Daily News: You promised yourself to be a fisherman, but you've become a martial arts god?

Seeing that Ji Cangshan's words were interrupted, Ji Zheng asked curiously:

"And then?"

Ji Cangshan took another sip of tea to moisten his throat and said:

"On the island, the Fate Child fought alone against nearly twenty martial artists."

"Although this person has only been cultivating for a few months, his cultivation has already reached the peak of the Dark Force. In addition, he possesses a set of supernatural powers, as well as extraordinary martial arts skills and treasures, which made those people unable to fight back."

"Seeing that he was about to be defeated, Zhang Xiaoyue shamelessly pulled out hostages to distract Ming Shuzi."

"That Fate Child was too kind. With his abilities, he could have killed everyone on the island and escaped without any problem. But in order to save people, he knew that Zhang Xiaoyue would use poison, but he still went to save people. As a result, he was distracted and hit by a hidden weapon with a deadly poison, and his strength dropped sharply."

Zhang Xiaoyue was overjoyed. He killed the hostage and ordered everyone to surround and kill the man of destiny.

"Although that Fate Child was poisoned and his strength was not as good as before, he was still able to kill more than ten experts in a row. However, the price was that he exhausted his blood and energy and was seriously injured, with his hands and feet severed. He had no chance of survival."

Even so, Zhang Xiaoyue, Fan Xiaolie, and Ruan Tianjing did not dare to step forward and attack the Fate Child from a distance!

At this point, Ji Cangshan's eyes revealed a strong look of disdain.

"Later, that destined one was killed by Zhang Xiaoyue and his men, who then seized his treasures?"

Ji Zheng asked.

Ji Cangshan shook his head and said:

"In order to prevent the treasures on his body from falling into the hands of Zhang Xiaoyue and his gang, Na Mingshuzi chose to jump off a cliff and into the lake. Zhang Xiaoyue, Fan Xiaolie, and Ruan Tianjing were unwilling to see their prize slip away, so they joined forces to chase after him and try to stop him."

"However, they underestimated the strength of that destined one. Ruan Tianjing was cut in half by a sword, Fan Xiaolie also lost half of his body, and Zhang Xiaoyue was too scared to chase after him. In the end, that destined one jumped off a cliff."

"Later, Zhang Xiaoyue sent people to search the lake below the cliff, but they found nothing."

"In order to one day find the destiny within that chosen one, Zhang Xiaoyue and Fan Xiaolie joined forces to build a bandit stronghold on the island, one in the open and the other in the shadows."

"This is Shenyuan Village!"

"After Fan Xiaolie succumbed to his injuries and died, his son Fan Pingbo took over, becoming the current leader of Shenyuan Village!"

That's it!

Ji Zheng suddenly realized.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked:

"Elder, you previously mentioned that Zhang Xiaoyue learned an evil skill. Could it be a gift from that Fate Child?"

"Judging from your description of that 'fate-teller' just now, he doesn't seem like someone who possesses evil powers."

Ji Cangshan said:

"Of course not."

"This evil technique was found by Zhang Xiaoyue in the cave where the Destiny Child was cultivating. It is called the 'Young Spirit Gathering Yin Sunflower Manual'."

"To hone this skill, one must sacrifice the lives of children under the age of eight. Just to break through from the peak of Dark Force to Transformation Force, one needs forty-nine children. The stronger the yin energy of the children, the better the effect."

"That old bastard Zhang Xiaoyue has been frequently abducting children lately; he may be showing signs of a breakthrough."

Ji Zheng pondered:

"This skill must be extraordinary, otherwise Zhang Xiaoyue wouldn't have practiced it."

"Heh, Zhang Xiaoyue had no choice but to practice evil arts!"

Ji Cangshan sneered.

Ji Zheng asked:

"How so?"

Ji Cangshan said:

"Killing a child destined for life will surely incur divine retribution; one's cultivation will not advance but regress, and one's vitality will wither away."

"They were forced to practice evil arts in order to avoid divine retribution."

"These heretical sects are not bound by the Heavenly Dao, which is why that old bastard Zhang Xiaoyue has lived for these twenty years, and his cultivation has even broken through from Dark Force to Transformation Force!"

Ji Zheng nodded knowingly.

He pondered for a moment, then cautiously asked:

"How did the Grand Elder learn of these things?"

That's exactly what I've been waiting for!

A smug smile appeared on Ji Cangshan's face. He straightened his collar and slowly said:

"Do you think the Zhang family could have escaped unscathed for twenty years by abducting children in the county without the Ji family's approval?"

"Back then, before Zhang Xiaoyue became the head of the Zhang family, he extended his reach to the families of the disciples under our martial arts school. I sent people to investigate and found Zhang Xiaoyue before the county government could."

"To shut me up, this guy confessed everything and even handed over the cultivation technique that the Fate Child had given him to your father."

"Frankly speaking, the fortune teller said that as long as one fully comprehends this technique, one will surely have a great opportunity in the future."

"As for the specific circumstances, Zhang Xiaoyue did not know either."

Ji Zheng asked:

"This cultivation technique seems extraordinary. I wonder what it's called, and whether it's kept in the General's Mansion for our Ji family members to practice?"

"This skill is called 'Haoran Lingxiao Fist,' which is a stance training exercise at the Transformation Realm level."

"Haoran Lingxiao Fist? Never heard of it... I have heard of the Haoran Fist Technique from the Haoran Martial Arts School, but the latter is at the internal strength level."

"Zheng'er, this 'Haoran Fist Technique' was modified by your father from the 'Haoran Lingxiao Fist,' and then I gave it to Yu Deren, the former headmaster of the Haoran Martial Arts School."

Why did Father do this?

Ji Zheng was puzzled by Ji Cangshan's answer.

Why was a perfectly good Transformation Realm skill technique modified and given away to another family?

As if knowing Ji Zheng would be puzzled, Ji Cangshan revealed a knowing smile and said:

"Back then, your father was rewarded for his meritorious service in the capital. In the capital, he met the fortune teller from the Star Official's Office and asked him to cast a divination for the Ji family."

"The divination clearly indicates that a new destiny will be born in Qianhu County in eighteen years, and the blessed land will reopen a year later. This will determine the future of the Ji family!"

"As for the identity of the Fate Child, Master Bu could not fathom it, but he did glimpse a sliver of heavenly secrets, saying that a person in the city would follow the Fate Child. This person came from the Yu Family Martial Arts School and was a member of the Yu Family's main branch."

"Your father wanted to forge a connection with the Yu family, but he was also worried that a martial arts technique at the Transformation Realm level would threaten the Ji family's position. So he modified the technique, lowering its upper limit, so that those who practiced it would never have the chance to break through to the Transformation Realm."

Ji Zheng suddenly felt enlightened.

That's incredibly cunning!

No wonder he's the father and she's the son!

Lost in thought, Ji Cangshan suddenly revealed a sinister smile and said:

"There are too many members of the Yu family. In order to better determine who will follow the chosen one, I specially arranged for He Youchan to marry Yu Deren as a concubine and had her seduce Jiang Chongyan. I also arranged for her to throw the bait of the blessed land at Jiang Chongyan so that they would kill each other."

"Whoever survives in the end will have the luck to follow their destiny!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Zheng's heart skipped a beat.

This elder, who is usually kind and tolerant, is actually so insidious!

However, as long as it benefits him, he doesn't care about anything else!

Composing himself, Ji Zheng said with a solemn expression:

"Elder, I understand!"

"My father left me in the clan's territory so that I could benefit from proximity and follow the chosen one!"

Ji Cangshan nodded in satisfaction, picked up his teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and said:

"This child is teachable!"

After speaking, Ji Cangshan stood up, turned his back to Ji Zheng, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, and said:

"The Child of Destiny has probably already been conceived and born. There has been no progress on He Youchan's side yet, but you don't need to worry. The Child of Destiny has extraordinary fortune and can avoid misfortune. Your father has already arranged a very auspicious event, and will soon go there on his own initiative."

"During these days, you should stay in seclusion and cultivate yourself, remain humble, and never antagonize your destiny."

"You must remember this well: not every person destined for greatness is as kind as the one who was surrounded and killed by Zhang Xiaoyue back then. People destined for greatness are also human. Most of them, after possessing extraordinary luck and repeatedly obtaining great treasures, will become ruthless and vicious in order to protect themselves."

"During your seclusion, learn to suppress your temper."

...

The moon hangs high in the sky.

In a courtyard house in the south of the city, a dark figure leaped from the courtyard onto the roof...