Yang Zicang scanned his surroundings, seeing everyone’s faces fill with envy. It seemed the fruit wine in his hand, rich in aroma, was something they had never even had a chance to drink.
杨子藏扫了眼周围，大伙都露出羡慕的目光，看来自己手上的这味道浓郁的果酒，是他们也不曾喝过的。
“Ha! Fine, very fine—interesting.”
“呵，好好好，有意思。”
Yang Zicang tilted his head back and took a hearty swig.
杨子藏仰起头痛饮。
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
咕咚咕咚！
After downing more than half a jar, he let out a deep breath, set it down heavily with a thud, and continued eating and chatting nonchalantly.
喝下大半罐后，杨子藏哈了口气，沉重的将之放在桌子上，若无其事的开始继续吃着食物，聊着天。
The party lingered all the way until midnight, while the two men in the room grew increasingly anxious.
大伙一直闹到了午夜，而堂中两人则越来越焦急。
They could hardly suppress their expressions any longer.
他们已经难以管理住自己越来越明显的神态。
After several rounds of wine, Yang Zicang cast a glance at these men, picked up the wine jar, walked up to one of them, and said flatly:
酒过三巡，杨子藏撇过这些人一眼，拎起酒罐走到其中一人身前，淡淡的道：
“Do you want a taste of this wine?”
“想尝尝这酒味吗。”
“Ah! Minister… Minister Sir.”
“啊，侍者大，大人。”
The man was so startled that goosebumps rose all over his skin.
这人吓得鸡皮疙瘩都起来了。
Next to him, another man turned his head away while trembling slightly.
他身边另一人略微颤抖的撇过头去。
Yang Zicang fixed his gaze on the Savage’s own son and said tonelessly: “So it was them, right?”
杨子藏注视向首领的儿子：“是他们对吧。”
“No! It wasn’t me—NO—!”
“不，不是我。”
Both tried unsuccessfully to stand up and bolt.
两人差点跳起来逃跑。
Witnessing this, Ashizaguda realized he had failed. Truly, the Steward knew everything.
见到这一幕，阿希扎古达了然自己失败了，不愧是侍者大人啊，他什么都知道。
His wavering gaze shifted from panic to resignation as he nodded.
他闪烁的目光由慌乱转为无奈，点头道：
“Yes, it was done by the Divine Messengers themselves. I never expected the Steward to recognize it so quickly.”
“是的，是神使大人们亲自做的，没想到侍者大人一下就认出来了。”
Divine Messengers?
神使？
Not only Yangzicang but everyone present looked at the two men with curiosity, pondering the meaning of that term.
不光杨子藏，在场的众人都奇怪的看着这两人，思索着这个词所代表的意义。
The two men were drenched in sweat.
两人汗流浃背。
Suddenly, one of them gritted his teeth and sprang up, stretching his arm quickly toward the red-glowing beast tooth necklace on Yangzicang’s chest.
突然其中一人咬牙窜起身来，伸直手臂快速取向杨子藏胸前冒着红光的兽牙项链。
Boom!
轰！
A flying black shadow knocked over the bonfire. The man crashed against the wall like a ragdoll, blood splattering everywhere as he slid slowly down.
飞出的黑影将篝火掀翻，这人如破布般狠狠砸在墙上，鲜血四溅，缓缓滑下。
The other man froze in terror.
另一人吓傻了。
“No, don’t, please don’t kill me!” he said in a panic-stricken voice.
“不，别，别杀我！”他声色骇然的道。
Thud. Ashizaguda’s clay bowl slipped from his hand. The sturdy bowl rolled twice on the uneven ground but miraculously did not break.
啪嗒，阿希扎古达手中的泥碗摔在地上。厚实的碗在坑坑洼洼的地面滚了两圈，竟然没碎。
“Attack the Steward?”
“袭击侍者大人？”
“They dared to rob the Steward’s sacred artifact!”
“他们尽然敢抢侍者大人的圣物！”
The braves around them finally snapped out of it, hastily standing up to surround the man Yangzicang had sent flying.
周围的众勇士才忽然回过神，慌忙的起身将被杨子藏击飞出去的人围住。
The braves were filled with dread. Cursed beast, how dare they!
众勇士惶恐无比，这该死一万次的东西！
“Bah!”
“呔！”
The Chief flipped over the table, dragged his son closer, and kicked him in the leg, forcing him to kneel.
首领一把掀翻桌子后，拎起自己儿子走来一脚踢在他腿上，让他跪倒在地。
“Speak. What did you do.”
“说，你干了什么。”
The chieftain, in a furious rage, violently grabbed his own son’s hair and shouted angrily, “What do you think you’re doing!”
首领怒不可遏地用力揪住自己儿子的头发，愤怒的喊道：“你在做什么！”
“I, I…”
“我，我…”
Ashizguda was stunned senseless, knowing nothing, and merely looked at the divine envoy of the Great Light for help.
阿希扎古达吓傻了，他什么都不知道，只是求救的望向大光神的这位神使。
“Great Light Envoy, you, you say something quickly!”
“大光神使，您，您快说话呀！”
He was supposed to be the Great Light Envoy now, but he was nothing more than a miserable wretch who could only open his mouth without uttering a single word.
什么大光神使，这会儿只是个只晓得张嘴却连一个字都抖不出来的可怜虫。
Yang Zicang understood what the other man wanted.
杨子藏明白对方想要的是什么了。
With a silent sigh, he glanced at the half-empty jar of wine still on the table, picked it up again before the man’s very eyes.
暗叹声，看了眼桌上还剩着的小半罐酒，他当着这人的面再次拎起来。
“No!”
“不！”
The man nearly reached out to snatch it away but was abruptly slapped in the face and had his shoulders pressed down firmly.
这人差点伸出手抢夺，却被人啪地甩了一巴掌，死死按住肩膀。
After taking two hearty gulps, Yang Zicang let the wine jar down heavily on the table.
豪饮了两口后，杨子藏重重的将酒罐放在了桌上。
“As for the taste of the wine itself, it’s not bad,” he said, scanning the crowd around him. “But do not, under any circumstances, taste it. In the future, all of you should drink in moderation and not lose yourselves.”
“仅就酒的味道来说，还不错。”他扫视了周围这些人一眼：“但你们千万别尝。以后，诸位当少量饮酒，不要迷失己心。”
After these inexplicable words, Yang Zicang walked out, for there was a child waiting for him outside the city.
说完这莫名其名的话后，杨子藏往外走去，城外还有个孩子在等着自己。
When Yang Zicang had gone a distance away, the now-wary chieftain dared to pick up the wine jar and sniff it. He furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment, then suddenly his expression changed drastically.
当杨子藏走远，受惊的首席才敢拎起酒罐闻了闻，他皱眉思索了阵子后，忽然面色大变。
“Ah!!”
“啊！！”
He lifted his foot and slammed it against the chin of the kneeling young man, raining down relentless punches.
他抬起一脚踹在跪在地上青年的下巴上，手上拳头狠狠砸下。
“You beast!!!”
“你这畜生啊！！！”
After a thorough beating, Zagu Da glowered with the fury of a dragon towards the man sitting behind the table.
一通暴揍后，扎古达目似怒龙盯向桌子后那人。
He reached out with an iron-clamp-like hand and forcefully seized the other’s chin, while raising the wine jug with the other hand. Amid the victim’s terrified and futile struggles, he poured all the remaining liquor down the man’s throat.
他伸出如钢钳般的大手死死钳住对方下巴，另一手举起酒罐，在对方惊恐的无效挣扎下，将剩余酒水统统灌入这人口中。
“Ugh, no… gulp… please…”
“呜，唔不…咕，求…”
“Cough, ugh…”
“咳咳，呃啊啊…”
In just a few minutes, the man convulsed all over, collapsed spitting blood onto the ground, struggled with a contorted face, and died in agony.
仅仅几分钟，此人便全身抽搐，吐血倒在地上，面容扭曲的挣扎，痛苦死去。
Only then did Ashizakuda, with his shattered chin, realize what he had served to the attendants. He collapsed limp to his knees, looking around helplessly at the hall warriors who seemed eager to devour him alive.
自此下巴破碎的阿希扎古达才知自己给侍者送上的是什么。他浑身瘫软跪倒在地，无措的看向四周恨不得生吞自己的众圣殿勇士。
It’s over, all over…
完了，全完了…
……
……
In the night, a child sat quietly on the ground, gazing at the stars and the moon.
夜色中，小孩静静坐在地上，望着星月。
“Have you had dinner?”
“吃过晚饭了吗。”
Footsteps sounded. The child turned his head to see who it was, then quickly turned around and prostrated himself.
脚步声传来，孩子扭过头看清来者，赶紧转身匍匐下去。
“From now on, no need to perform such formalities with me.”
“以后不用对我行这样的礼节。”
“Then I…”
“那我…”
“What’s your name?”
“你叫什么名字？”
“I…” the child hesitated, “I forgot.”
“我…”孩子迟疑起来，“我忘了。”
“Forgot?”
“忘了？”
“Before, Mother just called me Son, and Sister called me Little Brother. I remember I had a name, but I forgot it.”
“以前妈妈只是叫我儿子，姐姐叫我弟弟，我记得我有名字的，可是我忘了。”
Yang Zicang didn’t ask where his mother and sister had gone. He handed him a small portion of food.
杨子藏没有问他妈妈与姐姐去了哪里，他将一小份食物递给他。
“From now on, your name will be Wu Zheng.”
“以后你叫武正。”
“Wu Zheng… Wu?” The child looked at him hesitantly.
“武正…武？”孩子有些迟疑的看向他。
“How long do you want to live?”
“你想活多久？”
“I, I don’t know. I want to find Mom and Sister.”
“我，我不知道，我想找妈妈和姐姐。”
“That’s fine.”
“可以。”
Yang Zicang took out a small orb and crushed it. From within the orb, like a model springing to life, a flickering triangular faint light landed on the child, and the previously non-existent ring on his chest appeared.
杨子藏拿出个小球捏碎，球中如同模型发动般出现个闪动的三角形微光落在小孩身上，他胸前原本不存在的圆环出现。
A sudden telepathic voice intrusively appeared in his mind, startling the child.
一道心念声突兀的出现在他心中，让这孩子惊了下。
[Are you willing to sign a “Practice Contract” with me? From the date of signing until the agreed-upon skills are mastered, or upon death, the contract is naturally fulfilled. Upon the contract’s dissolution, all experience gained from the practiced skills shall no longer be retained.]
[你是否愿意与我签订“代练契约”，自签订之日起，直至约定之技艺学成，或命终后，契约自然达成，所有代练技艺之经验自契约剥离之日起，不再拥有。]
More detailed information naturally emerged in his heart, allowing him to clearly understand the meaning of this contract.
更多细微的信息自然浮现他心间，让他能够清楚理解这份契约的意思。
Likewise, a portion of this light also entered and was stored within Yang Zicang’s ring.
同样，这光芒中有一份来到了杨子藏的圆环内储存起来。
“Sir, do you mean I…”
“大人是要我…”
“This time, I want everything from your life’s journey.”
“这次，我要你命途中的一切。”
Ding, a coin cast from gold shimmered and fell into the child’s hands.
叮，一枚黄金所铸造的硬币闪烁辉光落在孩子手上。
[You have received 50N.]
[你获得了50N。]
“Can you learn all eight of such divine arts in your lifetime?”
“像这样的八部功法，你这一生能全部学会吗。”
Yang Zicang swung his arm, striking out a phantom fist.
杨子藏手臂晃动，一道拳影打出。
Whooompf!
呜嘭！
A sudden gale swept across the ground, snapping grass blades and breaking stems, scattering them chaotically.
几地上狂风突兀扫过，树叶草茎断裂乱飞。
The child, having never seen such a display, stared in awe at Yang Zicang. Only then did he realize this man wanted him to learn martial arts comparable to this, and eight different styles at that!
小孩哪里见过这阵仗，震撼的看着杨子藏，随后才明白眼前这人是要自己学会类似这样的武学，还是八种！
[For each one you learn, I will give you a coin of this amount of gold.]
[每学会一种，我会给你一枚这样数量的金币。]
The child was stunned, and then tears welled up in his eyes.
小孩愣住了，随后眼中出现了泪花。
Longevity mattered not; it had been so long since he had received such care.
寿命无所谓，他已经好久没有得到过这样的关怀。
Over the past few millennia, Yang Zicang had seen countless individuals with powerful physiques, and with just a single glance, he could tell what heights they might reach after training.
几千年来，杨子藏见过无数身躯强健之辈，仅凭一眼就能看出他们若经过锻炼，以后能达到怎样的高度。
This accuracy rate had already reached about seventy to eighty percent, all derived from his own conclusions without any guidance from others.
这样的准确率已经有七八成之高，这都是他在无人教导的情况下自己所总结。
Yet, some talents are simply invisible to the naked eye.
可是有些人的天赋是无法看清的。
For certain anomalously gifted individuals, Heaven often conceals their talent until the moment they reveal it.
对某些天赋异禀之人，上天会在其展露峥嵘前尽力隐藏其天资。
Take the one before him, for example.
比如眼前这位。
He had resolved to take on his first disciple, to inherit his Explosive Wind Fist technique, and to learn all the martial arts that Mori had brought into this place.
他决心要收第一个徒弟，来继承自己的爆风拳法，并且学习所有莫里带进这里的武学。
“Follow me,” Yang Zicang said, extending his hand.
“跟我来吧。”杨子藏伸出了手。
In his hand, there were only seven books, but the contract-related Ability Spheres numbered sixty-eight.
自己手上的书只有七本，而代练契约能力球则有六十八枚。
Although a single book could be studied by several people simultaneously, it was unrealistic to acquire over sixty contract books within a span of just a few decades.
虽然一本书同时可供几人一起学习，但要在几十年间一次性获得六十多份契约书是不现实的事情。
In particular, two of them concerned the training of spiritual power and psychic strength, demands that were somewhat stringent for these beings hovering between primitive humans and Homo sapiens.
特别是其中有两本是关于精神力与念力锻炼的，这对这些介于原始人和智人之间的人来说要求有点苛刻。
……
……
A few years later, in a small tribe.
数年后的一个小部落中。
A young man knelt in pain inside his own dwelling, his skin cracking all over, scorched like earth sundered by a raging fire.
一位青年面色痛苦的跪倒在自己屋内，他浑身皮肤出现裂痕，宛若被火焰烧伤龟裂。
“O great… Undying King…”
“伟大的…不死之王…”
He placed both hands on the ground, and inside his heart it was as if a flame had erupted, instinctively causing him to jerk unconsciously—then a refreshing coolness rose from the centre of the flame, swiftly spreading to every part of his body.
他双手撑在地上，内心仿佛由团火焰炸开，轰地下意识晃动，随后一股舒心的清凉感从火焰中心出现，快速荡向躯体各处。
……
……
More than a decade later, in a village on the other side of the continent being plundered, a fair-faced woman carrying a silver longsword walked in from the village entrance.
十几年后，在大陆另一处正在被抢劫的村庄内，一名身负银白长剑的面目白皙女子从村口走入。
“What crime have they committed?”
“他们犯了什么罪？”
On the village path, villagers beaten and tied up lay huddled together, weeping. Their houses were being destroyed and set on fire.
村道上，被人痛殴后捆住的村民们倒在一起哭泣。他们的房屋被正在被破坏烧毁。
“These people failed to deliver grain to the Undying King.”
“这些人没给不死之王交粮。”
A man armed with a blade, guarding these captives, looked over foolishly. This woman was as beautiful as moonlight, and without thinking, he answered her question.
一个持刀看守这些人的男人憨憨的望来，这位女子宛若月光般美貌，他情不自禁的就回答了对方的问题。
“Ah, a beautiful hairless woman. Tie her up quickly and offer her to the King’s followers.”
“啊，好美的无毛女人，快把她捆起来，献给王的追随者。”
A group clad in animal skins surged forward.
穿着兽皮的人群一拥而上。
The woman drew the sword from behind her back; it rapidly iced over.
女人抽出身后的剑，上面快速结霜。
Thump, thump, thump!
噗噗噗！
In a single exchange, all of them collapsed with groans.
仅一个回合这些人全部呻吟着倒下。
The one who had given the order, his face twisted in terror, tried to control his hands and feet but failed—the sword had severed their tendons.
那下命令之人神色恐惧的想要控制自己的双手双脚，却未能如愿，它们都被剑划断了经脉。
Seeing the longsword hovering over his throat, the leader of these fallen men burst into sobs, pleading desperately for mercy.
眼看长剑悬在自己喉咙上，这群趟地之人的队长呜咽大哭起来，拼命求饶。
“These accusations, I have never heard the King or His Grace the Servant speak of.”
“这些罪名，我不曾听王与侍者大人说过。”
“Surely you wouldn’t hear it—only the followers…”
“你肯定听不见，只有追随者…”
The woman sheathed her sword and turned to leave.
女人收回剑，转身往外走去。
“Release them. If I return here next time and find this village gone, all of you—and your so-called follower—will die.”
“放了他们，下次我来若见此村子消失。你们，以及你们的那位所谓的追随者，全都得死。”
Their faint voices drifted like wind and snow through the thickening fog of the village.
淡淡的声音若风雪般飘荡在雾气渐浓的村庄中。
……
……
Yang Zicang arrived at the depths of the trench.
杨子藏来到海沟深处。
His skin was distorted and pulled apart by the pressure of the seawater, but his body was fortunately not crushed, still retaining a human form. As his cultivation progressed, he had grown strong enough to withstand the water pressure at depths of hundreds of meters.
他的皮肤被海水挤压得变形散开，但躯体总算没有被压坏，还保持着人形。随着修炼的不断进步，自己已经能强大到抵抗数百米深的海水压强了。
However, this was only due to the effect of this psychic body. He still remembered that the first time he descended into the sea, he had only dived a little over a hundred meters before his body began to severely deform.
虽然这仅仅只是得益于这具念力身躯的效果而已，但还记得第一次下海之时，自己只下潜百多米就开始严重变形。
Ahead was a red glow—the constantly seeping magma. Within it lay a single special stone, emitting a faint light.
前方一片红光，那是不断渗出的岩浆，在那其中有一枚特殊的，散发着微光的石头。
Inside the stone was the slowly rotating image of a fire centipede. For decades, this stone had been absorbing the intangible energy rising from the magma.
石头内是换换旋转的火蜈蚣形象。数十年来，这颗石头不断吸收着岩浆涌出的无形能量。
Yang Zicang infused several Evil Nightmare Corpse Fragments that had been turned into spirit artifact weapons with the temporal sequence and cast them over.
几块变成灵物战器的恶魇躯骇被杨子藏注入时序丢了过去。
Although the fire centipede had long since died, the Evil Nightmare Quintessence contained within this stone would still instinctively devour these items, just as they would devour living creatures to replenish energy—only the process was much slower.
虽然火蜈蚣早已死去，但这块石头内蕴含的恶魇精魄依旧会本能的吞噬这些物品，就像它们吞噬生物补充能量一样，只是时间比较长。
Yang Zicang could sense that, as the temporal sequence was continuously devoured by it, he was occasionally able to perceive the existence of this item, although this perception was extremely faint.
杨子藏能感觉得到，随着自己的时序不断被它吞噬，已经能偶尔感知到这东西的存在了，虽然这感知非常的微弱。