Xiang Kingdom, Binzhou, Jiujiang Commandery.
Zhengyang Martial Arts School.
Everyone in the school had gathered. The crowd surrounded the school's spacious front courtyard, and no one said a word. Some were grieving; others were terrified.
Several corpses lay in the middle of the crowd. One of them was none other than Feng Xiang, the vice-director of Zhengyang Martial Arts School!
The watching disciples wore all sorts of expressions. Li Yuan was squeezed among them, his face filled with fear and carrying a trace of bewilderment.
"I transmigrated?!"
A stormy sea surged through Li Yuan's heart, and a vast amount of this body's memories poured into his mind!
This world was dangerous!
Demons were everywhere!
Ghosts and monsters ran rampant!
If it was daytime, things were relatively safe.
The blazing sun hung overhead, and all demons kept their distance.
Nighttime, however, was far more dangerous. It was practically a hundred ghosts roaming the streets!
Some powerful Evil Creatures could even ignore the sunlight and move about freely during the day!
Such Evil Creatures were utterly terrifying. If one appeared, it would inevitably brew a horrifying disaster. It was not impossible for one to annihilate an entire city!
Of course, there were not many such Evil Creatures. Once their whereabouts were discovered, the top experts dispatched from every region would swiftly exterminate them, nipping the crisis in the bud.
Thus, so long as one's luck was not too poor, one would not encounter danger in the wilderness during the day.
Feng Xiang, the vice-director of Zhengyang Martial Arts School, was a powerhouse who had condensed Martial Arts True Qi. His strength was second only to that of the director, Qi Zhengyang. Even in the vast Jiujiang Commandery, Feng Xiang was a formidable expert who could hold his own.
Yet even such a powerful martial artist... had still met with disaster.
A day earlier, Vice-director Feng Xiang had led two school disciples who had broken through to the Inner Force Realm in escorting a merchant caravan to an outlying county. In the wilderness, they had been attacked by a terrifying Evil Creature.
One could imagine how powerful an Evil Creature capable of moving about during the day was. Although the caravan had contained many formidable martial artists, and they had driven back the attacking Evil Creature after a fierce battle, they had still suffered heavy casualties!
Feng Xiang had died on the spot!
His body had even been torn in two by the Evil Creature!
Now, only half of him lay there. The frozen expression on his face was filled with terror and pain. His death had been anything but peaceful!
The crowd surrounding Feng Xiang slowly parted, making way for a passage. A sturdy figure walked over at an unhurried pace and stopped before Feng Xiang.
The newcomer was none other than the director of Zhengyang Martial Arts School, Qi Zhengyang!
Although Qi Zhengyang was nearly sixty, he showed not the slightest sign of old age. His physique was as robust as that of a thirty-year-old strongman, while the mighty Martial Arts True Qi within him had grown increasingly vigorous. It was not impossible for him to take one more step and enter a higher realm.
The Zhengyang Martial Arts School founded by Qi Zhengyang was also a force that could not be ignored throughout Jiujiang Commandery City. Its disciples were as numerous as clouds, and it had no shortage of experts. Unfortunately, it had suffered grievous losses now. Not only had it lost two disciples who wielded inner force, but even its vice-director, who wielded Martial Arts True Qi, had fallen. How could this not enrage him?
"What exactly happened?"
"Why did something happen to all of them?"
Qi Zhengyang's eyes were bloodshot as he glared fixedly at the two black-clad figures standing at the courtyard entrance.
The two sturdy men in black official uniforms were officers from the Jiujiang Commandery Special Capture Division. Anything related to Evil Creatures was handled by them.
They had been the ones to bring Feng Xiang's corpse and the corpses of the other two disciples back to the school. However, with such a sudden calamity occurring and the atmosphere within the school so oppressive, they had tactfully remained by the entrance without coming in.
Seeing the director, Qi Zhengyang, ask his question, one of the men in black helplessly explained, "Director Qi, we're deeply grieved that something like this happened as well. I only know that they were attacked by a powerful Evil Creature in the wilderness. We're still investigating the specifics, and we haven't learned the details either."
The man in black paused before continuing.
"Also, we've brought the corpses back. If you need to arrange their funerals, you can begin making preparations."
"In two hours, we'll return to take the corpses away for cremation."
This world had no custom of being laid to rest in the earth.
Everyone who died had to be cremated. Burial was absolutely forbidden!
Otherwise, one might bury someone today, only for them to crawl back out of the earth on their own the next day!
As for what those things crawling out of the earth would be... that was difficult to say.
After hearing the Special Capture Division officers' explanation, Qi Zhengyang slowly suppressed his anger. He knew that the two officers could not be blamed for this. They were merely responsible for transporting the corpses and running errands.
When all was said and done, Qi Zhengyang even had to thank them.
If ordinary commoners met with misfortune in the wilderness, their corpses would usually be burned right where they fell. They would not be transported back into the city at all.
Zhengyang Martial Arts School was an important force resisting demons and Evil Creatures, and it had a voice in this small corner of Jiujiang Commandery. It was only because the Special Capture Division had shown them some consideration that they had transported the three corpses back.
Although they had only been given two short hours, it was enough for the families to see the deceased one last time and arrange their funerals, allowing them to depart with some dignity.
Qi Zhengyang took a deep breath and forced a sliver of a smile onto his face. "In that case, sorry for the trouble, gentlemen."
The two officers in black nodded at Qi Zhengyang, then turned and left.
Next, the families and relatives of the martial arts school members who had received the tragic news also hurried over. For a time, the school was filled with wailing and had descended into chaos.
Losing a vice-director and two disciples who wielded inner force was an enormous blow to the school, practically striking at its very foundations. As Qi Zhengyang looked at the disciples gathered before him, a trace of weariness appeared on his face.
"The school is closed today. You may all disperse."
As the person in charge of the martial arts school, Qi Zhengyang not only had to comfort the heartbroken families after such a major incident, but also had a mountain of matters to settle afterward. He had no time to attend to these disciples.
Qi Zhengyang dismissed the disciples, and Li Yuan left the courtyard with his senior and junior brothers. His lodgings, however, were not within the school, but outside it.
Studying martial arts at the school cost five taels of silver per month. If meals and lodging were included, another two taels were required. To save money, Li Yuan did not live at the school, but rented a place outside.
Li Yuan left the school, crossed several streets, and arrived at a residence not far from it.
The residence consisted of two brick houses and a small courtyard ten paces square. Though it was not large, it was sufficient for Li Yuan to live in.
The small courtyard, however, was empty and desolate, touched by a hint of chill.
Usually, only Li Yuan lived there. His parents had long since passed away.
A year earlier, Li Yuan and his parents had lived in Ping'an County of Jiujiang Commandery. The family of three ran a small rice shop in the county seat. They were not a wealthy household, but their days had been comfortable enough.
Unfortunately, demons and Evil Creatures had risen up overnight, and the entire county seat of Ping'an County had been struck by calamity!
A great number of demons and Evil Creatures had broken through the city walls and stormed into the county seat. In an instant, Ping'an County had been plunged into blood and chaos, and countless citizens had been killed or wounded!
Li Yuan's family had taken their money and fled Ping'an County through the night.
But the county seat was dangerous, and the wilderness was no safer!
The citizens who had been lucky enough to escape the county seat were attacked again by demons and Evil Creatures in the mountains and wilds!
Li Yuan's parents had died one after another. Apart from watching it all happen with his own eyes, he had been powerless to do anything!
Fortunately, Li Yuan and the last small group of surviving citizens were discovered by martial artists who had rushed over from Jiujiang Commandery City to provide aid. Those martial artists slew the demons and Evil Creatures, then escorted them all the way back to Jiujiang Commandery City. Li Yuan had finally escaped with his life.
The upheaval had dealt Li Yuan a tremendous blow. With only Li Yuan left in the family, the laughter and merriment of the past had long vanished. Li Yuan's personality had also grown increasingly withdrawn, and he later resolutely joined Zhengyang Martial Arts School in Jiujiang Commandery!
Born into a chaotic age, what use was wealth?
Only by possessing strength could one seize control of one's own fate!
Li Yuan's family had been merchants for generations, but Li Yuan had made a decision that went against his ancestors!
Abandon commerce and practice martial arts!
He had thought everything through. To prevent the tragedy of the past from happening to him again, he was determined to practice martial arts!
When they had fled Ping'an County that year, Li Yuan's family had brought two hundred taels' worth of silver notes. Li Yuan had poured nearly all of that money into the martial arts school!
Afterward, Li Yuan practiced martial arts from dawn to dusk, not daring to slacken in the slightest. After a year, his martial arts realm had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he was already close to Body Tempering completion!
With just one more step, he would be able to come into contact with inner cultivation methods and refine inner force!
As the former body's vast memories continued pouring into his mind, Li Yuan gradually came to understand the many stories of what had happened. He could not help letting out a long sigh. "What a terrifying world this is."
Then Li Yuan's gaze hardened, and he said heavily,
"That's right. I still have to practice martial arts!"
Powerful martial artists could slay demons and Evil Creatures!
This was currently the path best suited to him.
With that thought, Li Yuan did not dawdle. He immediately began practicing martial arts in the small courtyard.
After joining Zhengyang Martial Arts School, he had learned a technique called Cinnabar Palm. He had practiced this martial art countless times and had long since mastered it completely, turning it into an instinct of his body. At this moment, practicing the palms came to him as naturally as lifting a finger.
Just as Li Yuan was practicing Cinnabar Palm in the courtyard, a voice suddenly rang beside his ear.
Ding!
System activated!
Talent awakened: [Divine Wisdom]!
A deep-blue light screen appeared out of thin air before Li Yuan. Displayed on it was some information about him.
Personal Panel Name: Li Yuan Talent: Divine Wisdom Realm: Mid Body Tempering Realm Martial Art: Cinnabar Palm (Proficient)
Li Yuan was startled. "What is this?"
"My golden finger has arrived!?"
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