Becoming an immortal from a canal worker

early morning.

In the courtyard, Chen Ping repeatedly struck the wooden stake with his "Stone-Shattering Force".

The cold air turned his breath into white mist, which dispersed and then gathered again. The skin on the back of his hand turned red from the cold wind, but with each punch, the force between his fist and the wooden stake was heavier than the last.

The thirteenth time.

Fourteenth time.

The fifteenth time.

A line of small print flashed across my retina.

【Crushing Stone Force (Perfect)】

Current progress: 1985/2000

Almost there.

Chen Ping put down his fist, stood in the courtyard, glanced at the wooden stake, and turned to go inside.

The meal was already laid out: a large bowl of stewed meat and two bowls of thick porridge. Old Liu sat opposite him, eating with his head down. The atmosphere was relaxed, just like any other morning.

After eating half of his meal, Old Liu looked up and said, "I ran into Steward Hu yesterday. We chatted for a while and had a good time. He's planning to buy a house in Shanyang City and invited me to live with him in my old age. I thought about it and realized that the old man couldn't stand the cold wind blowing by the river, so I agreed. When you come back, just come find me on East Street in Shanyang City."

Chen Ping nodded and asked, "Do you have enough money?"

Old Liu chuckled, looked up at him, and said, "Why don't you think about whether you have enough money? Don't you want to know how much money you have right now?"

While eating, Chen Ping asked, "How much?"

Old Liu said, "Your monthly salary these past few months, plus the large share from Luhua Village and all those gifts, should amount to about eight hundred taels of silver. That's enough to live comfortably in Tianyan Prefecture."

Chen Ping held the bowl, feeling somewhat surprised.

Since Liu Laoguo started managing the finances, he hadn't bothered to keep track of his money. His cultivation resources were all provided by Lü Cheng, and he didn't spend much on everyday purchases of food. He never expected that he would have saved up so much in just one year.

After finishing his meal, Old Liu pushed his bowl aside and said, "It's getting late."

Chen Ping responded, changed his clothes, took the manager's wooden badge from his waist, put it back in the house, tied a red ribbon around his neck again, and went out.

When the sun was high in the sky, Lü Cheng led his team to set off.

Hu Qian stood at the entrance of the Qingyi Society, a folding fan tucked under his arm. He looked at the crowd with a smile on his lips, but without his usual frivolity. He simply cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Take care, everyone."

Lu Cheng stood by the carriage. When he saw Chen Ping come out, his gaze fell on Chen Ping's waist. His lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything. He turned around and got into the carriage.

The members of the Green Robe Society had already set off one after another, walking eastward along the official road in twos and threes. There were quite a few of them, occupying almost half of the road. Lu Cheng and his companions rode in a carriage, the wheels rumbling as they passed through the crowd, and the members of the society made way for them.

Chen Ping sat in the car, lifted the curtain and looked out. The sky was gray, the winter wind pressed the withered grass by the roadside close to the ground, and a thin mist rose on the river in the distance, with the reflection of the water faintly visible.

After about two quarters of an hour, the carriage stopped.

The terrain ahead opened up dramatically, and this riverbank was several times wider than usual. Patches of withered grass crunched underfoot, and the river wind blew in our faces, carrying a chill and the fishy smell of water.

The arena had already been set up. The platform was almost a person's height above the ground, made of thick wooden planks, with thick wooden pillars at the four corners. Red cloth was tied to the pillars, fluttering in the winter wind. Several flags were also tied around the platform, with bright colors and the river god pattern painted on them. They were newly made.

The platform was surrounded by an open space, and beyond that were the seats for the three groups, with tables and chairs arranged in three distinct locations, clearly defined and clearly separated.

The members of the Dahe Gang had arrived, standing in a dense, dark mass. The leaders sat in the center, their seats at the front. In the very back row, a burly man sat upright in a high-backed chair, his face solemn. Chen Ping couldn't recognize him, but judging from his seat, he must be the leader of the Dahe Gang.

The members of the Tsing Yi Society entered one after another and found their places to stand.

Some of the gang members were rubbing their hands together, while others were whispering to each other. When they said something, someone patted their shoulder and lowered their voices.

Some people remained silent, their eyes fixed on the ring, their expressions a mix of excitement and something else entirely.

Lu Cheng and his companions disembarked from the carriage and walked toward their seats. The gang members made way for them, and the managers took their seats in turn. The seats were at the back, while the seats for the Red Flower Stick members and ordinary gang members were at the front.

Chen Ping sat down, and someone came over, set up a small wooden table next to his chair, placed a teapot and teacups on it, and then stepped back.

Huang Ya sat down next to Chen Ping, leaned closer, and whispered, "The rules of the Dragon Head Ritual are similar to those at the Bai family banquet, but even more brutal. We're sitting at the back, and the arena is too far away. If your movement skills aren't good enough, you won't be able to go down and save anyone."

Chen Ping looked at the arena and estimated the distance. The arena was no more than a hundred paces away from where he was sitting. With his current strength, he could reach it in two breaths.

He looked away, picked up the teacup, and found the tea was hot.

Huang Ya pointed to the last row in the direction of the Great River Gang and said, "The burly man sitting in the middle is Huang Ci, the leader of the Great River Gang. His strength is slightly inferior to our leader. The four people next to him are the managers of the Great River Gang: Lu Chengye, Ding Xian, Zhang Yue, and He Chong. Their strength is all between the Ming Jin and An Jin levels."

He paused, then glanced at the front row. "The fat, strong man sitting next to the manager in the row of red-flowered banners below is Yuan Shao."

At this moment, the White Gang's men entered from the other side.

Yan Hai sat in front, Xie Xiao followed beside him, and the members of the White Gang filed in to take their seats.

As soon as the White Gang members entered, the atmosphere on the Green Robe Society's side immediately changed. Some people clenched their fists, while others straightened their backs and glanced in that direction with barely suppressed coldness.

Some people from the White Gang were also looking this way. Their gazes lingered on Chen Ping for a moment before shifting away.

All three groups sat down, and the buzzing voices gradually subsided. The river breeze blew across the water, making the red cloth flags flap loudly.

Yellow Teeth glanced at the front row of the White Gang and said in a low voice, "The one sitting with his legs spread wide, near the managers of the White Gang, is Wan Guihong."

Chen Ping's gaze fell over, and several people around Wan Guihong were whispering something in his ear. He would occasionally look up at Chen Ping, the murderous intent in his eyes impossible to conceal.

Chen Ping glanced back and forth between Wan Guihong and Yuan Shao. Both of them had red ribbons tied around their waists, giving them a completely different aura from the red-flowered sticks around them.

The way people looked at these two was different from how they looked at the other Red Flower Sticks; it was an unconscious restraint.

Yuan Shao was reserved, while Wan Guihong was flamboyant, but they were the same kind of people.

These two are probably already more than just Red Flower Sticks in the gang. The fact that they are wearing red ribbons today is an unspoken rule under the new regulations. The same goes for the red ribbon around Chen Ping's waist.

The altar was set up next to the arena, with offerings of three kinds of animals on it: a pig's head in the center, and fish and chicken on either side. Incense sticks were inserted into the bronze incense burner, and thin wisps of smoke rose up, which were then dispersed into wisps by the wind.

An elderly man walked to the incense table, holding a whisk. He first bowed towards the three banks, then turned to the river, unfolded the sacrificial text, and began to read it aloud. His voice was old but loud, and it carried far away on the river breeze.

The sacrificial text is nothing more than a prayer to the river god for protection, to ensure the safe transport of grain, and to hope for favorable weather in the coming year. It is recited every three years, with little variation from year to year.

The three groups reacted differently upon hearing this.

On the Qingyi Society's side, Lü Cheng held a teacup, his eyelids slightly lowered, his expression calm.

Li Yuan stood with his back straight and his eyes looking forward.

Rouge Tiger leaned back in her chair, her eyes half-closed, lost in thought.

Some of the gang members had their heads down, while others looked up at the river. The thin mist had not yet dissipated, and the grayish-white water stretched out to the horizon.

On the White Gang's side, Xie Xiao twirled a jade pendant in his hand, seemingly indifferent. He didn't look at the old man, but occasionally glanced at the Green Robe Society.

The members of the Dahe Gang were quite disciplined. Huang Ci sat upright without moving, and most of the gang members below also looked solemn, staring at the incense table.

After the eulogy was read, the old man placed the incense sticks into the bronze incense burner, stepped back, bowed deeply to the river, straightened up, turned to the three gangs, and said: "The Dragon Head Festival is held once every three years. Today, the three gangs have gathered. We will first worship the River God, and then discuss who is superior. You all know the rules, so I will not go into details. Let's begin."

As the unrelated people left the area, their footsteps faded into the distance. Only three groups of people remained on the wide riverbank. An inexplicable pressure pressed down in the air, like dark clouds gathering overhead, ready to explode at any moment.

Chen Ping held his teacup, his gaze sweeping towards the White Gang.

Wan Guihong would occasionally glance at Chen Ping, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent.

Yellow Teeth leaned closer and whispered, "The guy next to that guy, the one on the left is called Shen Ji, the one on the right is called Zhou Hei, and the one standing behind him is Huang Da."

Chen Ping lowered his head, took a sip of tea, and remained silent.

He didn't need to remember these names; he only knew that when these people showed murderous intent towards him, they were already dead in his eyes.

He turned his head and looked towards the Dahe Gang. Luo Yi wasn't among them. Chen Ping frowned and asked, "Where is Luo Yi from the Dahe Gang?"

Huang Ya thought for a moment and said, "It seems that Luo Yi was stripped of his position as Red Flower Stick by their leader a few months ago because he was too afraid of death. After that, there was no news about where he went."

Chen Ping nodded, said nothing more, and looked away.

Xie Xiao leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting vaguely toward the Green Robe Society.

Yan Hai leaned closer and whispered, "Can you tell how strong Chen Ping is now?"

Xie Xiao shook his head: "It's too far away to tell. But after so much time, their strength must have deteriorated. Let the people from the Great River Gang probe first. We should minimize our losses, preserve our fighting strength, and stall until Magistrate Qian leaves. Once he's gone, we'll make our move."

Yan Hai bowed his head and responded, then said nothing more.

On the arena, one of the members from the Great River Gang stepped forward first.

The man, a wiry and powerful figure, walked to the edge of the platform, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the direction of the Green Robe Society, and declared in a booming voice, "I am Zhong Yue, a Blood Refining Realm cultivator, and I humbly request guidance from Zhao Yi of the Green Robe Society!"

Zhao Yi shouted, stood up, and strode onto the stage.

The two fought for about half an incense stick's time, exchanging blows and kicks back and forth, locked in a stalemate. In the end, Zhong Yue narrowly won a move. Both men took a step back, neither intending to kill the other, stopping short of killing.

Someone announced loudly, "The River Gang has won one."

As Zhong Yue stepped down from the stage, a burly man from the White Gang immediately stood up, a staff slung over his shoulder. He walked onto the stage, surveyed the Green Robe Society's side, and announced, "White Gang, Zhang He, Blood Refining Realm, challenges Fang Xiao of the Green Robe Society!"

Fang Xiao, his fighting spirit blazing, got up and left.

Chen Ping spoke, his voice calm: "He definitely wants to kill you. If you are no match for him, just admit defeat."

Fang Xiao turned his head, nodded, and strode onto the stage.

Chen Ping turned his gaze away from the stage and scanned back and forth between the red flower sticks of the White Gang and the Great River Gang. The winter air was cold, which was a good time to observe people.

Those with strong Qi and blood will have heat rising from their bodies, and the frost and snow at their feet will melt away, revealing the depth of the water at a glance.

His gaze swept across the crowd, and after a long while, he lowered his eyes. Yuan Shao, sitting on the right side of the Dahe Gang, was the strongest among them.

A ring of thin ice on the ground next to his seat melted, and a faint warmth emanated from his collar.

Chen Ping turned to look at Huang Ya and said calmly, "That's about enough. They're probably trying to stall for time."

Huang Ya understood, but remained silent.

On the stage, Fang Xiao and Zhang He fought for a while. Zhang He's staff technique was fierce, and every move was aimed at vital points. Fang Xiao gradually lost his strength and his steps became unsteady. He was swept away by Zhang He's staff and flew off the stage, landing on the grass. He rolled twice and coughed out.

Zhang He's eyes were bloodthirsty. He stepped off the stage, raised his stick high, and lunged at Fang Xiao.

Fang Xiao quickly shouted, "I surrender! I surrender!"

Zhang He seemed not to hear, and continued walking.

Li Yuan's eyes turned cold, and she stood up.

Just then, Chen Ping's seat next to him became empty.

No one could see when he moved.

The next moment, Chen Ping was already standing in front of Zhang He, the red ribbon around his waist swaying slightly with his movements. He grabbed Zhang He's head with one hand, lifting him half an inch off the ground, and said coldly, "He admits defeat."

Zhang He's feet were dangling in the air, and he dared not move.

Chen Ping released his grip, tossed him off the stage, clapped his hands, turned around, glanced at the two opposing groups, and said calmly, "Qingyi Society, Chen Ping."

The river breeze blew, making the curtains on the arena rustle loudly, but no one spoke.

On the White Gang's side, Wan Guihong stood up from his chair, grabbed his stick, and walked step by step toward the ring, a smile on his face but cold eyes.

Shen Ji spoke up from behind, "What are you doing?"

Without turning his head, Wan Guihong sneered, "It's alright. He's just a brat who has repeatedly offended my White Gang. Once I kill him, the Green Robe Society will be nothing but chickens and dogs!"