Chapter 21: The Keeper of the Tomb
Zhuang Rong's funeral was quickly completed in a very grand manner, not only for Lin Jiang's sake but also for Lin Ying's.
Lin Ying had already reached the later stages of Foundation Building. She and Lin Die were known as the Lin family's twin beauties, and they were the most likely candidates to advance to the Golden Core Period. Lin Batian was very fond of them.
After the funeral, Lin Jiang returned to the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa to bid farewell to the elderly Lin Baohua. The two of them had lived at the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa for decades and had a deep bond.
The Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa now belonged to Lin Ying, but she was unable to manage it herself. So, she agreed with Lin Jiang's decision to keep things as they were, with Lin Baohua's son in charge and most of the profits being handed over each year.
Lin Jiang took his personal belongings and two Shadiao with him, then returned to the entrance of the Lin family's mountain to request from Lin Batian to guard the ancestral tomb. Lin Batian agreed immediately.
On the northwest side of the entrance to the Lin family's mountain, there was a forest, where dozens of graves were located. For nearly a hundred years since the founding of the Lin family, all cultivators had been buried here, while mortals didn't have the qualifications.
After Lin Jiang's arrival, Lin Hai, the fifth brother, and Lin Feng, the seventh brother, also applied to Lin Batian to guard the tomb, which left Lin Jiang speechless. He had come here to avoid everyone, but now he couldn't avoid them.
However, the two brothers had valid reasons, as they wanted to guard their mother. Lin Jiang couldn't refuse their request, so the three brothers ended up guarding the tomb together.
Luckily, Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother were just like Lin Jiang, all over seventy years old and not very active anymore, so Lin Jiang didn't care.
The grave guardian's life was very boring. Every day, Lin Jiang walked around the tomb, pulled out some weeds, added a handful of soil to the old graves, and the rest of the time was spent practicing, drawing symbols, and having fun with Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao.
Lin Jiang had been raising Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao for decades. They were already adults and had grown extremely large. With their wings spread open, they were nearly ten meters long. They perched on Lin Jiang's shoulders, enough to cover his head, so Lin Jiang didn't allow them to stand on his shoulders anymore.
Aurora Falcons were birds of prey, so Lin Jiang didn't need to worry about their food. They could hunt on their own and even bring some surprises to Lin Jiang, such as killing some monsters. Lin Jiang could take their fur and sell it for money.
"Sixth Brother, your Aurora falcon should be at the advanced first stage, right?"
Seventh Brother Lin Feng looked at the two Shadiaos with envy. Having two pets to accompany him in his old age was a wonderful thing. Unlike him, his wife had already passed away, and his son was busy with other things, leaving him alone.
"Yes, they are at the advanced first stage. Their cultivation level is even higher than mine."
Lin Jiang nodded. He had been practicing for over sixty years, but he was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. The advanced first stage was equivalent to the later stage of Qi Refining.
"Haha, it's only a little better than me."
"What's the use of being so close, we're basically guarding the tomb together."
"Yeah, it's a pity. I failed to break through the Building Foundation stage twice."
Lin Feng said that he and Lin Hai were the same, both having completed the Qi Refining Stage perfectly. They had both attempted to break through to the Foundation Building Stage but failed.
From this perspective, Lin Batian was a qualified father. As long as his children reached the perfect completion of the Qi Refining Stage, regardless of their aptitude, he would find a way to get them a Foundation Building Pill to help them break through. Whether they succeeded or not depended on their own destiny.
This was something that other families couldn't even dream of. One Foundation Building Pill cost at least twenty to thirty thousand spirit stones and could only be taken by those with good aptitude. Those with poor aptitude had to find their own solutions.
"Where is the fifth brother?"
"Hehe, Sixth Brother, guess."
"Damn, don't tell me he wants to steal my bar again."
"Haha, you guessed it right."
"You scoundrel, that was meant for Lin Ying! Shadiao, hurry up and bring them here!"
Lin Jiang was furious, Old Five was such a jerk. Not long ago, he brought out his Peach Blossom Wine that he had been collecting for decades and gave it to him to drink. The guy got a little bit drunk and now he couldn't stop craving for more.
But Lin Jiang couldn't bear to do it. He had been cherishing this wine for over forty years, and there wasn't much left. It was truly meant for Lin Ying. But this guy had the nerve to steal his wine.
With a chirp from Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao, they flew into the woods. It didn't take long for the claws to catch Lin Hai and bring him out. Lin Hai, old and weak, was no match for the Shadiaos.
"Sixth Brother, let go of me, quickly, it hurts so much!"
"Serves you right!"
Lin Jiang cursed loudly, but Aurora Falcon was very understanding and had high intelligence. It wouldn't actually harm Lin Hai, just make him suffer a bit.
"Where's my wine?"
"I finished it."
"How much did you drink?"
"Just a small jar. Sixth Brother, don't be so stingy. Lin Ying is a master at the Foundation Period. She doesn't need your little bit of alcohol."
"Get lost! If I catch you again, I'll kill you."
"Hehe, come on. I'm already eighty-one years old, I've lived enough, it doesn't matter."
Lin Hai shrugged his hands, acting tough. Who's afraid of whom?
"You're amazing."
Lin Jiang sighed, wondering if he could really fight this eighty-one-year-old man.
"Sixth Brother, let me teach you how to deal with Fifth Brother. Next time Lin Ying comes, you can complain to Lin Ying and let her beat up his grandson. Fifth Brother loves his grandson the most."
"Seventh Brother, damn it, you're playing dirty."
Lin Hai got upset when he heard this, and rushed over to hit Old Seventh. Old Seventh laughed and ran away, and the two of them started chasing each other.
Lin Jiang gave them a look of disdain, thinking they were acting like little kids.
"Chirp chirp."
Big Shadiao and Small Shadiao also imitated them, looking down on them.
······
"Brother, how about staying here, or you can come to my place."
Lin Ying came to see Lin Jiang again. Before, she could visit her mother or her older brother, but now only her older brother was left.
As Lin Ying spoke, she pulled out something from her bag. Before, she always made Lin Jiang treat her, but now it was the other way around. She always brought food for Lin Jiang to eat.
"Fifth brother, seventh brother, stop eating! Don't you realize how old you are? Eating so recklessly, it's like you want me to join your mother down there, right?"
Lin Jiang didn't answer Lin Ying directly, but shouted loudly at the lazy fifth and seventh brother. Lin Ying brought something and half of it went into their stomachs.
"Hehe, it's not often that the tenth sister comes, so of course we have to eat more. Can't disappoint her kindness."
"Brother, you still haven't answered my question."
"I'm not going. It's good here, with these two old fools keeping me company. I won't be lonely."
"Fifth brother, seventh brother, help me persuade sixth brother, would you?"
"Can't persuade him. This guy's heart is made of stone."
"Yeah, the tenth sister, your brother's willpower is incredibly strong. He's over seventy years old and still practices every day. Probably still thinking about building a foundation."
"Haha, exactly. Can't persuade him even if we try. Besides, it's good here, with beautiful mountains and clean water, and there's no shortage of food and drinks."
Both Lin Hai and Lin Feng refused to persuade him. They had known for a long time that Lin Jiang was a very determined person. Unless he changed his mind, they wouldn't be able to persuade him.
"I just want you to live more comfortably, I only have you as a family now."
"Nonsense, we have many siblings and relatives, countless nieces and nephews!"
"It's different, they are relatives but not as close as you and me, we are full siblings with the same parents."
"Forget it, I won't bother everyone. It's really nice here. In the future, you should come less often, focus more on cultivation, and strive to break through the golden core before Third Sister."
Lin Jiang shook his head, he had already planned it. Once he reached the late stage of Qi Refining, he would leave. At that stage, he would have some self-defense ability even in the wilderness.
"Brother, I've ordered a Green Rock Pill for you, it might arrive next month."
"Nonsense, why are you spending money on that? Go cancel it quickly."
"I can't cancel it, I've already paid the money."
Lin Ying said, leaving Lin Hai and Lin Feng astonished.
"Tsk tsk, Green Rock Pill."
"Congratulations, Sixth Brother, you've gained twenty years of life."
Both of them looked envious. The Green Rock Pill was a precious item that could extend one's life by twenty years. It was extremely valuable and could no longer be bought with spirit stones. It could only be obtained through barter.
"Oh, Lin Ying, you're at a crucial moment in breaking through the golden core. If you fail because of this, how can I explain it to Mother?"
"I just want you to accompany me for a few more years. As you said, as long as our parents are alive, life still has a meaning. But once they're gone, life becomes nothing but a journey back home. Father is a cultivator with a golden core and a long life expectancy. But I don't feel close to him. You, on the other hand, treat me like a daughter. Now that Mother is gone, I don't want you to leave me too."
"Don't say such things, I can't bear to hear them."
Lin Jiang waved his hand repeatedly. He was getting old and couldn't bear to hear such words. His nose was already tingling, and even Lin Hai and Lin Feng stopped eating, their eyes becoming misty.
"Brother, did I say something wrong..."
"No, you're not wrong, Lin Ying. I promise you, I'll accompany you for another twenty years."
"Brother, I want to always be with you. I will go and find more longevity treasures."
"It's useless, the effect of the longevity treasure decreases each time you take it. No matter how much money you have, you can't make me live forever. I will stay in the Lin family for another twenty years. After twenty years, I will leave."
"Ah, brother, where are you going?"
"I want to see the beautiful land and mountains. I feel ashamed to say that I have lived for over seventy years, but I have only been to Anhua City a few times and nowhere else. Since I'm going to die anyway, I don't want to die here. I want to go and see different places. So, when that time comes, please don't come looking for me, alright?"
"No, brother, please don't do anything foolish."
"This is my only remaining wish. Won't you fulfill it for me?"
"Brother..."
"It's decided."
Lin Jiang said firmly, not giving Lin Ying a chance to object.
This could be considered as a preventive measure, so there was also an excuse to leave the Lin family. He couldn't stay any longer, staying longer will definitely expose the secret.
As a Qi Refining Period cultivator, he couldn't protect himself at all. Even Lin Batian would have malicious intentions towards him. Lin Jiang was now living as an old person, and he understood very well the feeling of aging and death.
The terror of life and death is great. Don't be deceived by the apparent indifference to life and death from Lin Hai and Lin Feng. It's just resignation towards death. But if given a chance to live on, they will cling desperately to that opportunity. A lifesaver comes just like that.
Lin Hai and Lin Feng were like this, and so were the others. If his secret was exposed, the entire Lin family might be in danger. Who knew how many old monsters would want to capture him for experimentation.
