Seeing her son praise her so openly and sincerely, Qin's mother felt a bit embarrassed, trying to stifle her smile as she replied, "You cheeky child, how can you praise yourself indirectly like this without feeling shy?"
Qin Jianghe grinned, showing his pearly white teeth, and said, "Of course I have to praise myself. Praising myself is just another way of praising you, who gave birth to and raised me. So, are you coming with me to Songyang County or not? If you don't agree, I'll have to tie you up and take you with me!"
Qin's mother knew her son was doing this for her sake. Smiling, she nodded and said, "Alright, alright, I'll go. Besides, with you being out there all by yourself, I do worry. This way, I can keep an eye on you and make sure you're taking care of yourself and not living in a mess."
Once she agreed, Qin Jianghe made sure to inform Lin Xiao and the others. Thus, it was decided that after the New Year, Qin's mother would leave with Qin Jianghe for Songyang County.
Hearing that Qin's mother was going out to broaden her horizons, some of the other women began to feel envious. Ironhead's mother was one of them. Unlike Qin's mother, she had a more forthright and lively personality, often engaging in lively gossip with the other women in the village. However, during the ancestral worship on New Year's Eve, for some reason, she suddenly found the usual conversations with her old friends to be dull.
Now, hearing that Qin's mother was going to Songyang County with Jianghe, Ironhead's mother felt a strong desire to go out and see the world as well. She had spent most of her life cooped up in the village, with her farthest trips being to the local market in town, which she visited only a few times a year. Her daily routine of chatting with others was starting to bore her.
Qin's mother, being observant and close to Ironhead's mother, noticed that something was on her mind. They had always been good friends, and their bond had grown stronger since they started living together on the mountain. Sensing her friend's unease, Qin's mother took the initiative to ask her about it.
Ironhead's mother, who had been debating whether to bring up the idea with her husband or just ask him to take her out for a trip, found herself unable to hold back when Qin's mother inquired. She expressed her desire to go out and see more of the world.
Qin's mother wasted no time and brought the matter to Qin Jianghe's attention. He was somewhat surprised to hear this, not expecting that Aunt Hu would be the first among the elders to express a desire to venture out. Naturally, he didn't refuse and was fully supportive.
Not only had Aunt Hu watched him grow up, often offering him snacks, but her presence would also make him feel more at ease knowing that his mother would have company while he was busy. As for Ironhead's father and Ironhead himself, they had no objections to her going along.
Thus, the group that would be heading out after the New Year grew even larger.
Lin Xiao's aunt and Jiang Youfu's mother also felt tempted by the idea, but after some thought, they decided not to speak up. Meanwhile, some of the men were quite interested in visiting Qin Jianghe's escort bureau in Songyang County, but they, too, chose not to say anything. They reasoned that Jianghe had only started the business half a year ago, and with the added responsibility of looking after two women, they didn't want to add to his burden.
They figured it would be better to wait until the escort bureau was more established before visiting.
By the tenth day of the first lunar month, Qin's mother and Ironhead's mother were already busy preparing for their trip to Songyang County. Seeing them so excited about the upcoming journey, everyone was happy for them, including Yang Jinshu. However, watching her friends prepare to leave made Yang Jinshu think of her long-lost parents. She went to Qin Jianghe and asked him to keep an eye out for any news of her parents while he was outside, giving him their names.
Qin Jianghe solemnly promised to do so.
One morning, while Lin Xiao was watering the ten-mile peach blossom trees along the mountain path, he saw Liu Chun approaching. Lin Xiao smiled and greeted him, "Good morning, Liu Daoyou. How are you finding our sect's cultivation routine? Are you getting used to it?"
Liu Chun responded with a polite bow, "Good morning, Sect Master. To answer your question, I find the routine here in the sect to be quite leisurely and enjoyable. Over the past six months, I've come to realize that despite decades of cultivation, I've never experienced such a carefree and relaxed life."
He wasn't just being polite—he meant every word. From the moment he began cultivating at the age of ten, Liu Chun had always felt a sense of urgency. Day after day of monotonous cultivation, year after year of perfecting the art of talisman crafting—there had been nothing else in his life.
That was until he joined Lingxian Sect. Here, cultivation seemed to be just one part of life. Everyone had their own hobbies, and despite not needing food, they often gathered for meals, laughing and chatting with no strict hierarchy.
In this environment, cultivation was a shared pursuit, as was learning new skills. In their free time, everyone enjoyed the vast and beautiful world around them. There was no scheming, no need to constantly watch one's back for potential betrayal.
Liu Chun genuinely loved the atmosphere in this sect. As a result, despite only cultivating half a day each day like everyone else, he had managed to break through to the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment just before. This was after being stuck at the early stage for twenty years without even touching the threshold of the next level.
Of course, the difference in the level of cultivation techniques and spiritual root quality played a part in this progress, but Liu Chun knew that his state of mind also played a significant role.
Hearing Liu Chun's words, Lin Xiao could tell he was sincere, which made him happy. He asked, "I'm glad you've adjusted well. By the way, how are you progressing with the 'Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talisman Crafting'?"
He wouldn't normally ask someone such a question, considering how dense and complex the book was. But Liu Chun was different, having spent years mastering this craft.
Liu Chun replied, "While I still find some of the talismans near the end of the book a bit challenging, I've managed to get through most of it. I actually came to see you today to discuss something."
Now that Lin Xiao had finished watering the peach blossom trees, he stored away his watering tool and asked, "What is it?"
"The Talisman Masters' Conference will be held at the end of the year. I'd like to leave soon and travel with the sect's trading group to the cultivation world. The conference location is quite far from Yuanling City, and I have some personal matters to attend to as well, so I was hoping to depart early."