Gateway of Immortality

Bang! Bang!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the courtyard door, startling both master and servant who were in the middle of their meal.

Uncle Zhou furiously jumped to his feet. "That scoundrel is here again! I’m going to fight him!"

Song Ying quickly pulled him back. "Don’t be angry, Uncle Zhou. Let him say whatever he wants. In the market, he wouldn’t dare actually lay a hand on us mortals. You just need to keep the gong ready. If he tries anything, he’ll get into big trouble."

Uncle Zhou clenched his fists in frustration. "But, Miss, your whole life is being ruined by this!"

Song Ying adjusted her veil. She knew that the veil couldn’t hide her from the eyes of an immortal cultivator. She had always been careful, never wandering about unnecessarily. Yet, despite her precautions, an immortal cultivator had caught sight of her true face, and since then, he had been relentlessly pestering her.

Fortunately, the rules of Shaohua Mountain were strict, and Song Ying's background wasn't ordinary. The man dared not cross the line.

Still, Song Ying knew that this couldn’t last forever. The divide between mortals and immortals was vast. Even if his cultivation level was low, the man had countless ways to deal with a mere mortal like her. So, she endured his harassment, never daring to provoke him.

Creak.

Song Ying opened the main door, only to be surprised by what she saw: the man was standing at the door with a serious expression.

Though he still reeked of alcohol, his gaze no longer had the lecherous glint it once did, and he refrained from saying anything inappropriate. Instead, he bowed deeply and spoke with utmost respect, "Miss Song, I was blind and ignorant before. Please forgive me and give me a chance to make amends. I swear I will never appear before you again. If I break this vow, may the heavens strike me down with lightning!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Song Ying was utterly stunned, unable to understand why this scoundrel had suddenly changed his attitude.

After making his solemn vow, the man turned to the side, nodding and bowing, nervously offering a fawning smile. "Senior, does this satisfy you?"

Qin Sang stepped out from the shadows, his voice cold. "Get lost. If I see you again, I’ll skin you alive!"

"Yes, yes! I’m leaving right now!"

The young man scrambled away, not daring to look back.

Qin Sang turned to the still bewildered Song Ying, his tone much softer. "Young lady, you must be Song Ying, correct?"

Clutching the door ring tightly, Song Ying replied, "Immortal, I am Song Ying. Thank you for driving away that vile person. I am deeply grateful."

However, instead of feeling relieved, she grew even more fearful.

If this man could scare away that rogue so easily, she would have no way to resist him if he had any ill intentions.

Noticing Song Ying’s fingers turning pale from how tightly she was gripping the door ring, Qin Sang smiled and said, "Miss Song, there’s no need to be afraid. I mean you no harm. Your brother, Song Hua, saved my life, and I’ve come here specifically to find you." 𝘳𝙖

"Song Hua? My brother!"

Song Ying gasped, even forgetting her fear. She took a step forward, her face filled with urgency. "Immortal, is my brother still alive? Where is he now?"

Qin Sang glanced around and suggested, "Miss Song, perhaps we should continue this conversation inside."

…

The three of them sat facing each other.

Seeing the elder and the younger in front of him embracing and weeping bitterly, Qin Sang sighed inwardly. He hadn't hidden much, as he didn't know much about Song Hua either.

Qin Sang placed a colorful pouch on the table. "This is Song Hua’s Mustard Seed Pouch. Back then, I was fortunate to be saved by him and escaped from danger. I swore that if I ever had the chance, I would return this to the Song Family. There were originally eight spirit stones inside, but since you cannot open the pouch, I'll give you the spirit stones separately, and I can help retrieve the items inside for you."

Qin Sang then took out twenty spirit stones and placed them on the table.

In truth, Song Hua's Mustard Seed Pouch was more advanced than those issued by Kuiyin Sect and Yuanzhao Sect, with a larger space. However, Qin Sang didn’t feel reluctant to return it.

The Song Family Sword Art was already etched into his memory, and along with the Profound Yin Book and the Song Clan Genealogy, these were returned to their rightful owners.

What surprised Qin Sang was how quickly Song Ying managed to suppress her grief after her sobbing. She calmed down, staring blankly at the items on the table for a while. Then, she suddenly said to Uncle Zhou, "Uncle Zhou, it’s getting late. Let me help you to rest first."

Watching her retreating figure, Qin Sang was a bit taken aback. After a moment of contemplation, he chuckled to himself.

"Immortal."

Song Ying returned and sat down in front of Qin Sang, her eyes shining as she looked at him. "Immortal, I wonder if you’ve seen our Song Family Genealogy. Our ancestor was once a disciple of Shaohua Mountain and, for meritorious service, was granted a sword will decree when he left. Shaohua Mountain has a rule: any descendant of the Song Family who holds the sword will decree may enter Shaohua Mountain directly. The decree is currently sealed in my ancestor's tomb."

"You know about the sword will decree?"

Qin Sang asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Song Ying nodded. "Before my brother left in a hurry, he managed to leave me a letter. The letter mentioned this secret and told me to remember it. I’ve been waiting for my brother’s return, but now… I am just a mortal, and keeping this secret means nothing anymore. I wonder if you would be willing to take the sword will decree. If so, I will retrieve it for you."

This was precisely what Qin Sang had come for. Hearing Song Ying’s words, he realized she was exceptionally intelligent and saw no need to feign politeness. He asked directly, "What do you want in return?"

Song Ying seemed to have thought this through long ago and decisively replied, "I only have two requests. First, please take us away from Wenyue Market, to settle us in a mortal kingdom where we can live peacefully. Second, if I have a child in the future who possesses spiritual roots, please take them as a disciple. We can establish a contract with the manager of Wenyue Market as a witness."

These two requests took Qin Sang by surprise.

He had originally thought that Song Ying would ask him to help reclaim the ancestral home. He had even been thinking about how to persuade her or promise that he would deal with the Li Family once he had enough power.

He never expected her to want to leave Wenyue Market altogether. Once a mortal left, there was no coming back.

Song Ying smiled bitterly. "Even if you help me reclaim the ancestral home, what would that accomplish? For us mortals, possessing such valuable things only brings disaster. Could we really hold onto it? I’ve long understood that in the eyes of immortal cultivators, mortals are no different from pigs. But if I possess martial skills in the mortal world, I can at least protect myself and avoid being bullied."

Some seeked immortality in vain, while others feared it as if it were a deadly tiger.

Qin Sang sighed deeply and said earnestly, "These two things are not difficult. If your child has a good aptitude and I am fortunate enough to break through to the Foundation Building Realm, I will take them as my disciple. Introducing them to Shaohua Mountain will not be a problem either."

…

Three days later.

Qin Sang led Song Ying and her companions to find the manager of Wenyue Market.

Among them was a young man who had privately pledged his life to Song Ying. He had a good character and didn’t care about Song Ying’s past.

Previously, the two had only dared to express their feelings in secret, afraid of provoking the immortal cultivator. Now, they could finally be together openly, and the young man was willing to accompany Song Ying back to the mortal world.

Under the manager’s witness, the two set their contract, though the matter of the sword will decree was, of course, left unmentioned.