The Immortal Ascension

Chapter 2: Qingniu Town

This was a small town, though it was more like a large village. It was called Qingniu Town, but the locals from the nearby valleys, who had little exposure to the outside world, often referred to it as "Qingniu City." This was the honest opinion of Zhang Er, who had been a gatekeeper for over a decade.

Qingniu Town was indeed small, with only one main street running east to west, called Qingniu Street. There was only one inn in the town, the Qingniu Inn, located at the western end of the elongated town. Traveling merchants who didn’t want to sleep in the wild had no choice but to stay there.

At this moment, a carriage that had clearly traveled a long distance entered Qingniu Town from the west. It sped past the front of the Qingniu Inn without stopping, continuing all the way to the other end of the town, where it finally halted in front of the Chunxiang Restaurant.

The Chunxiang Restaurant wasn’t particularly large, and it even looked a bit old, but it had a quaint, antique charm. Since it was lunchtime, the restaurant was bustling with customers, nearly full to capacity.

A round-faced, mustachioed man and a dark-skinned boy of about ten years old stepped out of the carriage. The man led the boy straight into the restaurant with an air of confidence. Some regular patrons recognized the man as the restaurant’s owner, "Fatty Han," but no one knew who the boy was.

"Old Han, this dark kid looks a lot like you. He’s not a son you had behind your wife’s back, is he?" someone suddenly joked.

This remark caused everyone nearby to burst into laughter.

"Bah! This is my nephew, brought here by my family. Of course, he looks a bit like me," Fatty Han retorted, not at all offended but rather somewhat proud.

The two were none other than Han Li and his third uncle, the man everyone called "Fatty Han," who had just arrived in town after three days of travel.

Fatty Han greeted a few regular customers before leading Han Li to a secluded courtyard at the back of the restaurant.

"Xiao Li, rest well in this room and gather your strength. When the inner sect’s manager arrives, I’ll call you over. I need to go out for a bit to attend to some regular customers," Fatty Han said kindly, pointing to a side room in the courtyard.

With that, he turned and hurried out.

At the door, he seemed to have second thoughts and added, "Don’t wander off. There are too many people in town, and you might get lost. It’s best not to leave the courtyard."

"Okay!"

Seeing Han Li obediently agree, Fatty Han finally left with peace of mind.

Once his uncle was out of sight, Han Li, feeling exhausted, collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep, showing no signs of the shyness typical of a child.

In the evening, a servant brought in a meal. Though it wasn’t lavish, it was quite tasty. After eating, another servant came in to clear the dishes. It was only then that his uncle leisurely walked in.

"How was the food? Did it suit your taste? Are you feeling a bit homesick?"

"Yeah, a little," Han Li replied, appearing very well-behaved.

His uncle seemed pleased with Han Li’s response and proceeded to chat with him about family matters, boasting about some interesting people and events he had encountered. Gradually, Han Li loosened up and began to laugh and talk with his uncle.

And so, two days passed in this manner.On the third day, just as Han Li finished his dinner and was waiting for his uncle to come and tell him stories of the Jianghu, another carriage stopped in front of the tavern.

The carriage was painted a glossy black, and it was drawn by a rare and exceptional yellow steed. What caught the most attention was a small black triangular flag with the character "Mystery" embroidered on it, with silver characters and red borders, naturally exuding an indescribable air of mystery.

Upon seeing this flag, any seasoned Jianghu practitioner within a radius of several hundred miles would know that an important figure from one of the two dominant powers in the area, the Seven Mysteries Sect, had arrived.

The Seven Mysteries Sect, also known as the Seven Extremes Sect, was founded two hundred years ago by the renowned "Seven Extremes Sage." It once dominated Jingzhou for several decades and even extended its influence to several neighboring states, gaining great fame throughout the entire Yue Kingdom. However, after the death of the Seven Extremes Sage, the sect's power declined sharply, and it was forced out of Jingzhou's capital city by other sects. A century ago, the sect was compelled to relocate to the most remote part of Jingzhou—Rainbow Cloud Mountain—where it took root and became a minor local power.

As the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. After all, the Seven Mysteries Sect was once a major school, and its potential was still formidable. Upon arriving at Rainbow Cloud Mountain, it quickly took control of over a dozen small towns, including Qingniu Town, and had three to four thousand disciples under its command, making it one of the two dominant powers in the area.

The only other force in the region that could rival the Seven Mysteries Sect was the Wild Wolf Gang.

The Wild Wolf Gang originated from a group of marauding bandits within Jingzhou. After several government crackdowns, some of the bandits accepted amnesty from the authorities, while the rest formed the Wild Wolf Gang. However, the gang inherited the bandits' ferocity, bloodlust, and willingness to fight to the death. As a result, the Seven Mysteries Sect often found itself at a disadvantage in conflicts with the Wild Wolf Gang.

Although the Wild Wolf Gang controlled more towns, it was not adept at managing them, and its territories were far less prosperous than those under the Seven Mysteries Sect. The gang coveted several of the wealthier territories under the Seven Mysteries Sect and had recently been provoking conflicts between the two. This had become a major headache for the current Sect Leader of the Seven Mysteries Sect and was the primary reason for the sect's recent expansion in recruiting disciples.

A lean man in his forties jumped down from the carriage. His movements were swift, indicating that he was no ordinary person, and he seemed quite familiar with the area. He strode directly toward the house where Han Li was staying.

As soon as Han Li's uncle saw this man, he respectfully stepped forward and bowed.

"Guardian Wang, why have you personally come to fetch us?"

"Hmph!" Guardian Wang snorted, his face full of arrogance.

"The roads have been unsafe recently, so we need to strengthen our defenses. The Elder ordered me to personally come and fetch the person. Enough talk—is this child the one you recommended?"

"Yes, yes, this is my nephew. I hope Guardian Wang will take good care of him on the journey."

Seeing that the man seemed impatient, Han Li's uncle quickly took out a heavy bag from his person and discreetly handed it over.

Guardian Wang weighed the bag in his hand, and his expression softened slightly.

"Fatty Han, you know how to handle things! I'll take care of your nephew on the journey. It's getting late; we should hurry and set off."

(End of Chapter)