Martial Arts Longevity Begins with the Equipment Slot

Chapter 67 Nascent Soul Ancestor, Arhat Status

Chen Yu picked up a wooden sign at random, and after seeing the writing on it, he immediately lost his composure.

"Bounty: Chen Yu, a disciple of the Central Courtyard of the Sword Forging Manor in Sunset City."

"This person killed our sect leader Xu Lingyan ten days ago, and has been hiding ever since."

"A reward of one tael of silver will be given to anyone who knows his whereabouts; a reward of five taels of silver will be given to anyone who takes one of his hands or one of his feet; and a reward of ten taels of silver will be given to anyone who takes his life."

"Listed Person: Anonymous member of the Crow Cult"

This sign has been hanging there for over twenty days, and no one has taken it down yet.

It wasn't because Chen Yu's reputation was too great, but because the reward was too small.

To risk committing murder at the Sword Forging Manor for a mere ten taels of silver is simply not worth it.

"So my life is only worth ten taels of silver?"

Upon seeing this, Chen Yu suddenly felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.

The Crow Cult is truly ridiculous. Not only do they dare not show themselves, but they are also unwilling to spend money to ask others for help.

However, it's understandable. The Crow Cult's branch altar was destroyed by the City Guard some time ago, and three of its leaders died. They are probably having a very tough time now.

As for the reward, they probably have the will but not the means.

"I was worried they would retaliate, but now it seems these guys are barely able to protect themselves. All my worries were unnecessary."

Chen Yu muttered to himself, then picked up another wooden plaque to examine it.

"Bounty: Wei Rongfang, the 'Blood Blade Yama'"

"This man is a traitor of the Blood Blade Tower who cruelly murdered my master and his entire family."

"Whoever takes his head will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of silver."

"Listed Person: Wu Dan, Master of Blood Blade Tower".

Chen Yu wasn't surprised to see this old acquaintance.

After all, Wei Rongfang has a long history of misdeeds and bloodshed, so it's not surprising that a bounty has been placed on his head.

However, he was somewhat unhappy about the bounty.

"A full ten thousand taels! That's a thousand times more valuable than me! What makes him so special? Is it his strength? Or the number of people he's killed?"

Chen Yu muttered to himself for a long time before he remembered that this was the price for being wanted.

The higher one's net worth, the more assassins might come after them, and the greater the chance of being killed.

Of course, if one's ability exceeds their market value, that's a different story.

No matter what, having a low bounty isn't necessarily a bad thing.

On the contrary, for me right now, this price is more like a protective measure.

As he continued flipping through the pages, a unique wooden plaque came into view.

The wooden sign wasn't offering a reward for a human life, but for an object.

"Reward: A treasure map."

"There are three fragments of the map of the Sea Dragon's Treasure. A reward is offered for any one of them."

"Anyone who submits one piece will be rewarded with 100,000 taels of silver; if three pieces are collected, the reward will be 500,000 taels of silver."

"Person listed: Zhou Chenzhou, President of the Iron Anchor Association".

"Five hundred thousand taels!"

The moment Chen Yu saw the reward amount, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, that's really something!"

"Just what kind of treasure is this that would make Chairman Zhou so extravagant?"

After examining several more wooden signs, Chen Yu noticed a pattern.

On signs with smaller reward amounts, the posters are mostly anonymous.

On signs with larger reward amounts, the people who posted them were more likely to use their real names.

What does this mean? Is it a deliberate display of strength to reassure the person who won the bid?

That is indeed a possibility. After all, these are big deals worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. Anyone would think twice before bidding against them.

What if you work your butt off to complete the task, only to have the other party skip out on the bill? Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Even with the Night Owl Association's guarantee, many people still wouldn't feel completely at ease.

Only by clearly identifying the major employer behind them can these desperate criminals feel a little more at ease.

There's a cause for every wrong, and a debtor for every debt. If they don't pay, they can personally go to the debtor's door to settle the score.

As Chen Yu was thinking, a familiar voice pulled him back to reality.

"I am late, please forgive me, sir."

He turned his head, and the person speaking in front of him was none other than Li Xiaobo, the leader of the Fishermen's Gang.

Beside him stood two men who reeked of fish.

"Lead the way, Master Li."

Chen Yu got straight to the point, and Li Xiaobo didn't exchange many pleasantries, leading the way out.

As they were about to leave, Chen Yu told them to go out first, while he asked the guard in black some questions.

"Hey bro, why isn't there a water rat leading the way this time?"

"This is a small gathering; the inner area is not open to the public, and there will be no water rats."

The man in black was an old man, not wearing a mask, and spoke with a strong voice.

"I see."

Chen Yu nodded and continued, "Have you ever heard of a water rat named Gu Yuwei?"

"No, as far as I know, none of the twenty-seven water rats here have the surname Gu."

The old man in black answered seriously.

"How could that be? Please think about it again, sir."

Chen Yu had some doubts.

The old man was very serious; he racked his brains for a long time, but still couldn't remember.

"Sir, I've been running this place for over thirty years, and I've never heard of this Mr. Gu you're talking about before."

Seeing that the other party was so sincere, Chen Yu didn't want to ask any more questions, so he turned around and left the venue.

Upon reaching Ping'an Street, Li Xiaobo and his two companions had already prepared a carriage and were respectfully waiting by the roadside.

Chen Yu waved his black robe and strode into the carriage.

Three-quarters of an hour later, the carriage stopped on the bank of the Yunjiang River.

The river was wide and flat, and the sun was shining brightly, making the water sparkle.

On the river, countless boats of all kinds come and go.

As soon as Li Xiaobo got off the carriage, a passenger ship immediately pulled up beside him.

Chen Yu looked up and saw that the passenger ship was quite luxurious, even having two decks.

The upper level has vermilion railings and green balustrades, with fish-head gauze lanterns hanging on all four sides.

The lower cabin walls are carved with coiled dragon patterns, and the paint is a deep vermilion color. It must have been recently repaired, and it shines brightly, reflecting the water.

At the bow of the boat stood four servants dressed in blue, each holding a long pole.

The passenger ship quickly approached, and the servants simultaneously dipped their poles into the water, steadily turning the ship sideways.

At that moment, the cabin curtain was lifted, and a man who looked like a manager came out and bowed deeply to the shore.

Li Xiaobo stepped aside, gestured with his hand, and called out, "Our distinguished guest has arrived! Quickly, place the footboard!"

Another group of people immediately came out of the cabin, carrying wooden planks.

The servants took it and spread it out along the route, all the way to the soft mud on the bank.

"Sir, please board the ship!"

Li Xiaobo bent down and gestured for him to enter.

Chen Yu didn't stand on ceremony and walked straight ahead.

Li Xiaobo followed closely behind, and everyone boarded the passenger ship one after another.

There are three cabins.

The front cabin is a vestibule, with a dozen or so chairs lined up against the wall and a lamp hanging on the wall.

The middle cabin is the largest, with a round table in the center, and seven or eight people are already gathered around it.

At the head of the table sat an elderly man in a Taoist robe, with a purple face, long beard, large belly, and thick waist, with a cup of tea beside him.

On the left is a scholar in a blue robe, who is dozing off with his head down.

On the right is a muscular monk, shirtless, with a string of glittering gold prayer beads around his neck.

Below them were two young men, one carrying a sword and the other carrying a knife on his back.

There were also two or three burly henchmen scattered by the window, half-leaning and half-sitting.

Upon seeing Li Xiaobo enter, the scholar in the blue robe on the left slowly opened his eyes and said:

"Brother, is this the expert you found? We can't even see his face. Is he really that capable?"

Li Xiaobo said sternly, "With such distinguished guests here, please refrain from such rude remarks."

As he spoke, he turned to Chen Yu and introduced the people to him one by one.

"This man in the blue robe is my younger brother, Li Xiaochuan, who is also the deputy head of Xunjiang Hall."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaochuan didn't even bother to lift his head, and his eyelids, which had just opened, drooped down again.

Li Xiaobo then pointed to the elderly man in the Taoist robe at the head of the table.

"This is Master Zi Mei of Yu Xian Temple. He is a highly accomplished Taoist master with profound Taoist skills and immense power. He is a renowned Taoist expert in our Wangjiang City, and it is said that his cultivation has already reached the Foundation Establishment stage!"

"You're mistaken. Master Zi Mei is already a Golden Core stage expert! How can someone merely at the Foundation Establishment stage compare?"

Li Xiaochuan interrupted Li Xiaobo.

"Ahem! This humble Taoist has actually already entered the Nascent Soul realm!"

Master Zi Mei took a sip of tea and said calmly.

These words immediately caused an uproar in the cabin.

"What?! It's actually a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

"Amazing! Who would have thought that Yuxian Temple, so little known, would harbor such a true immortal as Master Zimei!"

"Senior Brother Yuan, what do you think?"

"How else can you judge? That's impressive, that's all! They're at the Nascent Soul stage!"

"What is the Nascent Soul stage? Is it really that powerful?"

"Uh, well, I can't really explain it, but within their Taoist sect, there are very few who can reach this level of cultivation!"

"Not only that, Master Zi Mei is only in his seventies, still in his prime, yet he has already reached the Nascent Soul stage. His future is undoubtedly limitless! Even reaching the Deity Transformation stage is just around the corner!"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, and Chen Yu was also quite shocked.

In a small passenger ship, one can actually encounter a person of immortality.

However, there was one thing he didn't quite understand.

Based on his experience reading novels in his previous life, Nascent Soul cultivators were at least powerful figures with lifespans of over a thousand years. Their divine sense could cover a radius of a hundred miles, and they could manipulate the power of heaven and earth with every move they made!

Apart from his slightly purple eyebrows and round belly, the Taoist priest in front of us didn't seem to have anything particularly special about him.

"Perhaps this is the true demeanor of a master: radiant with inner strength, returning to simplicity, and keeping one's true abilities hidden."

Chen Yu dared not think too much, fearing that his divine sense would be perceived by the other party.

The crowd present showered Zi Mei with praise, much to the displeasure of the muscular monk.

"Hmph! What's so great about a mere Nascent Soul cultivator? I've already attained the Arhat stage! Even a Deity Transformation cultivator wouldn't even register on my radar!"

Upon hearing the words "Arhatship," everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the muscular monk.

Despite his shock, Li Xiaobo still made sure to explain to Chen Yu.

"This, this eminent monk is Master Dehua, the martial arts instructor of Red Leaf Temple. Uh, you may not be familiar with Master Dehua, but if you mention his master, Master Xianlin, everyone knows him."

"Legend has it that Master Xianlin once pulled a tooth out of a tiger's mouth. Although he was eaten by the tiger afterward, this spirit of pulling a tooth out of a tiger's mouth has been passed down to this day and has deeply influenced every monk at Hongye Temple."

Li Xiaochuan exclaimed repeatedly, "Master Dehua has only just turned eighteen and has already attained the Arhatship. Could he be the reincarnation of a true Buddha?"

"Even if it's a true Buddha, I don't put him in my eyes! I am the only one worthy of respect in heaven and earth!"

Master Dehua surveyed the surroundings with an arrogant expression and said.

The young man with the sword on his back looked at the young man with the sword in his hand and asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother Yuan, what is the Arhat fruit?"

The young man holding the sword smiled slightly and said frankly, "Good question, I'd also like to know what that is."

"Never mind what it is, just know how powerful it is!"

After Li Xiaochuan finished speaking, he got up and walked to Li Xiaobo's side.

"How about it, brother? Aren't these two experts I invited amazing? Besides them, there are two professional demon slayers. The one carrying the sword is called Yuan Zidu, and the one carrying the knife is called He Renqing."

Looking at the Venerable Dehua, who appeared mature beyond his years, Chen Yu fell into deep thought once again.

In his mind, Arhats were liberated beings who had transcended birth and death, and were transcendent beings who were neither born nor die.

The Venerable Dehua before me had a face full of ostentation and boasting, and did not look like an Arhat who had eradicated all worldly troubles at all.

As they talked, Li Xiaochuan shifted the topic back to Chen Yu.

"Tsk tsk, good heavens! That black robe covers him up pretty well!"

Li Xiaochuan circled around, sizing up Chen Yu.

"Such a mysterious act, like a ghost!"

"Xiaochuan, stop talking nonsense! Be polite to your guests!"

Li Xiaobo said with dissatisfaction.

"Hmph, this kind of trick can only fool you, brother. I'm telling you, brother, you're not young anymore, how can you still be as naive as a three-year-old?"

"If he were truly capable, why wouldn't he show his true colors? I, Li Xiaochuan, have always despised those who hide their true intentions. Look at renowned figures like Master Zimei and Master Dehua—aren't they all upright and honorable in their conduct?"

"Alright, that's enough!"

After reprimanding Chen Yu, Li Xiaobo quickly apologized to him.

"My younger brother is a little drunk. I apologize on his behalf. Please don't hold it against him, sir!"

Chen Yu did not take Li Xiaochuan's remarks to heart.

He didn't wear the black robe to show off.

After all, it's listed in the Blood Plum Blossom Bounty Zone, so for the sake of my life, I should keep a low profile.

At this moment, he was actually more concerned about the two top masters, "Nascent Soul" and "Arhat".

Li Xiaobo arranged a window seat for Chen Yu, then bowed to everyone with clasped hands.

"When the fishing gang was in trouble, friends from all walks of life went to great lengths to help us. We will never forget this kindness. On behalf of all the brothers of the Xunjiang Hall, I would like to express our gratitude to you all!"

Li Xiaobo clasped his hands above his head and bowed again.

"Five miles from here, we will reach the monster's lair. At that time, I urge everyone to give it your all!"

Master Zi Mei waved his whisk and slowly said, "Helping those in distress and need has always been the guiding principle of our Daoist sect. How can I stand idly by while a demon wreaks havoc? Hall Master Li, please rest assured, as soon as I draw my Seven Star Sword, I will immediately behead that demon!"

Seeing Master Zimei speak so righteously, Master Dehua also wanted to give a passionate speech.

But even after racking his brains, he couldn't come up with a few decent sentences, so he could only put his hands together and mutter to himself:

"Amitabha Buddha, the day to vanquish demons and monsters begins today!"

"Good, good! With two masters overseeing things, I can rest assured!"

Li Xiaobo was deeply moved.

The passenger ship sailed smoothly on the Yunjiang River, and the number of ships around it gradually decreased.

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

A cold, fishy wind blew in from the opposite direction.

Long waves, pushed by the wind, rocked the ship violently.

Chen Yu looked out the window and saw that the color of the water was changing.

A dark green tinged through the bluish-gray, and yellow foam clung to the green, all mixed together.

As we continued forward, bubbles suddenly began to rise from underwater.

Big and small, densely packed, all of them churned up, making the water surface look like it was boiling.

The area with the densest bubbles had turned the water a deep, inky black.

Beneath the surface, a dark shadow larger than a boat was swirling and turning.