We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

At midnight.

The rain had completely stopped, and inside the mountain god temple, apart from Song Yun's soft snoring, there was no other sound; the silence was terrifying.

"Strange, very strange." The square-faced middle-aged man listened to the smooth snoring and placed the knife within easy reach.

The campfire crackled and roared, casting a uniquely red glow on his face.

However, none of this affected his thoughts.

"Brother, what are you muttering about? Is there something strange?" Suddenly, a short, honest-looking man carrying a pile of firewood walked curiously in front of the square-faced middle-aged man.

"Nothing." The square-faced middle-aged man glanced at Tie Zhu, then at the other swordsmen who were each preoccupied with their own thoughts, and lowered his voice to say, "How's the Eight Steps of Catching Cicadas and Chasing Clouds that I had you practice before?"

The layout of the mountain god temple makes this clear.

Although the square-faced middle-aged man, Tie Zhu, and the other six heroes distanced themselves from Song Yun, they also maintained a certain distance within the small group.

Only the square-faced middle-aged man and Tie Zhu were closest to each other.

"Hehe." Tie Zhu chuckled, scratched his head, and said rather shyly, "I've almost memorized the footwork."

"That's good." Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man with a square face showed a relieved smile on his weathered face.

The middle-aged man with a square face was named Sun Siniu. He was originally from Liangzhou, from Wowo Township. His family was poor, and he could not afford to study. He was always hungry, so he chose to join the army.

I am determined to leave my hometown and return home in glory.

During his decades in the military, Sun Siniu experienced hundreds of battles, both large and small, with both victories and defeats. He also had the experience of being shot three times by arrows and miraculously crawling out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

I've seen more dead people than the average person has eaten salt.

However, as everyone knows, in the Song Dynasty, civil officials were valued more than military officers, and the military was used to using money to overpower opponents. For those who wanted to coast through life, the army was undoubtedly a good place to go.

But for those who aspire to leave their hometown and return home in glory, it is far too painful.

Even if one becomes a Xiantian martial artist, without money or connections, reaching the rank of centurion is the limit. If one wants to rise further, one can only sell oneself into slavery.

But how can one return home in fine clothes after being sold into slavery?
There was no hope of promotion, and the road ahead seemed predictable.

So, Sun Siniu gritted his teeth and gave up his hard-won centurion position, resigned from the army, and wanted to use his excellent skills, which were honed through countless battles, to return to his hometown and become a bodyguard.

They escorted goods for wealthy merchants and earned commissions.

However, things are impermanent.

Two days before Sun Siniu returned to Wowo Township, the township was robbed by bandits who came down from the mountain. When he returned, all that was left was a pile of broken walls and ruins.

After searching for two whole days, he finally found the eight-year-old Tiezhu, trembling with fear, in a cellar.

From then on, Tiezhu became his last remaining relative in this world.

What happened next became the final straw for Sun Siniu, because when he went to take revenge, he discovered that among the bandits who came down the mountain to plunder was actually the illegitimate son of the county magistrate.

This means that the bandits had secret connections with the county magistrate.

The county magistrate, for the sake of his career, raised a dangerous enemy, and Wowo Township was almost completely looted. He was also a victim of politics.

When the county magistrate learned of Sun Siniu's massacre of bandits, he turned white into black.

The slaughter of bandits turned into the slaughter of innocent refugees.

Therefore, he was wanted by the imperial court.

Thus, Sun Siniu gave up on finding a legitimate way to make a living while being wanted by the authorities. He traveled around with Tiezhu, killing the rich, helping the poor, and making friends with all sorts of people.

And just like that, another decade or so passed in a flash.

As time went by, and with the money he gained from robbing the rich to help the poor, Sun Siniu's kung fu skills improved rapidly, becoming increasingly profound, but the number of people who died at his hands also increased.

"Slaughter of a hundred men" is an understatement.

Several days ago, after hearing that a celestial being had appeared in Lin'an City, Sun Siniu rushed over from other cities to gather information and recruit soldiers.

After all, that's a destiny with the gods.

What good is a strong warrior?

A hundred years from now, we'll still be lying on the loess slopes.

The plump woman among them was named Ruhua, a woman as beautiful as a flower. She was a notorious flower thief with formidable external martial arts skills. Ordinary innate martial artists could hardly break through her defenses, hence she was also known as the Iron Balloon.

The other woman was named Liu Sanniang, and she was the owner of a cannibalistic inn.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together, and people flock together.

The other two were, of course, notorious wanted criminals on the imperial court's list.

The man in black was named Feng Bo'e, and was fierce and warlike; the other man was known in the martial arts world as Li Sandao because he only needed three slashes to kill.

These four wanted criminals, like Sun Siniu, were all late-stage Innate Realm masters, each possessing a unique skill, but none of them were adept at lightness skills.

Of the six, Tie Zhu was the weakest, only at the early stage of the Innate Realm.

"Big brother." Tie Zhu scratched his head, glanced around honestly, looked at Sun Siniu who was deep in thought, and asked softly the question that had been bothering him: "Why do you always make me practice lightness skills?"

"Because they run fast."

"Runs fast?" Tie Zhu was even more puzzled, but looking at Sun Siniu, who had already lay down on the straw mat and closed his eyes to pretend to sleep, he had no choice but to shut his mouth.

He added some firewood to the fire, then walked to a spot not far from Sun Siniu, sat cross-legged, and entered a state of internal energy cultivation.

This is his daily routine.

They replaced their daily sleep with qigong exercises.

The wind whistled through the hall, and after the heavy rain, the earth exuded a fragrant aroma. The moon also unveiled itself, lifting its black veil.

The moon is bright and the stars are numerous.

The once blazing campfire has now become weak.

A silence.

however.

"Mmm... gulp" The sound of swallowing saliva could be heard from time to time in the quiet mountain god temple. Ru Hua turned to the side, looking at the slender waist and graceful figure with fascination.

Her face flushed slightly, and her breathing became rapid.

"That's about right." Seeing that the time was ripe, Ru Hua took out a slightly yellow paper packet from her bosom. After opening it, she found a few grams of white powder inside.

Specially formulated bewitching powder.

An ordinary person would fall into a coma for a day and a night after inhaling just ten micrograms.

And this dose is lethal; even an ordinary innate martial artist would be unconscious for at least a dozen hours after ingesting it.

What's more, it's a seemingly ordinary, even somewhat frail, little mage?

but.

Ru Hua never imagined that the little mage would survive after being plucked; that's the ruthlessness of this flower thief.

This was also one of the reasons why he became a major wanted criminal by the imperial court.

After a brief moment of thought, Ru Hua finally put away the slightly yellow paper package. Apart from the little mage, everyone here was a wanted criminal by the imperial court.

No one would be foolish enough to report it to the authorities.

Compared to easily bewitching the little mage, Ru Hua preferred to hear his screams and his helpless expression.

“Hmph hum…”

As if she had already imagined that wonderful scene, Ruhua laughed like a fat pig eating, the scar on her face crawling like a centipede.

Upon seeing this, the rest of Liu Sanniang and the others felt a chill run down their spines.

It wasn't that they were afraid that Ru Hua would force herself on them, but rather that they were disgusted by her.

In the past, for safety reasons, Ru Hua would use a sleeping potion to knock out the men she was to seduce, and all the ordinary people who had seen her true face were already dead.

So no one outside would have guessed that Ru Hua was actually a womanizer with such a face.

As for why none of these people were asleep?
That's obviously because of a lack of trust between them.

Ru Hua cleared her throat and spat a mouthful of thick, brown phlegm onto the damp ground. Song Yun's snoring continued unabated, clearly indicating that he had entered a deep sleep.

And this perfectly reflects Ru Hua's feelings.

She licked her already moist lips as if no one else was around, her eyes gleaming with a hungry light, and while undressing, she quietly walked towards the handsome young Taoist priest.

There was not a sound.

As for the other three, Liu Sanniang, Li Sandao, and Feng Bo'e, they simply watched quietly, showing no intention of intervening.

"Hmm?" Upon hearing the sound, Tie Zhu immediately snapped out of his meditation state.

Although it was very dark inside the mountain god temple, for a martial artist who had spent years in the martial world, there was not much difference between night and day.

When Tie Zhu saw the bear-like figure approaching the young Taoist priest, he frowned slightly, looking at the nearly extinguished fire beside him.

He was about to get up when he suddenly felt his arm being firmly clamped by a warm pair of pliers.

Unable to move.

Tie Zhu subconsciously turned around and saw his elder brother, Sun Siniu, shaking his head at him in the dark. He understood the meaning in the other's eyes: Don't meddle in other people's business!

Seeing this, Tie Zhu glanced at Ru Hua, who was getting closer and closer to the little mage, and slumped to the ground as if he had lost all his strength and abilities.

"Eh~"

That's the way things are.

Sun Siniu looked at the dejected Tiezhu and shook his head in acknowledgment. He had once been a chivalrous swordsman, dreaming of traveling the world with his sword.

But that was ultimately just a dream.

For most people, there is an insurmountable gap between reality and dreams.

Without strength, influence, or background, yet still attempting to uphold justice, is no different from directly ingesting arsenic and seeking death.

"Huff! Huff... Closer, closer..."

As Ruhua got closer to the young sorcerer, she could see him more clearly: his skin was as white as cream, and his waist was slender...

All of this made her breathing heavier and heavier, with waves of heat spreading out as she tried her best to suppress the excitement in her heart.

The loose-fitting clothes had already been unbuttoned.

And far away.

Despite how offensive it was, Sun Siniu kept his eyes wide open, watching Song Yun's every move with meticulous attention.

But the result was very disappointing to him.

Because Ru Hua's fat, caterpillar-like fingers had already clung to the little monk's waist, but the latter's snoring continued, as if he hadn't noticed anything amiss.

This situation naturally caused Sun Siniu to frown deeply, and for a moment he even began to wonder if he had simply been dizzy and mistaken his vision. "Little Mage, sleep, sleep... *hmph*..."

The distance between Song Yun and Ru Hua was already very close; she could even see the fine white hairs on the other's body.

Closer, closer.

Ru Hua could almost feel the heat from Song Yun's panting.

Meanwhile, Sun Siniu, watching all this from a distance, looked on with disappointment, sighing and shaking his head, seemingly regretting his misjudgment.

however.

In that very instant.

Swish!
Just as everyone was feeling sorry for the little mage, a bright silver light suddenly flashed through the mountain god temple like lightning, cold and dazzling.

Song Yun stood up from the straw mat at some point. The silver blade of his sword vaguely reflected Ru Hua's broad face and her dull, terrified eyes.

A bright red hole appeared on her hard brow, and that was the cause of Ru Hua's death.

Fresh blood was gushing out from it.

The patterns on the bright blade had been filled with blood, making it look extremely eerie. The blood gathered at the tip of the sword and rolled down as tiny beads.

Along with the blood droplets, Ru Hua, known as the "steel balloon," also rolled down.

boom!
Ru Hua's large, several-hundred-pound body crashed to the ground, landing in the bonfire that had been reduced to ashes, sending up a cloud of ash.

All of a sudden.

As Ruhua collapsed, everyone remaining in the mountain god temple felt a chill run down their spines, their hair stood on end, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

It's the primal gene, hidden deep within all living beings, that fears death at work.

Song Yun appeared to be nothing more than a handsome but weak little mage. Faced with this scene, he should have been shaken and vomiting uncontrollably.

But his behavior was that of an executioner who was already used to killing.

"What should we do?" After the shock just now, Liu Sanniang's sleepiness was immediately swept away, and she became much more awake. She moved closer to Sun Siniu and Tiezhu by the fire.

When Feng Bo'e and Li Sandao saw Liu San Niang's little actions, they glanced at the young Taoist priest Song Yun not far away. The former excitedly revealed a mouthful of snow-white teeth.

The latter, following Liu Sanniang's example, moved closer to Sun Siniu.

This is an unconscious trust, and also a choice made out of helplessness.

Choose the best from the short ones.

"Try negotiating, give it a shot. As for you two, be prepared at any time." Sun Siniu's gaze was fixed on Song Yun opposite him. He shook his head and then made a hand gesture to the two of them.

Seeing this, Tie Zhu and Liu San Niang had no doubts and immediately took out their weapons, responding with their actions.

Although none of them saw when Song Yun made his move or when he stood up from the straw mat.

But after all, they were all wanted criminals by the imperial court, and their business was all about licking blood off the edge of a knife.

Moreover, there are currently four experts at the late stage of the Innate Realm here. Even an ordinary martial arts grandmaster would have a chance to contend with them if the four of them joined forces.

As for whether 'Song Yun' was possessed by an evil spirit.

Liu San Niang, Li San Dao, and the others had considered this possibility, but they all tacitly kept it to themselves, because not mentioning it meant it didn't exist.

If we bring it up, there will only be one outcome: everyone will scatter and go their separate ways.

Then they were defeated one by one by that evil spirit.

This is a taboo!

“Little mage, we mean no harm.” Sun Siniu glared at Feng Bo’e, who was eager to try his luck, then immediately smiled and stretched out his hands to show his sincerity.

however.

bass!
A sharp blade flashed past, drawing a warning line on the damp ground.

Sun Siniu stared at the seemingly motionless 'Song Yun', his steps suddenly halted, his pupils contracted, and a storm of emotions surged within him.

Because he didn't see clearly when or how Song Yun made his move.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Feng Bo'e, who was behind them, also put away the playful look in his eyes and became serious. He then moved his feet slightly and slowly approached Liu San Niang and the others.

He was fierce and warlike, but not stupid.

It's obvious that 'Song Yun' is not just an ordinary Taoist priest; he's playing dumb to outwit his opponent.

Sun Siniu's foot froze in mid-air, not daring to land. Behind him, Tiezhu, Liu Sanniang, and the others gripped their weapons tightly, as if only in this way could they find some solace.

As for 'Song Yun', he didn't make any move, but just stared coldly at Sun Siniu and the others.

It looked as if they were watching five pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

Time seemed to stand still in the mountain god temple in the dead of night.

After a long while, Song Yun finally sheathed his longsword, squatted down, picked up a pile of straw mats that were not yet stained with blood, and moved them to a corner of the mountain god temple.

Within seconds, the snoring resumed in the silent mountain temple.

Seeing this, Sun Siniu was filled with doubts and puzzled. What was going on? No matter how much he had traveled and seen, he had never encountered anything like this before.

Could it be that Song Yun was really possessed by an evil spirit?

But it doesn’t look like it.

Sun Siniu had seen martial artists possessed by evil spirits before.

However, Song Yun's appearance has not changed at all, and even his temperament and aura have not changed. This is not the behavior one should exhibit when possessed by an evil spirit.

Can't figure it out.

"Big brother, big brother." Just as Sun Siniu was wondering, he heard Tie Zhu's weak voice from behind. He turned around and looked.

Then he saw Liu San Niang waving at him.

"What?" Sun Siniu glanced at the warning tape on the ground, and his eyes immediately felt an unprecedented stinging sensation—the lingering sword energy. He withdrew his foot and turned to walk away.

"We've found a lead."

"I've got it." Liu Sanniang looked around, and after piquing everyone's curiosity, she whispered, "But I have a condition?"

"Conditions? What conditions?" Tie Zhu scratched his head, quite puzzled.

How did this get into conditions again?

Upon hearing this, Feng Bo'e and Li Sandao both frowned deeply, then looked at Sun Siniu as if they were telepathically connected.

Everyone here, including the recently deceased Ru Hua, knows who is truly in charge of this team.

“Conditions,” Sun Siniu said briefly.

"The condition is that after obtaining the divine favor, I must take the first step." Upon hearing this, Liu San Niang's face, which was covered by a black veil, immediately revealed a joyful smile.

"reason."

“If Song Yun truly is a dual-soul entity, I have a way to control him. You all saw it just now; if Song Yun could be killed cleanly and efficiently, what if he were to face the group of you and me?”

"Hmph." Upon hearing this, the fierce and warlike Feng Bo'e immediately let out a cold snort of dissatisfaction.

But all he could do was snort coldly.

As for anything else, I wouldn't dare.

Based on that sword energy just now, Feng Bo'e had no confidence whatsoever in dodging it without any preparation, let alone taking it head-on.

Even if they don't die, they'll be seriously injured.

Upon hearing this, Li Sandao pondered for a moment before finally looking at Sun Siniu.

The final decision was left to the latter.

“Okay.” Seeing that Li Sandao and Feng Bo were fighting silently, Sun Siniu immediately understood what they meant. He pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “It’s fine, but if this doesn’t work out, you’ll be last in line.”

“Okay,” Liu San Niang replied.

As the saying goes, wealth is found in danger.

Sun Siniu didn't understand just how strong Song Yun was in combat.

But he knew that these days, the number of martial arts heroes and wanted criminals coming to these mountains in search of immortality was not limited to their group.

There are many more, even more vicious people.

Originally, the six of them weren't very confident about the matter of the immortal destiny, but now, although they had lost a flower thief, if they could recruit Song Yun into their group...

That greatly increases the chances of success.

"Tell me in detail about the matter of one body with two souls." Sun Siniu looked at Liu Sanniang again, wanting to know more about this matter.

"Then you guys chat first," Feng Bo'e interjected at the opportune moment, "Brother Dao and I are going out for a walk."

After saying that, he beckoned to Li Sandao and then walked out.

……

"What do you want with me?" Li Sandao asked Feng Bo'e calmly as soon as he reached the outside of the mountain god temple.

"I wonder if Brother Li intends to make a quick buck?"

"Ok?"

"I think the chance to find immortality is slim. We've already lost one person before it even begins," Feng Bo said with a wicked smile. "Even if we find it, how can we protect it? And even if we do, how will it be our turn?"

"You've seen it yourself, Liu Sanniang is practically inseparable from those two guys now."

That guy, of course, refers to Sun Siniu.

Li Sandao fell silent, speechless.

"And I've gathered some inside information in Lin'an City," Feng Bo'e continued, seizing the opportunity.
"Among the constables, there was a newly appointed head constable named Shen Lian. He was incredibly generous, with at least several thousand taels of silver hidden in his home. He had been away from home for several days, presumably searching for immortality on this mountain, and died there."

"But……"

“I know what you’re worried about, Brother Li.” Feng Bo’e pressed down Li Sandao’s outstretched finger and continued, “This place is thousands of miles away from the capital. By the time the news reaches the capital, we’ll have already divided everything up…”

however.

Before Feng Bo'e could finish speaking, he became even more puzzled, because he noticed that Li Sandao's body had begun to tremble violently for no apparent reason.

He paused, then turned his head.

His vision was immediately filled with a face as angular as a sculpture. Shen Bailian met his gaze and gave him a mysterious smile.

"Are you...looking for me?" (End of Chapter)