Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

Chen Ping carried the marinated silver carp and walked along the riverbank toward Qingkou Town.

Back in the courtyard, I hung the pickled fish under the eaves.

I washed my face with water to wash away the smell of blood.

He changed into a clean blue short shirt, wrapped the Nightfall Blade in old linen again, carried it on his back, locked the courtyard gate, and headed towards the market to the north.

The market is located next to the Tsing Yi Community Chamber of Commerce and is the most densely populated and bustling area in the entire town.

The vendors' cries and the sounds of haggling over every penny blended together.

Despite the lively atmosphere, Chen Ping noticed that there were more sellers than buyers along his route. Of the buyers, eight out of ten were haggling over prices, only to find themselves unable to purchase anything and walk away sheepishly.

Chen Ping stopped as he passed a grain shop.

A wooden sign stood at the entrance: Old rice, sixteen coins per catty; Refined rice, thirty coins per catty.

Chen Ping's eyes narrowed.

Six months ago, aged rice cost eight coins, and refined rice cost fifteen coins.

In just six months, it doubled in value.

There were seven or eight people crowded in front of the grain shop.

At the front stood a gaunt woman, clutching a few copper coins, her voice hoarse: "Shopkeeper, can you give me a two-coin discount... my three children haven't eaten for two days..."

The grain shop owner, a fat man, shook his head: "Auntie, the world has really changed! There's war in the north, and the canal transport is blocked, so grain ships from outside can't get in at all! My purchase price has been doubling, and I really can't lower it anymore."

The woman collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

Chen Ping walked around her and continued forward.

Passing through the market, a dozen or so homeless people were huddled haphazardly at a street corner.

The old man stretched out his withered hand, trembling, begging for food; the several emaciated children didn't even have the strength to cry.

Chen Ping walked around the outstretched hand without stopping.

Arriving at a high point on the north side, Chen Ping gazed out over most of the Huai River.

The number of merchant ships at the dock is at least 30% less than it was six months ago.

The White Gang set up roadblocks on the main channel of the Huai River and forcibly collected money, causing a sharp decline in commerce. The laborers at the bottom of society had to fight tooth and nail for the few remaining heavy jobs.

Turning their gaze away, they continued walking towards the business hall.

As I passed the street corner, the clanging of metal being struck echoed all around.

Chen Ping paused for a moment and looked in the direction of the sound.

Ding-dong—Ding-dong—

A shirtless, burly man stood beside a red-hot furnace, smashing a piece of iron into the furnace, causing sparks to fly everywhere.

Every hammer blow landed at the same point, no more and no less.

Chen Ping looked at the flying sparks and a thought flickered in his mind.

In this chaotic world where human life is as cheap as grass, fighting and killing are ultimately about licking blood off the edge of a knife. Blacksmithing, on the other hand, is a respectable profession that allows one to earn a stable living wherever they go.

Moreover, with diligence as my guiding principle, learning another skill to supplement my knowledge is never a bad thing.

"If I have the chance in the future, I might give it a try." Chen Ping kept this thought in mind and walked away.

Before long, a three-story wooden building appeared in front.

A blue cloth banner hangs above the door, bearing two gold characters: "Shangtang" (商堂).

The two burly guards at the entrance recognized Chen Ping's identity as a member of the Red Flower Stick gang as soon as they saw the red ribbon tied around his waist. They did not stop him but respectfully led him upstairs.

Chen Pingshun went up the stairs to the second floor.

Hu Qian sat behind his desk, fiddling with the abacus, the beads moving at lightning speed.

Hearing footsteps, he put down his abacus, looked up, and smiled: "Young friend Chen, how is it?"

Chen Ping pulled out a chair and sat down, getting straight to the point: "The refugees on the riverbank have been initially suppressed. I killed one of the troublemakers on the spot. He was a spy for the White Gang. I used this to establish my authority, and the leader of the refugees was terrified and led his men back to the camp."

"Good." A sharp glint flashed in Hu Qian's eyes. "Is this the only mole among the refugees?"

"There are two more, hidden in the camp. I'll deal with them tonight."

Hu Qian nodded, then frowned: "The killing was good, but this is only a portion. I heard there are several hundred people in that camp. Several hundred refugees are always a problem. How do you plan to handle this?"

Chen Ping said, "We will register and issue temporary work cards to the Qingyi Society. The able-bodied will do heavy work, such as carrying, salting fish, and repairing boats. The daily wage will be set at about ten coins. The elderly, weak, women and children will do light work, such as drying nets, picking fish and shrimp, and washing fish baskets. They will earn their daily rations in exchange for each day they work."

He paused for a moment. "The rules are simple: those who don't work won't eat, and those who cause trouble will be killed."

Hu Qian tapped his fingers on the table slowly.

He stopped after a moment, his eyes shining.

"What a bargain!" Hu Qian couldn't help but clap his hands in praise. "For a little bit of coarse grains and silver, you get a bunch of laborers for free, and you can keep these people under your control with the roster and employee badges. They can't cause any trouble even if they want to. Young friend Chen, what a brilliant move."

But after praising it, Hu Qian changed the subject: "However, I have a concern. What if the refugees from outside hear that there is work and food here and flock here? There are thousands of starving people gathered at the dock."

Chen Ping picked up his teacup, took a sip, and shrugged: "Manager Hu, the task you gave me is just to deal with the refugees in Luhua Village. The thousands of people outside disrupting the canal transport are a headache for the government. I'm just a lowly official; I can't manage that much."

Hu Qian paused for a moment, then pointed at him and chuckled, "You little rascal, you're really cunning."

However, Hu Qian also understood that Chen Ping's words made sense.

The resettlement of displaced people is not something that a single gang can handle; it's a headache for the government.

"Fine, we'll do it your way." Hu Qian wrote down a hand order with a flourish of his pen, "We need money, provisions, and work permits. Take this to the accounting office to get them."

Chen Ping took it and put it in his pocket before getting up to leave.

"Young friend Chen, please wait."

Hu Qian walked to the window, looked at the Huai River in the distance, and his voice became deep.

"Kill the remaining two White Gang spies. If the leader is usable, use him; if not, replace him."

He turned around, his eyes ruthless: "If the White Gang has lent a hand this time, they'll dare to commit arson and poison next time. We must nip them in the bud."

"Understood." Chen Ping cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and strode away.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Chen Ping, like a ghost, infiltrated the refugee camp on the east side of Luhua Village.

The campsite was filled with dilapidated thatched huts, and the campfire was dim.

He reached the largest thatched shed in the center, lifted the straw curtain, and slipped inside.

Inside the thatched hut, Scarface was about to cry out when he saw Chen Ping, but Chen Ping grabbed him by the throat and pressed the cold blade against his neck.

Where are the other two White Gang members in the camp?

Scarface, his face deathly pale, pointed tremblingly westward: "In...the thatched hut on the west side where the tattered fishing net hangs! One's surname is Li, the other Wang...I overheard them whispering this evening, it seems they're planning to run away before midnight!"

Chen Ping released his grip, his figure flickered, and he disappeared behind the straw curtain.

On the west side of the camp, a half-tattered fishing net hangs in front of a thatched hut.

Chen Ping crept close to the thatched shed, holding his breath, and heard very faint conversations coming from inside.

"...That kid's swordsmanship was terrifying today. The third brother didn't even have a chance to draw his sword before his head was chopped off."

"Hurry back and report to your superiors. This move by Luhua Village is a waste, but it doesn't matter as long as it doesn't delay the upcoming 'Dragon Head Festival'..."

Dragon Head Festival.

Chen Ping's heart skipped a beat.

He couldn't control himself and took a breath.

"Who's outside?!"

A sharp shout rang out from inside the thatched hut, and two men wielding single-edged swords charged out like wolves.

By the moonlight, the undercover agent surnamed Li recognized Chen Ping as the murderer who had killed people on the riverbank during the day. A flicker of fear crossed his eyes, which quickly turned into a ferocious rage as he roared, "This guy's got a problem! Kill him in one fell swoop!"

The two men, one on the left and one on the right, suddenly unleashed their qi and blood, revealing themselves to be martial artists at the early stage of the Skin Refining Realm.

Two single-edged swords danced in the moonlight, creating a chilling gleam that blocked all of Chen Ping's escape routes.

"Zheng—!"

Chen Ping drew his sword with a backhand motion, his movement so fast that it left a blur in the air.

The 30-pound Jingye sword burst forth from the sky, its thick, dark blue blade tracing a semi-circle of moonlight.

Chen Ping's eyes remained calm and still. He activated the "Water Observation Technique" to its fullest extent, and the two men's originally swift attack movements instantly became slow and full of flaws in his eyes.

He took a step, and the ground beneath his feet cracked with a deafening roar.

The first move of the Vast Ocean Sword Technique: Tide Rises in the East China Sea!

With this strike, the pure physical power of the Body Refining Realm erupted, propelling the thirty-pound treasured sword down on the left-side hidden staker surnamed Li with an unreasonable and overwhelming momentum!

Before the blade even arrived, its momentum had already completely enveloped the hidden agent surnamed Li.

Under that sudden sense of oppression, the undercover agent surnamed Li felt his blood and qi stagnate, and all he could see was the ever-growing Night of Jupiter.

He was terrified, his body stiffened so much that he couldn't dodge at all. He could only let out a desperate roar and raise his single sword to parry desperately.

clang!

A sickening clang of metal followed by the sharp crack of metal shattering.

Faced with the weight of Jingye and the strength of Chen Ping, the single-edged sword in that man's hand was as fragile as rotten wood, instantly breaking into several pieces!

The shockwave continued unabated as it fell.

puff!"

A muffled thud.

The sound of flesh and bone being forcibly smashed and torn could be heard.

Before the undercover agent surnamed Li could even scream, he was cleaved in two from head to crotch by the blade.

Blood, entrails, and shattered bone fragments splattered like a rotten watermelon bursting open, creating a fan-shaped curtain of blood under the moonlight.

"Old Li!"

The spy surnamed Wang on the right had bloodshot eyes. The gruesome death of his companion had aroused his last bit of ferocity. He roared and frantically slashed at Chen Ping's waist and ribs with his single blade.

Chen Ping didn't even glance at him. Using the momentum from the previous strike, he half-turned, exerted force from his waist and abdomen, and swept the heavy blade out horizontally.

The second move of the Vast Ocean Sword Technique: Raging Waves Crashing on the Shore!

The blade scraped against the air, producing a piercing whistle.

The hidden staker only felt a cold, blue arc of light flash before his eyes.

He tried his best to sheathe his sword and defend, but it was too late.

"Bang!"

The broad blade of the Night-Surprising Blade struck his waist heavily.

Accompanied by a series of dense sounds of bones shattering, the body of the hidden stake folded at an eerie angle, flying horizontally seven or eight zhang away like a rag doll, and crashed heavily into the reeds.

He spat out dark red blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, his body twitched twice, and then fell silent.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood.

Chen Ping stood in the moonlight, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He took out an old linen cloth from his pocket and slowly wiped the blood and flesh scraps off the blade of the Nightfall Blade.

He turned his head and looked at the scarred face in the shadows.

"Two White Gang members are dead."

Scarface looked at the two gruesome corpses, his stomach churning. He knelt down with a thud, buried his head in the dirt, and kowtowed frantically, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

Chen Ping carefully wrapped the Nightfall Blade again, slowly slung it behind his back, walked up to Scarface Liu, and looked at him, saying:

"Tomorrow at noon, take everyone to the entrance of Luhua Village to discuss matters. Those who are obedient and work can exchange their earnings for money and grain, and live like human beings."

He held up one finger and pointed to the two piles of mangled flesh on the ground, his tone indifferent:

"This is what will happen to those who disobey."

"I understand! I understand! I will definitely keep them under control! They will never dare to have any disloyalty!" Scarface Liu kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead a bloody mess.

Back in the courtyard, it was the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).

Chen Ping sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, letting the cool night wind caress his body, carrying away his restlessness and bloodlust.

I went over the events of today in my mind.

The three White Gang agents who had been lurking among the refugees have all been killed. The ruthless methods used are enough to deter any villains.

Tomorrow, as long as we issue work badges and establish rules at the village entrance, this matter will be over.

Chen Ping frowned slightly, his fingers gently stroking the rough stone tabletop.

The unfinished sentence outside the thatched hut remained weighing on his mind.

Dragon Head Festival.

He suppressed those three words, took out the Nightfall Blade, and carefully wiped the blade.

The blade gleamed with a cold, eerie light under the moonlight.