Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

Inside the prison cell, everyone was cursing, covering their noses and avoiding him, full of extreme disdain. The Drunken Elder turned towards the big man and let out two more "poofs," releasing two loud, wine-laden farts. The smells within were distinct; with a single sniff, one could tell what the Drunken Elder had eaten. A little imagination would make one feel utterly nauseated, almost to the point of vomiting.

The big man opened his mouth to curse, but a cloud of dense fart hit him square in the face, just as he was about to rant. Some part of it surged directly to his head, while the rest settled into his stomach. In a moment of surprise, he swallowed it down. Instantly, his stomach churned with disgust and loathing. Unwilling to let this go, he opened his mouth to hurl more insults.

The Drunken Elder said, "Haven’t had enough yet?" Seizing the moment, he let out another fart. With a "poof," a yellow-green stench was released. The big man unknowingly ingested it once more, leaving him dizzy and his steps unsteady.

Staggering clumsily, he actually collapsed on the ground, drunk. It turned out that the Drunken Elder loved drinking, and the wine aroma mingled in his fart caused the big man to pass out!

The Drunken Elder, pushing his butt out, turned towards the skinny guy and said, "Wanna try?"

Having witnessed what happened, the skinny guy covered his mouth and nose tightly, dared not speak, and retreated furiously. The Drunken Elder slowly maneuvered around, his rear like a sharp spear, exuding an intimidating presence. The inmates in the cell were overwhelmed by his authority, shaking their heads and begging for mercy. With a satisfied grin, he hopped back onto his bed, lazily dangling his straw sandals between his toes, and said with a casual arrogance, "Kid, wanna learn this trick?"

Li Xian found it amusing and said, "Not for now." The Drunken Elder replied, "This is my unique skill, called ’A Fart So Potent, It Brings Even Immortals Down to Eat.’ You really lack vision. Never mind, even if you wanted to learn, I might not be willing to teach."

Then, he took a swig from his flask, fell back, and snored off to sleep.

For a moment, the cell fell silent, everyone looked at each other, listening to the Drunken Elder’s thunderous snores. His breathing steady, he seemed deep asleep, as the noise gradually resumed. The skinny guy said, "Damn it, truly like a mighty tiger humiliated by dogs when it’s down. Me, a proud swordsman, silenced by a fart."

The burly man slowly regained consciousness, his head spinning as if he had drunk ten casks of strong liquor and just woke up from a hangover. Gradually understanding the situation, he was filled with rage, holding his nose and preparing to fight the Drunken Elder to the death.

But the cell’s iron bars were so sturdy; he continued to thrash about and curse but could never reach the Drunken Elder. After a fit of swearing, all he heard were the Elder’s drunken snores, completely unfazed, sleeping peacefully and soundly. Left smoldering with anger, with no option but to swallow it for the time being.

This farce left a strange atmosphere, the stench of wine farts lingering, assaulting their noses with waves of nausea and disgust. Everyone had no choice but to hold their breath as much as possible, though they still had to breathe eventually. Li Xian held his breath, thus avoiding the foul smell, and sat silently. A few strands of moonlight slanted in through the narrow window, faintly illuminating the winding river outside, and the scenery passing by the banks. With nothing else to do, he quietly drifted off to sleep.

Days passed, the sun and moon changed places, and in a blink of an eye, four days had passed. Every day, the boatman would bring a piece of dry bread and a cup of river water to fill their stomachs and maintain their vitality. The dry bread, about several pounds heavy each day, was quite dense. Its sour and salty taste was very unpleasant, but with nothing else, they had no choice but to force it down.

In their free time, the inmates had nothing better to do than break off bits of bread, trying different ways to eat it. Some attempted to pay extra to buy "pickled vegetables" or "spicy preserves" to go with their bread, but the boatman remained silent, never uttering a word.

These were the "Jade Biscuits," crafted in Jade City, the staple food of the people of Jade City.

Li Xian learned that the fellow inmates on the boat were all martial artists from the region. Some were caught by Jade City for gambling debts, while others willingly boarded the prisoner ship, bringing silver to repay their debts.

The skinny guy was a well-known swordsman from Yu Nan Dao·Kushe Prefecture, with the Jianghu nickname "Cottage Swordsman." However, his nature was fond of gambling, often visiting Jade City, giving streams of gold and silver to the city. Having squandered all his family fortune, unable to repay his debts, he was captured and taken back by the Jade City’s boatman.

The burly man was a locally established martial artist from Yu Nan Dao·Zhao Nan Prefecture, who also owed a huge debt and was captured. Debts in Jade City don’t disappear even with death. He needed to find ways to repay the debt for the rest of his life.

The prison cell was dull; the inmates could only listen to casual chats, boasting of their remarkable and talented pasts, blaming only bad fortune for their current predicament. Li Xian, though with less experience, had also faced many ups and downs and dangers in life, no less than their boasts. However, he didn’t bother to speak, preferring to listen quietly, absorbing the Jianghu experiences, accumulating Jianghu knowledge. This too was a kind of pleasure.

The boatman remained uninterested, steering the boat at the bow, ignoring everyone. The ship sailed extremely far, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, and as they gradually approached Jade City, the inmates grew more somber and anxious.

Their conversations were becoming less frequent. Observing their reactions, Li Xian deduced that Jade City was undoubtedly not a friendly place. In the dark prison cell, Li Xian leaned against the bed’s edge, silently circulating his five viscera to expel turbid Qi, quietly reciting "The Medical Moral Scripture" and "The Heart of Medicine Scripture," never forgetting to hone himself.

[Heart of Medicine Scripture]

[Skill Level: 162/0]

[Medical Moral Scripture]

[Skill Level: 213/0]

The profound knowledge of these two scriptures, even if read hundreds of times, required great focus and exertion each time. It tempered the mind and will.

[Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture · Strengthening Viscera Chapter]

[Skill Level: 7569/50000 Perfection]

The Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture is composed of five Chapters: Strengthening the Viscera, Strengthening Bones and Blood, Creating Transformation, Generating Five Glows, and Stepping on Lotus. Li Xian had long committed it to memory; now, he has perfected the Strengthening Viscera. Though aiming for Peak, he had already a grasp on the Strengthening Bones and Blood Chapter.

Li Xian murmured, "The Five Viscera Avoiding Dross and Gathering Yang Scripture is vast and profound. Though I’ve completed the Strengthening Viscera, achieving minor success, I must not become complacent. Each Chapter should not be rushed before getting a foothold and waiting for ample time to delve into the Strengthening Bones and Blood Chapter."

Strengthening Bones and Blood... first by circulating the five viscera to expel turbid Qi, nourishing blood to strengthen the viscera, establishing a foundation for the body. Then by reversing blood to bones, with bones nourishing blood and blood strengthening bones. Bones and blood are intertwined, circulating endlessly. Blood stems from bones, and if bones and blood are robust, the Qi-Blood will naturally surge like a flood.