Chapter 31: Chapter 31: When Should One “Die”?
Translator: 549690339
J inzhou City.
By this time, it has been eight years since the Lifeless Sect’s rebellion, and the people in the city seem to have forgotten that terrible uprising.
After the County Government Office cracked down on the rebellion, the people received compensation from the Office, and those who had participated in the rebellion were pardoned.
The County Master even apologized deeply to the people, handing out compensation one by one, and the people continuously praised the Green Sky Lord for his kindness.
It seemed as if everything had been instigated by the No-Life Evil Cult, which was the main cause of the misery in Jinzhou City.
Fortunately, the County Government Office officials were discerning and purged the No-Life Evil Cult, giving the people a peaceful world.
On the night the rebellion was suppressed, the heads of Yang Laifa and other core members of the Lifeless Sect were hung high at the entrance of the market.
“Death to the rebellious evil cult!”
Thus, the biggest crisis in Jinzhou City in recent decades came to an end, and none of the common people knew that the situation in Jinzhou City had fundamentally changed since then.
Although the Liang and Wu families still seemed to be in a high position, they were actually helpless, and without the deterrence of the ancestor, they had become servants of the government office.
The generous compensation promised by the County Government Office to the common people was actually borne by their two families, with Xia Zhiqiu merely giving orders, while they had to bite the bullet and drain their family assets.
Since then, Liang Ping, the former Patriarch of the Liang family who had followed the ancestor in closed-door cultivation to breakthrough to the Post-Natal “Ninth” Level, began to handle official duties at the government office and had no free time.
Liang and Wu families knew that this was actually a temporary solution, but what could they do when the executioner’s knife was in Xia Zhiqiu’s hands?
After all, it was better to linger on than to be exterminated, and the only one to blame was their own insatiable greed, which was seduced by Xia Zhiqiu.
If the Gao family was still there, it wouldn’t have come to this. After all, they were a family with two Post-Natal “Ninth” Level masters, and even Xia Zhiqiu wouldn’t dare to mess with them.
When they wiped out the Gao family, it was not only the ancestors of the Liang and Wu families who took action, Xia Zhiqiu also participated, killing the two Post-Natal “Ninth” Level masters of the Gao family.
It was precisely because of this that the ancestors of the Liang and Wu families chose to cooperate with the County Government Office in the face of the rebellion of the Lifeless Sect, full of confidence.
After all, if a mighty family like the Gao family with two Post-Natal “Ninth” Level masters could be destroyed, how could a mere branch of the Lifeless Sect cause any major turmoil?
As it turned out, the Liang and Wu families also declined from this point on, and both their ancestors perished, becoming servants of the County Government Office.
However, all this had nothing to do with Liang Sheng, whose life has become more leisurely than before, probably because Sheriff Zheng sees him as an old friend.
The Liang family had fallen, and because of Zheng Wanchun’s influence, their attitudes towards Liang Sheng also changed, but luckily, Liang Sheng still treated people as warmly as before, with no changes to his behavior.
Sometimes, Liang Sheng couldn’t help but mock himself, wondering if this was considered riding on someone else’s coattails, as having Zheng Wanchun around made his “later years” much smoother than he had imagined.
Now, looking at the energetic Zheng Wanchun, who would think that he had already passed the age of sixty, while Liang Sheng, only 55 years old, already appeared to be in the twilight of his life.
“Sheriff Zheng, 1 truly envy you martial artists who achieve success and have a long lifespan. Unlike me, who is like a decayed piece of wood, I don’t even know if I can make it past the age of sixty.”
Over the past few years, Zheng Wanchun had often visited Shengde Building, and perhaps because Liang Sheng was a “waste,” their interaction had become less utilitarian.
As Liang Sheng watched himself grow older step by step, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.
After all, they had been friends for decades, so how could there be no feelings between them? However, he wasn’t coy, “Brother Sheng, who said that achieving martial arts success means having a long life?”
Zheng Wanchun still used his old address for Liang Sheng, who was taken aback, as the words he had just spoken were not meant to flatter Zheng Wanchun.
After all, those who reach the Post-Natal “Ninth” Level had a lifespan of up to 120 years, which was recorded by the Liang and Wu families. Seeing Liang Sheng so confused, Zheng Wanchun could easily figure out what he was thinking.
“It seems you really don’t know that breaking through the Post-Natal realm in martial arts does not increase one’s lifespan. It simply allows you to maintain a decent appearance before you die a natural death.”
As for why the lifespan of a top-level martial artist in the postnatal ninth realm can reach 120 years, it’s because they have no hope of breaking through, and they practice the Health Cultivation Method afterwards.
However, before reaching the end of their lifespan and losing hope for the future, who would be willing to practice such a useless Health Cultivation Method?
The path of martial arts is extremely difficult, it’s just that your martial arts talent, Brother Sheng, is really…”
Zheng Wanchun didn’t finish his sentence, but Liang Sheng naturally understood the implicit meaning. In the past, he had collected health cultivation techniques, but now he still looked like this, which could only mean his talent was extremely mediocre. He couldn’t even master the health cultivation methods, otherwise, why would he be in this situation?
Zheng Wanchun’s words also cleared up Liang Sheng’s confusion since his lifespan hadn’t increased when he broke through the postnatal eighth level. So that was the reason.
At this time, Zheng Wanchun seemed to be in the mood for talking, partly because Liang Sheng was his close friend, and partly because Liang Sheng seemed to have little time left, so there wasn’t much need for restraint in his words.
“However, if one can break through to the innate realm, achieve the status of a martial arts grandmaster, their lifespan can break through the limit of 120 years, even more. In addition to practicing health cultivation techniques, they can live at least 150 years.
It’s because of the existence of innate realm protectors that the Dayan Dynasty has been able to endure to this day and remain prosperous. If it wasn’t for the slippery No-Life Evil Cult, they would have been destroyed long ago.”
Innate!
Liang Sheng narrowed his eyes when he heard this; this was the first time he had heard specific information about martial arts innate realm from someone other than in a storybook collection.
He laughed at this moment, “Then I wish Sheriff Zheng good luck in reaching the innate realm. If that really happens, you have to come to my grave to tell me, so 1 can brag in the underworld.”
Hearing Liang Sheng’s amusing words, Zheng Wanchun laughed out loud first, but then shook his head, “I have no hope for the innate realm. I’m not yet sixty years old, and 1 haven’t reached the postnatal ninth level. There’s no hope for the innate realm!
On the contrary, the Liang Family Master has hope for breaking through to the innate realm. I didn’t expect that despite his busy official duties, he could still break through the postnatal eighth level. He truly deserves to be a martial arts prodigy.”
Zheng Wanchun was talking about Liang Ying, who broke through the postnatal eighth level at the age of forty. If it weren’t for Xia Zhiqiu pointing it out, no one might have noticed.
Therefore, Liang Ying’s talent makes breaking through the postnatal ninth level before the age of sixty not entirely impossible.
Zheng Wanchun and Liang Sheng chatted and laughed for a while, then said goodbye and left. However, there was some uncertainty in Liang Sheng’s eyes.
Just now, Zheng Wanchun’s words seemed to praise Liang Ying highly, but the county government office probably already considered him a major hidden threat.
With Xia Zhiqiu’s character, Liang Ying’s attempt to break through to the postnatal ninth level might lead to his downfall. But what does all this have to do with Liang Sheng?
In a few years, he would find an opportunity to “die of natural causes” and be free from the constraints of Jinzhou City. What did Jinzhou City have to do with him?
In recent years, Liang Sheng has become increasingly wary of Xia Zhiqiu. With his intelligence and cultivation, how could he be content with just being the Jinzhou City County Master?
However, he has stayed in Jinzhou City all these years, and the reason must be extraordinary. Liang Sheng didn’t dare to investigate it carefully.
“Master.”
Just as Liang Sheng got up and left Shengde Building, a clever young man appeared in front of him, looking somewhat similar to Ma San.
Ma San had passed away a few years ago, and Liang Sheng, in memory of his many years of loyalty, took Ma San’s son Ma Xiaoliu under his wing.
“Xiaoliu, let’s go home.”
“Yes.”
The horse carriage moved leisurely towards Liang Sheng’s mansion. In recent years, Liang Sheng had gradually reduced his visits to Yichun Building, fearing that he would draw attention from others.
Of course, it was also possible that no one would pay attention to him, as he was just a wastrel. Nonetheless, being cautious wouldn’t do any harm.
However, he should start thinking about when the time to “die” should come..
