The young villagers eager to venture out received financial support from those who had started businesses themselves. Each was given a modest sum of 20,000 RMB—enough to open a small general store—as a loan to be repaid once they found success. In truth, even if repayment never came, Liu Heping had no intention of demanding it. With the support of his mother and younger brother, he had risen to prominence in the city, showered with flattery wherever he went. Amassing capital, he had monopolized the city's entire department store industry. His mother and youngest brother, Xiao Jiu, often cautioned him against arrogance, swiftly dampening his hubris whenever it emerged. His mother was blunt: *"You'd be nothing without your brother. The money is his, and so are the connections. People show you favor only for his sake—who do you think would otherwise care about you?"* Liu Heping realized the truth of these words. In Guangdong, entrepreneurs like Boss Wang and Boss Xu always inquired after his brother first; only when assured of his well-being did they engage in other negotiations. Liu Heping knew he was akin to mud awkwardly plastered on a wall by his brother's efforts. Without him, no one would spare him a second glance—for instance, Boss Xu sold him products from his electronics factory at near-cost prices, a favor unthinkable without his brother's influence. Chastened by these reminders, he shed his arrogance and gradually embraced humility. Xiao Jiu sighed with relief as his brother matured. Managing a sibling so prone to arrogance was exhausting, especially for a six-year-old tasked with such weighty responsibilities. But duty compelled him: even if his brother were mere mud, he would dry it and plaster it firmly to the wall. Now that the family thrived, with relatives all engaged in business, it was time for him to pursue his own path. Though his cultivation grew ever more profound, he refused to abandon his humanity, cherishing familial bonds above all. He vowed not to become a heartless cultivator, determined to preserve these ties in his soul. Thanks to the Soul-Nourishing Herb, Xiao Jiu's intellect rivaled that of an adult, having already mastered high school curriculum and stood ready for university. Yet he feigned innocence while living with his mother, still enrolled in first grade. He saw no need to reveal his academic readiness; human life was fleeting—even with cultivation, his mother would not exceed a century, while he, having already nurtured his Yang Spirit, sensed a lifespan spanning centuries. Thus, he treasured every moment, resolving never to marry or have children, lest he suffer the agony of watching them age and perish before him. His sole aim was to protect relatives, ensuring they lived healthy, joyous lives. For though the Wheel of Heaven turned inexorably, none could comprehend the weight he bore at such a tender age. If he could refine the Essence-Cultivating Pill, his mother might gain fifty extra years; otherwise, her constitution would not sustain a century. Boss Wang and Boss Xu had aided in sourcing several required herbs, leaving only the Millennium Blood Ganoderma and Millennium Ginseng. He knew the latter's location but still sought the former. Having promised each a pill, they had spared no expense on the rest. Now, Xiao Jiu searched for a suitable alchemy furnace—no ordinary vessel would suffice. Though he knew how to forge one, gathering materials could take decades. Instead, he frequented antique shops and markets, where his Yang Spirit effortlessly discerned genuine from fake: green auras denoted antiques under 300 years, yellow over 900, and purple over 1,800. Bargains were trivial for him; he purchased only aesthetic or useful pieces, dismissing others as disposable trinkets, however valuable. Scouring antique markets in the city, Changsha, and beyond, he found no alchemy furnace, accepting that such treasures awaited destiny. At six, he had time on his side. Each night, his Yang Spirit visited the mountain's Spiritual Serpent, reassuring it that the pill would soon be ready—provided the Serpent conserved its Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk. The Serpent vowed to drink none until the alchemy was complete, urging haste: it had decades left to transform into a dragon before its lifespan expired. As winter vacation approached, Boss Xu arrived with a Thai-Chinese man surnamed Xie, pleading for Xiao Jiu's help in Hong Kong. His father lay bedridden, wasting away from an undiagnosed affliction deemed witchcraft by spiritualists, yet even Longhu Mountain's masters had failed to cure him. Desperate, Xie offered a HK$100 million cheque as a gesture of sincerity, which Xiao Jiu accepted, summoning his brother to arrange travel documents. With Liu Heping's influence, the process was seamless. The next day, they departed for Hong Kong via Changsha and Shenzhen, ready to confront the unknown.
