Transmigration: A person in a martial arts world, cultivating to ascend to immortality

The two sat there for three hours.

It wasn't until the sky was completely dark and the window screen reflected a warm, yellowish glow of lamplight that Qi Changqing finally emerged from his meditative state.

It’s too late.

Three hours of cultivation each day is just right for him.

Qi Changqing stared at the light on the window screen for a while, then quietly got out of bed, put on his shoes, walked around the screen, and looked at Jiang Yuchuan, who was still sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

Just as Qi Changqing was pondering how to begin, Jiang Yuchuan opened his eyes.

"Go if you want, but remember not to go too far and come back early."

"Yes, sir!"

Qi Changqing nodded excitedly, then walked out of the room, ran down the restaurant, and came to the brightly lit, bustling street.

Along the way, he heard many people say that the nights in this capital city were even more lively and fun than the days.

When I came out to take a look, it was indeed true!

Qi Changqing strolled slowly along the street lined with stalls. Whenever he encountered something novel or interesting, he would stop for a moment to take a look.

The vendors were very enthusiastic and did not ignore Qi Changqing because of his age, nor did they neglect or drive him away because he only looked and did not buy.

Following the throngs of people, Qi Changqing unknowingly arrived at a green lake surrounded by lotus flowers planted around its shore.

The lakeside was much wider than the streets, with rows of tall redwood pillars adorned with strings of exquisite lanterns, making the surroundings as bright as day.

Looking towards Cuihu Lake, you can see several winding stone paths that lead through dense lotus groves to the pavilions and terraces standing in the middle of the lake.

What is particularly eye-catching is the enormous, several-story-high painted boat that sits in the middle of Green Lake.

Although the magnificent painted boat was far from the shore, Qi Changqing could still clearly hear bursts of string and wind music, singing, dancing, and laughter drifting out from it.

As the saying goes, prosperity is a distraction, and wealth is an illusion. Qi Changqing stood on the shore, staring blankly for a long time before recovering from his shock.

Just as Qi Changqing was about to leave, his peripheral vision was suddenly drawn to a stall not far away that displayed a dazzling array of hairpins, so he walked over to the stall.

Along the way, he saw more than a dozen stalls selling hairpins. The reason why this one attracted him so much was because he immediately took a liking to a jade hairpin that was entirely green and had a simple design.

Among a pile of glittering and exquisitely crafted hairpins, this jade hairpin appears quite inconspicuous.

But Qi Changqing didn't know why, but this seemingly ordinary hairpin had a strange attraction for him.

Qi Changqing had never encountered such a situation before.

His intuition told him that this jade hairpin was definitely not as simple as it appeared on the surface, and he couldn't afford to miss it.

After stopping in front of the stall, Qi Changqing did not immediately pick up the jade hairpin he had his eye on and ask about the price. Instead, he looked around at all the hairpins on the stall, then randomly picked up a few, held them up to his eyes, and examined them carefully.

Seeing that Qi Changqing was looking at it very carefully and seemed to want to buy it, the vendor immediately put on a smile and asked, "What style would you like to choose, young master? And who do you plan to give it to?"

Qi Changqing glanced at the vendor and replied, "I'd like to choose one with a simple design and a light color for my mother."

The vendor immediately seized upon the crucial information, swiftly selecting two hairpins from the numerous others and handing them to Qi Changqing. "Young man, take a look and see if these two meet your requirements?"

Qi Changqing took the two hairpins handed to him by the vendor, nodded, and after comparing them, finally chose the silver hairpin that was inlaid with two light pink gemstones, one large and one small.

"Let's take this one."

"Young master has excellent taste!"

The vendor smiled and held up five fingers to Qi Changqing, "This hairpin is only five taels of silver."

"Five taels?"

Qi Changqing frowned. "It's a bit expensive. Could you make it cheaper?"

After a moment's hesitation, the vendor withdrew one finger. "Four taels! That's the lowest I can go. This hairpin may look simple, but it's made of solid silver, and the two gemstones inlaid on it are genuine! It's definitely worth more than its price!"

Qi Changqing feigned a struggle, then gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! Four ounces it is!"

"Young master, you're very generous!" The vendor immediately beamed. "I'll pack the hairpin away for you right away!"

Qi Changqing nodded, "Remember to wrap it up tightly." Then he took out four taels of silver and placed it next to the vendor.

The vendor was packing the hairpins into a box and hadn't immediately put away the silver. Qi Changqing seized the opportunity, casually picked up the jade hairpin, and feigned surprise, saying:

"—Huh? Why is the design of this jade hairpin so rough? It doesn't seem like it was meant for a woman to wear."

The vendor glanced at it, then sneered and replied, "Young master, you have a good eye! This hairpin is indeed for men. It's been sitting here for over a month, and not a single person has taken a liking to it! If you like it, I can sell it to you at a discount! Good things come in pairs!"

Qi Changqing examined the jade hairpin for a moment, then shook his head and asked nonchalantly, "How cheap is it? You're not going to charge me several taels of silver, are you? If so, I don't want it!"

"how could be!"

The vendor chuckled, "This jade hairpin won't sell anyway if I leave it here. If you want it, young master, I'll only charge you six hundred coins, how about that?"

Qi Changqing shook his head and said firmly, "Five hundred coins at most! Any higher, and I won't buy it!"

Seeing that there was no room for bargaining, the vendor agreed immediately, "Alright! Then I'll take the loss! I'll just charge you five hundred coins, young master!"

After the exchange, both sides were satisfied and achieved their desired goals.

After putting away the two wrapped hairpins, Qi Changqing planned to return the way he came.

Almost an hour had passed since he left the restaurant; it was time to go back.

But before he could leave the lakeside, the music and dance that had been emanating from the huge pleasure boat in the lake suddenly stopped, replaced by screams and cries for help that pierced the sky.

The sudden turn of events on the pleasure boat instantly attracted the attention of everyone on the shore, and all eyes turned to it.

Amidst the murmurs, several masked assassins in black, wielding swords and knives, appeared in the crowd's sight, chasing after the three.

Among the three being chased, a young man dressed in fine clothes and adorned with gold and jade was particularly eye-catching.

The young man, who didn't look much older than Qi Changqing, was being closely protected by two other guards.

"Young master, jump into the water and get away! As long as you can escape back to shore, these assassins won't dare to attack you again!"

"That's right! Master must have already received the news! He must be on his way! As long as the young master holds out until Master arrives, these assassins will surely die!"

The young man in brocade robes looked at the black-clad man who was desperately attacking him with a terrified expression and trembled all over.

"But, but, I'm not a good swimmer! We're so far from the shore, what if I drown?"

One of the guards said bluntly, "Young master, as long as you state your identity, someone will come down from the shore to rescue you!"

"But - but -"

The young man in brocade robes was still somewhat afraid and hesitated to make a decision.

"Young master, don't hesitate any longer! If you don't jump now, it will be too late!"

Seeing that the young man in brocade robes still refused to move and just stood there staring and trembling, another guard reached out and grabbed his collar. "Young master, I'm sorry!" he said, and forcefully threw the young man towards the lake shore.

The painted boat was nearly a hundred feet from the shore. The boy flew less than ten feet in the air before falling into the lake with a shrill cry.