Although Xu Lin had promised Zhang Gan before his death to use his body to clear the names of Xu Lin and his father, Xu Lin had never actually intended to do so. Zhang Gan was a brother who had accompanied him since childhood, and more than that, a friend. Though nominally a servant, the Xu Family had never truly treated him as one, allowing him to study and practice martial arts alongside Xu Lin, and often sleeping in the same bed when they were young. Therefore, it was impossible for Xu Lin to exploit Zhang Gan's corpse.
At that moment, Xu Fu walked over and said to Xu Lin, "Don't grieve anymore; the dead cannot be brought back to life. Let's find a good place for him so he can rest in peace!"
Xu Lin shook his head and replied, "Father, I don't want to leave Gan here by himself. I want to take him home."
Xu Fu persuaded him, "Liner, we can barely protect ourselves right now, and carrying him with us will cause too many inconveniences. Besides, it will take us several months to return to the city; there is no way we can travel directly with his corpse. When I followed the Qin Emperor to Hanzhong Commandery and met him back then, he had only a name, with no information regarding his ancestral home or relatives. Even if you take him back, you won't find a place for him, nor will you be able to help him trace his roots—where would you bury him? Instead of that, it is better to let him stay here. I see that the scenery here is quite pleasant, and it is a place of good geomancy that can bless him with wealth and prosperity in his next life."
Hearing his father's words, Xu Lin's gaze turned somewhat complex. He looked at Xu Fu, fell silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "Father, I was being willful and failed to think it through properly. Then let us cremate him first, and I will take his ashes back—would that be acceptable? I treat him as a brother, and even if he cannot enter our family's ancestral grounds, I will find another suitable place to bury him. I do not wish for my loved one to become a lonely, wandering ghost staying in this place all by himself."
Xu Fu continued to advise him, "Liner, it is not that your father is unfeeling; I also treated Zhang Gan as part of our own family, otherwise I would never have brought him home to grow up with you and enjoy treatment in the estate almost identical to your own—sometimes even your younger brothers and sisters didn't have it as good as him. However, our upcoming plan concerns our entire Xu Family, and I do not want you to be distracted. Carrying his ashes will inevitably cause you to look at the keepsake and think of the person, which at this critical juncture could prove fatal. This time, just listen to your father."
Listening to his father's words, Xu Lin understood that his father had his best interests at heart. He was about to argue further when another possibility crossed his mind, causing him to abandon the idea of arguing with his father. Xu Lin thought of a potential outcome: if they failed to solve the problem of the Immortal Pill, the Qin Emperor might well execute them directly upon their return to Xianyang, or even issue an immediate order to raid the Xu Family and execute all its members. By that time, let alone helping Zhang Gan, even he himself had no idea how to make the Qin Emperor believe that they had successfully brewed the Immortal Pill but simply couldn't bring it back. After pondering for a moment, Xu Lin agreed to his father's arrangement.
Looking at his son before him, Xu Fu was filled with emotion. He understood that Xu Lin was a person of deep sentiment and fierce loyalty, holding profound feelings for his family and friends, and this course of action fit his character. He sighed helplessly and said softly, "Good. As long as you can understand your father's intentions, that is enough."
After hearing his father's words, Xu Lin instructed the others to prepare for the cremation. An hour later, all preparations were complete, and Xu Lin, along with the other servants, placed Zhang Gan's body onto the high platform. Xu Lin personally ignited the cremation pyre. Watching the flames slowly devour Zhang Gan's body, Xu Lin did not put on the small-minded display of loud wailing and reluctant clinging; he simply stood silently there, tears streaming down his face without a sound, and only he himself knew what he was truly thinking.
When the fire had completely died out, Xu Lin still walked quietly to the ashes, gently picked up Zhang Gan's remains, and carefully placed them into a ceramic urn, which he then securely strapped to his back. Xu Lin went off alone to find a place with the best geomancy for Zhang Gan and dug a small pit. He slowly lowered the urn into the pit, silently filled it back in, and found a few rock fragments by the cliff in the distance to place on top of the grave. Facing the small tomb, he said, "Brother Gan, please forgive little Lin; I cannot take you back to Xianyang, and I do not know what will happen once we return there, so it is better to let you rest in peace here first. The geomancy here is the best in the vicinity, and I hope that in your next life you can find a good family, live in peace and safety, enjoy wealth and prosperity, and never experience these sufferings again."
Xu Lin stood silently beside Zhang Gan's tomb for a long time, until a servant came to his side. The servant said to him, "Eldest Young Master, the dead cannot be resurrected; please accept your grief and restrain your sorrow. Zhang Gan would not want to see you in such pain. You have stood here long enough, and you fought for so long earlier—go and rest for a while."
Without turning around, Xu Lin said to the servant, "All right, I know. I will stay with Brother Gan a little longer; you go down and rest."
Xu Lin stood there for another ten minutes or so, bowed deeply to the tomb, and then left.
He walked over to Xu Fu and said, "Father, let us discuss once more what we should do next!"
Xu Fu replied, "I have also been thinking for a while. We can try to brew the Immortal Pill one more time, but the missing medicinal ingredients still require us to go out and search for them again. There are about ten months left before the deadline the Qin Emperor gave us, and our return journey will take about six months, so we have roughly four months to search for the missing ingredients. This is also our final chance. You know the medicinal ingredients needed for the Immortal Pill as well, so this time we must split into two separate paths. You and I will each lead a team to search in two different directions, and we will also divide the young boys and girls equally between us."
Hearing his father's words, Xu Lin also felt it was feasible. He nodded heavily and said to Xu Fu, "Yes, Father. Your son will definitely not fail this mission!"
Having discussed their countermeasures, the father and son descended the mountain together with the rest of the Xu family members. They summoned the various leaders who had arrived with the fleet, including the head of the fleet, the leader of the boys and girls, and the head of logistics. Xu Father explained the background and sequence of events to these people in detail and laid out his own thoughts. He stated that due to the rebellion of General Li Xin, they had lost their defensive force. Although Liner possessed the ability to protect himself, he could not protect everyone. Therefore, this time when going out to search for materials, if they encountered pirates or people from other factions, they should avoid conflict as much as possible, prioritize forbearance, and use treasures to ensure their own safety. Xu Father emphasized that everyone must remember that safety comes first. Finally, he requested everyone to reasonably distribute personnel and supplies, make proper preparations, and set off tomorrow morning at the prompt time.
The people acknowledged the orders, dispersed one after another, and made their respective arrangements. Only Xu Lin and his father remained in the tent. Looking gravely at Xu Lin, Xu Fu spoke up, "Liner, on this trip, you must protect yourself well. Your own life and safety are the top priority."
Xu Lin hastily nodded in assent, saying, "Son understands. Father can rest assured; Son will definitely protect himself well."
Xu Fu nodded slightly and then urged, "Remember, no matter what situation you encounter, remain calm and do not act impulsively."
Xu Lin nodded once more to indicate he understood. Looking at Xu Fu with eyes full of concern, he said, "Father, you must also pay attention to safety and protect yourself well."
Xu Fu smiled, patted Xu Lin on the shoulder, and said, "Rest assured, Father will be careful. All right, it is getting late; go quickly and rest. We have to travel early tomorrow morning."
Xu Lin nodded and then withdrew.
Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tent, casting its light upon their faces. Xu Lin and Xu Fu opened their eyes at the same time, a trace of determination flashing within their gazes. They got up, washed up, dressed neatly, and walked out of the tent.
Looking at the people before him, Xu Fu spoke in a loud voice, "Our mission this time is difficult and dangerous, but I believe that as long as we are united as one, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome! There is no need to say any extra words; I wish you all a speedy completion of your mission and a safe return. Set off!"
At Xu Fu's command, the crowd walked toward their respective ships. The father and son exchanged a glance without excessive words and led their respective teams away, heading deep into the vast ocean.