Er Langzi stared wide-eyed at the thatched roof and mud walls of the shabby hut, covered with an old quilt that had turned a deep yellow, concealing its original appearance, emitting a faint musty smell.
Next to him, his elder brother Han Zhu was sound asleep, emitting intermittent snores of varying intensity.
About half a meter from the bed was a wall made of yellow mud, cracked over time with inconspicuous slender fissures. From these cracks, faint murmurs of Han's mother's complaints could be heard, occasionally interspersed with the sound of Han's father sucking on his pipe.
Er Langzi slowly closed his somewhat dry eyes, forcing himself to enter a deep slumber as soon as possible. He was acutely aware that if he didn't fall asleep soon, he wouldn't be able to wake up early tomorrow, and he wouldn't be able to go into the mountains with his companions to gather firewood.
Er Langzi's full name was Han Li, a decent enough name, but his parents couldn't come up with it themselves. It was a name given to him by Old Zhang, a villager, using two coarse grains.
Old Zhang, in his younger years, had served as a reading companion to a wealthy man in the city for a few years. He was the only literate person in the village, and most of the children's names in the village were given by him.
Although Han Li was called "Er Langzi" by the villagers, he was not really foolish. On the contrary, he was one of the smartest children in the village. However, like other children in the village, apart from his family, he rarely heard anyone formally call him by his name "Han Li". Instead, the nickname "Er Langzi" had always stuck with him.
And the reason he was given the nickname "Er Langzi" was simply because there was already a child named "Lengzi" in the village.
That was nothing unusual; other children in the village were also called names like "Gouwa" and "Er Dan" by people. These names were not necessarily better-sounding than "Er Langzi."
Therefore, although Han Li didn't like this nickname, he could only console himself in this way.
Han Li looked inconspicuous on the outside, with dark skin, just like an ordinary peasant child. But deep inside, he was much more mature than his peers. Since childhood, he had longed for the richness and prosperity of the outside world, dreaming that one day he could leave this tiny village and see the world outside that Old Zhang often talked about.
Han Li had never dared to mention this idea to anyone else. Otherwise, it would surely astonish the villagers. A little kid who was still wet behind the ears actually harbored such a strange idea. You should know that other children of similar age to Han Li were still chasing chickens and dogs around the village, let alone having such a peculiar idea of leaving their hometown.
Han Li's family had seven members, including two elder brothers, one elder sister, and one younger sister. He was the fourth child in the family, just ten years old this year. Life in their family was very hard; they barely had meat and fish to eat a few times a year, and the whole family always teetered on the edge of poverty.
At this moment, Han Li was in a daze, halfway between sleep and wakefulness, with the lingering thought: when he went up the mountain, he must gather more of his little sister's favorite red berries for her.
The next day at noon, as Han Li trudged home under the scorching sun, carrying a pile of firewood half his height and a bag full of berries, he had no idea that a guest had arrived at home who would change his life forever.
This guest was a close relative of his, his third uncle by blood.
It was said that he worked as the manager of a tavern in a nearby small town, a big shot according to his parents. In the nearly hundred years of the Han family's history, this third uncle was probably the only relative with some status.
Han Li had only seen this third uncle a few times when he was very young. His eldest brother had been introduced to work as an apprentice to an old blacksmith in the city by this third uncle. This third uncle also often sent some food and necessities to his parents through others, taking care of their family. Therefore, Han Li had a good impression of this third uncle. Although his parents never said it, they were also very grateful in their hearts.
His eldest brother was the pride of the family. It was said that as an apprentice blacksmith in the city, he not only had his meals and accommodation provided for, but also earned thirty copper coins a month. When he formally completed his apprenticeship and was hired by someone, he would earn even more money.
Whenever his parents mentioned his eldest brother, their spirits would soar, as if they had become different people. Although Han Li was still young, he envied him endlessly. He already had the best job in his mind, which was to be noticed by a craftsman in the small town, to be taken in as an apprentice, and to become a respectable person who made a living by his skills.
So when Han Li saw his third uncle, dressed in new satin clothes, with a round face and a little mustache, he was extremely excited.
After putting the firewood in the backyard, he shyly greeted his third uncle in the front yard, obediently saying, "Hello, Third Uncle," and stood quietly aside, listening to his parents chatting with his third uncle.
His third uncle smiled as he looked at Han Li, praised him for being obedient and sensible, and then turned to talk to his parents about the purpose of his visit this time.
Although Han Li was still young and couldn't fully understand his third uncle's words, he roughly understood the gist of it.
It turned out that the tavern where his third uncle worked belonged to a martial arts sect called the "Seven Profound Sect." This sect was divided into outer and inner sects, and not long ago, his third uncle had officially become an outer disciple of this sect, which allowed him to recommend children aged seven to twelve to participate in the test to become inner disciples of the Seven Profound Sect.
The test to recruit inner disciples of the "Seven Profound Sect," which took place once every five years, was scheduled to begin next month. His somewhat shrewd third uncle, who had no children of his own, naturally thought of Han Li, who was of the right age.
Han Li's honest father, upon hearing words like "martial arts" and "sect" that he had never heard before, hesitated and couldn't make up his mind. He picked up his pipe, took a few hard puffs, and sat there in silence.
In his third uncle's words, the "Seven Profound Sect" was naturally one of the most prestigious sects within hundreds of miles, if not the most prestigious.
As long as one became an inner disciple, not only would they be able to practice martial arts and have food and drink provided for free in the future, but they would also receive one or two extra pieces of silver as pocket money each month. Moreover, even if those who participated
When he heard that he could earn one or two silvers a month and have the opportunity to become a decent person like his third uncle, Han's father finally made up his mind and agreed.
Seeing that Han's father had agreed, his third uncle was very happy. He left a few pieces of silver and said that he would come to take Han Li away in a month. During this period, he would provide Han Li with some good food to nourish him and prepare him for the test. Then his third uncle said goodbye to Han's father, patted Han Li on the head, and left for the city.
Although Han Li didn't fully understand what his third uncle said, he understood that going to the city to make big money was a good thing.
His lifelong wish seemed to be on the verge of coming true, and he couldn't sleep for several nights in a row due to excitement.
More than a month later, his third uncle arrived at the village on time to take Han Li away. Before leaving, Han's father repeatedly reminded Han Li to be honest, to be tolerant when faced with difficulties, and not to quarrel with others. Han's mother also asked him to take care of himself and to eat and sleep well.
On the carriage, as he watched his parents gradually disappear into the distance, Han Li bit his lip, trying hard not to let tears fall from his eyes.
Although he had been more mature than other children since he was young, he was still just a ten-year-old child. It was his first time traveling far from home, which made him feel a bit sad and confused. In his young heart, he secretly made up his mind that once he made a lot of money, he would hurry back and never leave his parents again.
Han Li never imagined that the amount of money he earned after this trip would lose its significance to him. He unexpectedly embarked on a different path from ordinary people, the path of cultivating immortality, and set foot on his own path of cultivation.
