36: Three years later

Three days later, Li Qinghe finally woke up on his heated brick bed at home.

His entire body felt as if it had been shattered and pieced back together. Wounds all over were burning with pain, especially in his right leg and left arm, which throbbed intensely with the slightest movement, and his throat was as dry as if it were on fire.

"Water..."

He croaked out in a raspy voice.

Madam Zhang, who had been keeping watch by the bed, immediately rushed over. Tears welled up in her red and swollen eyes again as she hurriedly brought warm water and carefully fed it to him.

"You're awake! My son, you're finally awake! You scared me to death!"

She sobbed, wanting to touch her son's face but fearing it would hurt him.

Li Dashan also came in upon hearing the commotion, his face etched with deep exhaustion and relief. Seeing his son awake, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed slightly.

"It's good that you're awake, it's good that you're awake."

His voice was hoarse.

Fortunately, that night, Li Shouxin had rushed over upon hearing the news with several potent hemostatic and Qi-replenishing herbs from his collection, which barely managed to keep Li Qinghe alive until the old doctor from Jishitang in town was brought over, traveling through the night.

After the diagnosis, the old doctor said that his internal organs had been shaken, his muscles and bones were significantly damaged, and excessive blood loss was the main cause of his coma. Fortunately, his core foundation wasn't harmed, and he could recover with careful nursing.

He wrote a prescription, left some topical ointment, and gave many instructions before leaving.

At this moment, the new sister-in-Law, Sun Yuee, also entered with a bowl of medicine, her face filled with concern.

Li Dashan glanced at her and said in a deep voice:

"Yuee, go on with your work. Your mother and I will handle things here."

Sun Yuee's footsteps paused. Seeing the unquestionable expressions of her parents-in-Law and then looking at her weak brother-in-Law on the bed, she nodded sensibly, set down the medicine bowl, and withdrew, closing the door behind her.

Only the family remained in the room.

While carefully feeding Li Qinghe the medicine, Madam Zhang couldn't help but nag out of lingering fear:

"You child... how could you be so reckless... is a tiger something you can provoke alone? You almost... almost..."

After drinking the medicine, Li Qinghe's spirits rose slightly. Looking at his parents' worried and haggard faces, he felt guilty and said hoarsely:

"Father, Mother, I'm sorry for making you worry. But... that tiger was no ordinary tiger."

He paused to organize his words and briefly explained the "Evil Tiger's Calamity of Demonization" warned by his daily intelligence, emphasizing that the tiger was about to succeed in its transformation and would have gone on a killing spree against Mortals, with Li Family Village, being the closest, bearing the brunt of it!

"...If I hadn't gone, once it matured, there would likely be no one in the village who could stop it. I could only take a gamble while it was at the critical moment of its transformation."

Li Dashan and Madam Zhang turned pale and gasped in shock.

Though they didn't understand what "demonization" meant, the phrase "bloodbath in the village" was enough for them to grasp the danger.

Li Dashan let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his face hard with his rough hands:

"The state of the world... it seems things really are becoming unstable. A spiritual awakening? Demons reappearing?"

"Father, Mother, we must be more careful from now on,"

Li Qinghe said in a low voice, a gravity beyond his years in his eyes.

Wiping her tears, Madam Zhang gripped her son's hand tightly:

"Careful, be careful! You must be even more careful yourself! Promise me, in the future... don't risk your life like this again!"

Li Qinghe looked into his mother's bloodshot eyes and nodded, though he knew in his heart that some things could not be avoided.

Time flies, and it was now the Spring of the Year of Jisi in the Great Xuan Calendar.

The brick-walled courtyard in Li Family Village was once again draped in red and decorated with colors, with the sound of gongs and drums filling the air.

This time, it was for the wedding of the second son, Li Qinglin.

Three years was enough time for many things to change.

Li Qingshan had shed his youthful greenness and become a father of two. His brow now carried the steadiness of a family head. His father-in-Law, Steward Sun, also supported him; seeing his son-in-Law was reliable and capable, he helped Li Qingshan open a mountain products shop in town to do some small business.

The eldest daughter, Li Yuanzhu, was over two years old, just at the age of toddling and babbling. She was being held by her grandmother, Madam Zhang, looking curiously at the red silk filling the courtyard.

The young son, Li Yuanbao, had just turned one and was being carefully coaxed by his mother, Sun Yuee.

Li Dashan stood with his hands behind his back, a satisfied smile on his face as he greeted the endless stream of guests, his demeanor even more composed.

The family's fertile fields were cultivated by hired hands, and their lives were prosperous and stable.

The groom, Li Qinglin, now a sixteen-year-old youth, had grown significantly taller. Dressed in a brand-new red robe, his face was filled with excitement and a hint of nervousness.

Today, he was marrying the second daughter of Jishitang in Black Mountain Town, named Liu Yunniang, who was seventeen years old.

Speaking of which, their fate began on that thrilling night three years ago—Li Qingshan and Li Qinglin had followed the farmhands in the middle of the night to pound on the door of Jishitang to request a doctor for their brother. The person who received them was the second Young Miss of the Liu family, who was also helping in the pharmacy at the time.

The young girl's gentleness and care, and the young man's anxious sense of responsibility, had quietly planted the seeds of affection that night.

Now, Shopkeeper Liu of Jishitang was also an honored guest. Watching his daughter get married, he couldn't stop smiling.

The courtyard was bustling with people, and the continuous banquet was steaming hot.

Li Qinghe stood in a corner with a piece of foxtail grass in his mouth, leaning against a pillar. The fourteen-year-old youth had a tall and straight posture, wearing well-fitted dark clothes. His eyes were calm, and his temperament seemed somewhat out of place with the surrounding festive atmosphere.

These three years had brought world-shaking changes for him.

Relying on the precise guidance of his daily intelligence, he had mapped out the back mountains of Li Family Village for dozens of miles as if it were his own backyard.

The injuries from the battle three years ago had been nourished day and night by the increasingly pure water spiritual energy in his body, and he had fully recovered in just two months, with his bones and muscles even stronger than before.

He did not stop his pace. The locations of Spirit Medicine and minerals refreshed by his daily intelligence became his best cultivation resources.

Through three years of bitter cultivation, he broke through three gates in succession!

He had successively cast [Lunquan], [Azure Origin], and [Jade Scenery], and was now firmly established in the [Jade Scenery] pulse gate realm, the fifth level of Spirit Enlightenment!

He was only one step away from [Initial Spirit], the Perfection of Spirit Enlightenment!

The Spiritual Qi in his Dantian was as full as a stream. As it circulated through his body, it brought great strength, keen perception, and long-lasting endurance.

When he broke through the pulse gate, the Legacy mark in his Sea of Consciousness also bloomed:

"Moon Shadow Cold River Sword Art (Rank 3): Draws the power of moonlight and frost into the sword. The sword light is as cold and clear as the moon, specifically designed to break through evil and cold spirits. It condenses the momentum of a cold river; when the sword is drawn, it is like moonlight flowing, with a biting cold light."

It also detailed the four realms of the Dao of the sword:

"Sword Glow: The Sword Qi is condensed and can leave the body for several feet, making it unstoppable."

"Sword Qi: Spiritual power is released and attached to the blade, showing its first signs of sharpness."

"Sword Essence: Sword Qi transforms into essence, condensing into substance, controlled by the heart, and its power is doubled."

"Sword Intent: Heart and sword become one. Where the intent goes, the sword points, containing the power of the Laws of heaven and earth, mysterious and unpredictable."

The rank of this sword art was much higher than his previous techniques, and the difficulty of cultivation was also immense. Currently, he could only barely comprehend the basics of the first move, 'Moon Shadow's First Divide.'

But even so, it had opened a new world for him. The ordinary Cold Iron Hunting Knife at his waist seemed to no longer be enough.

"Cold Water Talisman Primer (Rank 1): Contains the methods for drawing five basic Talismans:"

"[Water Arrow Talisman] (Attack): Triggers a bolt of freezing Qi."

"[Wind Walking Talisman] (Speed): Briefly increases movement speed."

"[Illusion Talisman] (Hiding): Creates small illusions to deceive."

"[Rejuvenation Talisman] (Medical): Slightly heals external injuries and restores physical strength."

"[Great Strength Talisman] (Auxiliary): Briefly increases physical strength."

During these three years, his daily intelligence had also refreshed several "demonization events," but the targets were only small wild animals like wild boars and wolves that had just stepped over the threshold of demonization, possessing plenty of ferocity but insufficient strength.

Dealing with them was far less dangerous for Li Qinghe than the tiger fight of the past. With Talismans and his sword art, he could easily resolve them without even getting close, and the fur, bones, and meat could be exchanged for silver to supplement the household income.

The greatest gain was that his application of Spiritual Qi and control over the rhythm of battle had become increasingly proficient.

He quietly watched as his second brother was surrounded by everyone to go fetch the bride, saw the gratified smiles on his parents' faces, saw his eldest brother teasing his son, and saw the exquisitely carved little niece in his sister-in-Law's arms.

He could clearly feel that this world was indeed quietly changing.

The frequency of Spirit Medicine and spiritual items appearing in his daily intelligence was getting higher and higher.

More importantly, the free-floating Spiritual Qi in the air was more than twice as dense as it had been three years ago!

Now, in this noisy farmhouse courtyard, he didn't need to consciously enter meditation; his five pulse gates could spontaneously and slowly absorb wisps of moist Spiritual Qi.

"Sigh..."

A faint sigh sounded beside him.

It was Madam Zhang holding her little granddaughter. Looking at the lively wedding procession, her eyes were filled with joy, yet they also carried a trace of lingering loneliness.

"If only... if only Fenger were also at home... such a big event as his second brother getting married..."

Li Dashan had also wandered over at some point. Hearing this, he took a puff of his pipe. In the swirling smoke, that weather-beaten face also revealed a deep sense of longing.

He sighed heavily and said nothing, only gazing in the direction where Qingfeng had left, his eyes distant.

It had been three years. That child, Qingfeng, in the immortal sect... who knows how he is doing? He hasn't even sent a single word.