Chapter 137: Your Entire Family Are Immortals

"The thread in the hands of a doting mother, the garment on the back of the traveling son."

Hearing these familiar lines, the expressions of all present shifted once more. The Dragon King, who had been quite smug upon his dais, saw his face darken in an instant. Could nothing stop this Liu Ping? Was he truly going to leave no path for anyone else to follow?

Liu Ping, however, had no time to concern himself with such trivialities. The Essence-Binding Azure Rhyme Pill, according to his deductions, was a treasure capable of aiding in the cultivation of Wood-elemental deities and demons; how could he not strive for it? As the saying goes, walk your own path and leave others with nowhere to go.

Ignoring the horrified looks of the others, he continued to recite in a calm, steady voice:

"Stitching close, stitch by stitch, before I depart,
Fearing the delay of my return, with a heavy heart.
Who can say that a heart as small as a blade of grass,
Could repay the sunlight of three springs that come to pass?"

This "Song of the Traveling Son" was a popular classic. While simple, its level of mastery was no less than the previous two poems. Rich in sentiment, it was profoundly moving and stirred the soul.

The many scholars in the hall, whose hearts had initially been filled with resentment, now fell silent as they listened, clearly touched by the deep emotions woven into the verse.

Even the Dragon King above changed his expression slightly, sighing in silence.

Ao Jinyu’s expression was even more difficult to read. A flicker of sorrow crossed her eyes; Master Liu’s poetry was indeed excellent, but its drawback was that it was simply too good—too easily able to tug at the heartstrings and stir the depths of one’s soul.

The great hall fell into a profound silence. No one else dared to delay the proceedings by trading poems or verses.

The two precious Essence-Binding Azure Rhyme Pills fell into Liu Ping’s hands without further contention.

The Dragon King then announced that the guests should continue to enjoy the music and dance, effectively bringing the poetry segment to an end. Liu Ping rose to offer his farewells and withdrew from the Dragon King’s banquet; the Dragon King did not attempt to detain him.

Ao Jinyu hurriedly followed Liu Ping, intending to return home with him.

As for Xuan’er and Xuan’er, they watched Liu Ping’s retreating figure in silence, their expressions complex. Xuan’er felt little reluctance, merely a sense of awe—this man was truly a rare and peerless talent. Xuan’er, however, wore a sorrowful face, inwardly complaining; how could Liu Ping be so heartless as to leave directly? If he had asked the Dragon King for her, the King likely would not have denied him. Could it be that he did not see anything in her at all? Alas, this could only remain a wistful dream.

Watching Liu Ping depart, the many scholars finally breathed a sigh of relief, the Earth Immortal practitioners included. Liu Ping’s presence was no less imposing than their own, and his talent was nothing short of brutal and inhumane. They could not help but worry: if Liu Ping came to the Dragon King’s banquet every year, would there be any room left for them to get a share of the spoils?

Fortunately, the Dragon King subsequently hinted that Liu Ping would not be attending future banquets, which put everyone at ease. This attitude left the Dragon King with a strange expression. In terms of sheer talent, Liu Ping alone could crush these forty-some scholars without effort. Yet, in terms of value, the Dragon King could not justify abandoning all those others for the sake of one man. Although he had considered a win-win solution, Liu Ping was, after all, a man of the Immortal Sect, and the Dragon King could not quite grasp how to handle him. Seeing that Liu Ping had taken the initiative to leave, he abandoned the notion of recruiting him.

How could Liu Ping not have left in a hurry to draw a clear boundary? In truth, he had sensed the intentions of the girl Xuan’er. Had he begged the Dragon King, she would likely have been gifted to him, but that would have meant boarding the Dragon King’s ship. It might have looked good, but it was not a wise move. Furthermore, he had only just captured the heart of Ao Jinyu; if he had made such a request, the favor he had worked so hard to build would likely have vanished in an instant.

Riding on Ao Jinyu’s back, Liu Ping pondered this issue. He already had several beauties by his side. Although ancient women were simple-minded, every woman possessed jealousy, and starting a grand harem was no easy task.

"But, wouldn't becoming the Emperor solve that?" This thought suddenly popped into his mind, giving him such a fright that he hurriedly shook his head, casting the absurd notion out of his brain.

It wasn't that he lacked the courage; as a transmigrator, he did not belong to this world and held no reverence for the concept of imperial supremacy. To him, the rulers held no majesty. Taking the imperial examinations was merely the fastest and best way to enter the upper echelons of the system.

It was just that if such thoughts occurred too often, and he accidentally let them slip while drunk, he would invite endless trouble. Even without speaking directly, if such sentiments were revealed through his poetry or essays, it would lead to significant complications.

In this world, the power of the majestic was suppressed, and the concept of "Fate" perfectly integrated and balanced the paths of gods, cultivation, ghosts, humanity, demons, and even devils, forming various systems, large and small.

There were dynasties in the human world, the Underworld for ghosts, the Heavenly Court for gods, Immortal and Daoist sects for cultivators, and various organizations for demons and devils. These organizations formed a rigid social hierarchy.

If Liu Ping did not join these systems, he would be ostracized by the whole of society. After all, man does not live in a vacuum. To reap the benefits without joining the system—what difference would that be from a parasite?

Therefore, even if Liu Ping had enough strength now to ignore common human laws and live a carefree life, he would likely be conscripted by the Immortal Sect and constrained. In the future, he would inevitably be forced to join the Heavenly Court or some other system.

His master, Xuan Zhenzi, lived a life of detachment, yet in reality, he was still under the management of the Immortal Sect. Though he drifted through the mortal world, he lived a life of exposure to the elements—hardly a glamorous existence. Of course, the master didn't care, but Liu Ping did.

Compared to the other systems, the human dynastic system was better suited to Liu Ping.

It was precisely because he felt the constraints and management of these systems that Liu Ping grew increasingly hungry for strength and cultivation. He wanted to climb to the highest peak, to the point where he would be qualified to stand outside the system while still being respected by it—or, better yet, to easily hold the entire system in his hands and achieve true freedom.

Before that point, pursuing "freedom" while lacking the strength was, in his view, merely escapism.

In fact, this was largely due to the nature of this world.

Liu Ping looked up at the sky and sighed. What kind of immortal cultivation world was this? Truly, there were no limits to its absurdity. The concept of "Fate" brought with it far too many constraints and pressures. If this were like the cultivation worlds he had read about in novels, where one could transcend the mortal system with only a modicum of success, how wonderful would that be? But if that were the case, his life would probably just devolve into endless leveling and monster-grinding... haha.

Thinking such chaotic thoughts, Liu Ping couldn't help but chuckle.

On the evening of the tenth day, he arrived at Zhang County. Liu Ping had thought that, although he didn't care for the environment of the water palace, he would force himself to be loving with Ao Jinyu. Reality, however, took a slight turn.

Ao Jinyu dropped Liu Ping off at the riverbank and darted into the water without a backward glance.

"What... is going on here?"

Liu Ping looked at the rippling, undulating surface of the river, feeling a bit bewildered. He stroked his chin and muttered, "Has my pure affection been toyed with by a wicked goddess?"

"Or is this what they call the legendary 'cool-down period'? But we haven't even had the 'loving' part yet, and the cool-down has already started? That’s moving a bit too fast!"

In truth, Ao Jinyu herself didn't know what her real feelings were. She was overcome with shyness; all the way here, she hadn't dared to look Liu Ping in the eye. Her heart was a tangled mess. She remembered that at the banquet, when Liu Ping asked her when she had started to like him, she had been more than just shy—she had been stunned. Was this what liking someone felt like?

It was a tangle of confusion. Yet, this attitude inevitably made Liu Ping feel rather annoyed. But all in all, it seemed he had brought this on himself.

Returning to the city at dusk, the horizon was filled with vast stretches of sunset clouds, the sun releasing its final glow of the day.

The heat, which had been like a furnace, finally eased. Many people clutched folding fans, carried long chairs, and held teapots as they sat by their doors to enjoy the cool air, chatting with neighbors or telling stories to their children and grandchildren.

He had intended to go to his senior sister’s place, but half-way there, he ran into an acquaintance.

It was the dark-skinned Lu Liang.

Soon after, he saw a whole group of acquaintances.

Liu Ping looked at them and couldn't help but smile. "None of you went home for the Dragon Boat Festival? Your families know you’re out wandering around like this?"

Lu Liang didn't answer. Instead, he stared intently at Liu Ping, the memory of that day—seeing Liu Ping riding the Azure Dragon—flashing through his mind. He fell silent, but curiosity overwhelmed him. With a hint of trepidation, he asked, "Are you... an immortal?"

"Pfft!" Liu Ping spat directly onto Lu Liang’s face. He looked at him, speechless. "You’re the immortal! Your whole family are immortals!"