Dongzi sat at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, greeting the rising sun. In truth, more often than not, Dongzi was Zhou Huan’s good fortune; frequently, at the most critical junctures—moments of life and death—he would manage to do something entirely unexpected, often resolving the problem through sheer, unlikely luck.

“Little Master Dongzi, they’ve been lying there for nearly half the night, and there’s no sign of life in them. I think we should just bury them along with my master and junior brother,” Tianlang had already resigned himself to the fact that Zhou Huan, Tianxiong, and Shi Bingyuan could not be saved. The one who had wounded them was Tianya, and Tianlang knew precisely the extent of Tianya’s martial arts prowess. There were two clear examples preceding Zhou Huan’s group that demonstrated the resulting damage; even if Zhou Huan had recovered his full strength from before he returned to the Qing Dynasty, dealing with Tianya would likely be a struggle.

Upon hearing Tianlang, Dongzi immediately stood up and walked over to Zhou Huan, once again placing his hand near the noses of the group. Dongzi could only detect that their breathing had grown fainter, yet the man named Tianya still possessed a distinctly strong vital energy. It was utterly unbelievable that this fellow could still look this way despite bleeding so profusely from his head.

“Sigh, their fate isn’t ours to decide. Even a divine physician couldn’t resurrect the already dead. If need be, I, Lin Dongzi, will just go back to stealing chickens and dogs. I suppose our shared destiny with them has reached its end! I must trouble you, Brother Tianlang, to arrange their burial,” Dongzi said. Having spoken, Dongzi stood up and gathered his meager belongings. He coiled his long braid, found an incense burner in the ruined temple, and then, facing the rising sun, began digging graves behind the structure.

Tianlang dug graves within the same area. Soon enough, five pits were ready. The two men carried the five bodies, wrapped them in some dry straw, laid them in the pits, and covered them with earth. Afterward, they sat beside the graves to prepare the headstones. At that time, tombstones were usually planks of wood upon which characters were carved. Tianlang possessed the skill for such craftsmanship, and his calligraphy was quite good. The two of them labored from dawn until dusk.

“Little Master Dongzi, our headstones are nearly finished. Let’s go back, tidy up, and depart,” Tianlang said to Dongzi. Turning back, Tianlang felt a pang of loneliness; it was better traveling with company. Since Dongzi seemed to have nothing else to do, he asked, “Why don’t you come with me to the Canfa Assembly?”

Dongzi’s eyes darted around twice, then he considered, “I have nothing else pressing. Alright, I’ll go with you!”

As the two were about to leave, Tianlang suddenly remembered that there was still someone tied up inside the dilapidated temple. They turned back and returned to the main hall. The moment they stepped inside, both men froze in shock.

“Blast it, that bastard Tianya has escaped.” The ropes lay scattered on the floor in disarray. Tianlang instinctively patted his coat pocket; the invitation was still there, bringing him a measure of relief.

Dongzi pondered the situation. He had left the man severely injured; perhaps he wouldn't dare act immediately and had simply fled. Still, a lingering dread remained in Dongzi’s heart; if that man ever returned seeking vengeance, it would certainly spell disaster for him.

So, Dongzi agreed, “Yes, I think that’s best. Let’s leave now and go back to collect our things by the graves.” The two returned to the gravesite to gather their possessions, but as they arrived, they discovered that the graves of Zhou Huan, Shi Bingyuan, and Tianxiong had been dug up. Suddenly, Dongzi felt a gust of wind behind him, and a large hand clamped tightly around his neck, cutting off his breath.

“You brat, daring to strike me with deadly intent! You must be tired of living. I’ll send you on your way then.”

“Hey, stop! Beat me first, then go after him!” This voice sent a strange flicker of miracle through Dongzi; it belonged to Zhou Huan, yet it was coupled with a distinct sense of unease. The first voice had been Tianya’s.

Dongzi gritted his teeth and looked back. Tianya was the one holding him, while Tianlang desperately pulled at Tianya’s wrist to no effect. Standing right beside Tianya, Zhou Huan had one hand locked firmly onto Tianya’s other arm.

“Hahaha, Zhou Huan, I’ll certainly remember your name now. With your meager skills, you still think you can challenge me?” Tianya casually released Dongzi, turned back, and warned, “Don’t even think about sneaking up on me again; I’m watching you!” Then, pointing a finger at Zhou Huan, Tianya sneered, “Never mind that you just crawled out of a grave; even if you were healthy, you wouldn’t last one hand against me. Why? Are you reluctant to die?”

“I possess no martial arts, but I have a spirit. My intention is to remove obstacles like you—either drive you away or eliminate you. I will represent Heaven and Earth to destroy a scoundrel like you!” Zhou Huan declared with full confidence.

Tianya, however, laughed so hard he nearly wept. He waved a dismissive hand: “Zhou Huan, today I’ll dispatch you, this weakling, and let you see what true martial arts look like!” As he finished speaking, Tianya raised a single hand and brought it down violently toward Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan didn't even attempt to dodge; he merely extended his own fist. Although his movement was half a beat slower than Tianya’s strike, his own fist arrived at Tianya’s face at double the speed. With a roar, the punch slammed Tianya so hard that his eyes filled with stars, and he felt his nose cave inward toward his mouth. His Tianling point felt as if it had been opened to the wind. By the time Tianya recovered his senses, Zhou Huan was already seated cross-legged on the ground, gazing down with utter contempt. “Pal, want a drink? Look at the blood on your face; you clearly need to get the blood moving!”

At that moment, Tianya felt a pressure unlike anything he had ever experienced—a pressure emanating from Zhou Huan. Although the power behind Zhou Huan’s punch was somewhat lacking, the sheer speed of it was something most people couldn’t withstand. Ultimately, Tianya chose the cunning path of evasion. He glanced at Zhou Huan, spun around, and fled. After running several dozen paces, he shouted back, “Zhou Huan, I’ve got you marked! Don’t let me catch you next time, or it’ll be a battle to the death for one of us!”

“Good, I hope we meet again,” Zhou Huan replied softly. Watching Tianya retreat, he rubbed his own fist, feeling intense pain. Looking down, he saw that the hand he had struck with was swollen like a steamed bun, deeply bruised and purple.

In truth, Zhou Huan had feared his single strike wouldn't be enough to drive Tianya away. But he genuinely felt as if his speed had returned, not only recovered but far surpassing the speed he possessed before his transmigration. He wrapped his braid around, touched his face, and found everything felt normal. Only then did he recall the events that transpired while he was buried beneath the soil.

Once buried, Zhou Huan felt his soul drifting. Suddenly, the old Daoist priest whose flesh had been minced appeared beside him, weeping, “Master Zhou, I know you are a peerless figure of this age, but your time is not yet ripe. You must attend the Canfa Assembly! I will help you emerge now.” Thereupon, the old Daoist helped the souls of Zhou Huan and Tianxiong, Shi Bingyuan, return to their bodies. They eventually clawed their way out of the graves. Fortunately, Dongzi had not dug the graves too deeply, making their emergence relatively easy. Thus, Zhou Huan and his two disciples survived.

“Master Zhou, this is truly miraculous! You are the lucky star of our Daoist temple, our savior!” Tianlang praised Zhou Huan profusely.

Zhou Huan just smiled, pointing a finger at Dongzi. “He is our true lucky star. Without him, we’d probably all be victims of that man’s blade!” As he spoke, Zhou Huan suddenly remembered what the old Daoist had mentioned, and he turned to Tianlang, asking, “I want to ask, what exactly is this Canfa Assembly?”

“Oh, the Canfa Assembly is a gathering that occurs every five years in Beijing for various remarkable practitioners from all over the country. They compete in martial arts, sorcery, or skill demonstrations. Simply put, it’s a massive arena. Whoever wins advances to the next round. Each year, five to ten extraordinary individuals are selected to receive honorary positions in the Imperial Palace and a bounty of one hundred taels of gold. That’s why so many people participate. It was only because the crowds became overwhelming that the Imperial Court was compelled to establish this selection process, held once every five years.”