A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248

by Translator: Johnchen

  However, when Black Bear’s group looked toward the boat in the dock, they were somewhat disappointed. It was only a small flat boat. At best, it would only have three to five merchant customers, which was not a large amount of business at all.

  This was not surprising, given that this dock was rotten and small. In addition, its location was far from the city. Under these circumstances, it was only natural that no big boats would come here. However, during peak season for trade and commerce, other docks would have no space for large boats, so merchants would have no choice but to disembark here.

  After this small boat stopped at the dock, two people climbed off board. One appeared to be a common youngster about seventeen to eighteen years old. The other was a large man at least two heads taller than an ordinary person.

  The youngster wore a common azure garment, and a small yellow bird perched on his shoulder. Just as he stepped off board, he looked around. He had the appearance of a rural villager that had entered the city for the first time. The huge man wore a green gown and a mantle over his head. His facial appearances were unclear because he wore his clothes in a strange manner. The huge man followed close behind the youngster, refusing to fall even a step behind. Based on his appearance, it seemed that he was a servant.

  The huge man and the youngster were actually Han Li and Crooked Soul; they had traveled on the road for three consecutive months before arriving at Doctor Mo’s homeland.

  TL Note: This is the start of Book Two. You're in for a great ride.

  Chapter 101: Troubles Brought Upon by Riches

  Han Li had traveled in a southeastern direction from his hometown and rushed straight towards the Lan Province.

  On the way, he had met with other travelers, but when they arrived at the bustling city streets, Han Li had left their company to take a shortcut on a path that ran through the desolate wilderness. He didn’t face much danger even halfway through the journey. In fact, the only slightly dangerous incident he had encountered was when he had met several hungry wild wolves during his stay at some remote region in the vast wilderness. Although the wolves were the ones hunting Han Li, they ended up as Han Li’s dinner instead.

  Han Li had traveled through two other provinces before finally arriving at Lan Province with a body covered in dust.

  The moment he entered the Lan Province, he was amazed by the massive water channels he saw, sprawling from one end to the other and accessible from all directions. After all, he came from a region where there was mostly just mountainous wilderness. There weren’t many places to see small lakes, not to mention big lakes and canals. As for drinking water, they would usually obtain it from wells or small creeks.

  Thus, Han Li was extremely interested in the boats and crafts that were sailing on the water canals. In the end, because of his curiosity and obsession, he had spent some money and rented a small boat, savoring the taste of his virgin sailing experience.

  After ten days of pleasant sailing, Han Li had arrived at Jia Yuan City, which was mentioned in Doctor Mo’s will, and sailed into an unremarkable dock.

  The first impression the dock gave Han Li was that it was far too decrepit.

  The dock was constructed entirely from simple wooden panels. Not only was the place narrow and crude, but rotten baskets and broken bags were also strewn about, making the dock incomparably dirty. Standing on the two bamboo piers at the sides of the dock were several tens of barechested men who wore only short pants and emitted a strong odor from their sturdy builds.

  Currently, all these sturdy males were staring unblinkingly at him and Crooked Soul. Not only that, but there were also some who even revealed a fervent look in their eyes. Han Li was surprised for a moment, but he immediately smiled faintly.

  Before disembarking from his small boat and descending onto the dock, the boatman had warmly reminded him that inside Jia Yuan City, the pier had an unwritten rule: no matter the amount of cargo that a passenger brought, he had to hire a porter from the pier to help him. If not, the passenger would face negative, unkind treatment from the harbor gangs and might even get beaten up.

  Since this was Han Li’s first time here, he had no intentions to disrupt the social customs, so he honestly asked, “I need to hire a porter. Is there anyone available?”

  Sun Ergou retracted his sight. From his previous inspection, he could already tell that the youth who had just left the boat was a young master from some rich clan. Not only that, but also the giant man was most likely his bodyguard. This type of pair was frequently seen throughout the year whenever young masters from wealthy clans came to visit Jia Yuan city. These young masters were often here to expand their horizons and spend their money before going back to boast. Thus, there wasn’t much to be bothered about them.

  But these types of people, who loved to slap themselves until they were swollen in order to look imposing, made for perfect targets! As long as he used sweet words to flatter them, these country bumpkins would scatter their money about freely. As a result, they were a good source of business to the shopkeepers here.

  However, it wasn’t the Fourth Level Gang’s turn this time around. According to his prior agreement with Black Bear, the two gangs would take turns doing business with the unsuspecting tourists, and stealing customers would not be tolerated. As for the amount of money to be made, it depended on their luck. The day before, they had made a deal ensuring that today was the Black Bear Gang’s turn.

  Thinking of this, Sun Ergou glanced over to the side, only to see Black Bear’s men discussing in a low voice. Shortly after, a man ran excitedly towards the direction of the youth.

  “Out of the question. It’s impossible for you to carry my belongings alone. Call another person over.” Han Li commanded as he looked at this robust man, glanced at the large amount of baggage on Crooked Soul’s back, and lightly shook his head.

  “Young master, I’m strong enough to carry such a small luggage with just one hand. There’s no need to look for others.” The muscular man wasn’t willing to split his earnings with the other porters. Not only that, he was sure that there was no way he wouldn’t be able to carry the baggage unless it was filled with stones.

  After he finished speaking, the muscular man walked in front of Crooked Soul, with the intent to snatch the luggage away.

  Han Li sighed. Inside the luggage, there was about two thousand taels of silver, as well as an assortment of other random items. The total weight, which was not light at all, was impossible for ordinary humans to carry.

  But seeing how passionate the muscular man was, Han Li could only helplessly signal Crooked Soul to hand the baggage over to the muscular man before he tried to snatch it.

  As expected, once the baggage was in the muscular man’s hands, his countenance underwent a drastic change. He expended his energy but could only walk a few steps before running out of breath. Embarrassed, the man had to put down the baggage and eventually called one more person for help.

  Han Li finally nodded his head in satisfaction upon seeing that the two of them were able to carry the baggage. He quickly left the harbor, walking on the path that led to the city,

  It wasn’t that Han Li lacked knowledge about how the world functioned. Although his experience in Jiang Hu was limited, he could sense the pair staring at him through eyes filled with greed. Little did they know that they were about to invite trouble of a magnitude that they would not be able to handle.

  Seeing the youth’s back moving further and further away, Sun Ergou retracted his covetous gaze. He suppressed the joy within his heart and locked his eyes with the eyes of Black Bear, who was on the opposite site of the dock. Both of them knew that within the baggage, there was most likely an immense wealth.

  As expected, Black Bear was also filled with joy. He slightly hesitated before flashing a look over to Sun Ergou, who intuitively walked towards a nearby rubbish dump. Before this huge source of wealth, even if Black Bear was the one who killed Sun Ergou’s father and stole his wife, he would also be willi
ng to put aside all grievances and work together. After all, ‘Humans die for wealth, while birds die for food’.

  (TL: “????,????” (idiom): man will do anything in his power to become rich)

  “50-50!” Sun Ergou said in a low voice.

  “30-70! This was originally our prey.” Black Bear directly refuted.

  “40-60, and I can’t lower it any further. Your explanation is not enough to make me concede.” Sun Ergou stated in a sly manner, hitting the nail on the head.

  “This……” Black Bear hesitated. Naturally, he wanted to maximize his own profits.

  “Hmph! You can take your time to think all you want, but I’m afraid that people from the other gangs already have their eyes on this fat sheep.” Sun Ergou coldly snorted.

  “Alright, we’ll do it your way. Let’s strike our palms to seal the deal.” Black Bear was obviously agitated by Sun Ergou’s words, but he quickly agreed to the offer.

  Pa Pa Pa Sun Ergou and Black Bear spat on their palms and struck each other’s palms three times, forming a temporary alliance.

  “Okay, quick, we need to catch up to him before he disappears into the crowded areas.” Sun Ergou hurriedly exclaimed.

  “Hehe! Don’t you worry, I’ve already instructed the two whom he hired as porters to lead him into a baackwater alley. Let’s hurry over there now to intercept them.” Considering himself quite crafty, Black Bear laughed.

  “Excellent! What a cunning plan, my old brother!” Sun Ergou’s expression broke into joy, but inside, his heart shuddered. He silently reminded himself to increase his guard when dealing with Black Bear.

  Chapter 102: Murder on Arrival

  Walking away from the dock, Han Li had his two porters walk in front of him and lead him to a nearby inn. He planned to first have a proper rest and then think of his other affairs.

  These two men didn’t hesitate to lead Han Li into the city. On the way, they turned seven corners and changed directions eight times. After they walked for a good while, he hadn’t seen the slightest trace of an inn.

  Although Han Li continued to follow behind the two porters, he saw that with each passing road intersection, his surroundings became increasingly desolate.He wrinkled his brow.

  Although he hadn’t lodged within a large city before, he still knew that it was impossible for an inn to be established in such a secluded place. What customers would possibly arrive here?

  Thus, when they brought him into a filthy, dark alley, Han Li bitterly smiled. He felt that he should immediately restrain the two and torture them into telling him what they sort of scheme they were planning.

  Just as Han Li had thought to act, ten large men suddenly appeared further up ahead in the alley. These men seemed somewhat familiar. Indeed, he had seen them earlier, at the docks.

  These men held a variety of iron clubs and daggers. At this moment, they gazed at Han Li and Crooked Soul with malicious intent. In addition, those two porters who were carrying Han Li’s luggage suddenly charged into the crowd and turned their heads, giving Han Li a sinister smile.

  Han Li sighed. It seemed he no longer needed to interrogate them because he realized their plan. He didn’t expect that, as soon as he stepped foot on Doctor Mo’s hometown, he would come across a cheap plot to kill him for his money.

  “Boy, don’t blame our cruel hearts. You should blame whoever let you bring this much silver for your bad luck!” A coarse voice spoke from behind him.

  Han Li turned to look, finding seven to eight robust men appear behind him. They were led by two men: one of them was tall and burly, and had black skin, while the other had a crooked head and rat eyes. They were Black Bear and Sun Ergou.

  This was not the first time these two had done this kind of shady business, plotting to kill and steal. They clearly understood that, so long as the job was done cleanly and no witnesses remained, the authorities would not take notice of it. After all, even if someone were to report a missing foreigner, the amount of people that went missing each year was far too great. It was impossible to expend the great amount of effort to look for them one after another.

  That was why, after Black Bear had finished talking, he did not hesitate to signal several men to charge. Those men brandished their deadly weapons and quickly surrounded Han Li and Crooked Soul.

  Seeing these large men’s bloodthirsty, cruel appearances, Han Li could not help but feel a desire to kill flash through his eyes. He knew that these men had done such deplorable acts on more than one occasion; otherwise, they wouldn’t reek so strongly of blood.

  “Kill them all! Do not hold back!” Han Li coldly commanded Crooked Soul.

  Upon hearing Han Li, Crooked Soul let out several soft roars, each roar carrying a trace of excitement. It suddenly charged out, rushing directly into the crowd.

  Hu! The giant let out a punch as fast as lightning, hitting a large man’s head. That robust man became like a bag of sand, flying crookedly into a stone wall. His blood and brains streamed all over the ground; only half of his head remained.

  At this time, one man wielding a dagger and another with a crude iron club took this opportunity to attack Crooked Soul’s back.

  Crooked Soul didn’t turn its head. Instead it waved its arm behind its neck, slashing around in a semi circle. Peng, peng! The pair’s weapons flew into the air, along with the hands grasping them. Fresh blood dripped down between their thumbs and forefingers.

  Crooked Soul immediately stood on a single leg and swept the other leg behind him like a sickle as fast as the wind. The two assailants were immediately kicked in the abdomen and flew more than three meters away. They fell onto the ground, motionless.

  When the others saw these events, they sucked in a breath of cold air. A look of fear flashed in the faces of the men surrounding them. They became somewhat hesitant to attack.

  Even though they had stopped their hands, Crooked Soul shot its arms out without restraint, smashing the skulls of the two men who were at his side. Without Han Li’s command, it would not stop its hand of its own accord.

  Sun Ergou and Black Bear’s complexions were very unsightly. It was very clear that this large figure that they had mistaken as an ordinary bodyguard was actually a peerless expert.

  “Kill this man! Each person who participates will be rewarded twenty taels of silver!” Sun Ergou had an unclear premonition in his mind and hastily sent out the several ‘experts’ at his side by issuing a great reward.

  As soon as the men beside Black Bear and Sun Ergou heard this, their faces showed an expression of joy. These shallow martial artists only knew some basic boxing skills and naturally couldn’t tell that, against Crooked Soul, the difference in their strengths was like the distance between Heaven and Earth. They had merely believed that their opponent was simply a little stronger than them and slightly more skilled. Thus, they possessed no fear at all. Now, galvanized by the temptation of a great reward, they charged towards Crooked Soul one after another.

  After Black Bear heard Sun Ergou’s words, his face twitched, but his face soon became calm. Without saying a single word, his gaze simply drifted erratically to and from Han Li.

  Currently, Black Bear was constantly complaining to himself.

  He and Sun Ergou were different. He was able to climb to his current position because he could rely on his strength in an exchange with real weapons. This was why, in addition to having an adequate physique and exceptional eyesight, he could enter the ranks of third rank martial artists.

  As a result, when he saw Crooked Soul fight, his heart jumped like a spear. When his heart finally fell to the ground, he could see that Crooked Soul’s skill was great profound. Even if the two gang leaders were to join the fray, their odds of success would not necessarily be high, let alone with their weak subordinates, who were like kittens and puppies. However, he didn’t dare to flee because this large man had clearly not exerted his full strength. If Crooked Soul were to see him attempting to escape, Black Bear feared that he would die a faster death.<
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  In order to live, it seemed that he could only attack that rustic youngster, whose status was far greater than the large man’s. Only by threatening this man with a hostage could Black Bear possibly escape from death. As for the silver, he wouldn’t dare ask for it. With such a ferocious bodyguard, perhaps he was the young master of some wealthy provincial lord. He was clearly the son of some influential family and was disguising himself for a stroll. Today, Black Bear could escape death. Even if he had the blessing and protection of the Gods, taking the heavy bundle was naturally an entirely different matter!

  Black Bear thought of this and decided to take advantage of his subordinates’ charge. After he signaled Sun Ergou with his eyes, he stealthily approached the stage.

  Chapter 103: Subdue

  Han Li had his back facing Black Bear, who was standing alongside the battling crowd. Although Black Bear tried his best to soften his footsteps, how could it possibly escape Han Li’s notice?

  As the distance between Black Bear and Han Li shortened to just a few steps, Black Bear started to sprint, moving frenziedly like a demon. Han Li lightly shifted his body slightly and pivoted to directly face Black Bear, revealing a smile on his face.

  Black Bear was shocked out of his wits, but he could no longer stop his momentum. Helplessly, he could only roar as he extended his black hairy hands, grabbing ruthlessly towards Han Li. He estimated that Han Li was just someone without much battle experience, and should have been shocked immobile by his savage, demon-like rush, thus rendering him vulnerable

  Upon seeing the black, burly man recklessly raise his hand against him, Han Li’s expression suddenly sunk. His body flickered and disappeared right in front of Black Bear’s eyes.

  Black Bear’s roar became stuck in his throat as he quickly halted his steps, planning to run away. Suddenly, he felt the point of a sword that shone brilliantly like snow coming into contact with his throat before it disappeared once more. Black Bear rapidly covered the bleeding wound with his hands and attempted to speak. However, only some unintelligible grunts was heard before his corpse fell onto the ground.