Chapter 3, Seekers of Immortality? No, Seekers of Survival

The robust man swiftly carried away Ma Ergao, Zhao Zhu, and two others, selecting only strong and sturdy children, and similarly walked briskly out of the courtyard

The apprentice tirelessly copies the statue, even to the point of drawing blood from his fingers

Wu Wanfeng clasped his fists and said: "I kindly ask the steward to take away three children each. I have some tasks assigned by the shopkeeper, so I will take my leave first"

He dares to assert that there are cultivation methods in Rong Town, after all, ordinary people do not have the ability to suppress fatal illnesses

Li Qingfang and his siblings, due to their young age, had to start with learning to read and write, and were taken by the servants to the school affiliated with the pawnshop.

Wu Wanfeng squinted his eyes and said with a hint of madness, "Do not feel fortunate; there are nine types of fatal illnesses that can manifest at different stages of life"

The children stood in a row, receiving the scrutiny of the overseer

Ms. Wu, the accountant, arrived late, her deformed spine causing her to walk somewhat slowly. Behind her were four stewards of varying appearances, along with a group of miscellaneous servants

The others were still sound asleep, while he quickly got up and went to the courtyard, using the well water to wash up while stretching his limbs to invigorate his muscles and promote blood circulation

A bit clever

Li Mo glanced at the two children who were alone; it seemed that their frail constitutions were due to incomplete internal organs since childhood

Rest assured, the pawnshop has its own methods to overcome the trials of life and death.

Esteemed steward, I have learned to read and write at home, and I also possess some skills in painting and woodworking

The term "fetus" refers to an unborn embryo.

Xu Hu, what are you in such a hurry for? The Ceramic Hall has not had any new talent for several years; one must take a closer look.

Brother

Ma Erggao could not help but ask: "Lord Wu, what if... what if the illness of Zongjiao Qi cannot be endured? What... what will happen then?"

Li Mo soon discovered that the selected child exhibited obvious signs of premature aging, recalling that they had been physically weak since childhood and had even nearly succumbed to death.

Follow Manager Hu patiently to learn how to do things, and just manage your words properly

Wu Wanfeng pointed at the two children, indicating for them to stand in the corner.

Li Qingfang and another person timidly grasped the hem of Li Mo's clothing

Li Mo pretended to have just gotten up not long ago, sharing dry rations with Zhao Zhu while casually chatting about their experiences and observations in Rong Town

Li Mo caught a cricket for inspection. Aside from the cricket appearing listless due to the late autumn, no other abnormalities were observed.

Li Mo secretly thought that it was indeed the case, and then began to observe the four managers, from their attire he could discern quite a bit of information

Children dare not express any dissent

The strong man nodded in response: "It is only right."

Li's heart raced wildly; the feeling that Wu Wanfeng gave him was too strange, perhaps due to a chilling aura.

Li Mo did not have time to delve into the connection between the four categories of antiques and beast taming, but with his remarkable memory, it was undoubtedly the case that calligraphy and painting were more suitable.

Unfortunately

The terms "zhutai" and "zongjiao" originally referred to the designations for various age groups in ancient times

The gestation period is likely equivalent to that of a mortal martial artist from seven thousand years ago

Congenital organ insufficiency can still allow for survival, with the only cost being the inability to cultivate.

This world is truly strange

The robust man speaking stands at a height of 1.9 meters, with large joints and palms devoid of any flesh, revealing grayish-black bones. His waist badge is inscribed with the character "杂".

Li Mo's pupils dilated, and the Book of Creation revealed some memories of the Heart Beast Sect, primarily concerning information about certain cultivation realms

By the time of the rabbit hour, the children gradually awaken

The woman in dark makeup glanced at Li Mo, her gaze revealing a hint of admiration, as she did not expect to find such a perceptive child in the mountain village

He learned the surname of the woman in mourning attire from the greetings of the roadside servants

The woman in dark makeup covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, which could be considered as tacitly accepting Li Mo's allegiance. She then chose her cousins Li Qingfang and Li Zhuanghe to accompany her, and proceeded to leave the courtyard

Li Mo led the two siblings and soon arrived at the Calligraphy and Painting Hall located in the western district, where the rich scent of ink could be detected even from a distance

Li Mo lowered his head, his exceptional memory making his thoughts unusually active

The period of youth has not yet passed, and by the age of fifty, the organs will completely decay, leading to a hollow body, infested by the erosion of corpse worms

Immortality is accompanied by eternal descent, and nothing is more ironic than this

The old woman groped the child's back, making a clicking sound with her mouth

The elderly woman in the last corner has arms that are only half the normal length, tucked into her sleeves and wrapped around her chest, with a waist badge reading "Porcelain"

In the center of the calligraphy and painting hall, there is a wooden figure covered with acupoints and meridian distributions; alongside it, a porcelain tiger beast is bent down, searching for food

Wu Wanfeng left the courtyard with the unborn child, and their fate should be that of a laborer in a pawnshop

Li Qingfang is just over five years old, while Li Zhuang is slightly older at seven. They are considered cousins of Li Mo, although they do not interact frequently in daily life

Li Mo looked around the calligraphy and painting hall, where the atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive. About one hundred assistants sat at their desks, continuously repeating the act of painting

In the melting town, the crowing of roosters is absent, replaced instead by the sound of insects chirping

Wu Wanfeng, with a peculiar tone, said to the *Picture* book: "It is unavoidable to suffer from illness during the gestation period; if one is born with all five organs intact, it can be considered having passed through."

A middle-aged man has swollen, pale skin, exuding an unpleasant fishy odor. His pupils are pinprick-sized, and his waist badge reads "Jade"

Ceramics, calligraphy and painting, jade artifacts, miscellaneous items

Wu Wanfeng chuckled strangely, scanning the children with his gaze, and said with satisfaction: "Humans are born to suffer from death and disease"

The woman appears gentle and refined on the outside, yet her face is heavily made up, resembling a corpse about to be buried, with the waist tag reading "Makeup"

Li Mo glanced over the children; most of them were somewhat oblivious to the concept of death and illness. Only the older child, Ma Erggao, appeared extremely anxious, his legs trembling uncontrollably.

Li Mo hesitated for a moment and took the initiative to move closer to the woman in the dark makeup

You ... ... you ... ...

Even failing to survive the gestation period, one is destined to a lowly fate. After you two finish, come with me to the Servants' Hall

The tallest man in charge comforted, saying: "As long as you survive the critical period of youth and illness, you need not worry for the next thirty years, and the drawbacks of illness naturally vary from person to person"

When the infant is in the womb, it encounters the disease of stillbirth.

The gestation period has not yet passed, and after the age of twenty, the limbs begin to atrophy, ultimately leading to a loss of mobility

Hehehe... ...

Wu Wanfeng wore a satisfied expression as he admired the fearful look on Ma Erggao's face

He feels somewhat desperate; even if he endures the trials of youth in the town of melting, it is possible that new afflictions will emerge decades later

After finishing the painting, the rice paper is thrown onto the ground, where it accumulates in a thick layer. Only a small number of works gain the appreciation of the artists and receive some monetary reward

The term "Zongjiao" refers to hair styled into a bun, resembling the two horns of a child on the top of the head

Li Mo felt a tingling sensation on his scalp

Then I shall not be polite

However, terminal illness is somewhat different

As Hu Guan arrived at the calligraphy and painting hall, he handed Li Mo over to the painter in charge of the artwork, and in the blink of an eye, he was nowhere to be found

However, in the world of immortality, it has already been used as a synonym for terminal illness

Wu Wanfeng's lips curled into a smile, and his tongue flicked over his exposed gums

A moment later

The affliction you are currently experiencing, known as "Zongjiao," leads to the stagnation and failure of organs. It typically erupts completely at the age of 20 and deteriorates to its most severe form by the age of 50, hehehe.

Do you feel a slow pulse

In the early morning, a white mist enveloped Rong Town as Li Mo opened his eyes

Upon seeing the badge, he realized that it represented the category of antiques, an area he had occasionally engaged with in his previous life and possessed a certain level of theoretical knowledge.