Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 178: Meeting (I)

Bafang City, the Yan Residence.

"Brother Yan, have you given any thought to the matter from last time?" Ge Wuning asked with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

He was very confident in the terms he had offered. Those terms were extremely tempting to Marrow Refining Realm fighters, especially to those who had comprehended the concept of momentum. If he were not merely a Blood Qi Realm martial artist with no hope of ever advancing to the Marrow Refining Realm, he would have wanted to get involved himself.

"All right, I agree to this!" Yan Jun said coolly.

He felt not an ounce of guilt for betraying a friend. In this world, everything had a price; having the reputation of a gentleman was merely a means to better secure certain benefits. If the other party paid a sufficient price, what were friends worth?

"Haha. I, Ge, offer Brother Yan a drink and wish you success in a month in gaining insight into 'intent' and becoming a master of transformation!" Ge Wuning laughed as he spoke.

"Hmph. Do not come to my residence so often from now on. If others find out, my reputation will be affected. Also, Liang Song acts with extreme caution; do not let him discover you," Yan Jun said coldly.

He disliked the Forest Net Temple's way of doing things; if it were not for the opportunity to advance in transformation they mentioned, he would have long since driven the three of them out.

"Brother Yan is right. We will leave now. Once you capture Liang Song, send word to the Forest Net Temple's base in Bafang City."

Facing Yan Jun's foul temper, Ge Wuning showed not the slightest annoyance and continued to smile.

"Five days. I will capture Liang Song within five days. Do not appear and alert him. If he escapes, it will be on you," Yan Jun said calmly.

He had already sent someone to deliver an invitation to Liang Song. Although Liang Song's whereabouts were uncertain and he acted with great caution, Yan Jun was confident that their years of acquaintance would be enough to draw Liang Song out.

"Fine. We will wait for your good news. We will leave through the back door now," said Ge Wuning.

They did not stay long and left before making things awkward. Their purpose in reaching an agreement with Yan Jun had been achieved. With Yan Jun's help, Liang Song would not be able to evade them for long.

"Letting you live an extra ten or so years meant nothing; in the end, you will still fall into my palm!"

Ge Wuning wore a feral smile as he recalled the events of those years. Recently, he had specially sent people to other cities to investigate and found that those who had acted back then had all died mysteriously. It was not only them; even their wives, children, and elders had perished. It was obvious that all of this had been the work of Liang Song.

Luckily, Liang Song's failed ambush on Ge Bing had exposed him early and given them a handle. Had he continued hiding in the dark, waiting to assassinate, even if Ge Wuning himself escaped, his wife, children, and grandchildren would likely have been killed.

"Ge Bing, do not run off before Liang Song is captured. Stay at the residence as much as possible. If you must go out, go with Uncle Wu and me," Ge Wuning said sternly.

"Yes, I understand." Ge Bing nodded.

He knew the seriousness of the matter; if he had not acted alongside Yong Kang and Wu Yang last time, his life would have been lost then. Yan Jun watched Ge Wuning and his party leave, his expression unreadable.

"Do not blame me. If I miss this opportunity, I will have no hope in my lifetime of advancing to the Force Transformation Realm. Your entire family died more than a decade ago. As your brother, I will send you to reunite with them early so you do not have to suffer like this. As for your vengeance, once I ascend to Force Transformation, I will take the heads of Ge Wuning and his son and family and present them at your grave in offering," murmured Yan Jun. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

His invitations had already been sent. Four days later was his great-grandson's full month, so he used that as a reason to invite Liang Song to the residence for a banquet. Although Liang Song's current whereabouts were unknown, he had left contact information before he departed some time ago. At that time, he had invited him to come to the residence during his great-grandson's full month celebration.

He called for a servant, handed over the prepared invitation, and said, "A'fu, deliver this invitation to Xingluan Street, Yangliu Alley..."

"Yes, master!"

***

"So you guys left through the back door, huh? It’s no wonder I couldn't find you; you nearly got away."

Lin Zheyu, who had been standing guard outside the Yan Residence, flinched and then vanished from sight. After Ge Wuning and the others left the Yan Residence, they went to Xingluan[1] Street to have some fun.

Lin Zheyu followed them for three days and gained nothing.

Are they leaving Bafang City?

Lin Zheyu was somewhat speechless. He had trailed Ge Wuning and the others for three days and had not found a good chance to act. The three of them had stayed in Bafang City for days, and after entering the Forest Net Temple's base, they had not come back out. He had wanted to make a move but could not find an opportunity.

At Xingluan Street, in Yangliu[2] Alley.

The old houses here had long gone uninhabited. Liang Song wandered around the area; after confirming there were no problems, he leapt lightly into a house that looked somewhat dilapidated.

Inside the house were many envelopes, all slipped through the door cracks. Most of the envelopes were written in encrypted script; only a few were not.

"Old Yan's great-grandson is already a full month old..."

Liang Song opened the invitation and felt a twinge of emotion. Once he had a good life of his own, but now everything had changed, and he had become a lone, solitary man.

"I'll go see him tomorrow; Old Yan's face must still be honored."

Liang Song put away the invitation and tucked the remaining envelopes into his chest. Since his last assassination attempt failed, he had gone back into hiding, gathering information and searching for the next opportunity.

I’ll let the enemy be exposed while I remain concealed.[3]

As long as he could keep his patience and not be as impulsive as last time, sooner or later, he would find the right chance.

The next day.

They finally came out!

Lin Zheyu, who was eating breakfast at a roadside stall, took twenty wen from his pocket and placed them on the table. He had been keeping watch outside the Forest Net Temple's base for so long, and now they were finally willing to leave.

"I was suffocating in there!"

Ge Bing spread his arms wide, taking a deep breath as he savored the taste of freedom. For the past few days, his father had not allowed him to go out at will. If he wanted to go out, he had to be accompanied by a martial artist who had reached the third transformation of blood qi.

"Uncle Wu, will we catch Liang Song today?" Ge Bing asked eagerly.

"If nothing goes wrong, Liang Song won't be able to escape even if he sprouts wings. Yan Jun is very reliable," Wu Shentao replied with a nod.

"Excellent! Once we catch him, I'll flay his skin and tear his tendons, making him wish for death!" Ge Bing said viciously.

"Let's go wait outside the Yan Residence in case something unexpected happens and he slips away," Wu Shentao said calmly.

"Aren't we waiting for my father?" asked Ge Bing.

"Your father will head straight to the Yan Residence later for the banquet. He's disguising himself right now so that Liang Song won't recognize him. We'll go ahead first," said Wu Shentao.

The two of them left the Forest Net Temple's base, unaware that Lin Zheyu was following behind them. His tracking skills had improved greatly compared to before, though he was still far from professional. However, with the Tortoise Breath Grand Method at Perfection and his powerful perception, he was able to follow them from a distance. Unless the opponent had sharper senses than him or extraordinary counter-detection ability, they would never notice.

The Yan Residence? Why are they going to the Yan Residence again?

Following Ge Bing and Wu Shentao, Lin Zheyu trailed them all the way to the Yan Residence and entered a tavern about a hundred meters away.

The Yan Residence is hosting a banquet. If they aren't here to attend, then what are they doing here? Lin Zheyu wondered to himself.

The two didn't go to the Yan Residence but instead went up to the tavern's second floor and ordered a lavish meal. Lin Zheyu didn't believe they had come all this way just to eat. This tavern was a fair distance from the Forest Net Temple's base, and the food here was far from remarkable. It wasn't worth coming all this way for a meal. Therefore, the two of them must have come with a purpose.

Could they be here for Master Liang Song? Could they have found out that Master Liang Song is attending the banquet at the Yan Residence?

With that thought, Lin Zheyu went down from the second floor. As he passed by Ge Bing, his wrist flicked slightly, sprinkling a trace of tracking powder onto him in case he lost them later. He had no subordinates in Bafang City; without some tricks, it would be difficult to find someone again if he lost track of them.

1. 兴 (xīng) means "to rise or prosper," and 栾 (luán) refers to the luán tree, so together, it suggests "a place of flourishing growth, like trees in full bloom." ☜

2. 杨 (yáng) means "poplar," and 柳 (liǔ) means "willow," so 杨柳 (Yángliǔ) together evokes "poplars and willows," symbolizing gentle scenery or tranquil riverside beauty in Chinese imagery. ☜

3. 敌明我暗 (dí míng wǒ àn) is a Chinese idiom meaning "the enemy is exposed while I remain hidden," expressing a tactical advantage through secrecy and surprise. ☜