68: He attained enlightenment and became an immortal.

Chen Heng's thought process was quite peculiar; seeing Li Zhensheng staring at him, he stared back.

The two just stared wide-eyed at each other until Steward Li spoke.

"Vice Envoy Chen, please come in quickly. I, this old man, apologize for the poor hospitality."

Steward Li was still crawling and wriggling on the ground, smiling apologetically as he sat on a moss-covered stone stool.

There was a stone pavilion in the manor, and Steward Li and Chen Heng sat opposite each other there.

Li Zhensheng still stood beside Chen Heng, staring intently at him.

"May I ask if Vice Envoy Chen has any important business today?"

Steward Li produced a tea set from somewhere, poured a cup of green liquid, and offered it to Chen Heng.

Chen Heng glanced at the green water in the cup; he really couldn't bring himself to drink it.

That stuff didn't look like anything good, and even if he was immune to all poisons, it was better not to try it lightly.

"I recently heard that something went wrong in Little Li Family Village, so I thought I'd come and take a look."

"I wonder if Steward Li is aware?"

Chen Heng was clearly asking something he already knew.

This old man in front of him had turned into such a monstrous state, yet he could still utter such words.

"Oh?" Steward Li was confused for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"Vice Envoy Chen also knows about the Immortal Ascension in Little Li Family Village?"

"As expected of a vice envoy of White Tiger Hall, the news is indeed well-informed."

The three mouths on Steward Li's face opened simultaneously, their voices exceptionally grating.

"Immortal Ascension?" Chen Heng frowned.

Looking at this old man, he didn't seem like an Immortal at all.

"It seems Vice Envoy Chen doesn't quite understand." Steward Li gave a strange laugh and began to recount his path to Immortal Ascension.

The changes in Little Li Family Village had to be traced back to half a year ago.

Steward Li's youngest son, Li Zhensheng, caught a golden carp in the river.

That carp could actually speak human words, which greatly startled the Li family, and they quickly released it.

To repay the Li family's kindness for not killing it, the talking carp told Li Zhensheng how it could gain sentience.

"Wait a moment." Chen Heng quickly interrupted Steward Li's rambling nonsense.

"A golden carp that speaks human words?"

"Was that really not a carp spirit that had cultivated?"

Chen Heng didn't believe in Immortal Ascension.

If Immortals truly existed, how could the Human Race now be so devastated by demons and Anomalies?

"Hearing is not as good as seeing." Steward Li stroked his non-existent beard on his face, looking profound and mysterious.

"If Vice Envoy Chen doesn't believe it, you can come with me to pay respects to the Immortal of Enlightenment."

Chen Heng was stunned. Could it be that such an Immortal truly existed?

"I see Vice Envoy Chen is also a fated person, unlike my son." Steward Li looked back at Li Zhensheng and snorted coldly.

"All day long he just reads his worthless books, and even the Immortal of Enlightenment doesn't favor him."

"Dull, foolish, and clueless."

Chen Heng turned his head and glanced at Li Zhensheng; the boy was still staring intently at him.

Indeed, he looked no different from an idiot.

But Chen Heng always felt that there was something off about this boy, a feeling he couldn't quite place.

"Then, please, Vice Envoy Chen, stay for the night. Tomorrow, I will take you to meet the Immortal of Enlightenment."

Steward Li made a bow with his twisted body and gestured with an outstretched hand.

Chen Heng nodded, readily agreeing.

No need to search laboriously himself; wouldn't it be good to have someone help?

Steward Li, wriggling his distorted body, led Chen Heng to the manor's guest room and settled him there.

The guest room was quite dilapidated, with a putrid, musty smell assaulting him.

"Vice Envoy Chen, please stay here tonight. This old man will take you to meet the Immortal of Enlightenment tomorrow."

After speaking, Steward Li tactfully moved away from the guest room.

Chen Heng sat in the guest room and touched the bed, which was covered in moss and mold.

"Forget it, I'll make do for a night."

Shaking his head, Chen Heng sat cross-legged on the floor and began to circulate the Nine Revolutions Longevity Art.

But it wasn't long before Chen Heng realized something was amiss.

He felt as if a pair of eyes was staring at him.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and sure enough!

Li Zhensheng was standing in front of him, staring intently.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Chen Heng scratched his head, asking somewhat helplessly.

This boy neither spoke nor moved, just stared intently at him.

This made Chen Heng a little unbearable.

"..." Li Zhensheng's mouth moved, as if he was saying something.

But even Chen Heng's five senses couldn't make out his words.

"What did you say?" This time, Chen Heng concentrated his Qi and blood on his hearing, instantly amplifying the surrounding sounds countless times.

"Don't... go... dangerous... Immortal of Enlightenment."

This time, Chen Heng barely heard Li Zhensheng's words, which were actually warning him of danger?

"Why have you become this neither human nor ghost-like state?"

Chen Heng knew that Li Zhensheng in front of him might be the only person in the entire village who still retained his sanity.

Or rather, the only one not enchanted by that Immortal of Enlightenment!

What followed was suffocating silence.

No matter how many questions Chen Heng asked him, Li Zhensheng no longer spoke, just stared intently at Chen Heng.

After asking for a long time, Chen Heng gave up on communicating with the boy.

Anyway, he did nothing but stare, so Chen Heng let him stand there.

Closing his eyes, Chen Heng continued to circulate the Nine Revolutions Longevity Art.

Suddenly, Li Zhensheng's lips moved slightly, as if he said something again.

By the shape of his mouth, it seemed to be... save me?

But Chen Heng, who was diligently circulating his Internal Skill, didn't notice.

After saying this, Li Zhensheng stopped speaking, standing still like a wooden stake... Goulan Street, Black Oil Alley.

The sun gradually rose, and a rooster's crow heralded dawn.

The Prostitutes, tired from a night's work, could finally rest for a while.

Black Oil Alley, which had been silent all night, also began to operate again; everything seemed so orderly.

However, the refugees in Black Oil Alley all had expressionless faces, like puppets who had lost their Souls.

The refugees toiled, stepping on the twisted human faces on the ground.

In a corner, two rascals were holding black flatbreads and observing their surroundings.

"Brother, how many more living Souls do we need before we can go back?"

Qian Zhizhong stared at the flatbread in Qian Zhicheng's hand with a pair of wise eyes.

"At this rate, we should be able to withdraw by this time tomorrow."

Qian Zhicheng gently touched the white statue, feeling the wails of the Souls inside the statue.

"The speed at which Black Oil Alley plunders living Souls is unexpectedly fast; we two might even get a share."

A glimmer of greed flashed in Qian Zhicheng's eyes.