Chapter 2: Daoist Longshan

Under the veil of night.

Flames soared into the sky, surging tongues of fire swallowing both the snow-plum trees and the pavilions.

A group of men in black watched the terrifying sea of fire before them with cold, ruthless indifference. Occasionally, a survivor would endure the intense heat and dash out from the inferno, only to be immediately decapitated by a sword strike.

A slow smile curled the corners of Master Feng’s mouth.

He wanted to watch with his own eyes as the Snow-Plum Villa was reduced to ash.

The fire grew more violent.

In the distance, a man in black ran over in a panic.

"Master Feng, Daoist Longshan of the Zhenwu Sect is already on his way. Should we withdraw now?"

Master Feng frowned, his eyes flashing with deep apprehension.

"Didn't that old bull-nosed priest say he wasn't coming until tomorrow? Why is he here early?"

"This subordinate does not know."

"Useless trash!"

Master Feng snorted coldly and finally gave the order

"Withdraw!"

Daoist Longshan was a man of heaven-sent talent. It was said he had obtained the Zhenwu inheritance and, upon his sudden emergence, had carved out a massive reputation within the Great Yan Dynasty. Later, he rebuilt the Zhenwu Sect and enjoyed great prestige among the Daoist sects of the world.

It was rumored that he was on the verge of stepping into the Realm of Heaven and Man. Master Feng and his subordinates had no confidence in facing him, even with their numerical advantage.

He took one last deep look at the villa, now a sea of fire.

Under such a blaze, even an ordinary martial artist could not survive, let alone a newborn infant. The child was likely already unconscious and had turned to charcoal in his sleep.

With a cold laugh, the group of men in black departed amidst a gust of wind.

……

Inside the hidden compartment.

Ning Qi felt the temperature rising around him, filled with both shock and rage.

He had not expected these people to be so vicious; after slaughtering everyone in the villa, they intended to reduce the entire place to ash.

A cold chill welled up in his eyes.

But now was not the time to dwell on that. The most urgent priority was how to survive.

He kept his Innate Fetal Breath Technique running continuously, which slowed the encroaching heat significantly. However, as the fire surged and swallowed this hidden compartment, Ning Qi would have no way out!

He had just been born; he had no mobility and hadn't even fed yet. If not for the Innate Fetal Breath Technique he had created, he would already be dead.

But even so, the situation seemed hopeless.

"What should I do?"

Ning Qi’s mind raced. Amidst the roaring flames, he heard the group of men in black fading into the distance.

"Daoist Longshan? The Zhenwu Sect? Is this Daoist a friend of my parents, or some other righteous soul?"

Thoughts flickered through Ning Qi’s mind.

He knew that his hope for survival might rest entirely on this Daoist Longshan.

He curled up as tightly as he could within his swaddling clothes. The material was of a special quality, making him slightly more comfortable. He needed to hold on until Daoist Longshan arrived, and more importantly, he needed to make sure the Daoist discovered his existence.

"Sound!"

"I must make a sound loud enough that it isn't drowned out by the roar of the fire."

Although Daoist Longshan was a top-tier expert who would likely detect him if he stopped his Innate Fetal Breath state, Ning Qi still needed to strive for his own survival.

"How can I make my voice louder?"

"Merge it with my breath, let the sound be expelled along with the flow of energy... An infant's cry is naturally sharp enough. If I can make the frequency of my vocal cord vibrations more efficient..."

"……"

Sparks of inspiration ignited in Ning Qi’s mind.

He tried opening and closing his mouth, mobilizing the innate energy within his body. He had a strong premonition that once he made a sound, it would be piercingly loud.

This was a vocal technique; Ning Qi felt it could be called the Sonic Oscillation Method.

A gleam flashed in Ning Qi’s eyes.

If he weren't currently lacking martial arts knowledge, he could have even created a sonic martial art, like the Buddhist Lion’s Roar from the martial arts novels of his past life!

This was the power of max-level comprehension.

Everything was ready.

He began to wait in anticipation.

"Daoist Longshan, you must come quickly!"

If the Daoist arrived too late, he would surely be nothing but a charred corpse.

He could already feel the temperature becoming increasingly intense, and the sound of buildings collapsing in the fire echoed from time to time. If not for the special material of this hidden compartment, he would have already been crushed to death.

……

The night grew deeper.

But the area around the Snow-Plum Villa was glowing red, as bright as day, the sea of fire staining half the sky.

When Daoist Longshan arrived and saw this scene, a surge of overwhelming fury rose in his eyes.

"Wicked scoundrels!"

He had been invited here, but he never expected to witness such a massacre. The cruelty of the perpetrators was simply heinous.

Daoist Longshan roared, his palms surging with *gangqi* that fell like fine rain, suppressing the sea of fire.

Patches of flame were extinguished, but more vigorous fires immediately rose to take their place.

This made his expression even grimmer.

If he had arrived when the fire first started, he might have been able to extinguish it, but now it was a foregone conclusion. Even if he gave his all, he would likely only be able to save a pile of ruins.

Protected by his *gangqi*, he walked through the flames unscathed, shouting repeatedly

"Villa Master Ning!"

"Heroine Jiang!"

"Old Daoist Longshan is here!"

He knew that the couple was likely beyond saving, but he still held onto a sliver of hope and fantasy.

He called out again and again.

But there was no response.

Daoist Longshan felt immense regret. If he had arrived half a day earlier, he might have been able to prevent this tragedy.

Suddenly.

He paused, thinking he heard the cry of an infant.

He subconsciously thought he had misheard; after all, how could there be an infant in such a sea of fire?

But immediately, his expression changed.

The crying grew louder, piercing through the flames. It was definitely not an auditory hallucination.

"There’s a survivor!"

Daoist Longshan grew excited.

He vaulted into the air, darting like lightning toward the corner where the sound originated. He condensed *gangqi* in his palms, and the flames in that spot were instantly extinguished.

He walked over slowly, his eyes filled with astonishment.

The sound of the infant’s crying was clearly coming from the hidden compartment before him.

His *gangqi* acted like a blade, slowly cutting open the compartment. A figure wrapped in swaddling clothes appeared before him.

Looking at the infant, Daoist Longshan’s astonishment deepened. As soon as he opened the compartment, the infant stopped crying and simply looked at him quietly, as if the crying had been specifically intended to lure him over.

Not only that, he sensed the temperature inside the compartment; while better than the outside, it was still a miracle that a newborn could have lasted this long!

Even so, the infant’s skin was already flushed red.

"This child is truly blessed by fate!"

Daoist Longshan picked Ning Qi up gently and found a jade pendant with the character 'Qi' inscribed on it, along with a manual for the Night Plum Sword Technique.

"The Night Plum Sword Technique is the pinnacle work created by Villa Master Ning and Heroine Jiang. It seems you are the heir they left behind."

Daoist Longshan sighed.

"Perhaps this is heaven's will, or perhaps they are watching over you from the beyond, allowing you to miraculously survive this slaughter."

"From now on, you shall be called Ning Qi."

As he spoke, Daoist Longshan was surprised to see the infant smile happily.

"You little one, you have extraordinary spiritual intelligence and are born with the ability to distinguish good from evil. You will surely be remarkable in the future."

Ning Qi was also observing the middle-aged Daoist: grey Daoist robes, a goat-like beard, and a peaceful expression that made it easy to feel a sense of trust.

After hearing the Daoist’s calls, he had decisively used the Sonic Oscillation Method to cry out, and now he was finally out of danger.

His mind relaxed.

Having just transmigrated into such a situation—and as a newborn, no less—he felt a sense of relief. When he heard Daoist Longshan name him Ning Qi, he smiled slightly and finally succumbed to exhaustion, falling into a deep sleep.

Daoist Longshan was startled.

He quickly checked Ning Qi’s pulse and breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing the child was merely exhausted and needed energy. However, his eyes immediately filled with surprise.

In his perception, the innate energy within the child was remarkably dense.

"No wonder he could hold on in the sea of fire until now. Thinking back, that cry earlier... it seemed to contain some kind of technique?"

"Could there really be those who are born with knowledge?"

Daoist Longshan looked at Ning Qi with growing amazement.

Without a doubt, this was an unpolished gem.

His innate foundation was solid, and he possessed extraordinary spiritual intelligence and brilliance.

"Villa Master Ning, you and your wife have left behind such a brilliant heir; you can rest in peace. Do not worry, I will take him as my disciple, raise him, and teach him well. As for the murderers who killed you, I will hunt them to the ends of the earth!"

Looking at the Snow-Plum Villa being swallowed by the flames, Daoist Longshan silently made a vow.

……

The next day.

Daoist Longshan stood before a cenotaph, holding Ning Qi.

This was the tomb he had erected for Ning Qi’s parents. The fire had been too intense last night; there were no survivors in the entire villa, and not even their remains could be found.

Ning Qi had eaten the food the Daoist had brought and was now awake.

He looked at the cenotaph with complex emotions.

He had become an orphan the moment he transmigrated, but the love his birth mother, Jiang Xuemei, had shown him still surfaced in his mind. They had sacrificed themselves to save him; such kindness could not be forgotten.

"One day, I will surely avenge you."

Ning Qi said silently in his heart.

He thought of the 'Master Feng' from yesterday and the other killers, a cold murderous intent surging within him.

This person had not only killed his birth parents but had also nearly sent him to his death in the fire.

This debt must be repaid!

With his max-level comprehension, he only needed a stable environment to grow, and he would advance rapidly. Revenge would certainly not be difficult, and that day would not be far off.

And now, he had that stable environment.

Daoist Longshan sighed, a thousand thoughts rising in his heart, eventually settling into a loving smile. He looked down at Ning Qi

"Little one, from this day forward, you are the ninth disciple of Daoist Longshan!"

"Come with me back to the mountain!"

Now was not the time to hunt for the killers while carrying Ning Qi. Only after settling the child could he slowly investigate. The force capable of slaughtering the Snow-Plum Villa in a single night was certainly no weakling; after all, the Ning couple were no pushovers themselves.

Seeing the smile on Ning Qi’s face, Daoist Longshan’s mood improved slightly.

Holding Ning Qi, he drifted away into the distance.

(End of chapter)