Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Each Has Their Own Aspirations
Not long after, the patriarch of the Yang family, Yang Xiaofu, hurriedly arrived with the senior members of the clan.
Once again, he formally expressed his welcome to Lu Zhenhua and Li Jizhou.
Then he invited them to the main hall for a session of flattery and hospitality.
Before leaving, Yang Yongxin flipped the roster back to the page of Wu Daniu and added another mark below Li Jizhou’s name, changing it to fifty!
As the inviter of Li Jizhou, Wu Daniu naturally accompanied them throughout.
However, during this time he was mostly in a dazed state, almost nonexistent.
After a lively yet superficial interaction, both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves.
Lu Zhenhua was not fully recovered and only engaged in mutual flattery with the Yang family’s patriarch out of respect for Li Jizhou, so he soon found an excuse to end the banquet.
Eventually, Lu Zhenhua was arranged to stay at the fifth courtyard, almost adjacent to the Yang family ancestral shrine that housed a near Tier Two spirit vein.
Li Jizhou was also close to Lu Zhenhua, temporarily residing in the sixth courtyard.
This spirit vein occupied by the Yang family near Qingshui River three hundred years ago is, in strict terms, a Tier One spirit vein, but the core ancestral shrine is built directly above it, barely reaching a quasi Tier Two level, sufficient for Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators for daily practice. However, normally, other cultivators are not permitted to come near the shrine to share the spiritual qi.
As Li Jizhou stepped into the courtyard and sensed the area, he found that the spiritual qi here was at least twice as abundant as the impoverished district outside the Inverted Mountain he used to live in, completely matching the level of the inner city of the Inverted Mountain.
Furthermore, since daily cultivation near the ancestral shrine by other clan members is forbidden, the spiritual qi here is even more stable.
"Big brother!" Wu Daniu led Li Jizhou into the yard, and after hesitating for a long time, finally couldn’t help wanting to share some thoughts.
Naturally, Li Jizhou had long noticed the change in Wu Daniu’s mood.
However, he hadn’t mentioned it, hoping Wu Daniu could overcome his internal struggle.
In the memory before he transmigrated, he couldn’t stand seeing brothers suffer, nor was he comfortable with brothers driving luxury cars.
Goodness is it; evil is it too.
Human nature!
At its core, it’s simply being immersed in one’s own fabricated beliefs, unwilling to step out.
Admitting others are outstanding is genuinely difficult.
Especially when someone perceived as inferior to oneself in certain ways suddenly breaks through one’s perception.
When Wu Daniu joined the Yang family, leaving the Inverted Mountain, Li Jizhou was alone, focusing on Evergreen Skill, while trapped in a predicament.
Normally, Wu Daniu had the support of the Yang family, guidance from elders, cultivation techniques, a good path, and sufficient spiritual resources.
Whereas Li Jizhou had none of these.
In any ordinary person’s perception, it was subconsciously believed that Li Jizhou’s future would be relatively difficult.
Wu Daniu, being an ordinary person, even if not saying it out loud, had this subconscious belief fixed in mind.
Under such subconscious influence, given Li Jizhou’s past favor to him, he naturally developed sympathy, pity, and a desire to help.
This, then, is his goodness.
However, today everything about Li Jizhou broke his conventional perception, rising step by step, surpassing himself.
At this time, the evil side of human nature arises subconsciously.
If one’s perceptions cannot be quickly updated, or change their comparative target,
jealousy, hatred, animosity... these evils will surge forth uncontrollably.
"Daniu, between you and me, there’s no need to hold back; if you have something to say, just say it."
"Big brother, I... I don’t know what’s happening, but now... I’m feeling really pent-up inside." Wu Daniu hesitated for a long time, finally turned his head and said in a booming voice.
"Oh? Why?" Li Jizhou raised an eyebrow with a smile; Wu Daniu’s willingness to speak indicated that his internal struggle had reached a conclusion, even if not completely smooth.
"I... I... Brother, I’m sorry. I don’t know why, but at first, upon seeing you, I was very happy, sincerely pleased for you when you became a Talisman Master,
but upon witnessing the treatment you received from our Third Elder, and knowing later that you became an honored guest elder at Ten Thousand Talisman Pavilion, even personally received by the patriarch, I suddenly felt a wave of frustration in my heart." Wu Daniu struggled to put it into words but finally managed to say it all at once.
"No problem, carry on!" Li Jizhou smiled gently.
"I just felt, having resolutely joined the Yang family despite ancestral contempt, laboring hard to ensure the Yang family’s lineage, flattering and pleasing all around, and yet... you came and..."
"So, you felt a disparity, believing me to be inferior, yet totally surpassing your perception?" Li Jizhou pointed it out.
"Big brother, I really always hoped good for you, it’s just..." Wu Daniu hurriedly explained.
"Just subconsciously comparing yourself with me?" Li Jizhou supplemented.
"...Hmm!" Wu Daniu nodded heavily.
Li Jizhou laughed and approached, placing a hand on Wu Daniu’s shoulder.
After pondering for a moment, he said: "Daniu, what is your goal?"
Wu Daniu looked at Li Jizhou, suspiciously asking: "Goal? I... wish to become a Foundation Establishment expert like our ancestor!"
Li Jizhou nodded with a smile: "So, we have different destinations, hence naturally different paths, what comparison value is there?
You only need to use yesterday’s you as a reference, day by day, year by year, being better than your former self, and that’s success."
Wu Daniu looked dumbfounded but had agile thoughts, immediately grasping Li Jizhou’s intention,
Nevertheless, still somewhat disappointedly hung his head, speaking in a muffled voice: "Big brother, then what is your goal? Do I not even have the qualification to compare with you?"
"Me? Live one more day for every day, to live one more day, I can do anything! Is there a comparative meaning in that?" Li Jizhou laughed.
"..." Wu Daniu was immediately speechless.
He thought Li Jizhou would declare some lofty ambition like the young and ambitious Zhou Cang back then, but...
"Pfft~ Big brother, just to live, what’s the point in living so long? A thousand-year-old turtle, ten-thousand-year-old tortoise, they live long, but aren’t they always cowering?" Wu Daniu couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
"Each person has their aspirations!" Li Jizhou smiled without further explanation.
"Haha, big brother, no wonder you focus on the Evergreen Skill, I understand now, suddenly felt at ease." After laughing, Wu Daniu opened his heart.
The next day, Wu Daniu arrived early with seven wives and twelve children to pay a visit.
In the eight years of joining the Yang family, Wu Daniu truly worked hard to earn the incentive rewards for revitalizing the Yang family’s population.
Marrying seven wives, aside from daily cultivation, he spent most of his time diligently.
Even during those three years of family disputes, whenever possible, he went home to work hard.
This indeed significantly elevated Wu Daniu’s status within the Yang family.
"Ziling, come quickly to greet your Uncle Li!" Wu Daniu particularly introduced his second son, Yang Ziling, to Li Jizhou.
This son was born in the second year after he joined the Yang family.
Recently detected with slight qi sensitivity, destined to be a cultivatable immortal seedling.
Ziling brought considerable clan rewards to him and was his most cherished son!
"Ziling greets Uncle Li! Wishing Uncle Li longevity and eternal youth!" Six-year-old Yang Ziling evidently received prompts from Wu Daniu,
knowing that Li Jizhou’s sole wish is to live long, therefore his blessing revolved around this.
Li Jizhou let out a bitter smile, not daring to make any promises, and pulled out an elementary concentration talisman he prepared last night as a greeting gift.
The elementary concentration talisman can open the mind of a young child.
Thus, it appeared to be suitable.