Chapter 0002: Hope

He continued to swing the pickaxe

How did Old Wang get into trouble? Li Chengkong, not one to stand on ceremony, casually sat down on the couch and asked with a smile

Shall we team up with Old Wang? Hey, some hardships have been endured, this old hand has finally found a partner, Li Chengkong, you have been tricked!

Although Old Wang has lost his martial arts skills, his mind remains intact, and he will not forget the martial arts techniques and principles

Li Chengkong clasped his fists and said: "I am Li Chengkong, the old man does not know..."

Sweat dripped down his back, and a gust of wind blew in, chilling him to the bone, causing him to shiver.

The law is not lightly transmitted; it is not that it is not transmitted, but that matters depend on human effort

At the very least, Old Wang will not throw a tantrum, flaunt his seniority, or rely on his age; he is already very content.

Li Chengkong could tell that he was slacking off and being evasive, but he did not say much about it

Nevertheless, he could only persist for eighteen strokes, his arms felt weak and soft, and the iron pickaxe became as heavy as a thousand pounds, impossible to lift.

Li Chengkong also immersed himself in his work

The other two players also paused their game and came over to scrutinize him

Li Chengkong returned to his own room

Although it is somewhat bizarre, the occurrence of one's own death and resurrection, taking possession of the body of a recently deceased young eunuch, has happened; what else is impossible?

Li Chengkong lowered his head to look at himself

The Princess of Qingming indeed has a bad temper. Old Wang shook his head and said, Her disposition is too fiery, but she has a kind heart

Li Chengkong, feeling a bit embarrassed to be idle, picked up a pickaxe and started working. After just a couple of strokes, his arms felt sore and weak

Almost instinctively, he carefully assessed the weight of the pickaxe, observed the depth of the impact on the ground, examined the depth of the wild grass roots, and calculated the most efficient height for the pickaxe to be raised.

He continuously refines his movements to make them more efficient and less strenuous

Li Chengkong nodded slightly

He can feel the unwillingness of his original body, but now he is quite content. After all, being alive is a bonus, and if he can live a little longer, he will.

The body is weak to the point of being utterly incapable of working, yet one still resorts to deceit and trickery, earning a notorious reputation that everyone knows about. You have been deceived by Chief Qin!

Slow, slower, even slower

Old Wang took out two iron picks from the pine cabin, tossing one aside: "Cheng Kong, you rest first"

Old Wang said with a smile: "I see that you haven't fully recovered, so let's do less work today. Don't overexert yourself; your health is the most important... You are too thin, and that won't do."

The back and buttocks still ache faintly, the injuries have not healed, and more critically, his constitution is inherently weak

Practicing martial arts has made me stronger, allowing me to work better and faster, and even Old Wang can exert less effort. Therefore, as long as I find a way, I need not worry about being unable to pry open Old Wang's mouth.

Li Chengkong asked: "Old Wang, haven't you practiced martial arts?"

Although standing in the bright sunlight, the wind is still warm, he nonetheless feels a faint chill, a coldness stemming from his weakness

Old Wang appears to be sturdy, but in reality, he is unable to work effectively; after working for a while, he needs to rest for a long time

Old Wang stopped and leaned on his pickaxe, laughing as he said, "Don't rush, don't rush, take it step by step. At the beginning, everyone has to endure some hardships. Alas... I really am getting old, and my body truly can't take it anymore"

As he walked along the gravel path back to the courtyard, Old Wang parted ways with him halfway, as he had his own courtyard

After about twenty repetitions, Old Wang's breathing became heavy, and beads of sweat appeared on his pale forehead

"What are you daydreaming about?" Old Wang said with a smile, "Is it that the changes are too rapid, and you can't keep up?"

A body as slender as a reed, easily blown away by a gust of wind, not very tall, presenting a fragile appearance that seems unable to withstand the breeze

"It's over." Old Wang chuckled, "You were done for when you entered the Xiaoling Tomb, did you offend Princess Qingming and get punished?"

Under the bright sunshine, two butterflies dance gracefully, their colors vibrant, and the speed of their movements gradually increases

However, the poor are literarily impoverished while the wealthy are martial. In a financially constrained family, what conditions are there to practice martial arts? Once one begins to practice martial arts, the appetite increases significantly, which is unsustainable.

Li Chengkong remained silent

At noon and in the evening, someone brought meals consisting of two dishes, one soup, and several steamed buns. The food was both salty and unpalatable, yet he was exhausted and hungry, and still devoured it ravenously

However, after entering the palace and undergoing the purification process, even if one originally practiced martial arts, one must be rendered useless. Even if not rendered useless, one can no longer practice. To practice one's original martial skills as a eunuch would inevitably lead to a path of madness and death

According to his recollection, the martial arts in this world are flourishing, to the extent that even young ladies from wealthy families engage in meditation and energy cultivation

There are a total of four couches placed indoors, with three people already present; two are playing chess, and one is lying on the couch reading a book

The family of this body was impoverished, and later, at the age of ten, both parents passed away, leading to being selected by the county to enter the palace for purification and become a eunuch

Just call me Old Wang. Old Wang waved his hand and said, "I will call you Cheng Kong from now on. From this day forward, we will work together and sweat together until I fall ill and die. Then you can find someone else to partner with, and just like me, grow old, fall ill, and die, living a quiet life like this for a lifetime"

As dusk descended and the lights came on, they left the vegetable field, dragging their weary bodies down the mountain

After entering the palace, one is not qualified to practice martial arts without a certain rank

He swung the pickaxe and began to dig the ground, striking again and again, turning over the weedy wasteland, exposing the grass roots to the sunlight

Various signs indicate that my current brain is no longer like my original brain, but rather resembles a computer more closely

He looked at the old Wang who had been smiling and staring at him.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he found it to be very lively

Moreover, Old Wang understands martial arts; if one wishes to practice martial arts, one must rely on Old Wang.

Li Chengkong released the iron pickaxe and rotated his arm

Old Wang said: "Cheng Kong, do not overthink it. One cannot resist fate. How many can truly rise to prominence and command respect after entering the palace? That is due to the virtue accumulated by their ancestors. Most people still lead a hard and difficult life. Although it may be tiring and challenging here, the heart is at peace, free from anxiety, allowing for a good night's sleep"

Regardless of their height, each one is robust, and my own slender body feels out of place

Sigh... Old Wang shook his head: "The past is too painful to recall. Forget it, let us continue with our work!"

"You are back? Li Chengkong, you truly have a strong fate!" said the fair-skinned young man, who was gently smiling while flipping through a book, his demeanor warm and friendly

Upon seeing him enter, the courtyard fell silent for a moment, and then returned to its usual bustle, with everyone attending to their own affairs, paying him no mind

Until it reached the speed of flight that he remembered, he let out a long sigh of relief, finally adjusting his thought speed to be the same as before

Li Chengkong nodded slightly

After resting for a while, he began to wield the pickaxe again

He secretly felt a surge of energy, which indicated that Old Wang understood martial arts

Li Chengkong said: "Is old Wang doing well?"

Work for a while, rest for a while; the short brown linen shirt on my body becomes wet and then dry, dry and then wet, in this cycle. My palms have developed blisters, which have burst and bled.

He stared at the butterfly above the overgrown grassland, distractedly attempting to slow down his thoughts while observing the butterfly.

Despite being exhausted and in pain, he remained calm; these hardships were nothing compared to death, and he knew he would soon be able to adapt to them

Kind-hearted, yet the actions are unkind; this body suffers so greatly, can a mere bad temper excuse it all? He can sense the resentment lurking within the body

In the courtyard, there are dozens of eunuchs, each bare-chested, displaying their sinewy muscles. Some are sitting by the wooden basin washing clothes, while others are rinsing their bodies directly with water

He has made a bold conjecture, could it be that the Heavenly Sword has merged with his own brain

Old Wang shook his head helplessly: "Young people, showing off for no reason! Take a break, if you fall ill again, you might lose your life!"

Li Chengkong interjected, "Old Wang, how did you get in here?"

He attempted to control the speed of his brain's operation, just as one would control the computing frequency of the supercomputer Tian.