Cultivating for a hundred lifetimes to ascension Chapter 1458 - 788: Reincarnation? (Part 2)

Even more crucially, a red mark was etched on the burly man's brow, clearly exposing his real identity without doubt.

Deep inside, the little beggar felt anxious and filled with intense worry, but he kept up a cheerful facade on the surface, weaving and dodging as he yelled at the burly man, "Hey, don’t just stand there, make a move. Otherwise, all your men will be down."

The burly man completely ignored the little beggar’s "taunt."

If he could draw out the foe’s hidden ace, it would be worthwhile even if every one of his subordinates ended up dead or wounded.

Noticing the enemy refusing to bite, the little beggar rolled his eyes in irritation, sensing his energy nearly exhausted, so he resorted to his final technique without other options.

Within the following instant, the little beggar snapped his left hand, and a keen little blade as long as a finger suddenly materialized between his digits.

Swish!

A flash of Sword Light cut through the air without a sound, shooting straight toward the burly man’s visage at blistering speed.

"Good timing!" The burly man’s gaze sharpened, he bellowed abruptly, his right palm lunging ahead like a bolt, snatching the incoming knife in a flash.

Witnessing this, despair crossed the little beggar’s features, yet he mustered his remaining vigor, bolting swiftly to the rear of the temple.

His final escape route waited there: the dog hole.

Regrettably, destiny intervened differently, as two figures had already stationed themselves by the dog hole, obstructing the little beggar’s path.

This brief holdup let the burly man close the distance just in time.

After a handful of clashes, the little beggar suffered defeat in the end, his skull shattered by a crushing palm strike.

With the little beggar slain, a faint grin appeared on the burly man’s face despite himself, he promptly rifled through the beggar’s clothes, then rose with a darkened scowl.

He lingered a bit longer, but nothing unusual happened.

Faced with this outcome, the burly man’s weathered countenance grew so somber it might as well have dripped water, forcing him to signal his followers to head back inside the hall.

At the same time, turmoil swept through the small town from multiple events, including three killings that claimed more than twenty lives.

Over the last century, Mingxi Town had never faced such a brutal incident with so many losses.

In under a single day, an eerie heaviness hung over the town, roads turned empty and silent, and residents cowered indoors in fear.

Meanwhile, Chief Liu and the other officials turned into the most overworked souls, rushing reports to the county office while assigning teams to scour the scenes, wearing themselves ragged and dog-tired.

Naturally, that tale unfolds later, so we’ll skip it for the moment.

Once Zhao Sheng split from the middle-aged scholar, Chen San located him without delay.

Chen San gazed at his master with a expression twisted in bitterness and complaint, endlessly whining about his troubles, begging the master not to abandon him, or he’d have no way to face the lord and others.

Zhao Sheng brushed him off lightly as he made his way back home.

...

One hour passed, and Zhao Sheng dismissed Chen San before entering the study to sit in quiet reflection.

From half a day of exploration, he had already pieced together key details: firstly, every "Immortal Ruins Guest" carried a blood seal that stripped them of powers, turning them into ordinary folks;

Secondly, the town concealed numerous mysteries, and the "gate" for getaway might lurk within one of those hidden truths, locating it posed a tough puzzle;

Thirdly, navigating the other Immortal Ruins Guests and staying alive stood as the biggest hurdle. Identities of the cultivators remained hidden, backgrounds unknown, strengths unclear. Plenty nursed dark motives, with zero trust between them.

Fourth, clues abounded, but from where to begin?

Fifth, ...

Zhao Sheng mulled it over extensively, at last choosing to address several fronts simultaneously.

With that, he rose and exited the study, soon tracking down Chen San and directing him to summon the chief steward.

Afterward, Zhao Sheng took the initiative with his "parents," using gentle persuasion to secure two hundred taels of silver.

Keep in mind, ten taels of fine silver could sustain a farmer’s family for almost a full year, while two hundred taels might purchase fifty acres of farmland, guaranteeing endless security in sustenance and shelter.

This highlights just how precious two hundred taels of silver truly were.

When the chief steward rushed over in haste, Zhao Sheng gave him certain directives, the steward paused briefly yet agreed in the end and departed.

Before long, Zhao Mansion’s servants dashed out with excitement, the dim-witted ones heading to their villages, while the sharp ones hit spots like teahouses to quietly collect rumors.

With all tasks set in motion, Zhao Sheng stayed within the estate instead of venturing out, seeking the family martial instructor to seriously start Sword Skill training.

Naturally, this sword training served only as a cover; his real aim was to obtain a blade.

Though the family martial instructor puzzled over why the young master wished to study sword arts, he taught the moves with full dedication.

Moments ticked by steadily, and the servants trickled back to Zhao Mansion, carrying assorted tidings.

As evening descended, the chief steward hastened to the study alongside a few others to see the master.

"Put things down, then go out."

Following the chief steward’s order, two servants set the book crates down fast and exited the study right away.

"Master, we’ve acquired all you requested. We almost cleared out both local bookstores, and runners went to the county too—they’ll be back tomorrow."

With those words, the chief steward shifted gears, "The gazetteer and county annals you asked for, the household already owned them. I’ve fetched them now."

Zhao Sheng stepped to the book crate, lifted the cover, and discovered it packed with stitched volumes, encompassing not just classics and histories but poems, odd legends, tales, novels, and more.

The second crate brimmed with a variety of texts as well.

Zhao Sheng’s gaze lit up, he grabbed the gazetteer from the pile on top, diving into it with keen interest.

Noticing this, the chief steward withdrew discreetly from the study, shut the door with care, and tasked his son Chen San with watching the entrance, poised to heed the master’s calls anytime.

Zhao Sheng scanned the pages at a rapid clip, blessed with an eidetic recall, finishing the full gazetteer before long, then after a short pause, he seized a few county annals and devoured them just as quickly.

Once the county annals were done, he lifted the book crate outright, moved to the writing desk, and began perusing the volumes from the uppermost down, his pace accelerating with each one.

All through the night, the study’s lamps burned without cease.

...

When his eyes fluttered open, a jolt hit Zhao Sheng’s core, propelling him upright in an instant.

The sights around him—the curtains, ornate railings, embroidered covers, and the young maid dozing beside the bed—struck him with deep familiarity, like events from mere hours ago.

No, this marked the very day of his awakening!

"Uh, what’s going on?" Zhao Sheng surveyed the room’s decor, his thoughts churning in deep confusion.

Reincarnation? Rebirth? Or maybe...

Luckily, Zhao Sheng had once stumbled into the Great Saint Thought Realm and faced like situations, allowing him to steady his nerves swiftly.

As his mind raced with waves of ideas, the young maid stirred from sleep, spotting the master alert, she cried out joyfully, "Master, you finally woke up! I’ll notify the lord and lady."

Those words hitting Zhao Sheng’s ears caused him to flinch in shock.

Something felt off!

Something was amiss in those words!

He reflected for a moment and pinpointed the discrepancy from before to now.

"Yesterday" the maid had said, "Master, you finally woke up," but today it was, "Master, you finally woke up."

While ’finally’ and ’finally’ carried close tones, a chilling reality hid beneath them that chilled Zhao Sheng to the bone.

One hour on, a revitalized Zhao Sheng occupied the meal table, digging into the food with gusto.

"May the old immortal bless my child with Peace. Tomorrow, we must return to the temple to repay the gratitude..." his elderly mother uttered the identical lines.

"Zhao’er, you just recovered, don’t see those frivolous friends. If it weren’t for their temptation..." his elderly father echoed the same.

Zhao Sheng distractedly put off his parents, and once they departed, he hurried from the mansion alongside Chen San.

Shortly after, he reached the arch bridge, positioning himself at its edge, gazing forward across the water.

After a wait of two quarters-hour, a dark-roofed vessel glided gradually from the bank, drifting beneath the bridge.

At the boat’s front stood a middle-aged scholar.

Spotting the awaited figure reemerge, Zhao Sheng’s thoughts whirled wildly, a subtle grin crossed his lips, and he bowed politely toward the boat’s prow.

Next, he called out clearly, "Brother, would you care to join me at the bridge for a chat?"

The middle-aged scholar glanced upward, noting the blood mark on Zhao Sheng’s forehead, his frame shuddered noticeably.

Yet the man recovered fast, clasping his hands at once with a grin, "Certainly willing, dare not ask for anything more!"