Chapter 8: The Dead and Wealth, Departing

He shot a glance at the fat man and said, "You only care about treasure, but at that time, you didn't even know about those salts on the mountain!"

The jade light scattered down, absorbed by Chen Jiu, creating a black hole within a radius of more than ten meters around him. No, it should be described as the night within the night, devoid of any light, merely a dark expanse, pure black, as all the luminous moonlight was absorbed by Chen Jiu

Before long, the stout man also brought back some game, and Chen Zhong delivered fresh water

They soon arrived at the place where they had stayed overnight. Looking at a pile of charcoal, Chen Jiu smiled and said, "It seems we will have to stay here for a while longer"

Feeling the energy of the man in white receding, Chen Jiu instantly collapsed to the ground, not wanting to move at all. This was a life-and-death adventure; if even the slightest flaw were to be exposed, it was likely that the moment of demise would arrive.

Chen Jiu looked at the surrounding scenery and said, "After we settle down, we need to find a wife for you and Uncle Zhong to continue the family line!"

At this point, Chen Jiu's expression turned serious: "Since we are leaving this stronghold, we shall completely sever our ties with the profession of banditry. From now on, we should refrain from taking risks and find a place to live in seclusion"

The fat man's head jerked in surprise, and then he turned slowly to look at Chen Jiu: "Are you out of your mind? You still want to go back? That guy could come back to kill us at any moment!"

The chubby face, glistening with grease, paid no heed to Chen Jiu's reproach from hetushu.com, as if he had not heard it at all, and continued to eat with great relish

The fat man looked at Chen Jiu and said, "What should we do now?"

The stout man pondered deeply for a moment and then nodded earnestly: "This idea is excellent. Although we do possess some treasures, we cannot simply consume them all. When I have the time, I will think about how to engage in business!"

Two people helped Chen Jiu up, and three others slowly returned to the stronghold. Looking at the countless corpses scattered across the mountain, Chen Jiu laughed heartily: "Making a fortune from the dead is the quickest way. Let’s hurry and get to work, turning over these corpses!"

"Uncle Zhong, do you have any plans?" Chen Jiu asked Chen Zhong

Chen Jiu nodded: "Indeed, it is not easy at all; this world is too dangerous!"

The stout man's eyes widened as he quietly murmured to Chen Zhong, "Uncle Zhong, what kind of cultivation is this young man practicing? This phenomenon is quite remarkable!"

This martial art is quite peculiar; one cannot continue to cultivate in the first level after entering it. Instead, one must practice the second level. Only after the second level has developed its vital energy can it then drive the first level, achieving completeness, until finally all thirty-three levels are perfected together

Although Uncle Zhong did not speak, he replaced his words with silence

At this moment, Chen Jiu's mind had already immersed itself in the Dao of Creation and Transformation, with boundless energies of heaven and earth converging towards Chen Jiu's dantian, the Purple Palace, in the unseen realm, repairing various hidden ailments and strengthening his foundation.

This fellow certainly has many secrets; neither you nor I can detect the presence of that man in white, yet this fellow is able to do so. Truly, he should not be underestimated!" The fat man said as he got up to add another log to the fire.

Chen Zhong shook his head: "Wherever you go, I will go!"

"Uncle Zhong, where do you think would be a good place for us to settle down?" Chen Jiu withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Uncle Zhong.

After saying this, Ha Chenjiu turned his gaze towards Uncle Zhong, who nodded and said, "Listen to the young master"

After speaking, there was a profound silence, as if everyone had fallen asleep, or perhaps they were reminiscing about the past, or contemplating the path they would take in the future

The fat man looked at Chen Jiu as if he were gazing at some rare treasure: "We are mountain bandits, and you actually want to go study? Aren't you afraid of being captured by the officials!"

After speaking, he took a sip of water and handed the water bottle to Chen Zhong

Seeing Chen Jiu sitting on the ground, Chen Zhong ran over and asked, "Xiao Jiu, how are you!"

The stout man looked at Chen Jiu seriously, then nodded: "Let's do it, you lead, I will follow your instructions"

Seeing the appearance of the fat man, Chen Jiu knew that this line of thought was in vain. Changing the subject, he said: "Since you love money so much, why not go into business instead!"

The path of the Dao of Heaven brings forth transformation, with each day revealing a new divine ability

Only the occasional crackling sound of the firewood can be heard, while the chirping of the birds around has mysteriously vanished, perhaps the birds are also going to sleep.

After a while, Chen Jiu took a breath and said, "That guy has left"

He quickly gathered the treasure into a large bundle, and a smile appeared on the chubby face of the fat man, displaying a greedy expression as he tightly held the bundle, exclaiming: "I've struck it rich, I've made a fortune!"

Shanxia, Chen Jiu walks at the front, the chubby man is in the middle, and Chen Zhong is at the back

After finishing his words, Chen Jiu raised his foot, intending to kick the fat man. Fortunately, the fat man was quick-witted and hurriedly dodged.

Without arguing, Chen Jiu turned his gaze towards the fat man: "Dinner is up to you, I will go chop some firewood"

The chubby man with small eyes squinted slightly and asked, "Are you leaving?"

The second wish is to have a stable home, free from the life of a bandit, living in constant fear and engaging in intrigues.

To be honest, there is no one in this world who is willing to be a bandit, let alone to live a life where one has to carry their head on their waistband

Chen Jiu shook his head: "The bandit stronghold is gone now, I am not a mountain thief, and I am no longer your leader; we are brothers!"

At night, Chen Zhong and the胖子 lay by the campfire, gazing at the stars, occasionally exchanging a few words. They turned their heads to look at Chen Jiu, who was sitting in meditation, with a peculiar expression.

Chen Zhong was taken aback, then said: "We have survived!"

Chen Zhong shook his head: "I don't know, but this technique is not simple. However, why can't I sense any energy from Xiao Jiu?"

The fat man tightly embraced the package: "What more is there to say? In our line of work, who still has family? If one had family, who would still go up the mountain?"

Chen Jiu smiled, not expecting Chen Zhong to be so serious: "Isn't a night a period of time?"

Uncle Zhong rarely corrected me: "It is one night, not a period of time"

Uncle Zhong is the oldest and most experienced among several people, and Chen Jiu wants to hear Chen Zhong's opinion

Upon hearing this, the stout man shifted his gaze from the package and then looked at Chen Jiu: "This is indeed a good idea, but it will cost you money!"

Chen Zhong shook his head: "We have just left the bandit profession; if you speak for a while here, it may lead to unforeseen changes"

After speaking, he suddenly snapped a nearby tree with a series of loud cracks, and then carried it back to the place where he would spend the night

After speaking, Chen Jiu picked up a piece of rag and slowly fashioned it into a bundle, then proceeded to search each bandit one by one.

They are all about the same; in this world, snakes and rats are of the same family, it doesn't matter, just find any place you like

Chen Jiu kicked him and said: "You are useless, let's go, hurry down the mountain, I never want to come back again!"

Thieves are inherently afraid of officials; this is an unchangeable fact

Indeed, it must be said that these bandits possess quite a number of items. Although the leader has instructed the others to present their treasures, these individuals are not to be underestimated; they certainly harbor their own selfish motives. More or less, they all wish to keep a little stash for themselves.

Chen Jiu laughed heartily, a wild and unrestrained laughter, resembling that of a madman, leaving both the fat man and Chen Zhong in a state of bewilderment, as if to say that Chen Jiu had gone mad

Chen Jiu is currently experiencing the first level of heaven, and it can even be said that he has not yet entered this level; thus, he naturally does not possess any supernatural powers

Barbecue, still barbecue, but the salt is a bit lacking, and the flavor is not quite satisfactory

After glancing at the greedy fat man, Chen Jiu curled his lips and said, "Fat man, what do you think about us going to study?"

Chen Jiu widened his eyes and said, "You want to marry a wife and still spend my money, what kind of reasoning is that in this world!"

Ah, Fatty, Uncle Zhong, do you still have family down the mountain

When Chen Jiu spoke these words, a look of longing appeared on his face. In this world, Chen Jiu has two wishes: the first is to be able to have enough to eat, and the second is to marry a beautiful maiden

Chen Jiu chuckled and said, "We are descending the mountain in such a clear and straightforward manner. With the silver we have on us, how long can we survive? We lack the skills for survival. I believe there are still some treasures left on the mountain. If we gather them, we should be able to get through this winter!"

Return to the mountain stronghold! said Chen Jiudao

Chen Jiu was taken aback, not expecting that his casual remark would actually be taken seriously by this fat man

Chen Jiu turned his head, contemplating to himself that the principle of "all things are of inferior quality, only reading is esteemed" is universally applicable in this world

Uncle Zhong's eyes also looked at Chen Jiu, as if waiting for Chen Jiu's explanation

Chen Jiu nodded, saying little more