Translator: Cinder Translations
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After walking for a full quarter of an hour, the three finally arrived at a secluded corner of Tian Sha Gang.
Here, facing the mountain, stood an independent courtyard.
Around the courtyard were guards armed with steel swords and crossbows. These guards had cold faces and imposing figures, exuding an invisible pressure.
Upon entering the courtyard, they saw rows of cottages.
Behind the cottages, at the foot of the mountain, stood a two-story building.
The surroundings of the building were developed into neatly arranged fields, where unknown herbs were planted.
A burly man pointed at the cottages and ordered in a commanding tone,
"Pick any empty room to stay in. Meals will be delivered three times a day. Until someone calls for you, you are not allowed to leave the cottage."
With these words, the burly man stared coldly at Song Wen, urging him to quickly choose a room.
Song Wen casually selected an empty room and walked in.
Inside the room, there was a set of table and chairs, a bed with bedding, and a teapot on the table. Apart from these, there was nothing else in the room.
After inspecting the room, Song Wen turned and closed the door.
As he closed the door, he glanced outside to observe the situation.
The two burly men had already left the courtyard. Outside the courtyard, heavy guards were stationed. They didn't seem worried that Song Wen might do something out of line.
After closing the door, Song Wen's expression turned fierce and angry.
Just now, he had suppressed the anger in his heart.
The dominance and tyranny of Tian Sha Gang filled him with frustration and resentment.
At this moment, Song Wen's heart was filled with a strong desire for power.
Yesterday, while begging for food outside the teahouse, he overheard discussions among diners mentioning martial artists capable of walking on rooftops and walls in this world.
He now yearned to be a powerful martial artist who could annihilate the entire Tian Sha Gang.
Song Wen was confined to the room and remained there for seven days.
During the first two days, he was filled with resentment towards Tian Sha Gang.
Feeling like a fish on the chopping block, completely unable to resist, was truly awful.
However, thankfully, food was delivered punctually three times a day, and the meals were decent, with vegetables and meat.
After getting through the first two days, Song Wen gradually calmed down.
By the last two days, Song Wen had figured it out. Being confined to the room and forbidden to go out was probably intentional by Tian Sha Gang. It was meant to suppress their rebellious emotions and make them face reality.
On the eighth day, Song Wen finally heard someone shouting outside the door.
"Everyone, come out of your rooms immediately. Those who delay will be severely punished."
Immediately after, there was a series of doors opening around.
Song Wen also opened his door and walked out.
Upon looking around the courtyard in front of the cottages, he saw scattered groups of about a dozen teenagers, aged around fifteen. There were also more than ten Tian Sha Gang members standing in the distance with swords.
These teenagers gathered in small groups, clearly coerced like Song Wen. Many of them murmured quietly about their grievances.
These teenagers were all locals of Yancheng. They knew the strength of Tian Sha Gang. Although they were filled with anger and unwillingness, they could only point and whisper grievances to the guards, daring to be angry but not to speak.
Among them was a well-dressed chubby boy, standing out among the mostly poor and skinny teenagers.
The chubby boy roared angrily,
"How dare you, Tian Sha Gang, dare to kidnap me, Zhang Erhe! My father is the county magistrate of Qingyuan County. You better send me back!"
His voice was loud, attracting the attention of everyone present.
Song Wen's gaze was also drawn to the chubby boy.
Qingyuan County was a subordinate county under Yancheng, only about a hundred miles away.
In Qian Country, the authority of a county magistrate was considerable.
Song Wen was curious about how Tian Sha Gang would handle this chubby boy.
Whether the chubby boy was a fool from a landlord's family who couldn't see reality or Tian Sha Gang had mistakenly kicked an iron plate.
The guards hesitated upon hearing this but remained unmoved. Evidently, this wasn't the first time the chubby boy had mentioned his identity to them. However, the guards also found dealing with the chubby boy somewhat tricky.
Just then, a figure emerged from behind the guards.
The newcomer appeared to be around forty years old, thin and with a triangular beard on his chins.
Seeing the chubby boy roaring in the courtyard, the man with the triangular beard looked impatient.
He raised his hand, holding a yellow talisman between his fingers, and lightly exhaled.
"Go!"
The talisman in his hand suddenly turned into ashes, forming a fireball the size of a human head out of thin air.
The fireball emitted terrifyingly high temperatures, causing the surrounding space to distort.
With a roaring wind, the fireball, accompanied by a wild and unrestrained howl, struck in front of the chubby boy in an instant.
The chubby boy, seeing the fireball suddenly appear before him, filled with fear. Just as he was about to think of escaping, the fireball struck his chest.
The chubby boy's fat body was instantly hit hard, sending him flying into the air.
"Ah!..."
Amidst the chubby boy's screams of agony, the scorching flames quickly engulfed his entire body.
Before his body could hit the ground, he turned into a human torch.
The crackling sound of burning fat echoed, and soon, the area was filled with the foul odor of burning flesh.
In just a dozen breaths, what was once a living person had turned into ashes, not even bones remaining.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. More than a dozen young people looked at the human torch in horror, their faces pale and silent.
Song Wen, experiencing his second life after living as a normal person, was equally shocked by the scene before him.
He was both terrified by the audacity of Tian Sha Gang, publicly executing the son of the county magistrate, clearly not placing the Qian Guo court and the more than a dozen young people in front of him in their eyes.
He was also fearful of the methods of the bearded man. He summoned a fireball using a yellow talisman. This didn't look like the methods of a martial artist at all; it resembled the abilities of immortal cultivators from legends in his past life.
"Could this world be a world of immortal cultivation?"
Just as Song Wen was filled with doubts and fears, one of the young men in the scene explained to him.
"He is an immortal!"
A plain-dressed man with several patches suddenly knelt down, his expression both frightened and filled with longing.
The young man's exclamation instantly awakened everyone. More and more young people knelt down, bowing to the "immortal".
The mysterious and ruthless methods of the "immortal" instantly dispelled the rebellious thoughts in the hearts of most young people.
Following the reactions of the majority, Song Wen also knelt down.
His heart surged with turbulent waves.
This was true power, stronger than those wandering martial heroes who just roamed around.
"Someday, I will definitely possess this kind of power."
Having suffered injustice for days, Song Wen's eyes were filled with determination.
This kind of immortal power would surely make him one of the strongest in this world, no longer manipulated and bullied.
Not only were the young people shocked by the immortal technique of bearded man, but even the guards of Tian Sha Gang showed deep fear in their eyes.
Seeing this scene, the bearded man curled a satisfied smile on his lips.
The effect of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys had achieved his expectations.
His gaze swept over the kneeling young people, with a dominating aura of being in control of everything.
"I am a cultivator of immortal Dao, known as Ji Yin. I practice orthodox Daoist methods. You have no need to fear."
"Gathering you all here is to bestow upon you a great opportunity, a chance to seek longevity and become immortal."
"For the next month, I will personally impart to you the cultivation technique 'Longevity Technique'. Anyone who successfully 'draws in qi' within this month will become my direct disciple."
"I hope you will cherish this opportunity for cultivation. Even if you cannot achieve longevity, you will gain immense power, wealth, and glory easily accessible."
As Ji Yin's words fell, it sparked a fervent response from the young people. Everyone looked at Ji Yin with hot eyes, full of expectation and longing.
Song Wen was also quite excited. He hadn't expected to gain such an opportunity for cultivation so easily.
However, at the same time, he harbored a sense of caution.
Ji Yin's methods of seducing people's hearts were indeed formidable. First, he intimidated everyone with thunderous means, and then he offered them an opportunity for immortal cultivation.
This was a classic strategy of stick and carrot. Thus, in the process of cultivating the 'Longevity Technique', the young people present would undoubtedly spare no effort and do their best.
"Things are probably not as simple as Ji Yin said. How could someone give away an opportunity for immortal cultivation without any ulterior motives? Ji Yin must have some kind of plan! This opportunity for cultivation is probably not that easy to obtain."
(End of the Chapter)