Spring passes and autumn cos, the sun and moon revolve, and five years slip away quietly.
With daily consumption of at, eggs, milk, persistent dicated baths, and taking Bone Strengthening Pills, the thirteen-year-old Li Ji’an has now grown to nearly 1.6 ters tall. Combined with appropriate daily exercise, he has mastered the movents and postures of the "Golden Strength Skill" from the Martial Arts Academy, standing tall with strong bones and long muscles.
In the bathtub, Li Ji’an carefully examines his body, though already familiar beyond asure, every ti still full of emotion.
In the previous life, at thirteen, he was hard by beasts and stunted, with poor nutrition, not even taller than he was two lifetis ago. As an adult, he barely reached 1.5 ters. (Every ti the rejuvenation line doesn’t change, the person doesn’t change, neither does the soul, the body is still his body, starting strictly from age eight, technically not a lifeti, but for convenience of storytelling and understanding, let’s define each rejuvenation as one lifeti.)
Looking again at the reflection in the water, his appearance is far more handso and radiant than at the sa age in the previous life, exuding youthful vitality.
"Those precautions prepared in the previous life were unexpectedly unused." With a light laugh, Li Ji’an subrged in the water.
In the courtyard of the county city, he had buried so herbs and silver for his childhood in this life.
Yet these five years, regardless of dicated baths or other life necessities, the temple covered it all, even sponsoring his martial arts study at the academy, simply because of the two prescriptions he gave to Liu Deshan.
Indeed, these two prescriptions caused Purple Cloud Temple’s inco to soar over these years.
Besides the disciples’ treatnt in the temple, the Charity Hall was expanded, even nad after Chang’an—Chang’an Charity Hall!
Currently, nearly a hundred orphaned children are sheltered.
Moreover, knowing Li Ji’an’s martial aspirations, the senior brothers at the Charity Hall frequently offer nourishing wild items from the mountains.
In these five years, within the temple, he was like stars surrounding the moon, receiving care.
"Tomorrow going to the Martial Arts Academy, is Old Huang still alive? How about Tutor Wu, was he dismissed? Did the little fellow who mocked qualify for martial examinations..."
Holding his breath for at least two minutes, he felt very satisfied with his current physical state.
Additionally, over these years, he clearly felt his spiritual power noticeably enhanced through two rejuvenations, thinking sharper, energy fuller, needing only six hours’ sleep to restore peak condition daily.
These five years reminiscing about the martial arts academy’s "Golden Strength Skill" study in the previous life, he gained deeper understanding, many past inexplicable points becoming clearer.
Whether this is the extra benefit of "rejuvenation" or a natural change from "age to wisdom," after all, each life the body "rejuvenates," but the spirit keeps accumulating.
"Junior Brother, save !" At this mont, a cry for help ca from the large bath nearby.
It’s where temple children below fifteen soak for dicated baths, where Little Qingyun was playing around with the boys.
Li Ji’an initially wanted no special treatnt, but couldn’t resist because the steward at the dicated Bath Hall was a child he saved in a previous life, insisting on giving him a separate bath.
Moreover, despite looking thirteen, his soul had seen too much, at tis playing with children, but true childlike innocence was too forced.
Sotis inadvertently showing maturity inappropriate for his age made so children uneasy, so he opted for a separate bathtub.
Little Qingyun was true childlike innocence.
"Junior Brother, everyone listens to you, help persuade Master not to send to the Martial Arts Academy, will you?" Exiting the dicated Bath Hall, Qingyun clung to Li Ji’an’s sleeve, pleading.
Just like his father as a child, if he could lie down, he wouldn’t sit, if he could stay still, he wouldn’t move, uninterested in martial arts or cultivation.
Five years passed, if not for Li Ji’an suggesting to Master for health consideration, forced exercise would now be fatter.
However, everyone has their aspirations, each their predestined path; after several attempts to persuade him into martial arts and cultivation without success, seeing his preference in succeeding his father, Li Ji’an didn’t insist further.
Li Ji’an shook his head smiling, ignoring him.
The next morning.
Outside the main gate of Purple Cloud Temple, a group of Daoists stood silently.
Li Ji’an and Qingyun stood by the carriage saying goodbyes.
"Master, I really don’t want to study martial arts, where are there immortals in this world, I just want to stay in the temple... Serve you, be filial to you... Don’t drive away..." Qingyun’s voice carried a sob.
Liu Deshan glared fiercely at him: "Look at your junior brother, how did I... raise such a disciple, do you know how much silver the Martial Arts Academy requires? Many want to study martial arts but have no chance! Stop crying, hold back instantly, how grown are you now?"
Shaking his head in disgust, Liu Deshan glanced at Li Ji’an, his expression instantly softened.
But looking at Li Ji’an’s face, his heart twitched.
How did Junior Brother father such a handso son?
What an extraordinary beauty his junior sister-in-law must be!
Tall, dignified, unlike that unfortunate child.
At that mont, Li Ji’an hardly resembled at all but for eyebrows compared to his previous self-sa age.
"Chang’an, the Martial Arts Academy is arranged, no need for concerns, just focus on martial arts, well don’t pressure too much, no need to stubbornly pursue being an Immortal Seedling, regardless of circumstances, this will always be your ho."
"Thank you, Master!" Li Ji’an bowed deeply to the graying temple head Liu Deshan.
"Good, good, go now, keep an eye on that boy for , if he’s disobedient, give him a beating, that’s my word."
Qingyun genuinely wanted to cry this ti.
...
The carriage rolled farther away, the temple figures equally more distant.
Qingyun hopped in and slept, unaffected by sorrow or worry.
From inside the city, without a call, his nose awakened him.
"Junior Brother, look, candied hawthorn!"
"Wow, and fried dough."
"Oh~ that’s braised pork trotters..."
Li Ji’an looked outside through the window, equally familiar, having lived in the city for ten years.
Five years, little change in the city.
As he walked through, several familiar faces ca to sight.
"Senior Brother, please stop the carriage, let Qingyun help buy so food." Afraid Qingyun drooled on his clothes, Li Ji’an relented.
The middle-aged coachman smiled gently, stopping the carriage aside.
"Chang’an, you spoil Qingyun too much." Everyone in the temple knew Li Ji’an’s heart nature, never indulging in cravings.
Qingyun showed sheer joy: "Thank you, Junior Brother, thank you, Junior Brother."
Li Ji’an lovingly patted Qingyun’s head, took about thirty copper coins from his purse, and handed them to him.
After instructing the middle-aged Daoist to keep an eye on Qingyun, Li Ji’an turned a corner and arrived at the bustling market behind a small courtyard.
This place was the courtyard he bought fifteen years ago, front facing the market area, back near the County Yan, inhabited mostly by rchants, reducing unnecessary contact and trouble.
Five years absent, outside everything looked unchanged.
Li Ji’an walked around the courtyard’s periter, his gaze shifted subtly, then quietly distanced.
Five years earlier when departing, he had filled the walls with embroidery needles, just now noticing several needle damages, even dim bloodstains visible in wall crevices.
No need verifying what happened, whether a thief or robber, nor require checking if traps worked, all irrelevant.
This arrangent served only the post-childhood phase.
Now with Purple Cloud Temple assisting this step completion, this place’s significance no longer warrants any unknown risk or unnecessary trouble.
After all, rely so silver coin.
Once Qingyun returned satisfied carrying a large food bundle, the carriage headed to Shangyi County’s Martial Arts Academy, once a place of cold disdain and mockery in Li Ji’an’s previous life.
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