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Chapter 252 Obstacles to Understanding One's Mind, Revisiting Familiar Places, A Common Man (5K)

It was from this moment that he truly fell from the clouds into the abyss, personally experiencing the jungle law unique to the bottom.

Survival has replaced living.

Every day is fulfilling and busy, yet it feels like an eternity.

Time flies, and another year has passed.

Disheveled hair, tattered clothes, and poverty... these became the norm.

Until today.

Inside the dilapidated wooden house, it never rains more than it can pour.

"Beggar, join the Little Beggars Gang with me, and I'll treat you to the finest food and drink."

There were two people inside the house, both beggars. One was dressed in rags, while the other was dressed neatly in coarse linen clothes, which added to his air of wealth.

At this moment, the beggar in hemp clothing was patiently persuading the ragged beggar.

I hope that the guy who gave me a way out when I was down on my luck will come with me to enjoy a better life in a small beggar's guild.

Although the Beggars' Gang had only been established for a short time and was inconspicuous in the entire border town, at least they had a place to stay.

Through long and arduous struggles, he has become the leader of the Little Beggars' Gang, thanks to his ruthless nature.

He received anywhere from half a tael to a tael of silver each month, enough to live the life of an ordinary person.

But he wasn't satisfied with the status quo; he wanted to make more money, become a more powerful boss, live a better life, and enjoy the most beautiful women.

So he needs help.

"Su Qier, you are very strong and thick-skinned. As long as you practice some martial arts, you might become a martial artist. Then, we brothers can join forces, take down Black Bull, and become the big boss of the Little Beggar Gang. We'll have silver coming in every day and live the life of the elite!"

Seeing that Su Qier remained silent, the beggar in hemp clothing looked slightly unpleasant, but he still continued to persuade her.

In the entire border town, only he knew that this seemingly old beggar was actually more capable than the average young beggar.

Outside, the rain pattered down, and inside, all was silent except for the faint, intermittent snoring.

After waiting for most of the day, the beggar in hemp clothing still didn't receive any reply from Su Qier. Instead, the other party got impatient and fell asleep.

His face darkened, a look of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he finally let out a soft snort.

"Here is one tael of silver. Consider it my way of repaying your kindness in providing me with a meal." He deliberately left one tael of silver, trying to bring Su Qi'er to his senses.

After all, as a beggar, he had never even seen a tael of silver, let alone a piece of silver.

Leaving behind a tael of silver was also a way of hoping that Su Qi'er would succumb to temptation and agree to join the Little Beggars' Gang.

Tapping.

The sound of hurried footsteps pierced the rain.

A beggar, also dressed in hemp clothing, rushed in looking panicked and said nervously, "Boss, something bad has happened! Black Bull has brought his men here!"

Before the words were even finished, bursts of roars echoed through the rainy night, piercing the sky.

"How many people?" the beggar in hemp clothing asked, trying to appear calm.

“Seven or eight burly men!” the beggar said in a trembling voice.

Upon hearing this, the beggar in hemp clothing turned ashen-faced. He had already gained considerable influence in the small beggar gang and was clearly qualified to become a leader.

Within the same neighborhood, conflict with Black Bull was inevitable; he wanted to replace Black Bull, and Black Bull also wanted to eliminate the threat.

The two sides have long been bitter enemies.

He only brought two men with him when he came to find Su Qier, but he didn't expect to be discovered by Black Bull, who seized the opportunity to try to kill him.

"Boss, let's run!" another subordinate reminded him.

Without further hesitation, the beggar in hemp clothing turned and entered the back door of the dilapidated house, intending to leave through another street.

He had only taken a few steps when he suddenly stopped, looked at Su Qier lying in the dilapidated house, and a conflicted look flashed across his face.

"Su Qier, quickly hide!"

After leaving a message, he crossed the courtyard, about to depart.

Suddenly.

A cold glint flashed before his eyes, causing his expression to change drastically: "Not good, stop immediately."

"Hehehe, I didn't expect you to dodge it." Black Bull brought two beggars in through the back door, looking at the beggar in hemp clothes with a sneer.

He now carried a blunt knife, one more than before.

He, who rarely drew his sword, deliberately practiced it in order to kill the beggar in hemp clothing.

Not long after the black bull appeared, four beggars poured into the front door, each holding a wooden stick, their eyes gleaming with a fierce light like hungry wolves.

The three were completely surrounded.

"Black Bull, what do you want to do?" the beggar in hemp clothing demanded.

Black Bull grinned cruelly: "Don't you understand? I'm going to kill you!"

"Aren't you afraid that the gang leader will settle scores with you if he finds out about this?" The beggar in hemp clothing felt a chill run down his spine and brought up the gang leader.

He knew that Black Bull was wary of the gang leader, so this was the only tactic he could use to intimidate Black Bull.

Unexpectedly, Black Bull laughed even louder: "Just now, the gang leader was killed by my blade, now it's your turn."

"What?!" The beggar in hemp clothing was startled upon hearing this, only then noticing the bloodstains on the black ox knife.

He glanced around and quickly realized that these burly men were not Black Bull's men, which made his expression turn serious: "You've joined the Iron Ring Gang?"

"Hmph, you still have so many questions even when you're about to die. Are you going to leave on your own, or should I send you off?" Black Bull sneered, brandishing his blunt knife that gleamed with a chilling light.

Despite his inner despair, the beggar in hemp clothing remained composed. He said, "Black Bull, spare my life, and I will never appear in your sight again."

"Dream on!" Black Bull sneered, and with a command, the men attacked.

Seven against three, the former armed while the latter unarmed, overwhelming the beggar in hemp clothing in both numbers and strength.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the scales of victory tipped in favor of the Black Bull.

"Brother Zhang, we'll cover you, you run!" shouted the beggar in hemp clothing's two henchmen.

Amidst the chaos of blows, the two were covered in wounds and could not hold on for long.

Upon hearing this, the beggar in hemp clothing turned red in the eyes, his pupils overflowing with hatred and rage. He looked at his two subordinates and said, "I will definitely avenge you."

"Stop him!" Black Bull shouted, and four of his men immediately gave chase.

The dilapidated house was ultimately too small, and the beggar in hemp clothing was eventually surrounded.

The difference is that last time he had two subordinates, but this time he is all alone.

Black Bull looked down at the defeated like a victorious general, his smile full of mockery. He looked at the beggar in hemp clothes and said sternly, "I was going to let you live a few more days, but you insisted on courting death, so I had no choice but to send the gang leader and you on your way."

His eyes suddenly turned fierce, filled with murderous intent: "If you have any last words, tell the gang leader on the road to the underworld."

As soon as he finished speaking, the six men stepped forward and easily subdued the beggar in hemp clothing. The beggar in hemp clothing gave a miserable smile, his face ashen.

He thought joining the Beggars' Gang would lead to a bright future, but he never imagined that he wouldn't even have the right to choose death.

"Oh, right, and that beggar who was pretending to be asleep, kill him too. We can't leave any survivors."

Suddenly, the black ox made a snip.

After all, it was murder, and if the authorities found out, there would inevitably be trouble, which he never liked.

Two wooden sticks were placed on the heads of the beggar in hemp clothing and Su Qier. The beggar in hemp clothing closed his eyes, welcoming death.

"Ugh!"

A soft sigh escaped, but the deadly blunt blade hesitated to fall.

The beggar in hemp clothing was puzzled. He slowly opened his eyes and saw corpses scattered all over the ground.

"W-what happened?" The beggar in hemp clothing stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.

He quickly realized what was happening and exclaimed in shock, "Yes, it was Su Qier who did it!"

Su Qier was no longer inside the house.

"Who exactly is he?"

No one answered him, and the room fell silent again.

This sigh, filled with helplessness and desolation, also signified the end of Su Chen's year-long life as a beggar.

It is related to the beggar in hemp clothing, but not closely.

The two were not close, and there was not much gratitude between them over the meal.

He knew what the beggar in hemp clothing was thinking; the other party wanted to use him to seize more power and wealth.

The real reason is enlightenment.

The moment he was about to make his move, he knew that it was impossible for him to rely on his beggar identity to enlighten his mind.

So he saved the beggar in hemp clothing, and also took away a tael of silver, which he considered as money to save his life.

After Yang Guo, Su Qier transformed back into Su Chen.

Mingxin's failure left Su Chen somewhat disappointed, and he ran wildly away from the border city.

I don't know how far we traveled, but I do know that the heavy rain stopped, and the bright moon, which had been obscured by dark clouds, revealed a corner of itself, casting a faint glow.

Su Chen stood on the wilderness, like an ancient pine tree, standing motionless in place.

As the morning sun shone on Su Chen, he slowly opened his eyes.

The disappointment of last night has vanished, replaced by a sense of calm.

After a night, Su Chen still couldn't figure out why he had failed to understand his mind, but he accepted the failure with equanimity.

"Reaching the clouds, falling into the abyss, let's return to being ordinary people."

After composing himself, Su Chen embarked on his long journey once again.

He did not deliberately create an identity, but decided to return to his original self and continue to understand his true nature.

Don't forget your heart, you have to always.

He wandered aimlessly, stopping and starting, and a year passed by in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Alright, let's go back and take a look."

I am even more timid when I am close to my hometown.

White Stone City, the starting point of the dream, holds many of Su Chen's memories.

Upon returning this time, he was suddenly overwhelmed with endless memories.

He wasn't usually a sentimental person, but he couldn't help feeling a little wistful.

Upon entering White Stone City, everything seemed the same as before, yet also different.

He understood that White Stone City hadn't changed; what had changed was him.

Following the route in his memory, Su Chen walked step by step toward the place buried deep in his memory.

This was his first place of residence after he traveled through time, and also his only home.

A dilapidated courtyard house.

It hasn't been demolished yet; years of wind and rain have only added a few signs of wear and tear.

"Cuckoo."

A family of five lives in the courtyard house.

The husband was not home, the old woman was weaving cloth, the eldest daughter was cooking, the second daughter was feeding the chickens, and the youngest son was playing in the yard—a scene of harmony.

"Is there anything you need?"

As the sun was setting, the husband, who had been busy all day, looked at the young man at the door with a mixture of sweat and a satisfied smile, and a mixture of curiosity and wariness.

Su Chen shook her head without saying a word, and turned to leave under her husband's gaze.

Next, Su Chen went to Hong Ming's residence.

People have started living there.

However, compared to his old courtyard house, Hongming's residence has been renovated and has become more luxurious.

The person who bought the Hongming Martial Arts School was still a martial artist.

Inside the courtyard, more than a dozen martial artists were practicing.

People were practicing standing meditation, boxing, and lifting stones... and a series of "humming and hawing" sounds could be heard.

"Young man, would you like to come and become an apprentice at our Spirit Monkey Fist Martial Arts Academy?" A student practicing martial arts in the courtyard saw Su Chen at the gate and stepped forward to ask. "It's not expensive. It only costs three taels of silver to learn for half a year. Once you've mastered it, you can work as a guard for a wealthy family or as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort).

Seeing that Su Chen smiled but did not answer, the student invited, "Young brother, you can come in and take a look."

As she spoke, she took Su Chen's arm and led him into the courtyard.

While warmly welcoming him, they explained in detail the benefits of joining the martial arts school to Su Chen.

After the round of walking, Su Chen hadn't said a word, which made the trainees feel a little awkward.

If Su Chen's attire hadn't been decent, he wouldn't have been so enthusiastic. But now it seems his enthusiasm was misplaced.

He pursed his lips, somewhat reluctant to give up on such a customer, so he gritted his teeth and said, "How about this, I'll teach you a few tricks, go back and practice them and see if they work."

Su Chen nodded and looked at the students.

The students didn't hesitate and agreed to teach, but there weren't many moves, only three.

A clever monkey explores the path, a group of monkeys frolic, and the monkey king vies for supremacy.

The moves are very ordinary, but the name is extremely famous.

After the three moves were completed, the student breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at Su Chen with a smile.

Su Chen did not disappoint him. He took out ten taels of silver from his pocket, handed it to the smiling student, and said, "This is my tuition fee."

"Our tuition is three taels..." the student said hesitantly as he took the money.

"Consider the extra amount as payment for the advance instruction you provided," Su Chen said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the student accepted the money and then cheerfully saw Su Chen off.

Su Chen continued to wander around White Stone City, exploring both the outer and inner city, and his memories of White Stone City gradually returned.

Previously, Su Chen spent most of his time focused on cultivation, and he had no time for leisurely strolling around.

This tour completely filled in the gaps in my understanding of all the sights in White Rock.

He discovered that the arena where the martial arts contest to find a husband was still there, and people were still setting up the arena to find husbands.

Of course, the woman seeking a husband has changed; presumably, the girl from before has already married.

After exploring the city, Su Chen stayed in White Stone City.

I stayed there for a month.

Su Chen has had a rare period of leisure this past month.

Unlike the busy life of a national advisor, or the struggles of a beggar, life is more about leisure after retirement.

When people are at ease, their hearts are at ease too.

Life has become more regular.

Every morning after waking up, Su Chen would practice his boxing techniques for half an hour. The Iron Wire Fist he had learned seemed to be etched into his bones, unforgettable.

Then he would go out to a roadside stall for breakfast, simply to satisfy his appetite.

Then, they might listen to music, watch a play, eat and drink, or engage in activities like playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, or painting...

Enjoy life, cultivate your character, and be as carefree as an immortal.

Over time, the absence of worries becomes the biggest worry.

Three months later, Su Chen set off from Baishi City for Dafeng City.

Today, Dafeng City has long since become the core city of Donglin Prefecture.

The original plan has been completed after years of effort, and four major cities now guard Dafeng City.

Dafeng City was the inner city, while the four major cities became the outer city. The entire city could accommodate over a million people, and it was incredibly prosperous.

Moreover, martial arts in Dafeng City are thriving. Far from declining due to the disappearance of the major families, it has become one of the strongest cities in the entire Daqian Dynasty.

While martial artists at the Blood Transformation Realm aren't as numerous as dogs, they're not uncommon either.

Su Chen arrived in Fengbei City.

The location of the Qiao residence has not changed, but the current lord of Fengbei City is not Qiao Renzhou, but Qiao Qiliang.

Qiao Renzhou has retired and is enjoying his old age.

Standing in front of the Qiao residence, Su Chen looked dazed. After hesitating for half a second, he finally went inside.

"Please inform them that Qiao Qiliang has met with an old friend."

The guard was very unhappy with Su Chen's form of address, but seeing Su Chen's fearless attitude, he ultimately decided to report it.

After many years, Qiao Qiliang had grown a mustache, looked more mature, and was much thinner.

Upon seeing Su Chen, he froze on the spot, seemingly unable to believe it.

"Old Joe!" Su Chen finally called out, waking him up.

"It really is you, Su Chen!" Upon hearing this familiar name, Qiao Qiliang burst into tears of joy.

Su Chen nodded. Seeing Qiao Qiliang again filled him with mixed emotions.

"Welcome back!" Qiao Qiliang opened his arms and hugged Su Chen tightly, laughing heartily.

The Qiao residence suddenly became lively.

Upon hearing the news, Qiao Renzhou, who was holding his grandson, also showed up to meet Su Chen.

Qiao Qiliang then called out all twelve of his children and introduced them to Su Chen one by one.

He then dismissed everyone and took Su Chen back to the courtyard where Su Chen had lived in the past to reminisce.

The courtyard was spotless, cleaned by servants every day, and the furnishings remained unchanged from when Su Chen left.

The two sat in the courtyard chatting, from their initial meeting to their friendship, and then to their parting.

Memories fill this courtyard.

They chatted until evening, then Su Chen had someone prepare some dishes, and the two continued to eat and talk in the courtyard.

The Qiao family concealed the news of Su Chen's return.

So much time has passed, yet the legend of Su Chen still circulates in Dafeng City, though few would imagine that Su Chen would return.

Moreover, the Qiao family mansion is not what it used to be.

Even members of the royal family are quite wary of the Qiao family now, let alone the various forces in Dafeng City.

Qiao Qiliang ordered a news blackout, and no news leaked out. Everyone assumed it was just a visit from Qiao Qiliang's friend.

For the next period of time, Su Chen lived in the Qiao residence.

Qiao Qiliang took Su Chen sightseeing, which made things difficult for Qiao Renzhou, who had to help Qiao Qiliang with official business.

The two traveled to the black market, Funiu Mountain, the location where the gold was hidden, and many other places to search for traces of their past.

Have fun.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye, and Su Chen bid farewell to Qiao Qiliang.

"I won't say anything more, just be careful in everything you do!" Qiao Qiliang said as he saw Su Chen off.

Su Chen nodded, and under his reluctant gaze, set off for the next stop, the imperial city.

A few days later.

Su Chen arrived at the imperial city.

However, he did not enter the imperial city, as Hong Ming, Li Mo, and the others were not there.

They had long since moved out of the imperial city and were now living in the mountain villa where the two countries had once held their martial arts competition.

(End of this chapter)