Start with acting, and you'll achieve immortality!

"Back off!"

"Everyone, stand back!"

"If you don't back down, I'll kill her!"

The Great Qian Dynasty.

Outside the towering mountains.

A small town bisected by a stream.

Outside the government office.

A handsome young man in a long robe was holding a short knife and holding a beautiful woman hostage.

The young man shouted himself hoarse.

The woman remained completely calm, smiling radiantly.

The area around the two.

A group of yamen runners dressed in blue, carrying sticks and spears, with solemn expressions, led by a burly man with a thick beard, slowly approached a handsome young man in a long robe in the center.

"Thief!" The burly man with a thick beard, dressed as a county constable, pointed at the young man in the long robe and shouted angrily to stop him.

"Let go of that woman!"

"Put down your weapon obediently, and we might spare your life!"

This statement came out.

It seemed as if they were cooperating with the county magistrate.

The constables, holding their long spears, shouted in unison and stepped forward.

Holding a short knife, Li Ping, though calm inside, pretended to be frightened, his face pale and trembling.

He dropped the sharp blade in his hand, knelt down on the spot, and begged for mercy.

"Sir, have mercy!"

"I know I was wrong!"

The constables, a dense mass, rushed forward, apprehended Li Ping, and rescued the woman.

Seeing this scene.

The burly man with a thick beard, wearing a bronze seal and yellow ribbon around his waist, finally nodded, his face full of satisfaction.

"good!"

"Today's exercise is now concluded!"

"Everyone did a great job!"

"Dismiss the office!"

With a shout from the burly man with a thick beard.

The county officials, who had been solemn and armed with knives and spears as if facing a formidable enemy, immediately put down their weapons with a grin.

They completely ignored Li Ping, who was still squatting on the ground, and scattered like monkeys.

Li Ping rubbed his shoulders, which were sore from being pressed down.

He then stood up as well.

He hadn't even had a chance to brush the dust off his clothes.

The burly man with the thick beard walked beside him and patted his shoulder hard with his palm, which was the size of a palm fan.

The camera made Li Ping grimace.

The burly man with the thick beard didn't notice anything amiss, and simply said with considerable satisfaction.

"Well done, Xiao Li!"

"You did a great job this time! Much better than last time!"

"He perfectly captured the shamelessness of a thief!"

"Especially the ending, which vividly portrayed the entire process of how I reformed the thief! It even moved me a little."

"When you get back, go to the accountant and collect your reward of one string of five zhu coins."

"In my name, Hu Guan!"

Upon hearing this...

Li Ping was overjoyed. Ignoring the soreness in his shoulder, he quickly bowed and thanked him.

"Thank you very much, Magistrate Hu!"

To know.

In this small town with inconvenient transportation and scarce resources, one string of five-zhu coins is enough for an ordinary family to live on for a whole month!

The burly man with a thick beard, Hu Guan, waved his hand.

"No need to thank me!"

"When the imperial inspector arrives tomorrow, you'd better put on a good show for me."

"I must perform! I, Hu Guanli, have the ability to catch thieves!"

"As long as I can get through to the inspector tomorrow and keep my position, you, Li Ping, will definitely get your share of the benefits."

"I will surely make you a minor official with a salary of a hundred bushels of grain, and teach you the method of cultivating qi, so that you can transcend your mortal status."

"after all."

"When you drink water, don't forget the well-digger."

"You should never forget this scheme; it was you, Li Ping, who devised it!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ping...

He bowed again, his eyes gleaming, and thanked them repeatedly.

Yes.

Today's exercise, which seems out of place in this small town, was orchestrated by Li Ping, who previously played the role of a thief.

Li Ping, strictly speaking, cannot be considered a native of this small county town on the edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

He was originally a laborer on some blue planet.

While playing a shooting game, he stayed up all night blocking a bridge and accidentally fainted. When he woke up again, he had become a young man with the same name in this small town.

This young man was also named Li Ping.

He lost both his parents at a young age and was raised by his older brother. He even went to a big city in the prefecture to study in a private school and learned a lot of characters.

With his vast knowledge, he was able to return to the small mountain town, enter the county government, and become a minor clerk who wielded the pen.

And today's exercise.

This originated from a recent rectification movement that arose during the Great Qian Dynasty.

The Great Qian Dynasty was a dynasty where immortals and mortals coexisted.

Strict class system.

Most members of the ruling class are cultivators with a certain level of spiritual cultivation.

As for mortals.

It's just a pig.

However, with the recent increase in natural and man-made disasters, corrupt officials have also increased. In order to teach these bastards not to rebel and cause trouble, and to consolidate our rule.

The imperial court then dispatched an inspector to reprimand these corrupt officials who, relying on their cultivation and status, committed all sorts of evil deeds.

After receiving the news.

Hu Guan, a former bandit who had only become an official by paying bribes, was immediately terrified.

after all.

He's only been in office for a year and a half, and hasn't even recouped his investment yet. How could he possibly be willing to be dismissed?

And so.

He then visited many famous scholars, hoping to find a way to keep his official position.

but.

Where would any famous scholars come from in this remote and impoverished town? They're all at the foot of the mountains. If there were any truly famous scholars, why would they stay here?

As I searched...

Hu Guan then led his men to Li Ping, who was the most educated man in this small mountain town, a man of exceptional talent among short men, and who had studied in a big city.

Faced with Hu Guan's threats and inducements.

Surrounded without warning, Li Ping's eyes darted around and he thought of the method of deceiving the inspector. Although the method might not be reliable, it could at least fool Hu Guan, right?

This is not.

Hu Guan believed it!

They even took the initiative to organize officials of all ranks to participate in the exercises.

Knowing that this method was not very reliable, Li Ping was forced to play the role of a thief and had to bow to Hu Guan every day.

If it weren't for...

My brother and sister-in-law are still in this small county town.

If it weren't for...

Hu Guan promised that as long as he helped him pass the test, he would also become a minor official and teach him the Qi-guiding technique, allowing him to draw Qi into his body and completely transcend the gap between immortals and mortals!

Li Ping had already run away.

He recalled the cause of the matter in this way.

Li Ping, who had been deep in thought, finally raised his head.

only.

at this time.

County Lieutenant Hu Guan, along with several nearby yamen runners, had already dispersed into the distance.

He watched as Hu Guan left.

Li Ping composed himself, dusted himself off, and turned to head towards the outskirts of the small town.

Yes.

Unlike Hu Guan, who lived in a mansion in the city center, he came from a poor family and lived in a small courtyard on the edge of the city, almost to the point of living among refugees.

As dusk deepened.

The sunlight streamed down.

Li Guan walked towards home.

As the yamen runners dispersed.

The villagers, who had previously disappeared, once again occupied the entire street.

An old man selling candied hawthorns with a long stick; children running and fighting with bamboo spears.

It was noisy with people.

The further you go, the more people there are.

"Li Ping!"

"Here it is!"

Li Ping was walking with his head down.

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling him.

He raised his head.

All I can see is that...

A woman who looked somewhat familiar was standing on a street corner, smiling and greeting him.

"Sister-in-law?!"

Upon seeing this figure, Li Ping was delighted. He quickened his pace and walked a few steps to Zhang's side.

"Don't you usually bring your brother his meal at this time?"

"Why are you looking for me in the city?!"

Although she raised Li Ping single-handedly, Zhang Shi was actually not that old, only almost thirty, and she had a graceful figure.

She appeared relatively calm, though a hint of anxiety lingered in her eyes.

"Didn't something happen?"

"He seems quite distinguished; he must be here to see you. He's been sitting at home all afternoon, refusing to leave no matter what, insisting on seeing you!"

"According to him, he comes from Jiangning City!"

That's all.

She reached out her hand, pulled Li Ping along, and started walking towards home.

"ah?!"

"Someone's come looking for me in Jiangning City?!"

Li Ping was stunned.

Jiangning City.

It was the place where he studied a few years ago, and it was also the seat of the prefecture where he lived.

After realizing what had happened...

He hardly needed Zhang Shi to pull him along; he strode off on his own.