In the end, Han Li slowly made his way into the village.
As soon as he stepped through the village entrance, he was greeted by the sounds of lively music drifting through the air. The familiar notes stirred something deep inside him. He continued along the small dirt road, but there was not a single villager in sight.
His heart skipped a beat as he realized what the scene before him was—this was clearly the celebration of a wedding. The villagers, young and old, had gathered to join in the festivities.
Han Li focused his spirit sense outward, and sure enough, all the villagers were clustered in one spot. That spot felt strangely familiar to him. It was his own home. Han Li's heart raced.
"Could it be…" he thought, an uneasy suspicion stirring within him.
He quickened his pace, weaving around a few houses and turning several corners. Suddenly, he saw a flash of light ahead.
In front of him was a large crowd of villagers, all gathered around a courtyard. Several well-maintained brick houses were visible inside the yard, with large red wedding characters posted on the doors. The courtyard was bustling with life—musicians were playing lively tunes, adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
The villagers, in groups of twos and threes, stood or sat, gossiping and laughing. Some were eagerly discussing the wedding, while others looked on with envy. Nearby, a group of children ran and played, adding even more cheer to the scene.
Seeing this familiar sight, Han Li felt a rush of emotions. It was as if he had been transported back to his childhood, joining the other children in their carefree games and laughter.
"Wow! The fourth daughter of the Han family is really lucky! I heard the groom is a scholar from the city. He's from a very prestigious family," one of the village women remarked.
"That's right! She was a concubine before, but now she's going to become a respectable scholar's wife!" another woman added.
"I heard Han family's dowry is enormous—dozens of taels of snow-white silver!"
"Such wealth!" someone else chimed in.
The chatter of the women snapped Han Li out of his reverie.
"The fourth daughter of the Han family... Could it be...?" Han Li's heart clenched as he stood there, feeling a mixture of confusion, excitement, and dread. He took cover behind a nearby large tree, his eyes fixed on the courtyard, not knowing what to expect next.
Suddenly, a loud cry broke through the air.
"The bridal sedan is here! The groom has come to take the bride!"
The crowd erupted in a flurry of excitement. The air was filled with the sounds of cheers and shouts.
"The bride's coming out!"
"The new wife is about to appear! Come see!"
Even the children joined in the excitement, shouting and running around.
Han Li's heart raced, and he eagerly looked toward the entrance of the courtyard. The heavy wooden doors creaked open, and out came a group of men and women, surrounding a young girl dressed in brilliant red wedding robes.
The girl had a delicate face, with a slightly pointed chin. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, and her expression was one of shy embarrassment.
Han Li's eyes widened as he examined her closely, trying to find a trace of his younger sister in her features.
Despite the faint sense of familiarity in her eyes, Han Li found it difficult to reconcile the girl before him with the younger sister he remembered. Time had changed her, as it had changed everyone.
"Ah, how true that saying is—'A girl changes a lot as she grows!'" Han Li muttered with a bitter smile, then shifted his gaze to the people standing beside her.
"That plump man is my third uncle. Can't mistake him, he's still as fat as ever!"
"The tall, burly man is my older brother, Han Tiezhu. The woman beside him must be his wife."
Han Li continued to mutter to himself, trying to ease the overwhelming emotions threatening to overtake him. But when his gaze fell on the elderly couple standing near the bride, his words faltered.
His heart stopped for a moment, his body frozen in place.
It was his parents.
They had aged far more than he had expected. His mother, who had once had thick, dark hair, now had strands of gray in her temples. His father, once upright and strong, now hunched slightly, his once-straight posture bowed with time.
Han Li stood motionless, his face a mix of joy, hesitation, and confusion. He had never anticipated seeing his parents so aged. He had left when he was so young, and in the blink of an eye, years had passed. Now, standing before him, they were no longer the vibrant figures from his childhood memory.
He silently stood there, unable to move, his mind a blur. The world around him seemed to fade away as he processed what he was seeing.
Before he knew it, the bride had been helped into a decorated wedding sedan, and the procession began to move away. A young scholar on a blue steed followed closely behind her.
Han Li stood frozen, his gaze lingering on the sedan before returning to his parents in the crowd. Slowly, he closed his eyes, imprinting their faces deep in his heart.
When he opened his eyes again, a new determination settled on his features. He turned and strode toward the village entrance with purpose.
He knew, without a doubt, that this was the last time he would see his family in this lifetime.
Since learning the ways of Changchun Gong and discovering the existence of immortals, Han Li had known that his path would be entirely different from the lives of ordinary people. No matter what the future held, whether it brought fortune or misfortune, he would never regret the choices he had made.
He had chosen his path, and now he would walk it to the end, no matter where it led.