Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao nodded repeatedly, his tone urgent and respectful: "Immortal Master, rest assured! Leave this matter to me! I will immediately send people to prepare materials and select craftsmen, and I will certainly complete the ancestral hall as soon as possible, ensuring it is orderly and solemn!"
Seeing Lin Xiao's quick agreement, a hint of approval flashed in Qin Changsheng's eyes. Without saying anything more, he raised his hand and with a slight wave, a longsword of pure bluish-gray and a secret manual instantly appeared in his palm.
This longsword was a low-grade Yellow-rank magic weapon.
Within the Heavenly Sword Sect, low-grade Yellow-rank magic weapons were commonplace, hardly rare, and not even standard equipment for early-stage Qi Refining disciples.
Secret manuals were mostly cultivation methods for menial disciples.
However, in the mortal-populated Beihai County, low-grade Yellow-rank magic weapons were legendary divine weapons, incomparably sharp, and capable of being enhanced with spiritual power. Ordinary weapons were utterly incapable of contending with them. Even Lin Xiao, the chief镖头 (head镖师) of the Jingfeng Escort Agency, had never seen such a treasure.
Qin Changsheng raised his hand, handing the longsword and the sword manual to Lin Xiao, his tone calm: "I'm grateful for your hard work in building the ancestral hall; this longsword and manual are a small token of my appreciation."
Lin Xiao's hands trembled as he accepted the longsword and the sword manual booklet. His face instantly lit up with extreme joy, his eyes widening in disbelief.
He had originally thought that being able to serve Qin Changsheng was a great opportunity, never expecting Qin Changsheng to bestow such a generous reward upon him.
A divine weapon and an unparalleled sword manual.
Either of these two items, if they appeared in the Great Wei, would unleash a bloodbath.
"Thank you, Immortal Master! Thank you for your reward! I am deeply grateful! I will certainly do my utmost!"
At this moment, he had already made up his mind that no matter how much manpower, resources, or money it took, he would build the Qin family ancestral hall to perfection.
Seeing his excited expression, Qin Changsheng waved his hand slightly: "No need for formalities, just get started as soon as possible. Let me know when it's finished."
After speaking, he turned back to his parents' tombstones, his expression turning somber again. He stood quietly, as if wanting to stay with them a little longer.
...
Three months passed in a flash.
For these three months, Qin Changsheng stayed in a guest room at the Jingfeng Escort Agency. Besides instructing Qin Chang'an in martial arts, he spent his days meditating, cultivating, and refining his approach to crafting his natal magic weapon.
Early that morning, Qin Changsheng was meditating by the window when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard, accompanied by Lin Xiao's respectful yet urgent call: "Immortal Master! Immortal Master! This junior has important news to report!"
Qin Changsheng slowly finished his meditation, opened his eyes, the spiritual energy in them gradually receding, and said calmly, "Come in."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiao hurriedly pushed open the door and entered, his clothes still covered in dust, clearly having rushed there: "Immortal Master, great news! The Qin family ancestral hall has been completed by this junior and my men. I have come today specifically to invite you to come and see it, to verify if it meets your expectations!"
For the past three months, Lin Xiao had been preoccupied with the construction of the ancestral hall, devoting all the manpower, resources, and funds of the Jingfeng Escort Agency, selecting the best craftsmen, preparing the finest materials, and working day and night without the slightest delay.
Upon hearing this, Qin Changsheng's eyes flickered slightly. Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he slowly stood up, his expression remaining calm. He nodded slightly to Lin Xiao, "Thank you for your trouble. Lead the way."
"You flatter me! You flatter me!" Lin Xiao quickly bowed and responded, walking briskly to the door and stepping aside to lead the way. His tone was extremely respectful. "Please, Immortal Master! Your son-in-law is already waiting at the ancestral hall."
Qin Changsheng nodded slightly and followed behind Lin Xiao, heading towards the ancestral hall.
Soon, a neat and solemn ancestral hall came into view. From afar, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, and upturned eaves, although not extremely grand in scale, it exuded an ancient and dignified atmosphere. The vermilion gate was tightly closed, and above the lintel hung a black plaque with gold characters that read "Qin Clan Ancestral Hall," the calligraphy powerful and imposing.
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Qin Changsheng stopped and looked up at the ancestral hall before him, a clear hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
When he entrusted Lin Xiao with building the ancestral hall, he only requested that it be orderly and solemn, not grand in scale. He hadn't expected Lin Xiao to put in so much effort, building such a magnificent hall that it far exceeded his expectations.
Lin Xiao, noticing Qin Changsheng's expression, was secretly delighted. He quickly stepped forward, pushed open the vermilion gate, and stepped aside to invite Qin Changsheng in: "Immortal Master, please come in. This junior will introduce you to everything."
Qin Changsheng stepped into the ancestral hall, followed closely by Lin Xiao and Qin Chang'an, who had arrived shortly after.
The ancestral hall's front hall was spacious and bright, with neatly arranged tables and chairs on both sides for worshippers to rest. Ancient calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, exuding a scholarly and solemn atmosphere.
Passing through the front hall, one enters the main hall for worship. In the center stand two exquisitely carved memorial tablets—the tablets of Qin's father, Qin De, and mother. Incense burners and candlesticks are placed before the tablets, spotless and immaculate.
"Immortal Master," Lin Xiao hurriedly stepped forward, respectfully introducing, "the tables and chairs on both sides of the front hall are made of the finest cypress wood, moisture-resistant and durable; the memorial tablets in the main hall are carved from a single piece of spirit wood, nourishing the spirits and allowing the souls of Old Master Qin and Old Madam Qin to rest peacefully.
"A small courtyard has also been created in the back, planted with evergreen pines and cypresses, so that when the Immortal Master comes to worship, there will be a place to rest."
As he introduced the ancestral hall, he cautiously observed Qin Changsheng's expression, afraid of displeasing him in any way. His tone was filled with trepidation and anticipation.
Qin Changsheng slowly walked to his parents' memorial tablets, his gaze fixed on the names inscribed on them. A hint of warmth and melancholy flashed in his eyes. He then slowly turned to Lin Xiao, his tone softening, and nodded slightly: "Excellent, Chief Escort Lin, you've put in a lot of effort. I'm very satisfied with this ancestral hall."
Hearing Qin Changsheng's praise, Lin Xiao's face instantly lit up with joy, happier than any reward. He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your praise, Immortal Master! This is what I should do. If you can please me, I'm content!"
He became even more certain that his decision to dedicate himself to building the ancestral hall was correct, and he became even more determined to curry favor with Qin Changsheng.
Qin Changsheng waved his hand and said calmly, "You may all leave now. I want to speak with my parents alone."
"Yes, Immortal Master!" Lin Xiao and Qin Chang'an bowed respectfully, not daring to disturb him in the slightest. They quietly withdrew from the ancestral hall, closed the gate, and stood guard outside with reverent expressions, not allowing anyone to approach.
The ancestral hall instantly fell silent, leaving only Qin Changsheng's figure.
He slowly walked to the innermost part of the ancestral hall, a secluded side hall. Compared to the front hall and main hall, it was more hidden, situated on higher ground with dry soil—the perfect place for him to bury the Rebirth Stone.
Qin Changsheng raised his hand and took out a pure white stone from his storage bag, radiating a faint spiritual light.
This was the stone he had obtained after acquiring the golden rebirth attribute.
Only by burying this stone could the golden rebirth attribute be fully activated.
Qin Changsheng condensed a wisp of spiritual energy and gently waved it, digging a deep pit in the ground. He carefully placed the Rebirth Stone into the pit, then used his spiritual energy to backfill and compact the soil, smoothing out the marks on the ground, doing it silently and without leaving any flaws.
Having done all this, Qin Changsheng slowly stood up and placed the array he had purchased from the market there.
This array was merely an ordinary one found in the market.
But it was sufficient for some mortals.
When Qin Changsheng's strength increased in the future, he would return to set up a larger array.
Early the next morning.
The Jingfeng Escort Agency's reception room.
Qin Chang'an rushed here. He had learned last night that his brother would be departing today, and hadn't slept a wink. His heart was filled with longing, but he also knew that his brother, as a cultivator, had his own path to follow and ultimately could not stay in Beihai County to accompany him forever.
"Brother." Qin Chang'an quickly stepped forward.
Qin Changsheng nodded slightly, raised his hand, and handed a jade pendant to Qin Chang'an, saying, "Chang'an, I'm setting off today to return to the Heavenly Sword Sect!"
"This jade pendant was a gift from a good friend of mine; I'll give it to you today!"
This jade pendant was the Bixia Pendant that Chen Erniu had given him years ago.
Now, Qin Changsheng already possessed many golden attributes and the Fire Shield Technique.
The Bixia Pendant was no longer of any use to him.
"Also, there's this manual, 'Smoke Shadow Mystery Steps,' a remarkable footwork manual. It's agile and swift, excellent for dodging and escaping. Practice it diligently; it will be enough to protect you in the future."
Qin Chang'an carefully accepted the jade pendant and the manual.
Qin Changsheng nodded slightly, his expression gradually becoming solemn. He stepped forward, lowered his voice, and instructed Qin Chang'an, "There's one more thing you must remember. If you encounter a powerful enemy in the future, immediately go to the Qin family ancestral hall, to the innermost side hall. There, I have a backup plan that can protect you."
The backup plan he spoke of was an array.
Although it was just an ordinary large array, it was sufficient to deal with worldly conflicts.
Qin Chang'an's heart tightened. Although he didn't understand why his brother was so serious, nor did he know what kind of backup plan was in the side hall, he still nodded heavily, firmly remembering his brother's words.
Seeing that Qin Chang'an remembered them, Qin Changsheng was slightly relieved.
He then gave a few more detailed instructions, urging Qin Chang'an to avoid making enemies and to establish a good reputation within the Jingfeng Escort Agency.
Qin Chang'an agreed to everything.
After giving his instructions, Qin Changsheng gave Qin Chang'an a deep look, then slowly turned around, raised his hand, and a longsword shimmering with a blue light appeared in his palm.
He lightly touched the blade with his toes, his figure gracefully stepping onto the sword. His spiritual energy circulated slightly, and the longsword emitted a faint blue light as it headed towards the Heavenly Sword Sect.