How did I, a fake bodyguard, become a terrestrial immortal?

Lu Yang had a very long dream.

In his dream, he stood on a boundless wasteland.

The sky was gray, and the ground was black.

In the distance, the wind whipped up sand and dust that rolled across the horizon, but there was nothing else.

No sound.

There is no light.

There were no living people either.

Lu Yang looked down at his hands and discovered that they were transparent.

It's as if a gust of wind could blow him away.

He suddenly felt a little panicked.

It felt like I had been dug out of this world and thrown into a corner where no one could find me.

No one was waiting for him.

Nobody knew he was here.

This feeling was actually quite familiar to Lu Yang.

He had this feeling when he first transmigrated to this world, on the streets of Black Bull Town.

He had no relatives or friends.

Penniless.

He even needs the system's help to understand how people in this world speak.

That kind of loneliness felt like it was etched into my bones.

Even if he's usually carefree and jovial, even if he complains all the time, even if he pretends not to care about anything.

But it has always been there.

But in this dream, that feeling suddenly became very concrete.

Because Lu Yang saw two blurry figures appear on the distant wasteland.

A woman dressed in coarse cloth was holding a little girl with pigtails in her arms.

The woman stood in the wind and sand, head bowed, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

The little girl tugged at her clothes, burying her face in her arms.

They didn't call out to Lu Yang.

He just stood there quietly.

Lu Yang's heart clenched, and he instinctively ran forward.

No matter how he ran, the two figures remained a long way off him.

He ran until he was panting heavily, and his legs were weak.

They remained standing in the same spot, neither too close nor too far.

The wind grew stronger, blowing up the woman's clothes and ruffling the little girl's braids.

Their figures faded into the sandstorm.

"etc!"

Lu Yang called out, but no one answered.

The wind and sand obscured the sky and the sun.

The two figures were finally swallowed up little by little.

Lu Yang stood there, feeling as if something was blocking his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He wanted to continue pursuing it.

But suddenly the ground beneath their feet sank, and the wasteland had somehow turned into a black swamp.

The cold mud washed over my ankles, over my knees, and over my waist.

The more Lu Yang struggled, the faster he sank.

It's so cold...

The mud was unbelievably cold.

This chill is all too familiar.

It looks like? An ice silkworm!

……

Lu Yang opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

The air was filled with a bitter medicinal smell, mixed with a faint wisp of sandalwood.

Lu Yang stared at the tent for a long time.

This is where?

Did I time travel again?

"woke up?"

Fang Xuan's cold voice came from the side.

Lu Yang turned his head and saw Fang Xuan sitting on a bamboo chair, holding a cup of tea in his hand, slowly blowing on the steam.

He looked more haggard than before, with faint dark circles under his eyes.

"You've been unconscious for three days." Fang Xuan took a sip of tea. "If you don't wake up soon, your Miss Bai will burn all the incense money from all the temples in Hanlin City."

Lu Yang opened his mouth, only to find his throat was as dry as if it were stuffed with sand.

Fang Xuan handed over the warm water from the side.

Lu Yang took the bowl and drank half of it before asking in a hoarse voice, "Where are they?"

Fang Xuan put down his teacup.

"Bai Yixin is brewing medicine in the backyard."

"Yao'er is sleeping next door."

"After you swallowed the Ice Silkworm Mother, the cold energy was directed only at her, suppressing the worsening of her condition."

"So she's relatively safe for now."

Lu Yang breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly realized what was happening.

"Wait! What do you mean I swallowed the Ice Silkworm Mother?"

"It wasn't you who swallowed it," Fang Xuan said calmly, "but it's no different from if you did."

"Your technique is rather peculiar; I've never seen anyone release their qi and blood and still form a physical form."

Lu Yang's face immediately turned ugly. He looked down at his chest, then touched his nose and mouth.

Thankfully, at least no bugs crawled out of it.

Looking at him like this, Fang Xuan said calmly, "Don't worry, the Ice Silkworm Mother is gone."

Fang Xuan's tone carried a hint of regret: "Its cold poison was refined by your Dharma form and should have been integrated into your meridians."

Fang Xuan put down his teacup, his tone regaining its characteristic calmness: "Xuanwu is the water god of the north, responsible for suppression. The external martial arts technique within you uses Xuanwu as its element, naturally restraining cold-type Gu worms. After the silkworm mother entered your body, it not only failed to harm you, but was instead refined by the Xuanwu element within you."

He paused, then added, "I've checked your meridians. You currently have two streams of energy within you: one is your own abundant blood and energy, and the other is the extremely cold energy left over from refining the Ice Silkworm. The two streams are currently coexisting peacefully, but you can't circulate them, so you can't utilize them. Any future progress will depend on your own efforts."

Lu Yang only half understood what was being said when, just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

The manager practically jogged in, and his face lit up with joy the moment he saw Lu Yang sit up.

"Young Master Lu! You're finally awake! The City Lord will be here shortly!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Han Jingshan strode in.

The city lord, who had been stationed in Hanlin City for fifteen years, was dressed in a plain robe, his eyes were bloodshot, and his temples were disheveled.

But his overall energy and spirit were completely different from three days ago.

As the saying goes, "A person is in high spirits when good things happen."

At least the despair of a father about to lose his daughter is gone.

He saw that Lu Yang was awake, and his eyes even reddened slightly: "Young Master Lu!"

Han Jingshan walked a few steps to the bedside and grabbed Lu Yang's hand.

"You saved Youwei! You are a benefactor to the Han family!"

Lu Yang felt a little embarrassed when he was grabbed, mainly because he hadn't done anything wrong.

Standing at the top of the stairs, I was attacked by bugs and ice spears in turn.

Incidentally, he was also fed a worm by the phantom of Xuanwu.

The details of this achievement are somewhat complicated.

"You're too kind, City Lord."

Lu Yang coughed.

"If we're really talking about saving lives, we still have to rely on Brother Fang."

Han Jingshan shook his head, his expression solemn: "Mr. Fang has already told me."

"After the silkworm entered its divine state, if it weren't for Young Master Lu using his superhuman strength to attract the Gu worms and withstand all the attacks, my daughter would probably be in grave danger!"

Fang Xuan sat to the side drinking tea, not even lifting his eyelids.

Han Jingshan was very serious. He took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to Lu Yang with both hands.

"This is the thousand taels of silver promised in the notice that day."

"In addition, Han has ordered a carriage to be prepared with two fine horses, and the carriage is stocked with several days' worth of dry rations and water. All of this is prepared according to the route to Wanhua Valley."

A thousand taels of silver.

These four words carried more weight than anything else in Lu Yang's ears.

He originally intended to wave his hand and feign the dignified air of a reclusive sage.

But he had only raised his hand halfway when he honestly accepted the banknote.

"I can't accept this..."

He said that, but his hand had already clenched the silver note tightly.

The silver note was in hand; the paper was crisp and sturdy, and it bore the vermilion seal of the Hanlin City government.

Lu Yang looked down at the stack of silver notes, his mind racing with calculations.

A thousand taels of silver!

If this happened on Earth, it would be like someone sleeping under a bridge suddenly winning the lottery.

From sleeping on the streets to being pregnant with a fortune.

The ups and downs of life are truly thrilling.

Lu Yang carefully tried to stuff the silver note into his pocket.

Then I realized that my new coarse cloth shirt didn't have any suitable inner pockets.

He remained silent for a moment, then quietly placed the banknotes under his pillow.

Han Jingshan pretended not to see it.

Han Jingshan's expression quickly turned serious: "Young Master Lu, there is something else I need to remind you of."

"The Zhenwu Division has already investigated what happened at the inn that night."

"According to the rules, everyone who stayed at the inn that night had to be taken back to the centurion's office for questioning."

"I used the city lord's order to temporarily suppress the three of you."

Lu Yang's heart skipped a beat.

He wasn't afraid of being interrogated.

With his current physique, even the instruments of torture would have to ask him if he's fit enough.

But Bai Yixin and Bai Miyao are not suitable.

Bai Yixin is the last surviving member of the Bai family.

Bai Miyao also has the Green Lotus Dao Seed hidden within her body.

Neither of these two identities would be a trivial matter that could be easily fooled by the Zhenwu Division.

"Thank you, Lord City Lord."

This time, Lu Yang expressed his sincere gratitude.

Han Jingshan waved his hand.

"You saved Youwei, so it's only right that I protect you for a while."

"But that can only provide temporary relief."

Han Jingshan looked at Lu Yang, his tone becoming more serious.

"Young Master Lu, I have been in officialdom for decades and have seen quite a few extraordinary people."

"But I've never seen anyone like you who indulges so much in nature."

Han Jingshan added, "Although the city gates are not completely sealed now, everyone leaving the city must be registered and checked."

"Especially on the road to the southern ferry, the Zhenwu Division has already set up hidden sentries. If you want to go to Wanhua Valley, you'd better hurry."

Lu Yang nodded: "I understand."

He didn't ask about the results of Fang Xuan's treatment; judging from Han Chengzhu's reaction, it wasn't very good.

Lu Yang leaned against the headboard, his fingers unconsciously touching the stack of silver notes under the pillow.

I felt a little more at ease; having money just feels different.

If Bai Miyao weren't still waiting to be saved, he would have even wanted to shout on the spot—"Today's expenses are on Young Master Lu!"

After a moment of silence in the room, Fang Xuan suddenly put down his teacup: "Take off your clothes."

Lu Yang hugged himself to his chest: "Not again?!"

Fang Xuan said expressionlessly, "I have no interest in your body."

"I need to study the Xuanwu tattoo on your body."

Lu Yang took off his shirt with some skepticism.

Fang Xuan walked behind him: "That little girl's condition is more serious than I thought. I only temporarily suppressed her growth rate with a secret technique. You'll have to go to the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers to completely cure her..."

Just then, the door was gently pushed open.

Bai Yixin walked in carrying a bowl of medicine.

She clearly heard that Lu Yang had woken up, and there was still a hint of joy in her eyes that she hadn't had time to hide.

Seeing Lu Yang sitting on the edge of the bed, and noticing that he had only put his clothes on halfway, her cheeks flushed slightly.

Lu Yang quickly wrapped his clothes around himself: "A master healer doesn't concern himself with trivial matters."

Bai Yixin lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement, it was unclear whether she believed him or not.

She walked to the bedside and handed the medicine bowl to Lu Yang: "Mr. Fang said you need to take your medicine after you wake up."

Lu Yang stared at the bowl of dark, murky medicine, his expression gradually changing: "Can't we just not drink this stuff?"

Fang Xuan, standing to the side, said, "Okay."

Lu Yang's eyes lit up.

Fang Xuan continued, "The cold air is rampant, damaging the meridians. After three days, you might sneeze out ice crystals; after five days, your hands and feet will lose their temperature; after seven days..."

Lu Yang picked up the bowl of medicine and downed it in one gulp.

He was so distressed that he almost ran away from home on the spot.

Looking at his scrunched-up face, Bai Yixin couldn't help but take out an oil paper package from her sleeve.

Inside the box were several pieces of pine nut candy.

"This is what Yao'er asked me to bring to you."

Bai Yixin said softly, "She said that Uncle Lu must be afraid of the bitterness of medicine."

Lu Yang stared at the few pieces of pine nut candy and suddenly froze.

He remembered that when he first arrived in Black Bull Town, Bai Miyao had also stuffed candy into his hand in the same way.

At that time, the little girl looked up and said in her childish voice, "Uncle, don't go hungry."

Lu Yang reached out, picked up a piece of candy, and popped it into his mouth.

The sweetness gradually dissipated, suppressing the medicinal taste.

He lowered his head and chewed the candy, his voice a little muffled.

"Please thank Yao'er for me."

Bai Yixin looked at him, her eyes slightly red: "Young Master Lu, if you encounter something like this again, don't stand in front of him."

"My concubine and Yao'er can run away..."

Lu Yang looked at her and suddenly smiled: "No."

Bai Yixin was taken aback. Lu Yang chewed the candy and spoke in a very serious tone.

"I'm a bodyguard; how can a bodyguard let the goods he's transporting run away on their own?"

Bai Yixin turned her face away and remained silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the morning bell of Hanlin City rang.

Fang Xuan stood up and walked to the window.

He pushed open a window halfway and looked towards the city beyond: "Have you finished your sweet talk?"

Lu Yang turned to look at him: "You really ruin the mood."

Fang Xuan seemed not to hear: "The thing inside Bai Miyao's body is not an ordinary illness."

"That is the Azure Lotus Dao Seed... I presume you know about it..."

Bai Yixin clutched the oil paper package tightly, her face slightly pale, and Lu Yang's smile also faded.

Fang Xuan continued, "The Azure Emperor left behind the Heavenly Gang Azure Lotus Technique, and the most secret branch of its inheritance is the Azure Lotus Soul Seed."

"Before a cultivator dies, he or she can condense his or her life's cultivation and inheritance into a Dao seed and plant it into the body of a selected person."

"The day the seed of the Dao awakens will be the day the lineage is reborn."

Lu Yang frowned: "Is this what they call body possession?!"

Bai Yixin's face was pale, and her voice trembled: "What will happen to Yao'er?"

Fang Xuan remained silent for a moment, then said, "If she has strong constitution and abundant blood and energy, this is an incredible opportunity."

"But she was born with a deficiency and her internal organs were weak, so she couldn't withstand this life force."

I used medicine to temporarily suppress the Dao seed, taking advantage of the remaining cold energy; however, this is only a temporary measure.

Lu Yang asked, "How long can it be suppressed?"

Fang Xuan waved his hand, saying that it all depended on her fate.

Bai Yixin swayed.

It takes at least a thousand miles to get from Hanlin City to Wanhua Valley.

Crossing the border pass, traversing snow-capped mountains, and passing through uninhabited forests...

Even the strongest man might not be able to persevere, let alone such a young child.

Fang Xuan looked out the window again: "There's one more thing."

"If the Zhenwu Division knew that she possessed the Azure Lotus Dao Seed, they would never have allowed her to leave Hanlin City alive."

The room fell silent, and Bai Yixin's fingers tightened little by little as she held the oil paper package.

Lu Yang looked at her, and then he remembered the two figures swallowed by the wind and sand in the wasteland in his dream.

After a moment, he feigned nonchalance: "What do you mean, 'I'll take this delivery'?"