Wei Ying wandered through the village, his memories guiding him as he searched for Hei Cheng. According to his recollections, Hei Cheng was an uncultivated individual who had stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter.
Wei Ying's mental image of Hei Cheng was vivid: an elderly man with deep wrinkles, often clad in yellow robes. His habits were equally well-known – Hei Cheng spent most of his time indulging in the pleasures of brothels.
With this information in mind, Wei Ying had been methodically visiting various brothels, but so far, he had seen no sign of Hei Cheng.
Wei Ying pushed open the door and stepped into yet another brothel. A lady, adorned in elaborate attire, approached him with a charming smile.
"Are you here for some fun, handsome?" she asked, her voice husky.
Wei Ying's gaze met hers, and he replied with a single, curt word: "No."
The lady's smile faltered, but she quickly recovered. Wei Ying, however, had already shifted his attention to the interior of the brothel. His eyes scanned the room, searching for any sign of Hei Cheng.
Although he still couldn't find the man, Wei Ying's visit wasn't entirely fruitless. The ladies, eager to engage him in conversation. Wei Ying asked them about Hei Cheng as a result, they inadvertently revealed a crucial piece of information: Hei Cheng typically visited the brothel at night.
Wei Ying handed the ladies half a qi stone and said in a plain tone, "Thanks for the information.
The ladies' faces lit up at the sight of the valuable qi stone, and they exchanged delighted glances. "You're welcome, handsome," one of them replied, her voice dripping with sweetness.
"We're always happy to help a generous patron like yourself." With the transaction complete, Wei Ying turned to leave, his mind already focused on his next move. He would return to the brothel at night, ready to finally track down Hei Cheng.
Wei Ying's restraint from indulging in pleasures stemmed from his profound understanding of their true nature. To him, these desires were nothing more than a corrosive poison that consumed one's mind, hindering their pursuit of true greatness.
His aspiration for eternal life drove him to prioritize his goals above fleeting indulgences. Wei Ying believed that succumbing to such superficial pleasures would only weaken his resolve and hinder his progress.
Having lived over a thousand years in his previous life, Wei Ying had transcended the petty desires that governed the lives of ordinary individuals. He had witnessed the transience of mortal pleasures and had grown weary of their shallow allure. If one person has lived a thousand years or even 500 years, he would understand that such desires were useless.
In his eyes, a person's strength was not determined by their talent or abilities, but by the resilience of their mindset. Those who indulged in frivolous pleasures , in his opinion were weak-willed and lacking in true ambition.
As night wore on, Wei Ying emerged once more outside the brothel, his patience unwavering. Suddenly, an elderly man stepped into the brothel, and Wei Ying's eyes sparkled with recognition. He had finally found his target.
"Hei Cheng," Wei Ying muttered to himself, a hint of triumph in his voice. "I've finally caught you."
After three to four hours, Hei Cheng finally emerged from the brothel and made his way outside the village, heading towards a nearby forest. Wei Ying trailed behind him, carefully concealing his tracks.
As they approached a cave, Hei Cheng stepped inside. Wei Ying followed, maintaining a safe distance and hiding behind large rocks.
Hei Cheng's voice echoed within the cave, "Master, when will you help me break through to Rank 1?"
A willowy voice spoke, its tone laced with disdain. "You are ungrateful. I gave you all of my qi stones, and you needed them to buy materials. Did you buy them?"
Hei Cheng hesitated before responding, "N-no, Master... I was robbed by bandits."
The willowy voice erupted in outrage. "WHAT?! You ungrateful creature! Those were my lifetime savings!"
The speaker, an old man, materialized into view. His form was blurry, and his energy seemed depleted, as if he could dissipate at any moment.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind him. "And you've brought an uninvited guest."
Wei Ying stepped out from behind the rocks, his expression neutral. "Oh, you caught me."
Hei Cheng's face twisted in anger. "Who are you?!"
Wei Ying's tone remained plain. "You can tell by looking at me."
Hei Cheng's eyes narrowed. "You followed me, thinking to take my fortune? Keep dreaming! I won't give you anything. It's all mine!"
Hei Cheng's face turned pale as Wei Ying spoke, his voice laced with a sly smile. "Oh, Hei Cheng, why don't you tell your master that you've spent all of his life savings on your personal cravings?"
The will's anger ignited, its voice booming with rage. "Hei Cheng, is that true?!"
Hei Cheng stuttered, "M-master... I—"
The will's fury intensified. "Hei Cheng, I want nothing more than to kill you! I even wanted to make you a cultivator, but you spent all of my savings on your own desires! You promised to reincarnate me... It's truly a pity I cannot kill you. I am just a mere will left behind by my body."
Wei Ying stepped forward, his voice calm and collected. "I will kill him for you... if you hand me your inheritance."
The will replied without hesitation, "Kill him, kill him now! I don't care who you are. You shall have my inheritance."
Wei Ying pounced at Hei Cheng, his fists colliding with Hei Cheng's face again and again. With ruthless efficiency, Wei Ying beat Hei Cheng to death with his fists, the sound of crushing bone and flesh echoing through the cave.
"Now, give me your inheritance," Wei Ying said, his voice firm and expectant.
The will nodded, producing a collection of items. Among them were materials for refining pills, but the qi stones were noticeably absent, having been squandered by Hei Cheng.
Wei Ying's eyes scanned the offerings, his interest fixed on one item: a mid-grade cauldron for refining pills. He gathered everything into his storage ring, ensuring nothing was left behind.
With calculated efficiency, Wei Ying burned Hei Cheng's body, erasing any traces of the event. He even collected the ashes, storing them in his ring, leaving no evidence of the encounter.
...
Finally, I advanced through Rank One, mid-stage!" Zhang Mei exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement, a bright smile spreading across her face.