Who Says One Cannot Become A God By Cultivating He Path Of Ruthlessness In Jinjiang?! - Chapter 3

Because he feared having his true identity discovered, Shu Yang was extremely cautious throughout the journey. He did not attempt to escape or attract attention, terrified that a single mistake would expose him to the vengeful Ruan Wei, who would surely tear him limb from limb.

Fortunately, the soot and filth on his face concealed his original features. Despite walking through the streets, he remained unnoticed, which allowed him to breathe a small sigh of relief.

The human trafficker’s residence was a small courtyard that was not particularly dilapidated. Compared to the woodshed Shu Yang had occupied earlier, it could almost be considered a mansion. However, the trafficker had no kindness for the captives. He locked Shu Yang in a decrepit side room, providing only a few tattered blankets on the floor as a resting place.

The room was filled with other men and women, but most were gaunt, filthy, simple-minded, or weak women and children. Standing among them, Shu Yang’s height and frame made him stand out.

Since these were unsold slaves who still required food, the trafficker brought over a bucket of porridge at night. He stirred the thin gruel with a large ladle like he was feeding swine, then sloppily filled the cracked porcelain bowls on the table. A few drops spilled onto the surface, only to be licked clean by the starving captives fighting for a taste.

Shu Yang stood expressionless. No matter how hungry he was, he refused to lose his dignity by scrambling for porridge like a dog. Instead, he retreated into the shadows, his expression icy, clearly disgusted by the proximity of the other slaves.

He had started as a beggar himself, so he was accustomed to this sight. Cold eyes, mockery, and contempt had been as common as breathing for the former Shu Yang. He used to feel resentment, but he had long since learned to force everyone who looked down on him to keep their mouths shut. However, he felt little sympathy for those in his former station. Each person had to sweep the snow from their own doorstep; when disaster strikes, everyone must fend for themselves.

He had been too cold and rarely protected mortals, which was exactly why he had so little merit even after ascending to immortality. Still, he stuck to his principles, closed his eyes, and began silently plotting his escape.

He could not stay in a woodshed forever, trapped in this confined space. A human life was far too short; time slipped away if one was not careful, and he could not afford to waste a single moment. In his past life, because of his poor origins, it had taken him forty years to even touch the threshold of foundation building. He had started behind others, only to spend the rest of his life racing against time to make up for lost years.

In this life, Shu Yang intended to start cultivating early. Moreover, he had to find his lost love root; he could never repeat the mistakes of his past.

The night was cold. Without his soft immortal robes or his strong immortal physique, Shu Yang quickly felt the chill. He quietly opened his eyes.

The door was locked, with a loose chain hanging through the gap, reflecting the cold moonlight. After a day and a night of turmoil, his wounds had crusted over, and he could move freely. He had not eaten for a full day. Despite his lack of desire for mortal food, the gnawing hunger in his body and brain urged him to act.

Shu Yang slowly stood up. Several people were sleeping in the room. Perhaps someone noticed his attempt to escape, but they did not stop him; they only watched with cold, mocking expressions. These slaves had been sold here either voluntarily or by force. Once they arrived, it meant they had been abandoned by their families. Without a goal or destination, even if they left, they would have nowhere to go.

Shu Yang understood this, so he did not persuade anyone to join him.

He looked at the closed door, took a few steps back, and drew a deep breath. He feared that physical exertion would rip his whip wounds open; he hated pain and preferred not to exert himself unless absolutely necessary. But now, there was no room for hesitation.

Shu Yang’s eyes glinted with cold light. Without further hesitation, he lifted his shackled leg and kicked the wooden door with all his might. It did not budge.

Shu Yang stood frozen. The people on the floor seemed to have expected this. Some sneered and turned away, refusing to watch him play the fool. Some of them had dreamed of escape, but the cruelty of reality had forced them to give up after several brutal beatings.

But Shu Yang was not so easily defeated. He crouched down, pried the shackles from his feet, and kicked the door again with a frigid expression.

Bang!

Under his assault, the door finally collapsed outward, revealing the taut chain holding it.

Hearing the creaking sound of the door falling, those who had been drifting off to sleep looked up. They were stunned to see Shu Yang kick the wooden door down entirely. They did not react until Shu Yang stepped through the opening. Then, they scrambled up, their chains clattering like a stirring, exciting melody.

The commotion soon awakened the traffickers in the adjacent courtyard. They rubbed their sleepy eyes and grabbed their clubs to investigate. They were no strangers to escaping slaves.

Shu Yang did not use the main gate. He leaped onto a tree, stepping on the branches to clear the wall. He had intended to leave this place of trouble immediately, but for some reason, he glanced back. He saw the other slaves—including a small boy with huge, watery eyes reflecting the moonlight—being beaten by the traffickers. The boy did not make a sound even when trampled; he bit his own shackled wrist until it bled, watching Shu Yang from the rafters with a mixture of envy and worship.

Shu Yang paused. He initially meant to ignore it, but as he turned away, he felt a strange sensation. He looked back to see a flicker of faith rising from the boy’s head. A golden glow drifted through the moonlight and into Shu Yang’s body, instantly revitalizing his meridians.

Immortal power surged through his blood. Familiar strength returned, and the pain and exhaustion vanished. Without a second thought, he twisted the wind into a blade, turned back, and swept it out, knocking the traffickers to the ground.

After this move, his immortal energy dropped by half. Shu Yang paused, cursed under his breath, then tapped his feet and flew to the boy’s side, lifting him up before taking flight once more.

That bit of faith was too little to support him for long. He carried the boy like a chick and hurried away, but his escape drew the traffickers in pursuit. The merit gained from the boy’s faith was too meager, and the converted immortal energy was pitifully scarce. Soon, he could no longer ride the wind and had to run along the ground.

He wanted to escape the city, but the gates were locked at night, and his energy was spent; he could no longer leap over the walls. With the traffickers chasing him from behind and the massive gates blocking his path, Shu Yang was trapped, his mind frantic with anxiety.

He considered finding a hiding place for the night, but his aimless pacing beneath the city walls drew the attention of the guards.

“Boss, look at that guy. He’s been pacing back and forth. Is he a thief?”

The sentry had sharp eyes, looking down from the walls at Shu Yang and the small child clinging to him. The guard captain was a relative of Ruan Wei, belonging to the Green Dragon lineage; the dragon horns atop his head emitted a faint fluorescence in the dark.

The Green Dragon captain glanced down and scoffed. “Thieves do not bring children with them to steal things. I think he wants to leave the city.”

“But the Young Palace Master said that until the Ziwei Star is found, no suspicious person is allowed to leave the city,” the soldier noted. “Should we search him? What if he knows the location of the Ziwei Star?”

The captain slapped the soldier’s head. “Look at how poor and pathetic he is. How could he possibly be fated to know where the Ziwei Star is? The Immortal Lord Ziwei is an exalted celestial being. Even if he became a Fallen Immortal, he would not let some beggar or slave know his identity!”

The soldier rubbed his head and dared not speak further.

As they spoke, the traffickers caught up. Shu Yang was cornered between them and the city gate, unable to move. If it were before, Shu Yang could have swept them away with a handful of wind even without a weapon, but he was currently drained and hampered by a burden. Even if he had three heads and six arms, he could not escape.

Human trafficking was not prohibited, and the Green Dragon captain intended to stay out of it, watching from above as Shu Yang fought ten men alone.

Cornered, Shu Yang had no choice but to grab a tree branch from the ground. Before his ascension, he had invented a technique to stir the wind and clouds. But with his current weak body and damaged spiritual roots, he was not sure if he could pull it off.

The boy, discarded by the road, watched him silently. When he saw Shu Yang raise his hand to cast a spell, his eyes lit up, and faith began to pour from his head like toothpaste.

Meanwhile, the traffickers charged with their clubs. Shu Yang quickly converted the faith into immortal energy. As the clubs descended, he leaped into the air, using the branch to channel the surrounding air and wind. With a single sweep, he unleashed his technique, knocking every one of the club-wielding traffickers away!

The child beneath the tree stood up with a start. The faith pouring from his forehead seemed to have cleared a blockage, raining down in a torrent as he watched Shu Yang with wide-eyed adoration.

But Shu Yang had no time to rejoice. As he exerted his immortal arts, the Ziwei Star, which had been dim in the sky, suddenly flared. Its light, sharp as a sword, pierced the distant clouds and pointed directly at the city gate!

The change instantly caught the attention of the astrologers. The moment the Ziwei Star flared toward the gate, everyone monitoring Shu Yang realized that the lost Ziwei Star—the Fallen Immortal, Immortal Lord Ziwei—was now at the city gate!

In an instant, everyone searching for Shu Yang poured out, rushing toward Xuanling Prefecture.

Spiritual energy rippled violently in the air. Shu Yang cursed, not even having time to pick up the boy, and turned to break through the gate. But just as he leaped toward the wall, a pale red light streaked across the sky like a meteor, appearing before him as if by teleportation the instant he was about to touch the gate.

The figure rode the wind, hair white and flowing, eyes red and icy. The air temperature dropped several degrees as he approached.

Shu Yang sensed someone approaching in the freezing cold, but before he could dodge, he collided with the person blocking his path. The newcomer was fierce, his aura as cold as ice. Shu Yang suddenly recalled the frigid touch of Ruan Wei and tried to brake, but his body was beyond his control and kept lunging forward.

When they were inches apart, he saw a pair of cold, icy-red eyes examining him. The aura around this man was like an ice blade, sharp enough to pierce his skin.

This person was Ruan Wei!

Shu Yang’s heart sank; it was a disaster. Before he could flee, a pair of cool, delicate hands tightened around his throat, slamming him back toward the city gate.

Ugh!

Shu Yang let out a painful groan. Before he could struggle, the frigid aura washed over him again. This close, Shu Yang finally saw Ruan Wei’s face clearly.

The faint dragon scales on Ruan Wei’s cheek shimmered in the moonlight. His expression, however, was terrifying. The fingers gripping Shu Yang’s throat tightened, relaxed, and tightened again with lethal force. Shu Yang’s vision began to fade to black; he struggled to pull at Ruan Wei’s wrists, suffocating, unable to speak.

Ruan Wei watched his pained, distorted face with cold indifference, seemingly unable to believe that Shu Yang could be so weak. He pondered for a moment, his frigid gaze scanning the filth on Shu Yang’s face to confirm his identity. Finally, he spoke two cool, sharp words:

“Shu Yang?”

Shu Yang stiffened, his grip on Ruan Wei’s wrist faltering, his pupils trembling violently. He was covered in so much filth, yet Ruan Wei could still recognize him!