Ascension Day

Pei Du composed himself and looked through them one by one. Most of the books in this collection were from before the time of the Emperor of Ultimate Dao. Some were even from before Wang Mang’s era, being Pre-Qin Ancient Texts collected during his time.

The first volume was an anecdote from the Sui Annals. It told of the Second Year of Emperor Kaihuang, in a certain village in Jiangnan, where there was a child with the surname Xu. He lived in the village for over ten years without any change in his appearance, then suddenly vanished, his whereabouts unknown. More than thirty years later, a traveling merchant from that village came to a place Qianli away and met a child who looked just like the missing Xu child.

But thirty years had passed, and the Xu child’s appearance was exactly the same as before, without any change.

The merchant went up to ask, but the Xu child didn’t recognize him. The merchant thought that reincarnation must truly exist in the world.

The second volume told a story from over seven hundred years ago. A woodcutter was chopping wood on a mountain when he saw two people by the roadside, one in red and one in white, playing chess. He became so engrossed in watching that he forgot to go home. When the two in red and white finished their game, the Woodcutter was shocked to find that the handle of his axe had rotted away, and his firewood had turned to dust and charcoal.

The Woodcutter staggered home, only to find his village completely changed. His parents and wife had died of old age, and the villagers he knew had all passed away. Only one person in the village, a young boy with the surname Xu, recognized him. He told him, "You’ve been gone for a hundred years."

The Woodcutter looked at the boy. He had looked this way a hundred years ago, and he still looked the same now. The Woodcutter was astonished. Just then, the two people in red and white appeared and took the hundred-year-old boy away.

The two of them were even heard muttering that their game of chess had almost made them late for important business.

Pei Du flipped through the other books. They were all filled with strange and curious tales, and the events they recorded were often triggered by a young boy whose appearance never changed.

The more he read, the more shocked he became. He gradually reached Ancient Texts from two thousand years ago and found sporadic records of an ageless boy even there!

This ageless boy’s history was even older than his Pei Family!

He appeared in the meteor crater that destroyed Wang Mang’s army, crawled out of the mass graves from the burning of books and burying of scholars, stood beside Lady Meng Jiang as she cried down the Great Wall, and even took part in the Battle of Changping. He was one of the 400,000 surrendered soldiers buried alive by Bai Qi!

He was the boy who mimicked a fox’s cry during the uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and he was also the boy who, in front of two opposing armies, tied up Liu Bang’s father, ready to toss him into a pot to be boiled and eaten.

He appeared in the corners of history, rarely drawing any attention.

Pei Du scanned all the Ancient Books, speechless for a long time.

The Pei Family’s collection was limited; they had no even older books. Thus, he didn’t know if this ageless boy would appear in even more ancient records.

Some of these books had illustrations, while others were only text. From the drawings, the boy in the pictures did bear some resemblance to Xu Ying, but it was impossible to be certain it was him.

"Patriarch, most of these books are unofficial histories and anecdotes. The events they record may not be true, nor may they all be about the same boy."

Pei Jingting said cautiously, "An undying boy, living from four or five thousand years ago until now... no one would believe such a thing if you told them."

Pei Du nodded lightly. "You’re right. This person is obscure, his story unrecorded in any true historical annals. These anecdotes are most likely the stuff of fiction, not to be believed."

Pei Jingting added, "And Xu Ying isn’t necessarily the undying boy from the books. From what I’ve seen, though his words and actions can be shocking, he still has the disposition of a youth."

Pei Du nodded. "He often puts on the airs of an adult and speaks like one, but at heart, he’s still a child."

Pei Jingting said, "He is extremely useful to our Pei Family. We should win him over."

Pei Du said, "Indeed. He can interpret Qi Refining Skills. Which of the great Noble Families wouldn’t want to win him over? With all the Noble Families needing something from him, if our Pei Family were to move against him, we would likely become a target for them all."

Pei Jingting smiled. "I was worried you, my brother, might get the wrong idea about him because of his Longevity. Father implanted a piece of cursed flesh that grants Longevity to extend his own life, and has managed not to be devoured by it so far. But what if there was a piece of flesh that grants Longevity, but without a curse? What if one could become immortal, just like that..."

"Say no more!"

Pei Du cut him off, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "Don’t say it! My Dao Heart isn’t so strong that I can resist every temptation! Jingting, you may leave. And instruct the disciples who searched for these books that this matter must not be spread, under any circumstances!"

Pei Jingting bowed and agreed, then withdrew.

Pei Du waved his hand, dismissing the Maids as well. He paced back and forth in his study alone, his gaze occasionally falling on the mountain of books, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

’To eat him, or not to eat him...’

’Longevity, within my grasp for the first time. Should I live a life worse than death like Father, or should I be bold and take that next step? After all, my own lifespan is almost at its end...’

Xu Ying and Yuan Rushi spent the whole day fooling around outside and didn’t return until sunset. The moment they stepped through the gate, they felt that the atmosphere was a little off. A beautiful middle-aged woman was standing there with a white-haired old lady, watching them in silence.

The smile on Yuan Rushi’s face froze. She lowered her head, walked over, and said softly, "Mother, Great-Grandmother."

Xu Ying also hurried forward to pay his respects. The beautiful woman, who bore some resemblance to Yuan Rushi and Yuan Weiyang, smiled and said, "There’s no need for such formalities. Xu Master, we have been poor hosts these past few days. Uncle Xiao, please see Xu Master to his chambers to rest."

Uncle Xiao acknowledged the order and came forward to escort him.

Xu Ying had no choice but to follow Uncle Xiao, feeling uneasy in his heart.

For the next few days, he didn’t see Yuan Rushi at all. He did see Yuan Weiyang a few times, and when Xu Ying asked about Yuan Rushi, Yuan Weiyang said, "My little sister was punished by our mother for her mischief. She’s been confined."