Longevity: Starting From Getting Down The Mountain And Marrying A Wife

It was not far to begin with, but they were walking slowly when they came, and now they were running.

Zhong Yan and his group quickly arrived at the town.

The flames were soaring, and the voices of people were chaotic.

Under the town's archway, a group of women and children were being guarded by several bandits with knives and swords, and there were several bodies lying beside the bonfire.

The obvious leaders, five or six bandits, were laughing and joking while riding on horses. Upon hearing the commotion, they turned their heads in surprise.

Because besides Zhong Yan and the others in front, there were also many people coming from behind with torches.

Li Liushi, who was among the captives, saw Zhong Yan and her face showed joy. She controlled her emotions and didn't shout, knowing that help had arrived.

Earlier, she was worried that with so many bandits, her uncle probably wouldn't care about her life or death.

"Quick, keep an eye on these hostages!"

"Gather all our brothers back!"

The leader with a long face turned his horse's head and looked at the newcomers.

Zhong Yan stopped his horse three zhang away and couldn't help but blink in surprise. He recognized two cultivators, one at the fifth level of Qi Refining and the other at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

"They are cultivators!" The man with the long face was slightly surprised, but fortunately, their cultivation was the same as his, at the fifth level of Qi Refining. However, looking at the well-equipped warriors, it seemed that they were all skilled.

The middle-aged man at the fourth level of Qi Refining, with white temples and a flickering gaze, nodded and said, "Yes, what should we do?"

Zhong Yan laughed loudly and clasped his fists, "May I ask where you brave men come from? My surname is Zhong, from Qingyang City. The people in this town are all tenants of mine, can we discuss and release the people? I can offer some money as compensation for your hard work."

"Fuck off! We want both money and people!" A small bandit who didn't understand the situation shouted, thinking that they had a cultivator on their side and seeing Zhong Yan showing weakness, he was full of courage.

"Shut up!"

You fucking... The man with the long face glared at him, rode forward a little, and smiled, cupping his hands, "So it's Fellow Daoist Zhong, disrespectful! Dare I ask if Fellow Daoist is the attendant mage Zhong Yan from Qingyang City?"

"That's me."

The man with the long face's expression changed, and he solemnly cupped his hands again, "I have long heard of Fellow Daoist Zhong's name! This action today is really a last resort. Let's return everything since they belong to Fellow Daoist's people!"

Saying that, the man waved his hand, "Release the people, and return all the belongings to the villagers!"

Zhong Yan smiled, "Can the two Fellow Daoists take a step aside and talk?"

Wei Changfeng narrowed his eyes and pondered for a moment, "Of course!"

The three of them rode their horses to a distance.

Zhong Yan looked at the other person, "And who is this?"

The middle-aged man with white temples cupped his hands, "I am Liu Zhengchun, I have seen Mage Zhong!"

"So it's Fellow Daoist Liu." Zhong Yan cupped his hands and looked at the two of them, "I apologize for my disrespect, but how did the two Fellow Daoists end up becoming bandits and robbing the poor and destitute here?"

Even if there were landlords and wealthy people in this town, they couldn't compare to the rich merchants and tycoons in the city. It would be better for a petty thief to infiltrate any random family in the eastern or southern districts of Qingyang City than to come to this countryside.

Wei Changfeng looked embarrassed and said with a bitter smile, "To tell Fellow Daoist the truth, the two of us originally wanted to make a fortune during the chaos in Wei Kingdom... Damn it, everything was going smoothly, but then we encountered the Yan Kingdom's army. Since we didn't dress like the military mages, we were naturally mistaken for enemy soldiers."

After much persuasion, we managed to keep many resources and saved our lives, but we came to the vicinity of Qingyang like a stray dog, and now our storage bags are cleaner than our faces...

Coincidentally, they encountered the bandits of Shizhushan and killed their leader in a surprise attack. They thought about robbing the bandits of some silver to get by for a while before finding another place to settle down...

Zhong Yan couldn't help but find it both funny and speechless.

Even a cultivator has reached such a point where they don't even have money to eat ordinary food or stay in an inn in the city.

Zhong Yan thought for a moment and whispered to them, "I have a suggestion that the two of you can consider. The Yang Family is about to establish their clan and they are recruiting a large number of guest officials... like this, like that..."

"Fellow Daoist, what is this..." Wei Changfeng looked puzzled and doubtful.

Zhong Yan flipped his hand and handed each of them a first-grade Law Weapon and five spirit stones.

"As fellow cultivators, we should help each other. In the future, if there is a chance, we can cooperate together. This is just a small amount of money. When we meet again, you can return it."

Wei Changfeng and Liu Zhengchun exchanged glances and solemnly clasped their hands, "Fellow Daoist Zhong, we are grateful for your generosity!"

In the next moment, Wei Changfeng raised his long sword and slashed towards Zhong Yan.

Liu Zhengchun also unleashed sword qi to attack.

Zhong Yan condensed a shield to defend himself and threw talismans with his other hand.

The three of them fought back and forth, creating a grand and explosive attack, but it was actually just a superficial display.

On the other side, Yan Sandao, who had been paying close attention, had a drastic change in his expression and shouted, "Kill!"

He immediately rushed over to help.

"Split up and retreat!" Wei Changfeng shouted to the bandits, and he and Liu Zhengchun rode their horses and galloped away.

The bandits who had already gathered together in the town scattered in all directions, and in a moment, more than ten of them were killed by the skilled martial artists from the Li Family.

Zhong Yan rode back on his horse and said, "Don't chase after the poor thieves. They're just a bunch of ragtag bandits. They won't dare to come again next time!"

"Lord Zhong is mighty! Long live Lord Zhong!" Li Chungeng raised a torch and cheered.

"Lord Zhong is mighty! Long live Lord Zhong!" a group of villagers followed suit and shouted.

Several wealthy landlords in luxurious attire also came forward to express their gratitude and invited them to a feast.

"In that case, please arrange for a place to stay," Zhong Yan smiled and led the group of people into the town.

They arrived at a mansion.

The other martial artists went to the banquet.

The two disciples of the Zhong Family who followed the Li and Liu families knelt in front of Zhong Yan.

Zhong Yan glanced at the Li and Liu families. They looked neat and there seemed to be nothing wrong.

"Is my sister-in-law alright?"

"Thank you, Uncle, for your concern. Ziyin is fine. She just scraped her hand on the wall and got a small cut. It's my fault for not practicing martial arts well enough."

She was also a martial artist, but she was only at the second stage of Body Tempering, just starting out. She was used to a life of luxury and couldn't bear the hardships of martial arts training.

"Speak up." Zhong Yan looked at the two kneeling martial disciples, both only sixteen or seventeen years old, but already at the acquired stage.

"We know our mistake. We failed to follow Madam closely at all times, allowing the villains to take advantage and almost causing irreparable consequences. We are willing to accept punishment!"

Li Liu Shi hurriedly said, "Uncle, don't blame them. It was I who asked the villagers to accompany me to check the accounts, and I let them go eat first."

Martial practitioners consume qi and blood quickly, especially during the stage of advancement. When their stomachs growl from hunger, Li Liu Shi had let the two leave several times.

Zhong Yan snorted, "If anything happens to my sister-in-law, your ten heads won't be enough to chop! Go back and receive punishment from Zhou Tangzhu, thirty military canes each!"

"Yes!" Thirty military canes were a severe punishment, but the two felt relieved as long as their martial resources were not deducted.

Li Liu Shi looked at Zhong Yan and couldn't help but feel puzzled, suspecting that besides the blessings from her daughter, there might be something else.

Zhong Yan smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law. We will continue to check the accounts tomorrow."

"It's my duty. Big sister entrusted this matter to me, so it's my responsibility."

After giving Yan Sandao a glance, Li Liu Shi bowed and said, "I won't disturb you any longer, uncle. I take my leave. See you later, Sandao."

"Take care, sister-in-law!"

After seeing them off, Yan Sandao returned and asked anxiously, "Husband, why did they suddenly start fighting earlier?"

Zhong Yan smiled and said that he was also surprised to encounter an old acquaintance.

Liu Zhengchun had entered the sect before him, and they had been senior brothers for twenty years, and neighbors for over ten years.

If we were to say who knew him better in the Fire Cloud Sect, Liu Zhengchun would be one, as they had built a relationship over the years.

When Liu Zhengchun left helplessly, Zhong Yan watched his desolate figure in a daze and couldn't even bid him a proper farewell.

"He seems to have changed a lot..."

Zhong Yan sighed. Liu Zhengchun was at the fourth level of Qi Refining when he left the mountain, and he hadn't changed even now, except for the addition of some white hair.

Upon further reflection, when he left the sect and descended the mountain, Liu Zhengchun had played a role in pushing him forward. His figure and words had planted a seed in his heart.

"Cultivators may seem superior to ordinary people, but many times they are helpless..."

Zhong Yan didn't hide anything and explained his impromptu plan.

Yan Sandao suddenly realized, "No wonder when I saw you blink, your expression was unusual. So you know that person!"

After a pause, she continued, "So, you suddenly wanted to establish a grain warehouse base, and also agreed to Li Ziyin's request, all on a whim?"

"Yes."

Zhong Yan smiled and said, "Be prepared for the future. What you consider insignificant may bring you unexpected rewards, or even open up a new path for you.

Since there is no danger, why not do it? Liu Ziyin is Yang Liu'er's confidante and will follow her orders. And Yang Liu'er, she is quite cunning.

As long as I remain rational, if my eyes are not blinded by something, I won't make foolish decisions. Since I promised Li He Nian, I can't let his two sons fight and kill each other..."

As he spoke, Zhong Yan also felt a wave of emotions in his heart.

Everyone's state of mind changes at every moment, and Li He Nian's fall had a great impact on his state of mind.

If it were in the past, he might have left his family behind in Qingyang and left with Yan Sandao and Yu Qingyao, going to the market or the immortal city where cultivators gathered.

With these two bound women, he only needed to live a stable life and steadily improve his cultivation, seeking the path of immortality.

But now, he has to consider a group of people, think about future generations, and let more descendants grow and live together.

For that, he must be prepared for various dangers and be ready to deal with complex situations at any time.

Yan Sandao blinked, "Really?"

Zhong Yan shook his head, "It's best if it doesn't happen. You women sometimes have short-sightedness. Despite the appearance of the Li family being on the verge of extinction, they still have a considerable family fortune. If Li Shangwen shows any intention to compete, do you think Li Yangshi will deal with him?"

Yan Sandao nodded, deep in thought, then approached and hugged Zhong Yan by the neck, smiling, "It doesn't matter if Sandao is short-sighted, as long as I follow my husband's footsteps! Husband, Sandao has found two talented disciples. How would you reward me?"

Zhong Yan looked up at her, "Have you thought about it?"

Yan Sandao's mouth curled into a charming shy smile as she nodded vigorously.

"Would you blame me for not finding you for such a long time?"

Yan Sandao smiled and said, "No, husband, you are doing important things. I understand the priorities. If I want something, I will ask for it myself, just like now!"

Zhong Yan pinched her nose and said, "Come on!"

But Yan Sandao leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Husband, the moonlight is beautiful tonight. There is a clear pool at the foot of the mountain behind Zhizhu Village."

Zhong Yan's mouth slightly opened as he looked at her with a smile that seemed like a smile.

Yan Sandao buried her blushing face in his shoulder and asked, "Shall we go, husband?"

"Let's go!"

*Bong~* Deepwater bomb.

[Insight into cultivation techniques +10, experience in talisman Dao +30, progress in cultivation +10]

...

In the mountains twenty miles away from Fuyang Town.

Wei Changfeng and Liu Zhengchun simply abandoned the small bandits and had no intention of returning to Shizhu Mountain.

"Liu Fellow Daoist, Zhong Yan is also from the Fire Cloud Sect. Don't you know him?"

"I know him, but he doesn't know me. There are so many outer disciples, even if he has seen me, he probably doesn't remember. Who made me have such a low presence?"

"What kind of person is he?"

Liu Zhengchun thought for a moment and said, "He is quite low-key, but I have heard many rumors about him. He is a ruthless person, daring and adventurous. He often goes out of the mountain for training and takes risks for resources... Oh, by the way, he also has connections in the inner sect. He has two close friends among the inner disciples. Few people know about this. I happened to stumble upon it."

No wonder... Wei Changfeng nodded, "To make a name for himself in Qingyang, he must be someone. Hey, what does he mean by asking us to perform that act?"

Liu Zhengchun's eyes flickered, "Who knows, but we can't just take things for free. If there's something in the future, he will naturally come to us."

Wei Changfeng tapped the long sword in his hand, Law Weapon, and nodded, "Let's see first. You should have no problem. I wonder if the Yang family will take a liking to me."

As he spoke, Liu Zhengchun took a step back, and the figure of Zhong Yan appeared in his mind. A smile appeared on his lips, and he felt infinite emotions in his heart.

...