Longevity starts from having a daughter in old age

In the dank and dark cellar, a few slits of light seeped in through the wooden boards, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air. On the straw-laden floor, unidentified black bugs scurried aimlessly.

In one corner, several children—a mix of boys and girls, who appeared not to have reached the age of six, were huddled together, sharing what little warmth they could offer each other.

Squeak Squeak!

The sound of footsteps on the wooden boards above made Xing Wei’s heart pound. She quickly opened her eyes and looked up.

The next moment, the wooden board overhead was lifted, revealing a gap.

Before she could clearly see the figure above, a shadow was tossed into the cellar, landing with a thud. Then, the wooden board was replaced, shrouding the cellar in darkness again.

“What a terrible place,” grumbled a voice.

Xing Wei hurriedly looked down and discovered that the newcomer was a child dressed in silken clothes.

The child, with his exquisite features, was clearly born to a wealthy family. He rose and tried dusting off the dirt from his clothes. When he saw that it was futile, he briskly gave up, and after looking around, found a spot to casually sit down.

He then closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep.

Xing Wei was taken aback.

She had been in the cellar for more than ten days and had never seen anyone settled with such calm. The children who were thrown in before had usually wept for a long time until they had no more energy left to cry out.

Moreover, they usually arrived in a state of unconsciousness and didn’t wake until after many hours. How was it possible that this boy was awake as soon as he was thrown in?

Xing Wei, driven by curiosity, kept her eyes lingering on this boy. Time passed by slowly, and he didn’t stir.

“Could he have actually fallen asleep? That’s quite astonishing!”

Those who had been held captive for many days like her could only sleep when they were utterly exhausted. This boy, however, had only just arrived and could sleep as if he were in his own home.

Wait! Could it be that the fall had damaged his brain?

Xing Wei recalled another boy from a few days ago, who had landed headfirst and consequently suffered brain damage. He plonked down in one corner that night, fell asleep and never woke up again.

She cautiously moved closer to the boy, stretching out one hand to check if he was breathing.

The other children, noticing her actions, all turned their eyes towards her.

Surprisingly, the children seemed to demonstrate a stronger adaptability than the adults and had gradually become accustomed to the gloomy environment, their natural child-like curiosity reemerging.

Slap!

Just as Xing Wei nearly touched the boy, he suddenly extended his hand, clutching her wrist tightly.

“What’s your name?” The boy asked, a soft smile on his face.

“Eh? I, it’s… it’s Xing Wei!” Xing Wei answered instinctively.

She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip was too firm. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t take it back.

Not until the boy let go on his own accord.

A feeling of shock welled up inside Xing Wei. Even though the boy was younger than her, his strength was remarkable.

“How did you get caught? Where is your family?” The boy asked in a gentle voice.

His calm and soothing voice gave Xing Wei a fatherly sense of security, which put her at ease unknowingly.

“My father died, my mother went to work for others, leaving me at home alone. Someone knocked on the door, and when I opened it, I fainted. When I woke up, I was here,” Xing Wei answered honestly.

“What about you guys?” The boy then turned to the others.

The children, with their innate innocence, felt the boy’s warmth and friendliness. They quickly started sharing their stories one after another.

The boy provided some food and helped treat their wounds while sharing stories.

The atmosphere in the cellar, once filled with despair, was now filled with chatter and laughter.

About two days later, the cellar was opened again. But this time, no new child was dropped. Instead, a muscular man jumped down, lit an incense stick, and waved it around. The sweet scent rendered all the children unconscious. One by one, they were lifted and heaved out of the cellar.

When they regained consciousness, they found themselves in a cave on the outskirts of the marketplace.

Xing Wei slowly opened her eyes and saw the boy sitting on the ground, rubbing a stone in his hands.

“Xu Da, aren’t you scared?” Xing Wei approached him and asked.

Although she had little life experience, she was no stranger to terrifying stories about evil cultivators and demonic Dao who were rumored to kidnap children for alchemy, as narrated by her mother.

Back when they were in the marketplace, they had a glimmer of hope. But now that they had been taken to the mountain, it seemed like they were facing impending doom.

The children present were young, but they could vaguely understand this harsh reality. Fear gripped their hearts, their little faces were tensed, and many were reduced to tears again.

Even she herself felt that she might never see her mother again.

If there were a second chance, she would never open the door to a stranger.

However, from the very start, she didn’t see Xu Da show even the slightest hint of fear.

“Whether I’m scared or not, death seems inevitable. I might as well cheer up,” Xu Da answered with a smile.

“Hmm? That does make some sense!” Xing Wei nodded, her little head bobbing up and down.

Yet, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was amiss.

Three days passed in a blink of an eye, during which time a dull-looking female disciple delivered a Fasting Pill for everyone.

On this day, the same female disciple once again came in. She kicked the sleeping children awake and then led them out of the cave. After taking several turns, they finally arrived at a large underground hall.