5/13/26 A/N: My 12yo daughter used Canva for school, and I told her that authors sometimes use it for covers. One thing led to another, and I promised her that, if she made me one, I'd use it for a week on RR. See below. If you have any really nice things to say about it, I'll pass it along to her.
Yang Shen’s back ached as he bent to pick another weed from amongst the mustard greens. He definitely wasn’t getting any younger. At least with the fortuitous windfalls he’d experienced over the last few years, he didn’t fear that his family would starve when he could no longer work.
Since the day was warm and his bones were weary and, more importantly, he’d hired hands to do much of the most difficult labor, he decided to stop working an hour earlier than he would have just a few years prior, something he found himself doing more often as of late. He sighed. There was no help for getting old.
His oldest son, Yang Pengfei, was an adult himself with a wife and a newborn on the way. The couple had their own house on the opposite edge of the farm, and more and more Yang Shen thought about handing ownership over to the next generation.
Even Yang Gui, the younger of his two children, was almost an adult. He was courting a young lady in the village and planned to start his own small acreage.
Honestly, the farm was doing quite well, better than the one in Seventh Brilliant Rain Town had ever done. Between merchants finding his door with extravagant offers before he had a chance even to get to the market and remarkable crop yields, it was like the place was blessed by the heavens.
Yang Pengfei could buy the place in installments, which would fund his father’s retirement.
That wasn’t a bad plan, but what would he do with himself if he didn’t have chores to occupy him? He’d annoy his wife by hovering and his son by interfering. Maybe in a year or two when his age would slow him so much that he couldn’t work. At that point he’d just have to take up a hobby.
He chuckled. There were many times in his life when he didn’t think he’d survive until the next week, and now there he was considering what to do in his leisure time when he retired.
Life sure was funny sometimes.
After washing up, he eased into the house and snuck a kiss from his wife, Yang Xiurong, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
“Your back again?” she said.
He nodded.
She sighed. “You really should go to one of those healers in town. I hear their pills work wonders, and it’s free.”
All kinds of stories were coming out about the new facility and portal network that had been established about a year prior. Enough people he trusted had experienced the miracles first hand that he could no longer doubt it, but he honestly didn’t know what to think.
“Free except that it would take me a full day to walk there and another day back. Who would do my work?”
She gave him a flat stare that said, “You know good darn well that Peng’er and the hands can handle the place without you.”
He humphed, stalling really as he tried to come up with a proper reply. A knock on the door saved him from the necessity.
“Who do you reckon that could that be?” he said.
Their nearest neighbor lived over a mile away, and the farm definitely didn’t get many visitors, especially as it was getting on supper time. That late in the day, someone at the door usually meant trouble, be it a lost calf or a fire gotten out of control or something equally worrisome.
Rong’er obviously had the same thought as she stayed right behind him as he rushed to the door and opened it.
Three young people stood before him. A nice looking young lad and two equally nice looking young ladies, along with two children. Which was weird because the three adults all wore cultivator robes. Did cultivators normally travel with kids?
More importantly, what would cultivators want with him?
Whatever it was wasn’t likely to be good.
Yang Shen didn’t deal with people of such power and stature often, but he knew what to do. He cupped his hands and bowed low, a slight pain tugging at his aching back. “Greetings, Esteemed Cultivators. How may this lowly mortal assist you?”
The prettier of the two young ladies stepped forward, cupped her hands, and bowed even lower than he had. “Uncle Shen, how are you?”
Huh? Uncle Shen? Who?
His eyes went wide. “Xiu’er? Is that you? And Ru’er?”
They each nodded as Yang Shen stood there, stunned into silence.
“I thought… We thought… Heavens be blessed! You’re alive. Alive!” Rong’er rushed forward and threw her arms around Xiu’er, letting go only to embrace Yang Ru.
As happy Yang Shen was to see them returned hale and happy, he wasn’t sure how to react. Not only were the three of them wearing cultivator robes, but everything about the way they appeared screamed incredible wealth, from the cut of their clothes to the multiple rings they all wore.
His wife didn’t have the same issue, apparently deciding that kin was kin.
“And who is this young lady?” she said.
Yang Ru stepped forward. “Honored Aunt, Honored Uncle, may this lowly one present my wife, Yang Lin and children, Ting’er and Hong’er.”
The very respectful address—ludicrously more than a cultivator should use for a pair of mortal farmers, elder relatives or not—spoke volumes about how they wished to be treated. Rong’er obviously had the right of it. Not that he’d really doubted her.
She was already embracing their new niece and soon moved onto their new grandniece and grandnephew.
After introductions were finished, the young people were invited inside, and they all exchanged small talk until Rong’er finished serving tea.
“Cultivators, huh?” Yang Shen said finally.
The twins told a story that was almost too fantastic to believe, starting with being saved by a powerful cultivator who appeared out of nowhere just when the young master had caught up with them and continuing with being essentially being made the heirs of their sect.
“Wait,” Yang Shen said. “The Rising Tide Sect? Is it associated with that Rushing Waves Sect that’s been installing all those portal things?”
The three looked at each other and began laughing.
“That is us, Esteemed Uncle,” Yang Lin said. “We’re the Rushing Waves Sect.”
“But I thought you said…”
“What my lovely wife is trying to say is that the sect that is building the portal network is the Rising Tide Sect, which is our sect. We have formed a tight alliance with the other two factions on the continent to bring prosperity to all.”
If what he said was true—and Yang Ru was never much one for lying or bragging—Yang Shen’s niece and nephew had really come up in the world. They were probably two of the most important people on the continent.
Yang Shen cupped his hands. “Gratitude for the explanation.”
Rong’er had slipped off to finish up dinner, though listening as much as possible as the tale unfolded, and called all of them to the table. As he stood, though, the tricky muscle in his back caught, and he winced.
“Uncle!” Yang Xiu said. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Just getting old.”
A jade bottle appeared in her hand from nowhere.
No, not from nowhere. One of the rings she wore must have been a spatial treasure. Rich and important, indeed.
“Take one of these,” she said, holding out a pill.
Her tone brooked no disobedience. Even as her elder and with the deference they’d been showing him and Rong’er, it would have been the height of foolishness to disobey someone of her stature. He meekly accepted the pill and swallowed it.
Immediately, warmth spread through his body, and his aches and pains faded.
“That’s amazing,” he said. “Is that what they’ve been giving out at those blue pavilions.”
“Basically, Uncle,” Yang Xiu said. “These are slightly stronger as they’re refined by Master himself.”
After they’d all sat for dinner, Yang Lin said, “These lowly ones have discourteously intruded at dinner time. May we contribute something to the meal?”
There was maybe enough food for everyone if they rationed, but Rong’er would have to make something later for the field hands. As she was about to refuse, he spoke over her. “If you wish.”
He really didn’t want Rong’er to have to do even more work as she was getting just as up there in years as he was. Besides, he was kind of curious what they had available.
Yang Xiu grinned, and a large serving dish with a circular food about four inches tall appeared. “I’ve got dessert. Master calls this a cake. As long as you cut off about half of the icing, it’s amazing.”
Yang Shen’s newest niece conjured two small bowls, both still steaming, that she placed in front of the two little ones. “Apologies, but our children are on a special diet that Master developed. It supposed to make them grow up to be bigger, stronger, and healthier.”
Surprisingly, even Yang Ru had something to add as he first made a small table appear. An instant later, the top was absolutely covered by a single massive serving platter containing a roasted boar, which was still sizzling, that had an apple in its mouth.
“Why do you even have that?” Yang Lin said.
Her husband shrugged. “Never know when you might need to provide a feast for mortals. Best to be prepared. With the newest version of Master’s dimensional storage device, it’s not like I’m worried about having enough space.”
“I would like to meet this Master of yours,” Yang Shen said. “He deserves my thanks for looking after you two.”
“For all three of us,” Yang Xiu said excitedly.
She always was enthusiastic. Age had muted it somewhat, but he was glad to see that some of it remained.
“At least neither of us actually died.”
It turned out that Yang Ru’s wife had died. Literally. She remembered her soul leaving her body, and their master had drawn it back. How powerful did one have to be to do something like that?
His extended family was definitely no longer simple.
Eventually, though, the dinner ended, and it was time to find out the reason for the visit. As soon as they’d all settled in the other room, Yang Ru said, “Yang Xiu ousted Fang Bao. He is no longer the mayor of Seventh Brilliant Raven Town.”
That was to be expected, actually, given the power and wealth they’d displayed and the backing they’d so casually mentioned. The real surprise came next.
“We’d like you to be the new mayor, Uncle,” Yang Xiu said.
His objections were many and their answers even more plentiful. He was just a farmer. He would receive lessons, and the Emperor’s faction would provide a qualified assistant. It was dangerous since the guards were loyal to the old mayor. Cultivator guards would be provided—six recent graduates from The Tortoise Academy would be recruited and be supervised by Rising Tide Sect guards until the younger ones were fully trained and deemed faithful.
“That all seems like a lot of trouble and expense for an old man,” Yang Shen said.
“Not for family,” Yang Ru said.
And that was that.
The next surprise was almost as big—Yang Xiu made many jade slips and several beast cores appear. “Cultivation methods for you, Uncle, and you, Aunt. They’re easy to use and will make your healthier and extend you lifespan.”
“We can’t let you reveal sect secrets to us!” Yang Shen said.
Again, the three looked at each other and laughed.
“Don’t worry.” Yang Lin said “The only person in the entire sect higher in stature than your nephew and niece is Master, and we have his permission.”
“We also can offer our cousins a choice,” Yang Xiu said, “either cultivation methods like we gave you or actual membership in the sect. Keep in mind that we have tens of thousands of applicants yearly and only accept a few hundred.”
In a couple of hours, Yang Shen had went from a broken old farmer pulling weeds in a field to a future cultivator and Town Lord.
Life sure was funny sometimes.