Parting

This world had immortal cultivation. Chen Luo had heard his master, Crippled Ma, mention it long ago.

It was just that Crippled Ma did not know much either. Most of his descriptions of Immortal Cultivators were vague rumors, things like Roaming the Heavens and Earth, living forever without dying, and so on. Once sorted through, there was almost no useful information. The only feasible method was to train martial arts to their utmost limit and Enter the Dao through Martial Arts.

That was the plan Crippled Ma had proposed.

Chen Luo did not really understand it either, but that did not stop him from striving in that direction. Of course, if there was a better shortcut, he would not mind changing paths. He just did not know whether the Immortal Cultivators in this world followed the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core system described in the novels he had read before.

Pulling back his thoughts, Chen Luo sensed his current state.

His strength was still at Internal Training, but it had improved by a small margin. It was equivalent to advancing from Early Internal Training to Late Internal Training, leaping across an entire minor realm. The Internal Qi circulating inside the body had also become much fuller. Previously, it had been as faint and thin as silk thread; now, it was as thick as his thumb. Whenever he mobilized his Internal Qi, he could clearly feel the increase in power.

Judging by Junior Sister He Min's strength, he could probably take on three hundred of her now.

"I wonder how Junior Sister He is doing."

Thinking of his junior sister, Chen Luo could not help feeling somewhat melancholy.

Qingya County was now thoroughly engulfed in chaos. He could only hope that his master and junior sister would survive this calamity. Once his divine skill reached Great Accomplishment in the future, he would return and slaughter all those corrupt officials who had harmed them.

Creak.

The sound of a door opening rang out. Chen Laosan, who had not slept all night, came out with dark circles under his eyes.

"I'll go out and see if I can Inquire about some news. Make do with something to eat yourself."

Chen Laosan handed one of the roasted sweet potatoes from last night to his nephew, Chen Luo, then headed out alone. After escaping here, they were basically safe already. Chen Laosan desperately wanted to know what was happening in Qingya County. He still had several lovers in the county town, especially Widow Wang from the alleyways. He had fled in such a rush this time that he had no idea whether she was all right.

The thought that he might never again be able to do strenuous labor with Widow Wang left him unable to suppress his melancholy.

"Be careful on the road."

"I know."

Chen Laosan waved a hand and left without looking back.

"The taste is not bad."

After picking up the roasted sweet potato on the table and making do with a simple meal, Chen Luo began his daily martial arts practice.

With last night's experience, he now felt as though divine aid was at his side.

After running through a set of Black Tiger Fist, Chen Luo clearly felt his improvement. This sort of visible change had been absolutely impossible before. Even if the brains of more than a hundred Jianghu Wanderers were piled together, they could not have figured it out. But now, the Royal Family Brain had given him direction, making Chen Luo understand the meaning of "genius."

Even a hundred pig brains stacked together could not compare to one genius brain! A hundred pig brains could come up with a hundred more comfortable ways to sleep, but they could never think of a way to make pigs fly into the sky. The jianghu wanderer brains he had acquired before were all mediocre, Gray Aptitude in game terms. But the Royal Family Brain was different. It was clearly Purple with Gold Streaks. Acquiring just one had brought him a qualitative transformation.

This made Chen Luo even more certain of his path.

When the chance came later, he would have to dig up an immortal's head for use no matter what.

After resting for a moment, Chen Luo rose and resumed practicing his fist techniques.

Strength was the foundation for standing firm. Since he had finally embarked on this path, he absolutely could not slack off.

And so, three days passed.

Over those three days, Chen Laosan left early and returned late each day. Through the Information Brokers of Yanhu County, he inquired about much news concerning Qingya County. Yet most of it was false. The Imperial Court's official announcement claimed that people in Qingya County had murdered officials and rebelled, and that it involved Remnants of the Former Dynasty. Even members of the Imperial Clan bloodline had been killed by those Rebels.

"What Rebels? This was all done by those utterly deranged corrupt officials!!"

Chen Laosan slapped the table furiously and gulped down a huge bowl of water.

The news he had gathered over the past two days was basically all like this. Compared to ordinary rumors, the common people of Yanhu County trusted the notices posted by the Authorities more. Chen Laosan was bursting with pent-up anger, but he did not dare make a scene outside and could only return home to vent it.

"Third Uncle, go back to Chen Family Village first. Now that the matter has spread, I'm worried Dad and the others might go to Qingya County to look for news about us," Chen Luo said.

Three days was enough for things to be more or less sealed off. Once the situation stabilized, given Old Man Chen's personality, he would definitely be the first to charge into Qingya County. His son and blood brother were both in the county town. Never mind a Calamity of War—even if blades rained down over there, he would still go.

In order to prevent that from happening, Chen Luo planned to have Third Uncle make a special trip to stop Dad first.

"Fine!"

Chen Laosan did not hesitate.

He had actually wanted to leave long ago. Unlike Chen Luo, Chen Laosan had never practiced martial arts. Staying in this place every day was unbearably stifling, and he would rather return to the village and have a proper talk with the clansmen.

"Be careful yourself. If things really do not work out, come back with me."

"I won't return for now. Once I've finished dealing with matters here, I'll go back," Chen Luo said without explaining why.

His martial arts practice had reached a critical point these past two days.

The cultivation method provided by the Royal Family Brain had allowed him to touch upon an opportunity for breakthrough. He had to seize this chance and push through in one burst to the Bone Forging Realm. Once he reached the Third Realm, the situation he faced would be entirely different.

Don't look at the Imperial Court's tremendous power. Even within the Imperial Court, a Bone Forging Realm Master counted as an important figure. Eunuch Wei, whom Chen Luo had beaten to death with a brick earlier, had only been at Internal Training. That showed just how weighty a Bone Forging Realm Master was.

Chen Luo had already made up his mind. Once he broke through to the Bone Forging Realm, he would return to Qingya County. Previously, when his strength was insufficient, he had naturally endured and held himself back, preparing for "thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river." Now that his strength had arrived, naturally he had to let them know that he "didn't eat beef."

"I don't know whether taking you to learn martial arts was the right thing to do."

Chen Laosan hesitated, still unable to put his mind at ease.

But when he saw the determination in Chen Luo's eyes, all the words that had reached his lips ultimately turned into concern.

"Don't charge around recklessly out there. This world is vast, and experts are as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river. During my years as a corpse burier, I don't know how many Jianghu masters I've buried. Some of them were even younger than you. They too were once as high-spirited as you are, but in the end, they all became cold corpses. Their families might not even know where they died."

As he spoke, Chen Laosan placed one hand on Chen Luo's shoulder and earnestly instructed him.

"Only by staying alive do you have a future! Everything else is bullshit."

"I'll remember that."

Chen Luo nodded, indicating that he had remembered those words.

After making do with another meal alongside Third Uncle, the two went their separate ways.

Chen Laosan bought a donkey. There was still some distance from here to Chen Family Village, but fortunately it was all along the official road, so there was no need to worry about safety.

Looking at the money pouch Third Uncle had left on the table, Chen Luo sighed softly.

"There isn't much money, but it's my token of affection. Spend it sparingly, and whatever you do, don't go looking for girls in the alleys. You're still young, so don't learn from me. Otherwise, when we get back, your Grandpa will break both my legs."

Third Uncle's nagging nonsense echoed in his ears.

This money had been meant to find Chen Luo a wife. Now that no wife had been found, the money naturally had to be left behind.

Big shots, please give me some votes. I'm begging for survival here—the new book is not easy~