A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Zhou Ping hid in the shadows beneath the attic, looking somewhat dazed. After sensing Ma Liuyun's order to withdraw, and the dozen or so figures around him quietly retreating, he felt a slight sense of gratitude.

It turned out that these people were brought by Ma Liuyun and Duan Yu. He didn't expect that the master and apprentice would come to protect his family in person.

Looking in the direction the two had left, Zhou Ping bowed solemnly. He knew that they had fulfilled their promise to him and should be far away by now.

However, Ma Liuyun's words were somewhat suggestive, as if they were spoken to him from afar.

"Has Elder Ma discovered me?"

Zhou Ping frowned and pondered in a low voice.

Regardless of whether the other party noticed him or not, since they chose to leave directly, it means they had no intention of meeting him.

In that case, he can continue to act according to his own plan.

With a light leap, Zhou Ping climbed up a familiar tree. The tree was lush and verdant, its branches and leaves completely obscuring his figure.

Lying on the thick tree trunk again, Zhou Ping felt as if he had been transported back to his childhood.

This old locust tree is said to be over a hundred years old. When he was little, he often climbed on it and played happily with his peers.

Through the dense foliage, a hunched figure came into Zhou Ping's view. The figure was dark-skinned and drenched in sweat, and each strike of the hammer in his hand accurately hit the red-hot iron bar.

He stared silently at the man in the blacksmith's shop, his eyes slowly becoming moist, watching intently without blinking.

"Father is getting old...why is he still working so hard? Didn't he send a lot of money home?"

While feeling sorry for his father, Zhou Ping was also puzzled. He had sent almost all of his salary back home over the past few years, yet there had been no improvement in the family's situation.

Just as he was pondering this, another figure he sensed appeared in the blacksmith's shop.

Upon closer inspection, he saw a middle-aged man who looked four or five parts like him standing beside his father. It turned out to be his elder brother, Zhou Shan.

"Father, why are you forging iron again? We're not short of money at home. Why are you still so stubborn? Xiaoping sent so much money home, it's more than enough for your retirement."

"You should pack your things and come home with me to rest."

Zhou Shan frowned and complained that when he woke up in the morning, he found that his father was no longer at home, so he hurriedly came looking for him.

"I feel uneasy if I don't hit this iron lump every day. I'm being taken care of by you two every day, living a comfortable life, but my body is about to fall apart!"

"It's been almost five years since Ping'er left. I wonder how he's doing. Sigh... He's the youngest in the family, and we never thought that everyone would live a good life because of him."

"We have to protect this family business for him. If he ever decides he doesn't want to wander around anymore, he can come back and live a peaceful life."

Zhou the blacksmith stared blankly at the red-hot iron bar in his hand and sighed.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shan's face darkened. He also thought of his taciturn and sensible younger brother, who was almost seventeen years old and at the age to get married.

"Don't worry, sir. Xiaoping isn't a reckless child. He's very sensible and will be fine."

"Let's be honest and upright people, do our jobs properly, and live a peaceful and stable life. We can't let Xiaoping worry about us while he's out there making his way in the world."

Zhou Shan helped his father sit back in the wooden chair, then quickly wrung out a hot towel from the basin and began to wipe his body.

Zhou Ping, standing in the shadows of the trees, stared blankly at everything, tears already streaming down his face without him realizing it...

For the next few days, Zhou Ping spent all his time on the old locust tree, except when he disguised himself and went out at night to buy some food.

He stared quietly at the figure in the blacksmith's shop, motionless, the lingering look in his eyes gradually replaced by a resolute determination.

After confirming that his family was no longer in danger, he decided to leave and embark on his own path, a path he had never imagined before.

The Path to Immortality!

Zhou Ping knew that this departure would lead him to a completely unknown journey in life, and even whether he could return in this lifetime was now uncertain.

He had thought it through very clearly. Now that he had embarked on the path of cultivation, his life was completely different from that of ordinary people.

No matter what hardships, good fortune or misfortune he encounters in the future, he will never regret the choice he made today!

........

As night falls, Chunfeng Pavilion, the only fireworks display venue in Qingyang Town, becomes lively.

Young masters from wealthy families and gang leaders came and went in an endless stream, each one being pulled inside by a group of beautifully dressed girls who rubbed against their bodies.

Zhou Ping, dressed in black, leaned quietly against the side of a rooftop opposite, expressionlessly watching the crowds of women below seeking pleasure.

"Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly; you have to clean up your own mess!"

Recalling Ma Liuyun's reprimand a few days ago, Zhou Ping slowly reached into his robes, and a jet-black silver needle silently appeared between his fingers.

He was waiting for someone, someone he had to deal with before he left.

Prior to this, he had already found out the other party's daily routine over the past few days. He would come here every day to find the courtesan, enjoy himself for a while, and then return home drunk.

With Zhou Ping's current abilities, he could easily eliminate his opponent anywhere.

However, to avoid unnecessary panic and suspicion from those with ulterior motives, and to prevent people from associating it with oneself, so as not to bring unwarranted disaster upon one's family.

He decided to make his death seem natural and reasonable, which is why he chose this location.

The silver needles in Zhou Ping's hand were coated with a strange and potent poison, Drunken Immortal Dew.

This is different from ordinary Drunken Immortal Dew, which, when mixed with alcohol, only causes people to fall into a coma.

The Drunken Immortal Dew Silver Needle specially made by Zhou Ping was also mixed with a blood poison called Boiling Blood Grass. After being poisoned, it would cause the blood and qi to boil all over the body, the true qi to become disordered, and the blood and qi to flow backward while in a coma, eventually attacking the heart and causing death.

For a physically weak person who has been a frequent philanderer, their death would appear as a result of physical weakness, blood deficiency, and exhaustion of vital essence.

This needle was originally prepared for Jin Jingtian as a precaution, but unexpectedly, Zhou Ping took it out at this moment, which is just right to deal with the current situation.

"Third Brother, I will be waiting for your arrival again tomorrow!"

A heavily made-up woman, a courtesan, leaned half her body against Zhao San, panting softly as she walked.

The drunken weapons store manager, Zhao San, slapped his hand on her ample genitals and said with a lewd grin,

"Hehehe....Good, good, good! Tomorrow I'll call your sister Lianxiang along to serve me!"

Just then, a barely audible whooshing sound rang out, and a silver needle pierced through Zhao San's abdomen at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, embedding itself in the ground not far away, its tail vibrating violently.

After being escorted out of Chunfeng Pavilion, Zhao San hadn't gone far when he plopped down on the ground, leaned back, and fell fast asleep.

But his breath grew weaker and weaker over time until it disappeared completely.

Zhou Ping slipped into the crowd and quietly disappeared into the throng. As he passed Chunfeng Pavilion, he ignored the calls of several courtesans and quietly collected the silver needles from the ground before slowly vanishing into the crowd.

.........