The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 99: Departure

In the end, Han Li still stepped into the village one foot at a time.

As soon as he entered the village entrance, he heard the jubilant sounds of musical instruments. Walking along the village path, he didn’t catch sight of a single villager.

A thought flashed through Han Li’s mind—this scene and the sounds were all too familiar from his childhood. It was unmistakably a wedding celebration in some household, with the entire village gathered to join in the festivities or simply to enjoy the excitement.

Han Li focused his mind and slowly extended his spiritual sense. Sure enough, he found that all the villagers, young and old, had gathered in one particular spot. But the location of their gathering struck him as oddly familiar—wasn’t that his own family’s home?

Han Li was taken aback.

“Could it be…?” A vague suspicion arose in his mind.

He quickened his pace, swiftly maneuvering past several houses and turning a few corners before his vision suddenly brightened.

Hundreds of villagers were gathered around a simple earthen courtyard.

Inside the courtyard stood several tiled houses that appeared far more well-built than the surrounding dwellings. On both sides of the courtyard gate and the doors of the houses, large red "double happiness" characters had been pasted. A small band of musicians played lively tunes at the entrance, adding to the festive atmosphere.

The villagers stood, squatted, or even sat casually on the ground, some whispering among themselves, others arguing loudly, while a few cast envious glances toward the courtyard.

Beside the adults, groups of children ran about, laughing and playing.

Seeing this familiar scene, Han Li felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him. For a fleeting moment, it was as if he had returned to the past, transformed back into one of those carefree children chasing and playing with the others.

“Tsk tsk! The fourth daughter of the Han family is truly blessed. I heard the groom is a scholar from the city—a learned man from a respectable family!”

“Exactly! And she’s marrying as his official wife, instantly becoming a scholar’s lady of status!”

“I heard the Han family’s dowry is shockingly lavish—dozens of taels of pure silver!”

“They must be rolling in money!”

……

The clamorous gossip of the village women snapped Han Li out of his daze.

“The fourth daughter of the Han family—that’s my little sister! Could today really be her wedding day?” A surge of indescribable emotion welled up inside him, churning relentlessly.

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Han Li ducked behind a nearby tree, his gaze fixed intently on the courtyard gate.

Suddenly, a loud shout came from the distance: “The bridal carriage is here! The groom has come to fetch the bride!”

At these words, the crowd erupted into commotion, the noise reaching a fever pitch.

“The bride is coming out!”

“The new bride is about to appear! Come and see!”

……

The children, not to be outdone, shouted excitedly. Han Li’s spirits lifted, and his eyes burned with anticipation as he stared at the courtyard gate.

With a creak, the wooden gate swung open, and a group of over a dozen men and women emerged. In their midst was a young girl clad in a vibrant red wedding dress.

Her face was delicate and pretty, with a pointed chin, and she appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, her expression tinged with shyness.

Han Li widened his eyes, scrutinizing the girl’s features, searching for traces of the little sister he remembered.

Apart from a faint familiarity in the curve of her brows and the corners of her eyes, nothing else in her appearance could connect her to the image of his little sister in his memories."Cough! A girl changes eighteen times before she grows up—how true that saying is!" Han Li gave a bitter smile, then began scanning the people around her.

"That fat one is Third Uncle—recognizable at a glance, still as plump as ever!"

"The dark, burly fellow over there is Elder Brother Han Tie, and the woman next to him must be his wife!"

...

Han Li muttered under his breath as he named each one, as if doing so could ease his tension.

When his gaze landed on an elderly man and woman with graying hair, Han Li fell silent.

He stood motionless behind the tree, his expression turning extremely complex.

There was joy, timidity, and a hint of bewilderment.

His parents had aged far more than Han Li had expected. He remembered his mother's hair being jet black when he left for the mountains, but now it was streaked with gray at the temples. His father, once straight-backed, now stooped slightly.

Han Li remained silent, his mind a muddled haze. He was oblivious to everything that happened afterward.

By the time he regained his senses, his younger sister had already boarded a brightly decorated carriage draped in red silk, disappearing into the distance. Beside the carriage rode a scholar astride a large, blue-green horse.

Han Li strained his eyes for one last look at the departing carriage, then turned back to glance at his parents in the crowd before closing his eyes.

After etching the faces of his parents and closest relatives deep into his heart, Han Li turned away, his expression suddenly resolute, and strode toward the village entrance.

He knew that when he stepped out of the village this time, his ties with these people might very well end here in this lifetime.

Han Li was acutely aware that ever since he began practicing the Eternal Spring Art and learned of the existence of Cultivators, the path he would walk would be entirely different from that of ordinary people.

No matter what fortune or misfortune, blessings or calamities lay ahead, he would never regret his choice!

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(End of Chapter)