Chapter 20: Ruthless Years
Time flew by, and Lin Jiang reached the age of sixty. He finally reached the fifth level of Qi Refining.
On this day, Lin Jiang received news from the gate of the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. Eldest Brother Lin Shan was in critical condition. Lin Jiang hurriedly flew on his sword and arrived at the Lin family's gate.
In front of Lin Shan's house, many members of the Lin family gathered. Lin Shan's children were all gathering in the yard. Suddenly, Lin Jiang thought of Lin Baohua from Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa and wondered if he should bring him over.
But in the end, Lin Jiang gave up. Lin Shan hadn't seen Lin Baohua for decades. Perhaps in Lin Shan's heart, he had already let go of this child.
"The master is here."
Someone shouted, and Lin Jiang looked up to see Lin Batian walking quickly.
Lin Batian, amidst the onlookers, approached Lin Shan. Now 91 years old, Lin Shan was too old to get out of bed. He had lost most of his hair and almost all of his teeth.
"Father, Shan'er can't be with you anymore."
Lin Shan saw Lin Batian and tears filled his eyes. He was too old to want to see anyone, yet Lin Batian was still in the prime of his life.
"Is there anything else you want to say? Father is listening."
Lin Batian placed a hand on Lin Shan's shoulder, and pure spiritual power flowed into his body. Lin Shan suddenly felt rejuvenated, and a flush of color appeared on his pale, waxen face.
Lin Batian felt very sad at this moment. Lin Shan was his first child. He still remembered the excitement he felt when he saw Lin Shan being born. His love for his children, half of it was on Lin Shan. But as more children came, he never felt that same excitement again.
"Dad, Shan'er is leaving. I won't be able to see the Lin family anymore."
"You will see them. I will bury you at the highest point of the mountain gate. In the future, you will see the Lin family. The Lin family will become stronger and become the most powerful family in Yun State."
"I believe you, Dad. I trust you."
"I will make it happen."
Lin Batian said, feeling very conflicted. At the moment, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't find the right words to express his feelings. All he could do was let Lin Shan's children come in.
Lin Shan's wife had passed away a few years ago. His children had grown old. They were in their fifties or sixties, some even became grandparents.
Lin Batian kept channeling his spiritual power, giving Lin Shan time to explain things to his children. Afterwards, his siblings came to see him.
"Third sibling, tenth sibling, eighteenth sibling, I envy you so much."
Lin Shan looked at his three younger brothers and sisters. In the Lin family's second generation, there were now four people in the Foundation Building Period. Lin He, the second child, had always been in Anhua City and could not leave. Only the third, tenth, and eighteenth siblings were with him now.
They were all in the Foundation Building Period, even if they were already in their seventies or eighties, they still maintained their youth. They looked like they were only in their twenties or thirties. Their youthful appearance made Lin Shan very envious.
"Birth, old age, illness, and death are common for humans. If you can't achieve immortality, you will never be truly free."
Lin Die quietly said, and Lin Batian nodded beside her. Cultivators always prioritized immortality. Family, sects, territories, and resources, everything was in service of immortality.
"Big brother..."
Lin Ying choked up a bit, not knowing what to say. The age gap between her and Lin Shan was quite large, a difference of thirty-four years. But Lin Shan was a good big brother who took care of his younger siblings.
Lin Jiang stood by silently, not saying anything. In his heart, there was only infinite sighs. The system showed that he still had over thirteen thousand years of lifespan left, and it was increasing at a rate of more than three hundred years per year. Lifespan was the cheapest thing for him since he had too much of it.
But for others, lifespan was an incredibly precious thing. They strived to cultivate, to kill and snatch treasures, all to live longer.
Two hours later, Lin Shan's heartbeat stopped forever. The sound of crying echoed in Lin Shan's house, and Lin Jiang quietly left the premises.
Lin Shan's funeral was held on a grand scale, with Lin Batian personally overseeing the arrangements. The news spread far and wide, and many friends of the Lin family sent their condolences.
On the day of the funeral, Lin Batian not only took off his fancy clothes, but also wore rough mourning clothes. He said he would mourn for Lin Shan for three years. This puzzled not only the people from the Lin family, but also others who didn't understand the tradition.
Lin Batian explained that this was a custom from his hometown. When the eldest son of a family passed away while the parents were still alive, they must mourn for him for three years. During this time, both Lin Batian and his wife must wear mourning clothes to show their respect for Lin Shan.
"Dad's love for our eldest brother is truly enviable."
The younger generations of the Lin family couldn't help but feel envious. Lin Batian's love for Lin Shan was genuine, and the younger they were, the less attention they received. It seemed like they had grown numb to it.
"Where is Dad's hometown?"
Lin Jiang asked, but everyone shook their heads. They had never heard Lin Batian talk about his origins, only knowing that he was not from Yun State. Lin Batian had settled in this place many years ago with Steward Wu and a few trusted companions.
"It seems like Dad also has a story to tell."
Lin Jiang sighed and shook his head, deciding not to ask further. Everyone had their own story, and if Lin Batian didn't want to share, they didn't want to pry.
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After Lin Shan died, Zhuang Rong suddenly strongly requested to return to the Lin family's mountain gate to live. She gave the reason that Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa was too quiet and she felt lonely there. On this side of the mountain gate, she still had a few sisters who were also getting old and wanted to stay with them.
Lin Jiang fulfilled her request, and he also moved back and lived in the same courtyard as Zhuang Rong. Zhuang Rong used to have many servants, but now they have mostly been dismissed, leaving only one old servant who had been with her for decades. Lin Jiang stayed in the servants' room.
Lin Batian had a wife and fifteen concubines. The youngest one was already forty years old. He hadn't taken any new concubines for many years, so he probably didn't have the intention to anymore.
Lin Batian's legal wife, Mrs. Zheng, was already over a hundred years old, but she was at the Foundation Building Period realm and could still live for decades. She actually looked like she was only in her thirties or forties.
Zhuang Rong was the fourth wife, but she and the second and third wives were all around the same age, about eighty years old. They had all become old women, and the competition for favoritism in the harem was long gone. Back when they were young, they fought fiercely against each other, but now they were closer than real sisters.
Lin Jiang entrusted Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa to Lin Baohua and his son. He returned to the mountain gate to take care of Zhuang Rong in her old age. Now he was also taking care of the other concubines together. Well, if one was taken care of, a group could also be taken care of.
The lives of the elderly were very lonely. They didn't need to take care of their children's children and didn't need to struggle for their livelihoods anymore. They had long given up on cultivation.
In order to pass the time, Lin Jiang brought out playing cards and mahjong to teach them how to play games like "Eighty Points," "Landlord," and mahjong. He also hired some storytellers from the market in the Lin family to tell stories for them.
When it came to food, Lin Jiang was very dedicated. No matter where within a thousand miles, if there was something special, Lin Jiang would have someone bring it back or even learn it himself, and then he would personally cook it for Zhuang Rong and the others.
Lin Jiang also tried his best to recreate the cuisine from Earth. As long as he could find the ingredients, he would make it for them to eat.
This attitude made Lin Batian's other wives extremely envious. The previous animosity quickly dissipated, and they all came together to live their later years. Even Lin Batian's main wife was like this. She was already over a hundred years old, but her cultivation had always remained at the initial stage of Foundation Building. She had given up on cultivation and now, besides managing the Lin family's women, had nothing else to do. So she often came over to chat and play cards with her sisters.
Lin Jiang's actions had also received praise from others. The Lin family's second generation had all come to thank Lin Jiang, like the fifth one, Lin Hai, and the seventh one, Lin Feng. They even wanted to join Lin Jiang in their retirement, but Lin Jiang firmly refused.
Are you kidding? Those few are aunts, from the previous generation. He only served them sincerely. You guys are just from the same generation, what's the big deal? You still want him to support you in your old age?
Lin Batian was more direct. He specially approved one hundred spirit stones each month for Lin Jiang, reimbursing all the expenses Lin Jiang spent on the aunts for their retirement. If it was not enough, he could go to the finance department to request more, and Lin Jiang could keep the rest for himself.
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Time was merciless. In Lin Jiang's fifth year back at the mountain gate, he bid farewell to his second aunt.
In the seventh year, he bid farewell to his fifth and third aunts.
In the tenth year, Aunty Seven and Aunty Six also left.
In the twelfth year, ninety-two-year-old Zhuang Rong entered the final chapter of her life, and Lin Jiang called for Lin Ying, who was in seclusion.
"Mom, dad is here."
Lin Batian also received news. Over the years, his wives passed away one after another, and his feelings were very complicated. These women all had a beautiful past with him and had given birth to children for him.
"I don't want to see him."
Zhuang Rong shook her head. In the last few years of her life, Zhuang Rong never wanted to see Lin Batian, and she even felt some hatred towards him.
Zhuang Rong's belief was that Lin Batian harmed her, wasting her youth in his harem and squandering her best years.
"Jiang'er, if your mom doesn't want to see me, then forget it. You accompany her on her final journey."
Lin Batian, standing outside the door, halted his steps and whispered to Lin Jiang. He couldn't even bring himself to feel angry and genuinely felt that he owed these women.
"Mom, dad won't come in."
"Okay, here are mom's belongings. Mom owns three stores, a mansion, and a lot of money. The stores and mansion will be given to Lin Ying in the future, and the money will be given to you, Jiang Er. Jiang Er doesn't have much time left, so you must take care of yourself and not lose out, understand?"
"Mom, I don't want those things. I just want you to stay alive."
Lin Ying hugged Zhuang Rong and started crying. She didn't want any possessions, she just wanted her mom.
"I understand, mom. The stores and mansion belong to my sister. I don't have any children, so I won't fight with her."
Lin Jiang nodded. Fixed assets didn't matter to him at all. After Zhuang Rong left, he wouldn't have much time in the Lin family either. He would leave soon.
"Good child, mom didn't raise you for nothing. These past few decades have been the happiest days for mom."
Zhuang Rong nodded with relief. The other sisters also left their belongings when they left, causing some unpleasantness among the younger generations, which made her very sad. Luckily, her own children wouldn't be like that.
In these years, Zhuang Rong had been enjoying her retirement at home without any worries. With her sisters by her side, it truly had been her happiest days.
Zhuang Rong kept talking and talking. After an hour, she stopped breathing.
"I don't have a mother anymore."
Lin Ying cried loudly, and Lin Jiang silently shed a row of tears, for he no longer had a mother.
