Chapter 5: Blind Zhang’s Past 1

In the inner room behind the drugstore, the light is dim, with only an animal oil lamp, but this lamp can almost be said to be prepared for Xiaohu; because usually only Blind Zhang and Xiaohu live here, and although Blind Zhang is blind, Xiaohu can.

Bu Gong helped Blind Zhang to the big earthen kang in the inner room and asked him to sit down slowly. At this time, Xiao Huzi also followed in. Basically, he followed wherever Bu Gong went. It seemed that he was planning to let Bu Gong take him out to play.

After sitting down, Blind Zhang paused for a moment, turned his face slightly, and said, “Xiao Hu, go outside and look at the drugstore. Your brother Bu Gong and I have something to talk about. Don’t go too far.” Although Blind Zhang’s tone was not very harsh, there was an unquestionable sense of authority in it.

Seeing this, Xiaohu pouted but said nothing; because he knew that whenever his grandfather spoke to him in this way, he meant what he said, and no matter how much he begged, his grandfather would not agree.

Then he turned around and walked out of the inner room very obediently. At this time, only Bu Gong and Blind Zhang were left in the room. The atmosphere was a little depressing. After a while, Blind Zhang spoke. “Bu Gong, do you remember those stories about so-called immortals that I told you?” A low voice with a hint of sadness slowly came out of Blind Zhang’s mouth.

“Huh? Why does Grandpa Zhang ask that?” When Bu Gong heard Blind Zhang suddenly mention this matter inexplicably, he was a little stunned and asked.

“Do you want to know how I became blind?” Another voice with a slightly vicissitudes of life came from Blind Zhang’s mouth.

These two questions, coming from Blind Zhang’s mouth, sounded a bit strange, but Bu Gong had been studying hard since childhood and was also very smart. He immediately sensed that there might be some unknown hidden secrets in them, and then nodded slightly and said “hmm”.

…

“Boy Bu Gong, let me tell you a story first. After listening to it, maybe you will understand everything. Whatever you choose at that time is up to you, but I want to tell you in advance that if you take this path, it will be difficult to turn back!” After a long silence, Blind Zhang slowly spoke, his tone sounding a little solemn.

Blind Zhang raised his head slightly, and his blind eyes seemed to have an inexplicable sense of vicissitudes at this moment!

…

That was about forty years ago. Thousands of miles away from here, there was a city called Xianyang City. In Xianyang City, there lived a Zhang family that was in the fabric business. At that time, the Zhang family was considered a relatively wealthy upper-middle-class family in the entire Xianyang City.

It is one of the four major families in Xianyang City. The head of the Zhang family had a child named Zhang Fusheng in his early years. The entire Zhang family is still very influential in Xianyang City.

At that time, the son of the head of the Zhang family, Zhang Fusheng, would hold a coming-of-age ceremony when he was about to turn sixteen.

The day before the Zhang family held a coming-of-age ceremony for the son of their head, they sent invitations to other families, relatives and friends, inviting them to attend the ceremony.

On the day of Zhang Fucheng’s coming-of-age ceremony, the Zhang family was filled with guests and the atmosphere was lively and festive. But at the same time, the Xianyang Sect, which is what ordinary people consider to be the holy land of immortals, where immortals gather, was also openly recruiting disciples.

Xianyang City was named after Xianyang Gate; that day, during Zhang Fusheng’s coming-of-age ceremony, two sword lights suddenly flew in the sky, and above them stood two young figures, one male and one female.

The guests who were watching the ceremony at Zhang’s house were all shocked when they saw the two figures flying in the sky. They knelt on the ground together and shouted “Immortal” in unison.

The two figures seemed to have noticed the situation on the ground and slowly descended. The man was handsome and elegant, while the woman was beautiful, with her dress fluttering in the wind, as if she was ready to fly away at any time.

All the guests of the Zhang family knelt on the ground. When they actually saw the two figures, their faces flushed red, and there was excitement flashing on their faces; because the expressions and demeanor of the two people in front of them were exactly what people usually imagined that the so-called immortals should have.

Just when people were ecstatic and excited, a light and slightly arrogant voice clearly reached everyone’s ears: “We are disciples of the Xianyang Sect, and we come here to recruit new members.” The man moved his lips slightly and spoke slowly.

As this voice fell, the heads of the four great families present all had expressions of ecstasy on their old faces; because they also had their own sons and daughters, and their words carried the most weight in Xianyang City, so the Xianyang Sect’s recruitment of disciples had an innate advantage for their sons and daughters.

The four of them were seen kneeling on the ground, all of them looked excited, and they would secretly glance at the two immortals from the corner of their eyes from time to time; there was excitement in their eyes, but there was also an indelible flash of fear, but the latter was almost hidden deep in their pupils and would not be easily noticed by others.

“My lord, today is my son’s coming-of-age ceremony, but your business is of paramount importance, so please take a seat.” Zhang Jiazhu reacted quickly, and hurriedly stood up and bowed to the two disciples of Xianyang Sect. His expression showed awe from time to time. This made the two ‘lords’ very satisfied.

Then, the two of them were led by the head of the Zhang family and sat on the main seat of the Zhang family. After sitting down, the man from the Xianyang Gate glanced at the four people below the stage and slowly said: “The four of you quickly go and gather the teenagers aged ten to sixteen in your Xianyang City and bring them to this courtyard. We will start the selection here. Time is urgent, so go and come back quickly.”

As this voice sounded, the heads of the other three major families in Xianyang City all bid farewell to the two people on the main seats in ecstasy and hurried to their own homes; because they were afraid that if they were a step late, it would make the immortal unhappy, and then their sons or daughters would have no chance of joining the Xianyang Sect.

As the three men left, some other guests who were watching the ceremony also sat upright, not daring to utter a word. “My Lord, my son is just sixteen this year. Do you think he has the qualifications to enter the Xianyang Sect?” At this time, the head of the Zhang family brought Zhang Fusheng with him, and both of them knelt on the ground. The head of the Zhang family said cautiously.

The man sitting on the main seat on the platform was looking around idly, occasionally turning around to whisper something to the beautiful woman next to him, which made the woman giggle softly and tremble. When the man saw this, a hint of heat flashed in the depths of his eyes, but it disappeared almost instantly.

After suddenly hearing the voice of the head of the Zhang family, the man frowned slightly, as if the voice disturbed his interest; but he did not forget the purpose of coming out to Xianyang City this time.

He casually looked at Zhang Fusheng who was standing behind the head of the Zhang family. At this time, the head of the Zhang family, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly stood up slowly, holding in his trembling hands something about the size of a fist, wrapped in layers of golden silk. With fanatical eyes, he walked towards the man on the platform.

The man seemed to understand something when he saw this, but he didn’t care much; he thought that a mortal like an ant could not come up with anything good. As a result, just when he was about to wave his hand to refuse, he suddenly smelled a faint fragrance coming from the silk package.

“Hmm?” Upon seeing this, the man’s eyes lit up slightly, and then he took the thing from the Zhang family head’s hand and used his spiritual sense to investigate. After a few breaths, a hint of joy flashed across his face. “I didn’t expect that there would be such a good thing in this mortal world,” the man thought secretly in his heart.

Then, the man looked at the head of the Zhang family with a hint of approval in his eyes. After a slight hesitation, he said, “Head of the Zhang family, your son is very talented and can join the Xianyang Sect. When I go back this time, I will introduce him to be a registered disciple.”

When the head of the Zhang family heard this, his old face instantly turned red, his breathing became slightly rapid, and he quickly knelt on the ground, shouting “The Immortal is wise”; the head of the Zhang family was also very lucky at this time, because he took out the family heirloom of their Zhang family, and he also wanted to make a bet, but he didn’t expect that it would actually work.

…

“Fusheng, after you follow the immortal into the Xianyang Gate, you must follow his lead and study hard, do you understand?…” After the success of the matter, the head of the Zhang family also gave Zhang Fusheng earnest instructions and made special remarks.

Then the heads of the other three families also rushed over with their children, and the children of two of them were selected to join the Xianyang Sect.