Chapter 44: Defying Fate

Warm chamber, sunlight streamed through the windows and fell upon Iron Butcher.

“As expected, heaven never seals all paths.”

Gazing at the two letters on the table, his heart surged with excitement, and Iron Butcher could not help but burst into hearty laughter. In this moment, the butcher, known for his stern, unsmiling demeanor, revealed a rare glimpse of his true nature.

One letter had just been brought by Fuquan, and the other was delivered earlier by a spy he had planted in the An family.

His martial talent was unrivaled; every skill he learned was mastered at once. Yet, when he tried to break through to the realm of Martial Grandmaster, he was blocked, unable to advance. The root cause lay in his failure to comprehend the power of divine intent.

His success and his predicament both stemmed from Iron Armor Technique. The formidable Iron Armor, combined with his martial arts, forged his illustrious reputation. Yet, as the technique deepened, it began to affect not only his body but dulled even his consciousness, and this was the true barrier that kept him from grasping divine intent.

Once he realized the source of the problem, he began to seek every possible means to break through to Grandmaster, and by chance, he found the An family.

Now, outsiders saw the An family as a clan of immortal cultivators, but few knew that their origins were rooted in martial arts. At their peak, they boasted three Martial Grandmasters, and it was this formidable power that allowed them to carve out their foundation in an era of chaos, laying the groundwork for their later transformation into a family of cultivators.

“According to the information gathered by that wastrel, the reason the An family produced so many Grandmasters is because they possess a treasure called the Heart Refining Stone. With its aid, martial artists have a chance to comprehend their own divine intent.”

“I hesitated before, as the An family is not to be trifled with. They have true Qi cultivators guarding them—not something that river bandits can provoke—but now, the opportunity has come to me.”

Grinding the two letters into powder, Iron Butcher made his decision.

According to Fuquan’s report, after the An family’s Qi-cultivating ancestor fell, they responded swiftly, relocating their core members and treasures. This meant the Heart Refining Stone was very likely still in their possession.

This may be my final chance. Only by becoming a Martial Grandmaster and cultivating true energy can I suppress the corrosive Yin Qi and continue to live. Moreover, if I succeed, and truly tame the Yin Qi, perhaps even with this crude stone body, I could step onto the path of immortality.

I was born with a crude stone body, not a spiritual vessel, not destined for immortality—but I refuse to believe in fate.

His gaze brimmed with resolve, sweeping away the shadow of the past. Iron Butcher stepped out of the warm chamber, leaving darkness for sunlight.

His life had not been smooth. Though of the Gao family, he was of a distant branch, receiving no resources. Later, he learned of the existence of immortality, journeyed far and wide in search of it, finally finding a true cultivator, only to be treated as a test subject by the eccentric.

Yet his fate would not be extinguished. While his companions perished one by one to the poisonous trials, he not only survived but grew stronger with each test. In the end, he seized his chance, stole martial arts manuals and a Daoist tome from the evil cultivator as enemies stormed in, and escaped that valley of death.

To avoid pursuit, he hid for a time, devoting himself to martial training. Only when certain he was no longer hunted did he reemerge, beginning the legend of his own making.

He roamed the rivers and lakes alone, besting countless foes and earning renown as a great hero, living freely and boldly. But at last, weary of drifting, he arrived at Qinghe County, founded a bandit stronghold, and established his own foundation.

Experience taught him that being simply a river bandit led nowhere; though strong, he was only a martial artist, while this world was ruled by cultivators. Thus, he approached the Gao family, leveraging his surname to forge a connection.

For a branch so distant, the Gao family cared little. But if that branch proved capable and useful, it was different. Thus, the River Bandits gained the Gao family’s protection.

This shield did not guarantee dominance in both underworld and official circles, but as long as they did not court disaster, the truly powerful forces nearby would not target them deliberately.

With Iron Butcher’s careful management, the River Bandits gained their current strength. Yet, while the bandits flourished, Iron Butcher himself reached a dead end—until today, when he glimpsed a ray of hope.

With his orders given, the River Bandits moved at once. On the surface, nothing seemed to change, but countless spies were dispatched.

Having operated on the Qingyuan River for years, the River Bandits had built an information network of their own, with countless fishermen serving as their eyes and ears.

Qingyuan County was three parts flatland, seven parts mountain, with unique terrain. If the An family wished to leave quickly for Leshan County, the waterway was almost their only option. Many forces were after them; they could not hide for long. Leaving Qingyuan was the best choice.

As for fleeing into the mountains, while possible, it was far too dangerous—the wild hills and forests could devour the unwary.

Though the River Bandits stirred because of the An family matter, their actions did not yet affect Jiang Chen in Golden Sands Valley. While outside currents surged, Jiang Chen quietly digested what he had gained; a month passed unnoticed.

Over this month, the turmoil stirred by the An family only intensified, the chaos growing worse. Two points lay at the heart of the struggle: first, the An family’s foundation left in Qingxi County, including the spiritual spring and a hundred acres of spiritual fields; second, the hidden treasure of the An family.

The former was the true foundation of their clan, immeasurably valuable. Yet, because of this, ordinary folk had no chance to compete; instead, the hidden treasure, concealed in secrecy, drew many covetous eyes.

Though remnants of the An family were found over the month, the so-called treasure remained elusive. These remnants were mostly sacrificial pawns, used to delay and distract, while the true core seeds of the An family had vanished completely.

In this circumstance, some chose to give up, some to scour every inch, and some to cast wide nets, waiting patiently for prey to swim into them.