7: Chapter 7 Regaining Immortal Light

Ye Jing arrived at the front door and pushed open the ajar gate to the courtyard.

At a glance, he saw a sturdy young man standing in the courtyard.

This man was handsome and tall, swinging an axe to chop wood with clean and swift movements.

Hearing the sound of the gate, the man looked up. Seeing it was Ye Jing, he immediately put down the axe, strode over, and called out, "Father!"

This person was exactly Ye Jing's eldest son, Ye Xuan.

Seeing this, Ye Jing hurried forward, a smile spreading across his face. "Xuaner, why are you back so soon?"

Seeing his father holding many things, Ye Xuan quickly stepped forward to help him, while Hei Feng ran over affectionately and rubbed against Ye Xuan's pant leg.

He smiled and said, "My second brother and I rushed back as soon as we finished selling the grain in the city. Father, thank you for the hard work of looking after the house these past few days."

Ye Jing patted Ye Xuan's arm. Feeling the solid muscle, Ye Jing chuckled and sighed, "You rascal, it's good as long as you didn't suffer in the city. I went to town today and bought some game, and even brought back some snacks; they're all in the cloth bag."

Ye Xuan naturally understood what he meant. He furrowed his sword-like brows and said as he walked, "Father, you went to town again. At your age, you shouldn't keep running into the mountains. It's so dangerous."

Ye Jing waved his hand and pushed open the door to the main hall. "What's there to fear? Your father has been hunting for almost a lifetime; I still have my skills.

Anyway, was selling the grain in the city smooth for you two brothers? Did you run into any danger?"

"It was very smooth. The owner of the grain store in the city is an old acquaintance, and the price he gave was quite fair," Ye Xuan replied.

Ye Jing nodded. His eldest son had always been steady in his actions, so Ye Jing was naturally at ease when he went out to handle business.

At this moment, there was another dark-skinned man in the room, wearing only a tunic. He was tall and broad, looking very brave.

He was currently holding a small infant carefully, teasing it clumsily.

He was Ye Jing's second son, Ye Yi. When he saw Ye Jing return, he also called out, "Father!"

Then he smiled sheepishly.

With the two sons home, the house that had been quiet for a long time finally became lively.

Wu Guiyun walked in carrying hot chicken soup and began setting the table with bowls and chopsticks, with the two children behind her helping out.

Everyone in the Family gathered together and began to eat.

Ye Yi was amazed that his father could still go up the mountain to hunt.

Ye Jing smiled and only said that Hei Feng had helped catch it.

After the meal, Ye Jing asked Ye Xuan, who was sitting opposite him, "Xuaner, how much did you earn from selling the grain in the city this time?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of Ye Xuan and Ye Yi immediately turned serious.

Ye Xuan said to Wu Guiyun, "Gui Yun, you take the children out first."

Wu Guiyun nodded with a helpless look on her face, took the two children out, and even closed the door.

After his wife left, Ye Xuan said helplessly, "Father, during the days we were in the county seat, grain prices fell. Ye Yi and I only sold it for eight taels of silver."

Hearing this, Ye Jing smoked silently. Eight taels of silver was still a long way off from the twenty-nine taels needed for the tax silver!

Speaking of this, Ye Xuan seemed to think for a moment before saying firmly, "Father, Ye Yi and I heard that many people in our village can't pay the tax silver. They've formed a hunting party to venture deep into the mountains to hunt valuable prey to cover the taxes. We want to join them."

Ye Jing's heart skipped a beat. He looked at his two sons and asked, "A hunting party? Going deep into the mountains—do you know what's in there?!"

"Father, we've looked into it. Although there are fierce beasts in the deep mountains, there are several veterans in the party who have hunted year-round and have plenty of experience. Since we can't scrape together the tax silver, if we wait for the government to come demanding it, our Family's land will likely be seized. We can't just sit and wait for death."

Ye Xuan said in a low voice.

Ye Yi also nodded, "That's right, Father. If Big Brother and I are careful with the party, we can at least make a living. If we manage to hunt some valuable prey, we can fill most of the gap in the tax silver."

What the two sons said made a lot of sense. Ye Jing thought about his own hunting trips lately; he could only catch small game that didn't sell for much. If so many people were going into the deep mountains, maybe they could catch something big.

So, he took a puff of his pipe, stood up, and said, "I'm going too!"

At these words, both Ye Xuan and Ye Yi were stunned. Then Ye Yi said urgently, "Father, what nonsense are you talking? You're eighty years old; you pant after just a few steps. Going into the deep mountains—isn't that just seeking death?"

Facing his second son's bluntness, Ye Jing rapped Ye Yi on the head with his pipe. "Seeking death? I, Ye Jing, have lived for eighty years. When I was making a living in these mountains, you two were still in your mother's womb!"

"Besides, when I was young, I could trap a wild boar all by myself. Even though I'm old now, my skills in navigating, tracking beasts, and setting traps are still there—far better than you greenhorns!"

Ye Xuan frowned, his tone helpless. "Father, you're old, and your constitution isn't what it used to be. The paths in the deep mountains are difficult; you won't be able to handle it. This is not up for discussion. You stay home and wait for me and Second Brother to return."

Ye Jing knew his two sons still thought he was too old, so he took out the silver from his waist. The sight of the gleaming silver shocked the two brothers.

"Father, where did this silver come from?"

Ye Jing said calmly, "I got all of this from hunting. Don't think these old bones of mine are truly useless!"

The silver in his hand let the brothers know that their father had caught quite a bit of game while they were away from home.

Ye Jing looked at his two sons, his eyes solemn. "I know you're afraid something will happen to me, but don't worry—I won't hold you back. I know exactly where the beasts roam in the mountains and how to catch them. With me there, we can avoid a lot of trouble!"

He picked up a silver ingot and stuffed it into Ye Xuan's hand. "If you're truly filial, then take me with you."

The two brothers looked at their father's determined gaze and then at the silver. Their lips quirked, but in the end, they couldn't bring themselves to say no.

Ye Xuan was silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh, his eyes reddening. "Father, why must you go through this..."

Seeing the eldest give in, a smile appeared on Ye Jing's face. He patted his shoulder. "Why are you crying? As a Family, we should face things together. When the time comes, we father and sons will set out together!"

After they finished discussing.

Ye Yi didn't forget to ask Ye Jing to come and give his newborn son a name.

Ye Jing looked at the chubby boy sleeping in the swaddle and said with a smile, "I've given my grandsons names from the 'Tian' generation. This third grandson shall be named Ye Tianhui, to bless our Ye Family to walk toward brilliance!"

"Ye Tianhui? Brilliance—that's a grand name!" Ye Yi was overjoyed.

Liu Xianglan was also happy. This name carried Ye Jing's great expectations. She nodded quickly. "A good name, Tianhui, Huier!"

"The Family flourishes with many branches; the third grandson has received his name. As the Bloodline continues and the Family business prospers, one wisp of Family Immortal Light is added!"

Just as he was rejoicing, the voice of the Immortal Willow echoed in Ye Jing's mind once again.

His eyes widened suddenly. He hadn't expected the Immortal Willow to be able to increase Immortal Light?

Ye Jing looked at his third grandson, who was sleeping soundly, and realized that this Immortal Light seemed to increase when the Family benefited or developed.

Liu Xianglan held the little Ye Tianhui, teasing him with a face full of smiles. "Huier, your grandfather gave you such a good name. You must grow up well and bring honor to our Ye Family."

Ye Yi also leaned in. "Of course! My son will definitely be successful in the future. Maybe he'll even become a high-ranking official so our whole Family can live a good life!"

On the side, Ye Jing listened to his second son's musings and began to calculate in his heart.

This Immortal Light is related to the development of the Ye Family. It seems that once the tax silver issue is resolved, I must also develop the Family's livelihood."