The Path to Immortality: Starting with an Analysis of Basic Concepts

Chapter 85 Killing Corrupt Officials and Forging Bones (Please Subscribe)

"A mere county magistrate! How dare he incite the suppression of bandits!"

"Charge into Dangyang County and slaughter the corrupt official!"

"Kill the corrupt official! Storm into the county town!"

6

When the strategist Wu Yong said that the newly arrived magistrate of Dangyang County, Zhang Jia, was uniting with several surrounding counties to prepare for the suppression of bandits, the group of leaders, big and small, were immediately agitated and began to shout.

If Zhu Yu were here, he would be able to see it.

These people showed no fear or anger, but rather excitement, as if Zhang Jia, the magistrate of Dangyang County, was not going to suppress bandits, but to bring them a large amount of money and supplies.

Even the second-in-command, "Skull-crusher" Meng Qi, and the third-in-command, "Bone-eating Indigestion" Madam Shi, who were sitting at the lower end of the table, showed slight changes in their expressions upon hearing this.

The head of the table.

Lu Changming took in all of this, glanced at Wu Yong who stood calmly to the side, and sighed inwardly, "This is troublesome—"

He knew perfectly well what his subordinates were thinking.

To storm into Dangyang County and kill the current magistrate, Zhang Jia, would bring both fame and fortune!

With fame comes power; with profit comes fine clothes, luxury cars, and expensive items.

But what follows is the backlash caused by killing an official.

The imperial court might send troops to suppress the bandits, and chivalrous heroes might gather a group of warriors to fight against Yunshan Village.

If it were only these things, Lu Changming wouldn't feel a headache. He was confident that with the natural defenses of Yunshan and his many brothers, even if the army stationed in Qingzhou attacked, they would never be able to take Yunshan Village.

His reputation for "righteousness" still holds some prestige among chivalrous heroes.

What troubled him was...

News from the seventh brother, "Jade-Faced Gentleman".

Na Zhangjia was born into the powerful and influential Zhang family of Qingzhou. His family had been established for a thousand years since the time of the Thunder, Fire and Flood disasters, and had a profound foundation and extensive connections throughout the Great Yu Dynasty.

If Zhangjia is killed.

He couldn't have predicted the consequences.

Seemingly sensing Lu Changming's dilemma, Wu Yong, with a strange look in his eyes, lowered his head slightly and transmitted his voice through his blood and qi, saying, "Chief, everyone knows your righteous name, but our Yunshan Village has been quiet for a long time, and our brothers' reputations are hard to spread. If we don't make some noise soon, people's hearts will fall apart."

Question.

Lu Changming frowned, looked around at the eager eyes, and sighed helplessly, "Swords and spears have no eyes, why bother—"

"We are not afraid of death—"

The crowd shouted in unison.

"good!"

If that's the case, then if we reject it again, just as Wu Yong said, people's hearts will be scattered, and without brothers to support him, what kind of "loyalty" is that?

For my brothers, for myself.

Lu Changming had no choice but to agree.

"Break through Dangyang County and capture and kill the corrupt official!"

"kill!"

The crowd's faces contorted with bloodlust, and they roared in unison.

Having received the promise, the numerous leaders, both big and small, eagerly left the Hall of Gathering, gathered their subordinates, and shared the good news.

In a very short moment.

The news spread throughout Yunshan Village.

The craft workshops, tool workshops, and medicine shops were all bustling with activity, repairing swords and armor, rushing to make arrows, and tanning wound medicine.

Gathering Hall.

Having made the decision, Lu Changming began to make arrangements. He looked at Wu Yong and instructed, "Send a message to my sworn brother, telling him to keep an eye out for how many counties Zhang Jia has allied with, how many soldiers he has recruited, and whether any heroes are coming to his aid—"

"Yes."

Wu Yong bowed and accepted.

Lu Changming pondered for a moment, then looked at Meng Qi and instructed, "Brother Meng, make a trip to Baishuijian and invite the Sun brothers to discuss important matters."

"Yes, Boss."

Meng Qi stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and accepted.

Lu Changming nodded slightly, looked at Madam Shi, and said, "Sister, you are on good terms with Madam Zheng and her husband, so you can go to the Three Gorges Mountain."

"Yes."

Lady Shi clasped her hands in agreement.

After saying this, Lu Changming slowly stood up and said with a smile, "It just so happens that my sixth brother has not yet left Qingzhou Prefecture. He is naturally fond of excitement, so I asked him to come and lend a hand."

Question.

Wu Yong and Meng Qi's faces twitched, and even the expressionless Lady Shi's eyelids trembled.

They left the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.

Just as Wu Yong was about to leave, Meng Qi hurried a few steps forward, approached him, and transmitted his voice, "Brother Wu, has the matter we asked you to inquire about been settled?"

'

After a pause, with a pained expression, he took out a gold ingot and stuffed it into his hand.

"We'll repay you handsomely once we get that thing."

Wu Yong sensed the rich human aura contained within the crimson gold, a smile appearing in his eyes. After a moment's thought, he replied, "The Qiu family of Dangyang County, their ancestors were once the inheritors of the Shattered Gold Hammer, ranked ninety-seventh in the Hundred Weapons Ranking." He paused, then shook his head and said, "As for whether the Shattered Gold Hammer still exists, that is unknown."

"Dangyang County, Qiu Family."

Meng Qi's eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, brother." With that, he hurried away.

Wu Yong took out the red gold and weighed it in his hand. Strands of divine light, almost invisible to the naked eye, surged into his body. Above his head, emerald green divine words manifested, shimmering and becoming even more dazzling.

A short while later.

The gold is still the same gold, but it has lost the weight and depth that comes with the passage of time.

"A drop in the ocean—"

Feeling the insatiable chasm of divine words, Wu Yong sighed softly. The brothers in the stronghold could not bear it, and so could he.

If you don't make a name for yourself.

It's likely that even in another ten years, he will still find it difficult to condense the Dao Fruit.

"The chief is too hesitant and indecisive; he is not a wise ruler—"

Wu Yong's eyes flickered as he glanced back at the words "Gathering of Righteousness," then turned and left, his "Hidden Needle in Cotton" expression growing even more profound.

A wooden house in a corner of the valley.

Zhu Yu lay on all fours, his bare skin flushed a pale red, his protruding spine undulating like a serpent, and the faint sound of rushing river water emanating from his body.

until a certain moment.

Click—.

Zhu Yu's spine suddenly straightened, accompanied by a cracking sound. The color of his skin visibly faded, and his aura instantly increased several times over, making him look like a real tiger beast, ferocious and terrifying.

A short while later.

"call--"

Zhu Yu exhaled a breath of dark red mixed air, stood up, felt the surging blood and qi flowing through his body, stretched his muscles and bones, and gazed at himself with a serene gaze.

[Realm: Cultivating a Divine Seed: Skin: 99%, Flesh: 99%, Tendons: 99%, Bones: 1%]

"Bone Forging—"

Zhu Yu pondered for a moment, recalling the bone-forging methods recorded in front of the Hall of Merit, which consisted of three types: nourishing, refining, and crushing.

The "Crouching Tiger Skill" is used to transport qi and blood to temper the bones, and bone-strengthening medicine is used to nourish the bones. External force is used to break the bones, and the qi, blood and medicinal power are refined into the bone marrow, tempering the bones from the inside out.

The former is the slowest, but it is stable; the middle is moderate, but it costs a lot of money; the latter is the fastest, but it is too aggressive and can easily leave hidden damage.

"With the Eye of True Sight constantly monitoring, the Bone-Crushing Technique is the most suitable for me—"

Zhu Yu thought for a moment, then frowned slightly.

Bone-strengthening medicine is manageable, as the "Eye of True Vision" can analyze and prepare it; the real challenge lies in how to break down bones.

Bone-breaking doesn't actually break or shatter the bone; rather, it creates tiny cracks in the bone structure. These cracks can't be too large or too small. If they're too large, they can leave hidden injuries; if they're too small, the absorption of qi, blood, and medicinal power will be too weak.

"Bone shattering—"

Just as he was thinking, a shout from outside made Zhu Yu's mind wander.

Every evening.

After eating and drinking their fill, the bandits of Yunshan Village would gather at the training ground to vent their excess energy.

There are martial arts techniques, including those involving swords, spears, and halberds.

There were also those who honed their fighting skills against each other.

"Perhaps it's possible—"

Zhu Yu's eyes brightened slightly, and he made up his mind that once he had prepared the bone-strengthening ointment, he would go to the martial arts arena.

Afterwards, he stewed the two pheasants and one rabbit he had hunted that morning. After eating and drinking his fill, he used the "Crouching Tiger Kung Fu" to digest his flesh and blood and to circulate his qi and blood to temper his bones.

Time flows like water.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

This day.

The training ground was brightly lit by braziers surrounding it.

One by one, strong men either lifted stones to hone their strength, practiced swords, spears, and clubs, or engaged in sparring matches in pairs. Some were unarmed, while others were armed, their shouts shaking the heavens and the sounds of banging weapons echoing through the air.

A dimly lit corner.

A slender figure with a slightly hunched back emerged from the darkness, squatted down to watch for a while, stood up, and walked straight towards a certain spot in the center of the field.

Approaching a burly man, eight feet tall with bulging muscles, who had just finished sparring with someone, he clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Brother Lu, please do not hesitate to give me your guidance."

"Um?"

The burly man surnamed Lu sized him up, his brow furrowing for a moment at his clothes and appearance. "A handyman?" Seeing Zhu Yu nod, a sinister smile appeared on his lips. "Teach me something? Very well, very well—"

As he spoke, his right leg suddenly rose, a strong wind howled, and he kicked fiercely at Zhu Yu's right arm.

Zhu Yu seemed to be stunned, and without even trying to dodge, with a "bang," his body flew out like a cotton ball and crashed into the dim light.

"Ha, even a menial servant wants to practice martial arts—"

The burly man surnamed Lu chuckled, glanced around, and strode toward a battle group.

the other side.

"Hiss—perfect, just right—"

Zhu Yu looked at his somewhat purplish-black arm, feeling the blood and qi flowing and slowly seeping into the cracks in his bones. Suddenly, a wave of intense pain surged through him, making him gasp involuntarily.

The talent of "enduring hardship" comes into play.

A few breaths later, the pain was still intense, but it seemed as if he had been through it for a long time and had gotten used to it, so it didn't hurt as much anymore.

"Endure hardship to rise above others"

Zhu Yu's eyes were firm. He looked around and chose another bandit with a violent temper before walking over.

After a while.

boom--

A slender figure flew backward and plunged into the darkness.

Not long after, a figure with a sorrowful face and a hunched back, resembling an old man, walked into the training ground again.

bang-bang-bang-

Time passed slowly.

With the bright moon hanging high in the still night sky, the fires in the braziers gradually died down, and the bandits, having vented their frustrations, left arm in arm, satisfied.

And it was not far from the training ground.

In the darkness, a thin figure walked with a limp along a deserted path, never stopping, and soon arrived at a wooden house in the corner of the valley.

Step back through the door and enter.

"call--"

Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and, without hesitation, quickly removed her clothes, revealing her exposed skin marked with various marks—some were fist prints, some palm prints, and some were dark purple horizontal lines.

As his blood and qi circulated throughout his body, he felt the fine cracks appearing in every bone throughout his body and nodded in satisfaction.

He walked to the stove and lifted the pot lid.

A layer of black, crystalline paste adhered to the inside of the pot.

It is a tiger bone paste made from a tiger he hunted for five days deep in the mountains, along with a variety of herbs.

"It's a pity it's just an ordinary tiger beast; its medicinal effect is only 30% of that of the tiger bone ointment prepared by the pharmacy. However, as long as there's a large quantity, it'll be enough—"

Zhu Yu thought for a moment, then took a piece of ointment and carefully applied it all over his body, making sure there was no blind spot. He then used the "Crouching Tiger Exercise" to circulate his qi and blood.

next moment.

He felt as if he were in a steamer, with wisps of heat seeping into his body through his pores. He dared not delay and hurriedly circulated his qi and blood, carrying the medicinal power, to fill the gaps between his bones.

An hour later.

"call--"

Zhu Yu exhaled a long breath, opened his eyes, stood up, and his qi and blood circulated, causing the tiger bone plaster that had formed on his body to fall off.

His gaze was fixed on himself.

[Bone strengthening "9%"]

"His progress in the Bone-Shattering Technique is indeed incredibly rapid—"

Zhu Yu was overjoyed. He had increased his strength by 8% in just one cultivation session. Although the bone gaps had healed, some medicinal power remained undigested. He estimated that he could increase his strength even more after refining it.

"Almost there, almost there—"

Zhu Yu glanced at the innate skill, closed his eyes, and focused on digesting the medicinal power accumulated in his bone marrow.

that's it.

During the day, he diligently performed his "street cleaning" duties. Every three days, after resting and recuperating, he would go to the training ground in the dark, then return to his wooden hut with a limp and a lump, where he would apply tiger bone ointment and quietly train his bones.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

This day.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

Three sharp, urgent tolls of the bronze bell echoed throughout the mountain village.

In front of a courtyard.

Zhu Yu, who was sweeping up fallen leaves, paused, looked up, revealing a face that was almost skin and bones. His lifeless eyes gazed at the center of the valley, at the bandits in armor, swords in hand, gathering towards the training ground. He murmured, "Has it begun—?"

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