Chapter 22: Two Months Later

In the mountains, there is no calendar; one passes the days without knowing the year.

Two months of time passed in the blink of an eye.

Deep in the mountains, the small wooden cabin that Song Cheng and Tong Jia had built was originally solitary, but now, sixty-eight small cabins stood in the surrounding area.

Around the cabins were bamboo fences; the wooden stake fences circled twice, truly forming a secluded village cut off from the human world.

The people in the village were all those rescued from the foot of the mountain that day.

Ever since Song Cheng killed the bandits, the villagers dared not return to their village, so they drifted along with Song Cheng to this place.

Among the villagers, there were those who wanted to detour to the county town, but Song Cheng decisively refused.

For those who possess Chang Sheng Bu Lao, lifespan is not the issue; danger is.

As long as one can stay in a place without danger and develop steadily, one should stay until the end of time.

If this were not the world of "Jue Jin Jin Jin," Song Cheng felt he could have built a "Peach Blossom Spring" here; after hundreds of years, if someone were to arrive by chance, he could recite two lines: "To avoid the chaos of war, I led my wife and villagers to this isolated place, never to return."

Early in the morning, Song Cheng walked through this newly built small village.

The villagers, who had formed a new community, greeted him one after another.

"Master Song."

"Old sister-in-law, why are you calling me Master Song? Just call me Brother Cheng."

"Morning, Master Song."

"Uncle, why are you joining in the fun?"

"Master Song is in such high spirits."

"Big sister, didn't you stop calling me that before?"

This form of address had changed from "Brother Cheng" to "Master Song" ever since the day Song Cheng killed the bandits on that snowy night.

Song Cheng was also quite helpless.

The title "Master Song" made him feel exceptionally awkward.

Not to mention anything else, many of the people he saved were familiar with him, including the former "Caihua Sao," "Baojin Sao," and "Chen Sao."

These old sisters-in-law could be his mother, yet now they were all calling him "Master Song, Master Song."

He had declined several times, but there were still those who addressed him this way; he was not angry, just earnestly correcting them.

On the other side, there were some people who were much better.

"Brother Song, the farmland has already been cleared, just waiting for the early spring to sow. We have also prepared the grain seeds; they should be sufficient."

"Brother Cheng, the wild trees on that plot of land to the north have been cleared away, and the view has indeed opened up a lot."

Song Cheng was amiable with everyone, chatting and nodding with each person he met.

After walking two more steps, a beautiful young girl wrapped in a fur coat suddenly walked over.

Song Cheng recognized her; this was Miss Guan Xi.

He had already heard Guan Xi's story many times over.

The grain merchant from the county town belonged to a chamber of commerce named the "Ruyi Chamber of Commerce."

The Ruyi Chamber of Commerce happened to be in the midst of a "Battle for the Seal" among the younger generation; whoever could hold the seal would be the head of the chamber.

Originally, this competition was not considered intense because the one who handled daily affairs was the Young Miss, while that eldest young master simply ate, drank, and played, having no intention of holding the seal. Both sides had a tacit understanding.

However, at the beginning of last year, a move by the Great Shang Dynasty caused the two descendants of the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce to fall into complete madness.

The Great Shang Dynasty wanted to dig the Yunhe!

Connecting the north and south, linking thousands of rivers, not even the small rivers of every village were spared.

In this way, all kinds of trade for the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce had "visible" prospects, and the richness of the profits was unimaginable.

Consequently, the eldest young master also wanted to seize power.

The two sides began to fight fiercely.

The eldest young master had no real ability but plenty of crooked ways; he didn't know how to make money, but he was quite adept at causing trouble.

His strategy for taking the position was to "make the Young Miss's trade fail."

During a critical grain shipment to the counties in the North Land, the Young Miss sensed something was wrong, so she played along, sending her trusted aide Guan Xi to transport fake grain that was "grain on the outside, chaff on the inside."

Guan Xi had an excellent relationship with the Young Miss; since she was the one sent, the eldest young master naturally took it for real and made his arrangements.

Sure enough, Guan Xi was robbed.

Meanwhile, the Young Miss herself arrived later but reached the destination first, transporting the real goods along a different route; now, the dust should have settled, and she would be in control of the chamber.

Guan Xi was here to persuade him to go back.

However, he did not know how to return.

Leave from Tanghe Village? Yun E might not kill him, but would she not kill others?

Detour to the front mountain and go to the county town?

The long journey might hold even greater crises, and before he could fully develop, he did not intend to try it rashly.

What's more, the village now had the beginnings of a scale; even if he wanted to move, the commoners here would not easily agree. Besides, this environment was actually the most suitable for practicing cultivation in peace.

Many thoughts flashed by, and before Guan Xi could speak, Song Cheng apologized and said, "Let's wait a little longer."

Guan Xi let out a long sigh, feeling helpless; after all, she also knew that if they returned rashly, she feared how many people would die.

He returned to the wooden cabin located at the heart of the village.

Song Cheng grabbed a "meatball" from the tray on the table and tossed it into his mouth.

This was made by the Young Mistress of the household, who utilized medicinal herbs and mixed them with fish meat to make meatballs.

Song Cheng smacked his lips twice.

To be honest, the first time he ate these meatballs, it was quite novel, but eating them too often was truly unpleasant.

He also wanted to eat something with salt, and even more, he wanted to eat rice and flour... but there was none.

Song Cheng sat on a wooden chair by the window and glanced at his strength: 18~31.

He looked at the panel again:

【Add Points: 403 points】

【Cultivation Methods】

White Snake Blade (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion) Mysterious Turtle Step (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion) (Compatible with White Snake Blade)

【Skills】

Pagoda Meditation Method (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion)

Among them, both "White Snake Blade" and "Pagoda Meditation Method" had a "+" behind them.

For the former, after "Mysterious Turtle Step" reached Completion, the probability of deducing a "Yellow Grade Grade C" cultivation method doubled, becoming "2%", and the points required for one deduction were "3 points".

For the latter, the success rate remained "10%", and the points required for one deduction were also "3 points"; this was very strange.

Song Cheng's plan was to "accumulate points and perform a rapid ten-consecutive-draw".

Now, he had 403 points, enough to deduce 134 times.

He wanted to deduce "White Snake Blade" first, and after succeeding and increasing his hard power, he would then deduce "Pagoda Meditation Method".

Even so, looking at the points he had painstakingly collected over two months, he still felt a bit of heartache.

However, he knew that "reading cultivation methods of the same level and referring to the ideas of other cultivation methods can increase the success rate of deduction." Although that Tiger Roar Blade conflicted with his cultivation method, it had provided him with a 1% chance; otherwise, Song Cheng would not be at "2%" right now.

"Forget it, in this world, cultivation methods are extremely precious. Who knows how much effort it would take and how many risks one would have to endure to borrow one from someone else's house.

What's more, I am still in the deep mountains. If the chance is low, so be it; it's not as if it's non-existent."

Song Cheng's heart was as still as water; he felt a sense of having a mild syndrome.

At this moment, the wooden window beside him was propped open by a rod, and a gust of warm wind suddenly came from outside, blowing his sideburns, as if implying that winter had passed and early spring had arrived.

The frozen soil became moist, the accumulated snow in some damp places thawed, and the stream behind the house expanded to more than double its width.

Song Cheng was just about to Add Points when he suddenly sniffed and then frowned.

The smell of rot was getting heavier.

In deep winter, it was only there occasionally.

But once spring arrived, it suddenly became intense.

Song Cheng had actually gone to check this smell with the villagers before, but they had found nothing.

Some said the smell drifted out from underground, and others said it flowed out from caves deep in the mountains and forests.

Song Cheng vigilantly scanned his surroundings again, but did not see that glaring, terrifying "red".

He pondered for a while and muttered in his heart: "Forget it, Add Points first."

The following is the complete status after 2 months: 【Name: Song Cheng】

【Talent: Chang Sheng Bu Lao】

【Add Points: 403 points】

【Realm: Yellow Grade Grade D】

【Cultivation Methods】

White Snake Blade (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion) Mysterious Turtle Step (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion)

Tiger Roar Blade (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Not Yet Initiated) (0/2) (Conflicts with existing cultivation methods) 【Skills】

White Snake Blade Combat Method (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion) Pagoda Meditation Method (Yellow Grade Grade D) (Completion)

【Taboo】

1. Blessing of the Drowned Ghost...

Among these, Wood-Chopping Axe Method increased naturally.

"Mysterious Turtle Step" is a supplement to White Snake Blade and has no combat method.

(End of this chapter)