After the Immortal Disappeared

While his men were busy running themselves ragged, Hee Lingchuan played the part of a hands-off boss. Aside from diligently focusing on his Cultivation, he was frequently out hunting with his Personal Guard and Rock Wolves.

It had only been three months since the Emperor's Liquid appeared, and new Demons were still stirring up trouble in Xiazhou. So, Hee Lingchuan took his new subordinates to practice his old trade from the Panlong Dream Realm.

Shan Youjun and Jiao Tai found him a few more good men, just enough to form a twenty-man Guard Team. The best way to test their mettle, of course, was to throw them immediately into live combat.

In five days, they killed seven Demons, but the Guard Team was reduced to eighteen men.

One had his leg injured, and one lost his life.

Hee Lingchuan provided generous compensation and then sighed. These were all powerful fighters whom Shan Youjun had personally vouched for, their quality a cut above the soldiers of Xiazhou. Yet, based on the past few days of combat, they were still a far cry from his Patrol Squad in the Panlong Dream Realm.

'It seems I still have a long way to go.'

On the other hand, when Lil Qingge heard he was selecting his Personal Guard, she recommended a disciple from Songyang Prefecture who not only had high Combat Power but was also skilled in construction and repairs.

Hee Lingchuan needed just such a versatile person, so he happily accepted. Looking back, he realized his team now had a combat medic (Monkey) and a logistics specialist. The lineup was quite luxurious.

'If only I had an aerial scout, too.'

One day, after eliminating a nest of Bat Demons that fed on the blood of young children, Hee Lingchuan was leading his team back to Dunyu when he suddenly felt a coolness on his face.

'Is it raining?'

He looked up in surprise to see fine snowflakes mixed with threads of rain drifting down from the sky, dampening everyone's clothes and hair, as well as the manes of their horses.

They happened to be passing Qing Lake and saw that the ice along the shore had already melted. Floating algae were sprouting tiny green buds. Schools of fish pushed up against the broken ice, their mouths dotting the surface as they opened and closed.

Only then did Hee Lingchuan dazedly realize that spring had truly arrived.

The oncoming wind had lost some of its chill, replaced by a hint of moisture, completely different from the bleak harshness of winter.

Returning to the Hee Residence, Hee Lingchuan heard Hee Yue's voice before he even stepped through the inner courtyard gate.

'The three of them, plus me. The whole family is here.'

Hee Yue, who was usually too busy to be seen, was rarely home. Hee Lingchuan noticed the boy seemed to have grown taller again, but he had also lost some weight, likely from being overworked at the State Government.

"Dad, you're exploiting child labor," he said, speaking up for his younger brother.

Hee Chunhua let out a dry chuckle, his smile not reaching his eyes.

Hee Lingchuan sat down nonchalantly, and Madam Ying immediately chided him. "Can't you even change your clothes? You've brought all the dust and dirt in!" He had only changed his boots; the hem of his robe was still splattered with mud.

Hee Chunhua, however, asked him, "What Demons did you eliminate today?"

Of course, he knew what his eldest son had been up to lately. The Village Officials had even reported that Mr. Hee was ridding the area of pests, and the villagers were very grateful.

Going out to hunt and earning a good reputation for slaying demons for the common folk was a great deal.

"A nest of big-eared Bat Demons that feed on the blood of young children." Hee Lingchuan smiled. "There weren't many, just over thirty of them. Shan Youjun took them home to roast and eat."

Madam Ying frowned. "Are those things edible?"

'Why not? They taste like chicken when you roast them.' Hee Lingchuan gave a mischievous laugh. "What's the occasion today? The whole family's here?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he'd said something wrong. Behind his father's back, Hee Yue was frantically shooting him looks, his eyelids twitching as if spasming. Madam Ying, meanwhile, looked utterly stunned.

As for Hee Chunhua, his expression went from cloudy to stormy in an instant, so dark it looked like it was about to rain.

"Well, well. What an unfilial son. How dare you forget what day it is?"

Even on days when Hee Chunhua was most displeased with his eldest son, he had never called him "unfilial." 'Damn it,' Hee Lingchuan thought. 'What huge mistake have I made?'

Standing behind and to the side of their father, Hee Yue kept trying to give him hints, making the motion of burning incense and bowing, performing at least three kowtows.

"How could I?" Hee Lingchuan forced a laugh. "Of course, I remember. Today is for revering..."

Hee Yue shook his head wildly.

'Not revering? Then it must be "worshiping..."'

Hee Yue nodded, then pointed a finger straight up.

"...the heavens?"

Hee Yue rolled his eyes, his expression screaming, 'You're so dead.'

Hee Chunhua suddenly turned his head and caught that very expression, and his eyebrow twitched.

'Both of these boys have grown up. How dare they cheat right in front of me?'

While his father's back was turned, Hee Lingchuan's mind raced, frantically trying to recall what was so special about today.

'Right, Father just called me an "unfilial son." That's a very specific curse.'

'Plus, today is the Spring Equinox. "The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring." Stories of spring... What the hell happened in the spring!'

He frantically searched through the original owner's Sea of Consciousness.

Perhaps because he had been so diligent in Entering Panlong City in his dreams lately, his Divine Sense had grown stronger. And so, amid the vast ocean of memories, he actually managed to find the answer!

Just then, Madam Ying gave a light cough, trying to help her eldest son out of the predicament. But Hee Lingchuan had already blurted out, "Today is the day of the family memorial! Dad, I would never dare to forget!"

Hee Chunhua turned his head back and snorted coldly. "Always so careless!"

It was clear Hee Lingchuan had answered correctly.

This was the most important day of the year for the Hee Family, and the body's original owner had never dared to be neglectful of it.

Hee Yue and Madam Ying both let out a secret sigh of relief.

No wonder his father had instructed him this morning, before he left to hunt Demons, that he absolutely had to be back before evening. At the time, Hee Lingchuan hadn't thought much of it and had readily agreed.

Every family had memorial days, but for the Hee Family, this memorial was a thorn in Hee Chunhua's heart. He never allowed any mistakes.

That was why, in the Hee Family, no advance notice was ever given for this event; everyone was expected to remember it by heart.

Hee Chunhua shot him a glare. "What are you standing there gawking for? Go bathe and change your clothes. The time is almost here!"

"Yes!" Hee Lingchuan quickly responded and scurried away as if on wings.

He had just returned to his own courtyard when servants came in carrying a large wooden tub, which they then began to fill with water.

This so-called "fragrant bath" was, of course, different from a normal wash. Aromatic herbs like angelica root, peach bark, and costus root were added for their effects of warding off evil, dispelling impurities, and refreshing the body.

Hee Lingchuan cleaned himself up just as night began to fall. He changed into a white robe and white hat, removed all his accessories, cleaned his teeth with willow salt, and rinsed his mouth with bitter tea. Only then did a servant lead him to the ancestral hall.

The renovations on the Hee Residence were still ongoing, but the ancestral hall had been the first building to be completed. It was simple in design, with black tiles and grey walls, and would later be discreetly nestled within the compound.

Beneath the eaves of the ancestral hall, newly hung white lanterns swayed in the worsening sleet, flickering from bright to dim and casting shifting, uncertain shadows on people's faces.

The entire Hee Mansion household had gathered. Steward Old Mo directed the servants as they brought the sacrificial offerings to the altar in a steady stream.

The three great sacrificial animals were placed in the front row: a whole pig, a whole ox, and a whole sheep, all roasted and set in place;

After that came the five fruits, sourced locally, consisting of five common regional varieties.

There were also sixty-four large and small bowls, filled with various dishes.

According to the regulations of the Yuan Kingdom, only the Royal Family or large-scale public ceremonies were permitted to use the great three sacrifices of a pig, ox, and sheep. Officials and commoners alike were restricted to the lesser three sacrifices: a pig, chicken, and fish.

The Hee Family's offerings were not in accordance with protocol, but Hee Chunhua clearly didn't care. Hee Lingchuan remembered that their family memorials had been like this ever since his father became the Qiansong County Governor.

Before, it was because the mountains were high and the emperor was far away. Now that they had moved to Xiazhou, why were they still breaking taboos? He figured Hee Chunhua must have his own reasons.

Besides, the Hee Family always held their worship behind closed doors, and no outsiders were permitted at this time.

After everything had been neatly arranged, Steward Old Mo lit the White Candles on the altar, and the ancestral hall fell silent.

This wait lasted for half a double-hour.

Hee Chunhua and his wife stood in front, with Hee Lingchuan and his brother behind them. All stood perfectly still, their eyes on their noses, their noses on their hearts.

The rain outside seemed to grow heavier.

The candles on the altar were never extinguished by the night wind, and their light illuminated the densely packed memorial tablets inside the Spirit Shrine.

Hee Lingchuan knew that the date of death written on one hundred and twenty-six of the tablets inside was the very same day.

That was also the darkest, bloodiest day in the history of the Hee Family.

Steward Old Mo suddenly announced, "A quarter past 7 p.m. The time has come."

Hee Chunhua's voice rang out, clear and resonant, as he began to recite the prayer.

He needed no script; every word and every sentence came from the bottom of his heart.

Listening from the side, Hee Lingchuan sighed to himself.

'What a world this is.'

The Hee Family was originally a prominent clan in the Capital City. His great-grandfather held a ministerial rank, and even in turbulent times, he could shelter the Hee Family and ensure their smooth sailing.

Nineteen years ago, his grandfather—Hee Chunhua's father—was framed for the crimes of offending the gods, insubordination, and treason. This directly touched the Monarch's Reversed Scale. The old Emperor, in a fit of rage, personally ordered the entire family to be executed—and the executions were to be carried out immediately!

The next day, he came to his senses, but the Hee Family had already been all but wiped out. Only an eleven-year-old boy, who was far away from home, had escaped the purge for the time being.

The old Emperor thought, 'I regret this, but I won't say it.' He then seized the people who had framed the Hee Family and, in a backhanded move, ordered their entire family to be executed as well—this time with the added punishment of exterminating nine generations of their clan. Then, with a grand wave of his hand, he declared:

"The main culprits have been brought to justice. However, the Hee Family was also at fault for concealing and not reporting the matter, and are thus considered accessories. The Hee child, Hee Chunhua, will be spared death and is hereby banished to Qiansong County!"

'How magnanimous.'

And just like that, the third young master of the Hee Mansion, Hee Chunhua—renowned throughout the Capital City, with a future as bright as day—suddenly had no future at all.

The one silver lining in this misfortune was that Hee Chunhua was not "exiled" but "demoted."

The use of the word "demoted" was quite clever. Though Hee Chunhua was young and held no Official Position, he was "demoted" by imperial decree. This paradoxically showed that he had not been reduced to a commoner, let alone a criminal, and would not have to suffer the humiliation of being tattooed or branded.

His path in life was not cut off, nor was the "opportunity" for promotion completely severed. This was the greatest mercy the old Emperor could bestow.

Rummaging through the original owner's memories, Hee Lingchuan knew very well how Hee Chunhua had climbed step-by-step from a lowly post-station clerk to his current position, receiving two extraordinary promotions along the way. Such a comeback against the odds required not only untold hardship and bitterness but also a great deal of luck.

After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Hee Chunhua finished his recitation.

There was more good news to report to his deceased relatives this year, including his recent meritorious achievements and his promotion to Governor of Xiazhou, making him a provincial magnate. In terms of power, he had already surpassed his ancestors.

As a result, Hee Chunhua's expression was more spirited this year than in any year past. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt on the cattail cushion to begin kowtowing.

He performed thirty-six resounding kowtows in a row, the sound of his forehead hitting the floor—THUD, THUD—audible to all.

Only then did he take the incense sticks from the steward and gently press them into the Incense Burner.