Spring passes and autumn comes, the sun and moon revolve, and five years slip away quietly.
With daily consumption of meat, eggs, milk, persistent medicated baths, and taking Bone Strengthening Pills, the thirteen-year-old Li Ji’an has now grown to nearly 1.6 meters tall. Combined with appropriate daily exercise, he has mastered the movements and postures of the "Golden Strength Skill" from the Martial Arts Academy, standing tall with strong bones and long muscles.
In the bathtub, Li Ji’an carefully examines his body, though already familiar beyond measure, every time still full of emotion.
In the previous life, at thirteen, he was harmed by beasts and stunted, with poor nutrition, not even taller than he was two lifetimes ago. As an adult, he barely reached 1.5 meters. (Every time the rejuvenation line doesn’t change, the person doesn’t change, neither does the soul, the body is still his body, starting strictly from age eight, technically not a lifetime, but for convenience of storytelling and understanding, let’s define each rejuvenation as one lifetime.)
Looking again at the reflection in the water, his appearance is far more handsome and radiant than at the same age in the previous life, exuding youthful vitality.
"Those precautions prepared in the previous life were unexpectedly unused." With a light laugh, Li Ji’an submerged in the water.
In the courtyard of the county city, he had buried some herbs and silver for his childhood in this life.
Yet these five years, regardless of medicated baths or other life necessities, the temple covered it all, even sponsoring his martial arts study at the academy, simply because of the two prescriptions he gave to Liu Deshan.
Indeed, these two prescriptions caused Purple Cloud Temple’s income to soar over these years.
Besides the disciples’ treatment in the temple, the Charity Hall was expanded, even named after Chang’an—Chang’an Charity Hall!
Currently, nearly a hundred orphaned children are sheltered.
Moreover, knowing Li Ji’an’s martial aspirations, the senior brothers at the Charity Hall frequently offer nourishing wild items from the mountains.
In these five years, within the temple, he was like stars surrounding the moon, receiving care.
"Tomorrow going to the Martial Arts Academy, is Old Huang still alive? How about Tutor Wu, was he dismissed? Did the little fellow who mocked me qualify for martial examinations..."
Holding his breath for at least two minutes, he felt very satisfied with his current physical state.
Additionally, over these years, he clearly felt his spiritual power noticeably enhanced through two rejuvenations, thinking sharper, energy fuller, needing only six hours’ sleep to restore peak condition daily.
These five years reminiscing about the martial arts academy’s "Golden Strength Skill" study in the previous life, he gained deeper understanding, many past inexplicable points becoming clearer.
Whether this is the extra benefit of "rejuvenation" or a natural change from "age to wisdom," after all, each life the body "rejuvenates," but the spirit keeps accumulating.
"Junior Brother, save me!" At this moment, a cry for help came from the large bath nearby.
It’s where temple children below fifteen soak for medicated baths, where Little Qingyun was playing around with the boys.
Li Ji’an initially wanted no special treatment, but couldn’t resist because the steward at the Medicated Bath Hall was a child he saved in a previous life, insisting on giving him a separate bath.
Moreover, despite looking thirteen, his soul had seen too much, at times playing with children, but true childlike innocence was too forced.
Sometimes inadvertently showing maturity inappropriate for his age made some children uneasy, so he opted for a separate bathtub.
Little Qingyun was true childlike innocence.
"Junior Brother, everyone listens to you, help me persuade Master not to send me to the Martial Arts Academy, will you?" Exiting the Medicated Bath Hall, Qingyun clung to Li Ji’an’s sleeve, pleading.
Just like his father as a child, if he could lie down, he wouldn’t sit, if he could stay still, he wouldn’t move, uninterested in martial arts or cultivation.
Five years passed, if not for Li Ji’an suggesting to Master for health consideration, forced exercise would now be fatter.
However, everyone has their aspirations, each their predestined path; after several attempts to persuade him into martial arts and cultivation without success, seeing his preference in succeeding his father, Li Ji’an didn’t insist further.
Li Ji’an shook his head smiling, ignoring him.
The next morning.
Outside the main gate of Purple Cloud Temple, a group of Daoists stood silently.
Li Ji’an and Qingyun stood by the carriage saying goodbyes.
"Master, I really don’t want to study martial arts, where are there immortals in this world, I just want to stay in the temple... Serve you, be filial to you... Don’t drive me away..." Qingyun’s voice carried a sob.
Liu Deshan glared fiercely at him: "Look at your junior brother, how did I... raise such a disciple, do you know how much silver the Martial Arts Academy requires? Many want to study martial arts but have no chance! Stop crying, hold back instantly, how grown are you now?"
Shaking his head in disgust, Liu Deshan glanced at Li Ji’an, his expression instantly softened.
But looking at Li Ji’an’s face, his heart twitched.
How did Junior Brother father such a handsome son?
What an extraordinary beauty his junior sister-in-law must be!
Tall, dignified, unlike that unfortunate child.
At that moment, Li Ji’an hardly resembled at all but for eyebrows compared to his previous self-same age.
"Chang’an, the Martial Arts Academy is arranged, no need for concerns, just focus on martial arts, well don’t pressure too much, no need to stubbornly pursue being an Immortal Seedling, regardless of circumstances, this will always be your home."
"Thank you, Master!" Li Ji’an bowed deeply to the graying temple head Liu Deshan.
"Good, good, go now, keep an eye on that boy for me, if he’s disobedient, give him a beating, that’s my word."
Qingyun genuinely wanted to cry this time.
...
The carriage rolled farther away, the temple figures equally more distant.
Qingyun hopped in and slept, unaffected by sorrow or worry.
From inside the city, without a call, his nose awakened him.
"Junior Brother, look, candied hawthorn!"
"Wow, and fried dough."
"Oh~ that’s braised pork trotters..."
Li Ji’an looked outside through the window, equally familiar, having lived in the city for ten years.
Five years, little change in the city.
As he walked through, several familiar faces came to sight.
"Senior Brother, please stop the carriage, let Qingyun help buy some food." Afraid Qingyun drooled on his clothes, Li Ji’an relented.
The middle-aged coachman smiled gently, stopping the carriage aside.
"Chang’an, you spoil Qingyun too much." Everyone in the temple knew Li Ji’an’s heart nature, never indulging in cravings.
Qingyun showed sheer joy: "Thank you, Junior Brother, thank you, Junior Brother."
Li Ji’an lovingly patted Qingyun’s head, took about thirty copper coins from his purse, and handed them to him.
After instructing the middle-aged Daoist to keep an eye on Qingyun, Li Ji’an turned a corner and arrived at the bustling market behind a small courtyard.
This place was the courtyard he bought fifteen years ago, front facing the market area, back near the County Yamen, inhabited mostly by merchants, reducing unnecessary contact and trouble.
Five years absent, outside everything looked unchanged.
Li Ji’an walked around the courtyard’s perimeter, his gaze shifted subtly, then quietly distanced.
Five years earlier when departing, he had filled the walls with embroidery needles, just now noticing several needle damages, even dim bloodstains visible in wall crevices.
No need verifying what happened, whether a thief or robber, nor require checking if traps worked, all irrelevant.
This arrangement served only the post-childhood phase.
Now with Purple Cloud Temple assisting this step completion, this place’s significance no longer warrants any unknown risk or unnecessary trouble.
After all, merely some silver coin.
Once Qingyun returned satisfied carrying a large food bundle, the carriage headed to Shangyi County’s Martial Arts Academy, once a place of cold disdain and mockery in Li Ji’an’s previous life.