Immortality begins with exchanging talent attributes.

The last glimmer of light in Qingmang Mountain was completely swallowed up by darkness.

Zhou Yan stood there, staring blankly at the lowered heads of the black-clad guards before him.

died.

How did he die?

After a moment, Zhou Yan slowly withdrew his hand, which was halfway outstretched, his throat feeling a little dry.

He just wanted to go into the mountains to hunt and earn some money.

Why are there so many things going on?

First, he was inexplicably targeted and ambushed.

Then he encountered a giant tiger, comparable in size to a truck in his previous life.

Having barely escaped with his life, the Black-Clad Guards died right before his eyes.

They even asked him to deliver some secret letter, and he didn't even know the recipient's name.

Looking at the corpse in front of him, Zhou Yan's expression changed several times.

He really didn't want to get involved in this damn thing.

Besides, even the Black-Clad Guards are dead. With his thin arms and legs, what can he do to help?

If, by some accident, the group that was chasing the Black-Clad Guards finds out that he was involved, will he still be alive?

But the other person's last words felt like a thorn piercing his heart.

The safety of everyone in Qingzhou City?

To be honest, he still had some doubts about that statement. After all, what could possibly affect a city with nearly ten thousand people? There weren't any rebel groups or insurgents nearby...

The next instant, a familiar word suddenly appeared in his mind.

The Wusheng Sect!

"Damn it! No way?"

Zhou Yan gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

I was reminded again of the rumors about the Wusheng Sect.

Wherever the cult of life and death appears, it will bring devastation to the land!

If this matter is truly related to the Wusheng Sect, then what this black-clad guard said might not actually be a lie.

Thinking of the Zhu Asan family who had cared for him so much, he then thought about himself.

  

"Damn it! What bad luck!"

Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yan took two steps forward, squatted down, and began to grope Chen Lie's chest.

Soon, he found a folded piece of paper and a money pouch in the lining of the other person's clothes.

After thinking about it, he couldn't resist and opened the paper.

He needed to know the current situation. Whether it was to escape with Zhu Asan's family in advance or to make some preparations, he had to make plans as soon as possible.

But when Zhou Yan opened the paper, he was stunned. There was nothing on it, just a blank sheet of paper.

"So, you're pulling this stunt, aren't you?"

It definitely couldn't be an ordinary blank sheet of paper, otherwise why would he have been sent to deliver it? It probably requires some special method for the text to appear.

Alright, I won't look at it any longer, and I fold the paper back.

Zhou Yan casually opened the money pouch and glanced at it, then his eyes widened in surprise.

A few pieces of silver and a gold leaf were quietly placed inside.

The gold leaf wasn't big, but it was worth at least ten taels of silver!

"Consider this your payment for delivering the message."

He muttered something softly to the corpse.

Having received the money, Zhou Yan felt a little better. He carefully put the money pouch and the secret letter into his pocket, making sure they wouldn't fall out.

He then used one hand to roughly place the body of the Black-Clad Guard into the grass beside him, and found a few slightly larger stones and branches to simply cover it up.

That's all he can do.

I took one last look at the spot where the body was hidden.

Zhou Yan picked up the Xuan Yiwei's single-edged sword, examined it for a moment, and noticed a small character "Chen" engraved on the hilt.

After a moment's thought, he took the knife, focused on keeping his breath down, and walked towards the entrance of the mountain path.

……

The wounds on my shoulder and back caused me sharp pain from time to time.

Zhou Yan searched for a long time in the mountains before finally finding the familiar path.

By the time he stumbled back to the village along the mountain path, it was already completely dark.

Zhou Yan, panting heavily, used his knife to prop himself up on the ground and, by the dim moonlight, managed to make out his direction.

Just as he was about to take a step, a clear voice rang out, making him tense up.

"It's you, sir."

Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a young girl leading a thin horse, gradually approaching.

It was the same girl who sold him the medicine a few days ago. Zhou Yan's expression softened slightly, and he spoke:

"It's you, you're here..."

The approaching girl suddenly smelled a familiar scent and then keenly noticed the injury on Zhou Yan's back.

"How did you get so badly injured?"

Before Zhou Yan could finish speaking, she hurriedly took a few things off the horse and trotted over to say something.

Zhou Yan wanted to dodge, but his exhaustion made him react slowly.

"Bear with it, I'll take a look at it for you."

A sharp pain suddenly struck, and Zhou Yan froze in his dodging motion, unable to utter a word.

It's unclear how the girl treated it, but in just a short while, the pain from the wound was greatly reduced.

"What hurt you? It looks like a cat's claw. Could it be a tiger? Luckily, no bones are broken."

The girl's hands kept moving, and she kept asking questions.

However, Zhou Yan felt a slight sense of relief when he heard that no bones were broken.

It's mostly because of the "copper skin and iron bones". If it were any other martial artist, and they were grazed by such a behemoth, they probably would have broken countless bones.

"Thank...thank you, I guess you could call it a tiger. How much does the treatment cost? I'll pay you."

Zhou Yan's face was somewhat pale, but he managed a weak smile as he spoke.

"It's just a superficial injury, don't worry about it. Just buy more medicinal herbs from me next time you come."

Seemingly sensing his reluctance to elaborate, the girl didn't press further, offering a casual smile as she spoke.

Looking into the bright, star-like eyes before him, Zhou Yan, enduring the pain in his shoulder, clasped his hands together and said earnestly:

"Thank you for healing my wounds, young lady."

After saying this, he drew his single-edged sword and walked out of the village.

"Where are you going? In your condition, you should rest at the inn in the village for the night before you leave."

The girl tried to persuade her.

"I have urgent business and must return to the city immediately!"

Zhou Yan's tone was firm.

He had to deliver the secret letter to Commander Lu as quickly as possible before the two pursuers could react.

Otherwise, if the other party gets into the city first, I will be in danger.

"But the city gates will close in a few quarters of an hour. Will you be able to get back in time?"

"Oh, isn't the city gate not closed until the second watch of the night?"

"Didn't you know? There have been too many refugees lately, so the government has changed the time to close the city gates at the first watch of the night."

The girl pondered for a moment, her gaze lingering briefly on the blade in Zhou Yan's hand, before she said:

"I'll lend you my horse. You can ride it back and make it in time."

"But I can't ride a horse."

Zhou Yan was a little embarrassed and said shyly:

"Hahaha...then I'll take you on horseback."

A silvery laugh rang out, and the girl's star-like eyes were full of eager anticipation.

"Wouldn't this be inappropriate? Also, I don't know your name yet."

Seeing the girl nimbly mount her horse and extend a slender hand to him, he still hesitated.

"My name is Mo Qingyan. Come on up. Didn't you say you had something urgent to do? If you delay any longer, the city gates will close."

"Thank you very much, Miss Mo. I, Zhou Yan, will remember your kindness today."

Grasping the small hand offered by the other person, it was icy cold to the touch, with delicate and soft skin; this hand did not seem like that of a village girl.

Without time to think, Zhou Yan, having mounted the horse, held a knife in one hand and placed the other hand in front of his chest, squeezing the horse's belly tightly with his legs.

"Hold on tight, let's go!"

The next moment, caught off guard, Zhou Yan subconsciously wrapped his arms around the other's slender waist.

"This, Miss Mo, I didn't mean it."

Mo Qingyan shook her head slightly, her cheeks flushed slightly as she turned away from Zhou Yan, and her lips pursed.

This was the first time in her life that she had been so close to a man other than her grandfather.

This gave her a strange feeling.

……

They sped along at breakneck speed.

Although the horses were thin, they were fast, and in less than a quarter of an hour, the city gate was in sight.

The guards on the city wall were shouting as if they were about to close the city gate.

Zhou Yan quickly dismounted and bowed to Mo Qingyan, saying:

"The matter is urgent today. I will visit you again in a few days to express my gratitude."

"Don't mention it, didn't you help me last time? Hurry up, the city gates are about to close."

Zhou Yan nodded, said no more, glanced at the other person's bright eyes one last time, and then turned and ran quickly toward the city gate.

As the young man named Zhou Yan entered the city gate, Mo Qingyan's smile gradually faded, and a hint of seriousness flashed in her eyes.

"A strange beast has appeared on the outskirts of Qingmang Mountain..."

Although Zhou Yan didn't say much, based on her familiarity with the scent of spirit beasts, Mo Qingyan was certain that it must have been left by a spirit beast.

She then recalled the knife the other person was carrying, which was the same as the one worn by the black-clad guards who had visited her grandfather in her memory.

"We must tell Grandpa about this as soon as possible."

He turned his horse around and quickly disappeared into the night.

……