Six years of torment in the Black Prison.
All of it stemmed from the Lishui Gang, a grudge as deep as the ocean of blood.
But for now, there was no time to dwell on it.
The Wusheng Sect was at odds with the Lishui Gang. As long as he escaped into the territory of the Lishui Gang and stayed hidden, it would be at least ten times more difficult for the Wusheng Sect to track him down.
He headed north.
Following the line of Centipede Mountain, he ran as fast as he could, crossing five or six mountain ridges and covering about thirty to forty miles. Along the way, whenever he encountered plants like spider plants, ivy, aloe, mint, pothos, or waterweed—plants known for removing grease and odors—he plucked them all without hesitation.
He and Chen Shaohu had just escaped from the Black Prison.
Covered head to toe in iron-repellent grease, reeking unbearably. With such a strong stench, it would be easy to get exposed. Only by scrubbing their bodies repeatedly with those plants could they reduce their conspicuousness.
Passing by a village, Chen Jichuan stole two sets of coarse cloth clothing. In times like these, preserving their lives was the priority, and stealing clothes, however immoral, was something he had to do against his conscience.
The clothes were secured.
They were dozens of miles from Wusheng City, and the pursuers wouldn't come anytime soon.
Chen Jichuan led Chen Shaohu to a stream, where they discarded the cotton jackets they had worn for six straight years, rank and stiff with stench. Using the likes of spider plants and ivy, they scrubbed their bodies over and over until their skin nearly peeled, finally managing to remove much of their odor.
It was impossible to clean up entirely in one go.
But at least they no longer smelled so strongly that they could offend the wind from ten miles away.
Their hair was matted and impossible to untangle or clean.
So.
Chen Jichuan took a blade and shaved both his own head and Chen Shaohu's bald.
Immediately, they felt refreshed!
"Fourth Brother."
"Look at me!"
Chen Shaohu, dressed in the stolen clothes, rubbed his gleaming, smooth bald head, giggling foolishly.
It was summer now, and without the heavy burden of the perennial cotton jacket from the Black Prison, Chen Shaohu felt as though his body was much, much lighter, with a spring in his step.
The sixteen-year-old boy was visibly cheerful, pacing back and forth, swinging his arms in the oversized, loose-fitting clothes.
He was having the time of his life.
Chen Jichuan turned to look.
He noticed how, with that outfit, Chen Shaohu's slouched back and crooked posture made him seem even less upright. His hunched back and naturally short stature—combined with the pale, sickly complexion from years out of sunlight in the Black Prison—made him resemble a little old man.
Not dashing.
Not good-looking either.
But to oneself, one's kid is never ugly.
After laughing for a while, Chen Shaohu looked to his Fourth Brother.
Seeing his Fourth Brother standing tall, with a better-fitted set of clothes, a faint envy sparked within him.
Chen Jichuan also wore a gleaming bald head.
He had even shaved the fine hair from his jaw.
He looked sharp and capable.
Noticing Chen Shaohu's expression, Chen Jichuan read his thoughts. He walked closer and said, "What's there to envy? We came from the same father and mother. Once you work on straightening your posture and start learning martial arts, you'll be a handsome young man in no time. Then Fourth Brother will find you a wife."
As he said this, he ripped two strips of coarse cloth from the hem of Chen Shaohu's shirt and wrapped both their shiny bald heads.
"No rush for a wife."
"First, we need to find a place to hide, train our martial arts skills, and focus on staying alive."
Chen Shaohu rubbed his scalp, still unaccustomed to it. Hearing his Fourth Brother's words, he quickly shook his head.
He did want to get married.
But he also knew it wasn't the time to add burdens for himself or his brother. Moreover, being young and vengeful, he had suppressed his hatred in the Black Prison. Now that they had escaped, all he could think about was staying alive and getting revenge as soon as possible!
"I'm still young."
"I can wait a few years."
Chen Shaohu grinned, a sly gleam flashing in his eyes. "Right now, I'm not even good-looking. Any wife I find now would surely be ugly, too."
Chen Shaohu was no fool.
"Alright."
"No rush, then."
"A few years from now, we'll find you a beautiful and proper lady."
Chen Jichuan couldn't help but laugh aloud.
The two brothers chatted away.
After tidying everything, Chen Jichuan had Chen Shaohu burn the cotton jackets and hair in one big fire. They scattered the ashes into the stream.
Then Chen Jichuan carried Chen Shaohu on his back.
And the escape continued.
Though they had already covered thirty to forty miles, there was no guarantee they wouldn't be chased down. The stench on them earlier was so heavy that if a hunting dog with a sharp nose followed their trail, they could easily be tracked.
So they kept running.
This time,
they crossed several more mountain ridges. Only when the sky was completely dark did they stop to rest.
The summer was sweltering.
Even at night, there was only a hint of coolness, not a biting chill.
"Fourth Brother."
"I killed someone today. It felt amazing."
Chen Shaohu sat leaning against a tree, clutching a Goose Wing Blade in his arms. Recalling today's events outside Wusheng City, his heartbeat quickened slightly.
It wasn't tension.
Nor was it fear.
It was excitement, the ecstasy of revenge.
The Wusheng Sect didn't treat mine slaves like people, and neither did guards like Weii Guan or the other Black Armored soldiers. Chen Shaohu's heart was filled with hatred and bloodlust. After two months of waiting, he had finally killed someone, and his heart brimmed with satisfaction.
Strictly speaking,
out of the eight people from Weii Guan's group today, only one had been directly killed by Chen Shaohu, struck in the neck. Of the remaining seven, three were wounded by him, but the final killing blows were delivered by Chen Jichuan.
Even so,
Chen Shaohu couldn't hold in his excitement. During their daytime flight, it hadn't sunk in. Now, as he rested, his mind replayed the scenes over and over again. Thinking about it more, he felt a little ashamed: "At the time—"
He had been nervous today.
It was his first time killing someone.
His hands and feet had moved on their own, guided purely by instinct, and his mind hadn't fully registered everything. Otherwise, he was sure he could have single-handedly killed those four Black Armored soldiers without needing his Fourth Brother to assist.
"It's your first time."
"You did great."
Seeing Chen Shaohu reflect and chastise himself, Chen Jichuan smiled as he reassured him.
In truth,
Chen Shaohu's performance today had surprised him. Not everyone had the guts to pick up a blade and slash at another person.
"Next time."
"Next time I run into someone from the Wusheng Sect, I won't mess it up like this."
Chen Shaohu, dissatisfied with his performance, clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, silently vowing to himself. He turned to his Fourth Brother and said, "Once we find a hiding place, you have to teach me martial arts."
Today's battle,
had also made Chen Shaohu realize the importance of melee combat.
He had the Fire Control Technique, mysterious and powerful. But once someone got close to him with a blade, he could do little more than spew flames to scare them off.
When that man slashed at him earlier, his heart nearly leaped out of his chest in terror.
He had made up his mind.
He had to master martial arts. He couldn't rely solely on the Fire Control Technique.
"Alright."
"I'll teach you."
Chen Jichuan nodded, though his mind was already racing: "Martial arts training—"
Practicing martial arts wasn't easy.
Hardship and willpower were things Chen Shaohu wouldn't lack.
But beyond that, martial training required space, equipment, herbs, and plentiful food like grains, vegetables, poultry, eggs, and meat....
All these required money and resources.
"Ever since leaving the Black Prison, I've yet to see if Spirit Stones can still be found."
"I'll have to conserve my Source Power as much as possible."
"Training in martial arts works best when the body is well-fed and supplemented with herbs. Source Power should come only after that."
Chen Jichuan calculated carefully.
He had a decent amount of Source Power left.
But for now, it was like water without a spring—if he squandered it as recklessly as he did in the Black Prison, it would run out sooner or later. Compared to the convenience of rapidly enhancing his strength, the healing properties of Source Power were far more vital to him.
As he pondered,
Chen Jichuan's thoughts turned to Great Chu.
He had been imprisoned in the Black Prison for six years. Over those six years, Great Chu had undergone massive upheavals. Jianghu sects, which once operated in secrecy and were unseen by the common folk, had surfaced and replaced the government. They occupied counties, seized control of regions, and established armies.
For instance, the Wusheng Sect.
Under their command were the Wusheng Army, the Black Armored Army, and the Heavenly Wave Army. Though the Black Armored Army only had three hundred members and the Heavenly Wave Army was barely a few dozen strong, the Wusheng Army numbered an impressive five thousand.
This didn't even include the disciples and minions of the Wusheng Sect.
Calling it a sect,
but in reality, it was a veritable warlord faction.
Equipped with martial arts masters, along with those possessing 'abnormal skills' and 'abnormal physiologies.'
The changes,
were something Chen Jichuan needed time to fully comprehend.
"First, we'll head to Yangshuo County and settle down before sorting it all out."
Chen Jichuan made up his mind.
Suddenly, he noticed it had gone quiet near him.
Turning his head,
he saw Chen Shaohu with his head lowered—he had already fallen asleep.
After being carried by Chen Jichuan for much of the day, Chen Shaohu's body wasn't physically drained, but over a month's worth of tension, elation, and mental fatigue had pushed him to his limit.
When they first stopped,
he had been animated, chatting spiritedly with Chen Jichuan. But as he spoke, drowsiness crept in and overcame him without him realizing it.
"After all the suffering in the prison, today marks the start of better days."
Chen Jichuan glanced at him, his heart growing lighter, and couldn't help but feel moved.
A moment later,
he steadied his mind and refocused.
Escaping the Black Prison didn't mean all dangers were behind them. Great Chu was in chaos, and surviving in these turbulent times would still require great effort and vigilance in the days ahead.
No room for negligence.
With that thought, he entered the Great Yann World.
...