plumnovel Chapter 4 Reappears
Chapter 4 Reappears
rustle!
Fang Qing's expression was solemn, his hands were red, like sharp swords, and he kept plunging them into the red sand in the wooden bucket.
These sea sands come from the beach outside the fishing village, which is said to be the place where a monster wept blood, turning a large area of the beach red that has not disappeared for hundreds of years.
Using this red sand to cultivate the "Red Sand Hand" technique allows for rapid progress, surpassing many medicinal baths.
puff puff!
Fang Qing's forehead was covered in beads of sweat, but his hand movements remained unchanged.
As the sand continued to flow through his fingers, the crimson color on his hands gradually deepened.
"His skill... has deepened once again."
Half an hour later, Fang Qing lay on the ground, panting heavily, looking completely disheveled.
"I can only practice the Red Sand Hand technique for two hours a day, but after dissipating its power, my body seems to have become more resilient, and I can add half an hour of practice each day..."
This should be a small convenience of "returning to one's original state," Fang Qing secretly noted.
After a short rest, he stood up again and began to practice the "Thousand-Pound Drop" stance.
Although these two martial arts techniques were only third-rate, Fang Qing still cherished them, since the Fang family in Sanshui'ao didn't have a single martial art technique.
"Speaking of which... the martial arts from Xiao Huanhai can actually be used here. Could it be because they're too basic, just ordinary physical exertion and energy conversion? Or is it because of some kind of cheat-like powerhouse?"
Fang Qing had some concerns, such as whether the extraordinary systems of the two worlds were compatible.
However, since the Dao Sheng Pearl exists, it's not a big deal.
Moreover, he had no choice at all!
"An ordinary person's body has its limits. Four hours of high-intensity martial arts training a day must be combined with potent tonics and meat!"
"Not to mention, these martial arts all have their limitations. For example, the Red Sand Hand can only be practiced for a maximum of two hours a day; after that, the body can't take it..."
"But with my cheat ability, I can convert all the time and experience gained from practicing 'Thousand-Pound Drop' into 'Red Sand Hand,' which is almost equivalent to doubling the experience points... Of course, it's not guaranteed to be completely converted, since they are two different martial arts. If it were another second-rate or first-rate martial art, perhaps ten hours of practicing a third-rate martial art would only convert into one hour of first-rate martial arts power!"
"Besides, there are also bottlenecks in the cultivation of martial arts."
Fang Qing silently recorded the proportions and states of his various transformations, preparing for exploring his cheat abilities in the future.
"Now... I can barely protect myself, so I can go find my uncle."
He looked out of the mountains and sighed.
There was a mystery surrounding his birth, but the boy was too young to know much about it.
He only knew that this world was incredibly vast, with the ancient Shu region alone exceeding the size of the great nation of his previous life, and that the Ba County where the Fang family lived had many cities and a thriving population.
"According to what Uncle mentioned before, we were planning to flee to 'Tianfu City,' which is the closest major city to here and has a stable order... If he's being hunted down and has a large sum of money, he'll definitely run towards the city. Perhaps we should go and take a look..."
……
Tianfu City.
The city gate stands tall and imposing, bearing the marks of time.
Upon entering the city, the crowds were shoulder to shoulder. On both sides of the road, clothing stores, cloth shops, pawnshops, restaurants, taverns, brothels, cosmetics shops, and all kinds of shops lined up one after another, almost overwhelming the eyes.
Fang Qing stood at the city gate, looking at the notices and arrest warrants, his eyes dimmed.
"My uncle didn't say who he was coming here to rely on... It's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Fortunately, he came here this time hoping for the best, just in case.
Seeing that his uncle was not there, he turned and walked towards the restaurant next to the brothel—Tianweilou.
Although I really want to experience the service industry in this world, and listen to music in a brothel.
But Fang Qing had to admit that he was captivated by the aroma of wine and food...
For a wilderness traveler, a big meal is more appealing than anything else; after all, only when you're well-fed and warm can you think about... well, you know...
"Wait... only children make choices, adults should... have it all."
Fang Qing turned again and entered a brothel.
"Young master... do you know any girls?"
A pimp immediately came forward, his face full of ingratiating smiles.
"No, call a few girls to sing for me... and while you're at it, go to Tianwei Restaurant next door and book a good banquet."
Fang Xing took out a piece of broken silver.
On Jade Island, they don't use silver coins, but rather a kind of silver seashell. However, in terms of purchasing power, it's much lower than in Ancient Shu. Fang Qing doesn't care much about money.
Having mastered the passage between the two worlds, he will eventually become the richest man in the world.
……
"Her delicate white dress and crimson skirt, shrouded in boundless charm... nestled in the embroidered quilt, she embraces the spring breeze..."
A moment later, inside the private room, two heavily made-up women sang a song while looking at the guests with a resentful expression.
After bathing and changing clothes, Fang Qing now wore a loose blue robe. While he might not be considered handsome, he was at least a dashing young man—much better than those unkempt old men in their seventies and eighties.
Unfortunately, this guest simply listened to the music and didn't even glance at them.
Fang Qing certainly wouldn't tell them that, influenced by her past life, although she had never tasted or used such things, her standards were still quite high.
Moreover, there were things that attracted him even more...
meat!
Braised pork!
The meat is so juicy and flavorful, with a freshly cooked aroma. The rice is steamed until fluffy and soft, and you can easily eat three bowls with the meat sauce.
There were also vibrant green leafy vegetables and rich, delicious chicken soup...
The only dish that didn't meet Fang Qing's expectations was the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish; he was indeed tired of eating fish.
"The brothels are a melting pot of all sorts of people, making them top-notch hubs for information..."
"But... how come you didn't even know there was a plague outbreak in my hometown, even though it's only a hundred miles away?"
Fang Qing ate his rice while pondering.
After eating and drinking his fill, he joked with the two resentful girls for a while, declined their invitation to stay the night, and walked out of the brothel, stretching contentedly: "This is life..."
Unfortunately, I only managed to ask Old Man Cha for a day off, as my priority right now is to focus on Jade Island.
"It's getting late, we should leave the city."
Fang Qing walked out of the city gate and onto a secluded path.
A moment later, he suddenly frowned: "Who is it? Come out!"
As soon as he finished speaking, three burly men emerged from the dense forest behind him. The leader, with a face covered in pockmarks, held a dagger in his hand and sneered, "The old ones ran away, but the young ones are here too."
"Ma Laosan?"
Fang Qing immediately recognized the man as Ma Laosan, the leader of the group of refugees who had once surrounded and killed him!
He was quite surprised: "How did you find me?"
"Heh heh... I have spies at the city gate. You really walked right into my trap. If we were inside the city, we might have some reservations, but now..."
Ma Laosan grinned maliciously as he stepped forward.
"Something's wrong with you, very wrong!"
Fang Qing's face darkened: "Is my worth worth three months of investigation? Or... is there something else going on?"
"snort!"
Although Ma Laosan was a villain, he didn't say much and directly led his men to charge forward.
If it were Fang Qing three months ago, he would have had no choice but to surrender.
But now?
Fang Qing's hands turned crimson, and in an instant, they split into two palms, like two dragons emerging from the sea.
Boom!
Two of Ma Laosan's men screamed, their chests caved in, and they fell backward.
"Hmm? You know martial arts!"
Ma Laosan flashed forward, his dagger flashing like a venomous snake's tongue, revealing that he actually possessed some rudimentary martial arts skills.
Upon seeing this, Fang Qing's lips curled slightly, and with a swift movement of his right hand, he grabbed Ma Laosan's wrist, which was holding the dagger, as if catching a fish in water.
The next instant, he exerted force with his foot, unleashing the power of a thousand-pound weight, and his right foot, like an iron hammer, slammed down on Ma Laosan's instep.
Click!
A piercing sound of bones cracking rang out.
Ma Laosan's face contorted in pain, he let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.
Let's go!
Fang Qing picked up Ma Laosan and disappeared in a flash.
……
A wilderness, a hill.
Fang Qing casually tossed Ma Laosan aside: "How about this place be your final resting place?"
Although Ma Laosan's face was deathly pale and his forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain, his expression was sinister: "I didn't expect you to have such good martial arts skills. I have nothing to say, so let you die... It's just a pity that my family died from the plague spread by thieves, and I can't take revenge!"
"revenge?"
In a daze, Fang Qing suddenly remembered that Ma Laosan was actually a refugee like him and his uncle, and they were even not particularly close fellow villagers before!
"You mean... this plague is a man-made disaster, not a natural one?"
He felt a sudden jolt in his heart as he thought of his family.
"That's right... I joined the Luo family and finally realized that we didn't have to die. It was just that the Black Gu Sect thieves were practicing Gu cultivation in our hometown, which caused the plague to spread and nine out of ten houses to be empty... But once we left the area affected by the Gu technique, we were naturally safe." Ma Laosan said through gritted teeth.
"Black Gu Gate? Xing Gu?"
Fang Qing was beginning to believe that if it weren't for supernatural forces, there was no way to explain why there was no more plague among the large group after leaving the plague-stricken area.
"Wait... this is a matter between immortals, how do you know about it? Did the Luo family tell you?"
Suddenly, he caught another key point: "Is it that Luo family?"
The Luo family was a true local tyrant. In theory, they controlled a large area of land, including the area around Fangjia Sanshui'ao.
Previously, the Fang family had sold their annual "Moonlight" ritual artifacts to the Luo family!
"That's right!" Ma Laosan smiled bitterly, "I knew I was going to die today, but you will definitely seek revenge against the Black Qi Sect... Telling you this is nothing, I originally just planned to flee my hometown, but the Luo family found me and told me to keep an eye on a few families, including your Fang family!"
"Tracing the remnants of the Fang family? For what purpose?"
Fang Qing was even more puzzled.
"I don't know either, I only heard a few vague words... saying that your Fang family is very lucky, and that after the plague is over, you will continue to cultivate literary talent..." Old Ma's eyes were also somewhat blank.
"Good fortune, perhaps, to cultivate a writing style?"
Fang Qing secretly noted it down and then questioned the details several times to verify that Ma Laosan had not made it up. Only then did he raise his hand and place it on the other party's head, sending him on his way.