Chapter 1

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

AD 2657. Earth was riddled with craters. Mankind discovered the first planet with extraterrestrial life. The Human Federation was established. The Interstellar Age was set in motion.

AD 3910. The Human Federation discovered the 36th planet inhabited by life. The footprints of humanity were spread across the Milky Way.

For more than 1,200 years of interstellar exploration and colonization, explorers suffered heavy casualties due to the harsh interstellar environment.

AD 3920. The Federal Expedition Team discovered a Celestial Pebble and made it a server.

After 80 years, the large-scale virtual online game “Primitive” came into being.

AD 4000. A new era began. “Primitive” entered its beta testing phase.

With 36 inhabited planets, hundreds of billions of federal citizens, countless game studios and other large-scale organizations, “Primitive” prospered.

…

In the vast starry sky, a transport ship was moving.

In the transport ship was the cargo heading toward Planet 35 of the Federation, which, among many other goods, held 10,000 log-in devices for the game “Primitive”.

Suddenly, interstellar pirates appeared. A skirmish ensued. The transport ship blew up.

A quantum fissure appeared on the battlefield. A log-in ring miraculously survived, fell into the fissure, and vanished without a trace.

…

Jiuzhai County.

Blackwood Village.

Blackwood Village was surrounded by mountains and water. To the south was the mighty Sunglitter River. Mountains were present in the east, west, and north. Blackwood Village was located at the foot of the northern face of Blackwood Mountain.

On this day…

Lu Qingfeng had irrigated all the five acres of terraced fields on the west side of the mountain one by one. Then he hurriedly hauled his exhausted body back to Blackwood Village

His younger sister, Lu Qingyu, was holding two empty buckets and constantly gossiping as she walked behind Lu Qingfeng.

“Well, Qingshan sure has been comfortable today. He didn’t work for the entire day.

“I’m afraid the Truth Sect will have some issues with him too. If they come in the morning, Qingshan won’t be able to slack off in the afternoon.

“With that small physique that he has, he will definitely fail the Truth Sect’s trial. Even if he does pass the trial, I will not allow him to go.”

Lu Qingyu was scrawny and little. Exposed to the wind and sun all year round, she looked like a slave girl who had not yet grown up. She appeared to be only seven or eight years old, but the truth was she was about to turn 12.

As they walked along, many villagers in coarse linen garments were working hard around them. These people all were pale and absolutely no glow on their faces at all. They looked just like walking corpses.

Lu Qingyu’s energetic babblings seemed rather out of tune with the surrounding ambiance.

She was carrying the empty buckets and hobbling along without a trace of sorrow on her countenance.

“It sure is nice to be you.”

A thread of tenderness slipped through the depths of Lu Qingfeng’s heart, encouraging him to extend his hands to take over the burden Lu Qingyu had been carrying.

“No, Qingfeng, I can manage. I’m not Qingshan, you know.”

Lu Qingyu avoided his hands nimbly with a triumphant look on her tiny face.

“Don’t let your second brother hear you talk like that, or he’ll be so p*ssed that he’ll refuse to eat again.” Lu Qingfeng couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hmph, that’s even better. You and I will get more food to eat in that case.”

Lu Qingyu wrinkled up her nose. She had completely different attitudes toward her eldest and her second brother.

Just as Lu Qingfeng was about to speak again, a teenager about 15 to 16 years of age came running toward them.

“Zhou Quan!”

Lu Qingyu’s expression abruptly altered. She quickly grabbed a black wooden hoe from the empty bucket and put on a vigilant look, “What are you up to?”

Lu Qingfeng clasped the hatchet in his sleeve and looked at the boy with the same wary look.

“No, no, no! I’m up to nothing!”

The young man who they’d addressed as Zhou Quan trembled a little as his eyes noticed Lu Qingfeng’s left sleeve. He said immediately, “Lu Qingfeng, I’m here to deliver a piece of good news. Qingshan has been selected by the Sage from the Truth Sect and is about to go to Ganoderma Mountain very soon!”

Zhou Quan rubbed his palms together and smiled, not daring to look into Lu Qingfeng’s eyes.

When he had been younger, relying on his large body size, he’d often bullied Lu Qingfeng and his siblings. In the end, Lu Qingfeng had smashed a hatchet into his back, which had left him bedridden for more than two months.

From that day onward, he had no longer been bold enough to provoke the Lu siblings. When he encountered Lu Qingfeng, he would even walk around him.

Now Lu Qingfeng had hit the jackpot. His brother had been selected by a Sage of the Truth Sect and might very well become a Sage himself in the future. As Zhou Quan’s parents were worried that Lu Qingshan could hold a grudge against him, they had let Zhou Quan take the initiative to pass the good news to Lu Qingfeng.

“My second brother has been selected by the Truth Sect? For real?”

Lu Qingyu’s eyes widened. Holding the hoe tightly in her hands, she shouted at Zhou Quan, “Bullsh*t!”

“Qingyu!”

Lu Qingfeng stopped Lu Qingyu from speaking and turned to Zhou Quan and said, “Thanks. We got it.”

Lu Qingyu stood angrily behind Lu Qingfeng with her eyes still staring at Zhou Quan.

“Is there anything else?” Seeing that Zhou Quan was not leaving yet, Lu Qingfeng asked with a frown.

“I…”

Upon seeing Lu Qingfeng, Zhou Quan felt chills at his back. The words his parents had told him to say were stuck in his mouth because he was too afraid to speak them out.

“You’re such a granny!”

Lu Qingyu took her hoe and used it to intimidate Zhou Quan.

However, it was Lu Qingfeng who Zhou Quan feared, not that little girl.

“Get moving if you’re not gonna say anything else.”

Lu Qingfeng was annoyed.

“I’ll speak.”

“Lu Qingfeng, Qingyu is about to turn 12 soon, right? My parents…” Mustering all his courage, Zhou Quan started saying what his parents had told him to say.

“Scram!”

Lu Qingfeng took a step forward and shouted at him.

Zhou Quan got goosebumps from head to toe. He caught a glimpse of the hatchet hidden inside Lu Qingfeng’s sleeve and was so terrified that he was rendered speechless as he went fleeing back to the village.

“Qingfeng, what does the fact that I’m turning 12 have to do with him? Is that guy asking for a beating again? You don’t have to do anything this time, Big Brother. Qingshan and I will find some time to teach him a big, big lesson!”

Lu Qingyu was dark-skinned and scrawny, but the words that came out of her mouth were in complete contrast to her small appearance. As she spoke, she had even raised her hoe and was trying to look intimidating.

“It’s all right. Let’s hurry up and get home.”

Lu Qingfeng had muddled through the topic of Zhou Quan, helped Lu Qingyu carry the empty buckets, and hurried back to the village. Lu Qingyu blinked her eyes and trotted behind him.

…

The two swiftly returned to Blackwood Village.

Blackwood Village was bubbling with noise, which was rare. On the faces of each and every villager there seemed to be a new kind of glow. When they saw the sibling pair, Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingyu, coming back, they competed against each other to go and greet them.

“With Qingshan entering the Truth Sect, he will amount to something in a few years. He will become a Sage in the eyes of these people. I’m Qingshan’s only brother, and that’s why these people are coming to fawn over me.

“Zhou Quan coming to break the news to me was also a gesture of goodwill.

“He even had some bright ideas about Qingyu!”

Lu Qingfeng was very clear in his heart and insightful toward what was going on with these people.

Unwilling to get caught up with them, he led Lu Qingyu in a rush back home.

“The Lu family’s second child has been selected by a Sage from the Truth Sect. They may consider themselves to be striking a fortune.”

“Yeah! Who would have expected that after Lu Shitou was gone, he would leave behind such a brilliant son?”

“Enough of that! The Lu family’s eldest son is a vicious one, but their second one is miles different from him. At the Truth Sect, I wonder if he will last for even a few days?”

The onlookers watched as Lu Qingfeng and Lu Qingyu headed home, and soon they started gossiping in low voices.

In Blackwood Village, houses were mostly made of wood and stone.

The Central Area contained the dwellings of Landlord Old Cai, the person who oversaw Blackwood Village. In contrast, the house of the siblings, Lu Qingfeng, Lu Qingshan, and Lu Qingyu, was on the farthest outskirts of Blackwood Village. If wild beasts decided to attack the village, the Lu family would be the first to be met with catastrophe.

With people at the periphery used as the buffers, those in the Central Area would have enough time to respond.

The three siblings’ house was built of the Black Wood that came from Blackwood Mountain located due north of Blackwood Village. It was the wood that gave the area its name. Black Wood was strong, sturdy, and outside of its depressing appearance, it also offered shelter from the wind and rain.

There were two rooms in the house.

The one inside was a bedroom with two beds, a large one and a small one. The room outside it was the kitchen, which was rather rudimentary.

“Qingfeng!”

As soon as they arrived at their home, they saw a teenage boy, who was similar to Lu Qingfeng in appearance, squatting at the door with his chin supported on his hand. Noticing them coming, he immediately jumped to his feet.

This young man was about 13 or 14 years of age. He looked rather silly and also like a slave boy. He was Lu Qingfeng’s younger brother, the second brother who Lu Qingyu had been referring to.

“Qingfeng, I don’t wanna go to Ganoderma Mountain!”

At this moment, after all the shocks, Lu Qingshan was in a state of utter stupefaction. He reached out his hand to grab Lu Qingfeng’s arm. His voice was weepy and hoarse.

“You’re a man, but all you ever know how to do is to cry! If crying could solve a problem, I’d cry every day!”

Lu Qingyu indignantly threw her hoe at the corner of the wall and shouted at Lu Qingshan.

“Qingfeng, please help me, I really don’t wanna go to Ganoderma Mountain! The Truth Sect are a bunch of b*stards. I don’t wanna go!” Lu Qingshan ignored his sister and pleaded with Lu Qingfeng while grabbing his arm.

“Stop saying things aloud like you hate the Truth Sect. Just keep that in your heart.”

Lu Qingfeng glanced outside the door and gave Lu Qingshan a solemn look, which immediately made him stand up straight.

Lu Qingyu squatted in the corner and said in a crisp voice, “Yeah. Big brother has taught you so many times, but still you refuse to listen. Revenge is not something you can execute with just your mouth. You have to keep it in your heart and prove it by action!”

“Who said that I don’t have it in my heart.”

Lu Qingshan was so p*ssed that he could not even speak.

“Enough, keep quiet, Qingyu.” Lu Qingfeng shut up Lu Qingyu, who was about to counterattack. He turned to Lu Qingshan and said solemnly, “The Truth Sect selects disciples and slaves from Jiuzhai County every year. Since you passed their selection process, you cannot run away even if you wish to. You must go even if you really don’t want to. You only have a little time left to pack your luggage. From now on, I ask, you answer, I talk, you listen. Don’t interrupt me, do you understand?”

Lu Qingfeng grabbed Lu Qingshan’s shoulder and tried to calm himself down so that he did not display any panic in front of his younger brother.

“Qingfeng, I…I’ll listen to you.”

Lu Qingshan’s eyes were red. Holding back his tears, he forcefully nodded his head.

“Qingyu, don’t interrupt me either.”

Lu Qingfeng looked at Lu Qingyu, who was sitting in the corner.

“Got it.” Lu Qingyu nodded her tiny head.

“Qingshan, have you been selected by the Truth Sect as a formal disciple or a labor disciple?” Lu Qingfeng turned to look at Lu Qingshan and asked.

“Labor disciple.”

“The guy from the Truth Sect said that my qualities were average, so I could just barely make it as a Truth Sect’s labor disciple.”

In Lu Qingshan’s heart, he was afraid and confused. Whatever questions his elder brother asked, he would answer.

“Labor disciple! I knew it!”

Lu Qingfeng frowned as his heart sank right to the bottom of his stomach.

In the Truth Sect, disciples were classified as formal disciples and labor disciples. Among these two, a formal disciple was an existence that could reach a higher level in their studies and hold extraordinary positions in the Truth Sect.

The labor disciples, on the other hand, were equivalent to slaves of the Truth Sect. Although they could also be bestowed with the gift of martial arts techniques, they would have to do labor work for the Truth Sect, tend to their herb gardens, or be responsible for various miscellaneous trivialities.

If they accidentally offended a formal disciple, deacon, or elder, they would be beaten to death with no compensation for their families.

The life of labor disciples was the lowliest of all existences…

If Lu Qingshan had joined the Truth Sect as a formal disciple, at least he would still have had a master to provide him with some form of protection, but as a labor disciple, he would be entirely on his own while he must strive in his cultivation, become a formal disciple as soon as possible, and get rid of his status as a labor disciple.

But cultivating and becoming a formal disciple was by no means an easy task!

“Qingshan, listen to me closely. From today onward, you must not show any of your hatred about father’s death in front of anyone. When you go to the Truth Sect, all you have to care about is to cultivate. This is both a crisis and a challenge. As long as you do well in your cultivation and become a formal disciple of the Truth Sect, there will be hope for revenge.”

“That being said, before we can have our great revenge, do not let yourself do anything reckless and impulsive!”

“Only if you survive in the Truth Sect will Qingyu and I be able to achieve our hope of avenging father.”

Lu Qingfeng’s face had become extremely serious.

Although his 16-year-old body looked a little worn out by his long-term labor, his eyes were exceptionally bright and firm.

Having experienced two lives as a human, he was able to drag out an ignoble existence.

But his brother, Lu Qingshan, was just a boy. The Truth Sect was no place for kindness. Once he revealed even a tinge of his hatred, there would be unpredictable consequences.

He had no choice but to exhort his brother sternly.

“B…brother, I…I’m scared.”

Lu Qingshan’s voice was trembling. Forcefully holding back his tears, he raised his head and looked at Lu Qingfeng.

“You are a man. There’s nothing to be afraid of. If anyone dares to bully you, just hit them back once you become stronger!”

Lu Qingyu couldn’t help herself. She had to interject something in the end.

Back in the old days, when the three of them were badly bullied by Zhou Quan, no matter what, they couldn’t seem to beat him. At last, the eldest brother used more than 20 grain cakes and exchanged them for a hatchet from the blacksmith, Mr. Zhang. And finally, didn’t they manage to intimidate Zhou Quan with all the beatings they gave him?

Thus, Lu Qingyu knew from an early age that if you got bullied, you must hit back.

Even if you can’t defeat your enemy right away, you must remember that when you gain strength, you will return them the favor.

They yelled at Lu Qingshan. But, surprisingly, he did not quarrel with Lu Qingyu. He only lifted his head to look at Lu Qingfeng and said in a whisper, “Brother, I’m not scared anymore.”

“The Truth Sect might be dangerous, but labor disciples are not the minority. If others can survive, so can you!”

Lu Qingfeng patted Lu Qingshan’s shoulders and comforted him. “The rations of labor disciples have to be provided by their own families. In the future, I’ll deliver food to you once every seven days.”

…

Finally, the day came when Lu Qingshan left Blackwood Village with the Truth Sect’s Sage.

Lu Qingfeng saw him off.

He saw that the Sage from the Truth Sect was tall and sturdy in physique, had a cleaver tied behind his back, was fierce in appearance, and had absolutely no demeanor that resembled a Sage.

Every step he made seemed like a dragon or a tiger’s walk. One of his single steps spanned an entire three feet in distance.

Lu Qingshan and the other new labor disciples could only keep up with him by running at their absolute limits, which was a very strenuous thing to do.

This was not the first time that Lu Qingfeng had seen these Sages from the Truth Sect. Every time he saw them, he would get this feeling of inferiority that raised up from the depths of his heart.

Such a feeling would put one into despair.

The one who took Lu Qingshan away was just an ordinary disciple. It was said that on Ganoderma Mountain, there were elders and suzerains even higher up the power levels who were famous throughout the Guangyuan Commandery. The heights they had attained were no different than true deities.

The Truth Sect had mastery over the arts of cultivation, control over the tens of thousands of civilians in Jiuzhai County, and were hailed as Sages.

And what about Lu Qingfeng?

He was just a frail young man who hadn’t accomplished anything in the 16 years of his life and couldn’t even get enough food and clothes for himself.

The disparity between these people was simply incalculable!

Night fell.

Lu Qingfeng lay on his hard bed, tossing and turning. He couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

Since his father’s death, he, his younger brother, Lu Qingshan, and his younger sister, Lu Qingyu, mutually depended on each other for survival. For more than three years, this was the first time he had spent the night in his Blackwood shack with just Qingyu.

“I wonder how Qingshan is doing.”

Lu Qingfeng had his mind stuffed with just Lu Qingshan.

This younger brother of his had been walking behind his back since they were little. The brothers were very close to each other. Now that they had been separated for the very first time, Lu Qingfeng was very unaccustomed to it and, what’s more, very worried.

“This cursed world!”

After tossing and turning some more, Lu Qingfeng gave up on sleeping. He got into a sitting position and started recalling the bits and pieces of the past 16 years.

Lu Qingfeng was not a native of this world.

In his previous life, he had been an earthling. He’d grown up in China and had made some small achievements in his career. He was considered a promising young man. During a trip, he’d had a car accident in which he had lost consciousness.

When he’d opened his eyes once again, he’d become a crying baby, born into this tiny village of Blackwood.

When he was four, after his mother gave birth to his sister, Lu Qingyu, she died because of the difficult labor. His father, Lu Shitou, brought up the three siblings, Lu Qingfeng, Lu Qingshan, and Lu Qingyu.

However, even a storm may arise from a clear sky. When Lu Qingfeng was 13 years old, his family’s five acres of farmland were ruined by mountain badgers, and they were left with no harvest.

Having no harvest meant that they wouldn’t be able to pay tribute to the Truth Sect.

When Lu Shitou went to Ganoderma Mountain to plead for an accommodation, the Truth Sect’s Outer Affairs Officer ordered him to be flogged 10 lashes. Lu Shitou, who was sick due to his constant overwork, couldn’t pull through and passed away, leaving behind 13-year-old Lu Qingfeng, 11-year-old Lu Qingshan, and nine-year-old Lu Qingyu.

From then on, Lu Qingfeng worked day and night, went out early and returned late, and while barely supporting himself, he managed to raise his younger siblings.

Another three years went by in a flash.

Now Lu Qingfeng was already 16 years old, and he was still wasting his youth in Blackwood Village.

This world was extremely dangerous. Outside Blackwood Village, there were all kinds of ferocious beasts. With Lu Qingfeng’s tiny physique, he would have been eaten by wild beasts within five miles of the village.

Or maybe…

With the Truth Sect ruling over Jiuzhai County and enslaving all the civilians of Jiuzhai, if he were to flee, he would be discovered by the village head immediately and then be recovered by the Sages of the Truth Sect who would have him beaten to death. What’s more, even his family members would be punished.

Absolutely no one was confident enough to try to escape the grasp of the Sages. So does Lu Qingfeng have the capability to flee along with his younger siblings.

It was kind of ridiculous to even talk about this.

As someone who had traveled from another world, Lu Qingfeng had no knowledge about gunpowder, shells, waterwheels, or textile machines. But even if he did, he wouldn’t be bold enough to show them in Blackwood Village since it was ruled by a system that was somewhere between slavery and feudalism.

It was the tallest trees in the woods that would get their tops blown off!

In Blackwood Village, Lu Qingfeng disguised himself just like any ordinary villager. Over time, even he himself felt that he was no different from them.

If one were to compare himself with them and insist that he was somewhat different, it would only be on a spiritual level.

Ordinary villagers were completely numb as they had accepted the reality of being enslaved by the Truth Sect.

But Lu Qingfeng was not!

He was always thinking about how to escape from Blackwood Village, how to wriggle out from the claws of the Truth Sect, and even how he could overthrow the Truth Sect!

However…16 years have gone by, and he had accomplished nothing.

The gap between ordinary people and cultivators was too great to be overcome.

Once, Lu Qingfeng had hoped to be chosen to enter the Truth Sect. Even as a labor disciple, there would still be a glimmer of hope. However, in the Truth Sect’s selection held every year, from the age of 12 until the previous year, Lu Qingfeng had failed to meet the standards and was brushed aside.

“Truth Sect?”

“More like Truth Cult!”

Lu Qingfeng clenched his fists.

From what he had learned over the past 16 years, this so-called Truth Sect was undoubtedly a cult.

They took human life lightly and enslaved all the living!

This itself was an insurmountable mountain that was pressed against his heart and couldn’t be moved away.

“Perhaps Qingshan entering the Truth Sect is a chance!”

Lu Qingfeng tried to sort out his thoughts.

Having been given the chance to live again and what’s more, in such a mysterious world, his wish was definitely not to drag out an ignoble existence.

“Qingfeng, are you still awake?” Amid the darkness, Lu Qingyu whispered to him.

“Yeah.” Hearing his sister, Lu Qingfeng looked at her through the darkness, “What’s the matter?”

“I…I can’t sleep.”

Lu Qingyu had curled herself up into a ball. She had a strange feeling in her heart. This feeling was almost the same as when her father had passed away three years ago. It was sour, strange, and uncomfortable.

“You miss your second brother?” Lu Qingfeng asked.

“As if! He loves to cry so much, why would I miss him?” Lu Qingyu spoke quite loudly.

“Go to sleep then. You can sleep a little while longer tomorrow.” Lu Qingfeng didn’t want to break through his sister’s thoughts.

“Fine.” Lu Qingyu responded softly and plunged into a drawn-out silence.

After an unknown length of time, Lu Qingfeng heard faint sobbing and the sound of feet padding over. Immediately after, he felt a little person crawling up and snuggling into his arms, “Qingfeng, I want to sleep with you tonight.”

As the little girl said that, her breath puffed on his face. It was itchy.

“Okay.”

Lu Qingfeng held his little sister in his arms and gently patted her back with his palm. Like this, the siblings fell asleep.

…

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Lu Qingfeng rushed to Ganoderma Mountain with coarse grain cakes.

Ganoderma Mountain was located to the east of Blackwood Village. It was named after the yellow Ganoderma that grew there. The Truth Sect was located right within Ganoderma Mountain.

Without even entering Ganoderma Mountain, Lu Qingfeng could see Lu Qingshan waiting at its edge. He was sticking his head out and looking around.

Along with Lu Qingshan, there were more than ten other labor disciples.

“Qingfeng!”

Seeing Lu Qingfeng appearing, Lu Qingshan trotted forward to meet him with a joyful expression on his face.

Having not seen each other for a few days, it was already evident that Lu Qingshan had lost a lot of weight. The hair on his left side was hanging down, covering his left cheek, which made him look a little strange.

“What happened to your face?” Lu Qingfeng pointed at the left side of Lu Qingshan’s face and asked.

“It’s nothing. I accidentally fell down.” Lu Qingshan grinned. The grin seemed to be affecting his wound, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

“Be careful when you walk.”

Lu Qingfeng took the package from his back, handed it to Lu Qingshan, and advised him. “This is your ration for seven days. Be thrifty with it. I will bring you some dried fish when I come next time.”

“Thank you, brother.”

Lu Qingshan took the package. His nose became snotty and his eyes became red in spite of himself.

“Qingyu is going to make those for you. These two days, she’s going to go to the mountain to find some trefoil that will get rid of the fishy stench. She said that it is to prevent you from smelling like fish after you eat the dried fish.”

“She asked me this morning to let her come along to see you. But I didn’t agree because this place is too far away.”

Lu Qingfeng got his younger brother, whom he had not seen for several days, to sit down. When he saw the scar on the left side of his face under his fluttering hair, the inside of his heart twitched slightly.

“The cursed Truth Sect!”

Needless to say, this scar resembled whip lashes and was definitely not caused by a fall!

“As if Qingyu will wanna come and see me!”

Lu Qingshan pouted, but couldn’t help asking later, “Did she really want you to bring me dried fish and annoyed you to bring her to come and see me?”

“Annoyed…me?”

Lu Qingfeng held back the bitterness of his heart, drew up the corners of his mouth, and smirked as he nodded.

“Hmph! As if I believe that.”

Lu Qingshan lifted his chin, and he couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

“Tell me, what have you been doing these last few days? What have you learned?” Lu Qingfeng asked some questions after he’d told his younger brother about some things that had happened back home.

The brothers chatted about tea-making at the slope. Subsequently, Lu Qingshan hurried back to the Ganoderma Mountain Labor Hall.

Lu Qingfeng stared at Lu Qingshan’s back. He saw that as he was holding the package in his arms, he didn’t dare to push his right leg too hard when he was running, which made him seem like he was limping.

“This poor kid…”

Lu Qingfeng saw Lu Qingshan off with his eyes and looked up at Ganoderma Mountain.

Ganoderma Mountain was not high, but the trees were tall and luxuriantly green. The Truth Sect was hidden somewhere in there, hidden by trees that left no traces to be seen.

At a glance, he could feel that Ganoderma Mountain was a murky place that seemed like a demon’s cave. It also looked like a fierce and demonic beast that had its mouth wide open, and Lu Qingshan was striding into it, vanishing into the demon’s cave that was like a basin of blood.

…

More than three months went by in a flash.

During this period of time, Lu Qingfeng delivered rations to Lu Qingshan every seven days. Lu Qingshan became thinner and thinner every time he visited, and the injuries on his body were increasing more and more. Before the scar on his left cheek had completely healed, another lash mark had been added to his right cheek.

Lu Qingshan could hide it no more finally. He only told Lu Qingfeng that he had accidentally provoked the person in charge of the labor disciples and had been whipped a few times.

Lu Qingfeng lifted up Lu Qingshan’s upper garment and saw that his body was scrawny as a skeleton and densely covered in lash marks.

There were new ones, and there were old ones.

He pretended not to care and even grinned to comfort Lu Qingfeng.

“If this goes on, I think Qingshan will get beaten to death.”

Inside the Blackwood shack, Lu Qingfeng sat on the rock-like bed while frowning. Qingyu had already gone to her little bed and had fallen asleep.

After sitting for a while, Lu Qingfeng got out of bed and took out a few pieces from the pile of bark inside the wooden box under his bed.

With the aid of the moonlight, he could see that there were tiny humans on the bark who were making body gestures that were very particular in their punches and kicks. Next to the pattern, there were texts that resembled script. By guessing, Lu Qingfeng could discern a portion of the characters. In addition, he had been learning this world’s written text with Lu Qingshan for the past few months. Hence, he had no problem in understanding the texts.

“Art of Truth.”

“Bullock Fist.”

Lu Qingfeng read one word after another.

Lu Qingshan had entered the Truth Sect. Although he was a labor disciple, in addition to performing various chores, he could also cultivate.

In the first three months, he had learned about texts and drawings of all kinds of meridian paths of the human body.

A few days ago, he had finally started being formally taught the first level of the Art of Truth and the Bullock Fist.

The Art of Truth was a meditation technique that focused on the perception of one’s fetal breath and developing one’s sense of Chi. It was said to be the most authentic technique exclusive to the Truth Sect, which was even famous throughout the Guangyuan Commandery.

As for its specifics, he had no idea about those.

The Bullock Fist, on the other hand, was part of a physical martial arts routine that would exercise one’s physique and strength.

Lu Qingfeng took advantage of the opportunity of taking Lu Qingshan rations every seven days to learn about writing, understanding meridians, acupoints, etc….

In short, he didn’t miss even a single thing that Lu Qingshan had learned.

Yesterday, Lu Qingshan had even risked his life to secretly teach Lu Qingfeng his newly acquired Art of Truth and Bullock Fist. If this kind of private teaching was discovered by the Truth Sect, the brothers, and even their sister, Lu Qingyu, would have to die without anyone ever finding their final resting places.

However, Lu Qingfeng was extremely cautious, and Qingshan and Qingyu also kept their mouths tightly sealed. Hence, he had no worries about being discovered.

It was just that whether it was the exclusive technique of the Art of Truth or the physical moves of the Bullock Fist, they consumed a lot of physical strength. Once I start cultivating, my need for food will at least double in amount. All kinds of meat and herbs will also be essential, otherwise, before I can even master them, my body will crumble.

Lu Qingfeng pondered all this in his heart.

The deprived study literature, while the wealthy practice martial arts.

The three siblings were even having a hard time trying to fill their tummies, so how could he even be thinking about cultivating?

“Is this really it for me for my entire life?”

Previously, he had had no way to come into contact with cultivation, never mind achieving transcendency. However, now that he had the Art of Truth and the Bullock Fist at hand, how could he be toppled by mere hindrances?

Lu Qingfeng held the bark and turned to look at the hatchet that was shining after being polished at the tip of his bed. He made up his mind. “If I can’t change my fate, what’s the point of living a meaningless life! Tomorrow, I’ll go to the west side of the mountain. If I get lucky enough to be able to kill a wild boar, Qingshan and I will have half a month’s resources for us to cultivate!”

“No matter how bad it gets, I need to let Qingshan cultivate with peace of mind!”

However, hunting wasn’t all that easy to do, and wild boars weren’t that easy to deal with either.

Given Lu Qingfeng’s small physique, if a wild boar cub were to hit him, his bones would break apart, turning him into rations for the wild boars.

“I’ll go and get a look at the situation first. I’m not in a hurry to kill one anyway. I’ll maybe try a trap or something.”

With tomorrow’s plan in mind, Lu Qingfeng hid the bark that recorded the Art of Truth and Bullock Fist under his bed, rested his head on the hatchet at his bedside, and fell asleep.

…