Chapter 1778: Transformation from Mortal

Li Family Village, Wei Kingdom, Eastern Wilderness.

Li Hu was one of the more skilled hunters in the village. He lived with his blind elderly mother and his pregnant wife. Li Hu made a living by hunting, and their life was relatively comfortable.

A mountain stream flowed past the edge of the village. Villagers used its water for irrigation, leading a self-sufficient life.

Whenever Li Hu went hunting in the mountains, he would be gone for anywhere from a few days to several months.

One evening, Li Hu and several other hunters were strolling along a mountain path, their faces beaming with happy smiles.

"We actually managed to hunt a bear this time! Its hide will surely fetch a good price in town, and we'll have a prosperous year," Li Hu said with a laugh. He was already thinking about how to spend the money: buying tonics for his wife and medicine for his frail mother.

"Huh, we didn't see anyone living here before we went into the mountains. Are they new residents?" a hunter asked curiously.

Li Hu looked in the direction his companion was pointing and saw a simple thatched hut with a wisp of smoke slowly rising from its chimney. The hut stood on a low earthen slope, not far from the mountain stream.

"They must be new. Times are turbulent. I heard from Liu Mazi in the neighboring village that highwaymen robbed several wealthy families, killing many people. The authorities offered a hundred taels of silver as a reward, but couldn't catch anyone."

"Life isn't easy for anyone these days. Let's go over and check on them! If we can help, we should. Who doesn't face difficulties?" Li Hu said enthusiastically. Years ago, he had nearly starved to death, and an old hunter had taught him how to hunt. Out of gratitude, he was always willing to help anyone in need.

Li Hu and the others approached the thatched hut. A tall young man in a blue robe and a beautiful young woman in a blue dress emerged. They were Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.

This time, Wang Ruyan's cultivation experience was different from her previous ones. She wished to live as a mortal for a while, experiencing their life, and Wang Changsheng naturally accompanied her.

"My name is Li Hu, young sir, how should I address you?" Li Hu asked cautiously. Judging by their clothes, it was clear these two came from a wealthy family. Even if they were fallen nobility, they were not people he could afford to offend.

"Sir... you are too kind. My name is Wang Changsheng, and this is my wife, Wang Ruyan. We encountered robbers, and our money was stolen. We had no choice but to settle here," Wang Changsheng said earnestly. He hadn't interacted with mortals in a long time and felt a bit unaccustomed.

"There are no bad people here, just fellow villagers. You can stay here without worry! Your hut looks a bit rundown; we can help you fix it. Otherwise, you'll get soaked when it rains," Li Hu said enthusiastically. His wife was due soon, and he hoped Wang Changsheng could teach his child to read and write, so they wouldn't have to stay in the village their whole life like him.

Wang Changsheng paused for a moment, then nodded with a smile.

Li Hu put down his hunting haul, called over his companions, and together they helped repair the thatched hut.

"Scholar Wang," Li Hu said warmly, "we're all fellow villagers. If you ever need help, please don't hesitate to ask."

Wang Changsheng smiled and agreed. He had intended to offer some copper coins as payment, but Li Hu and the others refused.

"Husband, let's settle down here and truly experience mortal life," Wang Ruyan said, her face filled with anticipation.

Wang Changsheng nodded. No matter where Wang Ruyan went, he would always be by her side.

And so, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan began living the life of mortals.

Wang Changsheng built a small pond and planted some lotus flowers. Behind their hut, they grew vegetables. He handled the farming, while Wang Ruyan cooked their meals and wove cloth. They lived a life of "men plowing, women weaving."

Less than half a month later, their peaceful life was interrupted. Li Hu arrived with some villagers, asking Wang Changsheng to teach their children to read and write, offering food as payment.

Seeing the expectant looks on the many villagers' faces, Wang Changsheng agreed.

Li Hu was overjoyed. He gathered people to build a larger thatched hut, where Wang Changsheng could teach the children to read and write.

Only a dozen or so children came to learn. It wasn't that the other children didn't want to learn, but their families were poor, so they had no time for study and couldn't afford food as tuition. Wang Changsheng didn't force anyone. He simply taught as many children as came to him.

Wang Changsheng took charge of teaching, while Wang Ruyan proactively taught the women and children in the village how to raise silkworms and weave cloth. Thanks to the arrival of Wang Changsheng and his wife, Li Family Village began to change.

Spring turned to autumn, and seven years quickly passed.

In an open area, Wang Changsheng held a sharpened stick and wrote on the ground, while more than forty children also held sticks, practicing their writing on the earth. The village conditions were simple; they couldn't afford brushes, ink, paper, or inkstones, so they had to write on the ground.

As Wang Ruyan taught the village women and children how to raise silkworms and weave cloth, their incomes improved, and the villagers' lives became better. Consequently, more children came to learn to read and write.

"Teacher, I'm done writing. Please take a look," said a well-featured, taller boy dressed in coarse cloth. This was Li Qingshu, Li Hu's son. Wang Changsheng had helped choose his name.

Wang Changsheng walked over, nodded, and praised him, "Excellent. Keep up the good work. Everyone else should learn from Qingshu."

"Yes, Teacher," the children chorused, continuing to write on the ground with their sticks.

"Oh no! Something terrible has happened! We encountered big cats!"

A panicked man's voice suddenly rang out. Wang Changsheng looked into the distance and saw Li Hu and several other villagers approaching him. Most of the villagers were injured, and Li Hu was unconscious, his clothes stained with blood.

As a cultivator, Wang Changsheng had excellent hearing, unlike the children, who heard nothing. "Continue writing slowly. I have something to attend to," Wang Changsheng instructed, then quickly departed.

Soon after, he reached Li Hu. There were several terrible bloodstains on Li Hu's left chest, staining his clothes, but the bleeding had already stopped.

"Where's Sun Ergou? Why don't I see him?" Wang Changsheng asked with a frown. He had grown familiar with these villagers and knew their names.

"Ergouzi was dragged away by a big cat! We encountered two of them; they suddenly sprang out. Elder Brother Li was also injured. Ergouzi was dragged away on the spot; he's probably dead. Scholar Wang, do you have any silver? We want to take Elder Brother Li to the town to see a doctor."

Wang Changsheng nodded, took out over a hundred copper coins, and gave them all to the villagers. Several villagers took Li Hu to town to find a doctor.

Wang Changsheng rushed into the deep mountains. In the tigers' lair, he found some bloody clothes but no trace of the villager.

"Roar!"

Two tigers pounced on Wang Changsheng, but a powerful spiritual pressure suddenly erupted from him. The tigers instantly collapsed to the ground, motionless, their internal organs shattered by the immense spiritual pressure.

Wang Changsheng sighed softly. In these seven years, too many similar incidents had occurred. The power of mortals was too insignificant. He had personally witnessed the birth, aging, illness, and death of mortals, and was deeply moved.

Seven days later, Sun Ergou's family held a funeral for him. His body couldn't be found, so they simply placed a few of his worn clothes in a makeshift burial site, digging a pit and burying them without even a coffin. Sun Ergou's son was forced to drop out of school, pick up a hoe, and start farming. With a frail grandmother and younger siblings at home, he had no choice but to shoulder the heavy burden of supporting his family.

Inside the thatched hut, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were conversing. Both were dressed in coarse cloth, looking so much like mortals that an outsider wouldn't have known otherwise.

"My dear, how long do you plan to stay here?" Wang Changsheng asked.

Wang Ruyan sighed. "Mortal life is not easy. I've experienced enough. We can leave now. Let's arrange for a few teachers to come for the children."

The next morning, when the children arrived for class, they found Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan gone. They read the letter Wang Changsheng had left, understanding that he had departed due to an urgent matter.

Seven days later, two teachers arrived in Li Family Village and continued teaching the children to read and write. As time passed, the villagers gradually forgot about Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan.