Everyone Wants to Become Immortal

"Come to think of it, if this humble Daoist were to collect martial arts from across the land..."

The moment the thought arose, Ren Qing immediately dismissed it. "External arts are ultimately the lowest means of unorthodox paths. The Iron Body Art is already considered superior among external arts; lower and middle-grade external arts would be almost useless in tempering this humble Daoist's flesh."

He secretly counted himself fortunate. He had nearly allowed a trifling gain to shake his Dao heart. He dared not imagine himself covered head to toe in bulging muscles. Infinite Heavenly Venerable!!

It seemed that in the immortal realm, the slightest carelessness could easily breed inner demons. He could not relax in the least.

What external arts? Meeting enemies with fists and palms was hardly this humble Daoist's style.

Ren Qing's divine sense could now cover a radius of more than two meters. Just as he was about to use his improved Metamorphosis Immortal Art to enlighten the Toad Dao Child once more, he discovered that the Toad Dao Child had once again entered dormancy.

The Metamorphosis Immortal Art talisman within its body was visibly drawing closer to Ren Qing, showing that the enlightenment divine ability had made the two share glory and hardship alike.

"This humble Daoist always knew that you, Frog Immortal Lord, possessed extraordinary talent and were a promising prospect."

Ren Qing's lips curled slightly. He then used his divine sense to search for the other Dao Children, only to discover that the two Black Rat Dao Children inside Treasure Gathering Pawnshop had, at some point, become impossible to sense.

Still, one thing was certain: the Black Rat Dao Children's life force remained.

"It seems Zhou Can has already begun becoming immortal and has used some method to isolate the pawnshop."

Just as he was preparing to set out, Ren Shanshi's leisurely sigh came from the main hall.

With a worried face, Ren Shanshi pushed open the door to the main hall and called toward Ren Qing in the back courtyard. "A-Qing, that old man Su who ordered a coffin said he would come collect it last night, but I waited all night without seeing hide nor hair of him."

Ren Qing recalled Su Huo's actions. Could they be related to the immortal opportunity at Treasure Gathering Pawnshop?

"Father, perhaps the old man was delayed by something unexpected. Let's wait a little longer."

"I searched half the street this morning and asked every household nearby. They all said they had never seen such an old beggar. It's as if he vanished into thin air."

Ren Qing gave Ren Shanshi a few perfunctory replies before turning and returning to the back courtyard.

The Black Rat Dao Children had already drawn a large number of their kind. They gathered silently beside the well.

Ren Qing enlightened another ten Black Rat Dao Children.

"Take control of the streets near Treasure Gathering Pawnshop. Remember to be cautious."

As Ren Qing swept them with his divine sense, the Black Rat Dao Children immediately scattered, darting silently toward Treasure Gathering Pawnshop through cracks in the walls and shadowy drains.

The Sparrow Dao Child, holding the Yellow Mud Eye, followed the rats from afar.

Standing in the back courtyard, Ren Qing sensed from a distance that Treasure Gathering Pawnshop's doors and windows were tightly shut, its interior pitch-black. Only the guards of the Fuyang Chamber of Commerce controlled the entrances and exits.

He checked repeatedly and confirmed that there was no one in the Fuyang Chamber of Commerce capable of threatening him.

"It's not too late. Let's go."

Ren Qing frowned slightly. Before long, he arrived at the alley outside Treasure Gathering Pawnshop.

The pawnshop was silent. Nearly all the neighboring shops had been bought off by the Fuyang Chamber of Commerce, and though curfew had not yet begun, they had already closed early.

Ren Qing no longer restrained his divine sense. Rosy light suddenly appeared around him, with wisps of cloud curling about his body.

At once, his connection to the two Black Rat Dao Children inside the pawnshop became clear.

The moment he sent them a thought, the two Black Rat Dao Children crawled out through a crack in the pawnshop wall and reached Ren Qing's feet without obstruction, squeaking as they gestured nonstop.

"So entering and leaving the pawnshop isn't affected. Before Zhou Can becomes immortal, he presumably lacks the ability to seal off an entire place."

A look of understanding appeared on Ren Qing's face, and he immediately made a decision.

"The Fuyang Chamber of Commerce is likely after the method of becoming immortal as well. This humble Daoist could perhaps use them later to obtain the inheritance of a Dao lineage, but that would also involve risks. The method of becoming immortal could easily be incomplete too. Better to make the trip myself."

He withdrew his divine sense, and the Black Rat Dao Children deliberately began making louder noises.

They waited quietly for a moment.

Zhang Qilin hurried over with two guards. By then, Ren Qing was no longer where he had been.

"Chief Zhang, I think I just heard something?"

"It's nothing. Probably rats burrowing into a corner of the wall. Happens all the time."

Zhang Qilin looked around. Seeing no one there, he said, "Let's go. Coroner Wang will probably arrive soon. That matter is more important."

The three frowned and headed back toward the pawnshop's side entrance, where more than a dozen guards stood watch outside.

Zhang Qilin did not notice in the slightest that Ren Qing had already blended in among the guards. Yet no one detected anything unusual, as though Ren Qing had always been one of their companions.

"Chief Zhang, why don't I go to the yamen and urge Coroner Wang to hurry?"

"No need. Wait a little longer. There are still a few hours."

Zhang Qilin looked at the sky, a trace of impatience mixed into his gaze.

The sun sank in the west, and the sky gradually darkened.

"He's here."

Zhang Qilin let out a long breath when he saw a carriage slowly approaching. An old man drove it, seemingly seventy or eighty years old, his hair mottled white.

As the carriage drew nearer, everyone discovered that the skin on the old man's forehead was extraordinarily bizarre.

His skin was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, like a parched clay statue. Yet the skin beneath those fissures was smooth as jade, as if he were only in his early twenties.

Zhang Qilin froze for a moment, then hurried forward to greet him respectfully.

The carriage stopped by the side gate.

Zhang Qilin cupped his hands with a smile. "Lord Wang is on the verge of ascending to immortality. From now on, we should address you as Immortal Elder!"

The other guards hurriedly bowed, not daring to show the slightest neglect.

"Hahaha."

Wang Si laughed heartily, clearly enjoying it.

Ren Qing took two steps back, deliberately keeping to the shadows beneath the eaves.

His gaze settled on Wang Si. Unlike Zhang Qilin, Wang Si had already entered the Yellow Mud Immortal Ascension Method and nurtured a wisp of divine consciousness, though he himself did not know how to wield it.

Heh.

So ostentatious—did he really think the Immortal Ascension Sect's lineage was so easy to obtain?

Wang Si bared a mouthful of yellow teeth. "I've brought what your merchant association wanted. There are three people in the carriage, all carefully selected."

Zhang Qilin gave a signal, and a guard lifted the wooden crate in the carriage.

Inside the crate were three unconscious beggars.

"Beggars?"

Looking at the three ragged figures in the crate, Zhang Qilin could not help frowning. "Immortal Elder Wang, didn't we agree beforehand that they would be prisoners awaiting execution?"

Wang Si shot him a glance, his tone carrying a hint of impatience. "Where is the yamen supposed to find so many death-row prisoners? Make do with them."

Remembering Wang Si's attitude from the past few days, Zhang Qilin felt utterly stifled, but he still said cautiously, "Immortal Elder Wang, we will need five more people tomorrow. Please be sure to make up the full number."

"Five people?" Wang Si sneered. "Do you think you're buying vegetables at a market? Wish-Fulfillment Abbey is waiting for people too. At most, I can spare you two. The rest is out of the question."

Ren Qing realized that Wang Si had been supplying Wish-Fulfillment Abbey with blood food. Song Baizhou had yet to ascend to immortality, yet his appetite had only grown uglier and uglier.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Qilin took out a heavy money pouch and stuffed it over. "Two will do, but they must be grown men. No elderly or weak ones."

Wang Si weighed the pouch in his hand and said with satisfaction, "Zhang Qilin, tell your master that my ascension to immortality is already set in stone. Next time, prepare fifty percent more silver."

With that, he cracked his long whip. The carriage wheels began to turn, and he paid no heed to Zhang Qilin's dark expression.

Only after watching the carriage turn past the street corner did Zhang Qilin whirl around and bark at the guards, "Push the crate into the pawnshop's rear courtyard. Lock the side gate with iron chains, and keep a close watch. Don't let the people inside come out!"

One guard hesitated before speaking. "Chief Zhang, the young lady previously instructed us to take only death-row prisoners."

"And counting the martial artists brought in yesterday, we already have more than enough people. Shouldn't we notify the young lady?"

"Shut up!!"

Zhang Qilin cut him off with a savage expression. "I'm simply being thorough! I'll explain things to the young lady myself. What, do you want to go inside and keep those people company?"

Frightened silent by his stare, the guard hurriedly called for his companions to lift the crate.

After setting down the crate, they used iron chains to seal the side gate shut.

They did not notice that one of the guards who had crossed the threshold with them was missing.