A life is predetermined,beyond our control

Luo Lietian carefully stowed away the azure tome, a smile gracing his lips as he remarked, "Gentlemen, all the records have been meticulously transcribed."

The diminutive sigil master finally revealed a smile upon his face and spoke, "Since everything has been completed, this year's hair-binding ceremony draws to a close. Let them disperse."

At the command of the diminutive sigil master, Luo Lietian called out below, signaling the end.

Most of the quiet villagers remained, engaging in murmured conversations as they observed Zhou Fan and others on the dais.

Luo Lietian turned towards Zhou Fan and his companions, saying, "You may now don your shoes and garments and return home."

Zhou Fan, his mood somber, obediently slipped on his jacket.

With tears streaming down his face, Skinny Monkey approached Zhou Fan and embraced him, sobbing, "Fan, why are we cursed with such misfortune?"

Just as Zhou Fan was about to reply, Skinny Monkey's parents sternly pulled him away, leading him off.

At that moment, Zhou Yimou and Gui Feng hurriedly ascended the dais. Zhou Yimou's face bore a bitter expression as he uttered, "Let's go home. We'll talk there."

Tears welled in Gui Feng's eyes, yet she knew it wasn't the time to weep. She grasped Zhou Fan's hand and led him away from the dais.

As they traversed through the crowd, several familiar villagers offered comforting pats on Zhou Yimou's shoulder.

Zhou Yimou remained silent, his expression wooden, as they made their way home. No one dared to impede the Zhou family trio at this moment.

Observing the scene from the dais, Luo Lietian shook his head sympathetically. He was aware of the numerical registrations; Zhou Fan was indeed the youngest this year. While several others in Three Mounds Village had possessed similarly small numbers in the past, such occurrences remained exceedingly rare.

Without exchanging any words, the Zhou trio soon arrived home. Upon entering, Zhou Yimou reached out to remove Zhou Fan's jacket.

Quick to assist, Zhou Fan's jacket was soon removed, revealing the vivid 'nineteen' emblazoned over his heart.

Upon confirming the number once more, Gui Feng collapsed into a despondent heap, silently wiping away her tears.

Zhou Yimou gazed at the 'nineteen' with a sigh, sinking into a wooden chair in the small hall. He reached for the water pipe, lighting it and drawing deeply, three furrows creasing his forehead.

Maintaining a considerable composure, Zhou Fan inquired, "Father, Mother, why have I forgotten everything? What's the meaning behind this number?"

Exhaling a plume of smoke, Zhou Yimou's voice was hoarse as he replied, "Fan, the number on your heart represents your lifespan. Nineteen signifies that you will only live until your nineteenth birthday."

Lifespan? The connection to age became apparent to Zhou Fan, yet he hadn't anticipated that this number represented his lifespan!

Zhou Fan looked incredulously at the crimson 'nineteen' on his chest and asked, "Father, is this true?"

If so, did this mean he only had four years to live?

Wearily, Zhou Yimou responded, "Indeed, this is true. Lifespans never err. If one passes away without illness or accident, then they will only live until their designated lifespan."

Furrowing his brows, Zhou Fan questioned, "Could the hair-binding ceremony be responsible? If I hadn't participated, could everything be different?"

Zhou Fan harbored suspicions about the ceremony; otherwise, why would a bloody number manifest on his chest?

Shaking his head, Zhou Yimou replied, "Fan, lifespan is innate. The hair-binding ceremony, presided over by sigil masters, merely allows those who reach the age of fifteen to harness the power of their qi and blood with the aid of symbols and beast blood. The ceremony does not harm; otherwise, we wouldn't have allowed you to participate."

"Only upon reaching the age of fifteen can one withstand the impact of beast blood without harming their body. Thus, no matter where one hails from, they must undergo the ceremony to learn of their lifespan."

Lowering his gaze, Zhou Fan drifted into thought. While he found it absurd initially, having witnessed the horrors of the underworld yesterday, he realized that this world defied conventional logic. Having a unique lifespan didn't seem so strange in retrospect; it was just difficult to accept momentarily.

"Why must one know their lifespan? What happens when the designated day arrives?" Zhou Fan posed two more questions.

Zhou Yimou solemnly took a drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke before responding, "Knowing one's lifespan provides certainty and aids in the village's development. If one lives until their designated day, it signifies the end of their lifespan, and a longevity ghost will appear to claim their life."

"For certainty and the village's development… longevity ghost claiming lives…" Zhou Fan murmured to himself, inhaling deeply before asking, "Is there a way to prevent the longevity ghost from claiming lives?"

Zhou Yimou shook his head, "It's impossible. Even sigil masters cannot thwart the longevity ghost. Once one's lifespan is fulfilled, they can only perish. It's an immutable law; no one can alter it."

Zhou Fan's brows furrowed, "Is there a way to extend one's lifespan?"

Unwilling to accept his fate, Zhou Fan speculated that perhaps his soul's possession of this body led to such a low lifespan.

Unable to prevent the longevity ghost from claiming lives, the only option was to attempt to alter his lifespan.

"Fan, it's impossible. How can one alter their lifespan? My poor child…" Gui Feng wailed, her lifespan being sixty-seven, while Zhou Fan's was a mere nineteen, foretelling her inevitable sorrow.

Sighing, Zhou Fan helped Gui Feng to her feet, offering comfort, "Mother, don't worry. There must be a solution."

"Lifespan… maybe it's not entirely unchangeable." Zhou Yimou suddenly interjected.

Gui Feng paused, stunned, before exclaiming, "Are you out of your mind? How could a lifespan be changed? I've never heard of such a thing."

Zhou Fan, apprehensive yet hopeful, implored, "Mother, let's not jump to conclusions. Father, what solution do you speak of?"

After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Yimou spoke, "I'm not entirely certain either. I've only heard from Elder Mao that reaching higher levels of cultivation can increase one's lifespan."

"Elder Mao? Who is that?" Zhou Fan first sought to verify the authenticity of the information.

Gui Feng spoke first, "Elder Mao is one of the sigil masters you met today. But did Elder Mao truly say such a thing?"

Upon hearing that it was one of the sigil masters, Zhou Fan believed it for the most part, shifting his gaze to Zhou Yimou for confirmation.

OZhou Mu smiled bitterly and said, "I can confirm that he said something like that, but he was very vague, and I'm not sure if it's true or false, or what level he was referring to."

"If he said it, then it's not wrong." Zhou Fan heard a glimmer of hope and quickly asked the more crucial question, "What is cultivation?"

What is cultivation?

Zhou Mu and Gui Feng looked at each other, both showing a difficult expression on their faces.

In the end, Zhou Mu frowned and said, "Afan, cultivation is cultivation. We are not cultivators, so we don't know how to explain it to you."