"Tomorrow, we'll first take an ox cart to the town and buy a horse carriage."

Shen Yuan looked at his eldest son Shen Wenxing and said, "Now that you're an official, you can't be going in and out on ox carts all the time. It's not very becoming."

"Your mother will find suitable clothes for Wenping and Wen'an tonight."

Hu Yufen nodded in agreement.

"Ah Die, I... won't be going."

At this moment, Shen Wenyan, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

"On the day at the Imperial Extreme Hall, Your Majesty decreed that I am to be confined at home for ten years."

"If I leave now, I fear it will involve big brother and all of you."

Confined?!

His words left Shen Yuan and the others stunned.

"Why didn't you mention this earlier?" Hu Yufen asked anxiously.

She clearly couldn't believe that Emperor Yu would issue such an edict.

Shen Wenyan smiled bitterly, "Son never planned to leave home before."

"As long as the tutor is here, son won't go anywhere."

Shen Yuan didn't know if his words were true, and sighed slightly, "Since that's the case, let Wen'an and Wenping go."

The second son doesn't even have a Ninth Grade Bloodline; he won't likely have the Spirit Root for Cultivation Immortality.

Early the next morning, Shen Yuan drove an ox cart and took the three children to Yunshui Town. After buying a horse carriage, he temporarily left the ox cart at Huang Qingzhou's Martial Arts Hall and then hurried towards Anyang County.

Tomorrow is the day when the Ascension Pavilion opens to recruit disciples; as a steward of the pavilion, Shen Wenxing must arrive in Anyang County by then.

Inside the carriage, Shen Wenxing looked at his brother and sister in front of him, praying silently in his heart.

"Big brother, is becoming an Immortal disciple fun?"

Shen Wenping suddenly tilted her head and asked.

Fun?

Shen Wenxing smiled helplessly, not knowing how to answer.

After a long while—

"Becoming an Immortal disciple allows you to practice Immortal Technique and become a powerful Immortal."

Shen Wenping seemed not fully comprehending, looking at Shen Wen'an, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed next to her, "Is practicing Immortal Technique as boring as this?"

She and Shen Wen'an are twin siblings, but their personalities are worlds apart.

Shen Wenping is shrewd and active, the kind of mischievous little girl.

While Shen Wen'an has been introverted since childhood, seemingly uninterested in anything except martial arts.

For this reason, Shen Wenping always felt her brother had some issues in his head.

"It should... be even more exhausting," Shen Wenxing said somewhat uncertainly.

Father had said that effort and reward are consistent; Immortals are powerful, and to become one, you probably have to work even harder.

"Ah!?" After hearing this, Shen Wenping's little face changed slightly, shaking her head, "Then I don't want to cultivate immortality..."

"Big brother, tell Ah Die to leave me at Sister Lingxiu's place. I'll wait for you there."

Seeing her face pleading, Shen Wenxing reached out to pinch her cheek and said, "It's just a test; the Immortals haven't decided to take you yet."

The little girl felt somewhat relieved after hearing this.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wenxing couldn't help but shake his head.

Among his family's four siblings, he has already been determined by Zhongli Qing to lack the qualifications for Cultivation Immortality.

Ah Nu is unable to go to the county due to the imperial decree confinement, and the third Shen Wenping is somewhat resistant to Cultivation Immortality; now the most hope rests on the youngest, Shen Wen'an.

But...

Looking at his brother sitting as still as an old monk, Shen Wenxing felt a bit worried.

Is his brother really suitable for Cultivation Immortality?

The carriage proceeded slowly, reaching Anyang County City by dusk.

The father and three children first went to the County Captain's Office to visit Huang Yunxiao.

Then, under Huang Yunxiao's arrangement, they came to the newly constructed Ascension Pavilion in the city.

The entire Ascension Pavilion stands three layers high, built very grandly.

As a crucial place for selecting Immortal disciples, there are four soldiers in armor guarding both sides of the pavilion's entrance.

As Shen Wenxing came forward, two soldiers immediately stopped him.

"I am the newly appointed steward of the Ascension Pavilion; this is my official seal."

Shen Wenxing took out the seal representing his identity, and after the two soldiers examined it, they respectfully saluted, "Greetings, Steward Shen."

"We are ordered to guard the Ascension Pavilion in Anyang County, and we will follow Steward Shen's commands in the future."

Shen Wenxing nodded slightly, raising his head to look at the plaque of the Ascension Pavilion.

"How many of us are there?"

The soldier saluted and said, "Reporting to the steward, there are twenty guards in the Anyang Ascension Pavilion, all Postnatal Martial Artists."

"Apart from them, there are also two clerks, two warehouse managers, and several servants."

"Should we gather them all now?"

Shen Wenxing hesitated for a moment and nodded: "Gather everyone."

Tomorrow the pavilion opens, some things still need to be arranged in advance to avoid any chaos when the time comes.

After receiving the command, the soldier quickly ran into the pavilion and summoned everyone to the front.

"Gongyang He, Left Clerk of the Ascension Pavilion in Anyang County, pays respect to the steward."

"Fang Qing, Right Clerk of the Ascension Pavilion in Anyang County, pays respect to the steward."

As everyone arrived, a tall and a short middle-aged man immediately came forward to speak.

The clerk's responsibility is similar to that of a secretary, assisting Shen Wenxing in handling matters of the Ascension Pavilion.

Shen Wenxing glanced at the two and nodded slightly: "Have you two ever seen an Immortal?"

The two quickly cupped their hands and replied: "The Immortal just left a few days ago and instructed us on some precautions."

Hearing this, Shen Wenxing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as the Immortal has given instructions, it's fine. He was really worried about being in the dark and knowing nothing, which would lead to delays in major affairs.

"Hmm, then please both of you take me to familiarize myself with the matters of the Ascension Pavilion later."

After saying this, he briefly explained, instructing everyone to work diligently and follow the regulations in the future.

Once the dignified speech was over, everyone dispersed to perform their duties.

He then followed Gongyang He and Fang Qing into the pavilion.

"Steward, please see, this is the Immortal Array that tests the Spirit Root."

On the first floor of the Ascension Pavilion, a bluestone with a diameter of about ten feet, engraved with mysterious and strange runes, was embedded in the ground.

Behind the bluestone slab were also two transparent crystal stones.

"Is this the Immortal Array for testing Spirit Roots?"

"How does it work?"

Shen Wenxing curiously approached.

The tall and thin Gongyang He hurried forward and said: "The Immortal said, we just need the person being tested to stand within it, and we record the color on the crystal stone."

"If the second crystal stone lights up, it indicates that the tester has a Spirit Root."

"If only the first crystal stone lights up, and the color is variegated, with all kinds of colors, it indicates no aptitude for cultivation immortality whatsoever."

Shen Wenxing nodded. It was quite simple after all.

He initially thought testing for Spirit Roots would be very troublesome.

"Steward, young and promising, would you like to try it?"

Fang Qing suddenly spoke with a smile, and Gongyang He also looked over expectantly.

"Me?"

Shen Wenxing shook his head with a smile: "The Immortal personally checked for me; no need for a test."

The two were somewhat surprised when they heard this.

There has always been a rumor that this young steward in Anyang County has a relationship with the Immortal, and now it seems to be true!

"Is there anything else the Ascension Pavilion needs to do?" Shen Wenxing asked again.

Suppressing his excitement, Gongyang He respectfully gestured: "Steward, this way."

The three walked through the Ascension Pavilion into the courtyard to a stone chamber made of gigantic stones.

"The Immortal said that besides recruiting disciples, the Ascension Pavilion also needs to cultivate Spirit Seeds."

"These Spirit Seeds include various herbs and fruit trees. The common people can pay to purchase them and plant them in their fields. If they harvest, the Ascension Pavilion can buy them back at high prices."

Oh?

Shen Wenxing was somewhat surprised by this.

"Are these Spirit Seeds hard to plant?"

Gongyang He nodded: "Although the Immortal did not explicitly state, I accidentally overheard two Immortals privately discussing, saying that the Yangnao Land is barren, and it's feared that nine tenths of the land cannot sustain these Spirit Seeds."

"Furthermore, these Spirit Seeds are expensive, with a single Spirit Tree Seed costing at least three taels of silver, so common people may not easily dare to try."

"Those Spirit Medicine Seeds are somewhat cheaper, but the Immortal also said Spirit Medicine requires years to mature. Most Spirit Medicine may take ten years at minimum and even decades, so it's feared no one wishes to plant them."

Shen Wenxing nodded.

"Is there anything else?"

Gongyang He frowned and pondered, and Fang Qing added: "There is one more thing. The Immortal instructed that the Ascension Pavilion usually needs to purchase some old medicines from the mountains, us paying ten percent above the market price."

"Ah yes! I nearly forgot about that," Gongyang He supported.

"Besides these, there's nothing else, right?"

Shen Wenxing noted each matter down.

"Nothing for now." Gongyang He cupped his hands.

"Alright, then while there is still time, please Brother Gongyang lead a team to patrol the city's pharmacies. Since we need to collect medicines, we must understand the prices of these medicinal materials."

"Brother Fang, please reconfirm the pavilion's matters here to ensure that the pavilion opening tomorrow proceeds without issues."

The experience gained over two years in the military, combined with his inherently steady character, led Shen Wenxing to issue the arrangements immediately.

The two quickly cupped their hands: "Well then... Steward, take a look first, we will go attend to our tasks."

Shen Wenxing nodded, watched the two leave, and his gaze turned to the stone chamber storing Spirit Seeds, a thought forming in his mind.

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