My path to immortality began with my posting to guard Dawancun.

Chapter 60 Regret
Yes,

Si Houqing regretted it.

He didn't regret it because Shen Changchuan had to wear a mask and conceal his identity to participate in the battle.
That's nothing.

Because in the arena, there have indeed been cases where, after losing a match, the losing side became enraged and retaliated against the opposing team members afterward.

While it's not uncommon for people to appear on stage masked and concealed, it's not entirely unprecedented.

What truly made Si Houqing regret it was
He realized he had been somewhat reckless!
Without truly understanding
They rashly chose that guy named Shen Changchuan as their foreign aid.

He was momentarily blinded by emotion.

He overheard Guo Cheng chatting with his steward, saying that they were ambushed by men in black on their way here, and that Shen Changchuan had defeated the powerful enemy at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining in just a dozen breaths.

Knowing that such a powerful person existed in this world,

After consulting with other colleagues and confirming some of the information...
In a moment of excitement and impulse, he decided to use him as an external aid.

Until the deposit was paid,

And after the agreement was made,

Si Houqing then suddenly realized that
I acted impulsively!
He overlooked one thing.

What if that man named Guo Cheng and his caravan members were just boasting, and the truth wasn't what it seemed?
It's not impossible!
Such boasting is all too common among cultivators at the lower levels, especially those who travel all over the country.

For example, the earth-shattering battle they described, which they suspected was fought by cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage, might actually have been a battle between cultivators at the late Qi Refining stage.

For example, a guy who is only at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining might boast that he has fought against a master at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining, but the truth might just be that they threw a hidden weapon at each other from eight hundred feet away during a chaotic battle.

Many cultivators at the lower levels like to exaggerate in order to show off their power and shock others, making their boasts almost reach the heavens!

What if Shen Changchuan's situation was also fabricated by his subordinates?
or,
The men in black who attacked them were exhausted after a fierce battle, and they were lucky enough to get away with it.

What if its true strength is not as great as it seems?
In the past few days,
Upon realizing this, Si Houqing could hardly sleep.

Worries and concerns in one's heart

Tossing and turning.

"If he truly possessed such strength, he would have already become famous far and wide. Why would he still be an unknown figure in this desolate land?"

"I've never even heard of this person before. His record is very likely exaggerated. What a blunder! What a huge blunder!"

Si Houqing's expression remained unchanged.
But I wasn't really optimistic about this arena battle.

Although he regretted it, he did not suggest replacing the person.

One is destined to lose.

This established fact cannot be undone.

If you change generals again at the last minute, it shows a lack of trust.

Such an insult would likely create a deep-seated enmity if someone with a more upright character were to commit it.

It's not good to offend the other party when one side has already suffered a loss.

That's incredibly stupid.

not to mention,
In reality, he couldn't replace him.

"Wanghu Chamber of Commerce, Qian Xiaochang, humph! I'll remember this grudge!"

Si Houqing snorted coldly in his heart.

If it weren't for that guy's scheming, why would he need to seek outside help?

Although he felt that Shen Changchuan's chances of victory were slim.

But this is one of his only options.

Shen Changchuan had no idea what the main customer, Si Houqing, was thinking.

What he was thinking at that moment was...
The goal was to finish the fight quickly, collect the money, and leave. The reason for concealing their presence on the field was naturally due to consideration of the Shen family on the other side.

If he easily defeats his opponent, demonstrating his strength and potential, and then the opponent takes some information about him back to Tiannan City, that would be troublesome and might even bring him unpredictable risks.

After all, he knew very well what kind of person that first wife was.

And when I think of this...

Shen Changchuan harbored resentment towards certain readers' opinions in his previous life's online novels.

Some people believe that the existence of a large cultivation family must mean that everyone is united and strives forward, and there is no internal power struggle.

They believed that large families that fought for power internally would be eliminated by other united families.

A family that is not united will not exist.

Such an idea cannot be called right; it is simply outrageously wrong.

First of all, whether it's a family in the cultivation world or a power in another country, they are not always consistent.

It has a period of establishment, rise, peak, and decline!
Every period is different!

During the founding or rise of a family, its members may be able to unite as one.

But in the later period of decline, the early members had long since died, and the family members who came after them were countless generations later. How could they be as united and dedicated to the development of the family as they were back then?

If there truly were a family that could remain united for generations...
Then that family is no ordinary family.
Instead, they are an immortal family that will never decline, generation after generation!

But this is obviously impossible.

not to mention,
Whether a family is vying for power or is united is not the standard for determining whether a family will survive.

Take the Wu family in Wujiaji as an example.
Let's assume that for the next hundred years, every member of the Wu family is united and fearless in the face of sacrifice for the rise of the family, giving their all to make the family stronger.

In the next century, the Shen family of Tiannan will face increasingly fierce power struggles and rampant internal strife.

So, will the Wu family definitely be able to replace the Shen family a hundred or several hundred years from now?
That won't happen.

Because it is highly likely that once the Wu family produces several, or even a dozen, Nascent Soul stage cultivators who show signs of challenging the Shen family's dominance,

Before long, a powerful band of rogue thieves will inexplicably appear, attack and slaughter the Wu family, and destroy them.

A lack of unity within a family is not the key factor in whether a family can go the distance.

So what if your family members are united as one, like an iron barrel?

Others have a huge first-mover advantage and extremely strong resources, enough to easily crush you.

Just like the Shen family of Tiannan today,

The problem lies in the intense internal power struggles.

However, the immense physical strength brought by the first-mover advantage still allows them to easily crush those united challengers within the territory with just a slight turn of their bodies.

Many thoughts flashed through my mind.

Shen Changchuan shook his head slightly.
Calm your mind.

Then, he leaped up, spanning several dozen feet, and landed lightly on the arena like a falling leaf.

at this time,

The opponents ahead also fell to the other side.

Shen Changchuan gathered his thoughts, focused his gaze ahead, and concentrated all his attention on the enemy in front of him.

Although he was 80-90% confident in this battle, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit.

He didn't want to suffer a setback because of his arrogance.

　There are some things I just have to say, which makes this chapter a bit padded. I'll stay up all night to finish another chapter as compensation.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)