Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

Gu An wrapped the gray cloak, which smelled of mildew and blood, tighter around himself. His steps were quick, yet so light that he made no sound.

The chilling, stabbing pain emanating from his chest and heart felt like an invisible hand constantly reminding him—it was the "Heart-Shattering Yin Sha Seal" left by Zhou Tong, a Damocles' sword hanging over his head.

Three hours.

After deducting the time spent traveling, there wasn't much room for him to maneuver.

"call……"

Gu An stopped behind a withered tree, lowered his straw hat, took out an antidote pill from his pocket and put it under his tongue, then looked coldly at the entrance to the black hole hidden behind a pile of rocks.

This is the black market.

It is the most chaotic and well-informed place in the entire Broken Soul Valley. Similarly, it is also the end point of the "delivery channel" in Steward Ma's ledger before his death.

Without any hesitation, Gu An scurried away like a gray mouse and disappeared into the noisy underground cave.

The cave remained a chaotic and polluted place. Under the dim glow of the fluorite, countless rogue cultivators, like greedy hyenas, haggled over prices at various stalls. The air was thick with a strange stench of cheap cosmetics, sweat, and blood.

Gu An didn't wander around aimlessly like last time; his goal was clear.

Based on the extremely obscure mark on the ledger and the description of the Corpse Puppet Sect's spies in the jade slip Shen Wan gave him, he made his way through the crowded flow of people and went straight to an inconspicuous corner deep within the black market.

There's a stall here with a sign that says "Animal Bones".

The stall owner was a bald, burly man with a ferocious scorpion tattooed on his bare upper body. He was currently idly trimming his nails with a boning knife. On his stall in front of him were several thigh bones of unknown monsters, still bearing traces of rotting flesh and emitting a nauseating stench.

This stall, which appears to be selling low-level weapon crafting materials, is doing very little business.

Gu An walked to the stall, but instead of looking at the bones, he stretched out a withered hand and gently tapped three times on a corner of the stall.

Two are light, one is heavy.

"Boss, do you have any fresh cartilage?" Gu An asked in a low voice, his voice hoarse as if he had a mouthful of grit in his mouth.

The bald, burly man paused slightly as he trimmed his nails. His previously somewhat cloudy, triangular eyes suddenly snapped open, gleaming as he looked Gu An up and down.

"We don't have cartilage, only old, rotten bones that are very hard and might break your teeth," the burly man replied coldly.

Gu An's lips curled slightly beneath his hood, and his voice lowered a few decibels: "Whether your teeth are good or not, you'll only know after you taste them. Master Ma said that although the bones are rotten, the marrow inside... is incredibly fragrant."

Upon hearing the words "Master Ma," the gleam in the bald man's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a barely perceptible wariness and...killing intent.

He slowly put down the boning knife, wiped his hands with a dirty rag, and stood up.

"Since you're a gourmand introduced by Master Ma, please come inside. The best stuff is at the back."

With a casual wave of his hand, the burly man lifted the heavy, oil-stained curtain behind him, revealing a dark entrance to a passageway.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gu An tucked his hand into his sleeve, grabbed a hidden weapon, and stepped inside.

……

The curtain fell, shutting out the noise from outside.

This was a stone chamber, only about ten feet square, with soundproofing barriers carved into the surrounding rock walls. Inside, besides a blood-stained square table and two chairs, there was nothing else. The air was thick with the stench of blood, ten times stronger than outside, clearly indicating that many murders and robberies had taken place here.

The bald, burly man did not sit down. Instead, he turned his back to Gu An and slowly closed the stone door of the stone chamber.

"Click".

The sound of the lock clicking shut was exceptionally clear in the silent stone chamber.

"Who are you?"

The burly man turned around, his disguise completely gone, and a fierce spiritual pressure belonging to the sixth level of Qi Refining surged towards Gu An like a tidal wave. His right hand had already gripped the boning knife again, the blade gleaming with a ghostly blue light, clearly coated with a potent poison.

"That idiot Ma would never let a stranger meet here. Unless... something happened to him."

The burly man stared intently at Gu An, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. As a spy planted by the Corpse Puppet Sect within the Green Wood Sect's logistics, his existence was an absolute secret. If exposed, to maintain secrecy, he wouldn't hesitate to chop this "trash" with only the aura of the third level of Qi Refining into mincemeat.

Despite the overwhelming killing intent, Gu An remained remarkably calm.

Instead of backing down, he pulled out a chair and sat down, even slowly removing his tattered straw hat to reveal a sallow, wooden face that now exuded an eerie calm.

"You are very smart."

Gu An placed the bamboo hat on the table, looked up at the burly man, and spoke in a calm tone as if discussing the weather, "Manager Ma did indeed die. Last night, he died in the camp and turned into a puddle of pus. Not even a bone fragment remained."

"Dead?"

The burly man's pupils constricted sharply, then he sneered, "Since he's dead, where did you come from, you wandering ghost? What, you killed him and came here with his keepsake to seek death?"

"No, no, no."

Gu An stretched out a finger and shook it, then slowly took out a blue thread-bound booklet from his pocket with his other hand and gently patted it on the table.

"I'm just a nobody trying to make money. This thing just happened to fall into my hands when Manager Ma died. I saw that it had pretty detailed notes inside, like five catties of corpse oil and two living alchemy furnaces... Tsk tsk, this is a business that could cost you your head."

Upon seeing the booklet, the bald man's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

That was Manager Ma's ledger, recording every black market transaction! It contained not only his code name, but also part of the Corpse Puppet Sect's network of contacts in this stronghold!

Give me the stuff!

The burly man let out a low roar, his feet suddenly exerting force, his whole body like a black bear leaping up, the boning knife in his hand slicing out a fierce, cold light, straight for Gu An's throat.

He didn't even bother asking any more questions; once the person was killed, the spoils would naturally be his. In his eyes, a rogue cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining was no different from an ant.

However, in the instant he suddenly attacked...

Sitting in the chair, Gu An simply sighed softly and flicked his fingers lightly on the table.

"I knew it. Doing business with people like you always inevitably involves getting physical."

Before he could finish speaking...

The bald, burly man, who had been charging forward menacingly, suddenly froze in mid-air.

"Well……?"

A look of confusion flashed in the burly man's eyes, followed by extreme terror. He felt as if the spiritual energy that had been flowing smoothly within his body had been suddenly filled with cement, becoming incredibly stagnant. Especially his throat, which felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping it, making even breathing difficult.

"Thump!"

The burly man crashed heavily in front of Gu An, the boning knife in his hand clattering to the ground. He clutched his throat, his face turning a deep purplish-red, desperately trying to gasp for air, but could only manage a wheezing sound.

Don't bother.

Gu An remained seated firmly in his chair, looking down at him. "This is my specially made 'Throat-Sealing Powder,' colorless and odorless, specifically designed to break through protective spiritual energy. Although your secret room is well-insulated, it also conveniently facilitates the spread of poison gas. From the moment you entered, you were already a dead man."

This is precisely the new variety that Gu An improved by combining the "True Explanation of Hundred Poisons" with the "Yi Wood Poison" in Shen Wan's body. Although it might not be enough to deal with Foundation Establishment cultivators, it is extremely easy to ambush an unsuspecting mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

"Um... the... antidote..."

The burly man was no longer the fierce man he once was; he was writhing in agony on the ground, his eyes filled with a desperate will to survive.

"There is an antidote, of course."

Gu An took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and played with it in his hand. "However, that's for business partners. As for those who want to kill me, I usually prefer to send them on their way."

As he spoke, Gu An made a gesture as if to take the porcelain bottle back.

The burly man was terrified, enduring the agonizing pain of suffocation as he desperately kowtowed, pointing to his storage bag, then to Gu An, his throat gurgling out broken syllables: "The money...it's all yours...please...please don't kill me..."

Seeing that the time was almost right, Gu An slowly opened the porcelain bottle, poured out a dark pill, and casually tossed it on the ground.

"Eat it."

The big man was overjoyed. He scrambled over, grabbed the pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it without even chewing it.

The pill went down, and a cool sensation spread through him, instantly relieving the suffocating feeling. The burly man gasped for breath, his body drenched in cold sweat, his eyes filled with fear and apprehension as he looked at Gu An.

This seemingly useless rogue cultivator is nothing short of a venomous snake in human skin!

Don't get too excited yet.

Gu An said coldly, "What I gave you just now can only temporarily suppress the poison. If you don't have my unique antidote within an hour, you will still die from a ruptured intestine."

The burly man's face paled. He was about to lash out, but he forced himself to hold back and gritted his teeth, asking, "What...what exactly do you want?"

"It's very simple."

Gu An pointed to the account books on the table, "Fatty Ma is dead. I'm going to take over his business."

"You?" The burly man was taken aback, then a look of absurdity flashed in his eyes. "Do you know who you're doing business with? This is the Corpse Puppet Sect! You're just a rogue cultivator..."

"So what if they're independent cultivators?" Gu An interrupted him. "Independent cultivators are also in it for the money. Fatty Ma is in it for the money too. As long as the goods are delivered and the accounts are settled, do you care whether it's Fatty Ma or Fatty Niu delivering the goods?"

Gu An stood up, walked to the burly man, and his eyes sharpened like knives: "Moreover, this ledger is now in my hands, and there's a 'copy' hidden somewhere only I know. If I don't get out of here today, or if I decide to quit, this ledger will appear on Elder Zhou Tong's desk in the Green Wood Sect tomorrow. At that point, do you think the Corpse Puppet Sect will protect you, or will they silence you?"

This is a blatant threat, and an unsolvable, calculated scheme.

The burly man's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally lowered his head in dejection.

He knew he was being manipulated. This kid looked unremarkable, but his mind was even more ruthless than Fatty Ma's.

"Fine... as long as you deliver the goods, we'll accept it," the burly man said through gritted teeth. "But you didn't come here empty-handed, did you?"

"Of course not."

Gu An smiled slightly and held up five fingers. "First, I need to take back the 'final payment' from Manager Ma to report. Don't tell me you weren't prepared."

The burly man's lips twitched. He had originally planned to pocket the money, since Steward Ma was dead.

"Secondly," Gu An said, his finger still pointing, "I want five mid-grade spirit stones. This is my 'sincerity deposit.' After all, I have to take on the risks of handling this mess."

"Five mid-grade spirit stones?! Why don't you just rob me?!" the burly man exclaimed, as this was almost half of his stronghold's working capital.

"You don't have to give it to me," Gu An said calmly. "Then we'll fight to the death."

The burly man stared intently at Gu An, but ultimately succumbed to Gu An's unwavering gaze. He took a deep breath, reluctantly pulled a storage bag from his robes, and slammed it heavily on the table.

"The remaining balance and your 'earnest money' are inside! Take it!"

Gu An took the storage bag, scanned it with his divine sense, and nodded in satisfaction after confirming that everything was correct.

"third."

Gu An suddenly lowered his voice, staring intently at the burly man, "I want a token that allows me to freely enter and exit the 'Abandoned Mine No. 3'."

"What?" The burly man was genuinely shocked this time. "What are you going there for? That place is..."

"That's my business," Gu An interrupted coldly. "As the new deliveryman, I need to know where the goods are being delivered, right? Besides, I heard there's been some 'trouble' there lately. If I have a token, I can avoid some unnecessary misunderstandings."

The burly man looked at Gu An suspiciously. Mine No. 3 was a key site for the Corpse Puppet Sect to refine armored corpses, and also the core area of ​​this operation. Could this kid really just be delivering goods?

But with his life in someone else's hands, he couldn't care less about anything else.

"for you!"

The burly man pulled a dark, heavy token from his waist, engraved with a ferocious white skull that emanated a chilling aura. "This is a temporary pass; you can only move around the outer perimeter. If you trespass into this forbidden area and get turned into a zombie, don't blame me for not warning you!"

Gu An took the token; it was icy cold to the touch, but his heart warmed.

We've got the clues to the Nine Dragons Demon-Suppressing Cauldron!

Thank you.

Gu An carefully put away the token and spirit stones, then tossed a small porcelain bottle aside. "This is the antidote. Remember, from now on we're partners. As long as you pay me enough, I'll definitely deliver the goods."

After saying that, Gu An put his bamboo hat back on, pulled down the brim, turned around, opened the stone door, and strode out.

Behind him, the bald, burly man held the porcelain bottle, watching Gu An's disappearing figure, his eyes brimming with resentment. But in the end, he didn't dare to chase after him.

……

Leaving the secret passage of the black market, we returned to the cold, dark forest.

Gu An let out a long breath, and his tense back finally relaxed a little.

This trip, seemingly easy, was actually extremely dangerous. If he hadn't prepared a modified version of the poison beforehand, and hadn't caught the other party off guard with news of Steward Ma's death and the account books, he would probably be lying in the secret room right now.

"Five mid-grade spirit stones, plus the final payment from Zhou Tong..."

Gu An touched the storage bag in his arms, feeling slightly relieved. These resources were enough for him to purchase another batch of high-level talismans, or to advance his cultivation level further.

More importantly, it's that token.

"With this, we can sneak into the mine and find the location of the Nine Dragon Cauldron."

Gu An looked up at the sky.

Less than half an hour remained before the three-hour deadline given by Zhou Tong.

A sharp pain shot through his chest from the "Heart-Shattering Yin Sha Seal," as if the ghostly hand was tightening its grip, urging him to return to his appointment.

The joy in Gu An's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a deeper solemnity.

"We've passed the hurdle of being double-crossed."

"But the real test of life and death is how to make this play work in front of that old fox, Butcher Zhou."

He had to disguise himself as a greedy, useful, but absolutely controllable pawn.

Only in this way can one profit from both sides while preserving one's own life.

Gu An pulled out a handful of cheap rouge he had bought from the black market and smeared it haphazardly on his face. He then took out the bag of spirit stones and deliberately made it look dirty and messy.

Adjust your breathing, and let your superficial Qi Refining Level 3 aura be revealed once again.

"Guard Lu, it's time to go back and report."

Gu An muttered to himself, his body hunched over, and stumbled and ran towards the logistics camp.