met free Chapter 41: Uncle Passes Away
Chapter 41: Uncle Passes Away
In the blink of an eye, time has passed, rushing forward and never to return.
Fang Yun celebrated his 100th birthday.
He didn't celebrate extravagantly; he simply held a family banquet atop Zizhu Mountain, keeping a very low profile.
The Fang family has been doing very well these past few years.
Fang Shiping set an example by personally going to Qingmu Immortal City to teach his clansmen how to set up a street stall.
At the beginning, things naturally didn't go smoothly, and it took nearly ten years to get through it.
In order to gain fame, Fang Yun even took out a Jade Bamboo Pill.
Unexpectedly, by sheer chance, they helped a Qi Refining rogue cultivator successfully establish his foundation.
As its reputation spread, it eventually accumulated a group of loyal customers, like a snowball rolling downhill.
Finally, we started to make a significant profit.
With ample medicinal herbs to practice with, Fang Yun's alchemy skills steadily improved.
Gradually, they mastered the refining methods of the Azure Water Pill and the Purple Candle Pill.
I've recently been trying the Golden Dragon Tiger Pill.
This elixir is ranked at the peak of the second-tier lower grade, and its difficulty in refining is second only to the Purple-Veined Longevity Pill.
It requires the marrow and essence of a second-tier Flood Dragon and a Foundation Establishment Demon Tiger.
Each batch costs a great deal, as the raw materials are difficult to gather, but they can assist cultivators in refining their bodies.
After much deliberation, Fang Yun decided to rent a shop to expand his business.
So Fang Shiping made the trip himself.
Not only did they successfully acquire the Dan Ge shop, but they also bought a birthday gift for their elderly father at the auction.
"The Undying Body of Dead Wood".
It was the second-tier body-refining technique that Fang Yun had been talking about for a long time, and it was very compatible with his spiritual root.
At the age of 100, he finally achieved his wish.
The youngest son, Fang Long, also presented a gift, a very cleverly designed longevity garment.
It is embroidered with eight hundred longevity characters of various sizes.
These were written by each of Fang Yun's grandchildren, and then embroidered by a skilled embroiderer.
Fang Long hasn't had a child for several years. He's too old, his essence and blood are depleted, and his marrow is dried up.
Eight hundred children—this was the result of his life's hard work.
This is also Fang Long's way of proving that he has been in this world.
Among them, there are 278 people who possess spiritual roots.
The only regret is that they ultimately failed to produce a single person with a superior spiritual root.
Fang Yaode, that unlucky fellow, remains the only heir in Ziqing Lake.
As the eldest brother, Fang Shiyu looked around and realized that he really didn't have anything worth mentioning.
So he decisively went to the Green Wood Sect and called Fang Anting back.
More than 20 years have passed, and the little boy from back then has grown up completely.
Just like a seedling growing into a towering tree.
Fang Anting stood there, like a sword drawn from its sheath.
His face and body shape are very similar to Fang Yun's, but his features are more like Qing'er's, only with sharper lines.
His sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples, his eyes were strikingly bright, his sharpness was unrestrained, and his resolute aura permeated his very bones.
"Grandson An Ting greets his grandparents, bringing with him a single pill of the Hundred-Refined Golden Elixir to celebrate his grandfather's birthday!"
Fang Anting performed a deep bow with utmost respect, his back ramrod straight even while kneeling.
"Good boy, good boy!"
The two sisters, Zhiqing and Zhiyu, were the most moved. Despite their failing eyesight, they still shed tears of emotion.
He pulled this eldest grandson aside and chatted on and on, asking him many questions about the situation within the sect.
How are you eating? How are you sleeping? Do you have any favorite senior or junior female classmates?
Fang Anting's face tightened as he listened to this, but his earlobes quietly turned red.
Over the years, he has been devoted to swordsmanship and obsessed with alchemy, and knows nothing about matters between men and women.
"Grandfather, this is the elixir I refined. Please take a look."
Fang Anting raised his palm, revealing a golden pill in his palm, shining brightly.
Fang Yun picked up the elixir; it was the size of a longan, yet ten times heavier than gold!
"The Hundred-Refined Golden Elixir, once ingested, is like being tempered a thousand times by sword energy. Combined with body-refining techniques, it tempers the bones and fascia of the entire body."
Fang Anting's eyes were bright, and when the topic of alchemy came up, he immediately became very talkative.
"Congratulations, Ting'er, you've found the path that's best for you."
"Grandfather is very happy for you."
Fang Yun solemnly accepted the pill, his expression filled with emotion and a sense of satisfaction.
Fang Anting stayed at Ziqing Lake for ten days before preparing to return.
He has already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining and is considering Foundation Establishment. He is very busy every day.
Before leaving, Fang Yun forcibly gave him five thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Admittedly, as an old man, Fang Yun can be quite biased at times.
……
Spring has passed and autumn has come; another three years have gone by.
Fang Yun was suddenly met with devastating news.
Uncle Fang Pangen is critically ill, nearing the end of his life, and will soon pass away peacefully.
When Fang Yun was still a Celestial Seedling, this person was already a family elder.
He has been able to survive for so many years only by taking a few longevity pills.
However, lifespan is ultimately predetermined, and the cycle of birth and death is the final destination for all life.
When Fang Yun arrived at the bedside, the room and the surrounding area were already filled with a crowd of people.
The two sisters cried the most, even though they were old and their eyes could no longer shed many tears.
They were still heartbroken, and anyone could feel their sorrow.
Compared to his grandniece, Fang Pangen was remarkably calm.
He stretched out his withered hand and kept stroking the two sisters' white-haired heads.
The actions are exactly the same as when I lulled them to sleep as children.
Fang Yaosheng and his wife also arrived, followed by several children who knelt on the floor inside the house.
Speaking of which, Senior Brother Yaosheng is the true successor to his great-uncle, and now serves as the head of the family's alchemy workshop.
"Young Master Yun, I want to see you refine pills, second-tier spirit pills!"
Fang Yun had just arrived when he heard the old man say those words.
Throughout the entire Ziqing Lake region, only one person is qualified to call him Yun Xiaozi (Young Master Yun).
Now only this one remains.
"Alright, let's go to the main hall of the alchemy room!"
Fang Yun pondered for a moment, then nodded emphatically.
A group of people carried the old man's bed into the main hall, their movements slow and gentle, and no one dared to breathe loudly.
Fang Yun originally wanted to refine his best Qingzhi Pill, but the old man rejected the idea.
"Change to another one, the most difficult one."
"Before I die, I must witness the Fang family's highest level of alchemy!"
Fang Pangen had bright eyes and a ruddy complexion, showing no signs of weakness befitting someone nearing the end of their life.
"Someone, fetch the ingredients for the Vajra Dragon Tiger Pill!"
Fang Yun exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling a sense of pressure rising in his heart.
He had tried to refine this elixir six times, but all of them failed.
The essence of the dragon and tiger, the great medicine of qi and blood, were arranged around the alchemy furnace like a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.
Fang Yun flicked his finger, and in an instant, flames shot into the sky, transforming into countless bamboo leaves dancing in the air.
There were more than 15,000 of them, fluttering and creating a lush, verdant bamboo forest in mid-air.
"Ten thousand bamboos transform into a sea, fire control is perfected!"
"Yaosheng, did you see that? Did you see that?!"
"Master, your disciple has not failed our ancestors..."
Fang Pangen grabbed Yaosheng's sleeve, suppressing his voice as he growled, tears streaming down his face.
Fang Yun no longer pays attention to the various external factors.
As far as the eye could see, there was only the alchemy furnace before them.
He spent three whole days refining this batch of pills, devoting all his attention to it.
This can be considered the pinnacle of his alchemy skills!
Fortunately, fate smiled upon him, and he eventually succeeded by sheer luck.
At the bottom of the alchemy furnace, the energy of dragons and tigers converged, transforming into a precious elixir as if forged from gold.
Uncle Fang Pangen mustered his strength and, with his last breath, watched the entire process.
He clutched the still-warm Vajra Dragon Tiger Pill.
He laughed three times, then passed away peacefully, gently closing his eyes.
A smile of utter satisfaction graced his lips.
The sobbing was mournful, and the whole hall was filled with sorrow.
Fang Yun respectfully performed the final salute for the old man.
He ordered that the pill be buried in the coffin, to be buried alongside his uncle.
After Fang Pangen passed away, the two sisters fell seriously ill.
Fang Yun refined many pills, finally saving their lives.
But there is no cure for mental illness.
After waking up, Fang Zhiyu and Fang Zhiqing gradually began to forget many things.
His mind also began to degenerate, and he became more and more like a child.
Fang Yun even summoned Shi Lan and Shinian back to their clan, but it was still to no avail.
Fortunately, they still remembered Fang Yun.
Therefore, Fang Yun reduced the number of times he refined pills.
Every day, I spend a lot of time walking with the two sisters in the mountains, telling them about my past memories.
Fang Shiyu did the same, even abusing his clan chief privileges.
I often take them to the clan storehouse to see those shiny, beautiful things.
Even if he loses his memory and becomes a young child.
Fang Zhiqing still hadn't forgotten her little flaw of being greedy for money.
Upon seeing those glittering golden bells, her eyes still crinkle into crescent moons with laughter.
Layers upon layers of wrinkles, yet a smile blooms like a flower.
It was at this time.
Fang Yun received a message from Qin Yao, something he hadn't done in a long time.
On the occasion of her centenary, she invited the five people to begin the third reunion of the State of Chen.