Far from Ordinary

“Interesting.”

With a cold snort, he ignored the two men, leaving them kneeling on the ground. These two were destined to die in his plan, but for now, they still had their uses, so there was no rush to kill them.

He carefully picked out the ten-year-old stone-winged bats with a small tuft of white hair on their bellies and thicker wings. Using a jade boar hand, he sliced off their stone wings and placed them into his storage pouch. Finally, with a wave of fire, he burned the mess to ashes.

“Let’s go. Time to meet your chieftain…”

Having witnessed Qin Chuan’s methods, the two men dared not disobey. They nodded obediently, not daring to show the slightest hint of resistance.

The three of them made their way toward the Butcher Stronghold atop the mountain.

Along the way, they passed through three checkpoints. Whenever Qin Chuan was stopped, he merely revealed a hint of his abilities, and those guarding the paths would immediately step aside, bowing and calling him an immortal master. The journey was smooth and unimpeded.

Surveying the terrain, Qin Chuan understood why this stronghold, with less than a hundred fighting men, had managed to repel repeated clearing attacks. In just ten years, it had grown from a small stockade with wooden walls into a sizable fortress.

Contrary to his expectations, the gates bustled with women and children. More surprising still, the lives of the villagers did not seem harsh; though not radiant with health, they were vigorous and spirited. Clearly, someone skilled in governance lived here, and the place was not as wretched as outsiders imagined.

As Qin Chuan marveled at the scene, a man in his thirties approached, carrying a long spear.

Yu Ce was of balanced build, moving so quietly that he was clearly a trained fighter. His gaze swept over the three, lingering on Qin Chuan as a slight frown crossed his face.

“How could you bring outsiders into the stronghold so casually?” He strode forward, thumping his spear on the ground and scolded the two men.

They hurried to explain, wiping cold sweat from their brows. “Headman Yu, this is an immortal master!”

He was momentarily stunned and looked at Qin Chuan in confusion. “Immortal master?”

“There’s already an immortal master in the chieftain’s house.” Seeing Yu Ce’s skepticism, Qin Chuan formed a hand seal, and instantly a line of fire blazed across the ground.

The fire tongue spread quickly, scorching the weeds and shooting toward Yu Ce. Not expecting such a sudden attack, Yu Ce shifted his weight and somehow managed to dodge the fire line by a hair’s breadth. His trouser leg was singed, but the fire soon died down, leaving him cold with sweat.

Children on either side, oblivious, thought it was a magic trick. They stared wide-eyed at Qin Chuan, some even clapping with delight.

“Sir—no, immortal master!” Yu Ce bowed deeply, sweat streaming down his face. “Forgive my offense!”

“If you wish to see the chieftain, please follow me.” He placed his spear on a rack, waved his hand, and said, “You two, withdraw for now.”

“Yes, yes! We’ll take our leave,” the fat and thin men replied in unison, sneaking a glance at Qin Chuan as they hurried to leave.

But just then, Qin Chuan spoke. “No need. You two come along as well.”

The two were startled, their hearts pounding with anxiety.

“Come with me,” Yu Ce said, ignoring their pale faces. The immortal master’s purpose was a mystery, his origins unknown. If things turned dire, Yu Ce knew he would not hesitate to act.

The thought brought a ruthless glint to his eyes.

Qin Chuan had not realized his timing was ill-fated; someone in the stronghold was plotting something significant.

Following Yu Ce, Qin Chuan felt a weight in his heart. The information he’d received seemed off. This small stronghold was far less simple than it appeared. Along the way, he even saw ancestral halls and schools—buildings quite ordinary in a county seat, but remarkable in a bandit fortress sustained by plunder.

More importantly, there was someone here who was certainly no ordinary person!

Fortunately, he had not barged in headlong; if necessary, he could abandon this task. Survival came first.

He did not believe anyone from his sect had deliberately set him up, since he had chosen this mission on a whim.

Halfway there, a conspicuous wooden pavilion came into view. Its prominence lay not in the rarity of timber but in the intricate carvings adorning it. Green tiles were crowned with chiwen to ward off evil spirits, and a stele stood before the pavilion.

This was unmistakably Daoist architecture—familiar to Qin Chuan. In Green Mountain Sect, one could see a dozen such pavilions in a day.

As they neared the entrance, a commotion erupted inside, making both Qin Chuan and Yu Ce tense. The fat and thin brothers behind them seemed to realize something and dared not even breathe loudly.

“Enough! Someone’s coming!” called a young scholar, clearly at a disadvantage in the scuffle.

“Brother Wan, your skills are impressive. I, Shi Xin, am in awe!” Shi Xin rubbed the bruises on his hand, his face battered and wretched. He took two steps back, looking at Wan Renmian with a hint of fear.

Wan Renmian was a middle-aged man, ordinary in appearance but free and forthright in manner—quite unlike his reputation. “Don’t tease me. My inner energy has made no progress for years. If you hadn’t held back, ten of me wouldn’t match a single finger of yours.”

The two exchanged pleasantries, but when Qin Chuan stepped forward, both fixed their gaze on him.

Wan Renmian’s smile faded, and his tone grew serious. “Yu Ce, you and the two outside may leave.”

“Yes, chieftain.” Yu Ce hesitated, wanting to stay, but at Wan Renmian’s word, he sighed and withdrew.

Qin Chuan felt bitter at heart. If he had tried to sneak in, he would surely be dead by now. This Wan Renmian was no mere inner energy expert, but a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. The other man’s aura was even more elusive—postnatal at the very least.

With the advantage of a magic treasure, Qin Chuan had barely eked out a victory against two fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivators. If faced with these two, his situation would be even more perilous.

“Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for formality,” Wan Renmian said. “To hide from the common folk, I claim to be an inner energy master, but in truth, I have long since left the mortal realm.”

“I am a few years your senior—may I have the cheek to call you junior brother?” he continued with a wry smile.

Qin Chuan, now intent on withdrawing, replied politely, planning to report everything to his sect upon his safe return. “Naturally, I am Qin Chuan. It is my honor to address you as Senior Brother Wan.”