I will teach you how to cultivate immortality

Chapter 56 Gui Rong Clan

Gao Village Town, Land God Temple.

As the only place within a hundred miles where children can receive their early education, this place has always been very lively.

Even on weekdays when it's not market day, many mountain people come here to pray for blessings, hoping to get a good fortune slip from the temple keeper.

However, since a month ago, the usually easy-going old woman has stopped running her elementary school classes.

Apart from the apprentice who has been chosen as the next temple keeper, the old woman has hardly seen any outsiders.

Even today, when the old woman shakily pushed open the door of that earth god temple...

The townspeople living nearby were finally able to see the kind temple keeper again, and their worries were immediately put to rest.

Since the old woman took over as the temple keeper of the local earth god temple, Gao Village has enjoyed decades of peace.

This is extremely rare among mountain dwellers; it would be an exaggeration to say it is unique.

From a small village with only a few dozen households, it has now become the most prosperous town within a radius of hundreds of miles...

Gao Village has, to some extent, transcended the category of "village" and become a hub connecting all the small villages within a radius of hundreds of miles.

Unfortunately, in this world where supernatural powers truly exist...

Gao Village Town lacks the strength of the Guifang tribe, and therefore cannot build a city or state like the Guifang tribe.

"Xiao'e, how many days has it been?"

Slowly raising her head to look up at the sky, the old woman, who hadn't seen the sun in a long time, asked softly.

"It's already the twenty-seventh day."

Looking at the old woman with a worried expression, Xiao'e, with her dreadlocks, answered cautiously.

"So much time has passed..."

"It seems I really am getting old, so old that I've even forgotten about time."

A kind smile appeared on her aged face as the old woman gently stroked Xiao'e's head and said.

"Xiao'e, I'm going on a long trip later, so I'll leave this earth god temple in your care for the time being."

"If you encounter something you can't handle..."

"You can go to a place called 'Li Family Village' in the south and find a 'Red Boy' who is red all over, even his hair. He will help you."

Seemingly understanding the old woman's unspoken meaning, Xiao'e asked in a slightly trembling voice.

"Grandma, are you not planning to come back?"

Looking at Xiao'e's hopeful eyes, the old woman did not answer her question directly.

“Xiao’e! After I leave, you will be the temple keeper of this earth god temple.”

"You and I are different; you can choose your own life."

“When you feel that the identity of ‘temple keeper’ is a constraint, you can leave here, and no one will stop you.”

Xiao'e blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite, and tried hard to remember the old woman's words.

Although she couldn't understand the meaning of these words for the time being, Xiao'e knew that the old woman would not harm her.

"I understand, Grandma. Please be careful!"

A hint of lingering affection and reluctance flashed in her eyes, but the old woman ultimately smiled and waved goodbye to Xiao'e.

"Look at what you're saying, is Grandma the kind of person who causes trouble?"

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away on rural dirt roads.

An army of nearly 10,000 people is migrating, and their destination is the direction of Gaocun Town.

Of course, calling it a "large army" is not entirely accurate.

Because in this migrating force of nearly 10,000 people, more than 90% were emaciated and sallow-faced slaves. These slaves were originally mountain people living in various forests.

Now they are bound by various wooden shackles and chains, forced to join this massive migration.

For every ten meters they walked forward, multiple slaves would be abandoned because they couldn't keep up with the group, and could only lie on the ground in despair, waiting for death to come.

The relentless migration day and night left these already physically weak slaves too weak to even utter a cry of pain.

A deathly silence continued to spread throughout the group.

Everyone knows they could die at any moment, but they are powerless to stop it from happening.

Because the true leader of this army was the Gui Rong clan, a legion of the Gui Fang Kingdom that specifically served the gods.

The Gui Rong clan had only eight hundred members, but it was the true army built by the Gui Fang Kingdom with the full strength of the nation.

All members who could join the Gui Rong clan were collateral descendants of nobles from the Gui Fang state.

They received professional martial arts training from a young age, and each of them possessed the strength to fight a tiger.

When they are around ten years old, these noble children who have no right to inherit the family business will join the priest training program and learn various sacrificial rituals from the current high priest.

After about five years of training, the best children will become priest candidates.

Those children who were eliminated would become members of the Gui Rong clan, fighting against the disobedient for the gods.

Especially after the massive "human sacrifice" began three years ago.

The Gui Rong clan then waged war in all directions, sweeping away all the mountain villages surrounding the Gui Fang Kingdom.

After all, human sacrifice requires a large number of human offerings, and it can also help to eliminate those disobedient mountain people.

This resulted in the Gui Rong clan bringing ten times the number of slaves they carried with them each time they returned to the Gui Fang Kingdom.

Its deterrent power has long been known throughout these hundreds of mountains.

"Muzheng, should we continue?"

Riding a black beast, a handsome young man arrived at the front of the group.

To escort this large group of slaves, the eight hundred members of the Gui Rong clan were almost scattered throughout the entire force, relying entirely on specialized scouts to relay orders.

This handsome young man was the leader of the scout unit, as well as Mu Zheng's confidant and deputy.

"Youzhong, when there are no outsiders around, you can call me by my name."

Mu Zheng glanced at You Zhong sideways and said in a slightly low voice.

Mu Zheng is the leader of the Gui Rong clan, and also the strongest among all the children.

Don't let his age fool you; he's not much older than You Zhong.

Whether in terms of personal strength or military capability, Mu Zheng is definitely among the top tier in the Gui Fang Kingdom.

"Okay, python."

His calm voice showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

Youzhong seemed to be merely following Muzheng Ran's orders, which made the other party quite helpless.

This is the rule of the Gui Rong clan, or the Gui Fang state—the orders of the superiors are absolute to the subordinates.

"Fine, call me whatever you want!"

With a soft sigh, Mu Zheng did not continue to correct You Zhong's form of address, but instead issued the order directly.

"Let's move forward; we'll carry out one last raid."

"This time, the target is the village called 'Gaocun Town,' which is also the last threat that the Guifang Kingdom poses to this region."

Monthly ticket/recommendation ticket

(End of this chapter)