Free Web NovelChapter 122: Chapter 90: The Returning Immortal
’At this rate, what good will it do even if I find the Old Daoist Nun? Can I even kill her?’
’After all, when she stole that carrot Demon Spirit’s Demon Core, the look she gave me was filled with disdain.’
’There’s a huge gap in our years of Cultivation, after all.’
’And I’m no genius.’
’Whatever. I’ll stop thinking about it for now.’
’I live one life after another anyway.’
’I can outlive anyone!’
With that thought, Xu Lei stretched, stood up, and walked outside.
Although he could be reincarnated many times and wasn’t in a hurry to achieve success in a single lifetime, the fact that he hadn’t advanced even a single Small Realm after three years of hard Cultivation was still a little frustrating.
「Another month passed in the blink of an eye.」
The search for the Old Daoist Nun had still yielded no results.
Xu Lei and Mu Yao left the Prince’s Mansion. They traveled by carriage through the State Mansion and arrived near the Great Xing Mountain Range.
This was the city where Xu Lei had been born in this lifetime.
Since Xu Lei felt his Cultivation was progressing too slowly, he wanted to travel the world and see if he could encounter any Demon Spirits.
He also wanted to go back and see how his family from this life was doing.
Along the way, Xu Lei didn’t encounter any Demon Spirits; he and Mu Yao just ate a lot of delicious food and practiced some joyous Charitable Giving in several places.
As for his family, Xu Lei had no intention of revealing himself and meeting them directly.
He wanted to check on them discreetly.
Mu Yao didn’t ask many questions, simply staying by his side.
Xu Lei quickly learned about his family’s situation.
In the intervening years, his father and mother had had two more children, both girls.
Xu Lei had left home at the age of nine; he was now over twenty-five.
Sixteen years had passed.
His eldest brother had become a middle-aged man in his thirties.
After marrying the woman who became his sister-in-law, he had also taken a concubine and had five children over the years.
His father and mother now looked very old.
After they had his two younger sisters, his mother’s health had declined, so they didn’t have any more children.
His third brother had also grown up, becoming a handsome nineteen-year-old.
Unlike his eldest brother, his third brother was studious and had already passed the examinations to earn the title of Scholar.
However, he had not yet entered official service, which required connections, a network, a suitable vacant position, and so on.
There were some positions available in remote, undesirable locations.
After all, with the money Xu Lei had left behind, his eldest brother had gone into business. While he hadn’t made a huge fortune, he had achieved modest success.
Arranging it wouldn’t have been a problem.
But going to a place that was too far away and too difficult was worse than not going at all.
Their family had a bit of money now, so there was no need for him to endure such hardship.
But there were no suitable positions available near their hometown.
So, the matter of his third brother entering official service had been put on hold.
Of course, his third brother was already married, to the daughter of a merchant family much wealthier than their own.
But because he had never secured an official post, it seemed he wasn’t well-respected by his father-in-law.
His two younger sisters were still young, one thirteen and the other twelve.
They were not yet of marriageable age and still lived at home.
His father and mother had bought a house in the city, but their house in the village had also been nicely renovated and expanded.
His eldest and third brothers’ families often lived in the city, and they had naturally bought their own residences as well.
His two younger sisters, however, often lived with their parents in the large house in the village.
The local magistrate here was one of Mu Yao’s father’s former protégés.
It would have been quite simple for Mu Yao to use her influence to help.
However, Xu Lei still had no intention of intervening.
After all, his family was doing well. They had some minor troubles, but that was normal.
There was no need for him to interfere.
Unexpectedly, however, on the second day after his arrival, Xu Lei’s third brother was out and about when he was beaten by someone because his carriage failed to yield in time.
The assailant was the son of the local Government Office’s Old Chief Clerk, a man of considerable power and influence in the area.
So, even though his eldest brother, father, mother, and two younger sisters all rushed to the scene when they heard the commotion, in the end, they could only swallow their anger and endure the humiliation.
Xu Lei found out about this just after finishing his daily Cultivation. Mu Yao told him about it as he was heading out.
"Living Buddha, Yaoyao has acted on her own."
Mu Yao said, "I have already acted on your behalf and handled this matter.
But it only just occurred to me, will this involve us in karma?
If I have acted improperly, please punish me."
"It’s fine."
Xu Lei said, "Benefactor Yaoyao, you acted with good intentions."
After all, since it had happened, he wouldn’t have just stood by and done nothing.
So naturally, he couldn’t possibly blame Mu Yao now.
After that, Xu Lei said nothing more. He simply picked up Mu Yao, carried her back to their room, and prepared to reward her with the Charitable Giving of his body.
Meanwhile, that same day, Xu Lei’s family from this life was gathered together at their old home in the village.
After what had happened, they were all worried about repercussions and had temporarily returned to the old house to lie low.
But soon, the Old Chief Clerk was removed from his post, and many members of his family were thrown into prison.
The man who had thrown the punch came to beg for forgiveness, bound in shackles, accompanied by the matriarch of his family.
Outside the old family home, a whole group of people was kneeling on the ground.
"What’s going on?"
"What happened?"
"Why was the Old Chief Clerk suddenly removed from his post?"
"And why are his family members acting like this? Do we even have the standing for this?"
Xu Lei’s family from this lifetime was completely baffled.
Afterward, people from his eldest brother’s father-in-law, his third brother’s father-in-law, and others also rushed over.
No one understood what was happening. After asking around, it was clear that none of them possessed this kind of power.
Then, even the local County Magistrate personally came to visit. After some pleasantries, he invited the third brother to enter official service, offering him a highly coveted position.
