Chapter 4, Heavenly Beads, Calamity

As soon as he had a thought, the small grass fell into the five-colored soil

Duan Xu's thoughts stirred, and he reappeared outside, his gaze at the bead in his hand growing increasingly astonished

This family is indeed unfortunate, this young man runs so fast, could he possibly be a servant of the Duan family

It is the child who has harmed you!

He did not rush over, as there was a group of officials from the city lord's office outside the Duan residence. Whenever they discovered someone approaching, they would not inquire about the reason and would directly take them into custody

Only after experiencing life and death will one understand the preciousness of life, and will one realize that everything in life, apart from life and death, is trivial

Duan Xu murmured softly, recalling that he had once heard the storyteller mention that those celestial beings who could fly through the heavens and traverse the earth possessed some magical treasures. Among these treasures, there was one that seemed to create its own space, capable of containing certain external items for convenient carrying.

In that case, I shall call you 'Heavenly Pearl' from now on

The most important thing for a person is to be alive

On the way, Duan Xu encountered an old farmer and exchanged a jade pendant from his waist for the farmer's cloth garment

Hahaha, this young master is not dead!

What exactly is this thing

When he clearly identified that this bead was a so-called spatial treasure, he immediately became excited

What is going on with the books... ...?

When Duan Xu arrived outside his family residence, he found that the entire Duan Manor had been reduced to ashes, with only a portion of the stone column framework remaining. Thick black smoke rose slowly, seemingly narrating the tragedy that had occurred here.

Duan Xu was filled with uncertainty. After a moment of contemplation, he focused his attention once again on the bead in his hand. It did not take long for him to be drawn into it once more, and the space he had previously seen reemerged before him.

This bead is merely the size of a pigeon egg, completely cool to the touch. For some reason, Duan Xu finds himself feeling particularly fond of this bead.

After a series of encounters, Duan Xu appeared disheveled and covered in dust. Once he donned simple clothing, he instantly resembled an ordinary commoner, to the extent that even some of his former acquaintances would hardly recognize him upon seeing him again

Duan Xu carefully examined the bead in front of him, and a vivid image flashed through his mind, precisely that strong light he had seen at the bottom of the pool

Is this perhaps a treasure of the immortal sect

After gaining some experience, Duan Xu was no longer nervous, but instead carefully surveyed the space.

Father ... ... Mother ... ...

He suddenly felt a bit flustered, but the next moment he realized that there was no space in front of him, only that milky white pearl.

The old man watched Duan Xu's receding figure, murmuring to himself

He discovered that this space, apart from a patch of soil about one zhang in size, shimmering with five colors, contained nothing else; all around was a grayish haze, making it difficult to see clearly.

He struggled to rise, sitting on the ground, and placed his left hand in front of his eyes, whereupon he immediately saw a milky-white pearl

Duan Xu thought of this and quickly lowered his head to look at his chest. He indeed found a tear in his clothing at the chest area, and it was covered in bloodstains. He hurriedly lifted his shirt to examine his chest, but to his surprise, he did not find any wounds, not even a trace.

Is that radiance emitted by this pearl

Although Duan Xu is a dandy, it does not mean that he is foolish

Am I... am I dead?

After a considerable amount of time, Duan Xu finally regained his composure and confirmed that he was indeed still alive

In the words of a storyteller, is this not what is referred to as a fateful encounter with the immortal?

After lying on the ground and laughing heartily for a while, Duan Xu finally realized that he seemed to be holding something in his left hand, a sensation that was icy and cool.

It seems that even the heavens want me to become the legendary immortal

It is indeed possible

Moreover, the bloodstains on this clothing cannot be faked, could it be...

Strange space, strange soil

On the contrary, he is not only not foolish, but rather extremely intelligent; he simply rarely applied his intelligence in a proper manner in the past

He greedily breathed in the air, feeling that the beauty of life could not be surpassed by this

Duan Xu's eyes brightened slightly, and then he repeatedly attempted to take the small grass out from the bead, ultimately placing it back inside again

Duan Xu's gaze once again turned to the bead in his hand, and he began to form certain conjectures in his mind

Just as he was examining the bead, suddenly his entire consciousness seemed to be drawn into it

He put on a cloth garment, discarded the blood-stained clothes on the spot, tied on a sachet, and then hurriedly headed towards Pingcheng

At the thought of this, Duan Xu's gaze instantly became fervent. He pondered for a moment, casually plucking a small blade of grass beside him, and his eyes once again turned towards that bead.

I... am not dead?

What brothels listen to music, what gambling houses listen to dice, and what bullying men and dominating women are all nonsense

By the way, it seems that I was stabbed with a sword by that bastard Wang Er

Just like Duan Xu at this moment, even he and the *picture* book did not expect that after experiencing this life-and-death situation, he would suddenly attain clarity of thought

Although I do not know what kind of treasure you truly are, you have ultimately saved my life. Perhaps it is the will of heaven that has bestowed you upon me, young master.

Wang Er, Song Yan'er, wait for me. Once I become an immortal, I will make you pay for your blood debts in kind

It is also time to return, that wretched Song Yan'er actually dared to make a move against me, undoubtedly this is not without the instigation of that old scoundrel Song Jinglun behind the scenes

Upon hearing this, Duan Xu's pupils constricted sharply, and he immediately set the old man down and sprinted towards the city.

The Longtan Mountain is particularly lively in the early morning, with the sounds of various birds chirping and insects buzzing filling the air, which also rouses Duan Xu from his slumber

Duan Xu struggled to open his eyes, feeling utterly weak and powerless, with a pervasive sense of soreness throughout his body, as if he had fallen from a great height

Duan Xu recalled the scene where he had almost been killed before, and could not help but feel a surge of anger in his heart, instinctively clenching his teeth

What place is this

How strange, I clearly remember being struck by a sword

Duan Xu was surprised, and a certain suspicion arose in his heart

Oh, you mean this? It is said that the house of the richest person caught fire, and the blaze has been raging since last night without stopping. Tsk tsk... It is reported that quite a few people have died!

The joy of surviving the aftermath of the disaster and the *picture* book made Duan Xu unable to contain his roar, and tears involuntarily slipped from the corners of his eyes

When he mentally withdrew from the bead, he discovered that the small grass he had originally held in his hand had vanished

Gradually, a scene appeared in Duan Xu's eyes; it was a vast blue sky, accompanied by several large trees

What ... ... is it ? ! ''

Duan Xu saw a gray and hazy space, and when he looked down, he could not see his own body

What on earth is going on, is it an illusion

However, as soon as he arrived outside Pingcheng, he saw black smoke rising from within the city. He could not help but stop a passerby and ask, "Sir, has something happened in the city? Why is there such thick black smoke?"

It is imperative to return as soon as possible to inform father about this matter, so that he can make preparations in advance

Duan Xu gritted his teeth, knelt down in the corner, his face already covered in tears

When he was in a state of heightened concentration, the familiar space reappeared before his eyes, along with the small grass that had just been pulled up.

Duan Xu said this as he placed the heavenly pearl into the fragrance pouch at his waist

Thinking that the Song family was very likely to take action against the Duan family, Duan Xu became anxious and restless, and the joy he felt from being resurrected and obtaining the heavenly pearl was immediately diminished. He hurriedly ran down the mountain

On the treetop, several sparrows are chirping and chattering.