The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 1: The Village by the Mountain

Er Lengzi (Han Li) opened his eyes wide, staring straight at the black roof made of thatch and mud. The old quilt covering him had turned a deep yellow, its original color long faded, and it faintly emitted a musty smell.

Next to him, tightly pressed against his side, was his second brother, Han Zhu, who was sleeping soundly, his snores varying in intensity as they occasionally filled the air.

About half a zhang away from the bed was a wall made of yellow mud. Over time, it had developed a few inconspicuous cracks, through which the faint sound of Han Li’s mother’s incessant grumbling could be heard, occasionally mixed with the "pata pata" sound of his father puffing on his long tobacco pipe.

Er Lengzi slowly closed his already dry and tired eyes, forcing himself to fall into a deep sleep as soon as possible. He knew very well that if he didn’t sleep properly now, he wouldn’t be able to wake up early the next day, and thus wouldn’t be able to go into the mountains with his companions to gather firewood as planned.

Er Lengzi’s full name was Han Li. Such a proper name was beyond the naming ability of his parents. It was his father who, using two coarse grain buns, begged Old Zhang, a villager, to come up with this name.

Old Zhang had once served as a study companion for a wealthy family in the city when he was young, making him the only literate person in the village. More than half of the children in the village had their names given by him.

Although Han Li was called "Er Lengzi" by the villagers, he was neither foolish nor slow-witted. In fact, he was one of the smartest children in the village. However, like other village children, aside from his family, he rarely heard anyone formally call him by his name, "Han Li." Instead, the nickname "Er Lengzi" had stuck with him since childhood.

The reason he was given the nickname "Er Lengzi" was simply because there was already a child in the village called "Lengzi."

This wasn’t unusual. Other children in the village were also called names like "Dog Boy" or "Second Egg," which weren’t any more pleasant than "Er Lengzi."

Therefore, although Han Li didn’t particularly like the nickname, he had no choice but to console himself with this thought.

Han Li’s appearance was unremarkable. With his dark skin, he looked like an ordinary farm boy. However, deep inside, he was far more mature than his peers. From a young age, he had yearned for the prosperity and excitement of the outside world, dreaming that one day he could leave this tiny village and see the world that Old Zhang often spoke of.

Han Li had never dared to share this dream with anyone else. If he had, it would have surely shocked the villagers. How could a snot-nosed kid have such an ambitious thought, one that even adults wouldn’t dare entertain? After all, other children Han Li’s age were still busy chasing chickens and dogs around the village, let alone harboring such a peculiar idea as leaving their homeland.

Han Li’s family consisted of seven members: two older brothers, one older sister, and one younger sister. He was the fourth child in the family, just ten years old. Life at home was hard, and they rarely had meat in their meals. The entire family struggled to make ends meet, barely staying above the poverty line.

At this moment, Han Li was in a state of half-sleep, his mind still lingering on the thought that when he went up the mountain, he must gather more of the red berries that his beloved younger sister loved to eat.At noon the next day, as Han Li was hurrying home from the mountains under the scorching sun, carrying a pile of firewood half his height and a full bag of berries tucked in his arms, he had no idea that a guest who would change his life forever had arrived at his home.

This distinguished guest was a close blood relative of his—his paternal third uncle.

It was said that he worked as the head manager of a restaurant in a nearby small town and was considered a capable man by Han Li's parents. In the past century, the Han family might have only produced this one relative of some status.

Han Li had only met this third uncle a few times when he was very young. It was this uncle who had introduced his elder brother to an apprenticeship with an old blacksmith in the city. He also often sent food and daily necessities to Han Li's parents, taking good care of the family. Therefore, Han Li had a very good impression of this uncle and knew that although his parents never said it out loud, they were very grateful to him.

His elder brother was the pride of the family. It was said that as an apprentice blacksmith, not only were food and accommodation provided, but he also earned thirty copper coins a month. Once he officially completed his apprenticeship and was hired, he would earn even more.

Whenever his parents mentioned his elder brother, they would become radiant, as if they were different people. Although Han Li was young, he was also filled with envy. He had already set his heart on the best job—to be noticed by a skilled craftsman in the small town and taken on as an apprentice, thus becoming a respectable person who made a living with his hands.

So when Han Li saw his third uncle, dressed in a brand-new satin outfit, with a round, chubby face and a small mustache, he was extremely excited.

After putting the firewood away at the back of the house, he went to the front room and shyly greeted his uncle, obediently calling out, "Hello, Third Uncle," and then stood quietly to the side, listening to his parents chat with his uncle.

The third uncle smiled at Han Li, looked him over, and praised him with words like "obedient" and "sensible." Then he turned to Han Li's parents and began to explain the purpose of his visit.

Although Han Li was still young and couldn't fully understand his uncle's words, he grasped the general idea.

It turned out that the restaurant where his uncle worked was owned by a Jianghu School called the "Seven Mysteries Sect." This School had both Outer Sect and Inner Sect divisions, and not long ago, his uncle had officially become an Outer Sect Disciple of this School. As such, he could recommend children aged seven to twelve to take the test for becoming Inner Sect Disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect.

The Seven Mysteries Sect's once-every-five-years test for Inner Sect Disciples was about to begin next month. This somewhat shrewd uncle, who had no children of his own, naturally thought of Han Li, who was of the right age.

Han Li's father, who was usually simple and honest, felt hesitant and uncertain upon hearing unfamiliar terms like "Jianghu" and "School." He picked up his long-stemmed pipe, took a few hard puffs, and then sat there in silence.

In his uncle's words, the Seven Mysteries Sect was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable and prominent Schools within a radius of several hundred miles.

As long as one became an Inner Sect Disciple, not only would they be able to learn martial arts for free and have no worries about food and drink, but they would also receive more than one tael of silver each month for spending money. Moreover, even those who failed the test had the opportunity to become Outer Sect personnel like his uncle, who specialized in managing the School's external business.When he heard that there was a possibility of earning one or two taels of silver each month and even a chance to become a respectable person like his third uncle, Han Li's father finally made up his mind and agreed.

Seeing that Han Li's father had agreed, the third uncle was very pleased. He left a few more taels of silver, saying that he would come back in a month to take Han Li away. During this time, he advised them to prepare more nutritious food for Han Li to strengthen his body and prepare him for the upcoming test. After that, the third uncle bid farewell to Han Li's father, patted Han Li on the head, and left for the city.

Although Han Li didn't fully understand everything his third uncle had said, he did grasp that going to the city meant the opportunity to earn a lot of money.

The long-held wish that now seemed within reach kept him excited for several nights, making it hard for him to sleep.

More than a month later, the third uncle arrived punctually in the village to take Han Li away. Before leaving, Han Li's father repeatedly admonished him to be honest, to be patient in the face of adversity, and to avoid conflicts with others. Meanwhile, his mother urged him to take good care of his health, to eat well, and to get enough sleep.

On the carriage, watching the figures of his parents gradually fade into the distance, Han Li bit his lip hard, trying to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes.

Although he had always been more mature than other children, he was still just a ten-year-old boy. The first long journey away from home filled his heart with a bit of sadness and uncertainty. In his young heart, he secretly resolved that as soon as he earned a lot of money, he would return immediately and never be separated from his parents again.

Han Li never imagined that after this departure, the amount of money would lose its significance to him. Instead, he would embark on a path different from that of ordinary mortals, stepping onto his own journey of cultivating the Dao and pursuing immortality.

(End of Chapter)