Forty-One Years

Chen Jichuan glanced at Old Fifth, whom he had not seen for what was actually a long time despite only one day having passed in reality, and sighed inwardly.

He knew Chen Shaohe dearly wanted to get out.

But now was not the best time.

Chen Shaohe's Fire Control ability was only proficient, and he had no experience fighting others.

As for him, this Fourth Brother, he was even more of a burden.

They both still needed time.

"Iron Bull Technique."

"Jade Belt Technique."

Chen Jichuan suppressed the urgency in his heart and looked around. "We need to switch caves."

The mist grew thicker.

Chen Jichuan woke Chen Shaohe and headed down to the foot of the mountain.

In one day—

Two more miners from Northern Zone Two had been taken away, leaving only thirty-eight.

The overseer, Qian Lai, had become increasingly irritable.

He beat anyone he saw.

Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe had not provoked him, yet he still found the pretext of "slacking off and loafing" and rewarded them with two lashes. Chen Shaohe was struck across the face, leaving behind a horrific bloody welt. Chen Jichuan was struck on the chest, where the pain burned fiercely.

The brothers neither dared to rage nor speak. Though pain made them bare their teeth in grimaces, they still had to smile apologetically at Qian Lai.

The overseer wore a savage grin.

He did not even look at them.

Chen Jichuan felt the burning lash mark on his chest. There was shock in his heart, and anger too, but even more than that was doubt. "He—"

Name: Qian Lai

Age: 27

Level: 2

Spell: Martial Victory Saber (Second Layer)

Ever since the Dao Fruit had acknowledged him as its master, Chen Jichuan had used Insight on Qian Lai the first time he saw him and learned that Qian Lai was a Level 2 individual with real ability. But he had not known what Level 2 truly meant, or how much strength it entailed.

Now that he had spent a year in Great Yan, he had an idea.

Take himself, for instance.

In the Great Yan World, he was Level 2. Having cultivated both the Iron Bull Technique and Jade Belt Technique to the second layer, his strength had risen greatly. If an ordinary person took one lash from him, they would be crippled even if they did not die.

Yet Qian Lai looked furious, while the force behind his blows was about the same as an ordinary person's.

"Was he worried about beating someone to death?"

"Or—"

Without giving anything away, Chen Jichuan looked toward the other miners of Northern Zone Two. Several miners who had also been whipped were smiling apologetically, but one could imagine the fury in their hearts.

Then he thought of Chen Shaohe.

At the time, he had believed that Chen Shaohe had awakened his talent because he came into direct contact with a Spirit Stone. But now that he thought about it, it seemed it was not that simple.

"Emotions."

"Could talent awakening also be connected to emotions?"

Chen Jichuan had a guess.

Thinking of this, then thinking of the Wusheng Sect behind Qian Lai, his vigilance rose another level.

Back in the cave—

"Fourth Brother."

"Once we get out, I want to burn Qian Lai to death with my own hands."

Chen Shaohe touched the bloody welt on his face. Feeling the searing pain, he nevertheless grinned.

"Do as you please."

Chen Jichuan nodded.

Then he fetched clean water and treated Chen Shaohe's wound.

It was a pity he had no Origin Force. Otherwise, the wound could have healed in an instant. Of course, whether he could do it was one matter; whether he dared was another. He had only been whipped today, yet if he healed completely by tomorrow, he would simply be asking for trouble.

Chen Jichuan was not that foolish.

Thinking of Origin Force—

All the easily mined Spirit Stones in this cave had already been found. If they remained here, the workload would grow much heavier, and they still might not find many Spirit Stones.

Therefore—

"Switch caves."

This mine had several hundred caves, large and small.

The original five hundred miners could not even occupy them all. Now, with people dead or taken away, only four hundred miners remained, leaving even more caves vacant.

Chen Jichuan used Insight on the caves one by one, selectively mining the Spirit Stones buried closer to the surface. It would not take much time.

To him—

Every minute and every second was precious.

And amid widespread panic, changing caves was perfectly normal.

Anyone who continually failed to find Spirit Stones in their cave would grow suspicious and switch caves. On top of that, the brothers had been whipped by Qian Lai today, making them even less likely to arouse suspicion.

He acted as soon as he decided.

Leaving Chen Shaohe behind to rest, Chen Jichuan went to an empty cave nearby.

In only half an hour—

He found four Spirit Stones, then returned and began cultivating.

Name: Chen Jichuan

Age: 18

Immortal Tier: None

Official Position: None

Level: 0

Talent: Creation

Spells: Iron Bull Technique, Jade Belt Technique

Immortal Salary: 1

Origin Force: 318

In Black Prison, inside the cave, there was no medicinal wine for cultivation and no suitable tree to hold. But Chen Jichuan had already considered and tested this in the Great Yan World—

"Origin Force."

"As long as I have enough Origin Force, it can completely replace medicinal wine. And unlike ordinary people, I won't have to advance step by step."

Chen Jichuan found a rock pillar of suitable thickness, stepped forward into a horse stance, and wrapped his arms around it.

The rock pillar was pitted and uneven, with small protrusions here and there.

It was even rougher than tree bark.

Its hardness far surpassed that of wood.

Chen Jichuan took off his cotton-padded jacket. Dampness, cold, and bleak chill all swept over him. Waves of icy air also flowed from the rock pillar, invading his internal organs. Chen Jichuan gritted his teeth and rubbed himself against the pillar.

Great Yan World.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Jichuan pushed open his door. Grass grew and orioles flew; it was already March.

The disorder of time and space was wondrous beyond words.

Chen Jichuan examined himself.

About six hours had passed in reality, yet after returning to the Great Yan World, this body seemed no different from half a year ago. Not the slightest trace of time had been left behind.

"Once I return to reality—"

"This body enters an 'offline' state. Whether a hundred years or a thousand years pass, when I come back, it will still be exactly as it was."

Chen Jichuan marveled at the Dao Fruit's profound mystery.

He also felt fortunate.

Without this mechanism, he truly would not dare go offline so casually.

Otherwise, judging by the ratio of time between the Great Yan World and Black Prison, if he remained in reality for one hour, he would starve to death in the Great Yan World. If he stayed for six hours, his body would likely have already rotted away.

It would only create countless unnecessary troubles.

With the Dao Fruit helping him "contain and preserve" his body, he could go online and offline as he pleased.

"In that case—"

"I can completely cultivate in reality for one hour, then spend a month in the Great Yan World."

Chen Jichuan pondered inwardly.

Then—

He remembered the purpose of entering the Great Yan World this time—

"The Iron Bull Technique and Jade Belt Technique aren't weak."

"But they aren't enough to escape Black Prison."

Chen Jichuan had achieved a little, but he was not complacent. With a foundation of martial strength, when he thought of escaping Black Prison, the first thing that came to mind was, "Lightness skill!"

In Langning City—

Yang Qing, the chief constable who commanded the runners and catchers, known as Wind Chaser, was one of Langning Prefecture's foremost experts in lightness skill.

Drunken Immortal Tower.

One of the finest restaurants in Langning Prefecture.

Wind Chaser Yang Qing sat beside Doctor Chen, Chen Jichuan.

Speaking of Yang Qing—

He had once been an imposing figure of Langning Prefecture's martial underworld, as famous as Wave Rider Ruan Mu, the second-in-command of the eighteen bandit gangs of Taiqing Mountain.

One was said to be the fastest on land; the other was called unmatched in the water.

Yet their fortunes had been entirely different.

The latter had taken to the hills as a bandit. With his Wave-Wrapping Technique brought to a miraculous level, he was like a tiger given wings amid Taiqing Mountain's intricate network of waterways. No matter what sort of person came after him, they could never catch him.

Thus, he sat firmly in the second seat among the eighteen bandit gangs.

"Sink your breath and sit upon the water, a thousand breaths heavy; when facing foes, leap through the waves like a flood dragon."

That described this second-in-command.

Since Yang Qing was as famous as Ruan Mu, he naturally had not earned it for nothing. From childhood, he had cultivated the Land-Flying Technique. In one burst, he could travel a hundred li; when he moved, he was like lightning.

In his early years, Langning Prefecture's judicial vice commissioner had promoted him to chief constable.

Yang Qing performed his duties diligently.

Over ten years, he had captured dozens of major criminals, villains, and bandits who roamed rivers and lakes. His Land-Flying Technique and peerless archery made the martial underworld quake at the mere mention of his name. He had earned plenty of curses on the roads, where people called him "the court's hawk hound."

Yang Qing did not care in the least.

Many at the time were puzzled. They did not understand why a mere low-ranking chief constable could make a man like Yang Qing flock to the position.

Until last year—

News spread that Langning Prefecture's current judicial vice commissioner had recommended Yang Qing for the post of jailer of Langning Prefecture, overseeing the arrest, management, and control of prisoners throughout the prefecture.

It was a Principal Ninth Rank post.

Once it went through, Yang Qing would become a court official, a world apart from what he had been.

And with Yang Qing's achievements over the past ten years, along with recommendations from both the former and current judicial vice commissioners—

The jailer's position—

Was as good as his.

Thus, Yang Qing, who had just turned forty this year, was also somewhat high-spirited and satisfied with himself. He drank heavily and ate great mouthfuls of meat, chatting happily with Doctor Chen, who had risen to fame in Langning Prefecture last year.

"Doctor Chen's medical skill is superb, and everyone calls you divine. You're interested in the crude martial arts of rough men like us too?" Yang Qing slurred, finding it strange when Doctor Chen said he wanted to learn the Land-Flying Technique and Water-Splitting Technique from him.

"Medicine and martial arts are branches of the same tree."

"My medical skill has found it difficult to advance further, so I wish to study martial arts in hopes of making a breakthrough."

Chen Jichuan explained to Yang Qing. At the same time, he took two silver ingots from his robes and placed them before him.

Yang Qing took a glance.

His face immediately blossomed with delight.

Twenty taels of silver was no small sum. Besides, building a good relationship with a famous divine physician brought countless benefits. Yang Qing had no reason to refuse.

After eating and drinking their fill—

Chen Jichuan and Yang Qing left Drunken Immortal Tower.

The next day—

Chen Jichuan went to find Yang Qing and began cultivating the Land-Flying Technique and Water-Splitting Technique.

The former was a lightness skill.

It was a Cultivation Method specifically for training the human body to run and move swiftly.

"The Land-Flying Technique's method is clear; to master it requires eight years' toil. Once mastered, one walks like lightning, free to travel east, west, south, and north."

Like the Iron Bull Technique and Jade Belt Technique.

To cultivate this technique, one had to be steadfast and proceed step by step, never advancing too fiercely. One must neither overexert oneself nor slack off, but persevere through long-term practice before success could be achieved.

Chen Jichuan had endured six years in Black Prison. What he lacked least was perseverance.

He rose early every day.

He first practiced a set of the Iron Bull Technique.

Then he tied sandbags to his legs, put on a sand vest, and practiced running on the ground. Each leg bore a one-pound sandbag, while his sand vest contained two pounds of yellow sand.

The yellow sand had all been specially prepared by Yang Qing using a secret method.

It was exceedingly mysterious.

Yet Chen Jichuan understood the method at a glance.

It was simple enough when explained.

After stir-frying the sand in a wok until hot, one soaked it in vinegar overnight, took it out to dry, then filled the sandbags with it.

This way,

one could avoid toxic fumes wearing away the skin and causing it to fester.

He wore a total of four pounds of sandbags. Each time, he ran thirty li, twice a day. In the morning, he ran to the woods in the southern outskirts beyond the city; in the evening, he ran back to his residence in the city.

That made sixty li in total.

Once he reached the woods,

he practiced the Jade Belt Technique and the Water-Splitting Technique.

There was no need to say much about the former.

The latter was also Yang Qing's signature skill.

Though the Cultivation Method was called Water-Splitting, it had nothing to do with water. It merely borrowed water's artistic conception and trained the strength of both arms.

When first practicing it, one selected an open area and planted a row of thick bamboo, around a dozen or more stalks. Iron chains were fastened horizontally across the upper and lower ends, packing them tightly together without a gap, pressed close like a bamboo wall.

Chen Jichuan first clasped his palms together and thrust them with all his strength into the gap between the two central stalks.

Bamboo was tough and springy. Though packed together without gaps, it could still stretch apart under force. Once both arms were inserted, he forced them outward to either side. At first, he could only open a tiny crack.

He practiced every day.

As time passed, the tiny crack gradually widened until it was like a doorway, wide enough for a person to enter and leave.

Then more giant bamboo was planted on either side, increasing from a dozen or so stalks to several dozen. Once he could force them apart with ease, the technique was half complete.

For every additional stalk of bamboo planted, the added weight was at least a hundred pounds.

With thirty stalks, the strength in both arms would exceed a thousand pounds by far.

After that, one replaced the bamboo with a wall of fine sand, much like an earthen wall in the countryside. One inserted both arms and pushed the sand apart to either side. Only when the arms could open and close freely within the sand without making the sand scatter could one be said to have reached the pinnacle and completed the great technique.

Yang Qing's archery was superb; he could shoot through a willow leaf from a hundred paces away. What he relied on was nothing more than the thousand-pound strength in his arms.

Of course,

whether practicing the Land-Flying Technique or the Water-Splitting Technique, one had to take the pills prepared by Yang Qing, soak in medicinal baths, and apply medicinal wine.

Without those, if one practiced rashly, one would wear one's body down before even a few years had passed.

Chen Jichuan had understood the formulas for the pills, medicinal baths, and medicinal wine, but he did not care about spending a little silver and continued buying them from Yang Qing.

Thus,

Chen Jichuan trained bitterly every day.

Iron Bull Technique, Jade Belt Technique, Land-Flying Technique, Water-Splitting Technique.

His mastery of all four martial arts steadily deepened.

Time flew by.

The fourth year after entering the Great Yan World was also the second year after he learned the Land-Flying Technique.

Chen Jichuan went to the Ge Family Martial School and learned the Eagle Claw Technique and the Golden Blade Exchange Palm Technique.

He went to the Zhao Family Martial School and learned the Crouching Tiger Technique and the Iron Broom Technique.

He went to the Yang Family Martial School and learned the Golden Shovel Finger.

The ninth year after entering the Great Yan World.

The eighteen bandit gangs of Taiqing Mountain were destroyed. Yang Qing pursued them for a thousand li and captured Ruan Mu, the second leader of the Taiqing Bandit Gang, Wave Rider, alive. Chen Jichuan took the opportunity to learn the Wave-Wrapping Technique from Ruan Mu.

The fourteenth year.

The Land-Flying Technique was the first to reach great completion.

Though he still fell short of Yang Qing, he could move freely whether on rugged mountain paths or sheer cliff faces. His sandbags and sand vest had increased to sixty pounds. Wearing them on his body and binding them to his legs, he ran fifty li each time, twice a day, morning and evening, for a total of one hundred li daily.

He climbed and leaped as lightly as a nimble ape.

Once he removed the sand vest and sandbags, he moved like the wind and could be called Fleetfoot.

Afterward,

another two years passed.

The Iron Bull Technique and Jade Belt Technique reached great completion.

He could carry a thousand-pound stone drum in his arms and walk freely, no weaker than Iron Ox Lu Peng had once been. With immense strength in both arms, he could loop them together and hold fast as though embracing heaven and earth. From then on, Chen Jichuan cultivated the Jade Belt Technique to perfection, and it could be called the Heaven-and-Earth Ring.

The seventeenth year.

The Water-Splitting Technique reached great completion. He could push aside a thousand pounds; with a mere lift of his hand, it was like mountains racing and seas roaring, while once he laid hands on someone, few did not die on the spot. Practicing archery alongside it, he could also take a person's life from a hundred paces away, hitting the mark every time.

The twenty-sixth year.

Old Master Lu Peng of the Lu Family passed away peacefully at home from no illness, in the second year after celebrating his seventieth birthday. He was seventy years old.

That same year,

Chen Jichuan brought the Golden Shovel Finger and Iron Broom Technique to great completion.

"The Golden Shovel Finger Technique held wonders without end; cultivating yin and yang together gave it mighty power. Even the Iron Arhat, impervious to spear and blade, would fall before the shovel palm."

The Golden Shovel Finger, which had defeated Old Master Lu and nearly crippled all his skills, truly lived up to its reputation.

It trained a piercing force at the tips of the palm and fingers.

It was the ultimate counter to the Iron Bull Technique.

After bitter training for more than twenty spring and autumns, Chen Jichuan could press four joined fingers against an iron plate and leave a dent in it.

Not only that,

the Iron Broom Technique had also reached the realm of consummate mastery.

This technique specialized in training the legs.

Its full strength was concentrated in the legs, especially the lower legs. It trained both legs until they were solid and firm, to brush aside an enemy's weapon or sweep at the enemy. At consummate mastery, wherever one's legs struck, trees shook as though about to snap. When facing an enemy, one sweep of the leg would surely break bones and snap tendons, sending all in its path sprawling.

Both techniques reached great completion.

Chen Jichuan had attained mastery in both fists and kicks.

That year,

he was forty-four years old.

It should have been an age when his physical abilities gradually declined.

But because he spent only half of every year in the Great Yan World, although twenty-five years had passed there, they had left only twelve years and six months of marks upon Chen Jichuan.

His bone age was only thirty-one.

He was still at his peak.

It was also from that year onward that Chen Jichuan began challenging Lingnan's experts and exchanging martial skills with them.

After his medical arts, the fame of his fists and kicks also spread far and wide.

The sun rose and the moon set.

A white colt flashed past a crack in the wall.

In the blink of an eye,

Chen Jichuan had been in the Great Yan World for forty-one years.

That day.

Outside the Chen Residence in Langning City.

Lu Xiong, now past sixty with a head full of silver-white hair, brought along his forty-six-year-old only son Lu Zijian, as well as his three grandsons, Lu Bai, Lu Yu, and Lu Jing. Of them, the eldest, Lu Bai, and second eldest, Lu Yu, had both started families, married, and had children. This time, they had each brought their children along as well.

Six-year-old Lu Changshou stood beside his father, Lu Yu. Looking up curiously at the Chen Residence, he leaned close to his great-grandfather Lu Xiong and asked, "Great-Grandfather, does Chen of the Southern Dynasty live inside here?"

"Yes."

His face full of wrinkles, Lu Xiong lowered his head to look at his great-grandson, his eyes brimming with affection. Looking at his eldest great-grandson, he smiled and said, "Changshou, you came here once when you were two. Don't you remember?"

"Father."

"Changshou was only two then. What could he remember?"

Lu Zijian found his father's words both amusing and exasperating.

Bai, Yu, and Jing.

The three sons stood behind their father and grandfather, suppressing their smiles and not daring to interrupt.

Lu Xiong ignored his son and looked at his great-grandson.

Lu Changshou was not afraid of his great-grandfather, and he was at just the age when he hated to lose. Hearing his great-grandfather ask whether he remembered, he hurriedly replied, "Great-Grandfather, I remember. When I was in He Prefecture, I even told other people about it, but nobody believed me. They said Chen of the Southern Dynasty had fought across all twenty-eight prefectures of Lingnan without meeting a single rival, so he would never see a little child like me. This time, I want to ask Great-Grandfather Chen for a piece of calligraphy and tell everyone that I really have met Chen of the Southern Dynasty."

How could a two-year-old truly remember anything?

He had merely heard his parents mention it, imagined it in his mind, and left behind an impression, so he thought he truly remembered.

In truth, he could not remember the scene at all.

Yet Lu Changshou was certain that he did. His eyes shone as he raised two little fingers and added, "After this time, I'll have seen him twice."

"Haha."

"Good."

"Great-Grandfather will ask Great-Grandfather Chen for you too. He'll definitely write you a piece to take back."

Lu Xiong was amused by his great-grandson.

The old man and the little child kept chatting without pause.

Watching anxiously from the side, Lu Zijian urged, "Father, Uncle Chen is still in the residence. Don't keep him waiting too long."

"Then let's go in."

Lu Xiong was somewhat reluctant to stop.

But remembering that Chen Jichuan was waiting inside, he shot Lu Zijian a glare, then led his grandsons and great-grandsons into the residence.

"Old Master Lu."

"Master Lu."

The Chen and Lu families were close.

The gatekeeper of the Chen Residence knew Lu Xiong and Lu Zijian. There was no need to announce them, and he led the entire family inside. As they walked through the residence, Lu Zijian quietly lectured his sons and grandsons behind him, "Great-Grandfather Chen likes peace and quiet. When you see him later, none of you are to make a fuss!"

"Understood."

Bai, Yu, and Jing answered together. Lu Bai and Lu Yu then quietly cautioned their own sons as well.

In truth, they themselves were extremely nervous.

Though the names of the three brothers, Lu Bai, Lu Yu, and Lu Jing, had all been given by that Chen of the Southern Dynasty, and they had often seen him as children, they had scattered in recent years, each managing White Jade Capital in other provinces and prefectures, so they saw him much less often.

Moreover, this old troupe master's reputation had grown ever more resounding in recent years. He had challenged greenwood experts and renowned veteran boxing masters across Lingnan's twenty-eight prefectures, without suffering a single defeat.

He was honored as Lingnan's foremost greenwood expert.

Together with Scattering Flower Legs Tan Jinxuan in the north, he was known as Southern Chen and Northern Tan. Throughout the martial world of Great Yan, he possessed tremendous prestige. Under his command was White Jade Capital, a chain of entertainment houses spread throughout Lingnan. People said his wealth could rival a nation's, hence his title, Chen of the Southern Dynasty.

A figure like that—

who would not tremble upon meeting him?

Lu Bai and the other two were no exception.

They passed through halls and courtyards all the way to the inner residence.

Chen of the Southern Dynasty had never married in his life and lived alone. The great clans and wealthy households throughout Langning Prefecture had recommended themselves to him countless times, yet none had caught Chen of the Southern Dynasty's eye.

Seven or eight years ago, Lu Yu had followed his father to He Prefecture in the east to expand their market.

He had returned once four years ago.

It had also been a long time since he had seen this old troupe master Chen.

Upon entering the inner courtyard,

the first thing they saw was a dazzling array of training equipment.

There was bamboo planted by the walls, several rows of green bamboo linked by chains.

There were wooden stakes nailed into the ground in a disorderly arrangement.

There were stone drums.

Stone millstones.

Stone locks.

Iron plates.

And all kinds of sandbags.

It was enough to make one's eyes swim.

Yet the most eye-catching sight was a tall shed. From the crisscrossing beams overhead hung three tiers of razor-sharp blades, high, middle, and low, of varying heights and lengths.

Counting carefully,

there were eighteen blades in total.

There was a person within.

He struck and knocked them from front and back, left and right, with kicks, elbows, turns, and headbutts, setting the blades swinging endlessly back and forth. Within the array, his body flashed, twisted, shifted, and turned, moving south then north, springing and leaping, while all eighteen blades failed to touch him.

It was truly enough to make one's heart tremble.

Lu Bai, Lu Yu, and the others were already dumbfounded. With skills like these, no wonder he could fight his way through Lingnan's twenty-eight prefectures. If he could evade freely even amid a forest of blades, then with such ability of hand, eye, body, and foot, how could he possibly fail when fighting another person?

It was not only them.

Even young Lu Changshou and his younger brother watched with their minds reeling, nearly clapping and cheering.

It seemed that the person inside had noticed them entering.

He casually parried, struck, kicked, hooked, tapped, swept, picked, turned, rammed, collided, hooked, and swayed, dodging blade after blade—chilling and gleaming—then slipped free like a fish breaking the water.

He was a sturdy, powerfully built middle-aged man.

Tall and lean, he looked only about forty, even far younger than the forty-six-year-old Lu Zijian.

Lu Yu knew this man.

He was the old master of White Jade Capital, the famed "Chen of the Southern Dynasty" of Lingnan—

Chen Jichuan!

"You're all here."

"Sit."

Chen Jichuan stopped practicing the Golden Blade Exchange Palm Technique, walked out of the training shed, and gestured to Lu Xiong and Lu Zijian.

"Master."

"Uncle Chen."

Father and son sat down.

Chen Jichuan looked at Lu Bai and the other two, nodding. "Not bad. You've all grown up."

Lu Bai, Lu Yu, and Lu Jing hurriedly addressed him as "Old Master." Lu Yu said respectfully, "Old Master, you're exactly the same as you were four years ago. You haven't changed one bit."

The others nodded repeatedly at that.

Looking at Chen Jichuan, Lu Xiong could not help but feel envious.

Counting on his fingers—

He had known Chen Jichuan for forty-one years.

Back then, Chen Jichuan had come to Langning Prefecture and entered the Lu Family Martial Academy to study martial arts. He had looked fully thirty years old. Only after training and restoring his body to health did they learn that he had been merely eighteen at the time.

Even so, forty-one years had passed. He ought to have been nearly sixty by now.

An ordinary person would have long since shown the signs of age.

But look at this man.

Saying he was forty was already an exaggeration.

Even if he claimed to be in his thirties, no one would doubt him.

He could run and leap, carry a thousand-jin boulder in his arms without effort, and his movements just now had been nimbler than even the mountain apes.

There was none of the usual decline in blood and qi, none of the great loss of strength that ordinary martial artists suffered after fifty.

It was truly a strange and pressing mystery.

Lu Xiong could only attribute it to Chen Jichuan's miraculous medical skills.

"Martial arts strengthen the body."

"Old Master Lu built his martial academy into something of considerable renown. Now Lu Rong has inherited it. On your branch's side, when it came to Zijian, he still had the mind to muddle through for Old Master's sake and trained for two years. But by the time it came to Lu Bai and the others, they could not even be bothered to put on a show."

Chen Jichuan looked at Lu Xiong and shook his head again and again.

The Lu Family had passed down martial arts through the generations.

By Lu Xiong's branch, that tradition had thoroughly changed. Fortunately, Lu Rong had inherited Old Master Lu's mantle and ran the Lu Family Martial Academy with great success.

"As long as there's Lu Rong, that's enough."

Lu Xiong smiled.

He said to Chen Jichuan, "Training in martial arts is too bitter. If my father hadn't forced me back then, I wouldn't have wanted to train either. Following Master, I, Lu Xiong, have enjoyed wealth and prosperity all my life and accumulated quite a family fortune. If my descendants don't wish to endure such hardship, I understand. Let them do as they please."

As Lu Zijian, Lu Bai, and the others listened to the two "elders" speak, shame showed on their faces.

But if they were asked to practice martial arts, they certainly would not be willing.

There was no shortage of money at home.

They could simply hire skilled fighters to guard the household. There was no need to train themselves and fight others.

Once people grew wealthy and honored—

They began to cherish their lives and could no longer endure hardship.

"Great-Grandpa Chen, I-I-I want to learn martial arts."

Beside Lu Yu, his son Lu Changshou raised his little hand high, his voice crisp and clear.

"Changshou!"

Lu Yu and Lu Zijian's expressions changed.

Just as they were about to scold him—

Chen Jichuan waved a hand to stop them, then asked Lu Yu, "Is this your Changshou?"

"Yes, Old Master, this is Changshou."

"Changshou doesn't know any better—"

Panic showed on Lu Yu's face as he tried to explain.

Chen Jichuan smiled. "In my room are copies of the Essentials of Martial Arts that I compiled over recent years. They contain the martial insights and methods of practice and combat I have learned throughout my life, including your Lu Family's Iron Bull Technique and Jade Belt Technique. Take one with you later. When Changshou is older, if he still wishes to practice martial arts, you can have a martial instructor from your granduncle's branch teach him."

"Old Master—"

Lu Yu froze, unsure how he ought to respond.

His son Lu Changshou, however, was quick-witted. With delight all over his face, he stepped forward two paces and, in a tiny imitation of an adult, knelt before Chen Jichuan. In a clear voice, he said, "Thank you, Great-Grandpa Chen. Changshou will definitely become as formidable as Great-Grandpa in the future."

"Good."

"Then I'll be waiting."

Chen Jichuan could not help laughing. He had Lu Yu help the little fellow up, then turned to Lu Xiong. "If I weren't leaving Langning Prefecture in a few days, I could have guided this child for a while."

Hearing this, Lu Yu—

His heart jumped. He felt both pleasantly surprised and somewhat disappointed.

He was surprised that the old master liked his son Changshou so much.

He was disappointed because the old master's words clearly meant he had no intention of taking Changshou by his side.

The old master had never married in his life and had neither sons nor daughters.

If Changshou were to learn martial arts under him, it would be somewhat hard, but after the old master passed away one day, then—

At this thought—

Lu Yu's mind immediately began to stir.

Meanwhile—

"Master called us here for this?"

Lu Xiong was taken aback.

Over the years—

Chen Jichuan disappeared for six months every year. No one knew where he went, but Lu Xiong had long grown accustomed to it. There was no need to solemnly summon their entire family for it, was there?

"This time, I may be gone for rather longer."

Chen Jichuan paused, a faint change passing over his expression. But he did not elaborate, merely saying, "Everything at White Jade Capital will remain as before. Just manage it properly. Do not touch this residence. I'll dismiss all the servants, and from now on, have someone come clean it once a month."

"How long will Master be gone?"

Lu Xiong was stunned by what he heard.

Was this not merely his usual "routine disappearance"? Why did it sound like he was arranging his final affairs?

"I can't say."

Chen Jichuan looked at Lu Xiong.

This old companion was already sixty-six this year. They had met forty-one years ago. When Chen Jichuan returned from this trip, he likely would not see him again.

Chen Jichuan was a sentimental man.

After thinking for a moment—

He had someone bring writing paper, then with a wave of his hand wrote several hundred characters and handed it to Lu Xiong.

Lu Xiong took one look, his eyes widening. Shock and anger filled his face as he flung it onto the table and demanded, "What does Master mean by this?"

"It means nothing."

"Keep it."

"It'll save you a great deal of trouble."

Chen Jichuan did not care in the slightest.

Lu Yu secretly raised his head and glanced at the paper on the table. The vague contents he saw made his heart pound wildly. He could scarcely believe it, yet he dared not look further and quickly lowered his head.

"Master—"

Lu Xiong looked at Chen Jichuan, utterly bewildered.

"That's enough."

"In the next few days, I'll send letters to fellow practitioners in Lingnan and to officials I'm on good terms with. No one will trouble your Lu Family."

Seeing that Lu Xiong still wanted to speak, Chen Jichuan immediately said, "Put it away. Let's not speak of anything else. I've had the kitchen prepare plenty of dishes. Let's have a lively gathering today."

At one dinner banquet—

Some were melancholy, some were bewildered, and some beamed with joy.

Seven days later.

Name: Chen Jichuan [First]

Age: 59

Immortal Tier: None

Official Position: None

Level: 5

Talent: Creation

Techniques: Iron Bull Technique (Fifth Layer), Jade Belt Technique (Fifth Layer), Land-Flying Technique (Fifth Layer), Water-Splitting Technique (Fifth Layer), Golden Shovel Finger (Fifth Layer), Iron Broom Technique (Fifth Layer), Crouching Tiger Technique (Fourth Layer), Golden Blade Exchange Palm Technique (Fourth Layer), Eagle Claw Technique (Fourth Layer), Wave-Wrapping Technique (Fourth Layer)

Immortal Salary: 1

Origin Force: 14263

Forty-one years of bitter effort were all contained herein.

"It's time to go out."

Chen Jichuan took one final look, willed it, and returned to reality.

ps: Please vote and bookmark!

.