The Secret Way of Immortality

The early market bustled with activity, people jostling each other, not even the dense, drizzling rain could dampen the vendors' unique calls.

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent, their eyes filled with fear as they looked towards a certain spot.

Two grim-faced constables carried a corpse wrapped in burlap on a wooden plank, blood dripping from the plank onto the bluestone bricks.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves.

"Another one dead?"

"How unlucky."

"That's the third time this month, I reckon..."

"Don't look, don't look."

The people scattered, even the stallholders hurriedly packed up their goods, as if avoiding a plague god.

The two constables carried the corpse as if no one else was around to a relatively open space.

The older constable wore black, was thin and gaunt, with slightly sunken eyes, giving the impression of someone suffering from a chronic illness.

His sleeve was embroidered with "Prefecture Constable", and a two-foot water-and-fire club was tied to his waist.

Although constables were part of the government, they were merely messengers and servants within the yamen, and the water-and-fire club was only used for self-defense.

The other constable, who was younger, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, wore a black uniform that was slightly ill-fitting and lacked the "Prefecture Constable" inscription.

This was a 'white shirt' constable, usually working under formal constables, and it would take several years to be promoted.

They put down the corpse.

The leading constable couldn't help but cough from carrying the heavy load, and it took several breaths for him to stop.

The 'white shirt' constable asked with concern, "Brother Qing, are you alright?"

The constable replied in a hoarse, low voice, "It's just an old problem, nothing serious. Xiao Wu, you keep watch here, I'm going to the shop."

"Brother Qing..."

Xiao Wu seemed very afraid, his legs trembling slightly, and his voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back."

The constable named Ren Qing patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and quickly walked towards the alley entrance.

His steps were slightly unsteady, and his breathing became heavy, indicating that he was not as calm as he appeared to be.

Ren Qing walked into the depths of the alley, and a bloody stench assaulted his nostrils, so strong that it made him want to vomit.

A dilapidated bookstore came into view, with two 'white shirt' constables, not yet twenty, standing at the door. They couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they saw Ren Qing.

"Constable."

Ren Qing nodded to the two of them, then said, "If you want to vomit, just vomit, then quickly go inside and pack things up. It must be done as soon as possible, you don't want to stay here, do you?"

"Yes, Constable..."

Li Mian and Li Heng were brothers, with an eight or nine percent resemblance to each other. They had no connections in the yamen, so they were assigned to Ren Qing.

Xiao Wu had voluntarily come from elsewhere, as his father's generation were fellow villagers with Ren Qing.

The Li brothers went to the corner of the alley and leaned against the wall, retching.

Ren Qing suppressed his nausea, partly because he didn't want his subordinates to look down on him, and partly because he was afraid of fainting from weakness.

He took a deep breath and opened the bookstore's half-open wooden door.

Inside, he saw that the room was covered in pieces of flesh and blood, and the bookshelves were tilted and scattered. There were no books on them, making the space seem eerily empty.

The corpse of the shopkeeper, which had been carried out earlier, had originally been kneeling behind the door.

His hands were outstretched, with eyeballs that had been dug out placed in the palms.

This was after the yamen had already processed the scene once, it was hard to imagine what it had been like before.

Ren Qing was in charge of Tan Street in the western district of Sanxiang City, and was a 'fire worker' among the constables.

His duty was to burn corpses and the personal belongings of the deceased. In theory, he shouldn't encounter any danger.

But like the shopkeeper in the bookstore, it was obvious to everyone that he had died a violent death.

A few days ago, there were still eight 'fire workers' in charge of Tan Street, but when they burned a corpse that had died a violent death, they smelled a strange odor, and something went wrong.

All the 'fire workers' fell to the ground, with bizarre smiles on their faces before they died.

Ren Qing seemed to be the only one who survived, but in reality, his body had long been replaced by another soul. In his previous life, he was just an ordinary office worker.

He spent the first few days after his transmigration in a daze. Fortunately, he didn't have much contact with people to begin with, so he wasn't discovered.

Moreover, this world was full of strangeness. Residents rarely left the city, and died suddenly for no apparent reason every few days, but everyone had become accustomed to it.

The mountain villages outside the city were also in a state of constant fear.

Unfortunately, time didn't allow him to adapt further.

A large number of lines surged before Ren Qing's eyes, outlining chaotic patterns, eventually forming several lines of text.

【Ren Qing】

【Age: Seventeen】

【Lifespan: Five years, one hundred and thirteen days】

This was Ren Qing's innate supernatural power. As long as he touched someone, he could see their lifespan, but that was all.

The reason why he only had five years left was because his internal organs were severely damaged after he died and was resurrected.

And strangely enough, the people of this world aged rapidly after the age of forty and were usually dead before fifty.

Unlike any dynasty in his previous life.

Although Ren Qing had not yet found a way to extend his life, after inquiring around, he saw a clue from the constables in different departments.

Generally speaking, when a violent death occurred, the prison guards would come to investigate first. After confirming that there was nothing wrong, it would be Ren Qing and the other 'fire workers', and finally the cleaners who would clean up the blood and filth.

Ren Qing had not had contact with the prison guards, but he suspected that the prison guards were cultivators who had mastered spells, otherwise, how could Sanxiang City maintain its superficial stability?

That's why he gritted his teeth and dealt with the bizarre and inexplicable mess with three inexperienced 'white shirt' constables.

Ren Qing carefully cleaned up the house.

After a while, the two Li brothers plucked up their courage and walked in.

They used the burlap they carried to wrap the pieces of meat, and even dismantled the wooden furniture into pieces and took them away, leaving nothing behind.

"Constable, there's a book in the crevice of the bookshelf."

Li Mian handed the book to Ren Qing.

He didn't dare to flip through it at all. Any action by the 'white shirt' constables had to be approved by the constable, in order to ensure that nothing unexpected happened.

Ren Qing took the book, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head.

He fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

"Constable!!!"

Li Heng and Li Mian wanted to approach, but Ren Qing stopped them with his hand.

"It's okay, I'm okay."

Ren Qing told the two to continue cleaning up, while he sat at the door of the bookstore to rest for a while, the book held tightly in his grasp.

At the moment of touching the book, Ren Qing's supernatural power was triggered for the first time, and a stream of information gathered before his eyes.

【No-Eyed Technique】

【Comprehended by the Old Monk of Hundred Eyes from the Surangama Sutra. To practice this technique, one must dig out one's eyes, take the eyeballs with medicinal guides, and regrow them after forty-nine days.】

Ren Qing's arms clutched the book in his embrace, and after a cup of tea's time, some more information appeared.

【After digging out one's eyes, one will be plunged into boundless darkness, seeing what ordinary people cannot see. Those who succeed in cultivation can swallow eyeballs to recover from injuries and extend their lifespan, human eyes being the best.】

After another moment, new information about the No-Eyed Technique appeared again.

【One-Eyed: Discerns illusions】

【Hundred-Eyed: Creates illusions】

【Double-Pupiled: Anticipates the enemy】

Ren Qing couldn't help but swallow, his heart pounding wildly, and a morbid flush appeared on his face.

【Can consume thirty days of lifespan to waive the cost of mastering】

What exactly does the so-called cost refer to? The forty-nine days after digging out one's eyes and going blind, or some deeper secret?

Ren Qing didn't want to hesitate and cause change.

The method of cultivation was right in front of him, and it could also extend his life. Even if it was a bit strange, it was better than living in a daze and waiting for death.

With a thought, thirty days of lifespan vanished in an instant.

Moreover, the residents of this alley had already evacuated, making it less noticeable than the crowded yamen.

New book launched, asking for everything!!!