Chapter 2: Primordial Qi

Refreshing.

Extremely refreshing.

It turned out that not only did the system not find the wrong person.

The tasks issued by the system didn't require him to do them either.

Dou Changsheng had only delayed slightly, surprised by the system, and a quarter of an hour passed, and his brother had completed it.

The key was that he was the one who received the reward.

Just as Dou Changsheng was marveling, the door was violently pounded.

Bang, bang, bang!!!!!!!!

The sound of continuous knocking rang out one after another.

The Iron-Armored Mad Lion used his palm, the size of a meditation cushion, to pound the door wildly, while urging, "I just received the latest news. The team transporting the official silver has moved their schedule forward, arriving in Junxian a day early."

"We don't have time to prepare; we must act now."

As if seeing Dou Changsheng's hesitation, the Iron-Armored Mad Lion spat out internal Qi from his palm like a cannonball. The door instantly exploded, shattering into pieces, with fragments and wood chips flying everywhere.

The Iron-Armored Mad Lion strode into the room, grabbed Dou Changsheng, and began to walk outside.

Just as they stepped out of the courtyard gate, they could see people in twos and threes on the street.

At the end of the street, a person appeared.

Riding a tall horse, carrying a package on his back, and wearing a curved blade at his waist like a crescent moon, his whole body was permeated with a murderous aura.

Curved blade, tall horse.

This was exactly the attire of a Saibei swordsman.

The existence that the original body yearned for. Junxian was a borderland, and outside the frontier was a vast expanse of flat land, a thousand miles of grassland—the very place where swordsmen roamed. They whistled like the wind, like a pack of wolves.

Among them, there were countless bandits, but also many true heroes.

Seeing this, the Iron-Armored Mad Lion laughed heartily, his thick beard spreading out, truly like a lion. He was the first to rush up, excitedly saying, "This time, the Great General of the North has been imprisoned, and many powerhouses from the Shogunate have gone to rescue him."

"They are even unable to transport military pay and have actually entrusted it to many Jianghu swordsmen."

"It seems the Shogunate doesn't trust the imperial court!"

"That's right. If the imperial court's powerhouses were to escort it, I'm afraid this military pay would be lost. The border army is boiling with resentment, and if someone were to provoke them, causing a mutiny, the Great General of the North would never be able to turn things around."

"The Northern Jin court is so unfair, suspicious of its great generals. Why don't you all join me in defecting to the Southern Chen and cultivate in the Heavenly Demon Palace?"

The swordsman's eyes revealed a fierce look as he scolded, "You were born in the North and have enjoyed the Great General's grace for many years. Instead of thinking of repaying it, you actually want to ruin the Shogunate's grand plan for your own selfish interests."

"Without the Great General sitting in the North, personally braving arrows and stones to resist the Hu Ren, the Hu Ren would have already moved south."

"You wolf-hearted and dog-lunged thing."

The long blade left its sheath, the blade momentum fierce, tearing through the air and emitting a cracking sound like a thunderclap.

This blade had extraordinary momentum.

The Iron-Armored Mad Lion galloped like the wind, like a heavy truck, fierce and tough. He threw a punch, the momentum heavy and powerful, his Postnatal internal Qi erupting like a gale.

A fierce collision sound rang out. The swordsman's long blade shattered, a gap appearing directly, while a bloodstain appeared on the Iron-Armored Mad Lion's finger.

Blood slowly overflowed, but soon stopped.

The Iron-Armored Mad Lion fought the iron blade with his bare hands, and in the end, only broke a layer of skin.

The swordsman's face changed drastically, and he said in shock and anger, "Steel muscles and iron bones, you are the Iron-Armored Mad Lion Wang Xiong."

"You are also a famous martial artist in this area. To actually rob official silver for a mere joke by the Demon Master, do you not know that from now on, there will be no place for you in the North? You will have to leave your hometown and go far away."

"Your former friends and relationships will all cease to exist."

The Iron-Armored Mad Lion stepped forward again and sneered, "I, Wang Xiong, have great talent, but I have no divine arts and no famous teachers. I can only practice this stupid skill. Even the most inferior Iron Cloth Shirt has allowed me to cultivate to perfection and earn the name Iron-Armored Mad Lion. But beneath this glory,"

"I have suffered countless hidden injuries. I am still young now, but when I get older and my blood and Qi decline, I will be like the few friends I know, lying in a sickbed every day, suffering from the stabbing pain in my bones every time it rains."

"We don't come from high backgrounds, can't afford medicinal herbs, and can't hire famous doctors. Every day, we massage to soothe ourselves. Practicing this external art, we can only rely on being beaten and working hard, day after day for ten years, getting up before dawn and practicing until late at night."

"I have lived until today, and I have no shortage of enemies. Even among those who are friendly to me, there are many with vicious minds. They are all waiting for the day I can't hold on and collapse."

"They will swarm up, bully my broken body, and roll away my money."

"I want to take the official silver as a token. I want to join the Heavenly Demon Palace. I just want to be a person above others."

"I've had enough of this poverty. Whether the Great General of the North lives or dies, what does it have to do with me?"

"As long as I eat well, drink well, have a mansion and a beautiful woman, that's enough."

Wang Xiong laughed, his laughter rampant, filled with arrogance, and he said with contempt, "Do you really think I don't know? You are just here to attract attention on the surface, while the Black Hei Hei Ying Zunzhe is following in secret."

"The Black Hei Hei Ying Zunzhe is a famous Jianghu figure within a hundred miles of Junxian, a senior of the righteous path. His internal Qi is incomparably thick, unlike someone like me who has only just completed the transition from external to internal."

"I, Wang Xiong, have the ability to stand firm, so naturally, I have my connections. Don't even think about it; the Black Hei Hei Ying Zunzhe won't be able to come."

Wang Xiong's wide palm, like a cattail fan, grabbed the horse's neck. The veins on his arm bulged like pythons, hideous and terrifying, and he forcibly dragged the horse to the ground.

The horse felt the pain and let out a painful whinny. One of its legs was successfully sprained, and it lost its ability to run.

The swordsman took the opportunity to leap up, but he didn't continue to tangle with Wang Xiong. Instead, like a large bird, he rushed directly toward the high wall beside the street, intending to escape.

After Wang Xiong crippled the horse, he looked at this scene with a mocking expression. He straightened his back, tall and burly, like an iron tower, filled with powerful oppression. He tore off the cloth on his back, and the thing that had been covered was revealed under the sunlight.

It was a long bow.

Wang Xiong grabbed the long bow and pulled it into a full moon.

Three arrows were shot out in an instant.

The arrows tore through the air, and the airflow affected by the arrowheads made a sharp sound. After the three arrows were shot, Wang Xiong took out another three arrows and pulled the long bow into a full moon.

The long bow was no ordinary bow; every time the bowstring jumped, it made a special sound.

Another three arrows were shot out. This time, all directions for the swordsman were blocked.

With a clang.

The swordsman's curved blade, which had a gap, struck one of the arrows.

The long blade trembled, and the swordsman's web between his thumb and index finger went numb. Feeling the force within, he said in disbelief, "Three Stars Piercing the Sun, this is a military masterpiece. Anyone who can master it can already serve as a commander of a hundred."

"You have steel muscles and iron bones, are impervious to blades and spears, and are skilled in both archery and swordsmanship. If you were in the army, you would definitely be a brave general. Now that the Hu Ren are powerful, you could achieve military merit by beheading generals and seizing flags. Why would you stoop to become a thief?"

Wang Xiong looked at the swordsman who had barely dodged, and at one of his legs, which had been shot by an arrow. The arrowhead had pierced through flesh and bone, the tip exposed, and blood was dripping from it.

Wang Xiong threw away the long bow in his hand, stepped forward, and said in a low voice, "I joined the army when I was young and achieved military merit by killing enemies, but I never received a share of the credit. Instead, I faced death many times, so I ran away."

"That's why I changed my name to Wang Xiong and began to make a name for myself in various counties, but I still couldn't see any opportunity."

"What military merit and nobility, killing enemies and achieving merit—I stopped believing in that long ago."

"If you want to rise to the top, you either need a background or someone who appreciates you."

"I just need to get this opportunity and join the Heavenly Demon Palace in Southern Chen. With my skills, I will definitely stand out."

"The demonic path, where the weak are the prey of the strong and only the fittest survive, is the most suitable for me."

"I said so much just to commemorate this day."

"Farewell to my weakness."

Wang Xiong looked down at the swordsman from above, held an arrow in his hand, and stabbed it toward the swordsman's chest.

The swordsman was naturally unwilling to accept this and began to resist, but everything was in vain. Wang Xiong's previous storm of arrow attacks had crippled one of the swordsman's legs and one of his arms, even though he had dodged the vital points.

Especially since the arm was the one holding the blade, the damage was too great for the swordsman.

Having lost his weapon and unable to move, he was completely a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Wang Xiong's expression was focused, his fierce eyes peeking in all directions, carefully guarding, fearing that the swordsman might have reinforcements in secret.

Despair appeared in the swordsman's eyes. The gap between the two sides was too great, and he had no power to resist. But in the end, the swordsman didn't wait for death. He had already dismantled the package he was carrying and grabbed it with his good hand.

As Wang Xiong's arrow fell, the swordsman used his last bit of strength to throw the package out.

The arrow pierced the swordsman's heart. Wang Xiong didn't care about the swordsman spitting blood, his gaze following the package, and he could clearly see it fall into the hands of a swordsman wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a long sword at his waist.

Wang Xiong revealed a smile, a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and said, "Good brother."

"Bring the thing over quickly and let me check it."

Dou Changsheng held the package with one hand.

He watched Wang Xiong expressionlessly. The scene that had just happened couldn't be called fast, nor could it be called slow.

This Iron-Armored Mad Lion, Wang Xiong, had skills even beyond his imagination: steel muscles and iron bones, impervious to blades and spears, and archery skills of Three Stars Piercing the Sun.

Such a person had ideals and justice in his heart and was destined to be bullied. But if he saw through everything, became ruthless, and shameless, he was destined to get ahead.

The Iron-Armored Mad Lion already possessed all the conditions for success; the only thing missing was an opportunity.

And now, that opportunity was in his hands.

Inside this package was a portion of the frontier army's military pay. It weighed about ten pounds, which couldn't be called very heavy, but the more so, the more it proved its preciousness.

The frontier army's military pay was an astronomical figure. Even a portion of it was a fortune that an ordinary person would never see in a lifetime.

Seeing that Dou Changsheng didn't hand it over, Wang Xiong's smile gradually disappeared, his expression solemn, his thick beard and hair standing on end. Wang Xiong, who had begun to get angry, produced a great sense of oppression, and his murderous intent was like substance.

His fierce eyes stared fixedly at Dou Changsheng, as if he would tear Dou Changsheng to pieces in the next moment.

Wang Xiong, revealing his fierce nature, had only taken one step forward when he heard a sigh.

Dou Changsheng sighed faintly, lowered his head slightly to adjust his bamboo hat, carried the package on his back, and then slowly drew the long sword at his waist.

The three-foot long sword was covered in rust, which clearly showed it hadn't been maintained properly, affecting the sharpness of the blade. The hand holding the hilt lifted slightly, and internal Qi spat out from his palm, beginning to rush out along the sword body.

Finally, at the tip of the sword, the internal Qi kept spitting out, like a ray of Qi.

After the internal Qi rushed out of the sword tip, it was about three inches long.

The three-inch Qi ray was pure white and arrogant.

A light laugh rang out: "You can rely on stupid external arts to complete the transition from external to internal, derive Postnatal internal Qi, and forge this body of steel muscles and iron bones."

"Your talent is not bad. If you had started cultivating since childhood like me, you would have the strength to fight now."

"It's a pity."

"These are all 'ifs', all imagination."

"I don't know if you can last one sword or two swords against my Primordial internal Qi?"

"I wonder if you can bring me a surprise."

Dou Changsheng walked toward Wang Xiong slowly, his posture free and easy, his long sword gesturing casually. His whole body was full of flaws, but his expression was calm and his words confident, proving his extraordinariness.

Wang Xiong took a step, then stopped. His eyes revealed astonishment, filled with thick disbelief.

Primordial internal Qi.

This was already rare, and given the other party's age, he looked relatively young, clearly under twenty.

At this age, to possess Primordial internal Qi was one in a million in the world. He was a dragon among men, and in the future, he would definitely have the ability to challenge the Human List.

Either he came from a prominent background, or he had apprenticed under a famous teacher.

Otherwise, no matter how good his talent was, without cultivation techniques or resources, it would be impossible to break through the Postnatal realm and become a Primordial martial artist before twenty.

Wang Xiong's face was extremely ugly, and he said with a bad expression, "I thought I had just hijacked an ordinary martial artist, but I didn't expect it to be the descendant of a famous sect."

"This time, it was I, Wang Xiong, who failed to recognize a hero."

"I wonder, sir, if you can spare me."

This was a probe.

Dou Changsheng heard it. He was pretending to be a disciple of a great sect, a proud son of heaven. If he said he would let him go directly, the other party would definitely realize something was wrong.

Dou Changsheng laughed lightly, "This time the official silver wasn't lost, only one swordsman died, so it's not a big deal."

"Kneel down, cripple your internal Qi, and prove your sincerity, and I can take you as a servant."

"Aren't you looking for an opportunity?"

"As long as you follow me and work for me, there will naturally be no shortage of opportunities in the future."

Wang Xiong suddenly raised his head and said in a low voice, "Martial power is the foundation of standing in the world."

"I don't trust you nobles."

"Besides, when I hijacked you, your complexion wasn't good, and there were traces of labor on your hands. You aren't someone who has been wealthy for a long time. You are bluffing."

"This Primordial internal Qi is fake."

Wang Xiong reached out, pulled out the arrow from the swordsman's chest, and flicked his thick arm. The arrow shot through the air, heading straight for Dou Changsheng.

Then he fled, looking back as he did so.

This was the final probe.

He rushed toward the long bow. If it was fake, he would immediately pick up the bow and kill him in return. ===== CHAPTER 3 =====