133: Chapter 133 Building the Ancestral Temple

Inside the guest hall of the escort agency.

Qin Changsheng sat upright in the seat of honor, holding a teacup. His expression was calm and indifferent as he calculated the arrangements for the rebirth stone in his mind.

Before long, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, accompanied by Head Escort Lin Xiao's slightly respectful voice: "Immortal, this Junior has brought the person."

As his voice fell, Head Escort Lin Xiao led the way in, with Qin Changan following closely behind him.

Qin Changan had a restrained expression and kept his head low, following cautiously behind Head Escort Lin Xiao. His steps were somewhat hesitant, unsure of exactly what kind of person he was about to meet.

Head Escort Lin Xiao walked quickly to the center of the hall, stepped aside to reveal Qin Changan behind him, and bowed slightly to Qin Changsheng. With a respectful and enthusiastic tone, he hurriedly introduced: "Immortal, look, this is my son-in-law Qin Changan, who is also the son of the Mr. Qin De you were looking for."

As he spoke, Head Escort Lin Xiao also quietly turned his head and gave Qin Changan a meaningful look, signaling him to pay his respects quickly and not to be reckless.

He deliberately emphasized the words "son-in-law," fearing Qin Changsheng wouldn't believe it, and also wanting to use this to further close the distance with Qin Changsheng to curry favor with this Immortal.

Qin Changsheng slowly set down his teacup and lifted his eyes to glance at Qin Changan. His gaze was calm and rippleless, yet it seemed as if it could see through a person's heart.

With just this one glance, he had already seen through Head Escort Lin Xiao's lie.

Head Escort Lin Xiao claimed Qin Changan was his son-in-law, but the way Qin Changan looked at Head Escort Lin Xiao was full of restraint and awe, even carrying a few hints of imperceptible trepidation. There wasn't the slightest bit of closeness or ease a son-in-law would have toward a father-in-law.

Furthermore, Qin Changan was dressed in ordinary cloth clothes made of coarse material, without a single decent accessory on his person. Such an outfit did not look like the son-in-law of the Jingfeng Escort Agency's Chief Escort at all.

Given Head Escort Lin Xiao's status and position, his son-in-law would never be allowed to appear before him in such a shabby manner, let alone meet a great cultivation power in this state.

Qin Changsheng understood in his heart that Head Escort Lin Xiao's claim was nothing more than a temporary promise made to use the title of "in-law" to cling to him and curry favor.

However, he did not expose it. His face remained calm, neither agreeing nor refuting. He simply withdrew his gaze slowly and said in a flat tone, "Mm, I see."

His purpose for coming this time was to establish an ancestral hall and place the rebirth stone. Now that he had seen his younger brother Qin Changan, there was no need to expose Head Escort Lin Xiao's petty schemes.

On the other side, the moment Qin Changan looked up and saw Qin Changsheng's face clearly, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His whole body stiffened, and the restraint on his face was instantly replaced by extreme astonishment. His eyes went wide, and his mouth opened slightly, almost crying out.

He could never mistake it. That face—even though over ten years had passed and the temperament had undergone earth-shattering changes—he could recognize it at a single glance.

This was his brother, Qin Changsheng! He still remembered that over ten years ago, when his brother Qin Changsheng left home, he was still a green youth, not much different from the children of ordinary farming households.

But at this moment, the Qin Changsheng before him sat in the seat of honor with a calm expression. His aura was steady and reserved, and his gaze was peaceful yet carried an unquestionable majesty. His entire being radiated the bearing of an Immortal, a world apart from the brother who had left home ten years ago.

Qin Changan opened his mouth, wanting to call out the word "Brother," but the words reached his lips only to be swallowed back down.

His heart was full of doubt and apprehension. Was the person before him really his brother?

Why was the change so great? And why would he appear here and be called "Immortal" by Head Escort Lin Xiao? Countless questions surged in his heart, causing him to freeze in place for a moment, not knowing what to do.

Head Escort Lin Xiao noticed Qin Changan's abnormality and felt a slight panic. He hurriedly nudged him with his elbow and reminded him in a low voice: "Changan, why are you dazed? Quickly greet the Immortal!"

He thought Qin Changan was too nervous or intimidated by Qin Changsheng's aura, and he feared the boy might say something imprudent and offend Qin Changsheng.

Nudged by Head Escort Lin Xiao, Qin Changan slowly came back to his senses. Forcibly suppressing the excitement and doubt in his heart, he bowed deeply to Qin Changsheng: "Jun... Junior Qin Changan greets the Immortal."

Looking at him in this state, a trace of imperceptible emotion flashed in the depths of Qin Changsheng's eyes: "Changan, stand up."

Standing to the side, Head Escort Lin Xiao saw that Qin Changan was still in a daze. His expression grew slightly anxious, and he was about to whisper another reminder.

But then he saw Qin Changan slowly lift his head and ask cautiously: "Im... Immortal, are... are you... my brother? Qin Changsheng?"

"Yes, it's me." Qin Changsheng nodded.

Just these three words were like a thunderclap exploding in Qin Changan's ears, instantly shattering all his restraint and apprehension.

"Brother! It really is you! It really is you!" Qin Changan could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart. His voice choked up, and he took several quick steps forward, wanting to get closer to Qin Changsheng, but he paused slightly due to Qin Changsheng's aura.

"I knew it was you! How could I mistake you! Even after ten years, even if you've changed so much, I can still recognize you!" He murmured excitedly while crying, his whole body trembling slightly with wild joy.

Head Escort Lin Xiao stood to the side, his face full of astonishment, which then turned into a look of delight.

It seemed he had gambled correctly. Qin Changan really was this Immortal's younger brother. This way, the Jingfeng Escort Agency had completely aligned itself with this great power and would surely flourish in the future.

He tactfully did not step forward to interrupt, silently standing aside and watching the scene of the two brothers recognizing each other.

"By the way, where are Father and Mother?" Qin Changsheng inquired.

But as the words fell, the wild joy on Qin Changan's face instantly froze. Tears flowed even more fiercely. His originally excited crying gradually turned into suppressed sobbing, and his body's trembling became increasingly violent.

Seeing Qin Changan like this, the smile on Qin Changsheng's face vanished instantly. His heart skipped a beat, filled with a strong, ominous premonition.

After a long while, Qin Changan choked out: "Brother... Father and Mother... they... they are gone..."

"Gone?" Qin Changsheng's body stiffened slightly. "What do you mean gone? Changan, speak clearly!"

"Two years ago... two years ago, Father went up the mountain to cut wood. He accidentally slipped and fell from a cliff. He... he was gone on the spot..."

"After Mother learned of Father's death, she was overcome with grief and became bedridden. Not long after, she followed Father..."

After saying this, Qin Changan could no longer suppress the sorrow in his heart and began to wail loudly. That crying was full of despair and helplessness, making one's heart ache to hear it.

Qin Changsheng took a deep breath. He had not expected that upon returning to Beihai Prefecture, the news he would hear would be of Father Qin and Mother Qin's deaths.

...

Western suburbs, back mountain.

Qin Changsheng stood before two simple graves.

There weren't many decorations on the stone tablets of these graves; they were simply carved with the names of Father Qin, Qin De, and Mother Qin.

Qin Changsheng stood silently before the tombstones without saying a word. His figure was tall and straight yet carried a hint of loneliness, as if he had merged with this desolate mountain forest. He stood there for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Changsheng finally turned around and looked at Head Escort Lin Xiao nearby: "Chief Escort Lin, there is a matter I would like to trouble you to help with."

Hearing this, Head Escort Lin Xiao hurriedly took a step forward and bowed, his tone extremely respectful: "The Immortal is too polite! To be able to serve the Immortal is this Junior's honor. Whatever instructions the Immortal has, this Junior will certainly go all out and never refuse!"

He had long been hoping for an opportunity to latch onto Qin Changsheng. Now that Qin Changsheng had spoken to entrust him with something, it was the perfect time to show his goodwill.

Qin Changsheng nodded slightly, his gaze once again turning toward his parents' tombstones, his tone carrying a bit of solemnity: "I would like to ask for your help in building an ancestral hall for my Qin family near the escort agency. The scale doesn't need to be too grand, but it must be orderly and solemn. Invite my parents' spirit tablets inside so that there will be a place to offer sacrifices in the future, allowing them to rest in peace."