Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 110 - 100: Bait? Or Immortal Fate?

"Hmm? Father approved Lu Chang’sheng’s resignation letter?" Xu Zhuqing frowned.

"Yes. I still have to give Hong Yuan some face. Otherwise, if he decides to turn a blind eye to things later, it could give me a real headache."

Xu Zhuqing didn’t say anything more, but felt the letter from Dean Hong Yuan seemed to carry a sense of bargaining with her father, though her father didn’t seem to care much.

So, before leaving, she added: "Lu Chang’sheng has already reached the True Qi Realm as a Martial Artist!"

"What!"

Xu Yuan was a little taken aback. He immediately considered sending someone to stop Lu Chang’sheng from getting his Passage Document, but after thinking it over, decided to let it go.

If he had said something before, it would’ve been nothing; now, trying to block him would just make an enemy. One True Qi Realm guy wasn’t a concern, but Hong Yuan was someone he still had to consider.

Lu Chang’sheng arrived at the yamen and found his direct superior, Xu Feng, who held the post of Director of the Literary Bureau.

Upon seeing Lu Chang’sheng’s resignation letter, Xu Feng was momentarily stunned.

There were always only two types who resigned from official status: those who couldn’t make it, and those who were retiring to live out their days in peace.

No matter how he looked at Lu Chang’sheng, he sure didn’t seem like the second kind.

"Scholar Lu, did you offend someone?"

He asked quietly.

Lu Chang’sheng shook his head.

For someone in Xu Feng’s position, news didn’t travel all that fast—maybe, in a few days, he’d be envying Lu Chang’sheng.

Just like Lu Chang’sheng, nowadays these gentlemen rack their brains to become officials, but it isn’t about loyalty to Great Yuan. It’s just to enjoy the perks of power. The moment danger pops up, they’d be running faster than anyone.

Now, news traveled slowly everywhere, and the Prefecture Lord’s lockdown policy was a big part of it.

If the rebel army surrounded the city from the outside, people inside who didn’t want to fight would have no choice but to fight anyway.

As for the matter of inside informants, well, that’s a whole other story. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Lu Chang’sheng believed, with Xu Yuan’s smarts, there’s no way he hadn’t considered all this—but unfortunately, none of it had much to do with him.

Lu Chang’sheng felt zero sense of belonging to this dynasty’s world.

It was all, simply, for the sake of living.

······

Back home, after telling the family, his parents were a bit panicked but didn’t say much. Only his big brother, Lu Haozi, seemed reluctant for him to go.

Whether he was reluctant to leave the red-light district here or for something else, Lu Chang’sheng wasn’t sure.

Before leaving last time, Li Nangua had brought betrothal gifts to Old Guan Fu’s house. Old Guan Fu was overjoyed—his granddaughter was pretty enough, but her temper was fierce and she refused to be taken advantage of; an ordinary family couldn’t handle her.

Only someone like Lu Chang’sheng, who could write poetry and carry a spear into battle, could hope to tame her.

Last time, Lu Chang’sheng had mentioned it in passing, which made Old Guan Fu furious at first—only to regret it afterward.

If his granddaughter could marry Lu Chang’sheng, that’d be a blessing earned over ten lifetimes!

So when Li Nangua showed up with the betrothal gifts, he was over the moon. Only, after a long chat, he realized it wasn’t Lu Chang’sheng marrying his granddaughter, but Lu Chang’sheng’s big brother, Lu Haozi.

How could that be acceptable?

So, the whole thing was left hanging to this day.

"Old Guan Fu really thinks he’s clever—but has he checked what kind of temper his granddaughter has?" Even bringing it up left Li Nangua feeling annoyed.

Even if she’d love for Chang’sheng to take a few more concubines, she definitely wouldn’t have wanted this one.

But Lu Chang’sheng just laughed: "Isn’t Old Guan Fu’s granddaughter perfect for keeping my big brother in check? Besides, I know her temperament too—with you and me here, she won’t be hard to handle."

Li Nangua thought about it, and actually, he was right.

Lu Haozi’s wife, Ma Xiaocao, and the three little concubines he found later on, were all much too soft—plus, without their own family backing them up, it was easy for Lu Haozi to keep them under his thumb.

But Old Guan Fu’s granddaughter would never put up with that.

"Since Old Guan Fu doesn’t want to go through with it, just let it be. Once we leave the Prefecture City, big brother won’t have anywhere to go to mess around anyway. At that point, the ones at home will have to keep up with him, and strangely enough, that might help their marriage."

As soon as she said this, Li Nangua’s face blushed bright red, and she spat at him in embarrassment.

Even after all these years, she could still blush over these things—though honestly, it had its own unique charm.

Lu Chang’sheng couldn’t help but feel a tickle in his heart—he scooped Li Nangua into his arms and headed for the bedroom.

"In broad daylight!"

"Sun high in the sky, world out in the open—perfect time!" someone laughed boisterously.

If this had been a prostitute from the red-light district, she’d have chimed in with: My lord, you’re so naughty~

······

"How’s it going?"

The next morning, Lu Chang’sheng eyed Fu, who stood ahead looking a bit uneasy.

A leash was tied to the dog.

He’d meant to deal with this yesterday, but as the saying goes—too much lust cuts your life short. After a round of fun with Li Nangua, it was too late, so he had to push it to today.

"Master Mo is almost out of Black Mountain Prefecture City."

A servant came in to report.

Another hour or so passed.

"Master Mo has left the City, but there are checkpoints, so it’s slow going."

Two hours later—

Lu Chang’sheng’s brow suddenly furrowed.

Fu, right in front of him, suddenly seemed to sense something—he started jumping around wildly and, out of nowhere, snapped his leash and took off to the east.

"Just as I thought—this dog is no dog!"

Lu Chang’sheng’s eyes flashed; he reached out and grabbed the dog’s tail, yanking him right back.

"This thing is not normal—now that my guess is verified, there’s no need to keep it!"

Saying that, his other hand grabbed Fu by the neck, ready to squeeze.

With his current strength, unless it was made of iron and steel, it would snap like a twig.

But right then, Fu seemed to turn slippery, like an eel—he twisted out of Lu Chang’sheng’s grip, and just as Lu Chang’sheng thought he’d try to run, Fu lifted a paw and started drawing patterns on the ground.

The pattern—

"Immortal Worship!"

Lu Chang’sheng’s eyes gleamed and he pulled back his hand.

Afterward, he went to see his mother, summoned everyone who took care of her day-to-day, and questioned each one about recent events.

Vaguely, Lu Chang’sheng had a very strange suspicion.

This wolf wasn’t ordinary at all.

"There’s definitely a connection between the wolf-shaped being and Fu."

"According to countless recorded accounts, whether it’s a wicked thing or an immortal object, it always brings some sort of blessing to the owner. The only difference is, wicked things bring blessings—and then disaster."

Upright-walking wolves or Snake Immortals, all the same.

In the years of great famine, when food was scarce, mountain wolves brought offerings, and then killed.

Snake Immortals—when the family was poor, they’d spit out silver coins, and then kill.

······

Lu Chang’sheng’s mind grew clearer.

"So, is this a transaction, or maybe just bait? These wicked things keep offering owners benefits, and when it reaches some threshold, they emerge—and kill them!"

And it all depended on what the owner was lacking.

Short on money? Here’s money. Need women? Here you go.

But what did he lack?

Money? Women? Lu Chang’sheng asked himself—he didn’t lack any of that. So what he was missing was—immortality!

Seeking immortality!

Only—

"According to the Immortal Worship Formula, these entities almost always target regular people, because Martial Artists’ vital energy can block out a lot of that stuff."

"But this wolf—or whatever’s behind it—dared to set up a deal right in front of me, a True Qi Realm expert. Are they forced to do this, or is there another agenda?"

Whatever it was, this was his path to unraveling the Immortal Worship Formula. There was no way he could let it end here.

Lu Chang’sheng didn’t know—if he killed this thing now, would he sever the link for good? So after thinking it over, he led Fu off toward the east, just in case the distance grew too great and Fu dropped dead.

"Seeking immortality, seeking immortality—if it’s possible, maybe I could even bring my family onto the cultivation path. That way, I’ll never be alone!"

Lu Chang’sheng’s heart throbbed with excitement—never before had he felt immortal fate so close at hand.