Chapter 1, Robbery
Chen Qi saw that his subordinates had gained the upper hand and thought to himself: "Since this is my first time leading a team down the mountain, I should at least make a good profit. There is no need to rush into fighting; let me first see if there are any good goods available. I will stay behind for now"
At that time, Chen Qi was only eight years old. He still remembers his father being carried up the mountain, covered in blood. He rushed over, only knowing to cry, gritting his teeth and swearing an oath to avenge his father. It was the Great Chief "Haomai" who took him on the spot as his first disciple, promising to teach him martial arts and calming the group of bandits.
Chen Qi pulled out this book, initially intending to tear it up casually, but upon seeing the three vigorous ink characters on the cover that read "He Shan Jing," he couldn't help but feel a mix of annoyance and joy. He thought to himself: "So this is a martial arts manual. This is excellent; if I learn a few moves from it, perhaps I can make a name for myself in the future thanks to today's unexpected encounter. I could also be like the great leader, eating whatever I want without anyone daring to interfere, and have beautiful young women as my wives."
He was always unwilling to give up, tearing open the mouth of the black cloth bag, only to find inside a small banner, black ropes, talismans, and other items. The most eye-catching was a thick book. Not seeing the gold and silver treasures he had hoped for, Chen Qi felt extremely angry and thought to himself: "With such a tight grip on this bag, how could there be no gold or silver notes inside? Instead, there is a book. This person dying at my hands is certainly not unjust."
His grandfather, Chen Hengjiang, was originally the leader of the Seven Villages of Tianma Mountain. On one occasion, while descending the mountain to rob, he encountered a tough opponent and was met by a group of chivalrous young heroes who sought to "punish evil and eliminate wrongdoing." He was stabbed nine times and died a tragic death
Chen Qishuang's hands trembled uncontrollably, as if the book in his hands weighed a thousand pounds. After pondering for a long time, he suddenly realized: "Everyone else is dead, what am I afraid of? Could he possibly come back as a ghost to haunt me? I might as well practice these spells myself; perhaps they will bring me many benefits in the future"
Chen Qi casually flipped open the first page of the He Shan Jing and saw the first type of spell, named Seven Kill Yuan Shen, which discusses how to refine a serpent or similar creature to merge its soul with hetushu.com, in order to secretly harm others
Chen Qi had studied for several years and believed that reading secret manuals would pose no difficulty for him, so he began to flip through one. He opened the "He Mountain Classic" and after reading a few pages, his brows furrowed, and he inwardly exclaimed that it was not good. It turned out that this "He Mountain Classic" was not a martial arts manual at all, but rather a manual of sorcery. It contained a total of sixty-seven kinds of sinister and unorthodox spells, each one cruel and vicious, capable of causing death in the most tragic ways. Just reading the descriptions and methods of these spells made Chen Qi feel a chilling wind and a sense of dread throughout his body. It contained a total of sixty-seven kinds of sinister and unorthodox spells, each one cruel and vicious, capable of causing death in the most tragic ways. Just reading the descriptions and methods of these spells made Chen Qi feel a chilling wind and a sense of dread throughout his body
The band of robbers lay in ambush on the mountain for half a day, and finally saw dust rising in the distance along the official road. Everyone silently thought to themselves: "The fat sheep has arrived." They were all seasoned thieves, and just by observing the swirling dust, they knew it was a convoy, undoubtedly carrying a substantial amount of goods.
The leader of Tianma Mountain, nicknamed Black Whirlwind, was once a disciple of the Iron Bone Sect in his youth, mastering formidable martial arts. However, he later forgot about taking Chen Qi as his apprentice. Yet, Chen Qi, born in a den of thieves, understood the importance of martial skills. He frequently visited the leader's quarters, serving tea and tidying up the room. Whenever he noticed the leader in a good mood, he would seize the opportunity to ask a few questions about martial arts.
However, without his father's support, Chen Qi quickly realized that his status in the stronghold had plummeted. Not only did he receive a great deal of disdain, but he was also often summoned and treated like a lackey.
He brandished a steel knife and rushed to the back of the convoy, lifting the curtains of several large vehicles in succession but finding nothing. It was not until the last horse-drawn carriage that he saw a person lying inside. This individual appeared to be severely injured; upon seeing Chen Qi, he weakly attempted to raise his hand, but inadvertently aggravated his wounds, causing him to spout blood profusely. Before Chen Qi could draw his knife, he collapsed, lamenting his fate.
Chen Qi, at the age of fourteen or fifteen, had already been a notorious bandit for six or seven years, having made a living through highway robbery.
The strength of Tianma Mountain Dazhai is extraordinary. This convoy hired third-rate bodyguards, who were no match for this group of ruthless bandits. Within less than half an hour, they were completely annihilated. Chen Qi single-handedly killed seven of the hardened bodyguards, dispatched some of his subordinates to dig graves for the dead, while he himself directed the remaining men to transport all the valuables up the mountain.
After examining the cover, Chen Qi found that there was indeed nothing else, and he couldn't help but scratch his head. He had no choice but to tuck the three golden pages inside the main text of the "He Shan Jing" and hide it in his bosom. He also took the black cloth pouch with him. As for the few scattered silver coins, he displayed a bit of cleverness by digging a hole on the spot to bury them, marking the nearby tree trunk as a reminder.
Chen Qi found a secluded spot to unfasten his trousers and relieved himself with great satisfaction. He had drunk several scoops of water in the morning, and this stream of youthful urine was particularly abundant, soaking the grass in a radius of three to four steps before he finally stopped. Chen Qi, gripping the steel knife in his hand and yet to fasten the cloth belt around his waist, let out a furious roar: "I am coming!" After quickly securing his belt, he strode down the mountain. By the time he reached the official road, the bandits from Tianma Mountain had already engaged in a fierce battle with the guards of the convoy.
Having stayed in the bandit den on Tianma Mountain for a considerable time, he naturally picked up some thieving tendencies. Noticing that this person was dressed in fine attire, he quietly examined the corpse, retrieving a black cloth pouch and some scattered silver coins. Chen Qi was quite astute; he understood that his title as the Seventh Chief was unreliable. Upon returning to the stronghold, he would undoubtedly be searched, so he dared not keep this extra money on him. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was watching, he discreetly discarded it in the grass by the official road, then returned to feign a struggle.
This time, the bandits from Tianma Mountain reaped abundant rewards. After the event, the leader of the Black Whirlwind held a meeting to discuss merits and rewards, and specifically imparted the secrets of the Iron Bone skill, even teaching him the parts that were originally kept private, which allowed Chen Qi to enjoy himself for quite a while
Chen Qi was splattered with blood and was secretly astonished, saying: "Could it be that after many years in Tianma Village, I have developed a thieving appearance, exuding an aura of violence, causing this person to fear me so much that he chose to end his own life? Well, since you spared me, Chen Da's efforts, I shall leave you with a complete corpse..." Although this person died by his own hand, Chen Qi still counted this life as his own responsibility, pondering: "This uncle has quite a good appearance, imposing and dignified, but unfortunately, having fallen into the hands of me, Chen Da, even a hero can only lament his own misfortune. Let me see what he has on him!"
That person must be someone knowledgeable in magic, yet somehow they were injured and unable to use their spells; otherwise, I would have lost my life even if I had ten. The village chief suffered several setbacks in his early years, one of which was at the hands of a sorcerer. Now, when encountering monks or Taoist priests, even nuns and Taoist nuns do not dare to rob them. How could I have killed such a formidable individual? What should I do now?
Chen Qi originally thought that the black cloth bag contained gold, silver, or jewels. Upon seeing the iron plates carved with birds and beasts, he was immediately filled with disappointment and muttered to himself: "These iron plates are indeed exquisite; although the craftsmanship is good, I wonder how much they would sell for? Unfortunately, I am at Tianma Mountain, where would I find the opportunity to visit a pawn shop?"
Through such slow and arduous efforts, Chen Qi unexpectedly rose from an ordinary lackey to a minor leader. Recently, when a chieftain from Tianma Mountain was overthrown while competing for territory with another group of fierce bandits, the big chieftain took the opportunity to promote Chen Qi, making him the seventh chieftain, thus continuing the family legacy.
This time, it marked Chen Qi's first occasion leading the bandits from the village to engage in "business" on his own. He was accustomed to such acts of violence and felt no anxiety; he was merely a bit impatient as he had yet to spot the target for the robbery
Chen Qi was still unaware of what was inside the black cloth bag; he could only speculate that the burly man he had killed that day appeared dignified, and the items on him must have been extraordinary. After enduring these past few days with *Tu* *Shu*, Chen Qi had long lost his patience. Upon finding the black cloth bag, he tore it open in one swift motion and reached in, unexpectedly pulling out an iron plate intricately carved with images of flying birds and running beasts.
Having completed all of this, Chen Qi then staggered back to Tianma Village
Chen Qi flipped the three golden pages back and forth, yet saw nothing on them; both sides were completely smooth, a surface so slippery to the touch, but when torn, it proved to be remarkably resilient. If one were to suggest that something could be sandwiched within this thin silk, Chen Qi would not dare to believe it, for this object was already as thin as a cicada's wing; where could there possibly be a layer to hold anything?
It was also thanks to Chen Qi's mother, who passed away early; she was the daughter of a prominent family, but was forcibly taken by his father and compelled to marry. Initially, she taught him to read and write, as well as many principles of being a good person. Chen Qi himself was quite clever; he did not stubbornly cling to the title of the late leader's orphan or the designation of the 'direct disciple' of the great leader. Instead, he quickly adapted, changing his mindset and identity. Regardless of who summoned him, he responded with a smile, relying on his eloquence and diligence, and managed to survive tenaciously in this den of thieves.
The chief finally showed some loyalty; on a whim, he taught him a couple of techniques. Every time Chen Qi learned something, he practiced diligently in secret. After five or six years, he had cultivated the Iron Bone skill to about thirty to forty percent proficiency. In addition to secretly observing the various leaders in the stronghold practicing martial arts, he also experimented on his own, piecing together a style of knife techniques. While he couldn't claim to have any particularly lethal moves, having rolled in the blood of the blade day in and day out, he had developed a ruthless heart at a young age, capable of swiftly taking down three to five men in an instant. In addition to secretly observing the various leaders in the stronghold practicing martial arts, he also experimented on his own, piecing together a style of knife techniques. While he couldn't claim to have any particularly lethal moves, having rolled in the blood of the blade day in and day out, he had developed a ruthless heart at a young age, capable of swiftly taking down three to five men in an instant
Chen Qi suddenly felt the urge to urinate, so he shouted, "You all go down the mountain to kill first, I will follow shortly." The bandits did not dare to disobey Chen Qi's command, and they yelled loudly as they rushed down the mountain. After all, the bandits did not adhere to any particular battle formation; they simply relied on their numbers, and whether or not someone was leading made little difference.
Chen Qi thought that if this person were to master this skill, they would indeed possess the ability to kill even as a ghost. He dared not look any further and was about to hide this scripture, but the cover of this "He Mountain Classic" was made of a hard material, and the thickness of the cover combined was greater than that of the text pages, making it rather difficult to put away
He had stayed on the mountain for several days, and since there were no transactions during that time, he took advantage of the villagers' inattention to stealthily descend the mountain. On that day, he carefully searched for half a day along the official road where the convoy had been ambushed, and indeed found the black cloth bag that had been discarded a few days prior, along with several scattered pieces of silver.
Chen Qi was mingling at Tianlong Mountain and had heard of individuals possessing extraordinary magical abilities. Such people are elusive, rarely appearing before ordinary mortals, and with a mere flick of their hand, they could potentially annihilate the entire Tianma Mountain. The thought that he had actually killed such a formidable character left Chen Qi trembling with fear. In recent days, he had been boasting in the stronghold, claiming that during his first robbery, he had killed seven bodyguards and a mysterious martial arts expert. After repeating this tale so many times, he even forgot that the person had actually died of natural causes, and it was not he, Chen, the leader, who had taken action.
These iron plaques are only the size of half a palm, intricately carved with various birds and beasts, all vividly lifelike, appearing almost real at first glance, as if living wild animals have been compressed into such a small form. Observing the postures of these birds and beasts, Chen Qi experiences a sense of illusion, as if they are all about to break free.
He did not care how the cover of this He Shan Jing was bound, and casually tore off the outer cover, intending to keep only the inner pages that contained the scriptures. However, as he tore off the cover, he noticed a corner shining with brilliant gold, and Chen Qi suddenly felt delighted, secretly exclaiming: "How clever of me, it turns out there are good things hidden in this scripture." He pulled the cover apart, and within the inner layer, he found three pale golden pages, seemingly made of pure gold, yet as thin as paper and soft as silk, with a very peculiar texture. However, as he tore off the cover, he noticed a corner shining with brilliant gold, and Chen Qi suddenly felt delighted, secretly exclaiming: "How clever of me, it turns out there are good things hidden in this scripture." He pulled the cover apart, and within the inner layer, he found three pale golden pages, seemingly made of pure gold, yet as thin as paper and soft as silk, with a very peculiar texture.