Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 172 Taking advantage of his absence from the capital
General Zhou led the way on the road, with the miners and centipedes following closely behind.

As the miner passed the group of people who had collapsed at the alley entrance, he couldn't help but glance at them a couple more times:
“Commander… are these people in this alley alright?” the miner asked Commander Zhou cautiously. “This town is near the capital, so it’s very strictly controlled. If they really die, their names will be recorded on a stone tablet.”

"These people aren't dead." General Zhou looked at the miners with annoyance. "They specifically paid money to come here to smell the fragrance, and after smelling it so much, their legs went weak, and they couldn't even walk, collapsing sideways in the alley. I'm not a bloodthirsty madman. Why would I go on a killing spree in this area for no reason?"

The miner gave an awkward laugh.

It wasn't that he doubted this official; it was just that some masters in the martial arts world did indeed have strange quirks.

There are "gluttons" who enjoy eating human tongues, and "philanthropists" who specialize in collecting money from those who have no descendants. It is even said that a certain master gave his beautiful concubine to his disciple while he watched the play from behind a screen.

None of them are normal people.

So he was genuinely worried about the safety of the people inside the alley.

However, it seems that General Zhou is indeed a normal person now.

The miner looked at General Zhou, who was dressed like a woman, and two large drops of sweat rolled down his forehead.

That should be... quite normal.

Of course, he dared not say this aloud, and could only comfort himself by saying, "This is a unique way of cultivation for a master."

As the group walked into the market, passersby all turned to look at General Zhou.

He snorted softly, and a thin mist of fragrance wafted around him. This scent entered the nostrils of the passersby, instantly causing them to lose focus, yawn, and scatter, no longer paying attention to the group.

"Your methods are truly impressive."

The centipede offered a compliment.

Upon hearing this, General Zhou's face darkened considerably. He glanced at the centipede, which sent chills down its spine.

The centipede was dumbfounded.

Am I just praising you?

After thinking for a long time, he finally remembered that some time ago, General Zhou had also gone to that mine to search for the treasures needed by the General's Mansion.

As a result, this adjutant encountered a formidable opponent.

He lost the fight, returned injured, and was even reprimanded by Lord Li...

It seems this incident has indeed had a significant impact on him.

The group walked in silence to the post station.

After going upstairs, Zhou Canjiang arrived at the place where the old woman was.

After climbing the stairs, General Zhou went straight to the old woman and carefully examined her, who was still suffering from the summer heat on the bed. He lightly touched her forehead with his fingertips.

After a short while, General Zhou's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"The technique of chaotic qi is quite interesting."

Seeing that the two people behind him did not react, he scoffed and explained:
“Cultivators all need to circulate their Qi. Although her cultivation is not shallow, her Qi meridians have been locked by this method.”

He then took out a celadon bottle and placed it under the old woman's nose.

In a short while, a crimson aura emerged from its nostrils, twisting and tumbling in mid-air as if trying to escape, but was ultimately collected back into the bottle.

As General Zhou examined the porcelain bottle in his hand, about to boast about it, he suddenly felt a burning sensation in his palm.

"The Qi that leaves the body still has such residual power; it is quite potent."

He breathed gently into the bottle, and as the agitation subsided, the old woman on the bed relaxed her furrowed brows and fell into a deep sleep.

"That's good then," General Zhou said with a smile.

The miner and the centipede felt they should thank General Zhou, but upon closer inspection, they realized they weren't actually that familiar with the old woman. They had only gone to General Zhou to save her because they had no other choice. They didn't know what to say and could only sit there, feeling uneasy.

General Zhou noticed their awkwardness but didn't mind. He simply sat down and began to stroke the smooth, lustrous bottle.

The method of disrupting Qi has always been a must-learn technique for advanced cultivators. The myriad paths and forms in the world are all different. Some people directly use external means to injure the opponent's dantian, while others will set up a large array. As long as one enters that array, the Qi flowing from the dantian will naturally be affected.

Of course, there are also some martial artists who specialize in cultivating their meridians, making them immune to methods of disrupting Qi. They are like tough meat that cannot be cut, which is extremely disgusting.

The effects of this scorching heat were significantly stronger than many of the methods Zhou Canjiang had seen. If he could master its operating principles, it might even allow him to reach a higher level of skill.

Thinking of this, General Zhou couldn't help but recall the brute in the cave, and his face turned gloomy.

Although he had obtained the Star Pointing Realm from the general, it was certainly not as good as a proper Star Pointing Realm, but it was still embarrassing to be made like this by that brute.

The opponent didn't demonstrate many of their signature techniques.

I don't know if they were deliberately toying with me, or if they were preparing to meet the "destined" warrior.

Before long, General Zhou suddenly felt something unusual in his sleeve. He reached out and pulled out a notebook.

Upon opening the notebook, Zhou Canjiang saw many words appearing above the title page.

After watching for a while, General Zhou snorted coldly.

"General, what brings you here?"

“This has nothing to do with you.” General Zhou stood up and walked outside: “You have completed your duties. Go to the General’s Mansion to collect your reward.”

The miner and the centipede looked at each other, unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

……

After leaving this place, Zhou Canjiang did not return to his residence, but instead found a secluded corner.

He took out a small package wrapped in silk from his bosom and gently blew on it upwards.

The cloth bag instantly released a soft and pleasant fragrance, which spread far and wide.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them again, I was in a dense forest.

Looking around and seeing no one, Lieutenant General Zhou sneered:

"Since you summoned me, why are you hiding your head? Do you want me to invite you here?"

After Zhou Can finished speaking, a uniquely-looking "person" emerged from behind the trees in the distance, swaying gently.

Dressed in a wide robe with flowing sleeves, the scholar-like figure had his hands tucked into his sleeves, and the hem of his robe spread out like a lotus flower.

However, he was wearing a leather cap on his head. It was a donkey.

The hood was clearly a size larger than the man's head, and it was now drooping over his head. The empty donkey eyes were staring intently at General Zhou, making him look like a dying beast.

General Zhou stared intently at the donkey's half-drooping head, and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh:
"I still can't bear to wear this hood even after seeing you ten times."

"Me too, even after seeing you ten times, I still can't get used to your flashy appearance."

“This is refined.” General Zhou frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the donkey-headed man’s assessment.

"Then this too is considered elegant."

"Stop talking nonsense. I saw in the brochure that the General's Mansion ordered me to ambush that guy surnamed Lin from last time?"

"Exactly."

"Go alone? He's a mere Star-level martial artist who's also learned unorthodox methods. My incense may influence him, but it won't kill him. I might not win in a direct confrontation."

Zhou Can's gaze pierced the empty eye sockets beneath the donkey-head mask:

"You should come with me, no, you should bring at least one more person. To kill some stars, we need three people of the same cultivation level."

"Only you."

"I won't do that." General Zhou sneered, "Last time I didn't get any benefits from the job, and I got a real beating from that woman surnamed Li. Although I'm willing to serve the General and obey orders, you can't assign me a hopeless task!"

“No need to take his life, just confirm whether he has what the general is looking for.” The donkey-headed scholar pulled out a bizarre lock from his pocket.

This object resembles a child's lock, but it is entirely scarlet and blood-red, with a fleshy texture. Bloodshot eyeballs are embedded on both sides of the lock face.

"The general asked me to bring this to you, saying it's a gift to you directly, and if you succeed, he'll add another treasure."

With a wave of his hand, the box made of meat swirled in the air before landing in his palm.

Suddenly, a mouth opened on top of the box and chuckled.
Is it a young man or a beautiful woman?

"I am a woman."

"But I can tell you're a man."

General Zhou's face darkened: "You donkey head, are you trying to make fun of me with this filthy thing?"

"Of course not." The donkey head straightened the crooked hood, then let go and it slumped back to its original position. "This thing is called the Flesh Thousand Gates, a magic weapon of the Star Point Realm. When thrown out, it forms a cage on its own, specifically designed to counter the physique of martial artists."

"Is it really that miraculous?"

The box chuckled again: "Don't underestimate me, you eunuch. I once trapped an eighth-level martial artist for five breaths. How can a few martial artists compare to me?"

Lieutenant General Zhou stared at the box for a long time, then uttered a sentence:

I really want to give birth to you but fail miserably.

He took a deep breath to compose himself and turned to the donkey's head:
Where should we make our move?

"They're going to Qingniwa, so they'll make their move at Lianfeng Mountain along the way."

The donkey's head shook, its empty eyes darting back and forth.

Are you sure you're not hiding anything from me?

General Zhou stared at the box in his hand, thought for a long time, and finally squeezed out the question with a frown.

After hearing this, the donkey paused for a moment.

He adjusted the hood on his head, and the donkey, as if its string had been cut in the wind, spun around behind his head.

"Oh, I remember now, Jiang Jinyue is also in this group."

"You son of a bitch!" General Zhou roared in fury.

"Why don't you lure that person out alone?"

General Zhou finally managed to extinguish the fire.

He lowered his head, staring intently at the meat box in his hand that was chuckling to itself.

If it were the same situation as last time, with only that one barbarian...

You can give it a try.

……

After leaving Beijing, the number of towns along the way decreased sharply, and the area became increasingly open in the northeast, making it difficult to find a place to stay.

The group spent two days eating and sleeping outdoors, and nothing happened.

Despite his seemingly frivolous demeanor, Han Wangzhi acted with exceptional efficiency. However, he seemed to have been planning to say something to Jiang Jinyue, but he hadn't found a suitable opportunity yet.

The sky is a bit overcast tonight, but it hasn't rained yet.

After Jiang Jinyue finished preparing the meal, she also checked the weather:

"It's likely to rain tomorrow."

"We'll be heading into Lianfeng Mountain tomorrow. After crossing the mountain, we'll take a straight road to Qingniwa," Li Fang said, calculating the days ahead.

They're moving fast this time, and they estimate they'll reach Qingniwa in eight days.

The journey was smooth and everyone was in a good mood. After finishing their meal, the group rested nearby.

Tonight, Liang Huashan finally let Xiao Shanshen go, so Xiao Shanshen begged Lin Jiang to take her to find Jiang Jinyue.

She also wanted to get some guidance from Jiang Jinyue.

Lin Jiang naturally agreed.

Just as he was about to go find Jiang Jinyue with the ginseng, he suddenly noticed that Han Wangzhi had taken the first step.

Han Wangzhi stood in front of Jiang Jinyue, and the usually frivolous young man now became unusually serious:

"Captain Jiang, would you like to have a friendly spar with me?"

(End of this chapter)