Longevity: Starting From Getting Down The Mountain And Marrying A Wife

Early in the morning, Zhong Yan returned to Qingyang City.

He realized that, apart from the time he intentionally led Chen Lianping to follow him, he had never encountered any accidents during his many trips to Yangquan Fangshi.

In addition to being cautious enough, luck had also been on his side.

Back when he was in the Fire Cloud Sect, he would occasionally encounter bandits and cultivators trying to kill him while he was out on his mountain training. He would either fight hard to escape or carefully avoid them.

"It seems that luck has improved along with the addition of the panel."

After parting ways with Fellow Daoist, Zhong Yan went to the North Street in the North District to buy a small servant to train first.

Cultivators have always been cautious and prefer to keep their secrets, so the fewer people around them, the better.

Like Li Henian, although there were many people in the mansion, most of the servants were weak little maidservants. The real trusted ones were only two: a steward and a servant. The rest were guards from the martial arts school that managed the estate. They could only move around the main gate and the outer courtyard, and were not allowed into the backyard.

At the entrance of the alley, Zhong Yan immediately saw his concubine looking at the shabby old man who was selling his daughter, with a lot of sympathy in her expression.

"Dao'er."

Yan Sandao, dressed in palace attire, turned her head and greeted him quickly, "Husband! You're back!"

Zhong Yan nodded and walked forward, scanning each slave.

"I've come several times but haven't found a suitable one. Yesterday, Li Mansion's sister-in-law said that 'Wanren Hall' has released a new batch of people, so I came to take a look early this morning."

On both sides of the street, there were rows of ragged people, mostly women and children.

Some were locked in cages, dressed better, and had undergone specialized training like those from the 'Yinyuan Pavilion'.

Some were poor and unable to survive, so they sold themselves, with straw inserted in their hair, kneeling on the ground.

After some selection, Zhong Yan spent twenty taels of silver to choose a pair of literate sisters. They were shivering in their thin clothes, their hands and bare feet covered in frostbite.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" The two of them expressed their gratitude, tears of joy streaming down their faces. They would no longer have to suffer from cold and hunger.

At this moment.

Not far away, a skinny young boy hurriedly ran over and knelt down, "Please, sir, buy me! I'm strong and can do any kind of work! Please!"

He knocked his head on the ground repeatedly, making a thumping sound.

Zhong Yan's face remained indifferent as he glanced at the wooden sign where the boy had been standing—selling himself to bury his father, thirty taels.

The going rate here was higher for young boys, but those who sold themselves voluntarily were all priced below ten taels.

"What can you do that's worth thirty taels?" Zhong Yan asked.

The boy kept knocking his head and repeating, "I'm strong and can do any kind of work."

Zhong Yan turned and walked away.

Little did he know that the boy would grab his leg and continue begging.

"You little bastard, you're looking for death, aren't you!" Naturally, he was kicked away by a burly man who maintained order, and a rain of blows fell on him, causing his head to bleed.

Zhong Yan waited for a while before saying, "Forget it."

The burly man immediately stopped, approaching with a flattering smile, "Sir, please calm down. This little bastard doesn't know the rules."

Zhong Yan looked at the boy and asked, "Why do you want thirty taels?"

The burly man kicked the boy again, "Answer the question!"

The boy got up, trembling, and said, "My, my father was seriously ill. He borrowed twenty-three taels from the neighbors across the street and needs to repay it."

The burly man added, "That's right, this kid is from Hubei Village. His father died a few days ago, and now he's the only one left in the family. He's obedient, can endure hardships, and is capable of working. His father's illness has ruined the family."

"After taking care of the funeral, go to Zhong Mansion in Wutong Lane in the South District and find me."

Zhong Yan threw a bag of thirty taels of silver and left.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir..." The boy knocked his head vigorously until Zhong Yan and the others disappeared. Then he picked up the money bag, took out three taels of silver as a handling fee for the burly man, and expressed his gratitude again.

The burly man looked at the boy and said, "Alright, you little brat, you've had a stroke of luck. The people living in the South District are all wealthy families. If you go there and behave honestly, do your job diligently, maybe you can get married and have children in the future, carrying on the Liang family..."

On the other side.

The four of them left the North Street, and Yan Sandao asked, "Husband, why did you leave him behind?"

Although she didn't know the details, her husband had instructed her that the most important requirement for buying maidservants and servants was that they should come from the 'Wanren Hall' and not be self-sold.

Zhong Yan explained, "Wanren Hall is deeply rooted in Qingyang City. The slave trade has formed an industry chain. Although it is not as strict as the 'Yinyuan Pavilion', it has its own fixed mode. Many slaves have undergone specialized training and have a clean background, so there won't be any future troubles."

In other words, slaves bought from Wanren Hall would be completely cut off from their past and have no connection to their previous lives.

And those who sell themselves cheaply without authorization may have some unnecessary trouble with their family, such as the father and daughter she saw earlier.

Yan Sandao lowered his head and looked at the two contracts in his hand, understanding what was going on.

"Although the young man has not been trained, he can spend some energy to train him. I am mainly interested in his filial piety and gratitude."

Speaking of this, Zhong Yan couldn't help but think of his own youth.

At first, he crossed from Mount Tai to this Xianwu Continent, and his soul was attached to the body of an eight-year-old beggar.

It was completely different from the smooth route in the previous novel.

It was simply a hellish start.

Without the memory of this world, unable to communicate in the language, unable to recognize the characters, and a weak body without the ability to survive.

Only relying on the soul of his twenty-one-year-old previous life, he didn't know how much suffering he had endured to barely survive, and finally encountered an opportunity and was brought into the sect by a beautiful peak master of the Fire Cloud Sect.

He thought he had opened a formal copy and was going to change his destiny, but he struggled and lived a mediocre life for more than twenty years.

"Ah... no matter where you are, you still have to rely on yourself in the end."

"Even if you have a cheat now."

Zhong Yan sighed in his heart. Although he was full of hope for the future, he still had some hesitation in his heart. There were many things he didn't want to do but had to do.

Returning to the mansion.

Zhong Yan gave "The Infinite Sacred Heart Technique" to Yan Sandao, which made her exclaim in surprise and touched in her heart.

As a martial artist, Yan Sandao had heard more legends about the Martial Saint and knew that he had indeed practiced "The Infinite Sacred Heart Technique".

She thought her husband was just talking about it. After all, it had been a long time. It was not difficult for a cultivator to buy martial arts techniques. There were many in the market. Unexpectedly, he really found it, and it was such a famous and profound technique.

Naturally, she served him wholeheartedly.

...

The next day.

After lunch, Zhong Yan accompanied his wives to talk in the courtyard.

Xiaohuan led the young man over.

"Master, Madam, Second Madam, this person was acting suspiciously outside the mansion and said he was looking for the master."

The young man wore a coarse cloth shirt that had been washed white, but he looked clean and tidy. Obviously, he had prepared carefully before coming. He bowed down and said, "Zhong Tieniu pays his respects to the master and the two madams!"

"Is your surname Zhong?"

"I am surnamed Liang, but I will take the surname Zhong from now on!"

"Raise your head when you speak."

The young man, who had been bowing his head all the time, raised his head and looked straight at Zhong Yan. The trembling shoulders and a trace of panic in his eyes indicated that he was not as calm as he appeared.

Zhong Yan raised an eyebrow. "Did someone teach you to speak like this?"

The young man lowered his head slightly and said, "It was Brother Li... It was Brother Li Ming who spoke for me that day. He gave me some guidance and taught me what I should pay attention to."

Zhong Yan nodded, remembering favors and not grudges. "How old are you this year?"

"Replying to the master, I am fourteen years old, almost fifteen."

"Can you read?"

"Replying to the master, I can write my name and recognize a few simple characters."

Zhong Yan said, "Since you want to take the surname Zhong, I will give you a chance and bestow upon you the name Zhong Xiaozhong."

The young man kowtowed to the ground again, "Xiaozhong pays his respects to the master! I am willing to serve the master faithfully and not disappoint the master's high expectations!"

Zhong Yan looked at Xiaohuan and said, "Take him down and settle him in. Tell him about the rules of the mansion."

"Yes, master!"

Zhong Xiaozhong kowtowed three more times on the ground before following Xiaohuan away.

When they went far away to the corner of the corridor, Xiaohuan whispered, "The name the master gave you means filial piety and loyalty, not the kind of service you mentioned..."

Zhong Yan smiled helplessly, "Xiaohuan is really clever!"

Jiang and Yan blinked, not understanding, but also echoed and praised Xiaohuan.

Zhong Yan said, "Dao'er, find some simple books for him to read, and teach him your martial arts. He will do miscellaneous work in the mansion in the morning, help at the restaurant in the afternoon, and learn martial arts at night."

"Yes, husband."

...