Pei Du calmed down and looked through the books one by one. Most of these books were written before the Emperor Zhi Dao Da Sheng, and some were collected during the era of Wang Mang, before him.

The first volume was a story from the Sui Shu, which said that in the second year of Kai Huang, there was a child surnamed Xu in a village in Jiangnan. He lived in the village for more than ten years, and his appearance did not change. Suddenly, he disappeared and no one knew where he went. Thirty years later, a merchant from that village traveled to a place thousands of miles away and encountered a child who looked exactly like the missing Xu child.

However, after thirty years, the appearance of the Xu child remained the same, without any changes.

The merchant approached and asked, but the Xu child did not recognize him. The merchant thought that there really was such a thing as reincarnation.

The second volume tells a story from over seven hundred years ago. Someone was chopping firewood on the mountain and saw two people in red and white clothes playing chess by the road. He became fascinated and forgot to go home. After the red and white figures finished playing a game of chess, the woodcutter realized that the handle of his axe had turned to ashes.

The woodcutter stumbled back home, only to find that the village had completely changed. His parents, wife, and acquaintances had all passed away. There was only one young man surnamed Xu in the village who recognized him and told him that a hundred years had passed since he left.

The woodcutter looked at the young man, who looked the same as a hundred years ago and would still look the same a hundred years later, and was amazed. At this moment, the red and white figures appeared and took away the hundred-year-old young man.

The two figures said, "We almost caused trouble with our chess game."

Pei Du continued to flip through other books, and they all contained strange stories, often triggered by a youth with an unchanged appearance.

The more he read, the more shocked he became. Gradually, he came across ancient books from two thousand years ago, which even sporadically mentioned an immortal youth!

This immortal youth was even older than Pei's family history!

He appeared in the meteorite crater that destroyed Wang Mang's army, crawled out of the mass grave where books were burned and Confucian scholars were buried, appeared by the side of Meng Jiangnu who wept for the collapsed Great Wall, and even participated in the Battle of Changping. One of the forty thousand surrendered soldiers killed by Bai Qi was him!

He appeared in the corners of history, rarely attracting attention.

Pei Du scanned through all the ancient books, remaining silent for a long time.

The Pei family's collection of books was limited, and they did not have older books. Therefore, he did not know if this immortal youth would appear in even older records.

Some of these books had illustrations, while others were purely text. From the illustrations, the youth in the paintings did resemble Xu Ying to some extent, but it couldn't be confirmed.

"Master, these books are mostly unofficial historical anecdotes, and the events recorded may not be true, nor necessarily about the same youth."

Pei Jingting cautiously said, "An immortal youth who has lived from four to five thousand years ago until now, no one would believe such a thing if it were spoken."

Pei Du nodded lightly and said, "You're right. This person is not well-known, and his stories are not recorded in the true historical records. These anecdotes are mostly hearsay and should not be trusted."

Pei Jingting added, "Xu Ying may not necessarily be the immortal youth mentioned in the books. Although he has astonishing words and actions, he still has the temperament of a youth."

Pei Du nodded and said, "He often acts and speaks like an adult, but he still has the heart of a child."

Pei Jingting said, "He is extremely useful to our Pei family and should be cultivated."

Pei Du said, "Yes. He can decipher the cultivation techniques of Qi Refiners. Which prominent family wouldn't want to cultivate him? If all the prominent families have requests for him, our Pei family would become a target if we were to make a move against him."

Pei Jingting smiled and said, "I'm worried that my elder brother might have ulterior motives because of his longevity. Father implanted a piece of cursed flesh to prolong his own life until now without being devoured. What if there is a piece of immortal flesh without a curse? What if one can live forever like this?"

"Don't say it!"

Pei Du interrupted him, veins popping on his forehead, and said, "Don't say it! My Dao heart is not strong enough to resist all temptations! Jingting, you go down first. Instruct those disciples who are searching for books not to spread this matter!"

Pei Jingting respectfully complied and left.

Pei Du waved his hand, letting the maids also leave, and paced back and forth in the study. His gaze occasionally fell on the towering pile of books, his expression changing.

"To eat or not to eat?"

"Longevity, easily obtained for the first time. Should I take a bold step like my father, who is living worse than death? After all, my lifespan is almost depleted..."

Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang had been mingling outside all day and only returned when the sun set. As soon as they entered the house, they felt that something was not quite right. They saw a middle-aged beautiful woman accompanying an elderly lady with white hair, both standing there silently, looking at them.

Yuan Weiyang's smile froze on her face, and she lowered her head and walked over, softly saying, "Mother, Grandmother."

Xu Ying also hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects. The beautiful woman, who resembled Yuan Weiyang and Xu Ying, smiled and said, "No need for formalities. Mr. Xu, I have neglected you these past few days. Xiao Bo, accompany Mr. Xu to rest."

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Xiao Bo acknowledged and came forward to escort Xu Ying away. Xu Ying could only follow Xiao Bo, feeling uneasy in his heart.

In the following days, Xu Ying did not see Yuan Weiyang, but he did catch a glimpse of her a few times. When he asked about Yuan Weiyang, she said, "My younger sister was punished and put under house arrest because of her misbehavior."

Xu Ying felt very uneasy, but without Yuan Weiyang by his side, he could finally restrain his wandering thoughts and focus on deciphering the "Soul Refining Scripture."

After half a day, Xu Ying completed the deciphering and showed it to Yuan Weiyang. After reading it, Yuan Weiyang said in confusion, "This is a method for refining the soul and refining the divine soul, but it seems to be missing some content."

Xu Ying clapped his hands and laughed, "I also noticed that. I followed the scripture and speculated for a long time. The follow-up techniques should be crucial, the 'Calamity-Resisting Method'! I have come up with a way to repair it. Do you think this will work?"He picked up the pen and wrote a passage, making up for the shortcomings of the "Yuan Shen Du E Jing". After pondering for a while, Yuan Weiyang said, "There are still loopholes. With these modifications, we can avoid disasters with the Yuan Shen Du E."

He picked up the pen and made some changes. Xu Ying leaned in to take a look, nodded repeatedly, and said with a smile, "Let me try activating the technique first!"

The two of them tried to activate the Yuan Shen Du E Jing, but felt that something was not right, so they made further adjustments.

After the two of them completed the Yuan Shen Du E Jing, they each tried to practice it. In a short time, they were able to cultivate their souls. As for avoiding disasters, that would be something to consider after cultivating the Yuan Shen.

As a practitioner of the soul, Xu Ying's soul was not very powerful. Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang completed the Yuan Shen Du E Jing, and both of them felt that it was just a small effort. However, they did not realize the significance of this technique!

Xu Ying smiled and said, "I will go and give the Yuan Shen Du E Jing to Pei Xiang. He must have been waiting for a long time."

Yuan Weiyang hesitated for a moment and said, "Be careful when you go this time. Although Pei Xiang is generous, my Pei family is too big. I'm worried that others might harm you. I'll have Xiao Bo accompany you."

Xu Ying agreed and called for Da Zhong and Qi to go to the Pei Mansion with Xiao Bo.

After a while, the steward of the Pei family came to welcome them and invited Xu Ying to the study. Pei Du was already waiting there.

Xu Ying looked at him and saw that Pei Du's hair had turned white in the past few days, making him look several years older. He asked, "Is something bothering Pei Xiang?"

Pei Du smiled and said, "You can tell? I have been pondering over a major issue these past few days, and I can't make up my mind."

Xu Ying presented the deciphered "Yuan Shen Du E Jing" to him and returned the original scripture, saying, "Pei Xiang, please take a look."

Pei Du read it carefully, and after a while, he fully understood the "Yuan Shen Du E Jing". He said, "Thank you, Xu Xiaoyou. Xu Xiaoyou truly deserves to be the one who helped White Eyebrow Ancestor overcome the tribulation. The deciphered scripture is not as thorough as yours, even though the most talented disciples of my Pei family have been studying it for decades."

Xu Ying smiled and said, "This scripture is not complete."

Pei Du was shocked and exclaimed, "Not complete?"

Xu Ying took out another copy of the scripture from his sleeve and said with a smile, "After deciphering it, I realized that the scripture on the golden paper was not complete, so I completed it for you."

He didn't mention Yuan Weiyang, but he was worried that if others knew about her intelligence and talent, they might do something harmful to him.

"The original Yuan Shen Du E Jing only cultivates the soul and refines the Yuan Shen, but it lacks the method of avoiding disasters and overcoming tribulations. So I helped you complete it."

Xu Ying handed him the completed scripture and stretched lazily, saying, "If you cultivate according to the original scripture, your soul will indeed become powerful and your Yuan Shen will transcend, but you will still have difficulties in overcoming disasters. However, if you cultivate according to my revised method, there should be no major obstacles."

Pei Du quickly read through the revised scripture, and indeed, it contained many more mysteries than the previous version!

He couldn't help but be stunned, and after a moment, he smiled and said, "Xu Xiaoyou, please come this way."

He led Xu Ying to an inner room, where there were scrolls of ancient books spread out.

Pei Du smiled and said, "These past few days, I have been struggling with a decision, whether or not to harm Xu Xiaoyou."

Xu Ying was startled, and in his mind, Da Zhong panicked and said, "Stay calm! Even if I get seriously injured again, I will protect you and break out of the Pei Mansion! But Ayin, don't let them steal your blood and Qi on the 135th day, I need them too!"

Pei Du said, "Xu Xiaoyou, please take a look at these books first."

Xu Ying calmed down and approached to take a look one by one. His expression became more and more astonished, and he couldn't help but think of Xu Jiaping. Suddenly, his mind became muddled, and his head felt heavy.

Seeing this, Pei Du pressed his finger on Xu Ying's forehead and shouted, "Duo!"

With a clear shout, Xu Ying's scattered consciousness immediately became clear, and he was freed from the collapse of his consciousness.

Pei Du's sleeves fluttered as he paused his arms, and his fingers changed their gestures. He said, "Xu Xiaoyou, I will teach you a set of Guixin Seal techniques. If you encounter this situation again, you can heal yourself!"

Xu Ying followed him to learn the Guixin Seal techniques, and immediately felt that his senses became sharper, and the feeling of confusion in his mind dissipated a lot.

Xu Ying quickly thanked him, and Pei Du said seriously, "I have been practicing for half of my life, and I was almost trapped by greed a few days ago, which would have destroyed my cultivation. I should be the one thanking you. The Guixin Seal techniques are just a small skill, not worth mentioning."

Pei Du frowned slightly, feeling that calling Xu Ying "Xiaoyou" was not quite appropriate, so he changed his address and said, "Brother Xu, please finish reading first, and then we can discuss further."

Xu Ying continued to read and went through the folded parts of the books. He became lost in thought and suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "Pei Xiang, don't you think these immortal youths in the books are me? Hahaha!"

He laughed heartily.

Pei Du also laughed heartily, shaking his head and saying, "I don't think so either, after all, it's too absurd. But at the same time, I think it might be true. After all, Brother Xu is so young and yet can guide White Eyebrow Ancestor through the tribulation. This matter is also too absurd."

Xu Ying laughed heartily, tears streaming down his face. He wiped away the tears and said, "I don't know if my memories before the age of six are real, but I know that my memories after the age of six are real. So I don't know if I am the young man in these books!"

He laughed again.

Pei Du said, "Brother Xu, Guixin Seal techniques."

Xu Ying activated the Guixin Seal techniques, stabilizing his mind and calming down, saying, "Thank you, Pei Xiang."

Pei Du shook his head and said, "You have treated me sincerely. Not only did you willingly teach me the deciphered Yuan Shen Du E Jing, but you also made up for its shortcomings. If I can't treat this sincerity equally, then my Pei family would be unworthy of being a two-thousand-year-old prestigious family. Rest assured, my Pei family will keep this secret, and I will help you search for more books and find the mystery of your origin."

Xu Ying bowed and thanked him, and Pei Du returned the gesture, saying, "No need to be polite. If I can avoid the calamity of life and death in the future, it will all depend on your kind act today. I will study the Yuan Shen Du E Jing, so I cannot personally see you off. I will have Bihe accompany you."

Xu Ying followed the maid Bihe out of the study and walked towards the outside of the Pei Mansion.The Pei Mansion is quite large, as if it hides a thousand mountains and valleys. Xu Ying strolled along the way, enjoying the scenery.

Suddenly, he saw a place that seemed like a fairyland, and thought to himself, "It would be pleasant to enjoy rouge with Sister Ruxi there. Unfortunately, this is the Pei Mansion."

As he was thinking, several young men approached him. The leader, a young master, smiled and asked, "Are you Xu Ying, the snake catcher of the Xu family?"

Xu Ying stopped and nodded lightly, saying, "Yes, it's me."

The young master introduced himself, "I am Pei Jing from the Pei Mansion. Today, we are entertaining friends from the palace and would like you to accompany us."

Xu Ying smiled and replied, "I have no objections."

Pei Jing waved his hand, signaling for Bihe to leave, and led Xu Ying to a building by the lake. The lotus leaves were floating on the clear water.

Pei Jing and the other young masters took their seats, and Xu Ying was about to sit down when Pei Jing's expression turned cold and displeased. He said, "I asked you to accompany us, do you understand what that means? Do you have the right to sit? Why don't you bring out the snakes to entertain our friends from the palace? If they are pleased, I will reward you with some silver!"

Xu Ying was taken aback, silently stood up, and walked to the edge of the lake. He gently raised his hand and said, "Since you all want to see snakes, then please come out, Qiye."

A small snake with shimmering scales swam out from his collar and coiled around his finger.

Pei Jing and the others couldn't help but burst into laughter, pointing at Xu Ying and saying, "He really is a snake catcher, he does have snakes on him!"

Xu Ying smiled and said, "Qiye, let's dance together!"

He burst out with his elemental energy, offering up the small snake on his finger. Suddenly, a fierce and ancient aura filled the air. The small snake grew larger and larger, reaching a length of hundreds of feet, its massive body slowly swimming on the surface of the lake.

Xu Ying's sleeves danced, and the body of the large snake rose higher and higher, emitting a brilliant sword aura that flew around it.

The large snake roamed in the air, stirring up gusts of wind. It resembled a dragon or a python, with black and white horns on its head and a mane of hair on its back that fluttered in the wind like a dragon flag.

Xu Ying danced in front of the building, and suddenly, the large snake swooped down, its sword aura becoming more intense. In an instant, it arrived in front of the building!

Inside the building, Pei Jing's expression changed and he quickly stood up. The other young masters also hurriedly stood up, using all their cultivation to resist!

"Boom!" The entire building exploded, and the sword aura poured down. Everyone fell and flew into the water, in a sorry state!

Xu Ying laughed heartily, walked to the ruins of the building, and saw that the table was still intact, the feast undisturbed. He picked up a piece of meat and ate it, enjoying the taste. He lifted the wine jug and drank, saying with a smile, "I am a guest in your house, even Lord Xiang should be polite to me. What are you? Do you think you can humiliate me?"