Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

"Squeak—"

The old wooden door opened slowly with a sickening scraping sound.

Gu An did not fully open the door, but only left a crack. Half of his body was hidden in the shadows behind the door, one hand covering his stomach, the other hand holding the door frame. He was hunched over, his face was sallow, and a few drops of cold sweat were hanging on his forehead.

This appearance wasn't entirely a facade. After a night of running around and killing, coupled with extreme mental strain, his current condition was indeed extremely poor.

"Uncle Zhang..." Gu An's voice was weak and feeble, even carrying a hint of painful panting, "cough cough... I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

Old Zhang carried a dim oil lamp. His cloudy old eyes didn't look at Gu An immediately, but instead, like radar, peered through the crack in the door and peered intently into the room.

The room was indeed filled with smoke, and a pungent smell of wood ash mixed with a certain sour odor wafted over.

"What happened?" Old Zhang frowned, took a half step back, and covered his nose. "This smell...did you blow up the outhouse?"

"Sigh, don't even mention it." Gu An gave a wry smile, turning to the side so that Old Zhang could see the dark mess next to the stove—that was the scene he had staged by dumping soot from the bottom of the pot mixed with a few rotten grass leaves on the ground in a moment of panic before opening the door.

"I was trying to save some spirit stones, so I brewed some insect repellent powder myself according to a folk remedy. But I didn't control the heat properly, and it exploded, injuring me in the process." Gu An looked dejected. "I didn't know the smoke was poisonous. It made me vomit and have diarrhea. I was cleaning up just now... that's why I didn't hear your knocking."

After hearing this, Old Zhang's doubts lessened somewhat.

The handyman disciples were poor, and it was common for them to devise their own prescriptions to save money, and explosions in the stove and pots were a daily occurrence. Coupled with Gu An's half-dead and pathetic appearance, he certainly didn't seem like someone capable of going out to kill and rob.

"You little brat, you're really making a fool of yourself!" Old Zhang snorted, turning his gaze away. "You think you can just brew medicine like that? You're tired of living, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes, I won't dare to do it again." Gu An replied meekly.

Old Zhang smacked his lips, seemingly losing interest in further investigation. He raised the oil lamp, his cloudy gaze lingering on Gu An's face for a moment before he lowered his voice and said, "It's good that you didn't go out. That dark figure went towards the mass grave; that area... is eerie. You stay put these next few days, don't risk your life to save a few bucks."

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Zhang." Gu An was moved to tears.

Watching Old Zhang carrying a lantern, swaying back to the thatched hut next door, and only when the door closed did Gu An finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He gently closed the door, bolted it, and slid down to sit on the floor, leaning against the door. His palms were sweaty.

The shattered spirit stone clutched in his palm had its sharp edges deeply embedded in his flesh, and the stinging pain kept him conscious to the very end.

If Old Zhang had insisted on going into the house to search, or asked one more question about the details of that "shadow," Gu Anbao would not have committed another killing.

In this lawless serfdom, the death of an old man is no different from the death of a dog.

But he didn't want to do that. Killing Xun Meng was a last resort, while killing Old Zhang would only complicate matters. The more corpses there were, the greater the risk of exposure. Besides, Uncle Zhang had treated him extremely well; at least in all these years since he joined the sect, only Old Zhang had ever treated him like a junior.

"Thankfully, we got through it."

Gu An sat quietly in the darkness for a quarter of an hour until he was sure that he could hear Old Zhang snoring loudly next door before he slowly got up.

He went to the stove, cleaned up the filth used to cover it up, and then returned to the hard wooden bed, where he sat cross-legged.

Without any hesitation, Gu An took out the incomplete blue jade slip from his pocket.

Moonlight streamed through the cracks in the window and fell upon the jade slip, casting a cold, eerie glow.

Gu An placed the jade slip on his forehead and probed it with his divine sense. The moment his divine sense touched the core of the jade slip, a complex yet intermittent flow of information surged into his mind.

Although this "Turtle Breathing Technique" is an incomplete version, its exquisiteness far surpasses that of the roadside martial art "Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique" practiced by Gu An.

It does not cultivate spiritual power, but only "vitality".

By using specific breathing frequencies and spiritual energy circulation routes, one can forcibly suppress heartbeat and blood flow, and even seal pores, locking one's spiritual energy deep within the dantian, like a hibernating tortoise, no different from an inanimate object.

"First level: Hibernation. The heart rate drops to one-tenth of the normal level, and the breath ceases, undetectable to ordinary people."

"Second layer: Dead wood. The spiritual energy fluctuations are completely contained, and even cultivators of the same level cannot detect them with their divine sense."

"The third floor..."

The later content is missing, but the first two layers are enough for Gu An.

He began to try to adjust his breathing, following the instructions in the jade slip.

Inhale for three breaths, pause for seven breaths, and exhale for nine breaths.

It was extremely awkward; a feeling of tightness came from my chest, and my heart protested violently because of the forced change in its beating rhythm, making a heavy "thump-thump" sound, as if it was about to jump out of my throat.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have given up long ago after practicing to this level, for fear of going astray and becoming possessed by evil spirits.

But Gu An didn't stop; he stared intently at the panel in the void before him.

Once, twice, three times...

The feeling of suffocation grew stronger and stronger, his face turned red, and just when he felt his lungs were about to burst.

Ding! A flash of light appeared before my eyes.

[Turtle Breathing Technique (Fragment) Experience +1]

This line of small print, like a spring in the desert, instantly extinguished Gu An's physical discomfort. The visible sense of accomplishment was enough to soothe the tedium brought about by this complicated cultivation.

Immediately afterwards, the panel changed:

Name: Gu An

Lifespan: 19/78

[Realm Level: Qi Refining Level 2 (46/100)]

[Technique:]

【Qingmu Changchun Gong (Level 1: 91/100)】

[Turtle Breathing Technique (Incomplete): Beginner (1/100)]

[Status: Dormant (Stealth Coefficient: 10%)]

Gu An looked at the panel, a stiff smile curving his lips. Once you've gotten started, all that's left is hard work.

Moreover, he discovered that after tonight's life-or-death battle, his proficiency in the "Green Wood Everlasting Spring Skill," which was originally stuck at 89 points, actually increased by 2 points in one go, and even his realm progress bar moved.

Between life and death lies both great terror and great opportunity.

The ancients never lied to me.

Gu An did not rest. He swallowed a Qi-restoring pill and, with the help of the medicine, began to circulate the "Turtle Breathing Technique" again and again.

As my proficiency improved, the tightness in my chest gradually disappeared, replaced by a strange, icy sensation.

His heartbeat began to slow, his blood flow decreased, and his body temperature dropped.

My whole being was like a stone gradually cooling down, merging into the long night.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

The eastern sky was turning a pale white, and the morning mist enveloped the Qingmu Sect's vast spiritual fields.

"Clang—clang—clang—"

The distant tolling of bells awakened the slumbering Miscellaneous Peak.

Gu An opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them before he reverted to his usual dull and vacant demeanor.

He got out of bed, washed up, picked up his hoe, and moved mechanically and slowly, just like every lowly barbarian whose spine had been bent by the weight of life.

Pushing open the door, a rush of cool air filled my lungs.

Old Zhang, who lived next door, was squatting on the edge of the field smoking a pipe. When he saw Gu An come out, he only glanced at him before looking down at his several acres of damaged farmland with worry.

Gu An didn't say hello and silently walked to his field, number four of the Bing class.

At this time, many people were already busy in the fields.

But the atmosphere today seems a bit off.

In the past, at this time, one could always hear Xun Meng's hoarse, cursing voice coming from the seventh field of the Bing character, or the laughter of him wandering around with a few lackeys, teasing female cultivators.

But today, it's quiet over there.

Several lackeys who usually followed Xun Meng around like headless flies were now pacing back and forth on the ridge of the field, looking flustered.

"Hey, have you guys seen Brother Xun?"

A skinny, monkey-like servant stopped Ling Nong as he passed by and asked.

"I didn't see him. I didn't see him yesterday afternoon."

"That's strange. Brother Xun said he was going to take care of some things last night, why hasn't he come back yet?" Skinny Monkey scratched his head, looking anxious. "Manager Zhao is coming to check the accounts today. Without Brother Xun, who can manage?"

Gu An was bending over, loosening the soil around a yellow rice plant, his head bowed.

Upon hearing this, his fingers tightened slightly on the hoe, but his rhythm remained perfectly steady.

"Hey! You slave over there!"

Skinny Monkey suddenly shouted at Gu An. Gu An straightened up blankly, pointed to himself, and looked completely innocent.

"Yes, you! Gu An!" The skinny monkey strode across the paddy field ridge and strode aggressively towards Gu An. "You were in the house all night?"

Gu An shrank back, looking somewhat timid: "Yes...yes. I accidentally blew up the pot while boiling medicine, and I had diarrhea all night. Uncle Zhang knows about it."

The skinny monkey looked Gu An up and down suspiciously a few times.

At this moment, Gu An was pale, had dark circles under his eyes, and had a faint smell of herbs on his body; he really looked like a sickly person.

In addition, Gu An is usually an honest man who won't say a word for three blows, and his cultivation level is low. Even if you gave him ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to do anything to Xun Meng.

"Damn it!" the skinny monkey spat. "Get back to work."

After saying that, he hurriedly ran towards the mass grave.

Gu An watched the skinny monkey's back, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, before he bent down again and continued loosening the soil.

[Soil loosening experience +1]

[Soil loosening experience +1]

He was like a tireless machine, using the most tedious labor to build a protective layer of mediocrity for himself on this morning filled with crisis and suspicion.

However, this calm did not last long.

When the sun is high in the sky.

A sharp whistling sound suddenly shattered the tranquility of the fields.

"Who is in charge of Project C7?!" A loud shout exploded like a thunderclap.

Gu An looked up and saw Zhao Feng standing in mid-air, his feet on a flying leaf magic weapon, his face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

But he did not come alone.

Behind him followed two disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, dressed in black with the blood-red character "法" embroidered on their chests.

Gu An's heart skipped a beat.

The Enforcement Hall has arrived? This is not merely because Xun Meng has disappeared. The disappearance of a menial servant would not have alarmed the Enforcement Hall at all.

Unless... Zhao Feng discovers that his token is missing.

That overseer's token was not only a symbol of power, but also the key to unlocking the Linggu warehouse in Zone C!

Gu An felt a chill run down his spine and straight to the top of his head.

He slowly lowered his head, shrinking his body as much as possible into the waves of rice, and silently recited the mantra in his mind.

When the "Turtle Breathing Technique" is activated, the heartbeat slows down and the breath is contained.

On the panel, the [Concealment Ratio] in the status bar instantly jumped to 30%.

From mid-air, Zhao Feng's gaze swept like a hawk over the hundreds of trembling spirit farmers below. Finally, his gaze settled on the direction of the mass grave, and his voice was chilling:

"Search! Dig three feet into the ground, find Xun and Meng for me! Live or dead... find their corpses!"