From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

The old Taoist priest Liu Tuo lived to be over 160 years old.

During the previous dynasty, I happened to obtain a stone box. When I opened it, golden light overflowed from the box and transformed into ten thousand crows cawing in unison, carving words on the stone with their beaks. Thus, I obtained the wonderful method "Shangyue Yinqi Jing" (Scripture of Guiding Qi in the Upper Moon). After practicing it, I entered the Dao, and more than 130 years have passed since then.

In the first year of the Tian Shou era, a wicked concubine usurped power, changed the country's name to Zhou, and established its capital in Luoyang. In the same year, an old Taoist priest befriended three or five rogue cultivators and went to the secret realm of Xiangtai Mountain. They searched for treasure but failed. Instead, they were hampered by the remains of a snake demon and had to sacrifice a child for it in order to regenerate flesh and blood.

...

"It turns out that this old Taoist priest was harmed by the remains of a snake demon, and his spirit wandered between his body and the secret realm of Xiangtai Mountain, rather than practicing any kind of 'invitation to gods' magic."

In just a few breaths, Jiang She witnessed the old Taoist's entire life.

Then he raised his head, looked at Xu Qingyue, and whispered, "Miss, I'm afraid it's not good for us to leave now."

Why?

Xu Qingyue asked blankly.

Jiang She spoke frankly: "After that old Taoist priest 'invited the gods,' he gained the ability to fly through the clouds and mist. He may be thousands of miles away from the capital now."

What he said was true; the old Taoist priest rode the wind all the way, and in no time he had gone eight thousand miles from the capital.

If the two of them were to walk back to the capital now, who knows how long it would take.

Jiang She would never elaborate, but Xu Qingyue's expression tightened, and she said worriedly:

"What should we do?"

"We'll just have to take it one step at a time."

After Jiang She finished speaking, he didn't say anything more. After Xu Qingyue had gathered her thoughts and calmed down, the two of them left the dilapidated house.

Follow the mountain path southward.

Xu Qingyue's body was still weak, and she was panting heavily after walking only a few miles. Her forehead, neck, and shoulders were covered with dew-like beads of sweat. Jiang She, however, was not in a hurry. He simply scouted ahead, spreading his divine sense to scan the surrounding mountains and forests.

After walking for a short while, about an hour, they crossed a dilapidated mountain ridge, and the sight before them startled both of them.

At the foot of the mountain, the village, which should have been filled with the smoke of cooking fires, was now a ruin. The houses in the village had collapsed and were all cut in half. Beams and broken tiles were scattered all over the ground, and the broken walls were leaning to the side. Several houses had caught fire and were burned black and dilapidated. The broken marks were especially deep on the charred wooden pillars at the entrance of the village.

Jiang She reached out and touched the broken mark on the pillar. He saw that the wooden pillar was charred black on the outside, but the inside was still pale yellow and had not been burned through. The broken mark had cut out the pale yellow wood inside like fragments.

No one survived in the village.

Even a dog on the roadside was dead and mangled.

Jiang She's gaze swept across the area and suddenly settled on a relatively intact courtyard at the entrance of the village.

Inside the courtyard was an old oxcart. Although the frame was old, it was not covered in dust. Although the wooden shaft was old, it had no cracks and was still usable. The ox pulling the cart was an old yellow ox, which was tied under a tree in the courtyard and chewing dry grass. When it saw strangers approaching, it only raised its head and mooed once before lowering its head again.

Jiang She walked into the courtyard and carefully examined the oxcart. He saw that although the wheels were old, they were not in any major condition. Although there were some holes in the cart, some dry grass could be laid out to accommodate people. He then inspected the old yellow ox and saw that it was strong and robust. It was probably the apple of the villager's eye and could pull the cart without any problem.

"Bang!"

Stacks of hay were unloaded from the cart and piled up haphazardly to the side. The oxcart was originally used by the villagers to transport goods. Now, Jiang She had unloaded the hay and found more hay to patch up the gaps in the cart.

I was busy for a short while.

Jiang She untied the rope and led the ox, speaking gently to Xu Qingyue:

"Miss, please get in the car."

Get on the bus?

Xu Qingyue was slightly taken aback, her almond-shaped eyes widening as she looked at the oxcart. Normally, she would travel in a magnificent carriage, accompanied by dozens of servants. She had never had to bend down and climb onto such a crude and dusty oxcart.

It's truly a world of difference.

Xu Qingyue sighed softly, her gaze falling heavily on the old oxcart in front of her, its planks tattered and its wheels creaking as it turned. She glanced at the hay cushion that Jiang She had just laid out on the cart, her lips pursed, her eyes hesitant. After thinking it over for a while, she finally just let out a deep sigh.

Ugh...

Currently trapped in a predicament, with no idea in which desolate wilderness he is, his life or death is uncertain, so how can he have any choice?

All the dignity and pampered life that belonged to the eldest daughter of the Xu family became the most worthless things in the face of survival.

She nodded slightly, her voice soft yet calm:

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Young Master Jiang."

After saying this, Xu Qingyue lifted her skirt, climbed onto the oxcart, and sat down in the haystack.

She said softly:

"We need to find a villager and ask which county or town this is. If it is in the capital region or the Suzhou-Hangzhou area, my family has a caravan and shops. We can ask the shopkeeper to send us back to the capital. It won't be too much trouble."

Xu Qingyue was not some caged canary. She was a shrewd businesswoman with great fortune. The shopkeepers of all the shops in the Xu family all knew this God of Wealth. Once she appeared, there was no way anyone could impersonate the eldest daughter of the Xu family in the capital.

Jiang She nodded, sat on the carriage shaft, and gently shook the reins.

"drive!"

"Moo~"

The old ox pulled the cart, its wheels creaking as it rolled over gravel, causing the cart to sway slightly.

...

"Miss, we've found out. This place is Panyang County, which is two thousand li away from the nearest road, Suzhou and Hangzhou."

Jiang She drove the oxcart for half a day and then met a woodcutter. After getting off the oxcart and asking for directions, he learned that this place was Panyang County, which was a full eight thousand miles away from the capital of Daqian.

"Two thousand li...that will take quite a few days to travel..."

Xu Qingyue watched Jiang She sit back down on the oxcart, pick up the reins again, glance at the priceless jade bracelet on her wrist, and said:

"Jiang She, you should pawn this jade bracelet of mine for some silver, and also prepare some dry food for the journey so you can eat sparingly."

"Miss...."

"Um?"

"In this remote and impoverished place, I can't afford to buy a young lady's bracelet. In fact, she might even be tempted by my money."

"Hmm...that's true..."

Xu Qingyue nodded slightly, then frowned and said, "It was my oversight; I am so grateful to Young Master Jiang for reminding me."

Jiang She had not yet mastered Qi cultivation, nor possessed the ability to abstain from food and drink dew, so he naturally wouldn't give up his appetite and starve himself. Thus, he drove the oxcart, turning back with a smile:

"Please do not worry, Miss. I am skilled in hunting."

That being said, Xu Qingyue, who was used to eating delicacies, found it difficult to swallow the unsalted and dry grilled fish and rabbit.

Xu Qingyue had no choice. She was in the mountains, with no relatives or friends. If she didn't eat, she would starve to death.

"Tap tap tap—"

Life is like water in a sieve, seeping away drop by drop.

Jiang She drove the oxcart for several days.

The mountains and fields along the way are desolate and the villages are scattered.

Although he mentioned that he still had hunting skills, he was not comfortable showing his magic power to Xu Qingyue, and he did not want to waste time on hunting trifles. He simply released his divine sense and used his magic power to secretly catch some small animals such as pheasants and rabbits, knocked them unconscious and threw them into the traps he had dug. When Xu Qingyue woke up the next day, she took out the prey from the trap with a look of "surprise" and skinned it to eat.

There's only one way to eat it: roast it.

Although there was no salt or seasoning, and the roasted meat was rather bland and dry, it was still better than being starving.

Xu Qingyue initially found it difficult to swallow, but unable to bear the rumbling in her stomach, she could only manage to eat it in small bites.

Later, in order to avoid being exposed, Jiang She would only "laboriously" hunt once every two or three days. Xu Qingyue was so hungry that she could only pick some wild fruits and drink some mountain spring water to fill her stomach on days when there was no meat to eat. Her mouth was really bland. As soon as she saw Jiang She carrying his prey, roasting it and tearing off the legs, she would grab it and wolf it down, not caring whether the meat was tough or not.

...

"Tap tap tap—"

The road is hard, the road is hard.

The mountain road was rugged, and the oxcart moved slowly.

On this day, Jiang She was driving an oxcart. Without needing to use his divine sense, he could see a caravan approaching from a distance.

"Miss, there's a caravan."

"Um?!"

Xu Qingyue blinked her beautiful eyes and turned to look. She saw the caravan of horses and carriages rumbling, goods piled high, and banners bearing the names of the merchants, but they were too far away to see clearly. She said anxiously:

"Quick! Go and see which caravan it is!"

"If you know any businesses along the Suzhou-Hangzhou route, or if you have dealings with my family, we can take a ride and leave this desolate place quickly!"

"Yes."

Jiang She responded, shook the reins, and urged the old ox to speed up.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they approached the caravan.

Just as they were about to approach, a sharp whistle rang out from the hillside:

"Whoa—"

The whistle sounded like thunder, urgent and fast. Before Jiang She could even look up, dozens of burly figures burst forth from the hillsides on both sides, each wielding a weapon, charging down like wolves and tigers, shouting and attacking.

"Oh no! It's bandits!"

The caravan was thrown into chaos.

The guards hastily drew their swords to meet the enemy, and the horses neighed in fright. However, the bandits were numerous and extremely fierce. The leader, a burly man with a one-eyed, bushy beard, wielded a large, gleaming sword and charged into the caravan first.

"Kill! Leave no one alive!"

The one-eyed giant grinned maliciously, and as his blade flashed, blood splattered, and both men and horses were shattered.

In a short time, most of the caravan's guards were cut down. The survivors were forced into a corner, protecting their master and putting up a stubborn resistance. But after only a few breaths, the sound of sharp blades piercing flesh and cutting off heads could be heard, and the smell of blood instantly spread.

"Thump!"

With the caravan owner also lying in a pool of blood, the bandits began to plunder the goods without restraint.

Just then, a bandit glanced at Jiang She's oxcart and saw a slender, beautiful figure on it. His eyes lit up, and he let out a strange cry:

"Boss! There's a broken-down oxcart here, and a woman on it!"

Women?!

Upon hearing this, the one-eyed giant walked over, carrying a blood-dripping ghost-head knife. He ripped off the tangled hay, turned his head, and glared fiercely at Xu Qingyue, who was hiding in the hay.

Xu Qingyue's hair was disheveled and her face was ashen, yet her natural beauty was still undeniable.

Her skin was like solidified cream, still glistening with moisture even in the dim light. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open like a startled fawn, shimmering with water, making her even more charming. Paired with her long, fair neck, she looked even more alluring, making one want to gently nibble at her.

"Ha!"

The one-eyed giant's Adam's apple bobbed as he let out a heavy inhale. His gaze was fixed on Xu Qingyue, his pupils burning with a fierce fire. His eyes swept from the woman's panicked face to her heaving chest, then to her curled-up body and long legs, and finally to her jade-like feet clad in embroidered shoes, as if he wanted to devour her alive with his gaze.

Hearing the commotion, the surrounding bandits swarmed around, but after glancing at the woman in the carriage, their eyes immediately turned like hungry wolves eyeing lambs, brazenly roaming over Xu Qingyue's body.

In an instant, the sounds of saliva, panting, and lewd laughter rose and fell in an endless stream.

"Big...Boss..." A bandit licked his chapped lips, his eyes wide with astonishment. "This...this woman...she's fucking gorgeous! I've never seen such a beautiful woman in my entire life!"

"Look at that skin, it's as white as goat's milk!"

"His hips are also plump; he's resilient to rough conditions."

"Hehehe! It must be incredibly slippery inside!"

The bandits' eyes gleamed with lust, and they couldn't help but fantasize.

The one-eyed giant snapped out of his daze, swung his ghost-headed knife sharply, and silenced the thieves' commotion.

He looked Xu Qingyue up and down, grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth, and spoke in a rough, hoarse voice:

"Hehehe! Where did you come from, little beauty? This remote and impoverished place couldn't possibly produce a woman as beautiful as you."

Xu Qingyue was so frightened that her delicate body trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind. She gripped the dry grass beneath her tightly with both hands, her lips quivering, unable to utter a single word.

But her terrified and helpless appearance only fueled the bandits' lust.

"Heh heh! Looks like a terrified young lady from a wealthy family." The one-eyed burly man stretched out his filthy hand, about to touch Xu Qingyue's face. "Come back to the mountain stronghold with me! I'll guarantee you'll eat and drink the finest food, even more comfortably than you were as a young lady!"

"No...no!"

Xu Qingyue screamed, tears streaming down her face: "Young Master Jiang... save me!"

Her gaze eagerly fell upon the seat in front.

Only then did the one-eyed giant notice Jiang She on the carriage shaft. Seeing his plain clothes and calm expression, he couldn't help but sneer:

"Where did this pretty boy come from? If you know what's good for you, get out of my way, and I'll spare your dog's life! Otherwise..." He waved the blood-stained ghost-head knife in his hand, the meaning of which was self-evident.

The surrounding bandits also raised their weapons, their faces contorted with malice, and approached Jiang She.

"Hurry up and tie this young lady up, take her back to the chief to be his wife."

"A bandit with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks suddenly said."

He was the second-in-command and the strategist of the mountain stronghold.

"Yes."

The bandits agreed and took ropes to tie up the woman on the cart. They jostled and made a fuss, all wanting to take advantage of the chaos to touch her soft, supple body.

The second-in-command, with his sharp eyes, immediately stopped everyone:

"This is the woman the boss has his eye on, so you all better not act rashly." He then added with a sinister smile, "Once the boss has licked all the holes in her body clean and is tired of playing with her, it will be your turn to ride her."

Hehehe!

The crowd chuckled lewdly, exchanging glances with obvious satisfaction.

Suddenly, someone pointed at Jiang She and asked:

"Second Master, what should we do with this kid?"

"he?"

The second-in-command, with his beady eyes, leered at Jiang She, then, looking at his handsome profile, chuckled, "Take him away, wash him clean, and bring him to my room!"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang She suddenly felt a tightness in his chrysanthemum.

Xu Qingyue gave him a pitiful look and said regretfully, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have cured the poison from that pill the other day..."