Immortality Begins With Internal Breathing-Chapter 58: Mountains And Forests (I)

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying the stench of blood into the air. Once you grew accustomed to something, it soon became routine. In the past, after killing someone, Lin Zheyu could not help but tremble, and at night he would be haunted by nightmares until dawn. Yet now, after taking the lives of twenty people in one go, he merely let out a faint sigh, lamenting that human life was as insignificant as grass. His heart remained calm, without much disturbance.

He turned to look at Xing Jinglong. The man was tall and strong, and since some of Lin Zheyu’s full-powered strike had just been diverted by Qiao Quan, he had survived.

Lin Zheyu walked to Xing Jinglong's side, crouched down, and asked lightly, "Can you still speak?"

"Y-you... who... are you? N-no... it can't... be..."

Xing Jinglong's eyes grew vacant. His words were broken and slurred, and death was already close. He could not understand why it had come to this. It was supposed to be nothing more than capturing a brat in the Bone Forging Realm. He had made such thorough preparations, yet he still ended up failing!

What shocked him even more was that this youth, whom he had always looked down on despite his bit of talent, had somehow transformed into a martial artist of the Blood Qi Realm!

Pfft.

A blade pierced into Xing Jinglong's chest, shattering his heart. The light in his eyes gradually faded.

As Xing Jinglong muttered incomprehensible words, Lin Zheyu did not bother to ask further and ended his life with a single strike. He had intended to ask why Xing Jinglong had pursued him so relentlessly, but it was clear that no answer would come in this state.

The Xing Family is powerful. Since Xing Jinglong died outside the city while chasing me, even if I wasn't the one who killed him, they would still put the blame on me. But so what? As long as there is no proof, within the city, with Leader Xu and the City Lord present, they won't dare act recklessly. And as for outside the city, hmph! I only fear they won't come!

After thinking it over, Lin Zheyu set his mind at ease. As long as the Xing Family sent no martial artists above the Blood Qi Realm to hunt him, he had nothing to fear.

In some esteemed families, there might be an old undying figure in the Marrow Refining Realm, but in Songyi City, a Blood Qi Realm martial artist was already considered a top expert. Outwardly, he appeared to be nothing more than a small figure in the Bone Forging Realm. Surely, the Xing Family would not send a Blood Qi Realm martial artist to kill someone like him.

He crouched down and searched through each corpse, but did not find anything worthwhile. Other than their weapons and the powders, poisoned darts, and hidden weapons carried by Zhao Wude, there was nothing of value. The total amount of silver on all of them was less than one tael. They had only been out on business, and no one would carry too much silver on such errands.

Are all of these things poisonous? wondered Lin Zheyu.

He examined over a dozen small bottles taken from Zhao Wude, along with cloth-wrapped darts and several leather pouches filled with red and white powders. He carefully stored the items separately, found a hidden spot sheltered from rain, dug a pit, and buried the items.

Lin Zheyu did not recognize the powders or darts, and careless use might harm himself. He had no intention of bringing them into the city, fearing some special powder within could be used to track him. In the end, he only took 800 wen, leaving everything else buried in the hidden pit. He marked the spot on his map, intending to return for them if needed.

I should find a stream to wash up and change clothes, thought Lin Zheyu.

His body might still carry the scent of White Xin Powder. He needed to wash thoroughly to remove the smell. Even after discarding the coat tainted with White Xin Powder earlier, the Wind-Chasing Gray-Furred Marten had still detected its scent on him. Fortunately, he had brought a spare set of clothes on this trip. They were originally meant to replace bloodstained garments after battle, but now they served just as well.

Before leaving, he checked the corpses to ensure nothing revealed his identity, then dragged them into the grass and left them in the wilderness. From the start of the fight to his departure, less than ten minutes had passed. The place was remote, and no one else came by. As the stench of blood spread through the air, the corpses would soon be discovered and devoured by wild beasts.

He pulled out his map and struggled to discern the direction. The map had been purchased through the Feihong Gang and was the most detailed one available in Songyi City. Even so, many areas were still vaguely drawn, with only the main roads and highways clearly marked.

There's a stream not far from here. I'll wash up, change clothes, and then head to Lion Valley, thought Lin Zheyu.

Lion Valley was the only route to the Central Plains, so it was a vital passage. To avoid Lion Valley meant a long detour through narrow trails and towering mountains, a land rife with poisonous miasma and countless dangers.

Thus, the official road near Lion Valley was the only route caravans could take to and from the Central Plains. This was also why so many bandits gathered in Lion Valley.

Lin Zheyu walked through the forest, where wild grass grew as tall as a man. The mountain paths twisted and turned, and with no one traveling them for years, grass and trees had taken over, making the roads difficult to traverse.

Woooo.

Rustle, rustle.

As he walked through the forest, he occasionally heard the low growls of wild beasts and the rustling sounds of large ferocious creatures moving among the trees.

In the depths of the wilderness, even martial artists dared not wander about carelessly. Deep within the untouched mountains roamed powerful beasts, some capable of swatting a Blood Qi Realm martial artist to death with ease. The hunters who ventured into the mountains only went to areas that had been explored for generations, where no overly powerful beasts resided.

Lin Zheyu moved cautiously through the forest, encountering many large snakes, wild animals, and brightly colored insects along the way. Following the route on his map, he traveled for about an hour before finally spotting a small stream.

The stream was crystal clear, with fish swimming about and aquatic plants growing at the bottom. Though it was winter, Songyi City was in the south, so the waters did not freeze. He could still see many fish and shrimp swimming in the stream.

The water was very clean, so Lin Zheyu scooped some up to wash his face. Seeing that no one was around, he took off his clothes and jumped in for a thorough wash.

Splash, splash.

The icy water bit into his bones, and wisps of mist rose from his body. As his blood qi circulated, his entire body grew hot, rendering the chill insignificant.

This should have cleansed any lingering scent from my body, right?

After finishing his wash, Lin Zheyu changed into a set of sturdy clothes. He determined the direction of Lion Valley and pressed on.

Crossing a mountain, he occasionally saw a few herb gatherers and hunters. Each of them was extremely cautious. Upon spotting Lin Zheyu, they only cast a glance from afar before quickly leaving.

At this time of year, those who dared venture into the mountains for herbs or hunting were mostly seasoned veterans of considerable strength. There were also some driven by hardship, forced to risk their lives in the mountains just to survive.

Once Lin Zheyu entered the forest, it became even harder to tell directions, and it was easy to lose his way. Fortunately, he happened to spot a few hunters. He called out to them from afar, asked for directions, and managed to find his way again.

In this era, with no satellite navigation, asking a passerby was often more reliable than looking at a map. Maps were updated infrequently. Aside from the main roads, smaller paths and trails would often be blocked by overgrown vegetation over time.

Other than the main roads, most markings of smaller paths on the maps were vague, with some having long since been swallowed by grass and trees. Others had split into multiple routes after repeated use, making things confusing. If he stuck to the main road, the journey would be much easier.

The official roads were frequently used by caravans, so they were well maintained and easy to travel. But in times of war, they became the most dangerous routes, as rebel armies and bandits often gathered nearby. Moreover, the official roads were built wide and winding to accommodate large groups, meaning they often took two or three times longer to reach a destination.