Chapter 1 Leaving the Mountain

In an ancient temple nestled deep within the mountains, Duan Laoliu hugged the leg of an old white-haired man, wailing like a stuck pig.

"Master, I don't want to leave! I haven't served you enough!"

Duan Laoliu cried with all his might, though no tears came, only two thick streams of snot.

The white-haired old man's eyes were red-rimmed, and tears threatened to spill.

*mmp*, this robe was newly bought!

"Laoliu, it's not that we're chasing you away. It's just that after so many years with us, you've learned everything you need to learn. We have nothing left to teach you."

Duan Laoliu immediately retorted, "Who says? I haven't learned the second volume of the Nine Revolutions Azure Ripple Art!"

The white-haired old man reluctantly pulled out an ancient book from his robes, wincing as if it were a piece of his own flesh.

He averted his gaze, pained, and said, "Take it!"

Having snatched the Nine Revolutions Azure Ripple Art from his master, Duan Laoliu shifted his gaze, locking onto another old man dressed in spotless white robes.

"Second Master, I'm going to miss you..."

Before Duan Laoliu could repeat his performance, the white-robed old man quickly coughed twice.

"Ahem, Laoliu, haven't you always wanted your Second Master's Nine Yin Divine Needles? I shall pass them on to you today!"

Just as Duan Laoliu accepted the silver needles, another old man in an apricot-colored Daoist robe proactively produced a bead.

"Laoliu, this is the Heavenly Fortune Bead. Consider it Third Master's farewell gift to you!"

These three masters had all given him treasures. Duan Laoliu knew that they were truly determined to send him down the mountain this time.

However, how could Laoliu be willing to leave without squeezing them dry?

"Masters, I've heard it's dangerous down the mountain. What if I get bullied? I'd rather stay with you; it feels safer!"

Hearing this, the Fourth Master, clad in armor, snorted and directly produced a golden token with the words "Tian Ce" engraved on it!

"A true man stands tall between heaven and earth! What is there to fear? If anyone dares to bully you, take this Tian Ce Token, go to the Northern Border, and summon the hundred thousand Tian Ce Army! Slaughter them until not a single dog or chicken remains!"

"Got it!"

Duan Laoliu happily accepted the Tian Ce Token and stuffed it into his robes, but then he frowned again.

"As the saying goes, a penny can stump a hero. If I go down the mountain penniless, wouldn't I be disgracing my masters' reputation?!"

As soon as he spoke, an old man in luxurious clothes produced a black card.

The old man's face was fair and smooth, and he looked quite wealthy.

He was all smiles as he said, "Hehe, Laoliu, you've mastered our true teachings. How difficult can it be for you to make money? Take this card; it doesn't have much, just thirty or fifty billion, Fifth Master's pocket money for you!"

"Thank you, Fifth Master!"

Duan Laoliu thanked him for the first time ever.

It was proof that money not only makes the world go round, but it can also sweeten a person's tongue.

When it came to the next one, Duan Laoliu licked his lips but ultimately didn't dare to speak.

He had intended to skip this master, but the Sixth Master, hidden from head to toe in black robes, unexpectedly spoke up.

"Seeing this thumb ring is like seeing me."

As he spoke, a dark golden thumb ring was already on Laoliu's left thumb.

Duan Laoliu nodded to the Sixth Master, everything unspoken between them.

Then, he opened his arms and went to embrace a beautiful woman.

The woman's skin was fair and smooth, and she emanated a faint, captivating fragrance.

Her voluptuous figure was accentuated by a red dress.

Just as Duan Laoliu was about to embrace her warmth, the woman rapped him on the head!

She puffed out her chest and scolded, "You little rascal, you want to take advantage of me?"

Duan Laoliu greedily inhaled the fragrance in the air and grinned.

"Seventh Master, you know I'm most reluctant to leave you. Why don't you come down the mountain with me? Isn't it better than being stuck with this bunch of old fogeys!"

The Seventh Master giggled, while the other six old men's faces turned ashen.

"You little rascal, if I went with you, how would you pick up girls? Think about those girls, tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, in uniform, in black stockings..."

Duan Laoliu swallowed and interrupted, "Seventh Master, you don't need to say anymore. I think I know what to do."

Before he could finish speaking, a black shadow swept away, and his voice came from down the mountain.

It was a joke; when choosing between a single tree and a forest, of course he'd choose the forest!

...

In the ancient temple, only the seven masters remained, looking at each other.

"That little devil, we finally managed to coax him away!"

The First Master breathed a long sigh of relief, but his face remained troubled.

The Second Master smiled reassuringly, "Having mastered our seven teachings, that little brat will stir up a storm wherever he goes!"

The Seventh Master looked sad, "It's a pity. This parting may be forever. I already miss him."

The Third Master shook his head and sighed, "There's no other way. He's still young. We can't let him die with us old folks!"

The Fourth Master snorted angrily, "That mere Ghost Sword Immortal. We weren't afraid of him twenty years ago, and we have nothing to fear now."

The Fifth Master rapidly calculated on an abacus, "Twenty years ago, we only narrowly won by following a plan. He's been in seclusion for twenty years; his power must have greatly increased, while we've only wasted twenty years. With this advancement and decline, this battle... is dangerous!"

The Sixth Master made the final decision, "Just do it!"

...

Jiangyang Railway Station, a dense crowd.

Duan Laoliu squatted down just outside the exit as soon as he got off the train.

It wasn't that he wanted to rest, but he found that the scenery was particularly good from this angle.

What short, tight skirts, what black stockings, what white, long legs... Exciting, satisfying, you can't see such good scenery on the mountain!

But even if the scenery was good, he couldn't keep looking at it, or people would think he was a country bumpkin.

Even though he dressed like a country bumpkin and acted like one.

He just didn't want to be mistaken for a country bumpkin.

Wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, Duan Laoliu stood up and stretched.

*Bang!*

A muffled sound.

Duan Laoliu turned around and saw a skinny, dark-skinned punk lying on the ground.

He looked like a dried rabbit.

"Damn, are you blind?"

Before Duan Laoliu could figure out what was going on, the punk started cursing.

"Are you okay, bro? I was just stretching. I didn't expect to knock you down like this!"

Duan Laoliu wondered if his kung fu had improved recently; how could he hurt someone just by walking past them?

The punk wailed, "Okay? You broke my arm! You're saying I'm okay? I can't even stand up now!"

Duan Laoliu was stunned. "Your arm is broken, so why can't you stand up? From a medical point of view, you wouldn't be able to stand if your leg was broken!"

The punk was also stunned.

Damn it, I was careless.

"I don't care, you injured me, you can't leave without paying!"

Duan Laoliu chuckled. "How much do you want me to pay?"

The punk's eyes darted around. "If you don't pay five thousand, you're not going anywhere today!"

The smile on Duan Laoliu's face grew even wider. "Bro, if I'm not mistaken, you're trying to scam me, right!"