Hong Shu City's Red Element District.
Red Element District is the home of mercenary factions, also where the entrance and exit gate of Hong Shu City was located.
Currently, Peng Che was walking in the Red Element District's street. His eyes firmed and resolute, but it also glowed in hesitation.
Thirty minutes ago...
Peng Che was talking with his father, Peng Liu, about the matter of traveling towards the State of Si. Naturally, as a father, Peng Liu opposed this matter. However, Peng Che was stubborn and persistent, and Peng Liu could only wish the best for his son.
After gaining permission, Peng Che directly departed.
"State of Si...whether it's death or success depends on me."
Peng Che clenched his fist as he hurried on his walk, but he suddenly felt a gush of wind blow past him. The next time he looked ahead, an old man was leaning against the previously unoccupied solar light.
"Young man, it seems we're fated to meet."
This old man approached him with a smile.
Sizing him up, Peng Che realized this old man was the same person in the Red Light District's central park. He had seen the entire fiasco and understood this old man was a swindler.
"I'm a prophet, and I saw your future."
As expected, this old man said his usual scam phrase.
"Oh, then what is it?"
Although Peng Che knew this old man was a fraud, he was somehow curious.
"A predestined fate."
The old man answered ambiguously.
Peng Che cannot guess if this 'predestined fate' was a terrible encounter or a fortuitous opportunity. He pondered deeply, then shook his head, and cupped his fist, "Thank you, sir. Goodbye."
"Aren't you curious?"
The old man followed him.
"I am."
"Ten—no, five spirit stones, I can tell you..."
Jun raised his price immediately. To make sure that he wouldn't reveal his identity at all, he decided to role play as a beggar who thirsts for money but pretended to be a prophet. This kind of character was versatile and mysterious, Peng Che wouldn't be able to link this character to his true self.
Furthermore, if he gave the scripture to Peng Che in a different channel which would be a couple of days from now, he would link it to the prophet. His identity wouldn't be revealed at all and remains a mystery to Peng Che in the future.
Peng Che initially wanted to refuse, but the old beggar seems so desperate for money. This old man was entirely covered with dirt, clothes were torn apart, and hair disheveled. His stomach even rumbled, gradually the sound getting louder. He was quite pitiful.
Peng Che sighed with emotion. Five spirit stones weren't much to him, to be honest, so he halted and took them out, handing them to the old man.
"Here, five spirit stones. Sir, can you tell me now?"
Jun took the spirit stones and said, "In three days, you'll encounter an opportunity, but it depends on your performance. If you have no eyes, you'll miss the opportunity. If you have a brain, you'll naturally know it. Young man, this is where we part ways."
Jun turned around, and in order to impress Peng Che, he activated his lightning feet and speed-type elements, disappearing like smoke.
Peng Che was stunned. The old man was just too fast as if he had teleported!
"That old man isn't a liar?"
Peng Che was tongue-tied but then shook his head. He had been hoping for years now, and not a single opportunity came to him. Rather than waiting for an opportunity, this time, he wanted to seek that opportunity to change his life.
Thus, Peng Che followed a departing mercenary, heading towards the State of Si.
Years later, the name Peng Che would shake the seventeen states. He would be the brightest hero in the darkest of times...
...
After that incident, Jun transformed back to his true self.
The reason he did this old prophet thing was to prepare for phase 2 of his plan. The first phase was to plant a seed of doubt in the head of Peng Che.
He also let Peng Che travel to the outside world for various reasons. One was that due to him, there were no hurdles in Hong Shu City. The second reason was that he wanted Peng Che to find his path, give the scripture, and returned with unparalleled might.
Jun walked out in the desolate alleyways of the Red Element District. He remembered Blade Fang said that he was staying in Red Earth Street.
However, he didn't visit Blade Fang and instead rented a hotel room. Then, he laid atop his bed and took out the Version 2, Transmission Phone that he bought.
He opened the phone and click the group chat function.
"My plan will work..."
The group chat function can be opened in multiple tabs.
After opening the group chat, it needed one to sign up for an account. Jun immediately created eight accounts.
The first account was a hidden expert, Old Bai.
The second account was a master of medicine, Pill Lord Sheng.
The third account was a Yang Elemental Expert, Ancient Yang Lord. This account would be the main account that he would use to hand the Scripture to Peng Che.
After that, he also named the other five dummy accounts.
When he was done with the accounts, he created the group chat, naming it 'Ascending Daoists Group'. This name was to make it look like everyone in this group was in the True Law realm, a bona fide, hidden expert. The peak of the peak in the seventeen states.
After creating the group chat using Ancient Yang Lord's account, he added the other dummies.
[Ancient Yang Lord added Old Bai in the group]
[Ancient Yang Lord added Pill Lord Sheng in the group]
[Ancient Yang Lord added Talisman King Yun in the group]
[Ancient Yang Lord added Spirit Inventor Meng in the group]
[Ancient Yang Lord added Six Elemental Lord Xing in the group]
[Ancient Yang Lord added Scholar Fu in the group]
[Ancient Yang Lord added I Have A Thousand Wives in the group]
Jun decided to test the chat.
Old Bai: This is a group chat?
Spirit Inventor Meng: Old Turtle, how is it? We Spirit Inventors are thriving.
Scholar Fu: The heaven is vast, the earth is life, and I as a human travels the land, but when can I find a wife?
I Have A Thousand Wives: It's been a thousand years, and you've yet to find a wife, old friend? Just recently, I married, not much, around a hundred beautiful ladies.
Six Elemental Lord Meng: Hateful, hateful, hateful. How dare you brag here?! I'll wreck you in pieces!
Talisman King Yun: Chill! Chill! Old demon, It's been a thousand years and your temperament hasn't changed at all!
Pill Lord Sheng: Huw do I usi ths thng?
Ancient Yang Lord: Fellow Daoist Sheng.
Pill Lord Sheng: Yit?
Ancient Yang Lord: Your spelling is a mess.
The rest of the group: "..."
Jun nodded in satisfaction. It was quite satisfactory. The dummies seem alive, Peng Che shouldn't doubt them as dummies.
Unlike on earth, the chat log of the group chat here would be automatically deleted every twenty-four hours. And the date of registration of the group chat is also unknown. In every aspect of the group chat, there won't be a problem.
...
The Sky Wind Mercenary was a big mercenary faction in Hong Shu City. Their leader was a Quasi Martial Master, and its vice leaders are almost in the Quasi Martial Master. Boosted with talismans and artifacts[1], they can defend against a normal Martial Master.
Many wealthy families in Hong Shu City hire them.
At this moment, Sky Wind Mercenary was escorting the daughter of the Hong Shu City Lord.
The daughter of the Hong Shu City Lord was sick since birth and was wrecked with Yin's negative energies. Although she was talented and reached the element refinement at the age of 15, it was said that she could only live over the age of 18. This is due to her Yin elemental meridians, and there wasn't a cure for it.
However, Hong Shu City Lord adored his daughter, sparing no expenses of finding the cure of her disease. This time around, they were going to the State of Si in hopes that the famous Physician Lord there can cure her.
"Young lady Shuang, thank you for your hospitality."
Inside the carriage, Peng Che was facing a beautiful girl in a blue dress, her red lips, thin nose, and small face made her appear like a goddess.
"It's nothing, Brother Che. After all, we're once good friends. Going in the same destination, it seems we have some fate together," said the young lady.
Peng Che sighed with emotion. When they were young, he used to play with Tou Shuang, but when she caught illness at the age of 5, Peng Che didn't see him anymore. His memories with her have already faded.
"We indeed have some fate. I'm seeking the Ancient Yang Scripture. And, you're looking for the cure of your yin elemental meridian..."
Peng Che and Tou Shang looked at each other and laughed.
"We're indeed unfortunate people..."
Tou Shang sighed and drank the cup of tea, looking at the sky through the windows.
..
[1] The previous term, Treasure » Current term, Artifact
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