Piercing screams echoed continuously through the village, startling neighbors who came to watch.
"What's wrong with Li Gouzi?"
"There are bugs! So many bugs!"
"They're crawling all over me, biting my flesh!"
Li Gouzi cried out in terror, huddled in a ball with a deathly pale face.
"Silly child, what bugs? There's nothing here," his parents said, utterly perplexed.
"There really are bugs!" he wailed miserably.
The old chief was alerted by the commotion. Frowning at the scene, he said, "This is bad. It might be an evil influence. We need to find a spiritual expert!"
Villagers who had gathered to watch immediately scattered, keeping far away from Li Gouzi for fear the "evil" might spread to their families.
Having observed the aftermath through Spore Sense, Li Pingcan severed the connection.
[Ant Colony Swarm] had almost no lethal power - these gathered insects couldn't even be commanded to bite humans and would disperse within minutes. But the terrifying visual impact of countless bugs crawling over one's body was enough to leave deep psychological scars.
One down, the rest could be dealt with slowly. At least now he'd have some peace and quiet.
Turning to Xie Yuan, whose eyes were red from crying, Li Pingcan felt complicated emotions. Despite being three or four years younger, she'd been willing to stand up for him against older children.
He wasn't worried about Xie Yuan being unreasonable, spoiled, or domineering - he had a hundred ways to make his parents distance themselves from such behavior. But this pure, trusting protection from someone unrelated by blood made his cautious defenses feel almost foolish.
A realization dawned on him: "True family doesn't necessarily share the same blood."
Conversely, those who intentionally harm family should be judged mercilessly regardless of blood ties. It seemed he'd need to establish a family rule about this - "Those who betray the Li family shall face execution without mercy!"
Regardless of how Xie Yuan might change in the future, at this moment Li Pingcan truly accepted her.
"Yuan Yuan, big brother will take you somewhere special."
"Will there be yummy food?" Xie Yuan tilted her head.
"Sweet peaches and fragrant honey," Li Pingcan smiled, picking her up and covering her eyes as they headed deep into the mountains.
Mountain winds rippled like waves across the valley. A raven circled freely overhead while mushrooms sprouted rapidly along their path, as if paving the way forward.
Thorny vines obediently parted before them, prostrating at his feet. A bridge of army ants formed across the valley, awaiting their master's passage.
Their journey ended before an ancient towering tree, its lush greenery swaying joyfully at Li Pingcan's approach.
"Grandpa Peach Tree, how have you been?" Li Pingcan set Xie Yuan down and greeted the tree.
Though the mountains teemed with wild beasts, his innate [Animal Affinity] left him unafraid. The mushroom network also provided advance warning of any dangers.
[Thorn Whip] offered many conveniences, and the [Army Ant Colony] could take shortcuts from the valley, making visits to the Ancestral Tree far easier than the old chief's arduous bushwhacking journeys.
The tree shook its leaves in response. Though small talk was a human custom the tree had picked up through exposure, it wasn't particularly patient with formalities.
After three years of secret visits, Li Pingcan's relationship with the tree surpassed even the old chief's. Cutting to the chase, he said, "Grandpa Peach Tree, please bestow your blessing upon Yuan Yuan."
The tree's blessing could dispel evil influences and enhance constitution, stacking with his own [Blessing] ability.
"Rustle" - the tree agreed.
As the blessed dew fell, Xie Yuan patted her cheeks like a little raccoon. "So cool and refreshing! It feels wonderful!"
The amount seemed greater than what the village children had received three years earlier. Did Grandpa Peach Tree really favor Yuan Yuan that much?
Surprised, Li Pingcan ventured, "Grandpa Peach Tree, does Yuan Yuan have high wood affinity?"
"Can she become a cultivator?"
"Rustle rustle rustle."
Disappointed, Li Pingcan understood their established code: one rustle for "yes," two for "no," three for "unknown." Though nourished by the land and having developed consciousness, the tree remained bound to this place, its knowledge limited to village gossip.
After the blessing, Li Pingcan picked peaches for Xie Yuan and "borrowed" some honey from mountain bees using [Thorn Whip].
Of course, he repaid the tree by using [Dance of the Wind] to gather stream water for a refreshing shower. Between them, it was an open secret that Grandpa Peach Tree didn't actually enjoy the old chief's ritual animal sacrifices - it couldn't consume "worship energy," perhaps due to insufficient cultivation or different spiritual paths.
"Rustle rustle rustle rustle rustle rustle."
The tree shook happily under the cool stream, its leaves glistening vibrantly.
Li Pingcan then practiced [Breath of the Tree] under the tree's shade. Observing the ancient tree's cultivation could double his training efficiency - one reason he far surpassed his family members.
Two hours later, Li Pingcan exhaled turbid air and stretched refreshed.
Xie Yuan had finished her peaches and honey, quietly watching army ants transport dead insects. Seeing Li Pingcan finish cultivation, she ran over happily. "Brother Can, are you done?"
Patting her head, Li Pingcan thought, "Perhaps Yuan Yuan has potential for martial arts too. Just her patience and focus surpass many warriors."
For dinner, Li Pingcan brought back two cute rabbits that Lady Qin cooked into braised meat. Xie Yuan ate tearfully, her mouth circled with red-black sauce.
After the meal, Li Rongzhou called Li Pingcan aside with unusual solemnity. The boy straightened instinctively.
"Can'er," Li Rongzhou said gravely, "You're seven now - time for spiritual root testing. Your mother and I will visit White Cloud Temple to obtain a divine talisman and select an auspicious date for the test."
Li Pingcan knew this procedure from when his elder brother was tested six years ago. The rituals reflected commoners' desperate hopes for an immortal cultivator in the family.
"I understand, Father."
Li Rongzhou seemed to want to say more but only patted his son's shoulder. Li Pingcan knew what his father was thinking - as the family's brightest hope, he carried all their aspirations.
But what if he failed?