Cultivating for Immorality: I Evolved Martial Arts into the Immortal Path – Chapter 111

Chapter 111: Qin’s Chamber of Commerce

The cold wind howled, and the mountains were treacherous.

Carrying a large bundle on his back, Chu Liang traversed mountains and ridges, having walked in the mountains for several days now.

These days had been relatively smooth, without encountering any ranked Great Demons, not even Small Demons.

Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, he reached the outermost edge of this mountain forest.

A main road lay in the distance ahead.

This main road connected the county town with the prefectural city.

As long as he stepped onto the main road, he could follow it back to the county town.

“It’s been two months since I returned. I wonder how the county town is doing.”

Standing on the mountainside, Chu Liang gazed at the distant main road, a sense of nostalgia washing over him, as if a lifetime had passed.

Living in the mountains for so long, surrounded by nature and wild beasts.

Unknowingly, he had lost a bit of his humanity.

Now, Chu Liang was dressed in clothes made of demon beast hides, a long string of demon beast teeth hanging around his neck, his hair messy, and his beard unkempt, looking like a savage.

Although he often jumped into rivers and streams to clean himself, conditions were limited, and he couldn’t clean himself as thoroughly as he could in the county town.

“Crack!”

He leaped down, stepping on the ground covered with dead branches and fallen leaves, heading towards the main road.

The winter wind howled and swirled through the forest, blowing his messy long hair.

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, the flat and wide main road was already close at hand.

At this moment, Rat Two, responsible for reconnaissance and vigilance, sent a message: “Master, a group of people is about to pass by.”

“Oh? Are they from the county town?” Chu Liang asked.

“Yes, there are twenty carriages, more than sixty people, and a few of them are holding flags with the character ‘Qin’ written on them. It looks like they are from the Qin Clan Merchant Guild in the county town.”

“Qin Clan Merchant Guild…”

Chu Liang murmured, the description of this force emerging in his mind.

There were four Skin Tempering Realm experts in the county town, three of whom held positions in the county government, the Martial Alliance, and the Black Market, respectively.

The last one was the leader of the Qin Clan Merchant Guild.

This Qin Clan Merchant Guild was the only merchant guild in the county town, connected to various grain merchants, cloth shops, restaurants, and other businesses in the county town.

The Qin Family was the wealthiest family in the county town, with mountains of gold and jade and immense wealth. It was said that the bed of the Qin Family Master was paved with silver, and the bed curtains were woven with gold thread.

Chu Liang had heard many rumors about the Qin Family in the county town.

Especially every time he went to Tie Niu’s family’s noodle shop to eat, Tie Niu would always talk about the life of the Qin Family members with envy.

Last time he went, Tie Niu said to Chu Liang: “Big Brother Chu, I heard that the Qin Family’s children eat very well. They have demon beast meat every meal, as much as they want. I wish I was born into the Qin Family. Sigh… But if I was born into the Qin Family, what would happen to my current parents? I’m afraid they might have an unfilial child…”

Chu Liang understood Tie Niu’s feelings very well. In his previous life, he often wondered what it would be like if he were born into a wealthy family.

But there are no ifs in life. One can only strive for a better future.

He carried the large bundle and walked step by step towards the main road.

Before he got close, the people from the Qin Clan Merchant Guild spotted him.

One of them shouted, “Who’s there?”

“A hunter,”

Chu Liang replied.

The man asked again, “What’s your name?”

“Chu Liang.”

“Chu Liang?”

Upon hearing this name, the people of the Qin Clan Merchant Guild were all stunned.

They looked at each other. They had heard this name a lot recently, so much that their ears were almost calloused.

“Are you that Chu Liang from the Autumn Blade Martial Arts Hall?” the man asked loudly.

“I am,” Chu Liang replied.

“You’re not dead?”

“Why do you ask?”

“There are rumors all over the county town. Many people say you died at the hands of demon beasts.”

“I see. Thank you for informing me.”

Chu Liang understood. It was normal for such rumors to appear since he hadn’t shown himself for over two months.

He stepped on the dead branches and rotten leaves, continuing to walk.

After a while, his vision cleared, and he finally reached the side of the road.

Not far away, the group from the Qin Clan Merchant Guild was on guard.

They wouldn’t easily believe Chu Liang’s identity, especially after seeing Chu Liang’s savage-like appearance, their faces became even more cautious.

Many guards raised their bows and crossbows, aiming sharp arrows at Chu Liang.

“You say you are Chu Liang. Do you have any proof?” one of them asked.

“I do,”

Chu Liang nodded and took out a bronze-colored token from his bosom.

Upon seeing this token, a few people in the caravan had a slight change in their expressions.

A Black Market Amnesty Token!

Only four people in the entire county town possessed one, three of whom were Skin Tempering Realm experts, including their Qin Family’s leader.

The fourth person was Chu Liang!

Unless they had a death wish, hardly anyone would dare to forge a Black Market Amnesty Token.

With this token, their doubts about Chu Liang’s identity were dispelled.

A woman suddenly spurred her horse forward a few steps and asked in a clear voice, “Chu Liang, where have you been these past two months?”

“Hunting in the mountains,”

Chu Liang put away the Black Market Amnesty Token and looked carefully at the person who asked the question.

The woman was dressed in black, with delicate features, a long sword at her waist, one hand resting on the hilt, and the other holding the reins, exuding a heroic aura.

“Where are you going? Are you going to the prefectural city?” the woman asked again.

“You’re going to the prefectural city?” Chu Liang asked in return.

“Yes. If you’re going, we can travel together,” the woman nodded slightly and said, “I see you have quite a harvest. You can sell it for a good price in the prefectural city.”

◈◈◈

“That would be good,”

Chu Liang’s mind stirred. He had never been to the prefectural city before. It would be good to see it.

He had heard that the prefectural city was far more prosperous than the county town, with numerous shops, bustling traffic, and a constant flow of merchants.

Even at night, the prefectural city was brightly lit, with lanterns hanging high, bustling with activity, unlike the quietness of the county town at night.

These people from the Qin Clan Merchant Guild often traveled between the county town and the prefectural city and were familiar with the route. It would be best to travel with them.

The woman instructed the people beside her, “Find a carriage for Chu Liang and a good horse for him.”

“Yes!”

The people of the Qin Clan Merchant Guild moved quickly and soon cleared an empty carriage for Chu Liang.

Chu Liang cupped his hands in thanks and then placed his large bundle on the carriage.

He mounted a horse himself and thanked the woman separately, “Thank you. I haven’t asked for your name yet.”

“Qin Yu.”

“So it’s Young Miss Qin. I was blind.”

Chu Liang was enlightened.

He had heard this name from Tie Niu before.

Before Chu Liang, the title of the county town’s number one genius belonged to this Young Miss Qin Yu.

She had already condensed her second strand of Qi and Blood two years ago, possessing considerable strength and outstanding talent. Now, she might have already condensed her third strand of Qi and Blood.

Qin Yu’s eyes were calm as she carefully sized up Chu Liang for a few moments, then said, “The mountains have been quite dangerous lately. You’re quite bold to venture into the mountains alone.”

“I was just training in the outer mountains, I didn’t go deep,” Chu Liang said.

“That bundle of yours is sewn with demon beast hides. You can’t encounter so many demon beasts in the outer mountains.”

“Miss Qin has a good eye,”

Chu Liang smiled, noncommittal.

The two rode their horses forward, slowly conversing.

Before long, the sun set, and night arrived. The caravan could no longer proceed.

Everyone stopped and lit a bonfire on the side of the road. Some rested while others began to stand guard around them.

“Pay attention, everyone! Stay alert!”

In the caravan, a middle-aged man named Qin Zhong was responsible for security.

He carried a large saber, inspected the surrounding forest, and then returned to remind the other guards on duty.

The distance between the county town and the prefectural city was very long.

On the road, they not only had to be careful of attacks from wild beasts and demon beasts but also had to be wary of various bandits.

Bandits were extremely ruthless and brutal. Once they found an opportunity, they would not only rob the goods but also massacre the entire caravan.

“Crackle…”

Under the night sky, the firelight flickered, occasionally emitting a few sparks.

Chu Liang didn’t need to stand guard.

He was given a mat and a cotton blanket, allowing him to rest well for the night.

For the past two months, he had almost always rested in caves and on tree trunks, having to be vigilant at all times.

Of course, the two little rats didn’t rest, acting as Chu Liang’s personal guards.

Before long, Rat One quietly sent a message to Chu Liang: “Master, those Qin Family members are talking about you.”

Chu Liang rested his hands behind his head, lying on the mat, silently recalling the scene of encountering those two Great Demons earlier.

As for the discussions of others, he didn’t care.

Let them talk all they want.

On a mountainside not far from the bonfire, Qin Yu was talking with Qin Zhong and other guards.

Qin Zhong said in a low voice, “Young Miss, this Chu Liang is just an outsider. Why did you let him join our Qin Family’s caravan?”

“Yeah, Young Miss, Chu Liang even took up one of our carriages, slowing us down,” another guard said.

“What’s the delay?”

Qin Yu glanced at the other guards lightly and said to them, “It’s just one more person.”

“But he’s not one of us after all,” said a younger Qin Family disciple.

“One shouldn’t be narrow-minded. For the Qin Family to grow stronger, we can’t rely solely on our own people,” Qin Yu said calmly. “Besides, bandits have been rampant lately. He’s quite strong. Having him with us isn’t a bad thing.”

“Young Miss, we, the Qin Family members, work well together. We can repel bandits if we encounter them. I’m just afraid that Chu Liang might act on his own and disrupt our coordination,” Qin Zhong worried.

“Don’t overthink it,”

Qin Yu shook her head slightly and said, “Chu Liang is, after all, the number one genius in the county town. He can’t be that bad.”

“Young Miss, you are clearly the number one genius!” the young Qin Family disciple said indignantly. “It’s just that the outside world doesn’t know your strength. Otherwise, how could that title of number one genius fall on Chu Liang?”

“Don’t worry about empty titles,”

Qin Yu looked at him, her voice calm, and admonished, “Qin An, you care too much about these things. You haven’t focused on your cultivation, and your Qi and Blood growth has been slow. You still haven’t condensed your second strand of Qi and Blood.”

“Oh…”

The young disciple named Qin An lowered his head, not daring to refute.

The other Qin Family disciples remained silent, fearing they might attract a lecture.

What they didn’t know was… on a large tree nearby, Rat Two was quietly watching them, transmitting all their words to Rat One through their mental connection.

The two little rats were also communicating with each other.

Rat Two analyzed rationally, “I thought these Qin Family disciples were going to attack Master. Now it seems they’re just dissatisfied. Rat One, what do you think?”

Rat One expressed, “This Qin Family Young Miss is so pretty.”

Rat Two: “……”