Chapter 122: The Birthday Convoy (Part I)

Song Jiang looked toward the figure approaching; it was Zhu Tong, the county’s mounted patrol commander. The man had a slightly ruddy complexion, a pair of silkworm-eyebrow-shaped brows, and a magnificent beard that earned him the nickname "The Beautiful-Bearded Duke." True to his reputation, he was a man of loyalty and integrity, skilled with a heavy broadsword, much like a modern-day Guan Yu. He was usually on good terms with Song Jiang.

"That woman knows no shame; she’s asking for money for clothes again," Song Jiang said with a wave of his hand. Truth be told, if Yan Poxi were truly a virtuous wife, he wouldn’t be living in the old county office instead of his own comfortable home.

"I tell you, you’re good at everything, but you’re too soft-hearted when it comes to women," Zhu Tong said, stroking his beard, genuinely feeling it was a pity for Song Jiang. "We warned you when you first helped that mother and daughter that she had ulterior motives, yet you took her in anyway. Now you see the consequences? If you ask me, you should just divorce her, give her a sum of money, and be done with it. It would save you from her eating and using your things while still causing you nothing but grief."

"Forget it, let’s not talk about her," Song Jiang replied. "Why aren't you home?" Although Zhu Tong was a bachelor, he had his own residence in the city.

"Don't get me started. I don't know what orders the Magistrate received, but he claims there are bandits raiding the roads around the county and has ordered us to patrol in rotating shifts. I’m on my way to take over Lei Heng’s shift," Zhu Tong said as they walked into the county office. Just then, Lei Heng walked out, yawning.

"Big Brother Song, here to stay at the office again?" Lei Heng greeted him with a smile and a bow, then turned to Zhu Tong. "I say, we should just go through the motions. I’ve been patrolling all day and haven't seen a single bandit, though I did drag back a few petty thieves." Lei Heng, nicknamed "Winged Tiger," was the commander of the county’s foot patrols. He was a close friend of Zhu Tong and on good terms with Song Jiang. Being a blunt and straightforward man, he didn't hesitate to vent his frustrations in front of them.

Song Jiang suddenly felt a hunch. "Who exactly prompted the Magistrate to have such an idea? Do you two brothers have any clues?" He gestured for them to follow him into his office.

Once inside, Song Jiang whispered, "To be honest, I met a master today..." He briefly recounted his encounter with Sun Meng, mentioning that he had received a cultivation technique and realized it was perfectly suited for the two of them.

"Gongming, are you certain we can cultivate this technique and break through our bottlenecks?" Zhu Tong and Lei Heng were both excited. Even though their family backgrounds meant that even a breakthrough in martial arts wouldn't easily advance their official positions, a warrior would never pass up such an opportunity. They had seen cultivation techniques before, but never one that could actively choose its practitioners.

"The two of you will know once you try," Song Jiang said. "This is a task given to me by that senior. I was wondering how to complete it, and to think you two have such talent..." He channeled his internal energy, and two points of starlight flew from his Dantian, traveled along his meridians to his fingertips, and transformed into rays of light that entered the space between Zhu Tong and Lei Heng’s brows.

The two men immediately entered a state of enlightenment. Song Jiang sat to the side, recovering his energy. Although he was at the mid-stage of the Xiantian realm, his foundation was weak, built up by resources rather than genuine cultivation. This exertion drained much of his energy, but he had also gained insights during the process and intended to use this time to solidify his foundation.

By the time the sun set and the moon rose, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng awoke. The look they gave Song Jiang had changed completely. This was clearly a top-tier technique, and it resonated with them perfectly. If this were to become public, major factions would fight over it. To be given such a precious gift was a debt of gratitude they could never repay.

The two exchanged a glance and knelt before Song Jiang. Song Jiang hurriedly reached out to help them up. "What are you two doing? This does not belong to me; it was bestowed by that senior. It is your destiny to cultivate this path; there is no need for such grand gestures."

"Brother Gongming, that is where you are wrong," Lei Heng said loudly. "If you hadn't been willing to share this with us, we would never have attained it! From this day forward, I, Lei Heng, acknowledge you as my leader!"

"Lei Heng is right," Zhu Tong added, his gaze sincere and firm. "Brother Gongming is our elder brother from now on. If you refuse, we would rather cripple our own cultivation!"

Song Jiang had no choice but to nod. "Very well! I am honored to have two such brothers. Rise, quickly! It is late; Zhu Tong, go to your patrol." He pointed to the light filtering in from outside, and after a respectful bow, Zhu Tong strode out.

Song Jiang turned to Lei Heng. "Tell me in detail how the Magistrate instructed you."

Outside, Sun Meng watched the notification that the awakening process was complete and nodded in satisfaction. Song Jiang was proving capable. However, he found the Magistrate’s sudden crackdown on bandits strange. Local banditry was usually supported by rural gentry, and the Magistrate would rarely bother with such thankless tasks unless something major was afoot. It meant someone knew something, or was taking precautions. The lack of a public announcement suggested the individual was keeping a low profile—likely because their own identity couldn't withstand scrutiny.

Sun Meng narrowed his eyes and flew toward the Magistrate's residence. Upon closer inspection, he discovered an invisible barrier surrounding the house, emitting a mental frequency that made onlookers ignore the anomaly. This was not a technique native to this world. A contestant was right under his nose.

Sun Meng felt a surge of caution. Whether the opponent was merely skilled in this area or truly his equal in strength, the lesson remained: never underestimate any contestant. Those who had made it this far all belonged to civilizations at least at the mid-second-tier level.

*I’ve become complacent,* he thought. *My experiences in the last two worlds gave me an inflated sense of superiority. My true opponents are not these worlds, but the other contestants and the unknown cosmic disasters of the future.*

He closed his eyes and entered meditation. By the same time the following day, he felt his mindset had improved, his spiritual perception had sharpened, and his soul had grown stronger.

"Spirit Eyes, activate!"

As Sun Meng employed his innate ability, the world shifted. A functioning magic array appeared before his eyes, its nodes and energy flows laid bare.

*There.* Sun Meng pulled back his hands, forming a bow of internal energy. Because his body had been tempered by starlight, his energy shimmered with points of light. He fired a single arrow, which instantly fractured into hundreds of beams, striking the nodes he had identified.

He didn't know the technique to dismantle the array, but he knew that disrupting its energy flow at the nodes, even for a split second, would cause it to fail. As the energy arrows exploded, the entire array collapsed. The resulting shockwave pulverized the surrounding buildings. Sun Meng had already prepared his internal energy, shielding everything except the Magistrate's residence, which was reduced to dust. Two structures, however, remained standing, their defensive arrays flickering as they struggled under the overload.

A figure emerged from the house. "Who goes there? Why do you attack us?"

Sun Meng observed the contestant—a humanoid with deep red skin patterned with magical runes and a single, spiraling horn in the center of its forehead.

"Mid-second-tier strength. Not bad," Sun Meng said, waving his hand to transform the surroundings into a star-filled void. "State your mission, and I might consider giving you a quick death."