```
Crack crack crack...
Suddenly, rust flakes began to fall off from the brass mirror, revealing a smooth surface; an entirely different scene was reflected within.
The mirror did not show Xu Xuan's face, but another world instead.
It seemed to be within the grass, where dew slid down slowly on the mirror's surface, insects crawled by, a gentle breeze blew, and leaves fell in a colorful array.
It was nighttime where Xu Xuan was, but daytime on the other side.
Given the moving image, this was not a painting but seemed to reflect a real scene.
"Can my hand pass through?"
He lightly touched the mirror surface with his index finger, and it did not pass through, but information was conveyed within his sea of consciousness.
Meanwhile, the mirror revealed Xu Xuan's appearance with a line of text underneath.
Name: Xu Xuan
Lifespan: 18/71
Cultivation Level: None
Cultivation Technique: None
Technique: Mount-breaking Blade Technique (Beginner 85%), Squatting Skill (Minor Achievement 25%).
"This..." Xu Xuan was beside himself with excitement. The mirror had finally responded—could it be that it had been lying dormant for eighteen years, absorbing enough of the world's essence to be activated?
Without getting carried away by excitement, Xu Xuan immediately digested the information from his sea of consciousness, at last drawing several conclusions.
First, the mirror had two sides, each residing in a different world; he held the main mirror, while the other was the secondary mirror.
Second, the mirror could reveal a person's essence—the information presented on the mirror.
Third, the mirror could transmit items, images, text, and sound.
Fourth, it could not transport other living creatures.
Fifth, the mirror was controlled by its host; it was one entity with two sides. If the mirror in the other world was destroyed, it could regenerate, and the new location was unpredictable.
Finally, Xu Xuan made a summary.
"It's somewhat useful, but it depends on luck," Xu Xuan said helplessly. It could only reflect his essence and not grant him exceptional advantages; it merely allowed him to see the results of his efforts.
As for making offerings and the like, that would have to wait until someone in the other world picked up the mirror.
"Let's rest for now. At least there's hope," he said.
A fighting spirit surged within Xu Xuan.
Everything is difficult at the beginning. Such wondrous events had occurred, and perhaps he really could step onto the path of cultivation.
Furthermore, the mirror was able to reflect his abilities.
The opportunity to see the rewards of hard work was an immense fortune in itself.
"From now on, this mirror shall be known as the Divine Copper Mirror."
The next day.
As the sun rose in the east, the morning glow dispelled the thin fog among the trees.
The young man stood in a horse stance, hands stretched out level, with a bucket of water hanging underneath.
Sweat soaked his back, and his body shook involuntarily.
Beside Xu Guangting, three other people were also present.
The elder Li Hu paced back and forth with an easy and natural demeanor.
By Li Hu's side was Xu Feng, who bore a resemblance to Xu Guangting.
"Xu Dazhuang, Xu Erzhuang, Xu Gousheng, as an old man grows older, you will take over Corpse Driving in the future, serving the Xu and Li Families with all your heart, and riches and honor won't be lacking for you," the elder said as he paced.
After half an incense stick had burned, the squatting training ended.
Everyone was exhausted.
Though Xu Xuan was tired, he felt his strength increase and was internally overjoyed.
Sitting in the shade under a tree to cool off, Xu Feng approached and laughed, "Big brother, you'll have to manage these people in the future. With your help, the Xu Family can flourish."
"Mhm, I definitely will," Xu Xuan replied with a gentle smile.
"Haha, with my brother and me together, what glory and riches can't we enjoy?"
Xu Feng laughed heartily, seemingly without a care.
However, Xu Xuan could see that this man was deeply scheming.
```
Throughout his life, this person was good at showing off while also enjoying the opportunity to subtly undercut him. Now, that he was certain Xu Xuan posed no threat to himself, he hypocritically talked about brotherly love.
Of course, this so-called brotherly love was nothing more than a ruse to make him do the life-risking work of smuggling salt.
Xu Xuan didn't care about these things, nor had any interest in the position of family head.
A sparrow cannot understand the ambitions of a swan.
"Big brother, I'll head back first."
"Take care, second brother."
As Xu Feng led people down the mountain and everyone else took a rest, Xu Xuan picked up his blade again and continued to chop and hack away.
After half a month of training, his blade technique had reached a level of minor achievement.
This was a purely technical skill; even at its peak, it was only good for taking on two or three thugs armed with sharp weapons.
However, in the age of cold weapons, it was still necessary to develop such combat skills, and in the future, should the opportunity arise, perhaps he could learn more advanced techniques from those martial arts sects.
Reaching the level of a sect leader, he should be able to take on ten or twenty unarmed soldiers armed with cold weapons.
In this era of cold weapons, as long as one wasn't trapped within an encirclement, one could basically be considered a strong individual.
In front of the wooden cabin, Li Hu lay in a rattan chair, nodding inwardly as he saw Xu Xuan's diligent practice.
"He's a good seed, what a pity."
A pity that he wasn't valued, having no money or power, he would spend his life just as a warrior.
Thud... thud...
The chopping of the blade against the tree continued relentlessly.
Practicing the blade was simple; the most important part was mastering the chopping technique.
Boom!
A tree with a diameter of one foot and two inches collapsed with a loud crash.
"Alright, take a rest, haste makes waste," Li Hu advised, pointing to the chair next to him.
Xu Xuan sat down without any formality, grabbing a water flask and taking large gulps.
Neither spoke, enjoying the gentle breeze that swept through the woods.
Li Hu's eyes were half-closed, as if he'd fallen asleep, with no visible movement of his chest.
Seeing this, Xu Xuan couldn't help but stretch out a finger to check his breathing.
"He's not dead yet."
Li Hu opened his murky eyes.
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward.
Li Hu didn't speak but went inside to bring out a small wooden table, upon which lay a thick stack of yellow paper, as well as various bottles and jars containing powders and white phosphorus soaked in wax oil.
Li Hu took a small brush, and Xu Xuan, with unspoken agreement, found an ink stone, poured out the powdered golden sore medicine from the bottle, mixed it with water, and spread it evenly.
Li Hu meticulously spread the powdered medicine onto the talisman paper.
"Pear Manor down the Mountain is where I usually stay; there are three rituals coming up. Join me for them."
Despite Li Hu's unkempt appearance, as a salt smuggler, he wasn't poor.
He had a principal business in Chenzhou City, making money the same way doing rituals, exorcising demons, healing illnesses, and he had quite a reputation in the city.
Otherwise, becoming rich overnight without a legitimate source of income, only a fool wouldn't realize where the money came from.
After a while, Xu Xuan changed the subject and asked, "Are there really immortals in this world?"
Li Hu scoffed and replied, "This old man has traveled far and wide for many years and has never seen an immortal."
"So all the old cultivators in temples and Daoist temples, as well as the historical legends, are they all fake?"
"I'm sixty-three years old, and there's someone down the mountain who claims to be a hundred and five. Do you believe it? Even though he doesn't look the part, most believe he has a technique to retain youth."
So-called centenarians often appear only in remote and poor regions or during chaotic times, with one common feature—record-keeping chaos.
One's age is thus determined by mere words, and when questioned why someone doesn't look like a hundred years old, it's attributed to a technique for preserving youth.
"Haha, I see. So, both the Chenzhou Talisman and corpse driving are fake, right?"
"Humph, not worth a glance, no better than this 'Ancient Tricks Compendium' I have."
With a snort, Li Hu proudly pulled out a booklet from his bosom, filled with all kinds of trickery: breathing fire, walking on oil, healing with talisman paper, ghost knocking, and more.
Thereafter, Xu Xuan practiced his blade technique while accompanying Li Hu down the mountain for their scheming—No, to perform rituals.
Except for smuggling, which he wasn't qualified to participate in, he became quite familiar with everything else.