Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 208: Bull Demon Sect (I)

The convoy continued on its way. The Guangxuan Escort Agency proved highly reliable. From Bafang City to the Central Plains, their route was mostly unaffected by rebel forces, and bandits were few. Even when they did appear, their strength was limited. Most of the powers they encountered were strong local factions with established influence.

Most of these forces allowed safe passage in exchange for a small payment of silver, posing little real danger. Last time, the trouble arose because Lei Chuangcheng and his two companions had relied too much on their strength and refused to pay the 50 taels of silver toll. After regaining consciousness, Lei Chuangcheng was filled with regret. Their arrogance, meant to save 50 taels, had instead cost them nearly all their money and valuables. It was a classic case of picking up sesame seeds and losing a watermelon.[1]

"Damn it!"

Lei Chuangcheng clenched his fist and slammed it against his carriage's wall, punching a hole straight through. Fortunately, they had been cautious enough to divide and hide their valuables in several locations. Yet the bundles they carried contained their most precious possessions, and losing them meant losing nearly 70% of their total savings. The three men were in foul moods, and when their eyes swept over the other five travelers, a crooked thought took shape in their minds.

"Mother!" Liang Yunhui tugged at Liang Yuhan's sleeve, her face tense.

From the very beginning, she had been secretly watching Lei Chuangcheng and his companions, curious about their joint attack technique. But by chance, she caught sight of the malicious looks in their eyes.

"Don't worry, it's fine," Liang Yuhan reassured her.

She paused in thought, then gritted her teeth and made up her mind. 600 taels of silver was no small sum for her; it was enough to buy sixty sets of Blood-Nourishing Bone-Fortifying Decoction.

Together, the two of them held 1,200 taels of silver. Even for a martial artist in the Blood Qi Realm, it would take considerable time to save that much money. Only Lin Zheyu, whose strength far exceeded his realm and who had Little Black's assistance, could quickly amass wealth through hunting. Others lacked such ability.

"Mr. Zhao, we're joining the Guangxuan Escort Agency's convoy. Would you like to come with us?" Liang Yuhan asked. Her tone was cool and even, an extension of her naturally composed demeanor.

"All right, I'll join as well," Lin Zheyu said after a moment of thought.

He noticed Lai Chang and Lai Mao already speaking with members of the Guangxuan Escort Agency, likely planning to join their group for protection. The recent incident had given the Lai brothers a real sense of danger.

Now that even Liang Yunhui and her daughter were paying the remaining 600 taels of silver to join the escort for protection, it would seem odd if Lin Zheyu didn't.

Only Lei Chuangcheng and his two companions were left trailing behind the escort. After a brief discussion, they finally gritted their teeth and managed to muster another extra 200 taels of silver as well.

The Guangxuan Escort Agency members were not surprised. There were always self-assured fighters who believed strength alone could solve every problem. After facing a few dangers, they would soon realize their limits and end up paying to join the convoy. Only a few true powerhouses ever managed to follow all the way to the Central Plains.

Time passed slowly. The rest of the journey was uneventful, aside from a few encounters with bandits that cost the Guangxuan Escort Agency a few men but caused no major trouble.

The Guangxuan Escort Agency traveled to the Central Plains several times a year, and by now, they were familiar with nearly every faction along the route. Apart from a few groups, like the Giant Python Stronghold, which required caution, most allowed safe passage after receiving the toll.

As for the Giant Python Stronghold, its danger came mainly from its second-in-command, whose cultivation intent was pure slaughter. His mind had long been warped by that intent, leaving him unstable. The slightest provocation could send him into a killing frenzy. Sometimes, if his mood was foul, he would attack without even giving travelers a chance to pay the toll.

Every time the Guangxuan Escort Agency passed the Giant Python Stronghold, they had to proceed with extreme caution, fearful that its deranged deputy leader might lose control. Fortunately, this time, nothing went wrong.

***

In the blink of an eye, two months passed. Winter gave way to spring, and the weather grew much warmer.

Every four days, Lin Zheyu would still don his heavy armor and venture into the mountains to push his limits and accumulate Origin Force. After the lessons he had learned before, he no longer dared to use that force to enhance the Boiling Blood Secret Art. Instead, he stored it all. As long as his spirit was not exhausted, even if his body was driven to its limits, he could instantly restore himself to peak condition with Origin Force in times of danger.

***

It was deep into the night. The stars were sparse, and the moonlight shone bright, casting a silvery sheen over the earth. The campfire flickered in the wind. Little Black crouched beside the flames, happily roasting meat. For the little beast, life seemed to hold meaning only in eating and sleeping.

By the fire, Liang Yunhui practiced with her longsword under her mother's instruction, repeating each movement over and over. After paying the 1,200 taels of silver for protection under the Guangxuan Escort Agency, Liang Yuhan could finally relax at night. Along the journey, beyond the 600 taels of silver they had already paid, Lin Zheyu and the others had contributed nearly another 1000 in tolls. Lei Chuangcheng and his two companions wore dark expressions; their savings had been mostly stolen, forcing them to sell off belongings just to gather the required tolls.

"Damn it... I can only look but not touch. This is torture," Lai Chang muttered, his eyes wandering restlessly over Liang Yunhui and her mother, frustration written all over his face.

Everyone here was under the escort agency's protection. If they tried anything, the consequences would be severe. With their current strength, the brothers had no confidence to go against the Guangxuan Escort Agency.

"That woman's gorgeous!" Lai Chang said, glancing at Cui Mengruo, who was practicing in the distance.

Under the moonlight, Cui Mengruo wore tight training clothes, her sword whistling through the air. Her swordsmanship differed from Liang Yuhan's. It was sharp and decisive, carrying a hint of killing intent. Coupled with her valiant bearing, she looked spirited and striking in her own way. But Lai Chang only dared to steal a few glances from afar. He didn't dare let any ill intent show on his face, or the Guangxuan Escort Agency guards would beat him senseless.

Whoosh.

Bathed in moonlight, Lin Zheyu found an open space and practiced the Barbaric Ox Fist again and again, seeking to grasp its essence. Two days ago, he had just pushed past his limits, so now he wore no heavy armor. Yet with the power of the fist's momentum, every strike he threw carried crushing force, giving the sense that his strength alone could shatter all techniques. After about two hours of practice, Lin Zheyu drew back his fists and stood still, reflecting on the sensations left by his training.

"Zhao Hao, you're practicing the Barbaric Ox Fist again? You train so hard every day. Are you really hoping to grasp the fist's momentum and join the Heavenly Sage Sect?" a young man by the campfire called out with a grin.

The young man's name was Luo Chengwen, one of the most outstanding youths of the Luo Family from Bafang City. This time, accompanied by his third uncle, he was traveling with the Guangxuan Escort Agency to the Central Plains in hopes of joining a major power there.

"You just said that the Heavenly Sage Sect was destroyed, so how could I join them now? I'm only practicing for fun," Lin Zheyu replied with a shrug and a smile.

Luo Chengwen, as a scion of an esteemed family, was exceedingly proud. Even when facing someone stronger than himself, he showed no respect and called Lin Zheyu by his full name. But Lin Zheyu didn't mind. As someone from the modern world, he was used to people addressing him directly.

Moreover, chatting with these esteemed scions often yielded useful information. Empty pride meant nothing compared to that. The sect that had once used the Barbaric Ox Fist as its method of selecting disciples was known as the Heavenly Sage Sect. It was a renowned sect from a thousand years ago. Thanks to their deliberate promotion, the Barbaric Ox Fist had become one of the most widely practiced techniques. Unfortunately, when the Great Wei was founded, the sect chose the wrong side and was annihilated. Luo Chengwen had been the one to tell him this.

"Your grasp of the fist's momentum seems quite refined. If you were younger, you might really have been accepted as a disciple by the Heavenly Sage Sect," Luo Chengwen said with a smile.

Several young men sat beside him, all hoping to join one of the Central Plains' great powers.

"I heard that after the Heavenly Sage Sect was destroyed, one of its branches resurfaced under a new name—the Bull Demon Sect. Many martial artists of common birth who master the Barbaric Ox Fist's momentum are taken in as its disciples. If you were twenty or thirty years younger, you would surely be accepted among them," one of the young men said with a smile.

The young man had delicate features and a refined, scholarly air about him. His name was Xu Shixin, and among the youths present, he was one of the older ones at twenty-five. Born into a scholar's background, he had, for reasons unknown, abandoned the pen for the sword. With remarkable natural talent, he had reached the Organ Forging Realm in less than five years, a feat that spoke volumes of his ability.

Xu Shixin was a proud man and had initially shown little interest in associating with Lin Zheyu, whom he viewed as a martial artist of average talent. However, after Lin Zheyu treated him to grilled meat several times, the two gradually became acquainted.

"Oh? Young Master Xu, could you tell me more about this Bull Demon Sect?" Lin Zheyu's curiosity was piqued.

He was confident that with the right technique, it would not take him long to reach the Marrow Refining Realm. However, advancing from that realm to the Force Transformation Realm was far more troublesome, for that required the comprehension of intent.

Lin Zheyu had yet to form a true martial conviction, and his understanding of momentum was shallow. He merely gleaned the surface from practicing the Barbaric Ox Fist. The road to grasping true intent remained long ahead of him.

He had witnessed many kinds of momentum, each carrying distinct convictions and wills. Of them all, he was most fascinated by the momentum of Yan Jun from Bafang City, a force that made others feel as though they were burning in flames. It was mysterious indeed. Yet, for Lin Zheyu to comprehend such a force seemed unlikely. He felt the Barbaric Ox Fist's momentum suited him better.

The Barbaric Ox Fist's momentum embodied the will to dominate through sheer strength. As long as one possessed overwhelming power and kept fighting and winning, an unshakable belief in one's invincibility would naturally form. This was the path Lin Zheyu had mapped out for himself.

His momentum stemmed from the Barbaric Ox Fist, and when paired with the technique itself, the power it unleashed could rival that of high-level martial skills. If Lin Zheyu could find the continuation of the Barbaric Ox Fist, his momentum and technique would complement each other perfectly, allowing him to unleash even greater strength.

1. "捡了芝麻，丢了西瓜" (picking up sesame seeds and losing a watermelon) is a modern Chinese proverb meaning "to be penny-wise and pound-foolish." It originated from colloquial speech in the late Qing to early Republican period and is commonly used in modern Mandarin to describe those who focus on small gains while suffering greater losses. ☜