Zhanxian-Chapter 2 – Becoming the Executioner
From heaven now back to the village, it is nearly a month away. Schools(Gates) are responsible for resolving transportation fees and horses, but these people that were eliminated, they have to go back to themselves. The villages young generation are not very rich, which for more than a month away, they just have to walk home.
With all this taken into account, everyone who came out before, all had some money. At the base of a mountain there is a small store, buying a lot of steam buns, using leather as a package, it is there food for the road. A farmer walking a long road, will not care much about it, however to come across an immortal, is like a fish turning to a dragon, but not coming across an immortal you go back to your normal life.
Yang Chen returned to his usual friendly attitude, he showed patience. At hand sight Yang Chen in peoples opinion, suddenly changed, polite and friendly, across his face is a smile, they followed his directions. They unconsciously felt different, and accepted what Yang Chen said as making sense
Casually looking for an excuse, Yang Chen left the group, now alone on the road. Other members thought he didn’t want to go back because he wanted another chance, since they thought he had no chance anyway, they allowed him to leave. (TL: They thought he was going back to the Gate)
Yang Chen in fact did not do what everyone thought about going back to Sky Gate, rather he went the opposite way and went to the mountains. A knife with one hand and firewood in another, relying on his innumerable experience, he was capable of finding food and drinks. The reason he wants to avoid others, is the fact he wants to begin refining his body.
This type of refining, and the XiuXing of immortals are completely different. It is not to let qi enter the body, rather to use Wu Dao Wai Gong(Martial External Road Service), the practice of external methods, to transform the body to be even more strong. As for the inner method, it has no benefits for it.
In XiuXIng, the XiuXian(Immortal) disciples, completely to make use of the inner method. As long as qi is used as foundation, naturally countless power will arrive to the body, compared with external gates refining, the result is about a hundred times better. Moreover, the practice of martial arts is a waste of time, might as well refine or find for Lingshi.
Yang Chen is not stupid, he has years of experience, he knows better than anyone, having a strong body and a weak body when it comes to practice makes a big difference. In a few hundred years it might not be noticeable but when the time comes to soar, the gap his horrific.
Practicing the foundation is extremely important, in addition XiuXing greatly improves one’s roots, which will in turn improve the physical body. The foundation represents the development of a person strength.
The first step is the body. In XiuXing, it focuses on various exercises that ignores the physical body. After reaching a certain level of course it will improve the external body, however strengthening a weak body to that of strengthening an already strong body is not the same.
Similarly, even if a XiuXing person practices one day with martial arts and one day with sitting exercises, there still is a considerable difference. Yang Chen therefore decided to improve his physical body first before starting to cultivate, that is his objective.
Only to focus on external practice, not to use XiuXing, there is a reason. The practice magic of Yi Lao Mo makes it easy to enhance spiritual roots, practicing XiuXing methods however are very restricting.
Aside from boxing, there is also running and jumping which will increase flexibility and speed. On his way back to the village, Yang Chen was either running or jumping, and for food, he used his knife to hunt.
After 10 days time, Yang Chen’s memory recovery became more clear, as a teenager, everything came back to him. One moment he is refining, the other moment he is running. Yang Chen soon came to an ordinary mountain.
The mountain is not far from the village, however only some people go to it. The hill was bare, there was no aura at all. On the mountain there was is a temple, after time now is collapsed, with the walls caved in.
Yang Chen stood in front of the Mountain Temple, examining it, this is definitely the Mountain Temple in his memory. He then smiled, pushed open the door of the broken temple and walked in.
Originally there was paintings on the walls, after being eroded by wind and rain, it has now faded. Yang Chen inside the temple, the statues of worship are now broken leaving mud. The place of worship is now broken however it still is the representation of heaven.
Yang Chen payed his respect, behind the tablet he was measuring where to dig. Calculating the location, he dug down six feet deep until he hit a hard object.
Yang Chen gave a sign of happiness, digging around the object, the soil revealed a metal box.
After many years being buried under the soil, there was not a hint of rust, it was dark and nothing out of ordinary.
Trying to carry the heavy box, which was at least a hundred pounds in weight. However due to Yang Chen’s diligence in his recent exercises, his body and bone are strong, he picked it up.
The owner of this box is the esteemed elder Yang, who is his grandfather, who left a bunch of offspring which was a disaster. This was an important object that is now in the hands of Yang Chen.
Yang Chen wanted to take the object to his parents, so they can leave the village. Then people started to frame Yang Chen, using his parents as hostage. In this and next generation, Yang Chen does not intend to let it happen again.
This time, elder Yang has yet to tell Yang Xi about this matter, conveniently it is now with Yang Chen. He then filled the hole with the soil, and planted a small tree not far from here. Carrying the box he went down the mountain to the woods and found a place to bury it. Looking around if there was any other person, Yang Chen went to the road and ran home.
Yang Chen sped up, his speed was not slower than the group who walked back. When they got back to the village, Yang Chen also was already back.
After exercising for a month, Yang Chen’s body looked more masculine, Although he was just 16 years old, his body was not any worse compared to adults.
Yang Xi and Yang Lan both were grand kids of elder Yang, were both selected to the Sky Gate which cause an uproar. The whole village erupted, a lot of adults came to congratulate their achievements. The village was a boiling cauldron of voices(an idiom), holding a grand festival.
The family of elder Yang has a lively celebration, Yang Chen being eliminated seemed so insignificant, decided to leave. Yang Chen is only Yang in name, in reality he has no blood connection to them. A family of three in the county hired a carriage, with not many belongings, and soon left the scope of the county.
Close to the next county, Yang Chen fired the coach, and hired a new one. After reaching the second location, the coach has been replaced six times, Yang Chen bought the cart. Traveling each day, the family finally arrived near the buried box.
In a suitable place to rest for an hour, the Yang family, in the luggage had another box, who saw it no one knows.
After about two months time, Yang Chen finally arrived at the place where he wants his parents to live. Fortunately they used the official road that is why no bandits attacked them, moreover the family of three didn’t even seem rich in the first place. With this arrangement, sure no one ill be able to find Yang Chen’s parents location.
In fact this part of the road is already out of their country. Yang Chen’s family thought it was impossible to leave their original place. However under Yang Chen’s arrangements, like a prophet, they arrived safely.
Elder Yang really has a lot of capital, aside from 600 gold, and a hundred silver of foreign currency. The other things are low quality Lingshi, equal to 10 pounds, is sufficient enough to be tens of thousand of gold.
Yang Chen was not modest, he bought a home and servants in a slightly remote place. His parents arranged a large estate, with hundreds of acres of prime farmlands. There were a lot of servants and hundreds of tenants. They never enjoyed their lives as farmers, now they are living an enjoyable life, with people calling them master which they can’t believe.
The place was very remote, with very little outsiders and war never reaches here. Considering all those, this is the place Yang Chen has selected.
After arranging all this. Yang Chen was not very eager to leave just yet. He stayed with his parents for six months, exercising and eating exquisite food. With the muscles that Yang Chen had, it didn’t seem like he was a 16 year old at all.
During harvest season, life was on track, Yang Chen said goodbye to his parents. After he woke up from his rebirth, nine months have passed.
Miles away from the county in an old executioners room, on the table was 22 gold, an executioner sat in front of Yang Chen. “you mean, you want to be an executioner, if I help you those are mine?” The old executioner couldn’t believe this situation, is there such a thing in the world? (TL: I must say, the way he goes about being an executioner instead massacring innocent people to increase power, that’s pretty damn smart.)
Being an executioner is not an enviable career, in fact it one of those abandoned jobs. When walking down the road, no one looks up to you. The old executioner couldn’t believe someone will spend a lot of gold to take the initiative.
“My life is hard, the divine immortal told me, if I do not kill enough people my parents will die, therefore I wanted to take the identity of an executioner to save my fate.” Yang Chen making up reason that doesn’t make sense continuous, “I will do it for half a year, then I will leave, you don’t have to do anything.”
Six months, for someone to substitute in killing criminals, also there is 22 gold, even if there will be no more bribes from people. That large profit, if he does not agree then he is a fool.
Going for a sick leave, he then recommends a disciple, in just half a day he did this all. With Yang CHen’s stature, others thought he can no doubt be an executioner.
Yang Chen becoming a mortal’s henchman, not one know why he chose to become an executioner, only he knows. Once upon a time there was a rebellion in heaven. Yang Chen found out when this was happening, he was born. The sky was filled with carnage and chaos, a lot of dynasties changed since then.
According to Yang Chen he knew about this news, after the rebellion, XianTai beheaded thousands of gods, be it they were strong or weak.In the heaven XianTai carried out the executions, in order to prevent powerful experts to manipulate it, a mortal is chosen to manipulate it. (TL: If I’m not wrong, XianTai is an immortal platform for execution)
If Yang Chen was chosen to use the XianTai, the he can kill immortal to practice magic. Killing an immortal is equivalent to killing 10,000 men. He won’t have an evil reputation, his spiritual roots will be filled up. Now he is thinking, this just is a simple way to be able to behead immortals.
Yang Chen was immediately put in the situation, the next day a prisoner is to be beheaded. This is the first time Yang Chen is on the field to kill and try Yi Lao Mo’s method. Although Yi Lao Mo is now dead, he still will try anyway. Becoming is the perfect way to justify killing.
“Injustice has a head, debt has a master, you and me before used to have no complaints, in the past there were no hatred, orders to execute, you committed crime!” Yang Chen has a bare upper body, his head covered by a blood red towel, grabbing the convict, his right hand up with the sword while standing up.
With this action, everyone held their breath, with wide eyes for the punishment. The preparation was done and the strong alcoholic drink was released, Yang Chen held the wine up and drank enormous amounts. Yang Chen looked at the eyes of the convict, suddenly murderous intent was issued, like changing to an entirely new person, the sword was raised above the head, and then the man was beheaded.
Everyone saw the blade flash, they were unsure if Yang Chen has done it. The young man then started to clean his blade with a piece of cloth. The crowd was stunned, when they checked the prisoner, his head saw still intact.
They were surprised, suddenly a line of blood appeared on the neck of the prisoner. The boom, the head finally fell off revealing a large sized wound, with blood flowing like a fountain towards the sky. This talent was pretty good, the kneeling body of the convict then fell to the ground.
Wow, a loud cheer came from the people.
Yang Chen takes a deep breath, the scene kept playing on his mind, he immediately began moving. An invisible odor came from the corpse which then entered the body of Yang Chen, sudden warmth spread through his bones and limbs.
