A delicate figure suddenly darted in. Before Mo Qi could react, she leaped onto him, her legs clamping around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder. "Brother, you've really returned. I knew you would. I missed you so much, Brother."
Mo Qi felt her tears dampen his shoulder and a wave of tenderness washed over him. He gently patted her shoulder. "Zhenzhen, I missed you too."
Mo Yun also pushed through the crowd, tears glistening in his eyes. "This child, get down quickly. You're a grown girl, what kind of behavior is this?"
"Ah, it's nothing," someone chimed in. "They're siblings reunited after a long separation, it's only natural. No one will gossip."
The speaker was Aunt Zhang, and everyone cast suspicious glances her way.
Aunt Zhang immediately met their gazes, retorting, "What? You don't believe me? My character has always been such that I never spread gossip."
"Yes, we believe you." The crowd had no choice but to concede.
Mo Zhenzhen reluctantly slid off Mo Qi, her head still resting on his shoulder. "Brother, you won't leave again this time, will you?"
Mo Yun stepped forward and pulled Mo Zhenzhen away. "This child doesn't understand. How could your brother not leave? He seeks immortality and protects the common people. What future is there for him in Fengxi Village?" He then looked at Mo Qi, saying with immense emotion, "Child, cultivating immortality must be difficult. You've lost weight. Eat more."
Mo Qi smiled and scratched his head. "It's not that difficult."
At this moment, Jin Dan's parents also pushed their way through. The three embraced and wept. After crying and wiping their tears, they asked Jin Dan, "You've been cultivating for so long, have you gotten any elixirs, the kind that grant eternal life?"
Jin Dan glanced at Mo Qi, a look of difficulty on his face. He couldn't produce such an elixir himself and had to rely on Mo Qi.
Mo Qi surveyed the people present and felt that the elixirs he had brought were sufficient. He announced loudly, "There are no elixirs for eternal life, but I have elixirs that prolong life and extend lifespan. After taking them, you won't get sick, and your lifespan will increase considerably."
"How old will one live after taking it?" Aunt Zhang asked. She never believed in elixirs or spiritual medicines, viewing them as scams by itinerant sorcerers.
"Living past a hundred years should be no problem at all," Mo Qi said with complete confidence.
Aunt Zhang snorted lightly, a look of "you can't fool me" on her face.
Mo Qi first gave one to Mo Yun and Mo Zhenzhen each. Without a word, they swallowed them.
Then Mo Qi distributed them one by one. Some people took them but dared not eat them, while others didn't even extend their hands, refusing them outright, just like Aunt Zhang.
At this moment, Mo Qi spotted a young man leaning on a cane in the crowd. Upon closer inspection, it was Gou'er. His hair was disheveled, his face was dejected, and his eyes were vacant. When he saw Mo Qi, he avoided his gaze and dared not speak.
He had injured his leg while working in the mine last year. After months of recuperation, he could basically get out of bed, but his foot still couldn't bear weight. The moment he stepped on it, it hurt. He could only go out with a cane, and he couldn't work anymore. He had lost faith in life.
Mo Qi walked up to him and offered him a healing elixir. "Try this, it might help you."
Gou'er took it, skeptical. He had taken such an elixir before, given by an itinerant sorcerer who had visited the village last time. He had even paid ten taels of silver for it, but it was like a small stone dropped into water, not even creating a ripple.
Encouraged by Mo Qi's firm gaze, he ate it anyway, deciding to take a shot in the dark.
However, within a few breaths, a miracle occurred. He felt a warm current flowing through his almost rusted leg, followed by a tingling sensation. Then, his entire leg felt noticeably stronger.
He tried stepping lightly on the ground, and to his surprise, it no longer hurt. He then stepped down with more force, and it still didn't hurt. He immediately threw his cane aside and began to run across the bridge, cheering, "This is too miraculous, too miraculous!"
Everyone watched, dumbfounded. Moments later, those who had elixirs in their hands unhesitatingly consumed them.
Aunt Zhang and others immediately rushed forward like madmen. "Quick, give me an elixir, I want to take one too."
Mo Qi then put on airs, tilting his head. "There's only one chance. To get an elixir now, you'll need to pay. One hundred taels of silver per pill."
Everyone was stunned. To be honest, wealth was insignificant compared to life. This elixir had miraculous effects, let alone one hundred taels of silver, even ten thousand taels of gold would be worth it.
However, they were all farmers, not bankers. Where would they get so much silver?
Thinking that they had been given this elixir for free just moments ago and had refused it, these people were filled with regret, almost going mad.
"My son-in-law, one hundred taels of silver per pill, give me a hundred pills." At some point, Steward Lu squeezed his way in, handing over a large stack of silver notes.
"Oh, it's Father-in-law," Mo Qi glanced at the silver notes, hesitated, then accepted them. "I can only give you one pill. I don't have many elixirs with me. If you buy them all, everyone else will go home empty-handed."
Steward Lu didn't hesitate at all. "One pill is fine, and here's all this silver. Anyway, we're all family."
Mo Qi gave him one elixir. Steward Lu took it and sighed. "Alas, you child are more promising than Xiao Yue."
Mo Qi smiled. "Father-in-law, there's no need to be formal. We're all family, so let's speak frankly."
Steward Lu sighed again. "You don't say, but I know what's going on. This matter is tricky. How about this, if she really won't comply, you can force yourself upon her. I approve of you doing so."
Everyone's jaws dropped, and they all looked at him as if he were a monster.
Steward Lu shrugged. "What? Is there something wrong with me marrying off my daughter?"
"No, no," everyone chimed in.
Mo Qi was torn between laughter and tears. "I'll try to find an opportunity next time."
At this moment, those who hadn't received elixirs were on the verge of tears. Some pleaded, "Can you make it a bit cheaper, Mo Qi? I watched you grow up. I even held you when you were little."
Mo Yun looked at the crestfallen faces and then at Mo Qi. "Qi'er, they are our neighbors. Don't charge them. Just give them as gifts."
Mo Qi looked at the growing crowd, feeling a bit of a headache. It wasn't that he cared about the money, but he genuinely didn't have enough elixirs left.
When there were fewer people at first, he distributed the elixirs he had and left on his cloud, and everything was peaceful.
But some people were unwilling to believe that luck would fall from the sky and hesitated, wasting precious time and causing the crowd to grow. Now, there were simply not enough elixirs to distribute.
"Alright," Mo Qi's eyes darted, "You all, line up if you are sixty years old or above."
As soon as he spoke, the elderly instantly formed a perfectly straight line. Their speed was a stark contrast to their usual shaky, one-step-at-a-time gait.
Mo Qi looked closely and saw Aunt Zhang standing in the line.
Everyone in the surrounding villages knew she was only in her fifties. Yet, she shamelessly stood in the line for those over sixty without batting an eye. The crowd collectively turned their gazes towards her, silently observing. Aunt Zhang felt uncomfortable under their stares and reluctantly stepped out of the line.
Mo Qi went down the line, distributing elixirs one by one. Coincidentally, as he handed out the last one, the elixirs were just gone.
Those who received elixirs thanked him profusely, some even wanting to kneel before him on the spot, but Mo Qi stopped them.
Steward Lu saw that others had received elixirs without paying a cent, and he harbored no resentment. He merely kept offering to sell elixirs for Mo Qi. Mo Qi said, "Father-in-law, please don't worry about selling elixirs. There's already a large team doing this. We are all family, and you'll have a share of the profits, so you don't need to worry."
Steward Lu was speechless, then invited Mo Qi to his home. "Xiao Yue's room has been empty. If you go, you can stay in her room directly."
Mo Qi chuckled mischievously, thinking how angry Lu Xiao Yue would be if he actually slept in her bed.
However, he politely declined, saying he wouldn't be staying overnight in Fengxi Village today and had to return to carry out his mission, to vanquish demons and protect the world.
Hearing this, Steward Lu was rendered speechless. He then took out a bracelet and handed it to Mo Qi. "This is a treasure passed down from my ancestors. It is not only priceless but is also said to be usable as a magical artifact. In the hands of us mortals, it is a waste of heaven's bounty, and Xiao Yue... is simply not worthy of possessing it. My son-in-law, I am giving it to you now, not only because we are family, but more importantly, because you are kind-hearted and have the common people in your heart. You deserve to possess it."
At this moment, Lu Xiao Yue, hiding in the shadows, felt a surge of emotions.
She thought that when she returned, it was quiet and no one paid her any attention, but when these two returned, they were greeted by crowds and throngs of people. This was the difference.
And she had only seen daughters who favored outsiders, but never a father who favored outsiders.
She felt strange, a peculiar mix of emotions.
Mo Qi looked at the bracelet and indeed felt a spiritual energy flowing from it. He glanced at it once and shook his head. "Father-in-law, this is too valuable. I cannot accept it. Please keep it for Xiao Yue."
Steward Lu insisted on handing it to Mo Qi, as if he wouldn't stop until it was given away.
Mo Qi, with no other choice, accepted it. He thought he would keep it for safekeeping and then give it to Lu Xiao Yue when he met her in the future. He naturally understood Steward Lu's intentions. He wanted to establish a connection through him, thereby keeping track of Lu Xiao Yue's whereabouts at all times.
Seeing that Mo Qi had accepted the bracelet, Steward Lu left with those who had received elixirs. Jin Dan was also led away by his parents.
However, a portion of the people who hadn't received elixirs still gazed longingly at Mo Qi, unwilling to leave. Aunt Zhang was among them.
Mo Qi smiled. "I really didn't bring many elixirs this time. Isn't it said that taking elixirs requires a predestined affinity?"
"Requires a damn affinity," Li Baitan from next door punched him. "You've only been gone a few years, don't give me that official talk. Back when your outhouse collapsed, you borrowed my toilet. Have you forgotten so quickly? I haven't forgotten. I tell you, I know every hair on your body, and I know exactly how high you can pee."
With someone taking the lead, others also rushed forward, throwing punches. "That's right, when your family had no meat to eat, I killed my own chicken and sent chicken meat to your house."
"You broke my roof with your slingshot and I haven't asked for compensation yet."
"When you and Jin Dan were roughhousing, you trampled on my crops and didn't compensate me."
"When you used to row boats, I went on your boat every day. How much silver did I give you?"
...
The punches landed on Mo Qi like tickles. Mo Qi didn't dodge, just covered his head and shouted, "Mortals are attacking an immortal! You will face heavenly retribution!"
Mo Yun held Mo Zhenzhen's hand and watched from outside the circle, smiling.
Lu Xiao Yue, hidden in the shadows, saw this scene. While shocked, she also seemed to understand something.