1: Chapter 1 New Life

Yan State, the seventh year of Tianqian.

The remote Qinling Mountains were located in the southwestern corner of Yan State, featuring towering mountains and dense forests.

At the foot of the mountain, Liu Village was built against the terrain.

Blue tiles and earthen walls were neatly embedded amidst the shade of green trees, and a few wisps of cooking smoke slowly rose, gradually dissipating in the morning light.

Under the old willow tree at the eastern end of the village, the grey-templed Ye Jing leaned against a bamboo rocking chair, enjoying the shade with a worried expression.

"In the blink of an eye, I am already eighty. The days at the foot of this high mountain have passed in a flash for decades. I am already old and feeble, and I do not know if I can live to see the day my grandson gets married and establishes his career!"

He muttered to himself.

A washed-out coarse cloth short jacket was draped over his body, and half a cup of cold tea sat on the stone table beside his hand.

Ye Jing was someone who had undergone Transmigration, and he had transmigrated here for sixty years.

In modern times, he was an ordinary office worker. On his way home from working overtime, he was hit by a car, and when he opened his eyes again, Ye Jing arrived in the world before him.

In this world, there were not only secular Dynasties, but also supreme Immortal Sects.

Initially, he thought that relying on his identity as someone who had undergone Transmigration, he would surely be like those web novels about Transmigration where he would obtain a Golden Finger, cheat all the way, counterattack in life, and it was even possible to achieve the supreme fruition of an Immortal Venerable.

However, imagination was wonderful, but reality was cruel.

Not only did he lack a Golden Finger, but after searching bitterly for several years and entering an immortal gate for testing, he discovered that he did not even have a Spiritual Root.

Not to mention a counterattack, he wasn't even qualified to stay in the Sect to be a Utility Disciple.

Having traveled about for half his life, Ye Jing was disheartened and resigned himself to his fate from then on.

Wandering to Liu Village and seeing that the scenery here was pleasant, he married a woman from this village, had two sons, and worked from sunrise to sunset.

In the blink of an eye, decades passed, and time flew like an arrow.

"Old Man Ye, how do you have the time to come here and steal a moment of leisure today?!"

At this moment, a loud voice came from beside the tree, interrupting Ye Jing's thoughts.

He looked up and saw Wang Laosan, who lived next door and was also a tenant farmer who rented land to farm.

Ye Jing forced a smile and tucked his tobacco pipe into his waist: "Laosan, you must stop poking fun at an old man like me. I'm just snatching a moment of leisure from a busy schedule!"

Wang Laosan walked over, used a headscarf to wipe the sweat on his face, and sat down under the tree shade as well.

"Who isn't busy?! My old woman even cried to me, saying that if the Tax Silver cannot be paid this year, the official government will take our Family's plowing ox to settle the account."

If that ox is gone, how can we plow the fields next year? What a truly man-eating world.

Hearing this, Ye Jing's eyes dimmed, and his murky eyes were also filled with sorrow.

His wife passed away two years ago, leaving behind two sons who had both started their families.

His eldest son, Ye Xuan, married a woman from the neighboring Wu Family Village and had a pair of dragon and phoenix twins.

His second son, Ye Yi, married a woman from a Chen Family in the village as his wife, and she was now nine months pregnant.

It looked like a house full of children and grandchildren, but the sorrow within it was known only to himself.

There were quite a few Family members in the household, but the ones doing the work were only those two sons. Not only did they have to take care of the Family's food and clothing, but they also had to raise the Tax Silver to hand over to the official government, leaving the whole Family living frugally and extremely poor.

"Father!"

Just as they were talking.

A woman suddenly ran over in a rush, her face covered in sweat with anxiety: "Father! This is bad, Xianglan is about to give birth, please hurry back and take a look!"

This woman was precisely Ye Jing's eldest daughter-in-law, Wu Guiyun. She was honest and dutiful, virtuous and capable, and her appearance was quite pretty.

Ever since the second daughter-in-law became pregnant, she had basically taken over most of the household chores.

Ye Jing was startled, hurriedly groping for the crutch beside him and struggling to stand up.

"Have you found a midwife?! Why is it so sudden?!"

"Found her, found her!" She hurriedly stepped forward to support her old father-in-law, looking somewhat anxious, "Midwife Zhang from the village has already been invited over a long time ago, and she is busy inside the house right now! It's just that Xianglan is in severe pain, and my heart feels stifled and flustered with no idea what to do. You still need to go back and take a look."

After all, it was his second daughter-in-law giving birth, so Ye Jing did not dare to be vague. Following Wu Guiyun's strength, he staggered two steps and steadied his footing.

"Let's go! Quickly take me back!"

Wu Guiyun's height was not short, and her build was sturdy. When supporting Ye Jing, she walked with brisk strides, and Ye Jing was thus supported as they staggered forward.

An adobe house at the western end of the village was Ye Jing's home.

In the courtyard fenced with woven bamboo strips, quite a few villagers had gathered at this moment.

From inside the house came the painful cries of a woman, one closely following another.

Midwife Wang's voice shouted inside the room: "Xianglan! Push a bit harder! The baby's head is almost out! Don't pass out!"

Ye Jing, who had finally arrived at the doorway, hadn't even steadied his feet before he anxiously looked inside the house.

Ye Jing's two sons had already gone into town to sell grain in exchange for silver, and they couldn't return for a while. In the Family, he was the only old man making decisions.

"Father! Xianglan is in terrible pain, will she..." Wu Guiyun stamped her feet in anxiety, her face covered in sweat.

But how could Ye Jing know about such matters? He could only comfort her: "Gui Yun, don't panic. Xianglan has always been in good health, she will definitely be fine!"

However, this child's birth was truly not smooth. The midwife was busy inside in a flurry, and Chen Xianglan's painful cries never stopped, wringing everyone's heart.

Ye Jing couldn't help either, and could only pray in his heart, hoping that both mother and child would be safe.

Nowadays, his greatest wish was simply for his Family to be safe and sound.

After a good while, the sounds inside the room suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Ye Jing, who had been anxiously pacing back and forth outside the room, felt his heart sink abruptly.

Eldest daughter-in-law Wu Guiyun drew a sharp breath, looking toward the interior of the house with a terrified gaze.

Could it be... something really went wrong?

"The Family population has reached the standard; the Hongmeng Immortal Clan Willow begins to grow, bearing three wisps of Immortal Light."

Just as Ye Jing's heart was sinking, suddenly an ethereal immortal sound abruptly exploded in his mind.

What was that?

Ye Jing was startled, and just as he was about to search for the source of the sound, a loud infant's cry suddenly came from inside the house!

"Waa! Waa!"

That sound was clear and vigorous, penetrating the window wood and echoing within the courtyard.

Immediately following was Midwife Wang's pleasant voice: "She has given birth! It's a boy!"

She walked out holding a swaddling bundle, smiling at Ye Jing: "Old Man Ye, congratulations, you've gained another grandson, mother and child are both safe!"

Ye Jing was pleasantly surprised and didn't care about the voice from just now anymore. He hurriedly stepped forward to look: inside the swaddling clothes was a baby boy who was pink all over!

"Oh my, Old Man Ye really has great fortune, your younger daughter-in-law has given birth to another plump grandson for you."

The neighbors also crowded around to watch the commotion, offering congratulations to Ye Jing and speaking auspicious words all at once.

Ye Jing hurriedly expressed his thanks and bid farewell to the neighbors.

Then he pulled a few copper coins from his cuff and handed them to the midwife: "Many thanks, Midwife Wang! Just a small token of appreciation, please kindly accept it!"

"Aih, Old Man Ye, you're being too polite. We're all fellow villagers and neighbors."

The midwife was polite with her words, but her hands weren't polite at all; she accepted the money and then left.

"Gui Yun, the wind outside is strong, you carry the child inside first."

Ye Jing greeted Wu Guiyun and had her bring the child into the house.

Gradually, the courtyard quieted down.

Ye Jing's look of joy gradually receded. Sitting at the doorway smoking dry tobacco, sorrow followed closely behind.

Adding a new member to the Family was a good thing, but with one more person, not to mention what to eat and wear, just the tax money alone would require paying an extra three taels.

Originally, the Family was poor enough to rattle like coins, and now there was an extra burden; this year's Tax Silver would probably be even harder to pay.

Ye Jing felt annoyed.

He thought to himself that it would be great if he were still young; he could still do some work to help and support his two sons.

Back when he was still young, he could wield a bow with great skill.

He was a famous master archer far and wide.

After the busy farming season, he could still go into the mountains to catch some game, take them into the county town to sell, and exchange them for Tax Silver.

Those two sons of his were also raised this way.

But it wouldn't work now. Not to mention pulling a stiff bow open, even walking required relying on a crutch.

"What a truly man-eating world."

Smacking his tobacco mouthpiece, he sighed repeatedly.

Right at this moment of worry, his expression suddenly stalled, and he abruptly thought of that voice that appeared within his body when his grandson was born.

What Hongmeng Immortal Clan Willow?

Could it be that just as he was about to go into the grave, his Golden Finger had finally arrived?

Following a thought in his mind, the Soul of the squatting Ye Jing felt as if it were being pulled, and his Soul suddenly plummeted into a Chaos abyss filled with fine, twinkling stars.

And in the core region of this abyss was a lush, verdant piece of land, resembling a solitary leaf of a boat amidst the vast sea.

Ye Jing's Soul fell onto this small piece of land, and right before him grew a willow tree full of vibrant vitality.

The willow tree presented an ultimate green hue, radiating brilliant light, resembling an immortal tree depicted in books.