The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Long Aotian slowly woke up and found himself locked in a small dark room. All his clothes were gone, not even his underwear, and he was tied to a large iron pillar.

Instinctively, Long Aotian struggled, but excruciating pain shot through his wrists and ankles.

"Don't struggle. Your handcuffs and leg irons are specially made with barbs inside. The harder you struggle, the deeper the barbs will penetrate."

Wang Gang slowly emerged from the shadows.

When Long Aotian saw Wang Gang, he was so frightened that he started to stutter.

"Fellow villager, that joke of yours went a bit too far!"

Wang Gang smiled coldly and took out the teacup from before.

You poisoned the teacup!

Long Aotian swallowed hard and shouted, "Injustice! How could there be poison in the tea?"

Wang Gang gave a soft hum and then placed the teacup to Long Aotian's lips.

"If it's not poisonous, then drink this water."

"No." Long Aotian pursed his lips tightly, seemingly refusing to touch the teacup.

Wang Gang grabbed Long Aotian's chin and forced water down his throat.

"Ugh, ptooey, cough cough! Ugh!" Long Aotian gagged painfully, his facial features contorted.

"Give me the antidote! Give me the antidote now! It's in my old coat!" Long Aotian shouted at Wang Gang.

Wang Gang threw down his teacup and said coldly, "So you're admitting to poisoning me now?"

Long Aotian cried out, "Give me the antidote! I don't want to die!"

Wang Gang sneered, "Why do you want to kill me? Is it just because of He Wenyuan?"

Long Aotian cried, "Why should I care about He Wenyuan? I'm killing you because you're a transmigrator. I can't sleep or eat in peace until you're dead!"

Wang Gang said, "Now it's much better, they're finally willing to tell the truth."

Long Aotian was taken aback, only then realizing that he showed no signs of poisoning.

"Don't worry! If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it three months ago." Wang Gang moved a chair over and sat down in front of Long Aotian.

"You...you knew about me all along?" Long Aotian asked in surprise.

Wang Gang, with his legs crossed, said, "It was in this room that I tortured He Wenyuan for an hour, and she confessed everything she knew, including you, her boss!"

Long Aotian's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "You really killed He Wenyuan!"

Wang Gang said coldly, "He Wenyuan tried to harm my family and crossed my bottom line. Of course, he has to die. You will soon be joining her."

Long Aotian trembled and said fearfully, "Fellow villager, we don't have any irreconcilable feuds, do we? How much money do you want to spare my life!"

Wang Gang laughed and said, "Do you think I'd be short of money?"

Long Aotian said fearfully, "Don't be so smug. I dared to come to see you alone because I was prepared. Your wife and children have already been kidnapped by my men!"

Wang Gang scoffed, "You mean those two guys from Jiangxi? They're right next door to you!"

"What!?" Long Aotian exclaimed in surprise, "You arrested them too."

Wang Gang scoffed, "Ever since what happened with He Wenyuan, how could I not take protective measures for my family? I already knew the day you and your brother were following my family."

Long Aotian felt a chill in his heart and deeply regretted that if he had known Wang Gang was so difficult to deal with, he would not have risked killing him.

Unfortunately, there's no going back!

Wang Gang stared at Long Aotian and said leisurely, "Let me guess, are you afraid that there is a second transmigrator, afraid that someone is as special as you, afraid that someone will steal your opportunities, afraid that you will no longer be able to control the direction of the world!"
So you have no choice but to kill me!

Long Aotian lowered his head dejectedly and said, "Since you've already guessed it, I admit defeat. The victor is king, the loser is villain. Can you please give me a quick death for the sake of us being from the same hometown?"

Wang Gang said happily, "When did I ever say I wanted to kill you!"

Long Aotian suddenly asked with a hopeful expression, "You're not going to kill me?" Wang Gang nodded and said, "If I wanted to kill you, why would I wait until now?"

Long Aotian asked excitedly, "What exactly do you want to do?"

Wang Gang said casually, "I need you to help me get rid of this!"

Long Aotian asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Wang Gang said, "As I said before, I want to be free. I've had enough of the endless cycle of reincarnation. Immortality that I can't control is torture!"

Long Aotian asked, puzzled, "What does this have to do with me?"

Wang Gang pointed to his head and said, "I have a fishhook here, and it's the culprit that's causing me to keep getting reincarnated."

Long Aotian looked puzzled.

"Many years ago, I made a deal with the culprit: I would help him obtain enough world fortune, and in return, he would give me my freedom!"

"However, Fishhook has one condition: someone must replace me!" Wang Gang said, "and you are the replacement I've found!"

"Huh?!" Long Aotian exclaimed in bewilderment, "You want to give me the ability to reincarnate and live forever!"

Wang Gang said happily, "Yes, would you like to live forever? The price is to help the fishhook catch the fortune of various worlds."

Long Aotian asked with deep suspicion, "You would let me off so easily?"

Wang Gang smiled wryly and said, "If I could choose someone else, I wouldn't have searched for so long. Not everyone can withstand the fishhook. Only transmigrators like us can withstand the blessings bestowed upon us by various worlds!"

Long Aotian looked at Wang Gang as if he were a fool.

"Are you crazy? You don't even want the power of immortality?"

"No, I'm not crazy. I've traveled through cultivation worlds, and I have plenty of ways to achieve immortality. But because of that fishhook, I can only reincarnate each time to help him absorb the fortune of various worlds. I've had enough of this kind of life."

"Now I'll be free as long as you willingly accept the fishhook."

Wang Gang took out a piece of parchment, a devilish smile on his face, and said, "As long as you sign this contract, you can gain the ability to reincarnate and live forever. You can travel to different worlds, enjoy life, be an emperor, or an immortal. You can get everything you want!"

Long Aotian narrowed his eyes and asked, "Besides gaining freedom, what other benefits do you get?"

Wang Gang was taken aback and said, "Where did I give myself away?"

Long Aotian scoffed, "Because I don't believe you'd let me off so easily."

Wang Gang sighed, "As expected, time travelers are not easy to fool!"

Long Aotian asked, "What exactly is your purpose?"

Wang Gang said, "I made an agreement with the fishhook. After I transfer the contract to you, I will gain my freedom. I will no longer be the bait, but the one holding the rod!"

"You're using me as bait!" Long Aotian exclaimed in horror.

Wang Gang didn't give him a chance at all, directly prying open his thumb and pressing his handprint onto the contract.

"Even though it's not your choice, and it's a bit of a hassle, it's okay!"

The next moment, the contract ignited automatically, turning into a wisp of green smoke that entered Long Aotian's brow.

Immediately afterwards, a fishhook-like phantom appeared between Wang Gang's eyebrows, pierced Long Aotian's forehead, and then he stopped breathing.

Wang Gang knew that the fishhook had carried Long Aotian's soul into reincarnation, into the next mission world. The contract they had just signed would erase all of Long Aotian's memories, just like when Wang Gang had signed the contract.

After losing his fishing hook, Wang Gang gained his freedom, and all his memories returned!
The next moment, he appeared in a courtyard house, and his body returned to its original form.

He Yushui, Zheng Juan, Yang Maixiang, and all the women he had been entangled with appeared in the courtyard!
"Honey, where is this place?" He Yushui asked Wang Gang, looking at him blankly.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything!" Wang Gang said with a smile.

(The End) (End of Chapter)