From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

Night fell heavily, and the mountains were shrouded in mist.

The old Taoist priest captured the three children and left the blood-stained village. He slapped a talisman on his thigh and ran like the wind. Before long, he arrived at the foot of a cliff. Looking up, he saw that the cliff was as if it had been cut by a knife and axe, with vines and moss growing thickly on it.

"Let's do it here."

The old Taoist priest squinted and stared at the cliff face for a while. Then he pointed his fingers like a sword, gathered his magical power at his fingertips, and carved out a small cave from the cliff face.

Then he thrust both palms out simultaneously and pushed them forcefully into the cave.

"Bang—!"

A surge of immense magical power, like an invisible giant hammer, crashed into the cave. Instantly, the cave resounded with a rumbling sound, and the rock walls sculpted in response, creating a stone chamber about ten feet in size in no time.

The stone chamber had a smooth ceiling and walls as clear as a mirror. Although there were no traces of carving, it was permeated with magical power and had a calming atmosphere.

The old Taoist priest stepped inside, flicked his sleeves again, and summoned the animal skin bag. The bag opened slightly, and three streams of light flew out, landing on the ground and transforming into three unconscious children.

Without even looking, he simply raised his hand and summoned a sleeping child. He then slashed the child's stomach, instantly tearing it open and causing a large patch of red and white fluid to spill out. The child let out a whimper and then died instantly.

The other two children did the same.

Instead of taking the heart, liver, and gallbladder, only the skin is used.

Once the ground was stained crimson, he pulled out a cauldron from his sleeve. It had three legs and two handles and was bronze in color. With a flick of his arm, the cauldron crashed to the ground, splashing up thousands of blood flowers.

The old Taoist priest grabbed the three limp children, held them together in his hand, looked at them for a while, and then laughed:

"The time is perfect, let's start refining the elixir!"

call--

He opened his mouth and spat out a stream of dark green flame, which flew out of his mouth, landed at the bottom of the furnace, and ignited with a "whoosh".

The eerie blue firelight illuminated the cave, making it appear lush and green.

The firelight flickered, but offered no warmth whatsoever; instead, it caused the temperature in the stone chamber to plummet, turning it bitterly cold.

...

"This old Taoist priest actually eats his own kind..."

Inside the room, Jiang She watched for a while and saw the old Taoist priest grab the three children and cut them open. He felt a churning in his stomach.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

It only made three very soft sounds.

Jiang She frowned, turned his head to suppress the discomfort in his stomach, and with a slight movement of his consciousness, he had already probed the air outside the door.

"Madam Xu?"

Jiang She gently opened the door.

"Four pairs".

Madam Xu blinked, raised her hand to tuck the stray hairs behind her ear, revealing her small and delicate earlobe.

Looking at the exquisite earlobes of this beauty, so alluring that one couldn't help but want to bite them, Jiang She dared not be careless and asked directly:

"What brings you here so late at night, Madam Xu?"

Madam Xu nodded, then shook her head, as if organizing her thoughts. She paused for several breaths before speaking seriously:

"I came to discuss with you about needing four."

"To discuss important matters?"

"Uh-huh."

Madam Xu nodded and said seriously, "Look at the Xu family's jar of water, it's getting muddier and muddier. Going it alone will easily lead to losses."

She held up two fingers, gestured, and said:

"I know of another person, also an informant. I'd like to... take you to meet him. Are you willing?"

After speaking, Madam Xu stared intently at Jiang She.

Jiang She readily agreed, nodding and saying, "Very well, one more person means one more source of support."

Having said that, Jiang She slightly stepped aside, moved aside half a step, and presented his palm diagonally forward, asking Lady Xu to lead the way.

Madam Xu had come for this very reason, and now that he had agreed, she quickly led Jiang She through the corridors and courtyards until they stopped in front of a stable.

"Shh... shh..."

The wind swept through the courtyard, stirring the hay stacked in the corner.

Madam Xu raised her hand and pointed to the corner.

The man was huddled deep in the haystack, his back against the haystack, wrapped in a tattered brown coat. Hearing footsteps, he moved his shoulders slightly and slowly turned his face. His face was sallow, his eyes were sunken, but his eyes shone brightly in the dark, like the sharp tip of a knife.

"Fur!"

The old horse by the trough suddenly snorted, exhaling a puff of white steam. The man remained motionless, only speaking:

"You're here?"

Madam Xu nodded and stepped aside to let Jiang She pass.

Jiang She bowed slightly and said, "My lord, I am Jiang She. Greetings."

As he spoke, he glanced up at the man.

But then the moonlight shifted just past the man's sleeve, illuminating an old scar on his wrist, its deep grooves winding like a centipede.

The man was an old man, whom Jiang She recognized as a coachman who drove horses for the Xu family.

"Hahaha!"

"Sir, just call me Old Ma San."

The old driver smiled, squinted, and carefully looked Jiang She over for a while before laughing:

"Unexpectedly, it turns out that Young Master Jiang was also a spy for my family's business."

"Alas, it's embarrassing to admit."

Jiang She sighed and shook his head, saying, "Those who understand the times are the heroes."

"Hahaha! What a wise person to know when to yield!"

After hearing Jiang She's words, Ma Laosan clapped his hands and laughed, his face deepening into deeper wrinkles. His bright, piercing eyes stared straight at Jiang She, and he went straight to the point:

"Since you are a wise man, Young Master Jiang, I will not beat around the bush. Do you know why I have come to see you tonight?"

Is this... a test?

Jiang She was slightly taken aback, but his face showed a perfectly timed look of bewilderment. He simply cupped his hands and said:

"To be honest, Madam Xu only said that she wanted to introduce me to her fellow Daoists so that we could look after each other, but she didn't have time to explain in detail what the matter was."

Seeing that his expression didn't seem fake, Ma Laosan nodded slightly, stroked his sparse white beard, and smiled:

"Madam Xu is honest and straightforward, and not good at pretending. What she said is true, but she came to see her husband tonight not just to recognize his face."

He slowed his speech, his gaze sweeping over Jiang She's shoulder and across the dark courtyard outside the stable, as if checking for any spies, before turning back, his voice even lower:

"But there is a strange matter weighing on my mind, like a fishbone stuck in my throat, and it concerns our very survival."

"Oh?"

Jiang She's expression hardened, and he cupped his hands, saying, "I wonder what Lord Ma is referring to? I would like to hear the details."

Ma Laosan nodded, leaned closer and whispered in Jiang She's ear, "This matter is rather strange. Not long ago, I spent some money to bribe the head cook in the kitchen."

"That old hag is greedy and happens to be related to the three Niu brothers. She's often covered up the dirty deeds of her three scoundrel relatives. I made a pact with her to find a suitable opportunity to slip some 'ingredients' into the young lady's food..."

He paused for a few breaths at this point, a hint of fear and confusion flashing in his eyes:

"Everything was ready, just waiting for the right opportunity, but who knew... I had just bribed that old hag, and then she died..."

"But that's not all!"

"The very next day, her three nephews were found dead in a river outside Beijing, their deaths... were said to be extremely gruesome."

As he said this, he suddenly grabbed Jiang She's arm, his withered fingers as strong and powerful as iron clamps:

"Young Master Jiang, don't you think this is strange?"

"I had barely finished paving the road when my entire family was wiped out! That old hag took the money and died, but the three Niu brothers weren't bribed, so why did they have to die?"

Jiang She frowned, not expecting that killing just a few beasts would cause such a chain reaction.

He pretended to be deep in thought and said:

"Did Master Ma's intention... was it done intentionally?"

"That's true!"

Old Ma nodded emphatically, stating bluntly, "The three Niu brothers weren't bribed, yet they died. Isn't this... precisely what that person did intentionally?"

"In my humble opinion, besides us, there are probably other 'eyes' hiding in this Xu family mansion!"

Speaking of eyes, Jiang She recalled the "pharmacist" that the Third Madam had mentioned. He didn't rush to speak, waiting for Ma Laosan to finish. But Ma Laosan's gaze turned cold, and he said in a low voice:

"I have come here tonight seeking out Young Master Jiang for this very reason. I hope that you will be more cautious in your daily conduct."

Jiang She bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for reminding me, Master Ma."

After thanking him, he said again:

"I heard from the three wives that a colleague's destiny is 'Pharmacist,' and I wonder if he is at the residence."

Pharmacist?

The Third Madam even told you this?!

Ma Laosan was taken aback, but seeing that Jiang She was handsome and strong, seemingly a capable man, he immediately understood. He smiled, but shook his head and said:

"A pharmacist...of course, there are. With a pharmacist assisting, my master's plans will be twice as effective with half the effort, and will also save a lot of trouble."

"But... that's the difficulty."

"This 'pharmacist' is shrouded in mystery, his whereabouts elusive. From beginning to end, he has maintained a single connection with the Third Madam. All matters, from guiding and communicating to administering medicine, are handled by her. Let alone this old servant tending the horses, even Miss Xu, and my master, are likely completely unaware of who this person is within the Xu family, or perhaps... some kind of ghost lurking outside."

"This is a difficult problem!"

After listening, Jiang She's gaze lingered between Ma Laosan and Madam Xu, a bitter expression on his face, and he said:

"I took the poison pill given to me by the Third Madam and swore allegiance, but I never expected... that the Third Madam would pass away before me. If it weren't for the antidote bestowed by the Madam, I fear... my life would not have lasted much longer!"

He spoke with heartfelt sincerity, his face a mixture of fear and resentment, as if he were truly on the verge of death, utterly terrified.

Ok?

Poisoned?

Madam Xu, who had been standing quietly to the side, was munching on half a pancake that she had somehow produced when she heard Jiang She's anxious words. She suddenly looked up, blinked her almond-shaped eyes, and revealed a look of understanding that was quite different from her usual naive and simple-minded demeanor.

She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, stuffing her little mouth full, clapped her hands, leaned forward, and waved her hand, saying:

"Hey! Ginger color, don't panic and scatter the mud!"

"Third Madam's words are all lies! I know, she didn't poison you at all!"

"W-what?!"

Jiang She was taken aback upon hearing this.

Ma Laosan was also stunned for a moment.

Seeing their gazes both turn towards her, she arched her eyebrows and, mimicking the Third Madam's usual manner, said earnestly:

"That pot of pills refined by the 'Pharmacist' is incredibly miraculous. Eating it will give you a lot of knowledge. The Third Madam... she originally wanted to poison you, but these pills are too precious, and she couldn't bear to ruin them. So she made up this story to scare you, to make you obey her. Actually... there's no poison at all! Look at you, aren't you perfectly fine?"

After hearing her words, Jiang She still didn't believe her. He was stunned for a moment, then asked:

Is this really true?

"Of course it's steamed!"

Madam Xu pulled out another plump cake from the plump garden and continued to gnaw on it.

Seeing her tone, Jiang She felt a little relieved.

He thought to himself, "As expected... they didn't poison him."

He had been practicing the "Great Use of Heaven and Earth" for several days. During this time, he not only did not show signs of physical weakness or blood deficiency, but his mind became clearer after each practice. Although he had suspected that the Third Madam might not have used poison, he stopped at conjecture and only thought that the immortal Taoist technique was mysterious and had temporarily suppressed the poison.

I heard this today...

Unexpectedly, it turned out that the Third Madam had not poisoned the body at all.

"Haha! This is incredibly joyous news!"

Ma Laosan patted Jiang She on the shoulder and laughed heartily.

Seeing that Jiang She's expression softened slightly, he knew that a great weight had been lifted from his heart. The deep wrinkles on his sallow and withered old face also relaxed slightly, but the sharp light in his eyes did not fade.

He then looked around and, seeing that all was quiet except for the horse's snorting, and no one else was eavesdropping, he said:

"There is another matter here that is urgent and I must tell you both."

"Oh?"

Jiang She became interested: "Please speak, Master Ma."

Ma Laosan paused for a few moments, then fixed his eyes on Jiang She's face and said in a low voice:

"I heard through connections today that Miss... has someone she likes!"

Jiang She was taken aback when he said this.

Few people knew about this; even he learned of it from Qiao'er.

But Ma Laosan... knew about it as soon as the news came out. If the Xu family wasn't up to something, what else could it be?

Jiang She feigned surprise, as if hearing the news for the first time, and exclaimed repeatedly, "What? Miss has someone she likes?!"

But then they heard Ma Laosan say:

"Although this news is not confirmed, there is no smoke without fire. My master was very displeased upon hearing it. Xu Qingyue is the only daughter of the Xu family's direct line and controls the Xu family's wealth and lifeline. Her loyalty is crucial to the overall situation. If she truly has someone she loves and marries in the future, the Xu family's power may be taken advantage of by others, and our years of hard work may be destroyed in an instant!"

At this point, Ma Laosan's face instantly darkened, and he said coldly:

"Therefore, the master has ordered us to investigate thoroughly and find out who this 'beloved' is. No matter who this person is, we must find out the truth and report back to the master."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Jiang She followed up with a questioning look: "Miss's matter is indeed urgent. But I wonder... what should we do with this person once we find him?"

He spoke slowly, his gaze fixed on Ma Laosan's face, as if he were weighing the pros and cons, or as if it were just a casual question.

Upon hearing this, Ma Laosan's lips suddenly curled into a wide grin, his wrinkles contorting as he chuckled sinisterly:

"Killing him would be the best course of action!"

Jiang She nodded: "I understand."

After discussing the plan, the three whispered a few more words about the contact code, meeting time, and other details, and then did not linger any longer.

Madam Xu disappeared into the night, her figure vanishing in a few leaps.

Ma Laosan nodded slightly to Jiang She, then curled up again deep within the haystack, blending into the shadows.

Jiang She said nothing more, cupped his hands in a salute, turned around and followed the way he came, quietly walking through the corridor and courtyard, back to the back room.

"Squeak!"

The door was closed, and the oil lamp inside was dim.

Jiang She leaned against the door and let out a long sigh. He felt that the information tonight was chaotic, but the fact that he was "not infected" finally removed a big shadow from his heart.

He breathed a sigh of relief, recalling Madam Xu's resolute expression, and felt a sense of ease in his heart.

"really!"

"The Third Madam's talk of poison was nothing but a scare tactic. Thank goodness! Otherwise, being controlled by others every day, walking on thin ice, I really don't know when I would have died from the poison."

Thinking of this, Jiang She felt a sense of relief and suddenly felt a dryness in his throat.

He walked to the table and saw that there was still half a pot of cold tea in the old teapot on the table, which was brewed during the day. Without thinking much about it, he picked up a rough porcelain teacup, picked up the teapot and poured half a bowl of tea into it.

The tea soup was dark brown in color and shimmered faintly under the lamp. The tea foam floated at the bottom of the bowl, indicating that it was not a very good tea.

But it can quench thirst.

But after thinking it over, Jiang She did not drink it.

He boiled water again to make tea, and brewed another half cup.

He immediately raised the bowl to his lips, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp of tea. The thirst in his mouth vanished instantly as the tea entered his throat.

However...

The tea had barely been drunk, before it even reached the stomach, when a sharp, needle-like pain suddenly exploded in the throat.

"puff--!"

Jiang She's expression changed drastically, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He staggered, bracing himself on the edge of the table with one hand while clutching his throat with the other, causing the teacup to fall from his hand.

"Snapped!"

The teacup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Waves of excruciating pain and numbness washed over Jiang She, causing his vision to go black, followed by blurred vision and trembling.

He shook his head and looked at the panel:

"Jiang She: Slave Trader (Lv12)"

Status: Poisoned by the Third Madam's Poison Pill