Infinite Save: I Cultivate Immortality Through Reincarnation - Chapter 319: Life Has No Beginning Day, Death Has No Final End

Just as Xing Zimo had said, the place remained, but the people were gone.

In the past, the Xing family’s influence in Yunyang City was a colossal entity. Even looking across the entire Jin’an Country, the Xing family was quite renowned.

Especially after the Xing family produced Xing Ziang, gaining a powerful backer in the Biqiu Sect, even the immortal cultivation families within Yunyang City showed deference to members of the Xing family.

Until the great mansion collapsed.

For martial families like the Xing family, and even for the entire city of Yunyang, the Biqiu Sect was an utterly unreachable existence.

Yet, this supremely lofty Biqiu Sect, from its sect leader down to the menial disciples, was exiled to the mines for fifty years of hard labor, all due to a few words from a Supervisor of the External Affairs Hall of a certain peak branch of the Star Heaven Sect.

The impact this had on the worldview of the Xing family was simply too immense.

Afterwards, within Jin’an Country, the nobles and powerful figures who had originally been optimistic about the Xing family’s development withdrew their previous investments and commitments to the family.

And the various immortal cultivation families within Yunyang City also distanced themselves from the Xing family one after another.

Although Xing Ziang was an Upper Immortal at the Qi Circulation Realm,

just the few major immortal cultivation families in Yunyang City alone could muster over ten Qi Circulation Realm cultivators combined.

What the immortal cultivation families and the royal nobles had originally been optimistic about was Xing Ziang’s potential to break through to the Martial Spring Realm, and even to gain considerable influence within the Biqiu Sect itself.

But now, there were still nearly forty years before Xing Ziang would finish his labor sentence and regain his freedom from the Star Heaven Sect’s mines.

The cultivation world within Jin’an Country had completely changed. An immortal cultivation sect called the Setting Sun Sword Manor had completely replaced the former position of the Biqiu Sect, becoming the most powerful immortal cultivation faction within Jin’an Country.

The manor’s lord was a mid-stage Qi Sea Realm swordsman. It was rumored he was originally a Protector of a sword pavilion in a top-tier sect from the western region of the Chenping Continent, who later left his sect for various reasons and traveled alone to the Southern Region of the Chenping Continent.

Rumor had it he was suppressed due to internal strife within his sect, and later accidentally killed a colleague during a dispute, leading to his defection.

But these were just baseless rumors.

In the current situation, the Biqiu Sect could be said to have completely perished. At best, when Xing Ziang finishes his labor sentence, he will merely be a slightly stronger Qi Circulation Realm cultivator, unable to fulfill any of his former potential.

If Xing Ziang returns to the Xing Mansion in the future, he might even face targeting from the other immortal cultivation families in Yunyang City.

Because the pie in Yunyang City is only so big. One more person sharing the pie means the portions others get to eat become smaller.

Of course, all this is still talk of the future.

Judging by the current situation within the Xing Mansion, in forty years, there might not even be a Xing family left in this part of Yunyang City.

“You’re right. In recent years, I often think of one person.”

Xing Zimo said with an ugly, bitter smile:

“His name was Yan Chen. He was a youth picked up outside the city by an instructor of my Xing family, about my age. He later also joined the Biqiu Sect. Honestly, at the very beginning, though I never said it out loud, I was jealous. I was jealous of both of them—not just Yan Chen, but also my cousin who joined the Biqiu Sect.

“Even when I heard about the Biqiu Sect’s disaster, my first reaction was actually a slight sense of schadenfreude. Hah, how utterly foolish.

“Later, I heard Yan Chen died. He died in a cave-in, reportedly even to protect my Xing family’s boxing manual… Immortal Master, I have a question I’d like to ask you.”

Chen Yan looked at the bitter face before him, which had long lost the youthful spirit of years past:

“What question?”

“Whether they are immortals or mortals, what is the purpose of anyone walking this mortal world?”

Xing Zimo asked.

What is the purpose of living.

In this world, there is almost nothing more absurd than asking Chen Yan this question.

“For you and me, it holds no meaning.”

Chen Yan said:

“Life has no beginning day, death has no final end. That is all.”

“Is that so?”

Xing Zimo gave a miserable smile, then bowed once more in Chen Yan’s direction:

“Thank you, Immortal Master, for resolving my confusion.”

“So, why exactly has the Xing family fallen to such a state today?”

Chen Yan asked.

Even if they lost the backing and confidence provided by having two Biqiu Sect disciples, Xing Ziang and Yan Chen, with the Xing family’s accumulated foundation, they shouldn’t have fallen to such a state.

“Immortal Master sees clearly.”

Xing Zimo sighed, then continued:

“When the wall collapses, everyone pushes it. That is the natural order. The nobles withdrew their investments, the families distanced themselves. The Xing family accepted all that. Without the support of an immortal sect, we settled down and continued running our martial arts school. Relying on the Xing family’s original businesses and martial arts skills, we could have survived.

“But after our grandfather fell ill and never recovered, authority within the clan fell to my second uncle. My second uncle had two fine sons—one serving as a military officer in the court, the other being my cousin who joined the Biqiu Sect. Therefore, it was only natural for the clan to entrust great authority to my second uncle.

“Yet, who could have foreseen that my eldest uncle would dare, after our grandfather’s death from illness, to attempt to split the family and establish his own branch?

“The entire Xing family fell into complete chaos. By the time everything settled down, the Xing family was already at the end of its strength, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, embarking on a downward spiral where each day was worse than the last.”

External factors were merely the trigger, while internal factors were the fundamental cause that led the Xing family to its current state.

“The world is ever-changing.”

Chen Yan said softly:

“So, where are you headed now?”

“To Jianghe Tower, to meet the third young master of the Duan family.”

Xing Zimo said.

Jianghe Tower, a familiar place.

Back then, Chen Yan had accompanied Xing Zimo to Jianghe Tower to meet Duan Ruijie, the second young master of the Duan family.

But this second young master of the Duan family, just like the others, is now mining in the Star Heaven Sect’s mines alongside the many Biqiu Sect disciples.

“The Duan family, is that the immortal cultivation family in Yunyang City?”

Chen Yan asked, already knowing the answer.

“That’s correct.”

Xing Zimo replied:

“The Duan family’s Second Young Master Duan was on good terms with me in the past. Therefore, the Duan family entrusted us with managing one of their establishments in the northern part of the city, with profits split sixty-forty. Our Xing family gets forty percent. But last month, we didn’t receive our due share. So, going to Jianghe Tower today is precisely to discuss this matter with the Duan family’s third young master.”

As he said this, Xing Zimo’s face showed worry. The forty percent profit from the north city was now the lifeline sustaining the already declined Xing family.

“The Duan family’s second young master, is that Duan Ruijie?”

Chen Yan asked again.

Xing Zimo was slightly taken aback, then his eyes lit up:

“That’s right! Does the Immortal Master know Second Young Master Duan?”

“We do have some connection.”

Chen Yan said:

“Since fate has brought us together, I shall accompany you to Jianghe Tower. With me, an acquaintance of Second Young Master Duan, speaking on your behalf, matters might be easier to handle.”

Hearing this, Xing Zimo could barely contain his excitement. He fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing deeply towards Chen Yan:

“I offer my deepest gratitude for the Immortal Master’s great kindness!”