Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

End of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and Qingkou Town was shrouded in a damp, white mist.

Chen Ping stood shirtless in the center of the courtyard, sweat dripping down his back and onto the muddy ground, instantly spreading into a small dark patch.

"drink!"

With a low shout, Chen Ping finished the last move of "Crushing Stone Force".

The joints crackled and popped, and the surrounding morning mist was stirred and churned by the powerful force of the punch.

He slowly finished his practice, and a line of familiar small print flashed across his retina:

[Stone Crushing Force, Proficiency +1]

[Current Progress: Completed 3/2000]

Just as he picked up a cloth hanging on the rack to wipe his sweat, someone knocked slowly on the courtyard gate.

"Thump, thump, thump."

His voice was steady and slow, conveying politeness and composure.

Chen Ping frowned slightly, draped the cloth over his shoulder, walked over and unlatched the door.

An elderly man with gray hair stood outside the door.

He looked to be in his fifties, with a tall and straight figure like a pine tree.

He was dressed in a fine gray silk robe, with three jade thumb rings on his fingers, looking every bit the wealthy man.

Behind him followed two strong servants, carrying a rectangular wooden box covered with a layer of silk cloth.

The old man squinted, looked Chen Ping up and down, and smiled kindly, but his eyes revealed shrewdness.

"Young friend Chen, my name is Hu Qian. I apologize for my intrusion."

Chen Ping's eyes narrowed, and his body tensed slightly: "You must be Manager Hu Qian of the Merchant Guild?"

"Indeed." Hu Qian cupped his hands in greeting, his tone calm. "I've heard that young friend Chen is exceptionally talented, and now that he's been taken in as a disciple by Steward Li Yuan, he's already a rising star in the Qingyi Society. I've come to pay my respects and ask for a cup of tea."

Chen Ping stepped aside to make way: "Manager Hu, you're too kind. Please."

Two servants carried the heavy wooden box into the courtyard and placed it steadily on the stone table in the courtyard.

Hu Qian didn't waste any words and simply waved his hand.

The servants lifted the red silk, revealing the contents of the wooden box.

The wooden box lid was lifted, revealing a large knife.

The blade is long and straight, about three feet and five inches long, with a thick back and a sharp edge, gleaming with a deep blue-green light.

Near the guard, two simple, ancient characters are engraved on the blade: "惊夜" (Jing Ye).

The guard is carved with swirling waves, and the handle, about seven inches long, is wrapped in layers of dark brown leather and should fit perfectly in the hand.

The knife had no sheath; the blade was exposed on the red velvet cloth, and when the morning light shone through, a chill ran across the edge.

Chen Ping didn't reach out, but even standing three feet away from the knife, he could almost feel a slightly piercing sharpness.

His pupils contracted slightly.

The blade is long and slender, with a thick, robust back.

The moves of the "Han Hai Sword Technique" appeared in his mind almost uncontrollably.

After a moment, he felt that this sword was probably extremely suitable for the "Vast Ocean Sword Technique".

"This blade is called Nightfall, and it is a treasure of my merchant guild."

Hu Qian walked to the stone table and gently stroked the cold blade: "The blade is three feet five inches long and weighs thirty pounds. It is forged from black iron mixed with purple copper and has been quenched forty-nine times. Although I dare not say that it can cut through iron like mud, it can certainly cut through gold and jade."

He pointed to the hilt wrapped in dark brown leather, a hint of smugness in his voice:

"The handle is wrapped in old deerskin, which is extremely tough, absorbent, and non-slip. Even if it's covered in blood, it won't slip out of your hand."

Hu Qian turned his head, looked at Chen Ping, and said meaningfully, "I heard that young friend Chen is practicing the 'Vast Ocean Blade Technique'... This blade might be of help."

Chen Ping stared at the knife, thinking to himself that it was indeed a fine knife.

The weight of thirty pounds was just right for his arm strength at his current level of physical refinement.

With this sword in hand, the power of the "Vast Ocean Sword Technique" can be increased by at least 30%.

But he knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Hu Qian, a cunning old fox who controls the purse strings, would never do a losing business.

Chen Ping withdrew his gaze, looked at Hu Qian, and said calmly, "Manager Hu, let's be frank. We can't accept rewards without merit."

Hu Qian smiled and gestured for the two servants to leave the courtyard.

When only the two of them remained in the courtyard, he slowly said, "Smart man, there is indeed a job for you. It's not anything important, but I can't do it myself."

He suppressed his smile and his tone became serious: "A conflict broke out between the fishermen of Luhua Village and the nearby displaced people."

"Luhua Village?" Chen Ping raised an eyebrow.

"It's just ten miles east of Qingkou Town," Hu Qian explained. "The fishermen there are honest and capable. Every year, their catch is converted into at least a thousand taels of silver, which is a steady source of income for the merchant guild."

"In the past, if fishermen and migrants had some minor conflicts, they would just let it go. But this time is different. The number of migrants is growing, and it seems that someone is instigating them from behind. If this continues, the migrants will gain momentum, and the fishermen in the village will have to be driven away."

Hu Qian paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "If those peasant vagrants take it, wouldn't my merchant guild suffer a complete loss of one thousand taels of silver every year?"

Chen Ping frowned deeply: "Don't you have someone more suitable for this kind of thing under you? Why did you come to me?"

Hu Qian sighed and shook his head: "To be honest, all the good fighters under my command have gone to other places to escort goods by ship and won't be back for a while. But the rise of these refugees will probably happen in the next day or two, so we can't delay."

"What about the other Red Flower Sticks in the gang?" Chen Ping pressed.

"Them?" Hu Qian gave a bitter smile. "Recently, the White Gang has been blocking the Huai River and collecting money, stealing a lot of our business. The gang's Red Flower Sticks have all been sent to keep an eye on them, for fear that the White Gang will make trouble again. In their eyes, the matter of Luhua Village is just a small matter and not worth getting distracted by."

He looked at Chen Ping with a frank gaze: "I know that you are a disciple of Manager Li Yuan. Although you are still relatively inexperienced, with Manager Li's endorsement, your skills must be quite good. In Qingkou Town today, I really can't find a more suitable candidate than you."

It turned out to be the case.

Chen Ping shook his head and pointed to the knife on the table: "This knife alone is not enough. That's a peasant riot, and it could easily turn into bloodshed."

A hint of approval flashed in Hu Qian's eyes, seemingly unperturbed by Chen Ping's bargaining.

"Young friend Chen is indeed straightforward." Hu Qian held up one finger. "After this is done, I will give you ten percent of the annual fish harvest from Luhua Village."

Chen Ping quickly made a decision in his mind.

One thousand taels a year, and this profit share of one-tenth is one hundred taels.

Although this amount of money is not a huge sum, it is a steady stream of income.

"This percentage will still count even after I step down," Hu Qian emphasized. "You just need to help me resolve this trouble, and from now on you can just sit back and collect the money. How about it?"

He then pointed to the knife on the table: "As for this 'Nightfall', let young friend Chen use it for now, consider it a treat."

A precious sword, plus an annual dividend of one hundred taels.

Chen Ping was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I'll take it, but let me make this clear beforehand, I can't guarantee a solution. I'll have to see for myself to know how things turn out. If I can't resolve it, I'll return the knife as is."

Hu Qian's smile deepened, and he stood up: "Of course, I've always heard that young friend Chen is cautious in his actions, so I'm at ease."

"Then let's leave this knife for now, young friend Chen can use it."

Hu Qian cupped his hands in greeting: "Then I won't bother you any longer. If young friend Chen needs anything, you can come to the business hall to find me at any time."

After seeing Hu Qian off, Chen Ping returned to the courtyard.

He looked at the "Night of Terror" on the stone table and reached out to grasp the hilt of the knife.

It felt rough to the touch, yet it had a strange warmth to it. Just as Hu Qian had said, the handle wrapped in old deer hide had extremely strong friction, and the palm of the hand fit the handle perfectly, without feeling slippery even when the palm was sweaty.

Chen Ping suddenly pulled the knife out of the wooden box.

The deep blue blade flashed a chilling light in the sunlight.

He stood with his sword in hand, took a deep breath, and began to practice the "Vast Ocean Sword Technique".

First move: The tide rises in the East China Sea!

The 30-pound weight feels light in your hand, yet it carries a substantial weight.

The flashes of blades surged forth like a tidal wave, whipping up the withered yellow leaves in the courtyard and shredding them in mid-air.

Chen Ping was startled.

The knife's center of gravity, length, and curvature perfectly matched his understanding of the "Han Hai Knife Technique"! Every swing of the knife provided extremely smooth feedback from the blade, a feeling he had never experienced with the ordinary broadsword he had used before.

The resistance when executing the moves has almost disappeared, and the power has increased by at least 30%!

"As expected of a treasure."

Chen Ping sheathed his sword and stood still, looking at the "Nightfall" in his hand. A glint of light flashed in his eyes: "This sword and the 'Vast Ocean Sword Technique' are a match made in heaven. Hu Qian has been so generous this time. It seems that the matter of Luhua Village is indeed very important to him."

"The conflict between the migrants and the fishermen...we need to go and see the situation first."

At the beginning of the Si hour.

Chen Ping changed into a clean blue short shirt, found an old linen cloth to carefully wrap "Jingye" and carried it on his back.

Stepping out of the courtyard, we headed east along the Huai River.

The mist along the river gradually dissipated, and the distinctive calls of fishermen could be faintly heard in the distance, though they sounded somewhat sparse and desolate.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chen Ping saw a cluster of low, dilapidated thatched houses in the distance; that was Luhua Village.

Chen Ping stood at the village entrance, his brows slightly furrowed.

The village is small, with about thirty or forty households.

Dilapidated thatched huts are scattered along the riverbank, and a dozen or so awning fishing boats are moored there.

But at this moment, the entire village was eerily quiet.

There were no fisherwomen mending nets, no old men drying fish; a sense of oppression permeated the air.

Suddenly, a cacophony of shouts and curses broke the deathly silence in the distance.

"Get out! This riverbank belongs to our village!"

"Bullshit! The fish in the river are a gift from God, why should only you be allowed to catch them?!"

Chen Ping looked in the direction of the sound and saw two groups of people gathered on a riverbank to the east of the village, their faces tense and their hands holding weapons.

His eyes turned cold, and he strode over there.