In the first year of Kaiyuan, your father, Jiang Yuan, founded a state and named it Jing. You, born that same year, were appointed Crown Prince. Yet villains abducted you, and only through the rescue of a master did you escape disaster. You received a survival reward—the immortal cultivation technique, the 'Dao Follows Nature Skill.'
In the second year of Kaiyuan, the master Taoist Priest Qingxu brought you to Dragon Arising Temple. You happened upon Eldest Senior Brother practicing martial arts and were nearly beaten to death. Fortunately, Second Senior Brother saved you, and you escaped disaster. You received a survival reward—the martial art, 'Shadow Leg.'
In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, an earthquake struck the capital, and Dragon Arising Temple collapsed. You were nearly crushed to death by a beam, but Eldest Senior Brother saved you, allowing you to escape disaster. You received a survival reward—the martial art, 'Nine Seeking Heavenly Dragon Steps.'
In the fifth year of Kaiyuan, a bitter cold descended from the heavens, and influenza ravaged the capital. You unfortunately fell ill, but Third Senior Sister gathered herbs and treated you, allowing you to escape disaster. You received a survival reward—the miscellaneous art, 'Spring and Autumn Medical Canon.'
In the sixth year of Kaiyuan, the founding general Cao Hupao rebelled and was suppressed. He hid in Dragon Arising Temple, where you encountered him. Cao Hupao attacked you, but your master saved you, allowing you to escape disaster. You received a survival reward—the magical artifact, 'Kirin Whisk.'
At dawn, the first ray of sunlight pierced the unbroken mountain ranges, driving away the darkness and shining upon the top floor of a pavilion. An ancient bronze bell hung suspended in midair, and beside it, a young Daoist stood blankly lost in thought.
He was none other than twelve-year-old Jiang Changsheng. Before ringing the bell every morning, he would review the experiences of the first half of his life to force himself to keep his spirits up.
A night of martial arts practice had left him sleepy. Fortunately, his duty was simple: ring the bell punctually every day to remind everyone in the temple that it was time to rise and recite Daoist scriptures. Since taking up this task at the age of six, he had encountered no further hardships, and his days had become leisurely. Still, with the cultivation technique, martial arts, and medical arts he had already obtained, his life would not become dull.
Jiang Changsheng's survival system came from his previous life. In that life, he had been a game developer. He had created a game whose selling point was: 'If you could live forever, how long could you survive in the Immortal Cultivation World?'
Players had infinite lifespans, but they could still be killed. Along the path of cultivation, they would encounter all manner of hardships and temptations. Jiang Changsheng had tried it himself and lived for more than ten thousand years at most. It had been quite challenging.
This game was not some simple choice-based game. It required actual control and exploration. Even if one hid in the same place forever, one might still encounter natural disasters. In short, life's blessings and misfortunes were impossible to predict.
Shortly after the game launched, it became popular. Jiang Changsheng grew so excited while checking the backend data that, after staying up late night after night, he suddenly died in front of his computer and was reborn into this life.
In this life, he did not dare guarantee that he could truly live forever. He would have to wait several decades to find out. Before then, he had to rely on survival rewards to become stronger—strong enough to face the calamities of life.
The Dao Follows Nature Skill was stuck at the second level, but he had already fully mastered Shadow Leg and Nine Seeking Heavenly Dragon Steps. The Spring and Autumn Medical Canon was broad and profound; he had only memorized its contents and had yet to put them into practice. As for the magical artifact, he had not yet cultivated spiritual power and could not use it. The treasure remained deep within his mind. Once he reached the fourth level of the Dao Follows Nature Skill and cultivated spiritual power, he would be able to wield it. At present, he possessed only True Qi within his body, but True Qi could make martial arts more powerful.
Sunlight spilled over him. Jiang Changsheng yawned, grasped the suspended wooden striker beside him with both hands, and began ringing the bell.
Dong—
The bell's chime echoed through the mountains, ancient and lingering, as though urging the years themselves onward. Against the green mountains and clear waters between heaven and earth, it revealed the pleasant serenity of peaceful days.
He rang it once, paused for the time of five breaths, then rang it ten times in succession before finally releasing his grip.
"Another day of slacking off has begun."
Humming a little tune, Jiang Changsheng started downstairs. He wore a gray-blue Daoist robe, its hem fluttering in the wind beneath the sunlight, giving him a uniquely immortal air.
The moment he came downstairs, a Daoist of fifteen or sixteen ran over. He stopped before Jiang Changsheng, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. He said urgently, "Junior Brother Changsheng, something terrible has happened... A guest died in the temple last night. Master has summoned you to the Hall of Bright Mind..."
Someone had died?
Jiang Changsheng frowned. He knew that court officials had recently come as guests, but he had not expected someone to die. Judging by this senior brother's manner, the deceased must have held no low status.
He was used to secretly practicing martial arts every night, and Dragon Arising Temple was not small. He truly had not noticed anything unusual last night.
He did not dwell on it and followed his senior brother toward the Hall of Bright Mind.
"Junior Brother Changsheng, you don't know this, but that top scholar is incredible. From the corpse alone, he calculated the time of death, the cause of death, and what the deceased had been doing before dying..."
"The deceased was an official from the Ministry of Personnel. I heard he held considerable power. To think someone dared assassinate an official in the capital—tch, tch, that's truly outrageous..."
Listening to his senior brother, Jiang Changsheng nearly rolled his eyes.
This was outrageous?
I was the Jing Dynasty's first Crown Prince, for fuck's sake, and I was even switched out. The most crucial part was that no one discovered it. That impostor was still sitting high upon the Crown Prince's seat, with his name known throughout the land.
Was that more outrageous than what happened to me?
Jiang Changsheng sighed inwardly.
This was another world resembling ancient China. Jiang Changsheng had been able to hear the sounds outside the womb, and the language spoken in this world was still Chinese. Learning that he had been born into the imperial family had thrilled him, especially since it was the beginning of a new dynasty. When his father told his Empress Dowager that he would appoint the child in her womb as Crown Prince, Jiang Changsheng had felt that his life was about to reach its peak.
His mother and father had been a devoted married couple. She had accompanied his father as he rose from humble beginnings, endured countless hardships, fought across the realm, and founded a new dynasty. In such circumstances, once he ascended the throne, he should have had a happy life.
Alas, heaven did not grant people their wishes. Those villains were despicable!
The past was already past. Jiang Changsheng no longer thought about it. The name Changsheng, meaning eternal life, was enough to reveal his current aspiration.
After the time it took to burn half an incense stick, Jiang Changsheng followed his senior brother to the front of the Hall of Bright Mind. The hall was not particularly large, but the courtyard was crowded with temple disciples. More than a hundred people had surrounded the place so tightly that not even water could pass through. Servants of the guests stood guard by the hall doors as well, numbering twenty or thirty.
When Jiang Changsheng arrived, the disciples all turned their gazes toward him. Though he kept a low profile in Dragon Arising Temple, his handsome appearance made him difficult to overlook.
"Junior Brother, go in. Master is looking for you."
A female disciple spoke. Dragon Arising Temple was not a traditional Daoist sect, but more like a martial arts school of the jianghu, with both men and women among its ranks.
Jiang Changsheng nodded and strolled into the hall.
At a glance, he saw the corpse lying on the floor beneath a white cloth. To the right stood Taoist Priest Qingxu and the three senior disciples. To the left were six guests staying at Dragon Arising Temple. At the very front stood a man dressed like a scholar—the top scholar Jiang Changsheng had heard about on the way here, Chen Li.
The moment he entered, Chen Li began assessing him.
Jiang Changsheng walked up to Taoist Priest Qingxu, bowed, and said, "Master."
Taoist Priest Qingxu was the man who had saved him as a child, and Jiang Changsheng had always respected him deeply. Taoist Priest Qingxu might have looked stern, but there were not many rules in the temple. Everyone in the temple was his disciple, and there was no distinction of seniority among them. They got along harmoniously.
Taoist Priest Qingxu held a whisk in his hand. His hair was white with age, and he possessed the bearing and bones of an immortal. He nodded slightly and said, "Changsheng, tell Benefactor Chen where you went last night."
Jiang Changsheng turned to Chen Li and said, "I practiced martial arts last night. The junior brothers who share my quarters and Master all know I have this habit."
How could he have concealed it for six years? Since beginning martial arts at age six, Taoist Priest Qingxu had caught him at the end of that year. Jiang Changsheng had merely said that he had figured it out on his own. In any case, his movements had been disjointed when he first started, so Taoist Priest Qingxu had not thought much of it and had even offered him a few pointers. Over the following years, Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Third Senior Sister had all gradually discovered it as well. However, none of them revealed it to the other disciples, allowing him to practice martial arts late at night.
In the eyes of the ordinary disciples, Jiang Changsheng was merely a low-profile fellow disciple.
In the eyes of the three senior disciples, he was a martial arts prodigy capable of creating his own martial arts at such a young age.
Eldest Senior Brother Li Changqing had created a style of boxing in his youth and now promoted it for the younger disciples to learn.
Chen Li asked, "May I ask where the young Daoist practiced martial arts?"
Jiang Changsheng replied, "Before the Dao Bell Tower. I'm used to going upstairs to ring the bell after finishing my practice, then slacking off during the day... listening to Daoist teachings."
He appeared perfectly natural, not nervous in the slightest. After all, he had not killed the man, and he did not even know the deceased.
A middle-aged man beside Chen Li spoke. "This humble observer sees that this young brother has delicate skin and tender flesh, his hands smooth and free of calluses. He does not look like a martial artist. What martial art does this young brother practice?"
His tone was aggressive, and it sounded rather grating to Jiang Changsheng.
Chen Li smiled. "Young Daoist, please do not take offense. We have been investigating for an hour already, and those beside me have all proven their innocence. They are ordinary people who know nothing of martial arts, so we can only search within your temple. Of course, we are not suspecting your temple. Perhaps a thief disguised himself as one of your disciples."
Disguise?
Jiang Changsheng had never left the capital since childhood, and after entering the temple, he had never even left Dragon Arising Temple. Thus, he did not know how advanced disguising techniques outside were.
He answered, "I practice internal cultivation."
Once disciples reached the age of six, they could choose their own names and learn Dragon Arising Temple's internal cultivation method. Jiang Changsheng only pretended to learn it; what he truly cultivated was the immortal technique, the Dao Follows Nature Skill.
If he could cultivate immortality, why would he cultivate martial arts?
He claimed it was internal cultivation because his martial arts were all leg and foot techniques. What if the deceased had died from such a martial art, and he accidentally stumbled into suspicion?
Chen Li fixed his bright gaze on him and asked, "It is said that Dragon Arising Temple's True Heart Sutra stands unrivaled in the martial world. When His Majesty the Emperor's dragon might was still weak, Taoist Priest Qingxu relied on the True Heart Sutra to stand alone against all comers and save His Majesty in a time of danger. Once the True Heart Sutra is activated, one's eyes become abnormally bright, like pearls in the night. Since the young Daoist has practiced for years, you should have already made a start. Could you demonstrate it?"
Second Senior Brother Meng Qiuhe smiled. "My junior brother possesses extraordinary talent. Naturally, he has already made a start in internal cultivation—perhaps he has even achieved minor mastery. Changsheng, show them."
Jiang Changsheng felt awkward.
He had not practiced the True Heart Sutra at all. Taoist Priest Qingxu never checked on the disciples' cultivation progress anyway.
The True Heart Sutra even had visual effects?
How did I not know that?
Jiang Changsheng began racking his brains.
Hearing Meng Qiuhe's words, the disciples outside the hall began discussing it among themselves. To receive praise from Second Senior Brother, could Jiang Changsheng truly be a martial arts prodigy?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Jiang Changsheng could only confess. "My apologies, but I do not practice the True Heart Sutra. I enjoy creating my own martial arts, and my internal cultivation is still being explored. As for martial arts..."
Chen Li interrupted him. "You happen to practice leg techniques, correct?"
Jiang Changsheng froze and looked at Chen Li in surprise.
Chen Li bent down and lifted the white cloth. The deceased was a young, strong man, with a jade thumb ring on his finger. This showed that it was not a robbery for wealth, but a murder born of vengeance.
Chen Li pulled open the man's robes over his chest. His breastbone had caved in, and the injury was rather long, as though someone had stomped on him with tremendous force.
Could it really be this much of a coincidence?
Jiang Changsheng finally realized that he was in trouble. Six peaceful years had passed, yet misfortune had still come.
The deceased was connected to an official. Once Jiang Changsheng was taken away, Taoist Priest Qingxu would not be able to protect him. That would be serious trouble.
When Taoist Priest Qingxu had saved him, those villains had seen Taoist Priest Qingxu's appearance. That meant those people knew where he had taken shelter.
During the time Jiang Changsheng had been abducted by the villains, he had also heard of their identities. There were both civil and military ministers among them, and they even involved founding meritorious officials of the dynasty. This was a world-shaking conspiracy with waters deeper than the sea. They were surely waiting for Jiang Changsheng to leave the temple.
Because Taoist Priest Qingxu had saved Emperor Jiang Yuan in the past, the Emperor remembered his kindness and rewarded him. Thus, Dragon Arising Temple was the capital's only martial arts sect. The authorities were not permitted to investigate it freely, nor were troops allowed to enter.
"Young Daoist, why have you stopped speaking? Could it be that you are the killer?" Chen Li stared intently at Jiang Changsheng and asked.
New book release! Investment is welcome. Updates will continue once the contract status changes~~ As always, this book will be satisfying and will not torment its protagonist~~
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