Longshan, Teng City, the Potters' Field.
Amidst the darkness, Su Tian, covered in blood and grime, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
Looking around, all he could see were densely packed mounds of earth and snowflakes falling like goose down.
"So, it wasn't a dream."
As he muttered to himself, Su Tian, still dusted with snow and dirt, sat up abruptly. A flash of hatred crossed his eyes. He remembered clearly how he had ended up here. Three days ago, he had won two hundred thousand on a lottery ticket. He was excited to rush home and share the news with his girlfriend, Liu Qian, only to stumble upon her and Shen Hu in an intimate embrace.
Enraged, he had gotten into a scuffle with Shen Hu. But because he was no match for him, Shen Hu had crushed his throat and dumped his body in this potter's field.
However, just as his consciousness was about to slip into darkness, the jade pendant he had worn around his neck since childhood suddenly melted, granting him the immortal power left behind by the ancient True Immortal Dongxuan, as well as the Dongxuan True Scripture.
Relying on a sliver of this immortal power, he managed to hang onto his life. The power then circulated on its own, transforming him into the Semi-Immortal Body described in the Dongxuan True Scripture, which allowed him to break free from his grave.
"Liu Qian, you bitch! Not only did you betray me, you helped Shen Hu kill me! I will settle this score with you!"
"As for Shen Hu, hmph, my 'good brother,' don't you worry—I’ll be sure to treat you well!"
As these cold words escaped his lips, a wave of heat surged from Su Tian’s center, causing the wind and snow to evaporate into countless clouds of steam!
"So, this is the power of a Semi-Immortal Body! I barely used any effort, and it’s already this potent."
Seeing this, Su Tian’s eyes brightened. He stood up from the pit and began walking toward the edge of the potter's field. He needed to get home quickly; he had been missing for three days, and he could only imagine how worried his parents must be.
He hadn't walked more than a few steps when he frowned, catching the sound of a scream nearby.
"Ah! Why are you still following me! I already gave you everything I had!"
He cast his gaze toward the sound and clearly saw a woman in a white down jacket, fleeing through the snow like a panicked deer.
Behind her followed two men in tattered cotton-padded coats. They were pursuing her with lecherous grins. "Hehe, beauty, it's so cold out. Aren't you afraid being out here in the potter's field all by yourself?"
"Yeah, beauty, this place is haunted at night. People have been scared out of their minds here before. Why don't you come with us? We'll take you home."
Their lewd laughter echoed again, causing Su Tian’s frown to deepen. He could see the filthy intent in their eyes, and even more clearly, he saw the machetes in their hands.
"I see. Robbery and assault, is it? Hmph, there’s no surveillance here; it’s a perfect spot for dirty business."
As the thought crossed his mind, Su Tian’s eyes turned icy.
Meanwhile, the two men were closing in on the woman. Just as they were about to pounce, a gust of wind whistled!
The snow danced wildly as Su Tian suddenly appeared in front of them.
"Get lost!"
The command hit the two men so hard that they nearly collapsed in shock. But upon seeing that Su Tian was just a young man, covered in mud and snow, they began to sneer again.
"Damn, you scared the hell out of me. I thought you were a ghost."
"That's right. Where the hell did you crawl out from, you beggar? Get lost right now, or we'll stab you to death!"
The vicious threats were accompanied by the men pointing their machetes at Su Tian.
"Looking for a death wish? Perfect, I'll use you to test the power of my Semi-Immortal Body!"
Su Tian’s eyes turned cold. He stepped forward and delivered a punch to one man's chest.
"Pfft!"
With a spray of blood, the man’s body flew backward. By the time he hit the ground, his eyes had rolled back, and he was out cold.
The other man’s expression shifted, and he instinctively took a step back. But the moment he retreated, Su Tian was already in front of him, raising his hand and landing a slap!
*Smack!*
The sound of the slap rang out, and the man spun in a circle before spitting out a mouthful of blood and falling unconscious.
The woman was stunned by the sight. Su Tian, however, felt a surge of joy. He hadn't expected his Semi-Immortal Body to be this strong—their movements had seemed like slow motion to him.
He knew this wasn't the time to celebrate, though. He needed to get home. He searched the two men and quickly found several thousand in cash and a mobile phone.
"Are these yours?"
Su Tian turned his head to ask the woman. She started, then replied with a tremble, "Y-yes... they are..."
"Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person."
Su Tian nodded and handed the items to her. "Could I borrow your phone to make a call?"
"O-of course."
The woman nodded immediately, unlocked the phone with her fingerprint, and handed it to him.
Su Tian dialed his home number. The call was answered after a few rings.
"Hello? Who is this?"
A muffled voice came through. Su Tian immediately said, "Dad, it’s me. Xiaotian."
"What? Xiaotian? Where have you been these past few days? Do you have any idea how worried your mother and I have been?"
The voice on the other end was overcome with emotion, but it was quickly replaced by sobbing. "Wuu... Xiaotian, where have you been? Don't you know what's happened to our family?"
"What happened? What's going on?"
"For the past two days, a group of thugs claiming to be from a finance company has been coming to the house to collect a debt. They say you owe a man named Shen Hu two hundred thousand. They want the money immediately, but how could we possibly have two hundred thousand? So they started moving our furniture. Your father tried to stop them and got beaten..."
"Damn them! Shen Hu, I will skin you alive!"
A roar erupted from Su Tian, causing the wind and snow to churn violently. The woman trembled, too terrified to say a word.
Su Tian’s eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't expected Shen Hu to be this depraved—not only had he killed him, he was targeting his family. How could he not be furious?
Yet, despite his rage, Su Tian knew this wasn't the time to lose control. He took a few deep breaths, covered the mouthpiece with his hand, and spoke, "Mom, don't worry. I'll handle this. I'm coming home right now."
"Hurry back!" his father, Su Qiang, shouted. "I need to know what's really going on!"
"Alright, I'll be home in thirty minutes at most!"
Su Tian hung up and handed the phone back to the woman.
"Thank you."
The woman nodded, still shaking. Su Tian turned to leave.
Just then, the woman called out, "Wait!"
Su Tian paused and looked at her. She said nervously, "I... I think I twisted my ankle. Could you please take me with you?"