30: The eldest brother got married, and the spirit was awakened at the second level.

Late April of the Bingyin Year (Year 60) of the Great Xuan Calendar.

Li Family Village, the new Li family residence.

The newly built blue-brick house with a tiled roof stood impressively at the east end of the village. With its high walls and grand courtyard, the vermilion gates were wide open, and people were bustling in and out, making for a very lively scene.

Large red silks hung across the doors and eaves, and the aroma of wine and food wafted through the air.

Today was the joyous day of the eldest Li son, Li Qingshan's wedding!

The courtyard was filled with flowing banquets. The village men, neighbors, relatives, and friends packed the space, their faces filled with wonder and envy.

Who could have imagined that just a few years ago, the Li family was so poor they could barely afford food, their house was on the verge of collapsing with no money for repairs, and yet in the blink of an eye, they had built the most impressive brick house in the village and even married the daughter of a relative of the Town Warden!

The bride was a distant cousin of the Black Mountain Town Warden's family, the eldest daughter of Steward Sun's family, named Sun Yuee. She was seventeen, two years older than Li Qingshan.

In truth, this marriage couldn't really be considered the Li family marrying above their station.

Ever since the news spread that the third Li son, Li Qingfeng, had been taken in by an Immortal Sect, the Li family's status in the surrounding ten miles and eight villages had soared.

What Steward Sun's family valued was the prospect of the Li family having an Immortal Master to back them in the future!

Rather than just a marriage, it was more like forging a good relationship and currying favor in advance.

Lady Zhang wore newly bought silk clothes, her hair combed meticulously. Her face was covered in smiles as she attended to the guests coming and going to offer congratulations, but her eyes frequently glanced toward the courtyard gate.

Li Dashan, wearing a decent new long robe, was drinking with Steward Sun and several prominent figures from the town. His simple face was radiant, and his voice was loud and clear.

The second son, Li Qinglin, was busy inside and out greeting guests and arranging the banquet tables. Although he was only thirteen, after this period of experience, he handled everything with ease.

"The auspicious hour is almost here. Didn't Qinghe say he would definitely be back today?"

Lady Zhang took advantage of a gap to whisper to her second son, Li Qinglin, her tone carrying a hint of anxiety.

Just as Li Qinglin was about to comfort his mother, he heard a small commotion at the courtyard gate.

A lean figure, travel-worn, appeared at the entrance.

The newcomer was none other than Li Qinghe!

He seemed to have grown a bit taller and his shoulders broader than a month ago.

Wearing a half-worn hunter's outfit, he carried his beloved hunting bow on his back and a quiver of arrows at his waist.

His face showed the exhaustion of travel, but his eyes were startlingly bright.

"Father! Mother! Second Brother! I'm back!"

Li Qinghe strode into the courtyard, his voice clear.

"Oh! You're finally back!"

Lady Zhang was overjoyed and hurried to meet him, taking her youngest son's hand and looking him up and down.

"You must be exhausted! Quick, go wash your face and change into clean clothes. Your eldest brother is about to bring the bride home!"

"I'm not tired, Mother."

Li Qinghe smiled, his gaze sweeping over the grand new courtyard, his eyes filled with warmth.

He quietly clenched his fist, feeling the power within his body, which had more than doubled compared to a month ago, and the two pulse gates steadily operating and absorbing Spiritual Qi.

"The second level of the Spirit Enlightenment Realm, the black bone pulse gate, is complete!"

During this month, he had continued to go "hunting in the mountains" during the day. In reality, guided by his daily intelligence, he had precisely located several herbs or minerals containing water-attribute Spiritual Qi (such as a type of Water-Cold Moss growing by a cold pond and a Black Mysterious Stone imbued with moisture).

Coupled with nightly Body Tempering by drawing in Moonbeams, he had finally succeeded in breaking through the second pulse gate, "black bone," a few days ago.

The flow of Spiritual Qi in his body was smoother, and his strength, perception, and reactions had improved significantly.

He had hurried back and finally hadn't missed the auspicious time for his eldest brother's wedding.

"Good lad, you didn't miss your brother's big day after all!"

Li Dashan also walked over and patted Li Qinghe heavily on the shoulder, his eyes full of gratification.

He looked at his three sons (though the third was absent) and the grand residence, a surge of pride rising in his chest.

The future roots of the Li family were now firmly planted in this Li Family Village and were growing toward even greater heights!

Firecrackers suddenly exploded, and gongs and drums filled the air.

"The bride is here—!"

Outside the courtyard gate, the sounds of suona horns and laughter grew closer.

Dressed in a bright red wedding robe with a large red flower on his chest, Li Qingshan rode a tall horse draped in red and colorful ribbons. With a simple yet nervous smile, he led a bridal sedan chair toward the gate of the new Li residence amidst the crowd's excitement.

Li Qinghe stood by his parents, watching his eldest brother, the sedan chair, and the grand blue-brick courtyard, a happy smile touching the corners of his mouth.

"Eldest Brother has started a family, Second Brother's wedding is also near, and Third Brother is at the Immortal Sect... The Li family's path is getting better and better."

The festive atmosphere of the new Li house completely exploded with the music.

The flowing banquets stretched from the main hall to the courtyard gate. The village's men, women, and children were seated to capacity, the clamor nearly lifting the roof.

Laughing, playing, and playing drinking games, everyone's face was brimming with simple smiles. They spoke auspicious words, but their eyes couldn't help but stray toward the radiant Li Dashan family at the main table.

The bride, Sun Yuee, dressed in a bright red wedding dress and wearing a red bridal veil, was supported by a Matchmaker as she stepped onto the red carpet and walked into the Li family's gate one step at a time.

She was taller than the average village girl, and her steps carried the poise of someone raised in a prominent town family. Even through the veil, one could sense her grace.

"First, bow to Heaven and Earth!"

"Second, bow to the parents!"

"Third, the husband and wife bow to each other!"

Amidst the Master of Ceremonies' high-pitched chanting, Li Qingshan was so nervous he moved with stiff limbs, his dark face flushed red as he bowed deeply to his parents seated above.

Sun Yuee's movements were much more composed.

After the bows, the newlyweds were led to the center of the main hall.

Sun Yuee knelt gracefully and took two cups of hot tea from the Matchmaker, her voice clear and respectful:

"Father, please drink tea."

"Mother, please drink tea."

Li Dashan and Lady Zhang couldn't stop smiling. Their hands trembled slightly as they took the teacups, and they said repeatedly:

"Good, good child! Get up quickly!"

Li Dashan even pulled out a heavy red envelope on the spot and stuffed it into his daughter-in-law's hand.

Lady Zhang, seeing her polite and graceful eldest daughter-in-law, felt the weight lift from her heart and was very satisfied with this educated wife.

The flowing banquets lasted for three whole days.

The fire on the stove never went out, the spatulas clanged, and the aroma wafted everywhere.

This time, Li Dashan and his wife truly felt vindicated and proud as they entertained their relatives and friends.

Li Qinglin was so busy he couldn't stop, but he was also quite happy, looking more like the man of the house.

Li Qinghe took advantage of the moments when he could be free to help his second brother entertain guests.

At night, he would sneak out to draw in Moonbeams and silently consolidate his cultivation at the second level of Spirit Enlightenment.

A quiet corner of the new house became his temporary cultivation spot. Once the excitement passed, life returned to tranquility, but it was completely different from before.