Chapter 4, I will return

Grandmother, do not worry, I will take good care of myself. Once I have made a name for myself in the world, I will return.

Some things can only be appreciated after they are lost, and one can only understand the value of life after experiencing death

Gu Cheng was also unsure whether he truly knew what his mother was doing, but it seems that, at least between him and Gu Cheng, there was no sense of closeness.

As a member of the Xuanjia Guard of the Jingcheng Jingye Division, Tie Tianying has many matters to attend to and naturally will not personally escort Gu Cheng to Heyang Prefecture

In his previous life, he had no opportunities, but in this life, he is at least a young master from a prestigious family, surrounded by numerous beautiful maidservants. Yet, this fellow remains quite honest and straightforward, leaving Gu Cheng with a sense of frustration akin to that of seeing iron that cannot be forged into steel

One day, Gu Cheng will return here to take a closer look at this grand capital of Daqian

The practitioner represents strength, and what Gu Cheng lacks the most right now is strength

Apart from the Golden Light Seal, the Xuangang Daoist arts primarily focus on explaining the common knowledge of various demonic and ghostly entities.

However, the prerequisite for casting the Golden Light Seal is the need to form a seal with one hand while using masculine blood to draw the symbols with the other hand; the more masculine the blood, the stronger the effect.

In front of the grand residence of the Marquis, all the members of the household came to see him off. Old Madam Gu embraced Gu Cheng, wiping her tears, and said: "Grandson, when you go to Heyang Prefecture, you must take good care of yourself. Do not be stingy with money; there are still some savings in the household. If you run out of money, just write to me."

The techniques recorded in the Xuangang Daoist scriptures are few, with only one practice, the Golden Light Seal, available for cultivation. Its effect is to restrain low-level ghostly and malevolent entities

The external training methods require one to arrange oneself in various peculiar postures according to the patterns outlined in the Martial Guidelines. This should be done until one perceives a flow of heat circulating within the body, and the path of this flow corresponds to the meridians

In his memories, when Gu Cheng's father was still alive, he taught him some basic martial arts skills from a young age. However, after his father's passing, due to the excessive pampering from Old Madam Gu, he became somewhat neglectful of his training

That young man is Gu Zheng, the son of the Zhang family

Old Lady Gu expressed her concern, saying, "Will there be any accidents on the road"

During the more than one month since he crossed over to the present, he had not left the Gu residence, and this was his first time seeing the appearance of the capital city of Da Qian.

For example, Jing Ye Si has categorized monsters and spirits into nine levels according to the ranks of practitioners

This magnificent city has never appeared in his previous historical life

Gu Cheng's words were not only directed at Old Madam Gu, but also at himself, at the Gu Cheng who had already perished under the evil law

The entities of ghosts include: spirits, little ghosts, vengeful ghosts, fierce ghosts, evil ghosts, ghost generals, ghost kings, and yin spirits

Gu Cheng's expression changed slightly: "No need to trouble yourself, there are official roads from the capital to Heyang Prefecture, where could there be any danger"

After enduring this month, Tie Tianying finally delivered the documents, and Gu Cheng could set off to report to Heyang Prefecture, escaping from this侯府 that felt like a dangerous prison

Gu Cheng bowed to the old lady Gu, then raised his head to look at the four large characters "Loyal and Brave Marquis Mansion" on the plaque of the Gu residence, and said in a deep voice

In the remaining month, Gu Cheng either dined with Old Madam Gu or secluded himself in his room to begin physical training; he could not go anywhere else, nor did he dare to.

Such a simple and harmless person met a tragic death under the evil law due to a struggle for interests. Although he did not know the truth even at the moment of his death, Gu Cheng felt a sense of frustration and injustice.

However, Gu Cheng felt quite masculine, both in his past life and in this life.

Gu Cheng was unsure whether his punch carried a weight of one hundred jin, but he had indeed achieved a unity of sinew, bone, skin, and flesh. The bluestone floor within the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence was made of exceptionally sturdy material, and he believed he could shatter ordinary stones with ease

After much difficulty in traversing, this body has left him with no beautiful memories at all

A handsome young man of about fifteen or sixteen stepped forward beside Zhang, wearing a faint smile as he said to Gu Cheng: "I wish you a successful journey, and may you have a smooth trip."

Tie Tianying handed over the documents and a token representing the Jingye Division to Gu Cheng, saying: "Young Master Gu, I have already sent the message to Heyang Prefecture. You can go directly to Heyang Prefecture with these items to report. The Jingye Division has other matters to attend to, so I will not accompany you."

Being able to live another life is due to occupying the body of Gu Cheng

However, Gu Cheng could clearly sense that his body felt lighter than before, and his mental state was also more vigorous.

Upon crossing over, Gu Cheng immediately sensed the Zhang family's malice towards him. However, in this lifetime, Gu Cheng's memories led him to believe that it was his own misbehavior and mistakes that caused his aunt to dislike him

After the journey through time, Gu Cheng has sifted through all the memories of this life, and in the end, he can only use two words to evaluate himself in this life, which are "naive"

Having lost his parents at an early age, Gu Cheng was raised by the elderly Lady Gu.

Old Lady Gu nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, you have handled this matter quite thoughtfully."

Gu Cheng did not think much and finished reading the Xuan Gang Dao techniques. Some of the common knowledge recorded about ghosts and demons sent a chill down his spine.

As he was leaving the capital, Gu Cheng glanced back.

At this moment, Zhang smiled as he walked over and said: "Cheng'er, after you go to Heyang Prefecture, remember to write home often, we will all miss you. Also, Zheng'er has taken leave from the academy today to specially see you off on your journey."

The taste of death is not pleasant, and Gu Cheng does not wish to try it again

The eighth rank ghost is a ghostly entity that has already taken on a physical form, capable of inflicting some harm on humans, with some even being potentially lethal, and can only be dealt with by practitioners

However, with the three of them escorting, danger could be present at any moment.

Within the Gu residence, even the Zhang family did not dare to openly contradict the matriarch Gu. Once she spoke, if Gu Cheng were to resist too fiercely, it would appear suspicious

The memories of his past life at the moment of death are vivid, and the memories of his current life and death also surge into his mind

Monsters include: ferocious beasts, spirits, minor demons, monsters, demon spirits, great demons, demon kings, and demon gods

However, it is strange that although it was clearly stated earlier that there are nine categories, the last category has been omitted. What does this mean?

Without the escort of the three of them, it is possible that one is not afraid of ten thousand, but rather afraid of the one in ten thousand

In Gu Cheng's memory, he rarely appeared. The Zhang family sent him to the academy to study from a young age and even hired retired military officers as martial arts instructors to teach him the skills of boxing and footwork

Gu Cheng sensed the existence of the meridian energy within just a few hours, though it is unclear whether this speed is fast or slow.

Evil spirits and malevolent beings are rampant, and there are those wicked cultivators who act recklessly, even daring to use dark arts to kill within the capital. Even with the presence of the Jingye Division, it is evident that absolute safety cannot be guaranteed

Old Lady Gu is a kind person, indulgent yet not overly permissive, which is why Gu Cheng does not have any significant faults. Although he is neither accomplished in literature nor in martial arts, he treats others with kindness and harbors no ulterior motives. He even lacks a clear understanding of the position of heir to the title.

Subconsciously, Gu Cheng felt that he owed a part of his 'self' in this lifetime, so his frustration and sense of worthlessness would eventually be repaid by himself in the future

Gu Cheng was unsure whether he was overly sensitive due to his paranoia or if there were indeed people within the loyal and brave marquisate watching him; he always felt as though someone was spying on him

This surge of heat is the most primitive form of Qi. When it flows into the limbs and meridians, it is subjected to external force that strikes the flesh, muscles, and bones, which represents the method of external training.

Gu Cheng can be considered a person who has died twice

According to the minutes from Wu Gang, Gu Cheng's speed can be considered quite fast, which should be related to the foundation he established in his childhood

Old Lady Gu, however, did not heed Gu Cheng's advice in this matter; instead, she forcefully waved her hand and said, "It is not the ten thousand that we fear, but the one in ten thousand; no matter how safe it is, it is still not acceptable"

Zhang's slightly sarcastic smile curved into a faint arc: "Rest assured, old lady, I have already arranged for three family servants to escort Cheng'er on his journey. They are all seasoned veterans who once followed his second uncle, so there will be no issues."

Tie Tianying coughed and said: "Rest assured, Old Lady Gu, my salary in the Jingye Division is still quite high, even higher than that of the civil officials and military personnel."

The thirst for power left Gu Cheng no time to waste. After Tie Tianying left, he immediately opened the martial guidelines and the Xuan Gang Dao techniques to take a look.

According to the Martial Guidelines, at the moment of striking, the muscles, bones, skin, and flesh must be unified, with a punch weighing one hundred pounds, capable of breaking stones and splitting rocks. This essentially signifies the initial stage of external training, and one can be regarded as a formal practitioner.

The ninth rank of spirits is the weakest, posing almost no threat. The weaker ones cannot even approach ordinary people with strong yang energy, while the stronger ones can only rely on their forms to instill fear

Setting aside the Xuan Gang Dao techniques, Gu Cheng opened the Wu Gang Records and examined it carefully

Tie Tianying is absolutely right; in this world, no one can guarantee absolute safety. The only one who can protect oneself is oneself

Lowering his head to avoid letting Zhang see his sharp gaze, Gu Cheng said in a deep voice: "Thank you, Aunt and younger brother."

Thus, Gu Cheng had no choice but to mount his horse under the escort of three strong and robust servants, leaving the capital city

Compared to Gu Cheng's lack of coherence in both literature and martial arts, it can be said that Gu Zheng excels in both fields.

A month later, Gu Cheng struck the ground fiercely twice; the originally flagstone-paved surface had been marked by two deep fist impressions created by Gu Cheng during this month.

If classified according to this level, the heart demon in Gu Cheng's Black Jade Space should be an eighth-level minor ghost, which has already taken on a physical form and can be deadly to others

The massive black stone bricks have been stacked to form a magnificent city wall soaring to a height of one hundred zhang, and when viewed from a close distance, it seems endless, resembling a colossal primordial beast lying on the earth

There is a note after the level: the abilities of ghosts and monsters are highly variable, and the level is merely a reference. Some ghosts may have a low level, yet possess extremely harmful and sinister abilities.

In the later stages of cultivation, the energy can be externalized and even evolve into true energy or even formidable energy; of course, that is a realm that can only be reached by martial artists of the seventh or sixth rank

As for what the standard of masculinity is, it is not written above

Having glanced at the sky outside, which was still not completely dark, Gu Cheng began to pound his body again, but after only two or three hours, he felt his body becoming weak and sore