Chapter 94: Brother Song

As He Song wandered aimlessly through the immortal market, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

He had no idea how long he had been walking when a faint fragrance wafted past his nose.

"Brother Song?" A clear, youthful voice suddenly rang out beside him, carrying a hint of surprise.

Hearing this, He Song turned to look. Standing beside him was a delicate-looking young girl, gazing at him with a shy expression.

When He Song turned and she finally got a clear look at his face, her eyes lit up, and a flash of joy crossed her features.

"It really is Brother Song! I was worried I might have mistaken you for someone else. Do you still remember me?"

The familiar voice stirred something in He Song's memory. Before he could think too deeply, an image of a little girl popped into his mind.

This voice... 

Su Yan? (From Chapter 25) 

How had the little girl who used to pester him for candied hawthorns suddenly transformed into this bright-eyed, radiant young lady? Moreover, judging by her aura, she had successfully drawn in spiritual energy and reached the first level of Qi Refining.

He Song quickly recalled Su Yan's identity.

Twelve years ago, when He Song had just broken through to the third level of Qi Refining, his neighbors included Lin Cong, who had already become a close friend, and another household.

That household consisted of an old man and a young girl.

The old man was named Su Jin, and his cultivation had already reached the sixth level of Qi Refining at the time.

The little girl was named Su Yan, and she hadn't yet begun cultivating. According to Su Jin, Su Yan was his biological granddaughter from the mortal world.

Since she possessed spiritual roots, he had brought her to the immortal market to teach her himself.

If He Song remembered correctly, the old man and the girl had only been his neighbors for a little over two years.

Su Yan had often pestered He Song, but Su Jin, due to his higher cultivation, hadn't been particularly close to He Song at the time.

Later, Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market had been attacked by rogue cultivators, and many cultivators had died in the chaos.

Twelve years had passed in the blink of an eye. He Song had assumed that the old man and the girl had perished in that calamity.

Yet, here he was, twelve years later, unexpectedly running into an old acquaintance in the immortal market.

"Of course I remember you. I just didn't expect that twelve years would fly by so quickly, and little Yan would have grown up so much."

Looking at the delicate young girl before him, He Song suddenly felt a sense of disconnection, as if he had traveled through time.

When familiar people suddenly grow up, when peers suddenly age, and when the world changes dramatically while you remain unchanged, He Song wasn't sure how he felt.

All he knew was that it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Twelve years ago, the little girl who had loved pestering him for candied hawthorns had now blossomed into a graceful young lady.

Yet, he himself had remained unchanged. This stark contrast made He Song's heart tighten, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

He was an immortal. In the eyes of others, he was an anomaly. If anyone discovered his secret, his fate would be dire.

Therefore, he couldn't afford to stand out too much.

If he were constantly under scrutiny, every move he made would be magnified.

If his secret were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the world of cultivation, methods like soul extraction, flesh carving, and skinning were mere child's play.

Having his soul imprisoned and suffering eternal torment would be a fate worse than death.

He Song refused to let his life be controlled by others. Moreover, this secret couldn't be shared with anyone.

This was the world of cultivation, where techniques like soul-searching existed. If the worst were to happen... Just thinking about it made He Song break out in a cold sweat.

What had he been thinking before? This path was a dead end.

Naturally, blending in, avoiding attention, and cultivating in obscurity became He Song's top priorities.

Only by appearing ordinary could he avoid drawing attention. Only by staying unnoticed could he better conceal himself.

Only by hiding well could he prevent his secret from being discovered.

Only by surviving could he grow stronger step by step, eventually reaching a point where no one would dare covet his secret.

And what had he been thinking before? Joining the Earth Sect as an inner disciple with his talent in formation crafting?

Those with talent in formation crafting were exceedingly rare, and those who happened to choose formation crafting among the myriad arts of cultivation and mastered it were even rarer.

Such individuals were naturally highly sought after by the Earth Sect. Clearly, such a person would be anything but ordinary.

If he were to join the Earth Sect in such a manner, he would undoubtedly live under a spotlight. Every move he made would be watched closely.

This wasn't the life He Song wanted, nor was it one he could live. Living under constant scrutiny would inevitably lead to mistakes.

Therefore, upon realizing this, He Song immediately dismissed the idea of joining the Earth Sect as an inner disciple.

It was far too risky! If his secret were discovered, death would be the least of his worries. The true horror would be having his soul extracted and suffering eternal torment.

To avoid such a fate, He Song silently resolved that even if he were to join the Earth Sect in the future, it would never be as a prodigy.

At the very least, he would only consider joining when he had the strength to resist or escape.

Otherwise, He Song would rather remain a rogue cultivator than risk eternal imprisonment by joining a sect.

His cautious nature would never allow him to take such a gamble.

With this thought, He Song let out a long sigh of relief.

His gaze toward Su Yan softened.

If it hadn't been for Su Yan's sudden appearance, he might have remained stuck in his dilemma.

Her arrival had inadvertently solved a major problem for him. Naturally, He Song found himself looking more favorably upon this long-lost acquaintance.

"Of course! Twelve years have passed. I was only eight back then, but now I'm twenty. I'm not a little girl anymore—I'm an adult now," Su Yan said, her eyes curving into crescents as a proud smile spread across her face.

It seemed she took great pride in having grown from a little girl into a young woman over the past twelve years.

"By the way, Brother Song, have you been living in District B all this time? Twelve years ago, Grandpa suddenly brought me to District A, and I haven't seen you since."

Reunited after so long, Su Yan's joy was palpable.

She stood beside He Song, firing off questions one after another.

However, upon hearing her words, a look of understanding flashed in He Song's eyes.

So, the old man and the girl hadn't died twelve years ago.

Instead, they had moved from District B to District A.

The rental houses in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market were divided into four main districts: A, B, C, and D. Within these districts, streets and house numbers were used to differentiate locations.

For example, He Song lived in House 13 on Chuan Yun Street in District B, located on the outskirts of the immortal market.

The four districts were situated in the four directions of the market, and the spiritual energy in each was roughly the same, so District A wasn't inherently superior to District B.

As for why the old man and the girl had moved, He Song didn't ask.

However, rather than chatting with Su Yan on the street, He Song thought it would be more comfortable to sit down in a teahouse and talk over a cup of tea.

Thus, he quickly led Su Yan to the nearest teahouse.

On the second floor of the teahouse, He Song casually ordered a pot of good tea and sat with Su Yan by the window.

As the aroma of tea filled the air, the two began catching up on each other's lives.

(End of Chapter)