"Foolishness!" the middle-aged man roared.
"You think they won't notice?"
"When people come to pay respects next year and find the coffins aren't in the designated place, we'll be done for!" he said coldly.
"Wolf Brother, don't mind the kid, he's new after all," another dark-skinned man chimed in.
"If you all worked as hard as Huachao, you'd have earned enough gold to buy your freedom by now," Wolf Brother continued.
Coffin bearers weren't a job just anyone would take. Most of these men had been sold into the role, and the only way out was to earn enough money to buy their freedom.
"Buying freedom? That sounds like something out of a brothel," Ye Fan mused from afar, quietly mocking the conversation.
"What kind of sword is this…?" Zhou Huachao held Ji Mie, growing more astonished by the moment.
[Sword Master: Zhou Huachao]
[Evil: 33%] [Good: 67%]
"A sword of light."
"Good thing it's a light attribute sword. If it had been a dark attribute sword, he wouldn't have been able to handle it," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Without much thought, Ye Fan sent information about the sword directly into Zhou Huachao's mind through his will.
Zhou Huachao's eyes widened in shock.
His mind was racing, overwhelmed by the information pouring into him, as if he were frozen in place.
"Is he in shock?" Ye Fan wondered as he observed Zhou Huachao's wide-eyed, dumbfounded look.
But in the next moment, Zhou Huachao burst out laughing.
He had struck gold!
Here in the middle of the desert, he had stumbled upon a priceless treasure.
"Huachao, what's so funny?" Wolf Brother called out, hearing Zhou Huachao's laughter.
"Nothing, just feeling happy," Zhou Huachao scratched his head, smiling as he replied.
Ji Mie was incredibly sharp. Normally, it couldn't be placed upright anywhere because it would slice through most surfaces. But Zhou Huachao wasn't inclined to set it down.
He found that as long as he held this sword, his strength, reaction speed, and overall abilities improved dramatically!
Even dragging the coffin now felt like no effort at all.
"Alright, break time's over! Let's get moving and try to reach our destination before nightfall!" Wolf Brother shouted, and the group resumed their journey into the depths of the desert.
Zhou Huachao moved to the front, pulling the coffin with renewed vigor, like a tireless ox.
"You should all learn from Huachao; he'll have enough gold to buy his freedom in no time," Wolf Brother muttered.
"Yeah, but who can compete with him? He's a beast…" one of the other coffin bearers grumbled as he dragged his load.
Zhou Huachao pressed on, his mind racing.
As he moved, he activated his cultivation technique. To his amazement, his cultivation speed had increased several times over!
A several-fold increase in speed!
It was nothing short of miraculous.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Huachao continued cultivating as he walked, determined to make the most of this strange but incredible advancement.
By dusk, the group could finally see structures appearing ahead.
The buildings, constructed from a special kind of yellow clay, had an unusual style.
And around them were countless tall stone markers.
"Tombstones," Ye Fan observed.
"Finally, we're here."
The others, having dragged their coffins to the site, sighed in relief.
"Hurry and bury the coffins in the designated spots!" Wolf Brother ordered.
The group quickly set to work, hauling the coffins to their assigned places and digging into the sand to bury them.
This area of the desert was special. The sand here didn't shift or collapse easily, and sandstorms were rare. It was a feng shui treasure trove for burials.
The tall stone markers, which had been brought here earlier, served as gravestones. After the coffins were buried, the markers were erected.
Night had fallen by the time they finished. Lanterns were lit, casting a warm glow over the area.
"Finally done," one of the coffin bearers panted as he collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"Zhou Huachao, how come you don't look tired at all?" a dark-skinned man asked, lying flat on the ground, gasping for breath.
Zhou Huachao didn't seem worn out at all, instead practicing his swordsmanship with Ji Mie.
"Once you reach a higher cultivation level, you won't tire so easily," another man joked before Zhou Huachao could respond.
Zhou Huachao was indeed the highest-level martial artist among them—an eighth-tier martial artist. But even eighth-tier martial artists couldn't escape the life of a coffin bearer until they earned enough gold to buy their freedom.
Ignoring their words, Zhou Huachao continued practicing his swordsmanship.
As he executed his sword techniques, he noticed something remarkable: his skills were improving rapidly. Techniques he hadn't fully understood before now made perfect sense!
His comprehension of swordsmanship seemed to have skyrocketed simply by holding Ji Mie.
The realization filled him with excitement.
This was incredible!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Zhou Huachao practiced tirelessly, his energy seemingly endless.
"His swordsmanship is quite impressive," Wolf Brother, sitting nearby, muttered as he observed Zhou Huachao's practice.
Midnight came, and despite his excitement over Ji Mie, Zhou Huachao began to feel the fatigue of the long day.
Everyone lay down to rest, a cool breeze drifting through the desert, bringing a sense of comfort.
But in the early hours of the morning, Zhou Huachao suddenly bolted upright.
"I hear footsteps," he said, eyes scanning the area.
"Footsteps!?" The others were startled awake.
Even in the desert, it wasn't uncommon to encounter other martial artists.
And encountering martial artists out here usually meant trouble.
"Someone's definitely coming," Wolf Brother confirmed after listening closely with his ear to the ground, his expression turning serious.
Everyone drew their weapons.
The glowing stone markers cast a faint light, allowing them to see their surroundings despite the darkness.
"They're here."
Zhou Huachao stared into the distance.
Soon, a group of black-clad martial artists emerged from the darkness, approaching them.