I've never felt happy to become an immortal.

Chapter 6: The Nameless Innkeeper
"What's your name, kid?"

"No name or surname."

"Where are your parents?"

"My mother fell ill and died very early; I don't know who my father is."

"How old is this year?"

"Eight years old."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have good talent?"

"Someone said that."

"Who said that?"

"The pimp at Yingchunlou wanted to buy me in, but I stabbed him."

"Oh? You don't agree?"

"It's not a good place. Dead bodies are often dragged out."

"So you can only steal money and food."

"Yes."

"Do you have any complaints about being hung by me?"

"No, I knew I would be caught one day."

"Boy, you've suffered so much for so many years, but you don't have any ruffian temperament at all. You have good family education."

“I learned to write.”

"Then why no name?"

"My mother didn't take it."

"What's your mother's last name?"

"The last name is Bai."

"Boy, are you willing to be my apprentice? An apprentice is half an adopted son. You stay here and work as a waiter in a restaurant on weekdays. It's better than starving and freezing outside. I will pay you wages every month."

"..."

"If you don't reply, I'll take it as your consent."

"why me?"

"I've already told you that you have good roots and a good character, and I just happen to be in need of a disciple... From now on, your name will be... well, never mind, I can't choose one now—when you grow up, you can give yourself a name. From now on, I'll just call you..."

……

"The world is divided into the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Northern and Southern Dynasties together cover seven states, which is the largest."

"North and South are divided by the river, but the rivers and lakes are not governed that way."

"In today's world, almost all sources, without exception, come from the Six Paths and Seven Sects of the Spring and Autumn Period."

"However, a thousand years have passed since the Spring and Autumn Period. The sects in today's martial arts world are very different. There is no true cultivation in the world anymore, only true martial arts."

“If you don’t enter the country, you are an outsider.”

“Only when you enter the realm do you realize how vast the world is.”

"Remember this, Jiro..."

"The path of true martial arts is a thousand miles long, as difficult as ascending to heaven. It all begins with a single step, and therefore..."

"Stand up straight!"

"Don't stick your butt out!"

"Hold on to your horse stance!"

"Don't mess up your breathing. Follow the rhythm I taught you!"

"Walk like the wind, sit like a bell!"

"You're just convulsing and ringing the bell!"

"Master, my legs are numb..."

"Who doesn't get numbness in their legs when doing horse stance? You're still far from ready. Only after you've laid a solid foundation can I teach you boxing and body movements. Only after you've trained your legs and feet well can you handle weapons! Didn't you enjoy watching you swing a branch and act like a martial arts master yesterday? You even chopped down the peonies by the roadside into ashes!"

"Master, my butt hurts."

"Hold on. It's said that the way of true martial arts is difficult to achieve..."

“…Lao Deng…”

"What did you say?"

"Have you ascended to heaven? Which level are you in?"

"Of course I have already entered the territory, but... well, there are some things that I shouldn't let you know now. You are too young, inexperienced, and unreliable. If you can't keep the secret, it will easily lead to your own death."

……

"Erlang, go get me some fennel beans. I want to go with my wine."

"it is good."

"You should go and take a rest. The restaurant is doing good business. We've been busy all day... Bairixiang has a good reputation, but there are too many customers. It's easy to tire my old bones."

"Master, I've always wanted to ask, why do you call me Erlang? Am I your second disciple, or second son?"

"I don't have a son, nor do I have any other disciples. You are the only one."

"Then why am I the second child?"

"Waiter, that's easy to say. Besides, I'm the second child in the family... I don't have any sons, but I do have daughters. The youngest is probably around your age..."

"what?"

"Hahaha, I wonder why I never told you. I'm over fifty now, but when I was young, I was a dashing, handsome young man. It was normal for me to have a wife and a daughter."

"So, Master, you have a family?"

"??? What surprised you is this? Are you itching for trouble, little brat?"

……

"Master, how long do I need to practice? I've already mastered these basic skills."

"Not yet, you still need to keep practicing... You want to touch the sword now? You're not even close, it's too early."

"But I see those people in the Qi family martial arts school can start using weapons after just three months of basic training."

"How can someone who hasn't even tamed his hands and feet master a weapon? Just because he holds a sword doesn't mean he can handle it."

"I don't understand."

"All things have spirits, the way of true martial arts..."

"It's difficult to ascend to heaven."

"Erlang... On this road, those who don't enter are all ants. Ninety-five percent of warriors will never be qualified to enter in their lifetime. To get a glimpse of the heights of heaven and earth, your aptitude is better than mine, and your achievements will be higher than mine. What you lack now is just a little time and patience."

"So, I still have to continue laying the foundation, right?"

"Good. If you understand, go and practice for an extra half hour. You've gained a lot of weight recently." "Master, I'm building muscle!"

……

"Master, I always feel that the atmosphere recently is not right."

"Oh?"

"Recently, the Qi Family Martial Arts School and the escort agency have been coming here to cause trouble... The other staff at the restaurant have also had a few conflicts with them."

"Well, I know about this as well... and there's something you don't know. The head of the Qi family married a daughter to the eldest son of the Hong family in Yunzhou City as a concubine. Now she's six months pregnant, and the wife has no children, so it seems she might be promoted to the wife's wife."

"The Hong family has a great background?"

"It's not small, it's very big. We are considered one of the powerful families in Yunzhou."

“That sounds amazing.”

"The Hong family is so powerful, but it still relies on one person."

"Who?"

"Ten years ago, the Hong family produced a Grandmaster. That Grandmaster was listed on the Grandmaster Rankings and established a great reputation at Yumen Pass, worthy of having his name engraved on a monument. As a result, the Hong family's status has risen accordingly... Now, the Qi family has curried favor with this in-law and is no longer satisfied with their current status. The Qi family seems to be planning to swallow up the valuable industries in Li County. The Bairixiang winemaking recipe and this decades-old restaurant that I hold in my hands are also his targets."

"Doesn't he know that you are very powerful, Master?"

"I know, so he must have gone to the Hong family to invite some experts to help. Although they may not be from the Hong family, it is not difficult to spend a lot of money to hire a few masters who have entered the martial arts world."

"Are we just going to sit and wait to die?"

"Of course not... I have a letter here. Please go to the address on the envelope and ask for someone."

"Who?"

"Master Menghu, he is my good friend from the old days when I was traveling around the martial arts world. We have a life-long friendship. He is also a Taoist who exorcises demons and hates evil. After seeing the letter, he will naturally come to help me."

"When should I go?"

"Let's leave tonight."

"So anxious?"

"Even if you didn't mention this, I would have asked you to deliver the letter tonight. However, it's not bad that you were able to sense the danger coming. Staying a little more vigilant will only benefit you in your future journey in the martial arts world."

"Ok."

"Why are you still dawdling? The journey isn't far. A quick return trip will only take three days. But there's no need to rush. They won't act so quickly."

"Really, there's no need to worry too much?"

"No, it's best if you stay for seven days before coming back."

"Master... I'm going on a long journey, won't you give me a weapon to defend myself?"

"Are you still thinking about touching weapons? Even if I gave you a sword, would you be able to use it?"

"It's better than being unarmed."

"You little brat, you're a decade or eight years too early to even think about touching this 'Jiang Cheng Zi' in my hand. Go get a bone chopping knife from the kitchen later. It's thick enough and can be made easily!"

"Okay...but I have a small request."

"You're bargaining with me, kid!"

"I'll toast to the master, and give me a sip too, just to give me courage!"

"Okay, that's fine!"

……

In the night, the horses' hooves were free from the grass and they were as swift as the wind.

The young man was sitting on horseback, but he subconsciously slowed down when he saw a carriage lying across the official road.

Soon the sound of broken strings was heard.

Someone shouted hoarsely from the surrounding woods.

——Shoot!
……

"Ahem, damn..."

"How did they know I would leave the city and choose this route?"

"I'm obviously very fast, and I even changed my appearance so that even if there are surveillance people they won't be able to tell."

"There's someone in my room pretending to be me and pretending to be asleep."

"There must be a traitor among the waiters at the restaurant who learned about the letter delivery in advance..."

"No, my consciousness is starting to blur."

"The arrow penetrated too deep, I can't breathe..."

"cough……"

"I can't sleep yet, I can't..."

……

In the pool of blood, the boy's pupils gradually dilated.

He lay under the stone bridge, his blood dyeing the stream red.

Each moment the breathing becomes weaker than before.

Although he has practiced martial arts for ten years, he is still an ordinary person.

Faced with the fatal penetrating wound caused by the arrow, he was completely helpless and could only lie in the cold stream and feel his life slipping away.

Just after the light in his eyes completely disappeared, a group of five people in black clothes appeared.

The black-clad assassins kicked the corpse.

"No heartbeat, dead."

"The pupils are dilated. There's no hope."

"Do you want to give him another stab in the right chest?"

"This kid's head is not worth much, and there's no reward for taking it back."

"Alright, mission accomplished, time to retreat!"

Just as the group of five people turned around and were about to leave, they were less than ten meters away.

Suddenly, the boy who was supposed to be dead suddenly moved his fingers.

The assassins stopped and looked back.

It should have been a pitch-black night with dark clouds blocking the moon, but suddenly a beam of moonlight broke through the clouds, light and vast, as if illuminating the way home for the wanderer.

In the cold stream, the young man supported his body with his hands. His face was reflected in the water in the vast night. In the depths of his distracted eyes, green and golden light converged and blended.

Bai Xuan exhaled a breath of foul air that smelled of blood.

Like waking up from a dream.

"Oh my god... what the hell are you doing? Is this still Earth?"

(End of this chapter)