Where should the Secret Mansion be set?
This world is too vast.
In his next life, Chen Sheng will be randomly reincarnated.
He doesn't know where he might end up in his next life.
Therefore,
This question has always puzzled Chen Sheng.
He once considered setting the Secret Mansion near Linglong Immortal City.
There are two reasons for this.
The first reason is that he will go there soon, so it can be done easily.
The second reason is that in his next life, no matter where he is, as long as he has the ability to travel far, he will go to Linglong.
To seek the Dao and also for revenge!
However,
Chen Sheng quickly abandoned this location.
"The Secret Mansion I set up is, after all, only the treasure of a Qi Cultivation Great Perfection cultivator."
"As my cultivation gradually increases, the usefulness of this Secret Mansion will gradually decrease."
"In my next life, when I have the ability to travel far and can safely reach Linglong, my strength will surely not be weak."
"By that time, this Secret Mansion will be just an added bonus."
"When do I need this Secret Mansion the most?"
"Without a doubt, it's in the early stages, at the beginning of the reincarnation!"
"At that time, my strength is low, and I urgently need resources to improve, so I need this Secret Mansion the most. It's like providing fuel in snowy weather, helping me rise rapidly."
"At this time, my own strength is weak, I don't have the ability to travel far. If the Secret Mansion is too far away, it will only be wishful thinking."
"In other words, the worse the environment I am in in the next life, the closer the Secret Mansion should be, the greater the help."
After clarifying his thoughts,
Chen Sheng quickly had an answer.
He took out a map and circled an area with an ink pen.
Soon, the location of the Secret Mansion was determined.
The promised land of the first life.
——Da Jing Yan Region.
"My descendants should be the most numerous in this area, and the probability of reincarnating here is relatively high."
"At the same time, this is the mundane world, a Land of Poor Spirits, with scarce cultivation resources, not even a Cultivation Dojo."
"If I reincarnate here, the demand for resources will be extremely high, so the Secret Mansion's role can be maximized."
"Finally, in the Land of Poor Spirits, the safety of the Secret Mansion is greatly increased, avoiding it being used by others."
...
After choosing the location, Chen Sheng started his journey.
The Yan Region is located between the Thousand Machines Workshop and Qinghua Sect, about twenty thousand miles away, with vast areas of the Land of Poor Spirits and several mundane countries along the way. The journey is long and not without danger.
To safely reach his destination, Chen Sheng traveled while eating and sleeping in the open, moving by night and resting by day, specifically choosing routes through uninhabited areas and steep mountains.
He could use a Magical Artifact to soar over cliffs and precipices. Roads that were difficult for ordinary people were easy paths for him.
The human heart is the most dangerous, avoiding interaction with people is the safest!
When hungry, he directly consumed a Grain Avoidance Pill, when thirsty, he used spells to gather water vapor from the air, and for personal hygiene, he used a small cleaning spell.
During this time, he occasionally used the Top Grade Magical Artifact 'Spirit Gazing Mirror' to observe the Spiritual Qi fluctuations within ten miles ahead, allowing Chen Sheng to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
When it was time to rest, Chen Sheng would conceal his aura and quickly establish a temporary cave with a Magical Artifact.
Then, holding an Array Disc, he would insert several inconspicuous Array Banners into the dense grass within a hundred feet radius. The banners were the same color as fallen leaves, setting up a simple array.
This array not only used the terrain to conceal aura but also served as an alarm. If anyone approached, the banners would move without wind.
After two months of exhausting travel, with no unexpected incidents occurring, Chen Sheng safely reached the Yan Region.
...
Yan City.
Looking at the familiar city tower, Chen Sheng's eyes showed a sign of joy, murmuring to himself:
"I've returned again!"
He walked into the city, taking a stroll around, learning a lot of news, and calculating in his heart.
"Now it's the seventh year of Taiping, and above that..."
"In total, it's been one hundred and fifty years!"
Chen Sheng slowly shook his head. Now, at one hundred years old, he thought to himself:
"It means that the interval between reincarnations is fifty years. However, after so many years, the city hasn't changed much."
Chen Sheng scanned his surroundings. As he walked, he saw many familiar streets, buildings, and shop signs.
Although most had been renovated in later years, they retained their original appearance, making him feel close.
The Prince Yan's Mansion also had not changed much.
Chen Sheng secretly used a Magical Artifact to observe, finding that he did not recognize any of the later generations in the mansion. He only saw familiar names on the wooden plaques in the ancestral hall of tributes.
"The changes after a hundred years, from dust to dust, truly things remain but people have changed!"
Chen Sheng sighed in his heart and unconsciously walked to the southeast corner.
He looked up at a familiar tavern—Drunken Immortal Inn.
Though the gold characters on the signboard had faded, they had been carefully repainted with gold lacquer. The plum tree in front of the tavern grew stout, with branches almost reaching the windows of the second floor.
Seeing this scene, Chen Sheng felt nostalgic, sighing deeply:
"I didn't expect the Drunken Immortal Inn to still be here!"
During his years in the martial world, he had become entangled with a female warrior from the Hundred Flavors Pavilion, a red-faced confidante.
This Drunken Immortal Inn was founded by that red beauty, its various delicious dishes specially tailored to suit his taste, so much so that Chen Sheng almost considered it his dining hall.
The plum tree in front was planted by Chen Sheng himself a hundred years ago, and now it stood robustly like a canopy.
"Would the old gentleman like to come in?"
Just then, the voice of the shop assistant rang out. Chen Sheng chuckled and stepped inside.
...
Near the window on the second floor, the shop assistant handed him a menu. As Chen Sheng looked at the menu, he noticed that it hadn't changed much from back then, stirring something in his heart. He ordered several of his favorite dishes from those days.
The shop assistant chuckled:
"It seems the old gentleman is an old patron, as all the dishes you ordered are the specialties of our shop. They say these were favorites of Prince Ren back in the day."
Chen Sheng nodded, indeed they were his favorites back then, and he couldn't help but laugh:
"I'm not an old patron, this is my first time in Yan City in this life. Since they're your specialties, please serve them quickly!"
Before long, a table full of delicious dishes was served, and Chen Sheng picked up a piece of 'Lotus Fish', brightening his eyes.
The taste was almost the same as in the old days, perfectly matching his palate, and he couldn't help but indulge.
...
After half an hour,
Chen Sheng leaned against the window, sipping wine, while the street outside became bustling.
He glanced out to see sixteen sturdy men carrying a tall statue parading along. The statue was dressed in a golden-embroidered red robe, exuding authority yet with a smile.
The procession was followed by dragon dancers and stilt performers, with the scales of the dragon costume glittering in the sunlight, and the stilt artists doing somersaults, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Chen Sheng quickly called over the shop assistant:
"What's going on outside?"
The shop assistant smiled and began:
"It's the old gentleman's first time in Yan, so you might not know. This is a Yan Country tradition—the Prince Ren Parade, held every year on the eighth day of the eighth month, which is Prince Ren's birthday."
"Prince Ren was benevolent, he was a king in life, a deity in death, now the local city god officially called 'Compassionate and Benevolent God of Prince Ren in Protecting Yan'."
"He's known for ensuring bountiful harvests and granting safe births, very efficacious."
The shop assistant continued telling tales of Prince Ren, like subduing flood dragons, eliminating evil spirits, praying for rain, and granting children—quite legendary.
In the end, the shop assistant concluded with a hint of pride:
"I think I am the thirteenth generation descendant of Prince Ren."
A neighboring guest laughed:
"Then you should call me grandpa, as I'm of the eleventh generation."
The shop assistant blushed slightly:
"That's not the way it works. Prince Ren had a hundred sons and thousand grandsons, spread over hundreds of branches, you're not from my line."
...
By the window.
Listening to the two arguing with reddened faces, Chen Sheng simply smiled gently, having heard enough from the shop assistant to know the identity of this Prince Ren.
It was precisely the Chen Sheng of a past life.
Though he hadn't slain flood dragons or expunged evil spirits, he had taken care of crocodiles and led men to eliminate the Phantom-faced Bandit. As for praying for rain and granting children, those were part of his duties.
Chen Sheng laughed to himself:
"Who would've thought, a hundred years later, I would become a deity, and for the sake of the Venerable's name, my youthful follies became tales of demon-slaying and magic-cleansing."
"Nevertheless, these people aren't at a disadvantage. After all, my bloodline is widespread in this Yan Region, and everyone is my offspring, so it's like they're honoring their ancestor!"