Chapter 666: Chapter 379: Paying Respects_2
Li Shiming also looked at Li Shijie, a warmth flashing in his eyes.
He had left his father, who must have felt extremely lonely.
His father had that worldâs rare deep affection, unable to forget his deceased wife for life. By adopting a child to fill the emptiness beside his father after he left, he held a lot of gratitude towards Li Shijie.
âShiming, how long are you staying this time?â Although Li WenYuan didnât want to affect Shimingâs cultivation, he couldnât help but ask.
âIâll stay and keep you company, Iâm not leaving!â Li Shiming said with a smile.
Cultivation was important, but so was the last accompaniment; besides, now his cultivation wouldnât be affected by staying in the mortal world.
He carried a Nascent Soul Level Spirit Vein with him, as well as a large number of Third Grade Cultivation Assistance Spirit Pills.
âIt wonât affect you, will it?â Li WenYuanâs eyes were full of smiles, but he still worriedly pressed on.
âRest assured!â Li Shiming gently patted his fatherâs arm and said.
He sensed Li WenYuanâs condition. Although he had used various means to treat Li WenYuanâs illness, the long-term deficiency in his body couldnât be recovered in a momentâs time.
With another wave of his hand, he cast a small spell to aid in sleep.
Li WenYuan fell asleep with a smile, which would allow him both physically and spiritually to get good rest during this sleep.
âShijie, you should also rest a bit!â Li Shiming looked at the tired Li Shijie and said with a smile.
âAlright, brother!â Li Shijie felt a sense of peace in his heart when looking at his elder brother; the heavy burden that he had felt at home was no longer present.
Li Shiming tucked in his father tightly before he exited the master bedroom where both Mo Yan and Si Qin were waiting.
âFatherâs illness is cured, but who hurt him? Mo Yan, do you know?â Li Shiming looked at Mo Yan and asked with a serious tone.
âThe master was dismissed from office a few years ago; he was carried back at that time. I donât know how he was injured. The mansionâs revenues are gone, all the servants have been dismissed, leaving only Si Qin and me!â Mo Yan thought for a moment and replied.
He was just a minor steward. Due to the decline of the Li Mansion, his stewardship was more like a caretaker, without any prestige outside.
âI will find out the truth!â Li Shiming nodded and then turned to Si Qin, asking, âSi Qin, are you planning to live like this for the rest of your life?â
âI am the young masterâs maid!â Si Qin said with a calm expression, but her tone was firm.
Li Shiming fell silent, as Si Qin truly was his maid, in fact, his most personal chambermaid.
According to the secular views of this world, a chambermaid stays with the young master for life, and after the young master gets married, she would become a concubine.
But he had gone to cultivate, never expecting that Si Qin would wait for him for twenty years.
As a cultivator, he couldnât repay these emotions.
The divide between immortals and mortals also made it impossible for him to marry a mortal. The divide here wasnât about rules, rather, a cultivatorâs physique was simply not something mortals could withstand.
With a body refined to the level of a Great Elder, even the sweat from Li Shimingâs body posed a lethal threat to mortals.
He was currently in a state of retracted aura, not daring to let a single bit of his energy escape. The slightest release could result in a mortalâs death.
He didnât use âTelepathy,â but his sensitive perception allowed him to clearly sense Si Qinâs steadfastness.
âTake this, and you will forever be my maid Si Qin!â Li Shiming began to smile. Although he couldnât keep Si Qin by his side, he could give her a gift that was beyond the mortal realm.
He took out a Youthful Elixir. The elixirâs nature was mild, and its special effects, along with his help in taking it, meant there was no need to worry about Si Qin being harmed by the elixir.
Si Qin didnât hesitate for a moment as she took the Youthful Elixir.
To her, Li Shiming was her sky.
What Li Shiming didnât know was that in recent years, the Li Mansion had declined to the point where even wages could not be paid.
Mo Yan and his wife took on odd jobs without asking for any wages, and Si Qin also took care of the seriously ill master without pay.
Female cultivators across the Beishu Continent would go mad if they knew that Li Shiming had given a Youthful Elixir to a mere mortal.
A Youthful Elixir, for which female cultivators on the Beishu Continent would trade a heap of third-grade spiritual items, was something they could not obtain from Li Shiming.
Yet Li Shiming had given the Youthful Elixir to Si Qin, his mortal servant.
A layer of mist formed around Si Qin; as a mortal, her physical reaction was a bit more pronounced.
When the mist cleared, her skin returned to how it was in her youth, perhaps even better than before.
First, she saw her hands and noticed the changes in herself; she then touched her face in disbelief.
From the touch of her hand, she knew that the skin on her face was as smooth and moist as that on her hands, having returned to its youthful state.
Murk Yan watched in awe as if witnessing a miracle, and with a thump, he knelt down.
âMurk Yan, here are three Spirit Pills, which strengthen the body and improve health. Thereâs one for each member of your family. After taking them, you will never fall ill again for the rest of your lives!â Li Shiming said as he took out three Spirit Pills and placed them before Murk Yan.
The value of these three Spirit Pills could not compare to the Youthful Elixir; they were the lowest grade of Spirit Pills that Li Shiming had casually created, but each of these was a top-grade Spirit Pill. The fact that their medicinal power could affect a mortalâs body made them incredibly rare.
Unfortunately, his fatherâs body was too frail, and his age too advanced, for even the gentlest Spirit Pill to be bearable.
Murk Yan accepted the Spirit Pills with both hands, excitedly holding them as he went to find his wife and child.
Having seen the tremendous transformation of Si Qin, he had great faith in the Spirit Pills.
After all, these were rewards from the young master, and who was the young master? An Immortal.
In his simple mind, it was normal for the young master to remain unchanged for twenty years, so when he first saw him, his reaction was more of joy than shock.
After Murk Yan left, only Li Shiming and Si Qin remained.
Li Shiming smiled as he took out a glass mirror from his Space Ring and handed it to Si Qin.
Si Qin took the mirror, and both surprise and delight appeared on her face as she saw her reflection.
âWe are just as we were back then!â Li Shiming moved closer, their faces reflected together in the mirror, as he spoke with a smile.
âYoung master, your room has always been prepared for you; Iâll take you there first!â Si Qin lowered her head shyly, quickly reverting to her role as a servant, and handed back the mirror.
âThe mirror is for you!â Li Shiming waved his hand.
His room had been moved to the left wing; originally, he had stayed in the main room, but when his father, Li WenYuan, took it over, it was only natural that his sonâs room could not remain in the main quarters.
However, when he entered his room, he found everything arranged just as it had been in the past.
Although the Li Mansion had fallen on hard times, with few servants left, there was not a speck of dust or disorder, showing Si Qinâs attentiveness to the place.
Si Qin brought water for washing and helped Li Shiming wash his face; then she fetched a teapot and poured a cup of tea for Li Shiming.
With Li Shimingâs cultivation level, a Cleaning Spell could keep him perfectly clean, and for many years he had not touched any Spiritual Tea below third grade, but he still picked up the cup and took a sip of the tea that Si Qin had brewed.
Though the tea lacked Spiritual Energy, it had a warm and comforting flavor.
Li Shiming sat at his desk and picked up a bookâone that he had left behind years ago.
Si Qin fanned him, just as she had done in the past.
A faint sense of warmth and worldly affection allowed Li Shiming to savor this rare moment.
He could only stay here for one year, a decision he made to spend time with his aging father, having set aside many duties. Although it would not affect his cultivation, it would have a significant impact on many Golden Core cultivators on the Beishu Continent.
He still needed to find a way to inform his sect; otherwise, they might even send cultivators to look for him.
He could handle the communication with the sect through the Beishu Trading Company.