root aptitude.
Unfortunately, none had been born.
Had the Sun family produced even one spiritual root heir, they might not have declined so severely. They might even have returned to court and regained glory.