Chapter 1: The Mountain Village

Er Lengzi (Second Blockhead) lay wide-eyed on the bed, staring at the roof patched with straw and mud. The old quilt covering him had turned a deep yellow, its original color long faded, and it faintly reeked of mildew.

Beside him, his second brother Han Zhu slept soundly, snoring intermittently.

Half a zhang (≈1.6 meters) from the bed stood a cracked earthen wall. Through the fissures drifted the muffled sounds of his mother's nagging and his father's rhythmic puffing on a dry tobacco pipe.

Er Lengzi closed his tired eyes, forcing himself to sleep. He knew he needed rest—tomorrow, he had to rise early to gather firewood in the mountains with his friends.

His real name was Han Li, a proper name his parents couldn't have conceived. It was given by Old Zhang, the village's sole literate man, in exchange for two coarse grain buns.

Old Zhang, once a study companion for a wealthy city family, had named most of the village children.

Though called "Er Lengzi" (Second Blockhead), Han Li was far from foolish—he was the brightest child in the village. Yet, like others with nicknames like "Doggy" or "Eggy," he had grown used to it.

Han Li's appearance was unremarkable: dark-skinned and ordinary, like any farm boy. But his mind was precocious. He yearned to explore the world beyond the village, a dream he kept secret. Such ambition would shock the villagers—children his age were still chasing chickens, let alone dreaming of leaving home.

Han Li's family of seven lived in poverty, barely scraping by. As the fourth child, ten-year-old Han Li drifted into sleep that night with one thought: *Tomorrow, I'll gather extra red berries for my little sister.*

The next noon, as Han Li trudged home under the scorching sun with firewood and a pouch of berries, he didn't know a life-changing guest awaited him—his Third Uncle.

Third Uncle, a respected manager at a city inn, was the family's most "successful" relative. He often sent them supplies and had secured Han Li's eldest brother an apprenticeship with a blacksmith. To Han Li's parents, the eldest brother was a pride—his apprenticeship came with food, lodging, and a monthly wage.

When Han Li saw Third Uncle—plump, well-dressed, with a trimmed mustache—he was thrilled. After stacking firewood, he shyly greeted his uncle and stood quietly as the adults talked.

Third Uncle praised Han Li as "obedient" and "mature," then revealed his purpose: he worked for the **Seven Mysteries Sect**, a martial sect with inner and outer branches. Recently promoted to an outer disciple, he could recommend children aged 7–12 for the sect's inner disciple trials.

Han Li's father hesitated at words like "jianghu" (martial world) and "sect." He puffed his pipe silently.

Third Uncle extolled the Seven Mysteries Sect as the region's top faction. Inner disciples received free martial training, food, and a monthly stipend. Even failures could become outer members, managing sect businesses like him.

At the mention of "one tael of silver monthly," Han Li's father agreed. Third Uncle left money for Han Li's preparations and promised to return in a month.

Though Han Li didn't grasp all the details, he understood: *This is my chance to earn money and leave the village.*

A month later, Third Uncle returned. Han Li's father urged him to "stay humble and avoid conflict," while his mother fretted over his health.

As the carriage rolled away, Han Li bit his lip, holding back tears. Though mature for his age, he was still a ten-year-old leaving home for the first time. *I'll earn money and return to never part from my family,* he vowed.

Little did he know—this journey would lead him not to wealth, but to an immortal's path far beyond mortal concerns.