Mortal To Immortal

Canglang Mountain is located in the miasma-ridden region of northern Yan, surrounded by dense forests and towering peaks, earning it the reputation of being "eight parts mountain, one part water, and one part farmland." Yet, within this impoverished mountainous area, several villages stubbornly persist. In the past, the people of Canglang Mountain lived a life of hardship, struggling against the land for food, against the mountains for water, and against nature for survival. However, just ten years ago, the lives of the mountain people suddenly improved. Not only did every household have surplus grain, but each village also built an ancestral hall with blue bricks and ceramic tiles. Shuzhuang was one of these villages. Early in the morning, a row of children sat neatly in the ancestral hall of Shuzhuang. They all suppressed their lively and restless nature, with green herbs in their mouths. But soon, some children jumped up, coughing repeatedly, spitting out the herbs, their little faces full of pain. As time passed, more and more children could no longer bear it, spitting out the herbs and leaving the ancestral hall. Only three children remained in the ancestral hall. Two of the children had faint wisps of spiritual energy constantly emanating from the tops of their heads. Only the slightly larger-headed child didn't exhibit this phenomenon. "Hold on! I must finish digesting the effects of the Fu Fang Grass!" "I can already feel it! Just a little more Fu Fang Grass, and I can awaken my spiritual root like Er Dan, qualifying me to enter the Dragon Profound Sect!" The big-headed child's real name was Shu Han. Because of his large head, he was given this nickname. Perhaps because of his large head, Shu Han was more intelligent and quick-witted than other children from a young age. The widely circulated story is about the big-headed child capturing mountain bandits at night. Two years ago, in late autumn, a drought struck the area around Canglang Mountain. Many honest farmers became mountain bandits to survive. One night, taking advantage of the villagers turning off their lights, a group of people sneaked into Shu Village, only to encounter little Shu Han getting up to use the restroom. These bandits weren't particularly vicious; they intended to simply knock him unconscious. Most children in this situation would have been terrified, but Shu Han reacted quickly, pretending to be a simpleton, insisting they had come to Shu Village to buy grain. The bandits, seizing the opportunity, asked Shu Han to lead them to the granary to inspect the grain. Shu Han lied, claiming that for the sake of food security, the village chief had hidden the grain in the ancestral hall. After leading the group into the hall, he slipped out through a dog hole and immediately locked the hall door, trapping the bandits inside. Afterwards, everyone in Shu Village praised Shu Han for his great wisdom. Seated in the ancestral hall was a middle-aged man dressed in silk, his brocade robe embroidered with lifelike bamboo, a stark contrast to the village chief standing beside him in coarse linen. He held a cup of hot tea, his eyes brighter than those of the mountain people, looking down at the children with considerable satisfaction: "The children are all quite good, especially Erdan, who seems to have a deep spiritual root. Gou Dan's performance is also good, but it's a pity about Da Touwa, he still shows no signs of awakening his spiritual root..." The white-bearded village chief bowed and scraped beside him: "Master Zhang, do you think Da Touwa still has a chance?" Master Zhang pondered for a moment, then said: "I quite like this Da Touwa, he's not only smart but also persevering. Taking Fu Fang Grass before awakening his spiritual root is like swallowing hot coals, it's rare that this child can persist. Let's give him two more days, if there's still no sign by then, I can't help him." The village chief rubbed his hands and smiled: "Master Zhang, if our Shuzhuang produces three children with spiritual roots, could you give them a little more subsidy? The children go out and never come back, we have to give their parents an explanation." Master Zhang glanced at him and snorted: "If Da Touwa really succeeds, building another ancestral hall for your village wouldn't be a problem. Don't bother me with this kind of thing anymore." "Yes, yes, yes..." Finally, enduring the burning sensation, Shu Han managed to digest all the medicinal power of the Fu Fang grass. At this moment, Er Dan and Gouwa also woke up. Their faces showed no signs of pain; instead, they looked refreshed. This made Shu Han's heart itch, intensifying his desire to awaken his spiritual root. "The Immortal Master said that entering the Dragon Profound Sect is far better than studying and becoming an official." "As long as I enter the Dragon Profound Sect, I can bring my parents and younger sister out of the mountains to live a wealthy life, and I can also see the vast world that Immortal Master Zhang spoke of." With this thought in mind, Shu Han took out his tattered burlap sack and began picking up the Fu Fang grass he had spat out. He knew that the medicinal power of the Fu Fang grass hadn't dissipated yet; with a little washing, he could take it again. If he couldn't have the talent of Er Dan, then he had to make up for it with diligence. Gou Dan looked at Shu Han picking up Fu Fang grass and said disdainfully, "Da Tou, forget it! You're not destined for that! Being a carpenter like your dad would be pretty good too." "Gou Dan, if you say that again, I'll beat you up!" Er Dan stood up, raising his fist in uncontrollable rage. Gou Dan backed away, grinning, "Er Dan, Da Tou will be stuck in the village for the rest of his life, but we'll definitely go to the Dragon Profound Sect. It's not worth ruining our relationship over Da Tou. My mom said we'll have to look after each other in the future!" "You dare say that!" Er Dan's eyes widened, and he rushed forward to hit Gou Dan, but Shu Han held him back. "Brother Da Tou, he dared to say that to you, I'll beat him to death!" Shu Han shook his head, pocketed a bag of Fu Fang grass, and pulled Er Dan out of the ancestral hall. Erdan, still furious, said, "Big Head, he always talks about you like that. Let me beat him up and I guarantee I'll shut his stinking mouth up." "Hey, I think Gou Dan is right." "Huh?" Erdan's eyes widened. "Big Head, are you alright?" Shu Han scratched his head. "If I still haven't awakened my spiritual root, I'll really be a different kind of person from you guys. When you go to the Dragon Profound Sect, you should get along well with Gou Dan so you can look after each other. But if I do awaken my spiritual root, wouldn't that be a real slap in Gou Dan's face?" Erdan grinned. "Big Head, I believe you can do it. Here, this is what I had left over this morning." Erdan reached out and slapped a whole Fu Fang grass into Shu Han's hand. "Erdan...you..." Erdan laughed heartily, "I don't need to. Immortal Zhang already told me that I'll definitely be able to enter the Dragon Profound Sect. Then, there will be as much Fu Fang grass as I want, and even better treasures! Big Head, we two brothers must go to the Dragon Profound Sect together." "Okay!" Shu Han returned home, hurriedly ate breakfast, and, carrying a bag of tattered Fu Fang grass, headed upstream. This place was secluded and quiet, undisturbed. After washing the bag of Fu Fang grass by the stream, Shu Han immediately began to consume it. The bitten Fu Fang grass had lost most of its medicinal properties, and it still burned his heart and lungs. Shu Han gritted his teeth, and by the time he consumed the second stalk, he felt a burning sensation all over his body, wishing he could plunge into the stream for a good soak. "It feels so close! Immortal Zhang is about to leave with Erdan and Gou Dan, I must awaken my spiritual root before they leave!" The bag of Fu Fang grass contained eight stalks, yet these eight stalks were enough to torment Shu Han from morning till evening. As the sun set, its reddish rays shone on Shu Han's childish face. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with despair. He had used up all the Fu Fang herbs he had gathered. But the feeling of awakening his spiritual root was still just a little short. It was like the old saying, "Looking at a mountain, you can run yourself to death. " He felt the mountain was right in front of him, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't reach it. "Ahhh!" Shu Han cried out in anguish, Gou Dan's mocking words echoing in his ears. He clutched the whole Fu Fang herb that Er Dan had saved, his heart filled with bitterness. He realized that even if he had another one, or even a dozen more, he still wouldn't awaken his spiritual root. Looking at his reflection in the stream, Shu Han smiled despairingly, mocking himself, "You're not destined for this. You'll stay in the village forever." With that, he threw the last Fu Fang herb into the stream, along with the small hope in his heart. After sitting by the stream for a while, Shu Han composed himself and walked home along the water. As he walked, he saw the *Eupatorium fortunei* he had just thrown floating on the stream. Resisting the urge to pick it up, Shu Han continued walking. Suddenly, he saw another *Eupatorium fortunei* drift past him. Strange! Had he thrown two? No, that couldn't be! Just as he was wondering, another one floated downstream. Shu Han was shocked. He quickly stepped into the stream and picked up the *Eupatorium fortunei*. Then, looking upstream, sure enough, another one had floated downstream. Filled with doubt, Shu Han went upstream, collecting nine *Eupatorium fortunei* along the way! Suppressing his overwhelming joy, he peered into the stream. The source of the *Eupatorium fortunei* was a dark jar that had settled in the water. Shu Han pulled the jar up, and in the setting sun, he saw that it was full of fresh *Eupatorium fortunei*! "How is this possible!" He poured out all the *Eupatorium fortunei* from the jar—a whopping thirty-eight! Shu Han stared in disbelief. He didn't know why there were so many fresh Fu Fang herbs in this old jar, but he knew that his awakening of his spiritual root was on the horizon! Picking up the small jar, Shu Han examined it closely, turning it over and over, but the dark jar revealed nothing special. He tried putting a Fu Fang herb inside, and then a magical scene unfolded: the jar began to emit a faint blue light, and the single Fu Fang herb at the bottom of the jar multiplied into two! Then, two became four, four became eight, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Shu Han had a jar full of Fu Fang herbs again! This miraculous phenomenon had a huge impact on Shu Han's young mind. His big head went blank for a while before it came to its senses. Then, to verify his suspicions, he emptied the Fu Fang herbs and threw in a stone. Very quickly, the stone in the jar multiplied even faster, filling the jar completely. This black jar could actually replicate items! Although Shu Han was young, he understood the value of this jar. He looked around, and seeing no one was there, immediately began digging a hole and buried a bunch of *Eupatorium fortunei* in it. He then took one plant and a jar with him, pretending he had found nothing, and jogged back to the village.