Video Editor

The next morning, before Fan Erniu's pork shop had even finished removing the door panels, a long queue of people had already formed to buy meat.

After all, everyone prefers freshly slaughtered pork, and getting up early to buy groceries has always been a favorite thing for the local residents.

Soon, in less than half an hour, the two large, fat pigs were completely devoured, leaving not even a single hair behind.

Fan Erniu wiped the oil off his hands while looking out at the street.

Squads of soldiers were seen herding ducks, arresting refugees all over the streets. Anyone who resisted was whipped and dragged to the frontier to serve as soldiers.

The fate of these refugees afterward was predictable, and the surrounding people sighed with sorrow.

"This world is really driving people to the brink of despair." Fan Erniu's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly remembered the important matter. "No, I have to hurry to the county government office to find Constable Wang and get my son-in-law's household registration permit processed."

Upon arriving at the back hall of the county government office, Chief Constable Wang greeted Fan Erniu with a beaming smile. He then pulled out a document stamped with a red seal from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying, "Erniu! You've come at the right time! I've paved the way for you. Take this travel permit; from now on, your son-in-law will be a law-abiding citizen, and no one will dare to investigate."

Fan Erniu thanked him profusely and casually took out a heavy silver ingot from his pocket, stuffing it into Officer Wang's hand: "Officer Wang, please accept this small token of my appreciation for your tea. I'm truly grateful for your help today."

Constable Wang weighed the silver in his hand, then put it in his pocket. The smile on his face faded slightly, and he sighed, saying earnestly, "Erniu! Take your travel permit and hurry back to live a peaceful life. The world is in complete chaos these days. We ordinary people don't ask for great wealth or status; we just want our families to be together and safe and sound. That's more important than anything else."

Upon hearing the words "chaos throughout the land" again, a fire ignited within Fan Erniu.

Thinking again of her son-in-law Su Ning's extraordinary abilities and ambitions, she gritted her teeth and thought: Peace and tranquility are not enough. How can we have peaceful days if we don't uproot the source of this chaos?
Today may seem safe, but the next moment we could be swept up in chaos.

After bidding farewell to Constable Wang, Fan Erniu returned home and handed over his household registration and travel permit to Su Ning.

Then, after packing his things, he pulled his wife, Meng Lihua, to leave.

"Father of my child, where are you rushing off to?" Meng Lihua asked as she tied her bundle.

"Let's go to Jizhou! Let's confront that old bastard He Jingyuan!" Fan Erniu thumped his chest, his eyes flashing with ruthlessness. "We can't live like this anymore, we need to change our way of life and do something big with our son-in-law!"

"Very well! The sooner the better! This is the time and place, the better."

After the two finished getting ready, just as they were about to leave, Su Ning came out of the house.

Su Ning looked at the two elders with a solemn expression, "Father, Mother, the journey to Jizhou is long and arduous, please be very careful."

Fan Erniu patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, son-in-law. Your mother and I were once top-notch fighters in the army. Ordinary mountain bandits can't get close to us. Who would dare to mess with us!"

Su Ning stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Father, Mother, you can go ahead. Let me tell you something: I will arrange for people to protect you in secret along the way. Even if He Jingyuan has bad intentions and tries to harm you when we get to Jizhou, I can guarantee that not a hair on your head will be missing. As long as I, Su Ning, live, no one will be able to lay a finger on you two."

Meng Lihua's eyes reddened, and she took Su Ning's hand: "Son-in-law! You must be careful at home and make sure to take good care of Changyu and Changning."

"Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing."

……

After seeing his parents off, Fan Changyu stood at the door, watching their departing figures, his heart filled with unease.

She suddenly turned her head and looked at Su Ning with a worried expression: "Husband, what exactly are Father and Mother going to do in Jizhou? Are they going to confront that high-ranking official? Will they be in danger?"

Su Ning walked over and gently put his arm around his wife's shoulder. "Changyu, our family may need to change our way of life."

"Change your way of life?" Fan Changyu was taken aback, not understanding. "What do you mean? Isn't selling pork a good job?"

Su Ning smiled and patted her head: "Don't worry, you'll find out soon. From now on, we won't have to be mindful of others' feelings or worry about being bullied."

Although Fan Changyu was still confused, seeing her husband's confident demeanor made her feel much more at ease.

Now, Fan Changyu's entire focus is on Su Ning, and the happiness in her eyes when she looks at Su Ning is undisguised.

……

After that, the pork shop continued to operate as usual.

Su Ning took the butcher knife from Fan Changyu and put her in charge of greeting customers and collecting money, while she tied on an apron and picked up the butcher knife herself.

This move left Fan Changyu and everyone around him dumbfounded.

Su Ning threw a freshly slaughtered, fat pig onto the chopping board. His manner was more like that of a general inspecting his soldiers than slaughtering a pig.

He took a deep breath, and his eyes instantly became incredibly sharp, as if he could see through every bone and every tendon under the pigskin.

"Watch closely, Changyu. Your husband isn't someone to be trifled with," Su Ning said in a low voice.

Before he finished speaking, Su Ning moved the knife in his hand.

That wasn't a "cut" or a "slash," but a bolt of silver lightning!

The flashes of the blades were so fast that they formed a continuous blur, making it impossible to see the trajectory of the blades. All that could be heard was a dense, rain-like "swish" sound.

Fan Changyu felt a blur before his eyes, and when he looked again, he was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.

That huge, fat pig, weighing several hundred pounds, was broken down into a neat pile of chunks of meat, ribs, and offal in the blink of an eye!

Each piece of meat was of uniform size, and each bone was clean and neatly removed, without a single piece of extra meat or bone fragments.

The ribs were cleaned so thoroughly that they were smooth enough to be used as a mirror; the pork belly was sliced ​​as thin as cicada wings, and when you looked through it, the layers of fat and lean meat were clearly visible, making it look like a fine work of art.

Even more astonishingly, when Suning made a single cut, the pigskin split in two on its own, the cut as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been measured and cut with a ruler.

"Husband...husband..." Fan Changyu's voice trembled, "You...you're slaughtering a pig or performing a magic trick? This...this is too..."

Just then, a plump middle-aged woman squeezed through. She was a well-known picky eater in town, nicknamed "Wang the Half-Jin" because she always said "half a jin is missing" when buying meat.

"Hey, Miss Fan, this meat looks pretty good today!" Wang Banjin squinted, looking the pork on the cutting board up and down. "But cut me two pounds of pork belly, and don't give me any fatty bits. I want the kind with just the right amount of fat and lean meat!"

Just as Fan Changyu was about to step forward, Su Ning stopped her with a smile: "Don't worry, ma'am, I guarantee you'll be satisfied with this meat!"

As he spoke, Su Ning picked up a piece of pork belly, and with a swift movement, the knife seemed to have eyes, precisely tracing the marbling between the fat and lean meat.

In the blink of an eye, two pounds of pork belly were sliced ​​into thin slices, each slice with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, so thin that light could pass through them.

"Auntie, please weigh it!" Su Ning said with a smile as she handed over the meat.

Wang Banjin took the meat, weighed it in his hand, and then looked at it closely. The picky expression on his face instantly turned into surprise: "Oh my! This...this meat is cut so beautifully! The fat and lean are just right, not too much or too little! Young man, your skills are amazing!"

A tall, thin old man also came over; he was the town's gourmet and the most discerning eater.

He picked up a piece of pork rib, examined it from all angles, and finally exclaimed, "Amazing! Absolutely amazing! I've slaughtered pigs my whole life, and I've never seen such skillful handling! This isn't just knife work! This is... this is... this is divine magic!"

"Uncle Li, you flatter me." Su Ning smiled modestly. "Look at these ribs, I've cleaned them thoroughly for you. When you take them home to make soup, I guarantee there won't be a trace of fishy smell!"

Li Yidao nodded, then picked up another pig's trotter: "Young man, you can clean this pig's trotter so well?"

"Watch closely!" Su Ning picked up the pig's trotter, and with a flash of the knife, the hair on the trotter was scraped off cleanly, without even breaking the skin.

"Good! Good! Good!" Li Yidao exclaimed three times. "Young man, your skills are far superior to those of your father-in-law, Fan Erniu! I, this old man, will have to learn from you in the future!"

"Uncle Li, you flatter me. Just call me Su Ning from now on."

"Haha, okay! From now on, I'll call you Su Ning."

The surrounding customers gathered around, chattering amongst themselves:

"Who is this young man? I've never seen him before!"

"I heard he's the son-in-law of the Fan family, I didn't expect his cooking skills to be so good!"

"Give me two pounds of lean meat, the tenderest kind!"

"I want a pound of pork ribs, the kind that's best for making soup!"

"I want half a pound of fresh pork liver!"

Suning greeted each customer with a smile, his knife moving with incredible speed and precision, cutting each piece of meat perfectly as if by magic.

"Sir, the lean meat you ordered, I cut for you tenderloin, the most tender part. Stir-fry it when you get home, I guarantee it will be fragrant and tender!"

"Ma'am, the ribs you ordered, I cut them into spare ribs. They're the best for making soup. Add some radish when you get home, and I guarantee your whole family will love it!"

"Young man, the pork liver you ordered is freshly cut. Take it home and stir-fry it; I guarantee it will be tender and smooth!"

The customers took the meat and all praised it highly:
"Young man, your skills are truly exceptional!"

"This meat is cut so beautifully, it will definitely taste even better when we cook it!"

"From now on, I'll only buy meat from your store!"

Fan Changyu was collecting the money when she looked at her husband's confident demeanor and then at the pile of perfectly cooked pork on the cutting board. She was both surprised and adoring, and secretly wondered: What kind of person is my husband?

This skill is probably even better than that of the imperial chefs in the palace!

Su Ning knew perfectly well that this exaggerated knife skill was just the tip of the iceberg of the extreme body control and precision he had honed in the dungeon world.

……

As soon as Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua left the territory of Lin'an Town, Su Ning's spirit silently enveloped them.

This divine soul is formless and intangible, like a transparent halo as thin as a cicada's wing, flowing not far from their bodies, neither obstructing their vision nor preventing them from perceiving any movement of the wind or grass within a ten-mile radius.

"Pear Blossom, what's in your bundle? Don't bring any useless baggage." Fan Erniu said, turning back to remind her as he walked, completely unaware that he was being protected by a divine soul.

“These are just provisions for the journey, and two jars of old wine for He Jingyuan. What do you know?” Meng Lihua rolled her eyes at him, but didn’t stop walking.

"I don't know if He Jingyuan is willing to take this risk with us?"

"Hmph! With Wei Yan's methods, he will definitely continue to coerce He Jingyuan. If he doesn't want to sit and wait for his death, he certainly won't refuse us."

“That’s true! If it weren’t for Wei Yan’s coercion, He Jingyuan probably wouldn’t have arranged for the bandits last time.”

Then, the couple continued on their journey.

Along the way, they encountered bandits who robbed travelers and stragglers who extorted tolls.

But every time danger was about to emerge, Su Ning's soul would give a warning in advance... Either it would turn into a wisp of cool breath and brush against Fan Erniu's nape, making him suddenly remember to take a detour; or it would flash a very faint golden light in front of Meng Lihua, making her inexplicably feel that something was wrong in a certain direction.

Once, a group of vagrants rushed over with wooden sticks, about to shout "robbery!", when Su Ning's soul suddenly solidified into an invisible barrier. The group crashed into it as if they had hit an invisible wall, instantly becoming dizzy and scrambling away, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

"Strange, why has this journey been so smooth?" Fan Erniu scratched his head, only thinking about how lucky he was and not considering anything else.

Meng Lihua muttered, "That's right, we didn't even run into a stumbling block."

……

And so, the two arrived safely in Jizhou City.

Fan Erniu found the Jizhou Prefectural Government Office with ease, handed over his visiting card, and said he wanted to see He Jingyuan.

He Jingyuan was worrying in his study when he heard the name "Fan Erniu". He was taken aback at first, then frowned: "I haven't even looked for them yet, and they've already walked into my trap?"

Although he was puzzled, he still had them brought in.

"Brother He, it's been a long time!" Fan Erniu cupped his hands as soon as he entered the door, with Meng Lihua standing behind him, her eyes equally calm.

"Brother Wei, why are you and your wife not hiding in Lin'an Town, but running to my Jizhou? Aren't you afraid that Wei Yan will find out where you are?" He Jingyuan put down the official documents in his hand, his tone tinged with impatience.

Wei Yan kept pressuring him to find Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua's whereabouts as soon as possible, but unexpectedly, the couple actually came to him on their own initiative.

Wei Qilin (Fan Erniu) didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Brother He, we're here today to talk to you about something important."

"What do you mean?"

“You know how chaotic the world is. The government soldiers are conscripting refugees into the army, bandits are looting everywhere, and ordinary people can’t survive. Lihua and I want to join forces with you to do something big.”

He Jingyuan was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing: "Wei Qilin, you're no longer the general under the Marquis's command? Join forces with me? What can you do now? Slaughter pigs?"

“So what if we slaughter pigs?” Wei Qilin’s face darkened. “Slaughtering pigs can bring about a peaceful world! Let me tell you, Lihua and I don’t want to sit and wait for death anymore. Since the court and Wei Yan are pressing us step by step, we might as well directly rebel against this corrupt court.”

Upon hearing this, He Jingyuan's smile instantly froze. "Wei Qilin, Meng Lihua, are you serious?"

Meng Lihua, standing to the side, calmly took out a jade pendant. "Of course! We're fed up with living in hiding, and we don't want to be slaughtered. We want to fight for our daughters' future."

He Jingyuan took the jade pendant, examined it closely, and his expression instantly changed.

He had seen this jade pendant at General Meng's mansion years ago; it was genuine!

Moreover, it is the most important token of the Meng family!
He looked at Meng Lihua again and realized that Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua were serious, otherwise they wouldn't have brought out the most important token of the Meng family.

He Jingyuan took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. "Hmph! I'm afraid you're just bringing trouble upon your families. After all, rebelling against the court is like throwing an egg against a rock."

"Brother He, even if we don't resist, do you think Wei Yan will let us go? Weren't those bandits you sent last time?"

“This…” He Jingyuan immediately lowered his head with a face full of shame.

"Brother He, I want you to join us in raising an army and overthrowing this chaotic world and the corrupt court!" Wei Qilin (Fan Erniu) said loudly. "You were once a person with ideals and ambitions, and you should know that 'the people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important.' Now the court is corrupt, and the people are suffering. Why can't we act on behalf of Heaven?"

"Wei Qilin, are you in cahoots with that Prince Changxin?"

"No! We are only working for the sake of the people, not for the ambitious Prince Changxin."

He Jingyuan was so frightened that he took a step back again, waving his hands repeatedly: "No! No! I am an official appointed by the imperial court, how can I follow you in rebellion? This is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of my family!"

"Exterminate nine generations of your family?" Wei Qilin sneered. "In this world, even if you don't rebel, the people will starve or be killed. Can you really bear to watch them suffer? Do you really think Wei Yan will continue to tolerate your existence?"

He Jingyuan still shook his head: "I can't do it, I can't do it..."

Just as He Jingyuan finished speaking, he suddenly felt an invisible pressure surge up from the depths of his soul, as if a cold hand had gripped his heart, making it difficult to even breathe.

This familiar feeling made his face turn pale, his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground. Cold sweat dripped down his face, staining the ground.

Last time, when he was chasing Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua outside Lin'an Town, he was intimidated by such immortal techniques.

"Who? Who's behind this?" He Jingyuan shouted in terror, his voice trembling.

Just then, a golden Dharma image appeared out of thin air in the study.

The golden body was a full ten feet tall, surrounded by a faint golden halo, within which fine runes could be faintly seen flowing, making it seem like a living thing.

The golden body's features were exactly the same as the one they had encountered last time. Its eyebrows and eyes exuded an imposing aura, and when it opened its eyes, two beams of golden light shot out as if they were real, illuminating the entire study as if it were daytime.

"He Jingyuan, do you still remember me?" Su Ning's voice was deep and majestic, as if it came from the heavens above, or as if it rang directly in He Jingyuan's mind, making his eardrums buzz.

He Jingyuan immediately knelt down in fear, "Immortal? Isn't there a misunderstanding? I have kept my promise and have not entered Lin'an Town again."

"He Jingyuan, allow me to introduce myself. I am Su Ning, the son-in-law of Fan Erniu. I am appointed by Heaven to act on behalf of Heaven and to fight for a way to survive for the people in this chaotic world."

He Jingyuan trembled with fear, pointing at Su Ning's golden statue: "You... are you a human or a ghost?"

"Whether I am human or ghost is unimportant. What matters is that I can give you life, and I can also take your life." Su Ning's golden Dharma body took a step forward. With each step, the ground seemed to tremble slightly, and the pressure deep within his soul intensified, as if countless fine needles were piercing his soul. "My father-in-law and mother-in-law are here to discuss cooperation with you, to give you an opportunity. If you are willing to follow us, you will become a founding hero; if you are not, for the sake of secrecy, I will have no choice but to exterminate your entire He family."

"You...you dare! I think you're a heretic!" He Jingyuan's voice trembled and his teeth chattered.

"You can try! See if I am really a heretic." Su Ning's golden Dharma body raised a hand and pointed, a golden light condensing at the fingertip, which instantly shot into He Jingyuan's brow.

He Jingyuan felt as if his soul was being squeezed by a giant hand and cut by a sharp blade. He screamed in pain, curled up on the ground, and held his head with his hands, his fingernails digging into his scalp.

He Jingyuan collapsed to the ground, his official robes soaked with cold sweat, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to shatter his ribs.

His mind was in complete turmoil: What kind of sorcery was this?
How could there be such a manifest soul in this world?

Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua lived in Lin'an Town incognito. How could they have such a powerful son-in-law?
He thought of his elderly parents, his youngest son who had just turned five, and the lives of dozens of people in the He family.

If they refuse, they will all die; but if they agree, it will be considered treason, and if the court finds out, they will also face certain death.

"What should I do? What should I do?" He Jingyuan screamed frantically in his heart.

He was unwilling to accept this; he didn't want to gamble with the lives of his entire clan.

But the intense pain deep in his soul told him that the person in front of him was absolutely true to his word.

He Jingyuan secretly glanced at Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua and found that the couple also had shocked and incredulous expressions on their faces.

He suddenly realized that he had no choice at all.

From the moment he failed in his mission to hunt down Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua, he had already been drawn into this vortex.

"Is this fate?" He Jingyuan smiled bitterly.

He originally wanted to be an honest official, loyal to the court and the country, and to seek the well-being of the people, but he never expected it to come to this.

But then he thought of the starving refugees on the road, and the people oppressed by the soldiers, and his heart wavered again.

Perhaps, this really is an opportunity? An opportunity to change this chaotic world?
But then, He Jingyuan was overwhelmed by fear.

Changing a chaotic world? Easier said than done!
Although the court is corrupt, its foundation is still intact. What can these few people accomplish?

"Stop thinking about it, He Jingyuan," He Jingyuan immediately told himself. "You only have one option now: agree to them. At least you're still alive for now. We'll deal with the future later."

"Immortal, please! Don't kill me!" He Jingyuan hurriedly kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground with a "thud." "I promise, I promise, okay?"

Su Ning's golden body then withdrew its pressure, and the golden light at his fingertips transformed into a soft light that slowly merged into He Jingyuan's brow, relieving the intense pain.

The golden aura surrounding the Buddha's body gradually subsided, becoming less dazzling. "Very good. From today onwards, you will follow my father-in-law and mother-in-law and prepare for the uprising. Remember, don't try anything funny; my spirit is watching you at all times."

"Immortal, since you possess immortal abilities, why not simply overthrow the imperial court? Why go through all this trouble to raise an army and start a rebellion?" He Jingyuan finally voiced his doubts.

"You don't understand! The change of dynasties in the human world must conform to the laws of the human world."

After speaking, the golden body gradually became transparent, and the golden halo dissipated into the air like smoke, as if it had never existed.

……

He Jingyuan slumped to the ground, drenched in sweat as if he had just been pulled out of the water, his legs still trembling uncontrollably.

Seeing this, Wei Qilin quickly stepped forward, bent down, and held He Jingyuan's arms with both hands, his tone becoming gentle: "Brother He, get up, get up. My son-in-law was just anxious and spoke a little harshly, please don't take it to heart."

Meng Lihua stepped forward, took a clean handkerchief from her sleeve, and handed it to He Jingyuan: "Lord He, wipe your sweat! Look at you, you're so pale with fright. We don't really want to make things difficult for you, it's just that the people of this world are suffering too much, and they don't want to be executed. That's why we have no choice but to do this. Think about it, those refugees, those children who starved to death, what did they do wrong? We just want to give them a way to live, and we want to bring peace to this world. Even if we were to offer our necks to Wei Yan for execution, would he really let our two daughters go?"

He Jingyuan took the handkerchief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said in a trembling voice, "Brother Wei, sister-in-law, I... I know you are doing this for the good of the people. I also know you have no other choice, but treason is a crime that will cost you your head. I... I'm really scared."

Wei Qilin patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Brother He, I understand your worries. I fought alongside Marquis Wu'an on the battlefield and witnessed countless deaths. But you must know that the court is rotten to the core. The emperor is incompetent, treacherous officials are in power, and the people are suffering. If we don't rise up now, the world is truly doomed. Think about your parents, your wife and children. How can they live in peace in this chaotic world? Do you want them to live in constant fear and uncertainty for the rest of their lives?"

Meng Lihua chimed in, "Yes, Lord He. My father died on the battlefield defending the court, but what happened in the end? The court didn't even give us a fair explanation. Sixteen years ago, the Crown Prince and the Marquis of Wu'an were framed, and now the Marquis of Wu'an's son, Xie Zheng, is also missing. I've long seen through this court; it's not worth our lives. We follow Su Ning not for wealth and glory, but to fight for a way to survive for the people of this world. If you follow us, you'll become a founding father, and your family will live a peaceful life. It's much better than living in constant fear, not knowing when that treacherous minister Wei Yan will harm you."

"..."

Wei Qilin continued, “Brother He, don’t worry. My son-in-law, Su Ning, is a man protected by the gods. With him, we will surely succeed. In the future, you will be a prime minister of the new court, and we will never mistreat you. We will send people to take good care of your parents; your wife and children will also receive the best protection. Just put your mind at ease and follow us, you won’t go wrong.”

"Brother Wei, sister-in-law, aren't you afraid that failure will implicate Changyu and Changning?"

"It's alright! Don't say we won't fail! Even if we fail, Su Ning will protect Chang Yu and Chang Ning's safety."

"..."

As He Jingyuan listened to their conversation, the fear in his heart gradually subsided.

Looking into Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua's sincere eyes, and recalling Su Ning's terrifying golden form just now, he finally nodded: "Alright, I agree. Since there's no way out, I'll fight alongside you. However, you must keep your word and protect my family as well."

Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua exchanged a smile and said in unison, "Brother He, rest assured, we are true to our word and will never go back on our promise!"

Wei Qilin patted him on the shoulder: "Don't be afraid! We'll discuss it slowly. This world really needs a change."

Meanwhile, in Lin'an Town, Su Ning withdrew his divine soul, a smile appearing on his lips.

He knew that the first step had been successful, and the next step was to completely turn this chaotic world upside down.

...(End of this chapter)