Climbing to immortality step by step

Untitled Part 3

Yunzhong County was a small, rugged place where the harsh landscape bred tough and ruthless characters. Ma Qianjun was one of these figures—a man who, by the age of seventeen, had already carved out a reputation in the underworld, wielding dual blades to great effect.

At nineteen, when the Lincang Duanlang Sect violated the unspoken rules and invaded Yunzhong County with the backing of three Immortal Masters, no one dared to oppose them. The county was gripped by fear. Yet, in this stormy time, Ma Qianjun, with a few loyal brothers, founded the Tianyi Gang. Without hesitation, they stormed the Yunzhong branch of the Duanlang Sect, slaughtering seventeen men in one night, and Ma Qianjun emerged with sixteen wounds, having gone through three sharp blades. His bravery earned him widespread respect throughout Yunzhong County.

By twenty-three, the Tianyi Gang was embroiled in a fierce turf war with the Anyun Gang. Forty of Anyun's best blade-wielders ambushed Ma Qianjun, but he fought them off alone with his twin swords, killing all forty and crushing the Anyun Gang in the process. The battle left him with thirty-eight wounds, and to this day, the surviving members of the Anyun Gang speak of it with trembling fear.

At twenty-seven, he annihilated the Black Wind Bandits, suffering forty-one injuries. At thirty-two, he led a raid on Falling Eagle Ravine, killing sixty-seven skilled fighters. By thirty-five...

All these feats turned Ma Qianjun into a living legend in Yunzhong County, but after the age of thirty-five, he became even more fearsome.

At thirty-eight, Ma Qianjun led eighty of his men to wipe out the Huaying Sect, killing all forty-six members of the sect with only six injuries to himself. By forty-one, he never traveled without at least twenty blade-wielders, and when the Shen family of Yunzhong sent six assassins to kill him, they were all dead before they even laid eyes on him.

At forty-two, Ma Qianjun forged a connection with an Immortal Master. He immediately turned on two of his sworn brothers, who had been secretly colluding with outside factions, and had them hacked to pieces on the spot by forty of his men. It took over a hundred and fifty strikes to reduce the two to bloody pulp, and Ma Qianjun didn't even lift a blade himself. Afterward, he knelt on the ground, crying, "Big brother, second brother, it's all my fault. I'll take care of your wives and children from now on."

Not long after, the wife of his eldest sworn brother was killed at her doorstep by remnants of the Huaying Sect because of a few careless words. The two sons of his second sworn brother tried to avenge their father by going to Lincang Duanlang Sect, only to be mysteriously cut down by the sect's men along the way. After this, Ma Qianjun, now in his forties, became increasingly respectful toward the elders who had founded the Tianyi Gang with him, urging them to retire and hand over their positions to younger members.

His foresight proved wise; those who refused to retire ended up falling victim to the remnants of the Duanlang Sect, the Tianyi Gang, and the Black Wind Bandits. After this storm passed, Ma Qianjun held absolute authority within the Tianyi Gang but was careful not to create a dictatorship—he allowed the elders to speak their minds, but everyone knew the consequences of speaking out of turn.

By this time, however, the Tianyi Gang had lost its former momentum. They managed to hold onto most of Hequ County, but new rivals constantly emerged within their territory, often catching them off guard. Yet, Ma Qianjun was content with this. As long as he could pass his legacy down, everything would be fine.

Today, he had brought thirty of his men to Spring Fragrance Tower for a drink. They took over both floors of the establishment, and the sight filled Ma Qianjun with satisfaction. In Hequ County, Ma Qianjun was a prominent figure, especially given his humble beginnings. To rise to such a position was no small feat.