Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

The rain is getting heavier.

Inside the mortuary, the once deathly still air was now filled with a strong stench of blood.

The three gang members didn't even put up a decent resistance.

Before Chen Ping, who had mastered the "Stone Collapse Technique," these three henchmen were like chickens waiting to be slaughtered.

Chen Ping didn't waste much time killing all three of them.

After dealing with the last person, Chen Ping shook the blood off his hands and turned to look at Liu Niang, who was huddled in the corner, trembling with fear.

"You can leave now."

Chen Ping's voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

As if granted a pardon, Liu Niang scrambled into the rain, not daring to look back even once.

Chen Ping ignored her. He knew that unless this woman was stupid, she would keep what happened tonight a secret for the rest of her life.

He bent down and searched the pockmarked leader's corpse for a while, finding some loose silver coins, about two taels of silver.

Finally, his gaze fell on the half of the blood-stained jade pendant.

Under the lamplight, the blood-red lines in the jade pendant were eerily alluring.

"nice one."

Chen Ping stroked the jade pendant, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

If it were a hothead, he might have thought of keeping this treasure for himself and selling it for a high price later.

But Chen Ping knew very well that this thing was too hot to handle.

The Qingyi Society hasn't finished transporting its grain yet, and a minor leader of the Bai Gang has died. This matter could be big or small.

If no one is there to cover for him, and the White Gang investigates, he, as the guardian of the mortuary, will be the prime suspect.

Chen Ping tucked the jade pendant into his robes, picked up an oil lamp from the side, pushed open the door, and stepped into the raging wind and rain.

……

Half an hour later.

A secluded courtyard near the dock.

This is where the one-eyed lieutenant stays, and also where they usually exchange goods.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The knocking sounded particularly muffled in the rainy night.

A moment later, the door opened.

The one-eyed deputy, wearing an overcoat and carrying a pipe, warily eyed Chen Ping, who was soaking wet, outside the door.

"Is it you?"

The one-eyed lieutenant frowned and stepped aside: "It's so late, why aren't you guarding the mortuary? What are you doing here?"

"The White Gang's pockmarked guy is dead."

Chen Ping walked into the room, bringing with him a chill, and got straight to the point.

The one-eyed deputy's hand, which was about to close the door, suddenly froze.

He whirled around, a sharp glint flashing in his single eye as he stared intently at Chen Ping: "What did you say?"

"The pockmarked leader of the White Gang is dead, along with his three henchmen."

Chen Ping spoke calmly, as if he were asking what to eat for dinner: "He just died at the mortuary."

The one-eyed second-in-command took a deep breath, and his expression instantly became extremely interesting, showing shock, anger, but upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a hint of schadenfreude.

He closed the door, walked to the table, sat down, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and his tone became stern:

"Chen Ping, do you even know what time it is? The commune's grain hasn't even been delivered yet. Master Huang repeatedly warned us not to clash with the White Gang, and you, instead, just killed their little leader? If the White Gang causes trouble, you'll get us all into big trouble too!"

"He wanted to kill and rob."

Chen Ping did not argue, but simply reached into his robes, took out the half of the jade pendant with the bloodline, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of the one-eyed deputy.

The moment he saw the jade pendant, the one-eyed deputy's pupils contracted sharply.

He's a discerning person.

This jade has a warm and lustrous color, and the blood lines are naturally formed. It is a top-grade "blood-stained jade". Although there is only half a piece, it is still very valuable.

"This is what Ma Zi has been looking for," Chen Ping said. "He sneaked back to the mortuary tonight to kill me and silence me. I don't want to die, so I have no choice but to let him die."

The one-eyed deputy picked up the jade pendant, rubbed it greedily a few times, and then quickly put it into his sleeve.

After receiving the money, his expression visibly softened.

"This thing is a good item." The one-eyed second-in-command exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone becoming somewhat nonchalant. "Since he attacked first, he was asking for it. However... if the White Gang investigates, it will ultimately be a problem."

"The mortuary is full of corpses of refugees," Chen Ping said calmly. "Is it that hard to find a few scapegoats, stage a scene of infighting over looting, or even a fight to the death?"

The one-eyed deputy couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

A hint of admiration flashed in his single eye: "You little rascal, you're ruthless and heartless. Fine, I'll cover for you. Those good-for-nothings from the Bai Gang only lost a minor leader. As long as there's no evidence pointing to our Green Robe Society, they won't dare to turn against us at this critical juncture."

At this point, the one-eyed deputy suddenly changed his tone, his eyes sharpening:

"However, I'm very curious."

He stared at Chen Ping, as if trying to see through the boy's exterior:

"That pockmarked guy may be a lecher, but he's still a ruthless figure in the White Gang who can lead a team. He's seen blood. How did you kill him? Poisoned? By surprise?"

Chen Ping remained silent.

He walked to the corner of the room, where there was a thick wooden stool used to weigh down the pickled vegetable jars.

Chen Ping took a deep breath, making no attempt to put on any airs, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.

With a slight tilt of his body and a sudden jerk of his spine, his right fist slammed into the wooden block like a heavy hammer.

"Bang!"

A dull thud made the teacup on the table jump.

On the hard elm stump, a deep dent was clearly visible, and the surrounding wood grain was cracked and spread outwards.

The one-eyed deputy's single eye suddenly widened, and he almost dropped his pipe.

He walked over quickly, touched the dent, and then looked at Chen Ping's fist.

"That was a vicious punch!"

The one-eyed henchman gasped. Although he had never seen this style of boxing before, he could see the destructive power of this strike.

This kind of instantaneous penetrating power, if it hits a person, can shatter their bones.

"So Brother Chen was hiding his true abilities all along!"

The one-eyed second-in-command's title changed instantly; the previous scrutiny turned into undisguised delight.

"That kind of tenacity can't be developed without three to five years of hard work. No wonder you were able to kill that pockmarked guy. You caught him off guard and hit him like that; even a god would kneel down!"

"I found a tattered boxing manual in a group of refugees a few days ago and practiced it haphazardly on my own," Chen Ping said, half-jokingly. "Tonight, I was pushed to the limit, and that's when I finally felt the energy flow smoothly."

"A boxing manual you found?"

The one-eyed deputy naturally didn't believe it.

But so what?

This usually quiet young man is a natural-born martial artist!

"Brother Chen, your talent is exceptional."

The one-eyed deputy burst into laughter, his previous indifference vanishing completely.

He pulled Chen Ping to sit down and personally poured him a cup of tea.

"Come, sit down!"

The one-eyed lieutenant sighed, "There are countless people practicing martial arts in this world, but most of them practice blindly. Someone like you, who can comprehend it with just a few pages of fragments, is a gift from God. With your temperament and talent, as long as you don't die, you will definitely become a prominent figure in our gang within three years."

Chen Ping accepted the tea, then feigned a hint of doubt: "I'd like to ask you, Brother One-Eyed, what exactly is meant by 'talent' in the martial arts world?"

The one-eyed lieutenant was in high spirits and also wanted to make friends with him, so he patiently explained:

"The path of martial arts begins in the mortal realm."

He extended one hand, curled his fingers, and said solemnly:

"Within the mortal realm, there are five barriers, which are what we often call the 'Five Barriers of the Physical Body'."

"The first challenge is to refine the skin, making the skin as tough as cowhide, so that it won't hurt or itch when hit with an ordinary wooden stick."

"The second stage is muscle training. Through specific methods and stances, you train all the muscles in your body to be as hard as steel and as strong as iron. I'm not very talented, but I've been training for several years and I'm currently at this stage."

As he spoke, the one-eyed deputy clenched his fist, the muscles on his arm bulging instantly, veins popping, and a slight cracking sound was heard.

"The third stage is bone tempering. This step requires using medicinal baths in conjunction with hard training to temper the bones to the point that they are as hard as refined iron, far exceeding the hardness of ordinary people, so that they are not easily broken even if they are stabbed."

"The fourth stage, tendon training, the tendons become like dragons. At this time, the body's flexibility and explosive power will reach a terrifying level, and the movement will be as fast as a ghost."

"The fifth stage, Blood Refining, is the final step in the five stages of physical training. When one's blood and qi are as strong as a furnace, one's endurance is exceptional, and one can recover quickly even from severe injuries."

Chen Ping listened attentively, secretly comparing the two in his mind.

"My 'Stone-Shattering Force' emphasizes explosive power; its destructive force might rival that of a martial artist at the Body Refinement Realm, but my body..."

He is very self-aware.

Although he is now stronger and his skin and flesh are more solid, he is still far from being truly "invincible".

"In other words, I am now attacking from a high position and defending from a low position."

Chen Ping understood.

"Then... what happens after these five trials?" Chen Ping pressed.

"After the five trials?"

A hint of awe appeared in the one-eyed deputy's eyes: "Once you've mastered the five stages of physical training—skin, flesh, bones, tendons, and blood—you've transcended the ordinary."

"Once you enter the extraordinary realm, the first step is 'refining the internal organs,' where you can hear thunderous sounds from your five internal organs and exhale as if you were a true master of internal strength."

"And above that is the legendary 'Transformation of Strength'."

The one-eyed lieutenant lowered his voice, as if afraid of disturbing the gods:

"That kind of person has a perfect balance of strength and gentleness. He can hit people as easily as hanging a painting and kill without a knife. Our Green Robe Society's leader is said to be a master of the Transformation Realm, who is in charge of a region. Even the one in Shanyang City has to give him some face."

Chen Ping seemed to be deep in thought.

The five stages of the mortal realm are: refining the filth and transforming strength.

Is this the way of martial arts in this world?

"I'll keep this jade pendant."

The one-eyed deputy carefully put away the jade pendant, his tone becoming serious: "I'll handle things with the White Gang. You just stay in the mortuary these next few days and don't go out and wander around."

"Thank you, One-Eyed Brother." Chen Ping clasped his hands in thanks.

"No need to thank me." The one-eyed deputy waved his hand. "This is what you deserve, and besides..."

He paused, then said meaningfully:

"Once the grain shipment is finished, you won't need to go back to the docks to carry the bags. Based on the merit of this jade pendant, plus your pledge of loyalty by killing the White Gang leader, I will recommend you to Master Huangya to officially join the gang."

"Join the gang?"

"That's right," the one-eyed henchman chuckled, "and not just some lowly lackey waving flags and shouting slogans, but a full-fledged red-flower stick!"

"A red flower stick?"

"In the gang, only the truly skilled fighters who have seen blood can be called Red Flower Sticks. Their status is second only to the manager, much higher than that of ordinary gang members. They receive five taels of silver a month and may even be allocated a house."

The one-eyed deputy patted Chen Ping on the shoulder:

"Brother Chen, joining the gang and becoming a Red Flower Stick is just the beginning of your rise to prominence."

Chen Ping remained silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup and, instead of wine, toasted his one-eyed deputy.

"Then we'll have to rely entirely on One-Eyed Brother's help."

The tea is slightly bitter at first, but then has a sweet aftertaste.