Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 275 Old Nan: Life is bitter

Two more days had passed by the time Lao Nan arrived.

He was exhausted from riding his horse all the way, and when he was nearing his destination, he couldn't go on any longer and wanted to find a place to rest nearby.

He originally wanted to go to Beizhen, but he had never been to Qingniwa before, so he could only rely on hearsay and follow the road.

As they walked, they indeed came to a settlement.

However, this place doesn't look like a town; it looks more like a village under construction.

He sat down to rest on a newly cut log, looked around, and saw that there were quite a few other people there besides him.

Most of them were woodcutters from nearby villages, along with a few traveling merchants heading to Qingniwa. Lao Nan even spotted a slightly brown-skinned wanderer who was talking to a local, saying he was looking for a man named Zhu Da to deliver a previously agreed-upon message to him.

Old Nan could tell that this person's temperament was somewhat similar to his own, and that he probably did some shady business, but he didn't know exactly what he did.

He didn't care about any of that; his top priority now was to get to his destination as quickly as possible.

But Lao Nan knew in his heart that he would arrive the latest, and with the brothers fighting amongst themselves, he would have no chance of winning. If he did arrive there, he would most likely find a scene of utter devastation.

On his way here, he did consider whether it was still worth it to go now.

But he was unwilling to give up.

He lived a life of compromise, only to be betrayed by his own brother in the end.

He hasn't been sleeping well these past two days.

I can even feel that regret in my dreams!

I also have a dull ache in my abdomen.

This may be because the laxative effect has not worn off.

Anyway, he was just full of resentment.

Even if he doesn't get anything, he still has to go over and take a look!
Just take a look!
"Hey guys from the same village, wanna have some water?"

Suddenly, a carpenter came from afar and handed a bowl of water to each of the seated travelers. Old Nan also took the bowl of water.

It was chilly, and he dared not drink it now, for fear of spraying it out again.

He simply held the water bowl in his hand.

The others nearby all downed their drinks in one gulp, and a passing merchant, who was taking a break, even chuckled and inquired:

"You all don't look like you're from Daxing. Where are you all from, folks?"

"They say their name is Lan Ke. They suffered a lot before, and their country was in turmoil. They temporarily stopped in Daxing to rest." Zi Ren also explained with a smile, "They happened to meet a kind and wealthy lord who was making arrangements to build a village to take them in."

"Hey, what great luck! I've never run into such a generous gentleman before."

rich?

Lao Nan accurately captured this word.

Now that he's the only one left of his four brothers from all four directions, if all else fails, he'll just get some more money and run away with it.

Forget about explaining things on the grasslands, and forget about staying in Daxing. Head straight southwest, cross the border of Daxing, and find a small country to settle down in.

With his abilities and enough money, he could live a life that even gods couldn't compare to in a small country.

Since the owner of this village is a wealthy household, why don't I borrow some money from him?
Lending less wouldn't count as lending. Look how miserable I am after being betrayed by my brother. Consider it an act of kindness and good deeds.

Once he made up his mind, Lao Nan followed up with further questions:

"This is truly an exceptionally kind person. If I have the chance, I would love to pay him a visit."

"The master has gone to Qingniwa to buy some supplies. He should be back in about half an hour."

Half an hour...

It's worth waiting for.

Probe cautiously when the time comes. If they are truly wealthy and have no top-notch guards around, then take the opportunity to touch their gold.

He sat on this tree stump and waited.

They then put the water in the sun to dry.

By the time the bowl of cold water had cooled to lukewarm temperature under the sun, most of the passersby had dispersed, leaving only him and the gloomy-faced wanderer.

After drinking the warm water to quench his thirst, Lao Nan suddenly felt the man turn his head and stare straight at him.

The other person's gaze was like two sharp knives, making Lao Nan feel extremely uncomfortable. Lao Nan shifted his position to the left, and the other person's gaze followed him to the left; he shifted his position to the right, and the other person's gaze fixed on the right.

Finally, Lao Nan couldn't hold back any longer:

"What are you?"

The martial arts expert locked his gaze on him expressionlessly.
"You are a thief."

Old Nan's face darkened instantly:
"Hey bro, what's the deal? I'm just taking a break here, what nonsense are you spouting?"

“Your thieving aura is swirling around the camp. I have connections with the boss, and I will not let you succeed.”

The man remained completely still, as if stating a matter of course.

Thief-like aura?

Old Nan was taken aback by the word.

He had long heard that there were people in the martial arts world who were skilled in observing qi and could discern the thoughts flowing through the top of a person's head.

But what kind of style is "thief's aura"?
He had only entertained a wicked thought, yet he was exposed on the spot.

That's fucking bad luck!

Am I having bad luck with Tai Sui these past few days? Every time I try to do something, someone tries to sabotage it.

"Hey guys, let's go our separate ways. You hold your ground here, I'll take a detour, but don't mess with me. Otherwise, we'll fall apart and nobody's going to be happy!"

Old Nan was already feeling uneasy, but he stuck to his guns and retorted defiantly.

After saying that, he got up and tried to slip away.

He had barely taken half a step when he suddenly felt a force like an iron clamp on his wrist.

Looking to the side, I saw that the man had a blank expression and was gripping my wrist tightly.

"You can't leave yet."

"What the hell are you trying to do now?"

“When visiting someone from Daxing, it’s customary to bring a gift. I was in a rush this time and didn’t prepare anything. You seem quite suitable.” As soon as the man said this, Lao Nan’s face turned green.

Is this person mentally ill?

He got caught the moment he had a wicked thought?

Who the hell are you?

Old Nan knew he couldn't waste any more time with him.

I have some martial arts skills, so even if I can't win, it shouldn't be difficult for me to escape.

He gritted his teeth and fiercely pulled his arm outward, trying to break free.

In an instant, a terrifying force surged from his arm, causing his joints to explode under the strain! A chilling, bone-deep aura then rushed into his body.

In the blink of an eye, Lao Nan's arm was twisted behind his back, and he was forced to kneel on the ground.

He blinked blankly, his abdomen convulsing.

Several breaths passed before he realized with a start that he had been subdued in one move.

With difficulty, he looked up to see the man's figure standing tall against the light, the sun hanging behind him casting a blinding white light that made Old Nan's vision blur.

"How can someone who makes gifts be disobedient?"

A bone-chilling coldness shot straight up Lao Nan's back.

He opened his mouth wide and hurriedly begged for mercy in a hoarse voice: "Hero, spare my life!"

"A hero? I'm not a hero." The man remained expressionless. "I'm an assassin."

Old Nan's face turned deathly pale.

He was sure.

This person must have something wrong with their brain.

"Who the hell are you?" Old Nan felt his vision blurring.

"Me?" The man thought for a moment, then introduced himself very seriously: "My name is Duan Libie."

……

"Master, these few cougars have been successfully created."

The tiger-robed figure swayed as it straightened up and spat out three souls towards Lin Jiang.

The souls were Qian'er and the other two. Of the four accomplices under Tiger Robe, only Fang Gutou remained unchanged, and the three before them were the only ones.

The group of ghosts that had been there earlier had been sent by Lin Jiang to the palace to study.

Too lazy to come up with a name, he entrusted Liu Fangyue and Luo Li to look after the place, and ordered them to accompany Luo Li on her journey back to her hometown.

The process of returning to my hometown is much better than before, but the network is stuck in one place. It would be good to have a little more manpower.

As for the fierce ghost general originally refined by the bandits, Tiger Robe had nowhere to go, so he was simply released.

Liu Fangyue performed a ritual to properly deliver him from suffering and send him back into the cycle of reincarnation.

After the ghost left his body, the stone man lost his vessel, but the fog that permeated the town and the lanterns that hung there were enough to take over his duties.

Lin Jiang then ordered Tiger Robe to take a lantern and temporarily stay in the town.

These two treasures did not feel lonely: the stone man was originally the shell that carried Lin Jiang's consciousness, and Lin Jiang would often come back to inspect it, so the treasures could be regarded as managing the business for their master.

After refining the three individuals, Lin Jiang immediately summoned them together and revealed the jade bracelet:
Where did you get this?

The three ghostly servants stared intently at the bracelet. After only a moment's hesitation, one of them hissed first:

“Back then, the four of us were in the prime of our youth and went to the southern border together. We stumbled upon a ruin near Taian Town on the outskirts of Cangxi City. At that time, a group of twenty-seven people went in together, and we have forgotten everything that happened during that time. When we saw the light of day again... only the four of us came out alive, clutching this stone bracelet in our hands.”

"You don't remember anything at all?"

"I don't remember anything."

Were you injured at the time?

“We weren’t injured at the time,” the group recalled. “We were completely unharmed, and our cultivation levels even improved. We all agreed that we must have had a fortuitous encounter in the underground palace, participating in a trial similar to this, which led to this fortunate connection.”

Lin Jiang's brows furrowed slowly.

It's normal for people to die while exploring ruins; sometimes, the more people who emerge, the scarier it becomes.

It's really strange that these four people don't remember anything after they came out.

They claimed that they had obtained a fortuitous opportunity to advance their cultivation, but Lin Jiang had some doubts about this.

There are too many unseen and intangible obstacles on the path of spiritual practice, and what they encounter may not be good things.

But in any case, Lin Jiang had already deeply engraved that place in his heart.

Once the village was largely completed, he decided to head south to investigate the potential famine in the south and, along the way, search for the ruins.

It just so happens that Tiepizi mentioned that the Grand Preceptor has already set off, but it is unknown whether the General has prepared a countermeasure.

Without further ado, Lin Jiang could only instruct the robe and lantern to guard the town strictly before slowly opening his eyes.

The carriage came to a slow stop, and behind Lin Jiang, a cart was piled high with warm stones refined using the stone-boiling technique. These polished stones, when placed in specific locations, could absorb geothermal heat and spread warmth throughout the town.

It is late autumn, and the winter snow in the north is cold and hard, so we must take precautions early.

These log cabins could not be built with thick walls to keep out the cold in time.

In wealthy northern towns, these types of boiled stones are often purchased and arranged on the ground at precise intervals and in sequence to maintain warmth in the surrounding area.

Water troughs are often dug next to the stone, and water is poured in during the summer to inhibit heat loss to some extent.

If Ziren hadn't told him, Lin Jiang, who had never set foot in the North since childhood, would have been completely unaware of this.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the foreman, who was not far away, hurriedly ran to Lin Jiang's side.

Seeing his hurried steps, Lin Jiang wondered what had happened.

"what happened?"

He leaned close to Lin Jiang's ear and whispered a few words in a low voice.

As Lin Jiang listened, his expression became somewhat strange:
"Someone caught a thief? And they still want to find me?"

(End of this chapter)