Gu Xingzhao thought carefully. If Liu Xiangbai were really the kind of man who would divorce his wife and abandon his daughter just to have a son, his wife and daughter wouldn’t have come to see him off on the day of the exile.

She remembered that day, how they had even tried to slip some silver to the guards. And more importantly, Liu Xiangbai still wore a red string around his wrist, identical to the ones his wife and daughter wore. Despite his clothes being filthy, that string remained clean and securely tied, to the point that it had left a bruise on his wrist.

From these details, it was clear that Liu Xiangbai deeply loved his wife and daughter. He likely foresaw what was going to happen to his father. With no way to stop the inevitable, divorcing his wife was the best way to protect her and their child.

Understanding this, Gu Xingzhao was shaken by the sacrifice Liu Yushi had made.

Liu Xiangbai must have tried to dissuade his father from going to the palace. Liu Yushi would have known he might not make it out alive, but he still went, choosing to do what he believed was right…

Just like the old man in front of her, they were both people worthy of deep respect.

At this moment, an older member of the Liu family knelt before Du Hangwu, pleading, “Please, sir, could you bring the doctor back to check on our young master? Our family will surely repay this kindness in the future…”

Du Hangwu was irritated by the constant begging. He shoved the kneeling man away with a sneer, his voice dripping with disdain, “You’re nothing but a prisoner, yet you dare speak of the future?”

The man was knocked to the ground, and the others rushed to help him up. They stared at Du Hangwu with eyes full of anger, but fear kept them silent. The sight of the large sword by Du Hangwu’s side ensured that they didn’t dare voice their outrage.

Fed up, Du Hangwu stood up and walked outside to get some fresh air.

Lu Qing sighed inwardly. If that stubborn old man could see his son’s current state…

Gu Xingzhao suggested, “That Du fellow is keeping a close watch. I can’t help directly. If you have any of that medicine left, it might be worth trying on him. His symptoms are somewhat similar to yours from before.”

Lu Qing was momentarily stunned—was the ancestor suggesting saving him?

Gu Xingzhao continued, “If he dies, it would be tragic for his wife and daughter back in the capital.”

Thinking of her own parents, she felt a twinge of irony. It’s said that parents love their children deeply and make sacrifices for them, but unfortunately, she had never been that lucky.

Lu Qing called for Lu Xingyao and handed him a pill, instructing him to discreetly deliver it to the Liu family while Du Hangwu was still outside, “Tell them it’s for reducing the fever—don’t mention anything else.”

He knew they must avoid any further talk of the “divine punishment” that had rained down the previous night.

As Lu Qing gave his instructions, Lu Zhou, Lu Yang, and Lu Xingyan were all within earshot, listening intently.

Lu Xingyao felt a bit embarrassed about his outburst the night before. It had just been a moment of excitement—after all, it was their ancestor showing divine power, lightning and thunder and all. Who wouldn’t be thrilled to witness such a thing?

He nodded, “Don’t worry, Grandfather, I’ll be careful with my words.”

Lu Zhou, eyeing the unfamiliar pill, could no longer dismiss his father’s claims of ancestral intervention as mere hallucinations.

He nervously scanned the area, wondering if their ancestor was present right now. The thought of encountering a deity made him anxious—what would a god look like?

Unlike Lu Zhou, who was cautious and nervous, Lu Yang was visibly excited, his eyes sparkling as he tried to catch his brother’s attention. “Brother, look! There really is a god!”

When his older brother ignored him, he turned to his younger brother with enthusiasm, “Did you see that, brother? We have divine protection! When we get back on our feet, I’ll set up a shrine for you, and the gods will surely grant you a long life!”

Lu Xingyan remained silent.

Gu Xingzhao couldn’t help but laugh. “If you do, make sure to offer plenty of gold and jewels, or I might not be so inclined to protect you.”

Lu Qing was surprised—did their ancestor actually favor gold and jewels?

He had assumed all immortals were aloof beings, uninterested in worldly possessions.

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Gu Xingzhao awkwardly cleared her throat, “Well, even in the immortal realm, we can’t entirely avoid the mundane.”

Lu Xingyan, who had been quietly listening, made a mental note: the gods like gold and jewels.

Lu Qing, now curious, wondered what the immortal realm might look like… Would he ever have the chance to see it?

Gu Xingzhao smiled, “It’s not that different from here, really. We just have certain conveniences. For instance, the journey to the northern lands that would take you months, in our realm, you’d be there in just over an hour by plane.”

Lu Qing was shocked. “An hour? It would take us several months!”

Lu Xingyan muttered, “A plane?”

He understood—it must be similar to the mythical ability to ride the clouds.

Gu Xingzhao continued, “Cooking, for example, is much easier for us. We just need to move a hand, and the fire appears.”

Lu Qing was stunned. Lu Xingyan thought, “So, fire-controlling magic.”

Gu Xingzhao added, “Our homes can regulate temperature on their own, staying warm in the coldest winters and cool in the hottest summers.”

Lu Qing was dumbfounded. “What kind of paradise is this…?”

Gu Xingzhao went on, “We can also communicate with anyone at any time, no matter the distance, and even see each other’s faces.”

Lu Xingyan was amazed. “Could it be a magical device for sight and hearing over great distances?”

While Gu Xingzhao regaled Lu Qing with tales of modern life’s conveniences, Lu Xingyao had already delivered the medicine to the Liu family.

“My grandfather sent me with this medicine. He said it could help reduce Liu Gongzi’s fever.”

The elder in the Liu family, who had served Liu Yushi for many years, had tears in his eyes as he accepted the pill. Before Lu Xingyao could stop him, the old man dropped to his knees, “On behalf of our young master, I thank the former Chancellor!”

As he knelt, the rest of the Liu family followed suit, their tears falling freely.The road of exile had been filled with illness and injury, and medicine was scarce and precious. The Lu family, despite their own injuries, had shared not just hot soup but now medicine as well…

The elder quickly stood up, “Please rise. My grandfather is no longer a government official, so there’s no need to call him by that title.”

Realizing their mistake, the Liu family members quickly corrected themselves, but still attempted to kneel again.

“Please, all of you, rise. We’re in this together now. It’s only right that we help each other in times of need.”

Lu Qing actually felt a bit guilty. While he hadn’t intended for Liu Yushi to die, the man had perished partly because of him, and it had brought misfortune to the entire Liu family.

The Liu family wiped their tears and carefully fed the pill to the unconscious Liu Xiangbai.

Gu Xingzhao observed from the side. Ideally, Liu Xiangbai should be on an IV drip, but with so many people around, even secretly administering it would be difficult.

Lu Qing suddenly asked, “Ancestor, is Liu Xiangbai’s condition serious?”