In the valley within Severing Immortal Cliff, a majestic and powerful voice boomed: "King Jiuyou, as long as you hand over the Star Transformation Cultivation Technique to me, I promise you that once I achieve success in my Cultivation, if you simultaneously relinquish your Immortal Ancestor Realm Cultivation, I will definitely let you go. At that time, you will still be an Advanced Immortal below the Immortal Ancestor."
King Jiuyou listened and burst into laughter: "You and I have been fighting for millions of years. I cannot possibly hand over the most powerful Star Transformation Cultivation Technique to you, nor can I trust you. If you learn the Star Transformation Great Dao, you will be invincible in the Immortal Realm. I will never do that. Give up."
"Then you will be sealed here forever. Hmph, without you, I am still the strongest in the Immortal Realm, hahaha..."
Immortal Realm: A protracted and ancient war in the Immortal Realm has ended. The victors are now eliminating opposing forces and establishing a new order in the Immortal Realm. This marks the end of the ancient Cultivator era, and a new Cultivator world is gradually beginning.
Human Realm:
Haoyue Province, located in the southeast of Yue Ling Country, did not border the frontier or the capital, so Haoyue Province was untouched by war and politics. The lives of the people in Haoyue Province were relatively stable. Within Yue Ling Country, there were 32 provinces, each governed by a corresponding city, just as Haoyue City governed Haoyue Province. Of course, the largest province was governed by the capital, which also directly or indirectly controlled the 32 provincial cities. Although Haoyue City was not ranked high, it had its own unique customs and traditions.
On a small mountain in Weifeng Town, Haoyue Province, Lin Han led a group of friends in a game of hide-and-seek. The friends hid everywhere in Xiao Guo Mountain, their playful laughter echoing through the valley... When everyone was tired, they rested, ate some fruit from the fruit trees, and consumed the food Lin Han and his friends had brought. For lunch, the boys went fishing, while the girls collected branches for grilling, roasting fish and other purchased food. After the boys handed the fish to the girls, they happily went swimming in the mountain pond. Like "water fish," they splashed and played in the pond, sending water everywhere. The boys were so engrossed in their play that they forgot to return home. The girls chatted while grilling, and when the food was ready, they called the boys over to eat... After eating their fill, drinking, and playing until they were tired, everyone rested and chatted, enjoying themselves until dusk, then prepared to go home.
This Xiao Guo Mountain belonged to Lin Han's Family and was also their friends' paradise. Although his Family was not extremely wealthy or powerful, they were at least well-off. The Lin Family owned several such small mountains and over a hundred acres of farmland. The farmland was rented to nearby farmers, while the fruit mountains were managed by workers hired by the Lin Family. Because Mother Lin and Father Lin were kind people and treated their workers and farmers well, everyone got along very harmoniously.
The Lin Family had always been very law-abiding and had lived in Weifeng Town for many generations. The residents here were very fond of the Lin Family. Father Lin was good friends with his neighbors and often visited them, and he also frequently invited them to his home. Father Lin and Mother Lin enjoyed doing good deeds and often provided assistance to the very poor households and elderly in need in Weifeng Town, for which the recipients were very grateful to the Lin Family. When Lin Han returned home from school or strolled through Weifeng Town, many people happily greeted him, and Lin Han would smile and respond.
Lin Han's parents only had him as a son, and they doted on him exceptionally. Even when Lin Han loved to go out and play, his parents would only let him play on the closest Guo Shan (paradise) to their home and even arranged for servants to accompany him. Whenever Lin Han had a school holiday, he would invite his classmates and friends to come over and play. He often invited the children of the workers and nearby farmers to play together, and the variety of games and entertainment was truly diverse.
Lin Han's grades in the academy were also good. His parents only hoped that he would pass the imperial examination to become a Juren, giving him a legitimate reputation, and then inherit the Family business to be a small landlord. They never really thought of him becoming a high-ranking official or anything of the sort. Regarding his studies, his parents would only encourage him with a few words. Lin Han was sent to a good academy in town at the age of 7. The parents of the children who studied there were all from families of small landlords and small merchants. Naturally, everyone studied and played together as they grew up, so their bond was deep. Whenever there was a holiday, Lin Han would invite everyone to his home to play, and Xiao Guo Mountain became their playground.
Among this group of classmates, there was a girl named Yin Cui, who was quite beautiful and could be considered Lin Han's childhood sweetheart. The two got along very well and often chatted together. However, as they grew older, Yin Cui became increasingly beautiful, her figure developing more alluringly. Lin Han and she slowly evolved from close confidantes to lovers... Their private chats between the two of them turned into sweet nothings.
On this day, the classmates played on Guo Shan until the sun was about to set, then they bid each other farewell. This was because everyone wanted to give Lin Han and Yin Cui some time alone. Their romance was both envied and strongly approved of by their classmates. Yin Cui was stunningly beautiful, possessing an alluringly slender yet curvaceous figure, with elegant demeanor and outstanding temperament. Many boys in the academy class liked her, but Yin Cui and Lin Han not only got along well, but they were also a perfect match as childhood sweethearts. Lin Han's Family background was also better than Yin Cui's; Yin Cui's father only owned two shops, and his income was not as good as the Lin Family's two mountains. Although Lin Han was not the most handsome, he had a very good character, and all the male classmates enjoyed playing with him. The male classmates both envied and highly approved of Lin Han.
After the classmates left, Lin Han and Yin Cui lay on a small patch of grass, chatting idly. "Han-ge, how did it feel when you accidentally fell on Shi Yinghong during the game just now? Are you interested in her? Did you intentionally fall on her?" Yin Cui asked in a sweet voice.
Lin Han chuckled, "That feeling, well, it was soft and fragrant."
Yin Cui immediately blushed with anger upon hearing this, and she raised her small fist to hit Lin Han. Lin Han quickly admitted his mistake: "Young Miss Yin Cui, you can't blame me for that. I was chasing her, she fell, and I was chasing right behind her, so I naturally fell on her. It's common in hide-and-seek. Are you jealous of something like that?"
Shi Yinghong was already beautiful, and any woman would be jealous if Lin Han fell on a beauty. Yin Cui flared up: "Then what do you mean by 'soft and fragrant'?"
Lin Han looked innocently at Yin Cui: "A woman's body is naturally soft, and a woman's body sprayed with perfume is naturally fragrant."
Yin Cui's temper flared up this time. She swung her fist to hit Lin Han, who immediately got up and ran. Yin Cui also casually picked up a small branch and chased after him. "Sister Yin Cui, how have I angered you again? I'm telling the truth!" Lin Han ran ahead, secretly smiling. The two chased each other like they were playing hide-and-seek. Just as Yin Cui was about to catch up to Lin Han, he suddenly tripped. Yin Cui, who was behind him, was also tripped by Lin Han's body and fell on top of him. Lin Han hugged Yin Cui and said, "So, this time, did you intentionally fall on me? How does it feel? Are you interested in me?" Yin Cui picked up the branch to hit him, but Lin Han hugged her, rolled on the ground, and kissed her. Yin Cui closed her eyes, dropped the branch in her hand, and slowly savored the wonderful taste of this youthful love...
"Han-ge, next year I'll be sixteen. According to tradition, I can get married. If I don't have a favored partner, my parents will arrange it," Yin Cui whispered after a passionate kiss. Yin Cui and Lin Han were considered well-behaved people, so it was naturally impossible for them to engage in intimate acts in the small forest, though that might not be the case after next year.
Lin Han said very seriously: "My parents already know about us. They love me very much and will respect my decision. Shall I go with you to talk to your parents next year?"
Yin Cui said sweetly, "As soon as the New Year is over, we'll go together. My parents also dote on me, and your Family's conditions are better than mine, and you're a good person, so I'm sure they'll agree." "If they don't agree, we'll elope," Yin Cui whispered into Lin Han's ear.
"Elope? Good, if they don't agree, we'll elope." Lin Han chuckled as he hugged Yin Cui and kissed her again... Both of them hoped that next year they would get their parents' approval and be happy together forever.
The New Year arrived quickly. Classmates had arranged to meet in the city to see the lantern festival and New Year's gathering. Naturally, Lin Han and Yin Cui were also in this group of classmates. Since their relationship had not yet been confirmed by their parents or a matchmaker, they did not hold hands to watch the lanterns. The boys were in one group, and the girls in another, discreetly separating to watch fireworks, acrobatics, and lanterns in Haoyue City. The food street and amusement park had everything imaginable: a toy city for men, and jewelry and beauty shops for women. The entire street was packed with people. People from Haoyue Province's 28 towns and 75 villages had all come, so Haoyue City was now extraordinarily lively.
A neat and splendid procession appeared on the street. In the middle of the procession, several young men on handsome horses had very arrogant expressions. They wore luxurious clothes and crowns adorned with beautiful jade and dazzling gems. Their arrogant expressions seemed to be admiring the grand New Year spectacle, and also to be displaying their prestige before the crowd. People on the street quickly made way, because everyone in Haoyue Province knew that they were from the Su Family, one of the four great families of Haoyue City.
Every place has dark forces, and the relatively stable Haoyue Province was no exception. The four great families were the biggest dark forces in Haoyue City. Every household here, besides paying taxes to the City Lord, also had to send gifts to these four great families every year, like protection money. If they didn't send gifts, or if they offended these four great families, the consequences were well-known: either they disappeared or were beaten to death. The Lin Family was no exception; the town where the Lin Family lived was within the Su Family's sphere of influence. As small landlords, they had to pay taxes to the state and also send gifts to the Su Family. In previous years, Father Lin would personally take gifts to the Su Family. If the season or climate was bad, or if the harvest was poor that year, and the gifts were a bit less, the Su Family would not be pleased, and Father Lin would have to send more money to make up for it. Landlords and merchants all had to send gifts, but farmers and workers struggled to even eat, so naturally, their gifts would not be valued. Farmers only needed to pay land rent to the small landlords. Besides, farmers and workers sending gifts to them would not be accepted, as they would be deemed too little.
Besides the Su Family, the other three great families were the Ouyang Family, the Nangong Family, and the Ma Family. Members of these families often held high positions as officials and generals in the imperial court, and even the City Lord here dared not offend them. The common people feared them like tigers; many were oppressed and even harmed by them, and even reporting to the City Lord would not help. The rumor was that their families had produced Cultivators, which was why they had been so powerful for so many years.
However, no one expected that this visit to the lantern festival would completely destroy Lin Han's happy Mortal life.