The He Family’s Secrets and a Fateful Encounter

He Suosi’s newfound mother wept for nearly half the night. Only in the latter half did she begin to speak intermittently, slowly revealing the general course of events to He Suosi.

It turned out that the He family, to which he belonged, was a minor clan in Zhi County, Ming Prefecture, within the Yan Kingdom. The current patriarch was none other than his father.

His father appeared strict, but in reality, he was weak and incompetent. As a result, the entire inner residence had fallen under the control of the First Madam.

The First Madam, having borne two sons, was initially quite pleased with herself. However, her husband had an affair during her pregnancy, leading to the arrival of Aunt Chen and, subsequently, He Suosi.

Naturally, the First Madam harbored deep resentment toward Aunt Chen, suppressing her at every turn. He Suosi’s father, turning a blind eye, took no stance on the matter.

Yet He Suosi was born remarkably intelligent, earning him the reputation of a child prodigy. This, ironically, elevated Aunt Chen’s living standards.

Initially, people naturally disbelieved such tales. However, the Xuanyang Immortal Sect quickly established itself in the mortal world, showcasing immortal arts and divine powers that appeared as miracles to ordinary people without spiritual energy.

Subsequently, disciples from the immortal sect emerged to recruit new students, declaring that the sect had no ulterior motives in taking on apprentices. Soon, aristocratic families began sending their children to the sect.

After just one year, half of them had indeed mastered immortal arts, while the other half simply lacked any talent whatsoever. Immortal arts were profound and mysterious; it was understandable that not everyone could cultivate them.

Despite only half succeeding, people flocked to the sect. Yet at that time, the Xuanyang Immortal Sect stopped recruiting, remaining quiet for a considerable period.

It wasn’t until this year that rumors suddenly spread again, stating that they were searching for a girl with an Eight Characters Three Wonders destiny, preferably one whose fate lacked water.

He Suosi matched all the criteria, save for one crucial detail: he was not a girl.

The He family initially felt regret, but unexpectedly, the Xuanyang Immortal Sect actually came knocking, adamantly declaring, “The He family certainly has such a girl!”

The entire He family fell into a panic. If the Immortal Master said there was one, how could they possibly claim otherwise? After searching high and low, they still concluded it must be He Suosi.

After a thorough discussion, they decided he should simply impersonate a girl and be sent to the sect.

Upon hearing this backstory, He Suosi felt utterly dismayed.

He had forgotten that he was supposed to be a pathetic, amnesiac five-year-old child and couldn’t help asking, “Did none of you ever consider what would happen if I were discovered?”

Aunt Chen sniffled and sobbed, seemingly oblivious to the absurdity of it all. “It… it was the First Madam who said that even if you got in, there was no guarantee you’d have the talent for cultivation. She said you might quickly be cast aside, so who would ever find out?”

He Suosi was rendered speechless.

It now seemed clear that the He family’s actions stemmed from a collective lack of sense. However, the situation with the Guangyu Immortal Sect—though operating under the alias of the Xuanyang Immortal Sect here, He Suosi knew perfectly well it was the Guangyu Immortal Sect—remained unclear.

He Suosi continued to comfort his mother until dawn. Being in a child’s body, he finally succumbed to exhaustion and drifted off to sleep.

He awoke abruptly, his eyes snapping open as the morning light fully illuminated the room.

The reason for his sudden awakening was that someone had yanked him from the bed.

Opening his eyes, he immediately tried to grab the hand clutching his collar. However, he forgot that he was now a small child.

Though he accurately gripped the assailant’s pulse point, it was utterly useless. At most, it merely caused a momentary numbness in the other party’s wrist, sending him tumbling back onto the bed.

Nevertheless, this counted as escaping their clutches. He Suosi immediately rolled off the bed and landed on the floor, not bothering to put on his socks and shoes as he leaned against the bedpost.

Only then did he look up at the intruder and see a child of about ten years old. Though fair-skinned and dressed like a young master, he was decidedly tall and robust.

The child’s face was contorted in anger, his left hand massaging his right wrist as he glared fiercely at He Suosi.

‘Who is this?’ He Suosi felt utterly bewildered.

At that moment, a scrawny, monkey-like figure poked out from behind the first child, declaring haughtily, “He Suosi, look what you’ve done! How dare you pinch Big Brother’s wrist?”

“…Big Brother was the one who grabbed my collar first, wasn’t he?”

However, He Suosi knew arguing was pointless. Recalling his current persona as a naive, slightly foolish child in the eyes of outsiders, he simply stared at them blankly, saying nothing.

He Sugui immediately chuckled, no longer bothered by the numb feeling in his wrist. He said gruffly, “Haha, a child prodigy? I think he’s just a fool. Suo Yan, quickly give our sister the gift we prepared.”

Suo Yan then took down the bundle from his back and shook it open, revealing a pink gauze dress. It was clear at a glance that this dress was not meant for a respectable woman; it was both revealing and exaggerated, with fabric that was almost transparent.

“Do you like it, little sister? We specially got it from Hexiang.”

He Suosi was so annoyed by being called “little sister” repeatedly that he wanted to roll his eyes. But as he watched them approach with the pink gauze dress, a more ominous premonition stirred within him.

Indeed, the so-called Big Brother quickly pinned him down, while the scrawny one started to strip him.

“Suosi, your brothers are here to help you change! Don’t struggle, haha!”

Outwardly, he trembled with rage.

He hadn’t intended to concern himself with such trivialities before, but now, a thought sparked in his mind: ‘You all just wait. Even if you’re long dead in the future, I will remember this.’

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt his body lighten, followed by a whooshing sound beside his ear, and then the thud of flesh striking flesh. He looked up.

A handsome, refined boy, his lips pressed tightly together and his face alight with fury, had just beaten Big Brother and the scrawny one out of the courtyard. His small body likely couldn’t support the weight of two children larger than himself, so after using their momentum to push them out, he stumbled back two steps.

In the sunlight, the boy’s cheeks, flushed crimson with anger, and the faint beads of sweat on his forehead imprinted themselves upon He Suosi’s vision.

He slammed the door shut, then turned around. His angry expression swiftly softened into one of gentle awkwardness. His gaze flickered over He Suosi before quickly darting to the ceiling. “Sis… sister, quickly put your clothes on. Once you’re dressed, I… I’ll help you beat them again.”

He Suosi burst into laughter. He truly wondered what kind of rumors Yuan Zhigong had heard to make him act this way toward him.

As he tidied his clothes, he asked, “What did they tell you about me?”

Yuan Zhigong paused, then quickly replied, “I don’t listen to them, but Father told me I had to treat you well.”

This time, it was He Suosi’s turn to be stunned.

The words carried significant meaning, and combined with Yuan Zhigong’s own interpretations during the relaying process, He Suosi couldn’t immediately decipher their true intent.

So he simply finished tidying his clothes, stood up, and said, “Thank you, little brother. I’m all right now.”

Seeing Yuan Zhigong remain silent, He Suosi added, “Didn’t they say the Immortal Master left yesterday? Why are you still here, little brother?”

Yuan Zhigong replied earnestly, “Father has his own matters, and I have mine.”

As he spoke, his expression was serious and solemn, as if he truly had some incredibly important business. He Suosi couldn’t help wanting to laugh again. It was clear that children indeed possessed their own charm; if the Yuan Zhigong of three millennia later had said the same thing, he would have only found it pretentious.

At that moment, the door suddenly burst open, and Aunt Chen rushed in like a gust of wind. She immediately embraced He Suosi. “Suosi, are you all right?”

He Suosi, feeling uncomfortable in the tight hug, coughed a few times. “Little brother saved me.” ‘But you’re about to choke me to death.’

Only then did Aunt Chen notice Yuan Zhigong, instantly becoming awestruck. “Little Immortal Master, why are you here?”

Yuan Zhigong instantly turned and left with a cold expression. However, judging by his stiff gait, He Suosi concluded that he was merely too embarrassed to speak with Aunt Chen.

He Suosi found it amusing. He realized that, fundamentally, the Yuan Zhigong of three millennia later and the seven-year-old Yuan Zhigong were no different.

After Yuan Zhigong left, He Suosi finally began to seriously consider the fact that his life in this He family was probably not going to be easy.

Although he only had to endure for three days, his newfound mother would remain for much longer. Both from the perspective of karma and affection, He Suosi wished for Aunt Chen to live well.

Knowing that his future cultivation path would surely be smooth, he declared, “Mother, come with me to the immortal sect.”

Aunt Chen looked at him as if he were dreaming. “My son, I understand now that when one is under another’s roof, one must bow their head. I was wrong to urge you to fight before. Since you’ve accepted this matter now, I only ask that you learn some immortal arts and live freely.”

He Suosi thought: ‘She truly isn’t a cultivator. Cultivators spend thousands of years seeking freedom and ease, which is already incredibly difficult.’

But this was a mother’s concern for her son, and how could He Suosi not feel it? Given this, he felt an even stronger urge to find a way for Aunt Chen to leave with him.

Having slept late the previous night, both felt quite fatigued by noon. However, just as it was time for a meal, the maid from yesterday arrived again, haughty as usual. She declared, “The First Madam, out of pity and knowing that the young miss is leaving home, has specifically invited you to dine at the main table.”

Then, as if remembering something, she added, “The little Immortal Master is still here today. The First Madam specifically instructed that the young miss be dressed beautifully.”

This likely meant He Suosi was to wear female attire. Though indignant, He Suosi wouldn’t show it at this critical juncture. Coupled with his current persona as a simple-minded child, he merely sat aside, frowning and silent.

Aunt Chen agreed and led He Suosi into the room. She dressed him in a light green ruqun, then divided his hair into sections, tied a bun on top of his head, and bound the remaining strands into a short tail that draped over his shoulder, quickly creating an exquisite hanging bun.

He Suosi couldn’t help falling into a daze. He suddenly recalled that when he was in Pei Nishang’s body, he had also tied her hair into a bun, and it seemed even more intricate than Aunt Chen’s current style. He presumed she had practiced many times. A strange feeling welled up from the depths of his heart.

He suddenly realized that the reason he hadn’t panicked excessively since transmigrating, besides his firm belief that he would either succeed again or eventually return, might also be due to Yuan Zhigong, who made him feel he wasn’t without support.

He already knew that in the years to come, even when he was still weak, this boy, who wasn’t much stronger than him, would protect him and accompany him. One day they would become close friends, and another day they would part ways.

If everything was predetermined—was everything truly predetermined?

He Suosi frowned. He actually had a suspicion about this, but to verify it, he would need at least an opportune moment and the right person.