《Martial Star Ocean》


 Chapter 0 - Prologue

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    Kindled Lamp Temple Village was located near Shanxi Province¡¯s Baoji City, situated at the forest edge of the Qin Mountain Range. It was a village with rolling hills and rivers and lush green vegetation that shined with life. The scenery was beautiful and the folk here lived a simple lifestyle. It was like a paradise hidden away from the modern world and was locally famous within the entire Shanxi Province. This was because in the back mountains of this village, there was a temple that had stood there since the period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This temple was called the Kindled Lamp Temple and was also where Kindled Lamp Temple Village had obtained its name from.


    The setting sun fell down beyond the mountain range, its dusky glow illuminating Kindled Lamp Temple Village.


    It was the middle of summer. With the mountains and forests and the verdant greenery, the land was like a scene from a drawing, leaving one¡¯s heart filled with awe and joy.


    A slender youth with large eyes and thick eyebrows hummed a song, a stalk of grass crookedly sticking out of his lips. He was walking away from the only livestock slaughterhouse in the village and the light bloody smell that came from killing a pig covered him. A grass basket was raised in his hands, in which he had put a portion of fresh pig liver.


    This youth was called Li Mu ¨C he was 14 years old.


    During July of this year, Li Mu finally graduated from middle school. In terms of test results, he was the student with the highest test scores within his entire graduating class.


    Li Mu was an orphan and never knew his parents. When he was young he had been adopted by Kindled Lamp Temple, and within Kindled Lamp Temple, there was actually only a single person in charge. This so-called dean was not a Buddhist monk at all, but an old religious scam artist from the countryside.


    One old one young, the both of them lived with each other and relied on each other in this old and dilapidated temple.


    When not in school, Li Mu lived in Kindled Lamp Temple, drinking the spring waters and practicing the ancient traditions. The old conman who adopted him had a considerable level of prestige in Kindled Lamp Temple Village. Because of this, and because of his strong and earnest facial features, he was well loved in the village. Growing up, he drank and ate food often with the villagers; he could be said to have been raised by the entire village.


    Starting when he was 10 years old, during his school winter and summer school vacations, Li Mu had been forced by that old fraud grandpa of his to take a part-time job at the village slaughterhouse and kill pigs. He had been doing this job for four years already.


    The reason the old swindler had given Li Mu was that he must do this in order to increase his killing intent.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a junior high school student so what¡¯s the point of me needing to cultivate some sort of killing intent? Then again, if you really could cultivate killing intent by killing pigs then the village butcher Uncle Qin would already be an unrivalled death god¡­ that old conman really has been getting muddled these days.¡±


    Recalling this event, Li Mu felt as if he would go crazy.


    In four years he had killed no less than 100 pigs. Li Mu felt as if his hands were already stained with blood. This was a sin, simply a sin!


    ¡°Awoo¡­ woof! Woof! Woof!¡±


    A thick and boisterous black and white husky dog came running in from behind Li Mu.


    Li Mu had picked up this dog three years ago at the entrance to his school. At the time, this dog had only been a little puppy, just a few months old. It had been abandoned on the street and was just a sickly bag of skin and bones that was starving to death.


    Li Mu had brought this dog to Kindled Lamp Temple where he raised it himself.


    During those three years the husky grew fat and strong, and it was also incredibly large. From some angles, it was just like a little calf. This dog had become a scourge upon the village and was the ruling tyrant of the 60 some wild dogs that wandered around Kindled Lamp Temple Village. It frequently gathered an army of dogs to roam the countryside, leaping through the mountain forests and causing the chickens and ducks within the village to wildly flap about in a panic. If it weren¡¯t for Li Mu and his grandpa having extremely good connections with the village, then this chubby and wild dog would have long since been turned into dog meat hotpot by the complaining villagers.


    Because of this, Li Mu gave the dog the name of General.


    The General of dogs.


    ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± General eyed the fresh pig liver in Li Mu¡¯s hand basket. Drool dripped down from the dog''s mouth and it let out cries of joy as it hopped around Li Mu.


    From the slaughterhouse to the old temple in the back mountains, the walk totaled around 20 minutes.


    Along the way, the scenery was hazy and glorious, the sunset like molten gold.


    When Li Mu met fellow villagers returning home from work, he would warmly greet them.


    The aunties and uncles in the village had treated Li Mu well ever since he was a child, just like he was part of their family. He had eaten with every one of the villagers before, and Li Mu felt nothing but heartfelt gratitude towards these simple and kind people.


    The villagers also greeted Li Mu and smiled in return.


    The sun fell down across the western skies.


    Seeing Li Mu and General disappear along the distant mountain roads, some people heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°Hah, what a pity. That child Li Mu has an incredible academic record and is wise beyond his years. He was even the number one test student in the entire school. In our village, he is absolutely the best seedling to educate. I just don¡¯t know why Grandmaster Li won¡¯t allow him to continue attending high school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that the principal of the city¡¯s best high school personally went to Kindled Lamp Temple and wanted to recruit that child on completely free tuition. He was even willing to put him in the special class and give him monthly living expenses¡­ but all of that was rejected by Grandmaster Li.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that Grandmaster Li probably wants Li Mu to inherit his legacy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the modern era already. Grandmaster Li¡¯s feng shui abilities and his skills in blessing good health, eliminating ghosts and demons, and things like that are already useless. He can¡¯t possibly want that child Li Mu to follow in his footsteps and wander around everywhere like a conman as he tries to capture ghosts and whatnot, right? Grandmaster Li really does have some skills but I also heard that he has a mental illness, and sometimes when that mental illness rears its head, it can be extremely horrifying. I feel sorry for that child Li Mu having to take care of that old man.¡±


    The villagers discussed amongst themselves, all of them filling pity for Li Mu.


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    ¡°Old man! I¡¯m back!¡±


    Li Mu loudly shouted as he returned to the temple.


    Usually the old conman would shout back from the rear courtyard, but today there was no such response.


    Li Mu thought little of it. He gave General a gentle kick, ordering him to play on his own. Then, he walked towards the kitchen.


    Within the entire Kindled Lamp Temple, there was just him and the old conman. The temple was serene and peaceful.


    Because he had jogged all the way back to Kindled Lamp Temple, Li Mu¡¯s body was covered in a faint layer of sweat. After entering the kitchen he first put away the pig liver in storage, lest that hunger-driven General try to steal it away. Then, he stepped over to the well at the entrance to the kitchen and took out a scoop of water, drinking it in loud and refreshing gasps.


    After putting the scoop back down, Li Mu walked into a cleared out area in the middle of the temple and began to practice his fist skills and inner arts.


    The fist skill was called the True Martial Fist.


    The inner art was called the Xiantian Arts.


    These were extremely pretentious and misleading names.


    Both of these things had been taught to Li Mu by that old conman.


    When Li Mu first learned to walk he had been forced by that old conman to start practicing these two things. True Martial Fist was a martial arts technique and the Xiantian Arts was a breathing method. On this day, he had already practiced these things for 11 full years. After being forced to practice these two things for an hour every day, they had long since been ingrained within him as habits.


    According to that old conman, the True Martial Fist was the fist of the immortals. When the 18 styles of the True Martial Fist were completely mastered, one could break open mountains and sunder rivers. Even if one merely reached small success, a single fist could still easily beat up an armored vehicle. As for the Xiantian Arts, that was even more extraordinary. It was capable of washing the marrows and bones and creating a qualitative change in the human body. It allowed one to step into the Xiantian realm whereupon one could then fly in the heavens like a celestial being.


    But the problem was that Li Mu had practiced these two skills for 11 years and the True Martial Fist technique wasn¡¯t even able to break a wooden plank. As for the Xiantian Arts, all it did was strengthen his lung capacity.


    Li Mu didn¡¯t even see a shadow of the amazing powers that the old conman said these skills would grant him.


    Of course, the old conman already had his own explanations prepared and ready for why this was so.


    According to the old conman, the current Earth was at the fading twilight of the immortal martial path. The strength of the heavens and earth had been depleted and the world was exhausted of spiritual energy. This planet simply wasn¡¯t able to meet the necessary minimum requirements for cultivating, and thus these two immortal cultivation methods that he had passed down to Li Mu had no way of being successfully cultivated.


    And that old man was actually shameless enough to speak this ridiculous reasoning out loud.


    What a liar!


    But Li Mu had long since grown too lazy to debunk that old conman¡¯s claims.


    What angered him the most was that, since that old conman even acknowledged that there were no means to successfully practice these things on Earth, why would he still be forced to learn them!?


    During his first few years of practicing these skills, the five or six year old Li Mu wanted to resist. But, that old conman had beaten Li Mu up into a pile of bruises with a stick and Li Mu had no choice but to continue practicing even as he whined and cried.


    After Li Mu grew up the old conman wasn¡¯t able to beat him up with his stick any longer. Then, since physical methods didn¡¯t work, he¡¯d use alternative methods instead. The moment that Li Mu was disobedient and decided that he didn¡¯t want to practice anymore, the old conman would then start screaming and babbling incoherently as if he were having a mental breakdown, and he would even run naked around the temple. As a result, Li Mu was at a loss of whether to laugh or to cry. Under this pressure, he had no choice but to continue his training.


    And after that, Li Mu became accustomed to it.


    In any case, training in these skills could strengthen his body at the very least, just like someone doing an hour or two of exercise every day.


    Hu - !


    Hu - !


    Hu - !


    One fist technique and one cultivation method. After his training was over, Li Mu¡¯s body exuded heat.


    In particular, his insides were hot and dry as if they had caught fire. But overall it was quite comfortable.


    Li Mu had also become accustomed to this too.


    After his evening work was over he walked over to the rear court shirtless, where the entrance to the old man¡¯s room was.


    ¡°Hey old man, I¡¯ve finished training. What did you want to eat for dinner? I brought by some fresh pig liver from the slaughterhouse, so how about I make those wintermelon pig liver noodles that you love to eat the most¡­¡±


    Starting from six years of age, Li Mu embarked on the career path of a child laborer. He was forced by the old conman to cook and for all these years, the food that the two ate had all been skillfully prepared by Li Mu.


    ¡°Today is an important day. Let¡¯s not worry about dinner for now. There is something extremely important that I must tell you.¡±


    The old conman spoke in a rare, serious tone. His voice drifted out from behind the curtains of his room.


    ¡°Important day?¡± Li Mu was startled. He rubbed his head, thinking about it. Today was the 14th of July, 2017. It wasn¡¯t a legal holiday, traditional lunar year holiday, some sort of nation commemoration day, and not even some international event anniversary¡­ it was just a normal day, so what was so important about it?


    ¡°Come to the room¡¯s entrance and sit down. Listen to what I have to say.¡± The old conman¡¯s voice was solemn and dignified, completely dissimilar to the usual blusteriness. ¡°I must say something and this is very important, so listen carefully and don¡¯t interrupt before I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Alright.¡± Li Mu said, puzzled. He sat down on his knees in front of the entrance.


    He had a deep foreboding premonition.


    This was because in the past, every time the old conman said that there was something important occurring, it had always been an outbreak of his mental illness.


    Li Mu was afraid that this time was no exception.


    ¡°Well, let me be brief and simple. The situation is like this. Outside our solar system, several super martial arts sects of the Violet Glory Star Domain want to construct a massive transmission array formation on a completely unprecedented scale in order to facilitate and hasten development of the star territories in the southern Milky Way. And, the immortal power pulse of this array formation just so happens to pass through Earth, thus Earth must be deconstructed and relocated. I am going to send you away from Earth, but before leaving there are some matters that I must speak to you about lest you go to other planets and end up being unable to adapt¡­¡± The old conman spoke with incomparable clarity from his room.


    ¡­W-w-w-w-what?!


    Li Mu was stunned.


    The Earth was going to be relocated?


    Violet Glory Star Domain?


    And super martial arts sects?


    Sure enough, it was just as he thought.


    Had the old conman suffered a relapse of his illness?


    Moreover, the illness this time seemed to be more serious than before. He could actually spout out this sort of nonsense.


    If this conversation continued any further then the old man would start saying things like aliens wanted to invade Earth in order to steal the nation¡¯s treasured giant pandas.


    Li Mu dryly coughed. ¡°Old man, stop here for a moment¡­ how about this, I think we should put the matter of Earth being relocated on the backburner. Your body is more important. You might have a fever, so how about I bring you to the hospital so you can get a shot and bring down your fever?¡± Li Mu said, trying to fill his voice and expression with as much sincerity as possible.


    Past experiences taught Li Mu that once this old conman¡¯s mental illness broke out again, he had to go with the flow of the conversation and absolutely could not deny or argue against his claims, otherwise the old man would turn even crazier.


    Pa!


    A slipper flew out from the room and accurately smacked Li Mu¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Look you little bastard, don¡¯t interrupt me when I¡¯m speaking. The array formation has already begun so time is of the essence. It¡¯s as if you are trying to anger me to death with your nonsense. Just listen to what I have to say!¡± The old man angrily shouted from his room. ¡°I am not sick. It¡¯s just you little bastard your field of vision is too narrow and you¡¯re just a frog in a well¡­ agh, shut up! Just shut up!¡±


    Li Mu rubbed the shoe mark on his forehead, unsure whether to laugh or cry.


    This old man¡¯s mental illness outbreak was a little intense today. He was actually angry to this extent.


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. Just calm down and continue speaking, I won¡¯t interrupt you again¡­¡± Li Mu said to appease the old man.


    The old conman gasped as he continued to speak, still angry and unable to catch his breath. ¡°Long story short, those several super martial arts sects in the Violet Glory Star Domain are known for being dark-hearted bastards. Although they call it relocation, that¡¯s only a pretext they are giving to deal with public opinion from the neighboring star territories of the Violet Glory Star Domain. In the end, I estimate they will simply directly demolish Earth, thus the destruction of Earth isn¡¯t too far away¡­ the good news is that constructing such an ultra-massive transmission array formation requires a long period of preparation. According to Earth-time, there is around 20 years left¡­ I will first send you away from Earth to a low level martial arts planet in the Violet Glory Star Domain. It will be better for you to temper yourself there. 20 years from now, if you can cultivate the True Martial Fist and Xiantian Arts to the highest level of their potential and even break through the barriers of a planet¡¯s shackles, then there might be a way to solve Earth¡¯s crisis.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s how it is. I understand now. Old man, don¡¯t you worry. Even if it wasn¡¯t for Earth, I would still practice these two great supernatural powers that you passed down to me for you and the villagers of Kindled Lamp Temple Village¡­¡± Li Mu sensed that the old conman¡¯s mental illness outbreak was a bit too serious, thus he joined in on the act.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s good if you understand.¡± The old conman¡¯s relieved voice drifted out from his room. Then, he continued to speak, ¡°You little bastard, us being grandson and grandfather can also be considered fate. From this point on, you will have to wander about on your own. Since that¡¯s going to happen, let me give you a few more words of advice. Do you know what is most important for us martial artists that travel through the wilderness of space?¡±


    Oho. This old conman seemed to be a little too immersed in his play.


    Li Mu was left speechless. He could only continue with the act.


    He pretended to ponder with deep earnestness. Then, he spoke with righteousness thick in his voice. ¡°We martial artists must blaze our paths forwards. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must fight against the fate that the heavens decree upon us. In the wild world we must uphold righteousness, risking dangers and making sacrifices for our friends. We must never flinch in the face of evil, even if that means giving our lives in the name of justice¡­¡±


    Before Li Mu finished speaking ¨C


    Pa!


    The second slipper flew out from the room and struck Li Mu¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°You stupid¡­ idiot! I teach you every day and yet it goes in one ear and out the next. Just where have all my lessons gone? Risk dangers and sacrifice yourself? Giving your life in the name of justice? Wrong, wrong! Totally wrong! Completely wrong! You little bastard, it¡¯s as if you are deliberately trying to irritate me. Remember this. In the world of martial arts, the first rule is to run if you cannot win. And if you cannot run, then just lie down and admit defeat. You can even call your enemy your father if you like¡­ no matter what, survival is most important. Make sure your safety comes first and you live no matter what.¡±


    The old conman was breathless with rage. He spoke with deep disappointment, as if he were trying to teach a lesson to a dog that just wouldn¡¯t understand.


    Li Mu muttered, ¡°The hell¡­¡±


    The old conman continued to speak with sincerity. ¡°Child, through these years, I have already passed down my lifetime of galaxy-shocking abilities to you, everything that has allowed me to freely roam the stars. What I can teach you, I have already taught you. I know that I have been strict with you and forced you to do things that you didn¡¯t want to do, and I know that you didn¡¯t have a perfect childhood because of that. But, everything I did was for you. Just you wait and see. Once you arrive on that low level martial arts planet you will finally understand just how precious those abilities I taught you are. You will definitely feel grateful¡­¡±


    Li Mu curled his lips.


    In all honesty, if he hadn¡¯t known that this old man was spouting complete nonsense with total sincerity, then he really might have been moved.


    This old man¡¯s sickness was so serious. Just how could he urge him to go to the hospital?


    At this time, the old conman said again, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. When you go out adventuring make sure you don¡¯t embarrass me¡­ now come, I will send you off.¡±


    Li Mu chuckled.


    This was a good chance.


    He would find a way to approach that old man and then tie him up and bring him to the hospital before further considering what to do.


    Li Mu parted the curtains to the room and walked in.


    However, the moment that he walked into the room he felt everything blur in front of him. Something completely unexpected occurred. After stepping into the room, what was in front of Li Mu was not the ground, but what seemed to be a fathomless abyss. As he continued forwards his foot stepped on the void and he fell directly downwards. The wind whistled in his ears and a feeling of weightlessness overcame his body...


    ¡°Fucking hell. How despicable. You old man you have gone completely mad, you actually dug such a deep pit in your room¡­!¡±


    Li Mu cried out in indignation and grief.


    But his voice came to a sudden and abrupt stop.


    As if he had vanished from the world.


    ¡°Mwahahaha! I succeeded! I spent a full 10 years constructing this Nine Stars Heaven Connection Array and even used half the spirit blood in my body to activate it, all so that this little bastard can benefit from my hard work. Finally, I¡¯ve managed to send off that stupid child of mine. Finally, I have been freed! Hahaha, I can finally return¡­ shift the array formation coordinates¡­ hahaha, I don¡¯t want to stay on this damned planet with its dried up spiritual energy any longer, hahaha¡­¡±


    The old conman¡¯s maniacal laugh echoed through the room.


    But at this time, from outside Kindled Lamp Temple, the sound of footsteps rose up.


    ¡°General, Brother Mu is in this room?¡± The pleasant voice of a young girl sounded out.


    Outside, the calf-sized husky General was leading the way, his tail wagging.


    What followed him was a beautiful 13-14 year old girl.


    This young girl was tall and slender, around five and a half feet. Her ink-dark hair was thick and luxurious and her appearance was beautiful. She had snow white skin and without even speaking she revealed a charming smile. Her chest bulged out from beneath her white t-shirt and tight-fitting jeans accentuated her thin and slender figure. With her slim yet curvaceous figure, she was already a complete beauty in the making. The quiet and cold Kindled Light Temple seemed to brighten up from the presence of this beautiful young girl.


    If Li Mu were here, he would definitely recognize her. This young girl was Wang Shiyu, a member of the study committee in his junior high school. She had been the popular class beauty and he had even shared a table with her once.


    ¡°Woof¡­ woof woof!¡± General leapt up in excitement, his tail wagging as he led the way towards the old conman¡¯s room.


    Wang Shiyu followed close behind, thinking little of it. As she moved forward she said, ¡°Brother Mu, are you inside? Mister Chen asked me to look for you. He hopes that you can continue your studies in high school¡­¡±


    However, in the next moment, the young girl and the dog echoed at in unison from the old conman¡¯s room.


    Following that, the two voices also abruptly ended.


    Then, a long period of silence followed. The old conman¡¯s trembling and aggrieved voice finally rose up a little later ¨C


    ¡°No¡­ you damned dog¡­ ah, you tricky little girl¡­ how could you just break in like that¡­ damn it all. Because I lost too much blood and energy I couldn¡¯t stop them and I definitely wasn¡¯t able to change the coordinates of the array formation before it activated¡­ heavens, a mere mortal girl and a stupid dog were also sent away through the array transmission, wasting away all the remaining spirit blood I had left over¡­ ahhh! What a mess, this is a one-time use array formation. Now, without an array formation and without spirit blood I have been trapped on this forsaken Earth. Heavens, are you playing with me here?¡±


    The old conman felt as if he were going crazy.


    A long time afterwards, the old conman¡¯s mumblings rang out from the room once more.


    ¡°You little bastard, this should be a little fun. Your dog and that little sister were also transmitted over¡­ your meeting on that planet will definitely be interesting¡­ you smelly brat, you¡¯d better reach the peak of the Xiantian Arts in 20 years and break through the shackles of the planet to save me, otherwise I can only be buried along with the Earth¡­¡±


    Next Chapte

 Chapter 1 Mistaken Identity

    Chapter 1 ¨C Mistaken Identity


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    Deep at night ¨C


    Dark winds howled in the stormy weather.


    On a cliffside in the open wilderness ¨C


    Two small and thin figures shivered.


    Six warriors held coldly shining sabers in their hands as they forced these thin and small figures near the precipice of the cliff.


    A bolt of snow-white lightning flashed through the air, illuminating the faces of these two small and thin figures. One was a boy and one was a girl, both only 13-14 years of age. They were beautiful youths wearing blue robes and little hats, just like scholarly attendants. Their faces were filled with fear, despair, as well as¡­ anger.


    ¡°Hehe, their master has already fallen down the cliff to his death. Old Five, Old Six, kill these two little beasts and tonight¡¯s plan will be considered a perfect success. Afterwards we can return and report on our success.¡± The head of the six warriors coldly sneered. ¡°The rain came at just the right time. All traces of us will be washed away. It seems even the heavens themselves are helping us¡­¡±


    Shua!


    Cold saber light shined.


    The two robust warriors diabolically grinned and started to walk towards the two youths on the cliff.


    Kacha!


    Bang!


    Another streak of lightning tore down, suddenly tearing through the dark blue heavens like a flood dragon.


    What was slightly astonishing was that this bolt of lightning was unbelievably large. Like a vorpal sword of the gods, it illuminated the heavens and earth, making it seem like daytime for a moment. A deafening bang erupted in the darkness, seeming as if the skies would be torn apart. The entire world trembled in the throes of thunder, a bizarre and horrifying scene.


    The two warriors who were about to attack were also scared; the sabers in their hands came to a halt.


    What was going on?


    On this rainy night, why would there be such lightning?


    Even the leader of the warriors felt his heart race.


    And just as he was about to say something...


    A strange voice suddenly rang out from the heavens ¨C


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh! How could that old swindler dig such a deep pit?¡±


    A heart-wrenching scream rang out from up above, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.


    Before anyone could react, a dark figure plummeted to the ground. With a loud crash, the figure fell into a half meter tall haystack near the young boy and girl. Bits and pieces of grass haphazardly flew outwards.


    What was this?


    The complexions of the warriors suddenly changed.


    The six warriors immediately retreated together and raised their guards. They took position, faintly surrounding the pile of hay.


    Several seconds later ¨C


    ¡°Holy crap, my butt is going to be bruised black and blue from this¡­ old man, even you keep saying you¡¯re just a bag of bones so when did you have so much spare time and energy to dig such a deep pit in your room?¡±


    A slender and dark figure shivered as it crawled out from the thick pile of hay.


    This figure was actually a strong and handsome youth.


    One could see his bare arms and bare chest. His black hair was cut short and he wore strangely-shaped pants made up of some sort of mysterious material. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes and his lips were pulled back in a pained grimace. The youth pushed himself up from the grass, a look of confusion etched on his face. He looked at his surroundings even as he carefully rubbed his own waist and butt.


    Twin moons hung high in the sky, their silver moonlight sprinkling down to the world.


    The youth subconsciously looked up and saw the two moons in the heavens.


    In that moment, his entire body froze up.


    ¡°The hell¡­ two moons? Is this not a dream? Could that old swindler¡­ really not have been lying to me?¡± The youth mumbled in shock, his mouth falling open. He sucked in a deep breath of disbelief. ¡°I walked into the old man¡¯s room¡­ accidently fell into a pit that he dug out¡­ and then I was really transported to another planet?¡±


    From the moment he fell into the pit to appearing here, only several seconds had passed.


    How was this possible?


    He pinched his cheeks.


    Mm, it did hurt a little.


    This was reality. This wasn¡¯t a dream at all.


    The youth suddenly screamed out loud and whipped his face about like a crazed lunatic. He muttered nonsense to himself, sometimes his face filling with confusion, sometimes looking hideous, sometimes seeming excited, sometimes filled with hate, just like a madman.


    This youth was Li Mu, a citizen of Earth who had been sent here by that old conman through a transmission array.


    A cold breeze blew about. The sounds of nature filled the night.


    This was originally a killing scene. But now, the atmosphere had become much more awkward and strange.


    The six fierce warriors looked at each other in dismay.


    For a time, they couldn¡¯t determine just what this strange event and this strange person signified.


    Everyone froze for a moment in time, just like a photo.


    Then, a trembling but surprised voice broke through the tense atmosphere.


    ¡°Ah¡­ young master, is that you? Is that really you? Young master, you crawled back up from the cliff? That¡¯s wonderful, you¡­ you are still alive? Wuwu¡­ I can¡¯t believe it, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re still alive¡­¡±


    The one who spoke was the young attendant boy.


    The little fellow carried a bamboo backpack that was almost the same height as him, filled with all sorts of unknown things. Then, the little boy suddenly seemed to fill up with some emotion as he rushed over to Li Mu¡¯s side. His face was filled with surprise and incredible excitement as he looked at Li Mu. With just a few words, he had already begun to cry.


    The little girl attendant was also startled. Her pale white cheeks lifted up as she looked at Li Mu. In the dark, her large and water-bright eyes filled with confusion and doubt. ¡°Young master, is¡­ is that really you? You didn¡¯t fall down the cliff? Eh? What happened to your hair? Why is it so short? Did you cut your hair when you were beneath the cliff? And your clothes are so strange too¡­ where did they come from?¡± This little girl was a talkative chatterbox. In this point, she was completely dissimilar from the little boy.


    Eh?


    What was going on here?


    Li Mu looked down at the two little children in doubt.


    Young master?


    Had they mistaken him for someone else?


    And more surprisingly, he was actually able to understand their words?


    ¡°Brat, you¡­ actually didn¡¯t die?¡± On another side, the leader of the warriors spoke out in shock. He raised the coldly gleaming saber in his hands, his voice filled with disbelief. ¡°You fell down a cliff over 20 meters high and yet you managed to crawl your way back up? Hehe, you¡¯re quite the lucky one!¡±


    It was then when Li Mu noticed that to his side, there were six ferocious-looking warriors warily standing around him, overflowing with killing intent all over.


    With a stupefied expression, he looked at the leader of the warriors.


    Had they mistaken him for someone else too?


    ¡®What a coincidence, I can also understand his words.¡¯


    ¡°This is bad¡­ sir¡­ quickly run¡­ they came to kill you¡­¡± The little attendant boy suddenly shouted out in a hurry, pushing for Li Mu to flee.


    Eh?


    Li Mu was bewildered.


    He looked at those two anxious little attendants and also at those six fierce and threatening warriors that held sabers in their hands. Slowly, he seemed to understand something.


    From the way things were, as soon as he crossed over to this new planet he was suddenly sucked into some murder plot?


    It couldn¡¯t be. He actually managed to fall into such a ridiculously stereotypical plot?


    ¡°Hold your swords for a moment¡­ wait a minute here.¡± Li Mu lifted his hands.


    As the six warriors saw Li Mu lift his hands up they felt their hearts skip a beat. All of them immediately paused their step.


    Everything that occurred just now was just far too strange, especially Li Mu seemingly falling down from the clouds. They had no choice but to be particularly cautious in case Li Mu played any tricks on them; it was always better to be safe than sorry.


    Li Mu also let out a sigh of relief.


    From the response of these people, Li Mu could determine that they could also understand what he was saying.


    It seemed that he passed the hurdle of common language exchange between different planets.


    ¡°Yes yes yes, first let¡¯s stop, just like that. There isn¡¯t a matter that even a little lobster wouldn¡¯t be able to solve¡­ ah, that¡¯s right, you¡¯ve never eaten lobsters before, right? My apologies, I forgot that this wasn¡¯t Earth. But, that doesn¡¯t matter; I was only giving an example¡­ there is no need to be overly excited, just listen to my explanation first¡­¡± At this time, Li Mu was still rattled, his thoughts jumbled. As he saw these people begin to move towards him like they wanted to cut him down, his scalp began to tingle with panic.


    He took a deep breath and vaguely felt that the air of this world was impossibly sweet and crisp. As he took a breath, the air was like warm spring water flooding through his lungs and body, making him feel incredibly comfortable. Every breath he took filled his heart with a wondrous pleasure.


    But that wasn¡¯t important right now. What mattered was extricating himself from this dangerous death crisis he had stumbled into.


    He put on his most sincere and honest smile and said, ¡°Several big brothers, If I explain what happened it might be hard to believe, but it really is the truth. I am actually an alien passerby and you all just happened to mistake me for someone else¡­ I am not the person you are looking for, but just passing by this area¡­ I was transmitted from Earth to here by some unscrupulous old conman¡­ ah, you probably don¡¯t know what Earth is. If I had to explain it all in detail it would take at least three days and nights to fully do so¡­¡±


    An awkward silence followed.


    ¡°Sir, did you lose your mind when you fell off the cliff? Alien? What are you talking about?¡±


    The little girl attendant looked at Li Mu with an expression implying that he had lost his mind.


    Li Mu, ¡°¡­¡±


    Little girl, you really did mistake me for the wrong person.


    You also shouldn¡¯t randomly spout words like this. Lives are at stake here!


    The leader of the fierce warriors was stunned for a moment. Then, he coldly smiled, ¡°Sir Li Mu, I have already seen dozens of different portraits of you and I wouldn¡¯t mistake you for anyone else. Even if you scholarly types are cunning and crafty, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit clumsy to try and use such a ridiculous excuse to trick us brothers? You are just insulating out intelligence now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How did you know my name?¡±


    Li Mu muttered, stunned.


    But immediately, he realized the situation was worse than he thought.


    The person that these people were chasing down was also called Li Mu.


    How preposterous, how could there be such a coincidence in the world!? Not only were their appearances the same, but even their names were the same?


    And as soon as he spoke these words, he immediately understood the dire situation he had placed himself in.


    If he said such words, wasn¡¯t that the same as acknowledging he was that person?


    It was hard to deny this with so much evidence against him and when he¡¯d been caught red-handed.


    Damn, just what kind of situation was this?


    Could there have been a mistake or something?


    It was his body itself that passed through the space transmission to arrive here! His body! It wasn¡¯t like his soul had traveled through space and possessed someone else¡¯s body or something. How could such an occurrence actually happen?


    ¡°Humph, so you also admit that you are Li Mu?¡± The leader of the warriors sneered, his eyes already filling with impatience. ¡°You want to play the fool to delay for time? Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, the longer we drag this out the more problems there will be. Let¡¯s hurry up and kill him. The sooner we do, the sooner we can report back that we finished our mission.¡±


    Two of the warriors grinned and rushed forwards. As they did, their speed was incredibly fast.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 2 So Strong

    Chapter 2 ¨C So Strong


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The saber light was bright like snow. With a cold thrum, it chopped down at Li Mu¡¯s head.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we be reasonable here? This is a little bit excessive don¡¯t you think¡­hey, I really am an alien here. If you don¡¯t believe me then I can prove myself. I can speak English and I know math. My English skills are fourth-level, my computer skills are third-level, and I self-taught myself Japanese to the tenth-level¡­I¡¯m from a more advanced civilization¡­one with at least 5000 years of history¡­I¡¯m a very valuable and precious resource¡­¡± Li Mu wailed out loud, frightened out of his mind. He drew backwards as he spoke, his arms and legs flailing about him in panic.


    But somehow, in his haste, Li Mu¡¯s frantic movements actually easily dodged those two seemingly lightning-fast saber lights.


    Eh?


    How could the saber attacks of those two be so slow?


    This straight thought flashed through Li Mu¡¯s mind.


    Woosh! Woosh!


    Two more saber lights thrust towards his face.


    Li Mu dodged again.


    Unexpectedly, he also easily dodged these two attacks.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here? How could their saber strikes be so soft, like they¡¯re deliberately slowing themselves down? I can even clearly see their trajectory¡­could it be that they¡¯re just trying to put on an act instead of trying to kill me?¡± Li Mu said, thinking it strange.


    But the two warriors had fierce expressions filled with killing intent. It was unlikely they were purposefully playing around with Li Mu.


    ¡°Wow, Sir, you¡­you became so fierce! Sir, you can do it¡­don¡¯t keep dodging, you have to fight back! Quickly fight back¡­and beat those bad guys to death!¡± The little girl attendant was dazed for a moment, completely ignorant of the dangers around her. Then, she began to excitedly clap and cheer.


    And by her side, the little boy attendant still had a frightened and anxious expression. He looked extremely concerned by those saber strikes and quickly drew back.


    Li Mu was left speechless.


    Little girl, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit too overbearing right now?


    At this time, shouldn¡¯t you be scared just like your little friend right next to you?


    You wouldn¡¯t happen to be a young little hooligan, right?


    Woosh! Woosh!


    Saber light ruthlessly sliced past his face once more.


    ¡°Hey, are you guys done yet? You¡¯ve already cut at me several times here. I¡¯ve let you make three moves¡­so can¡¯t we talk about this yet¡­?¡± Li Mu said, both anxious and angry, unable to suppress the rising fire in his heart. ¡°You really have mistaken me for the wrong person here, so why can¡¯t you just admit that you made a mistake? I can easily write down the periodic table and even recite the 300 poems of the Tang Dynasty. There are many things I can do to prove that I really am an alien¡­so stop, stop right there!¡±


    Dodging the saber strikes yet again, Lin Mu grabbed the two warriors¡¯ arms and casually pushed them.


    His original intention was to shove these two people away from him and then reason with them again.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect that a loud cracking sound would follow his gentle push, as if brittle walls were cracking open.


    The arms of the two warriors broke apart in innumerable areas and they wildly spat out mouthfuls of blood at the same time. In that single push, Li Mu had shoved them four or five meters away where they smashed into far off trees. Like watermelons striking boulders, they slid down the trees, all the life vanishing from their faces, seemingly dead¡­


    The hell?


    Li Mu was so frightened that his heart skipped a beat. He looked down at his hands as if they belonged to ghosts.


    Just what sort of magic was this?


    With a gentle push he had killed those two sturdy fellows?


    This¡­since when did I have such strength?


    Li Mu¡¯s heart was bewildered yet again.


    ¡°What? That strength is¡­¡± The warrior leader¡¯s complexion changed as he saw this. An icy chill suddenly shrouded him.


    What a terrifying strength!


    The warrior leader¡¯s face became difficult to look at.


    He stared at Li Mu, his complexion gloomy. He was unable to conceal the fear etched across his features.


    After a long moment of silence, he silently drew back several steps, increasing the distance between him and Li Mu. He sneered, but although he showed cold contempt, the truth was that his heart was shivering. ¡°Good, very good. So it seems that Sir Li who managed to pass the imperial scholar examination actually has such hidden depths and is also someone from the martial world. Your cultivation has even reached such a formidable level¡­this time, us brothers have truly mistaken who you really are and I acknowledge that we have received our punishment for doing so. But, what goes around comes around. We will meet each other soon enough. My Bloodmoon Gang will not give up like this¡­we¡¯re leaving!¡±


    After tossing down these words, the warrior leader quickly flashed away as if he were in a hurry to rush back to his parents¡¯ funeral. Like a soaring bird, he flew into the air. In just several sparks of time, he disappeared into the distant night skies.


    As for the three warriors left remaining, they were completely panic-stricken. Without caring to bring back the corpses of their two dead companions, they hastily followed after their leader. Their figures flickered and they fled into the night sky at extreme speed.


    Eh?


    They could fly atop walls?


    They could soar above grass?


    These people knew movement techniques?


    These were truly masters of the martial arts world, right?


    However¡­shit, the entire situation had been left unsettled. Not only had he provoked such martial arts masters but he had even killed their brothers. According to the stories he read back home, wouldn¡¯t this mean he would be chased and hunted to the ends of the world by these people?


    ¡°Ahh! Hold on a moment, let me explain, let me explain¡­!¡± Li Mu chased forwards several steps, waving his hand into the air. ¡°Several big brothers, I really am an alien here, you really did mistake me for someone else¡­as for your brothers, I didn¡¯t mean to kill them. Come on, we really can talk about this¡­¡±


    Li Mu really did need to sort out this situation before it spiraled out of control. What if this Bloodmoon Gang decided to chase him down again in the future?


    But those several sturdy warriors were already frightened silly, so how could they pause and listen to him? They fled far away without looking back, afraid that Li Mu would hunt them down.


    ¡°Hohohoho! Sir, since when did you become so fierce?¡± The little girl attendant leapt in front of Li Mu.


    The little girl¡¯s large and bright eyes shined with worship.


    Li Mu was stunned.


    This little girl¡¯s outer appearance was a lie. She was surely a battle-crazy delinquent type.


    ¡°Sir, it is not wise to stay here. Let¡¯s quickly leave. Just several dozen miles away is Alabaster County City.¡± The young boy attendant¡¯s reaction was much more reasonable. His young cheeks were flushed red and his expression was like that of someone who had survived a disaster. With the bookcase on his back that was as tall as he was, his appearance was a bit funny, but his tone and attitude were sincere. ¡°Once we reach the county and you take command of the County Administrative Hall there will be no need for you to fear those Bloodmoon Gang martial artists anymore. You can simple dispatch troops to round them up.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Li Mu stared down at this little fellow who was no taller than the bookcase on his back but had an attitude higher than the heavens. ¡°Take command of the County Administrative Hall? Dispatch troops?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir, did you forget? You passed the imperial scholar examination and were appointed by the empire to be the county magistrate of Alabaster County City. We were on the way there, and were about to arrive¡­¡±


    ¡°Empire? What Empire?¡±


    ¡°The Great Qin Empire. Sir, did you hit your head?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­the Great Qin Empire? Is this world currently ruled by the Great Qin Empire? Could this be the same Qin Empire like the one in the history books? No, that¡¯s not right, how would you explain the two moons then¡­¡±


    ¡°Rule the world? How is that possible? Our great divine continent is divided into nine regions, ruled together by the three great dynasties and the nine great divine sects. The Great Qin Empire only rules the northwest section of the continent. Sir, did you really hit your head? How could you have forgotten general knowledge like this? Moreover¡­there has always been two moons in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Then what about daytime? Are there two suns?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right, if there aren¡¯t two suns then could there be one? Sir, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­! That damned old conman, just what sort of world did he send me to¡­this planet is too dangerous, I must return to Earth.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ...


    Alabaster County City was located at the hills around the base of the Alabaster Mountains, the most famous extension of the Qin Mountain Range, located at the edges of the western mountain range.


    As Li Mu and the two attendants arrived at the entrance to Alabaster County City, the skies had already brightened.


    The gates to the city were closed at night, but now they had just opened.


    At this time, many people had already set off to enter the city, thousands of them in total. These people lined up outside the city gates where they were questioned by the city guards before being allowed to enter.


    Li Mu paused and looked.


    It seemed to be July, and the greenery was in full bloom.


    Alabaster County City was located around the base of the Alabaster Mountains. The city sprawled out around the mountains and ancient forests surrounded it like waves of rolling green. The high city walls already had a history of hundreds of years. Looking from afar, one could see rows upon rows of ancient-looking structures decorated in scenic green and blue. The area held a primitive yet elegant beauty, as if it were a paradise removed from the world.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like ancient times. It really is beautiful.¡±


    As Li Mu stood in line, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration.


    Then, his hungry belly sounded out with a loud rumbling noise.


    Thinking about the time when he was last at Kindled Lamp Temple, Li Mu didn¡¯t even have a chance to eat dinner after his training before he was irresponsibly sent here to this world by that old conman. Since then, an entire night had passed. And after the initial fear and worry of travelling passed, the hunger caught up and hit him hard, so bad that he felt dizzy.


    ¡°Sir, just endure a little longer. Once we reach the County Administrative Hall we will be able to eat.¡±


    The young boy attendant spoke up. His name was Qing Feng.


    Qing Feng originally had some dried rations with him but he had lost them in his panic last night as he was being chased by Bloodmoon Gang. In truth, he was also hungry to the point of seeing stars, but it was clear that he placed his master¡¯s needs before his own and tried his best to comfort Li Mu.


    ¡°Great.¡±


    Li Mu mindlessly answered.


    Gulu gulu!


    His belly thundered loudly once more.


    Everyone lined up around Li Mu looked towards him.


    Seeing the strange expression in the eyes of these people, Li Mu and his group reddened a little.


    Because they had been chased down last night by the martial arts masters of the Bloodmoon Gang, they had all been anxious as they hurried forwards on the road; they even nearly lost their shoes in their haste. At this time, the master and two servants all seemed distressed with their tattered clothes and looked like refugees fleeing a disaster¡­this sort of image was truly shameful to every interstellar traveler out there.


    ¡°Big Brother, have you not eaten anything for a long time? Here, this is for you.¡±


    A young and tender voice suddenly sounded out from the side like a little bird.


    Li Mu subconsciously turned his head.


    He saw a little girl around seven or eight years of age. She was dressed like a poor commoner and wore coarse clothes made of linen. Her trousers were covered with patches and she wore two straw sandals held tightly together by two black threads. Her young face had a healthy red glow and her eyes were bright and clear, shining as beautifully as two flawless black gems. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she held up two fist-sized golden apricots towards Li Mu.


    ¡°Huh? For me?¡± Li Mu was surprised.


    He didn¡¯t know who this little fellow was.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 3 Impersonating the County Magistrate

    Chapter 3 ¨C Impersonating the County Magistrate


    ..


    ..


    ..


    ¡°Mm.¡± The little girl nodded. ¡°My mom wanted me to give you this.¡± She glanced over to the side.


    A young couple was standing there.


    The man seemed to be around 30 years of age. He appeared tall and strong with a square jaw and beard. He had a rough and firm demeanor and he held a three-pronged hunting pitchfork in his hands. There were a number of bloody mountain beast skins strung up on his back and he wore the clothes of a hunter.


    As for the woman, she was a bit younger, looking to be around 23-24 years of age. She was a simple beauty with fair skin. A little baby that had yet to be weaned was held gently to her chest. Although her clothes were meager and plain, they still couldn¡¯t hide her elegant temperament. She was someone that surprised the mind at first glance. She didn¡¯t seem to be someone who came from a poor family, but a young lady from a rich household.


    There were two bamboo baskets set down by her feet.


    The bamboo baskets were filled with golden apricots that emitted a fresh and fragrant aroma. These should be wild fruits picked from the mountains, and she wanted to take them to the public city markets and sell them for money.


    Seeing Li Mu¡¯s gaze on them, the husband and wife couple revealed kind smiles.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Li Mu cupped his hands across his chest and took the mountain apricots in the little girl¡¯s hands. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you little girl, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Yaya.¡±


    The girl happily smiled and quickly ran back to her parents¡¯ side.


    These people from another planet were truly friendly and generous.


    Li Mu could feel hot tears trying to form in the corners of his eyes.


    Because of the graciousness of these two apricots, Li Mu had a much more favorable impression of this strange planet.


    These two golden mountain apricots were large and sweet, just barely able to appease his hunger. He ate one himself and divided the remaining one in half, giving a half each to the two study attendants, Qing Feng and Ming Yue.


    The line into the city continued forwards.


    Soon, the young couple and their child Yaya reached the city entrance.


    The guard in charge of questioning those entering was clearly a veteran. His outfit was a little run down and he had a greedy expression on his face. He was the type to take any benefits when possible, and as long as someone wanted to enter the city, he would always try to take some things from them. He was an abhorrent man.


    The young couple had two beast skins and half a basket of apricots taken away. Even though they were angry they didn¡¯t dare to speak out and brought their child into the city.


    Finally, Li Mu and his two attendants reached the city entrance.


    The young attendant boy Qing Feng stepped forwards, wanting to state their identity. But, the guard stepped backwards and covered his nose, his eyes narrowing in disgust as he glared at the three people. ¡°Fuck, where did three beggars come from. Not only do you look dirty but you even smell. How unlucky, just hurry up and enter¡­once you enter the city, don¡¯t commit a crime otherwise we¡¯ll break your dog legs¡­¡± The guard assigned to question Li Mu and his group immediately shooed them into the city without a second glance.


    Li Mu and his group entered the city. He turned and glanced back at the city gate, unsure whether to laugh or to cry.


    Although he had managed to smoothly enter the county city, this feeling of being despised and looked down upon wasn¡¯t pleasant at all.


    Moreover, one could get a feeling for the whole picture with just a glance. It was clear from the attitudes of the city guards that the administration of local officials running this part of the Western Qin Empire were lacking.


    Alabaster County City was a mountain city.


    Only by entering could one truly feel the charm of this old city.


    The several main roads were paved with special blue stones excavated from the mountains. They were smooth and bright, similar to the granite roads back on Earth. As for the other roads, many of them had stairs and curves, winding up and down between the lush scenery. Walking through them, one felt as if they were strolling through a garden. Several rivers surrounded the old city and as they flowed from the mountain peaks to the base, they formed several waterfalls that were sprinkled throughout the city lands. But, the pools at the bases of the waterfalls weren¡¯t too large and the waters were clear enough that one could see the bottom.


    The city was covered with old trees, their crowns forming a canopy of green. Many of these trees were already several hundred years old.


    The scenery was pleasant to the senses. Just by wandering about, it was easy to get lost in the sights all around.


    About two hours later ¨C


    Li Mu led the two young attendants through the city, climbing around the mountain as he asked his way about. He spent a considerable amount of time before finally managing to reach the entrance of the county administrative hall.


    That¡¯s right. After a momentary ideological struggle of what was right and wrong, he decided to go with the flow and temporarily pretend that he was the new county magistrate of Alabaster County City.


    There were three reasons for this.


    One was because he had already managed to offend that Bloodmoon Gang or whatever it was they called themselves. Because of this, he was sure to be chased after. Currently he didn¡¯t have the confidence that he could preserve his own life in such a situation.


    Second, he had spoken with that study attendant Qing Feng and learned that in the Western Qin Empire, all new residents that didn¡¯t possess valid and legal papers would be deemed illegal and be labeled as slaves.


    The third reason was the simplest. Li Mu was merely a junior high graduate from Earth and lacked the skills to survive in the wild. If he randomly roamed about then he would starve to death in several days.


    Of course, after he passed through space he had somehow managed to land himself the role of a county magistrate. This was certainly a wonderful turn of events.


    At the entrance to the County Administrative Hall, there were two guards.


    As the group arrived at the entrance, the two guards rudely and maliciously said, ¡°Hey, you three smelly beggars, this is the County Administrative Hall. Nobodies like you need to screw off. If you don¡¯t want to die then get out.¡±


    ¡°You two unsightly pieces of filth, how dare you scold my family¡¯s young master? Do you want my young master to beat you to death with his fists or something?¡± The young girl study attendant Ming Yue menacingly spoke as she placed her hands on her waist. Even in the face of these two guards she didn¡¯t back down at all. ¡°You two disgusting mongrels, my young master is the current county magistrate of Alabaster County. It¡¯s as if you two idiots don¡¯t know what death or danger are. Hurry up and come greet your Lord County Magistrate!¡±


    ¡­


    Half an hour later ¨C


    In the lobby of the County Administrative Hall.


    ¡°Greetings, Lord County Magistrate.¡±


    After having confirmed the appointment letter and stamp of the official seal, a crowd of officials greeted their new county magistrate in one voice. Their heads were bowed low.


    Li Mu sat on the magistrate¡¯s chair, no expression on his face.


    Although he was young and a newcomer here, even he could see that these officials from the County Administrative Hall held no fear or respect towards their new county magistrate. However, those two guards that recklessly spoke up against him before were trembling in their boots. They had fallen to their knees on the side.


    ¡°There is no need to be so courteous. You may draw back.¡±


    Li Mu didn¡¯t want to deal with the problematic attitudes that these people showed.


    This was because he was a bit faint at heart himself.


    After all, the person that Li Mu was impersonating was someone who had successfully passed the imperial scholar examination of the Qin Empire. At the very least, this person would have a deep knowledge of how the government of the Western Qin Empire operated. And as for Li Mu, a new interstellar traveller, he was completely unaware of how government worked in this world.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    The crowd of administrative hall officials was left a bit dazed.


    What was going on here?


    They were ordered to draw back?


    The new county magistrate had just taken office, so didn¡¯t he want to understand the current situation of the County Administrative Hall?


    ¡°My Lord, ever since the previous County Magistrate Lord Lu resigned a year ago, Alabaster County City has not had a county magistrate in command of the County Administrative Hall. The number of documents that have yet to be reviewed has piled up and they are as high as mountains¡­¡± A pudgy middle-aged man said. He bowed as he continued, ¡°I have already gathered all the small and large happenings of the past year into documents for review. My Lord, you can look over these documents now¡­¡±


    Li Mu waved his hand, interrupting the man. ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I am Zhou Mo, the county deputy.¡± The pudgy middle-aged man smiled.


    Oh, county deputy? Then that would be the vice county magistrate.


    However, listening to this man, it seemed that the previous county magistrate has suddenly resigned out of nowhere. Just what happened for that to occur?


    Li Mu calmly nodded. ¡°The road here has been long and weary. I will deal with government affairs later¡­the rest of you can draw back for now.¡±


    Li Mu had already decided on something, and that was that he couldn¡¯t interact with these fellows too much.


    The more he spoke, the more chances there were that he would mess up.


    As the various government officials heard these words, they glanced up at Li Mu. Each of them had various expressions on their faces. Some were disappointed, some were happy,some were contemptuous, and some were completely expressionless. With another bow, the officials began to walk out.


    ¡°Ah, wait a moment. Zhou whatever you were called¡­¡± Li Mu lifted a palm and waved at the county deputy Zhou Mo.


    Zhou Mo¡¯s heart trembled. His complexion changed as he turned back to look at Li Mu.


    ¡°There¡¯s something, that is¡­I am a bit hungry right now. Have some food prepared and deliver it to the back of the county hall.¡± Li Mu tried to make the tone of his performance seem as natural and elegant as possible. ¡°There must be wine as well as meat.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The county deputy Zhou Mo drew back. A flash of contempt appeared from deep in his eyes. He revealed a strange smile and said, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Like this, the group of officials left the lobby of the County Administrative Hall.


    After a moment, loud and boisterous laughter erupted from outside.


    On the side, the little study attendants Qing Feng and Ming Yue covered their faces in embarrassment.


    It was obvious that their young master¡¯s performance just now on the magistrate¡¯s chair had become the butt of those officials¡¯ jokes. This news would rapidly spread through the inner circles of Alabaster County City and they would all say that the new county magistrate made a clown of himself before his welcoming incense burned out.


    Li Mu lifted a leg up on the magistrate¡¯s chair. He had a completely free and uncaring expression, and he even seemed as if he were smiling.


    He had only pretended to be a county magistrate in order to survive. As for the so-called powers and authority bestowed to him, he didn¡¯t care about that at all.


    After all, he was an alien.


    He had come to this planet in order to cultivate his martial arts. Everything that occurred up until now proved that the old swindler¡¯s words had been true all along. If so, then this meant the Xiantian Arts and True Martial Fist might truly possess the power of the immortals, and there was even a chance that he could cultivate them on this planet.


    As long as he could successfully cultivate these two supernatural powers¡­no, even if he could only just cross into the threshold then he would have the power to sweep across everyone on this low level martial arts planet. Even the emperors of the three great empires and the sect leaders of the nine great sects would have to tremble beneath his feet. At that time, who cared about being a young county magistrate? Wealth, power, women, wouldn¡¯t all of that just easily fall into his hands then?


    ¡°Ahahahaha¡­¡±


    As Li Mu was lost in these fantastical delusions, he couldn¡¯t help but begin cackling on his chair.


    At the side, Qing Feng and Ming Yue were both left utterly speechless. Shock was written all over their faces.


    This young master simply lacked any potential. He had actually gone crazy from happiness.


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, County Deputy Zhou ordered people to send back an entire table of dishes. Indeed, there was wine as well as meat, and even fresh river fish and shellfish.


    Li Mu and the two young study attendants were completely unable to control themselves. They directly dove into the food, right in the lobby of the County Administrative Hall. They ate so fast and with so much gusto that they seemed as if they would kick up clouds of dust around them. They ate until their bellies were stretched, just like hungry ghosts that had been reborn. The several bailiffs standing on the side were left staring in complete bewilderment.


    After finishing eating, Chief Captain Ma Junmo, who managed the defenses of the County Administrative Hall, came forwards to request an audience; he wanted to ask for instructions on how to arrange the defenses of the County Administrative Hall.


    Within the Western Qin Empire, the division of administrative work at the county level was extremely simple and also extremely clear. Beneath the county magistrate were three first-level county officials.


    They were the county deputy who was in charge of managing general county affairs, the county registrar who managed taxes and various payments and other monetary issues, and the county commander who managed the soldiers.


    The county commander was equivalent to the chief of a public security bureau on Earth.


    And beneath the county commander were three chief captains. They were the chief captain of the county guards responsible for defending the County Administrative Hall, the chief captain of the soldier guards responsible for apprehending criminals, and the chief captain of the militia who was responsible for overseeing civilian matters. On Earth, this division of responsibilities would be roughly equivalent to the internal police, the criminal police unit, and the local militia.


    Chief Captain Ma Junmo was responsible for overseeing the defenses of the County Administrative Hall. As per tradition, he had to ask for instructions from the county magistrate.


    ¡°I won¡¯t see him.¡±


    Li Mu refused the audience without hesitation. He sent out his young attendant Qing Feng to deal with it instead.


    Then, by himself, he hid away in the back of the county hall.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 4 Li Mu is a Master

    Chapter 4 ¨C Li Mu is a Master


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The back county hall was the private residence of the county magistrate.


    The previous county magistrate was a zealot who fanatically tried to cultivate the immortal path. He loved practicing the daoist arts and would often spend his time in the back county hall brewing pills or cultivating. Finally, he resigned without accomplishing anything. It was said that he hung up his sign and quietly retreated to the depths of the Alabaster Mountains to seek the immortal way.


    It was because of his actions that the dwelling within the County Administrative Hall faintly resembled a daoist temple. There was a daoist hall where the ancestors were consecrated, two study rooms, one training room, one alchemy room, six bedrooms, as well as cluttered rooms used for various other purposes, several small courtyards, a garden, and even a water spring terrace. All in all, it was a quiet and peaceful place.


    But, because there had been no one living here or cleaning the place, the entire area was covered in dust.


    Li Mu casually strolled through, familiarizing himself with his new dwelling.


    The young girl attendant Ming Yue borrowed the power of her young master to order several janitors to come and clean up the entire back county hall.


    Like this, the day soon ended.


    Nightfall ¨C


    Li Mu stood in front of an open window in his bedroom, calmly looking outwards.


    He began to mull over some matters.


    Through the one night and one day he had been here, all the things he experienced were enough to prove that what the old conman said was all true.


    In other words, Earth really did face the tragic fate of being destroyed. According to the old conman¡¯s words, he would need to cultivate the Xiantian Arts and True Martial Fist to a high enough level within 20 years, whereupon he could break past the shackles of the planet and leave. Only by entering the greater star territory around him would he be able to change Earth¡¯s fated annihilation.


    On Earth, there were Li Mu¡¯s friends, his schoolmates, his fellow villagers, and even that old conman himself. There was even that fat and happy husky, as well as¡­as well as¡­Li Mu¡¯s young and pure unrequited love¡­all of this happiness and joy was worth Li Mu protecting with every ounce of his heart and soul.


    ¡°But to accomplish that I will need to place all my hopes in the Xiantian Arts and True Martial Fist.¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s thoughts became increasingly clear.


    During his time on Earth, the old conman had used 14 years to teach Li Mu all sorts of things. For instance, ghost catching, magic drawings, geomancy, psychic skills, spiritual channeling, and all sorts of random things. Most of the stuff he was taught was used in order to trick and deceive others. But above all of that, what the old conman took most seriously was the True Martial Fist and Xiantian Arts. He once said that once these two cultivation methods were trained to the peak, he could freely dominate his own part of a star territory.


    In the past Li Mu thought that the old conman was just emptily boasting. But now, it seemed there was a chance that what he said was all true.


    ¡°Maybe the reason my strength is so great right now is because I practiced the Xiantian Arts back on Earth.¡±


    Li Mu remembered how his one casual push the previous night had killed two martial arts masters from the Bloodmoon Gang.


    On Earth, there was no spiritual energy so it was impossible to cultivate the Xiantian Arts. But, these 14 years of training had laid down a perfect foundation for Li Mu, and after arriving on this strange planet that was filled with spiritual energy, those 14 years of accumulations began to thrive and rise at once. With every breath he took, he could feel an indescribably wonderful feeling percolating in his body. The air all around him was incomparably sweet and fragrant; was this the so-called spiritual energy?


    And as the spiritual energy entered his body and nourished him, Li Mu¡¯s strength began to rapidly rise.


    In the last day, Li Mu had once tried to clarify just how strong he was, but he still wasn¡¯t able to find out.


    And these were the effects from being on this other planet for only a single day and night.


    If he were to train in this environment for years, just how powerful would he become?


    As Li Mu thought of this, he found himself bubbling over with excitement.


    ¡°Xiantian Arts, True Martial Fist¡­¡±


    He stood up straight in his bedroom. Then, he slowly moved into the correct stance and started to practice the True Martial Fist.


    There were a total of 18 different styles in the True Martial Fist.


    Each style wasn¡¯t too complex. They were simple movements that were clearly distinct from each other.


    On Earth, Li Mu had trained in these 18 different styles to perfection and never thought that there was anything special about them. To him, practicing them was no different from daily stretches. After practicing for 14 years he could completely reiterate every movement even with his eyes closed.


    But this time, Li Mu felt something strange occurring.


    The 18 styles of the True Martial Fist. Let alone a single style, he couldn¡¯t even practice the opening static stances. Just by moving into the required stance he felt as if all the muscles in his body would be torn apart, an agonizing ache spreading through him. It was as if thousands of sharp needles were being thrust into his muscles, bones, and meridians.


    Li Mu cried out loud. His entire body was soaked in a cold sweat.


    ¡°How could this be?¡±


    He felt this entirely inconceivable.


    What was going on here?


    After arriving at this other planet, changes had occurred to the True Martial Fist?


    After several dozen attempts, he finally managed to get into the initial opening stance of the True Martial Fist.


    But he could only hold this stance for three or four seconds. His entire body was wracked with unendurable pain as if he were being cut to pieces. His complexion turned sallow and large beads of sweat began dripping down his forehead. With a shout, he fell down face forwards.


    As for the first three styles of the True Martial Fist ¨C Sky Charging Hammer, Heaven Chasing Thrust, Skyshatter Collapse ¨C let alone display them, he didn¡¯t even want to think about them.


    Li Mu collapsed onto the blue tile floor. His chest wildly heaved up and down and his breath was rapid.


    He began to rapidly think about why something so strange would occur.


    But after another quarter hour, a strange surprise occurred yet again.


    Li Mu felt the agonizing pain disperse from his body like a falling tide. A warm and crisp feeling suddenly surged through him, bringing with it a ridiculous sense of comfort, as if he were soaking in a hot spring.


    Li Mu flipped up onto his feet.


    He waved his hands and feet and felt his entire body satisfied. He was filled with an unprecedented level of energy.


    As if all the pain he felt before was nothing but an illusion.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Li Mu uttered in surprise. He discovered that there was some dark dirt covering his skin. Looking more carefully, he could see that this dirt had emitted from his pores, just like the blackheads that some people on Earth pushed out from their noses. His arms, legs, chest, belly, even his face and feet¡­it was all over his body.


    This is¡­


    Could this be purifying his body and improving his physique?


    Li Mu seemed to understand a little bit more.


    On this different planet that was filled with spiritual energy, some of the deep meanings within the True Martial Fist had been primed and aroused and began to reveal themselves. Thus, this was why even a simple static opening stance was filled with an unprecedented level of might. When he practiced the True Martial Fist just now, the deep meanings within this immortal fist arts had activated and silently changed his physique. That severe pain should have been a side effect of his body transforming.


    As he understood this he suddenly became excited.


    This really was a fist of the immortals.


    Since the True Martial Fist had such potent might behind it, then what about the Xiantian Arts?


    In his elation, Li Mu couldn¡¯t be bothered to cleanse his body of the black filth. He immediately sat down cross-legged and began to impatiently cultivate the Xiantian Arts. He looked down, lowered his head, and began to meditate, starting to breathe in a strange rhythm.


    The Xiantian Arts was a breathing and guidance technique.


    With every breath he took, feelings that Li Mu never experienced on Earth began to flood his body.


    Moonlight shined down and illuminated Li Mu¡¯s body, making it seem as if he were emitting a layer of silver light, casting him in a phantasmal atmosphere.


    His legend would begin from here.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    At the same time ¨C


    Nightfall ¨C


    Within the residence of Alabaster County Deputy Zhou Wu, a considerably large meeting of government officials was beginning.


    Besides Zheng Longxing who commanded the local military, all of the other officials, both large and small, appeared in the Zhou Mansion.


    ¡°The imperial court is unfair. County Deputy Zhou, you¡¯ve governed Alabaster County for an entire year already. You were conscientious in your actions and toiled through much work in your service. Originally, you should have been the one to take over the position of county magistrate, but your position was actually stolen from you by such an uncouth youth. He¡¯s nothing but a student just like the hundreds of others out there, so why does he get to stand above Sir Zhou?¡± An official loudly spoke up in earnest.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I observed him this morning and he is nothing but an uncivilized piece of waste from the wilderness. He simply doesn¡¯t have the ability to manage an entire county by himself. To have such a useless magistrate in charge of everything, I refuse to accept this.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. In any case, I will still continue to listen only to Sir Zhou in the future.¡±


    The crowd of officials shoved against each other to express their loyalty to Zhou Wu.


    County Deputy Zhou Wu was dressed in casual black clothes. He sat in the seat of honor, swirling a cup of wine in his hand. He was just like a rich and friendly man, listening to the crowd and not speaking.


    The Zhou Family was amongst the highest ranked families in Alabaster County. As for Zhou Wu who was the current head of the Zhou Family, he was absolutely a local bully of the county.


    A year ago when the previous county magistrate resigned, his position had remained vacant. Zhou Wu had managed everything for the whole year, and the entire Alabaster County had already united beneath him. Moreover, he was even active in the upper circles. This position of county magistrate should have been in his bag already, but somehow, in the final moments, a problem occurred somewhere and his spot had been stolen away by this little brat that was still wet behind the ears.


    Zhou Wu was unwilling to see this happen.


    But after so many years he was already used to hiding his emotions. He would never reveal such thoughts.


    At this time, the County Registrar Feng Yuanxing, who had yet to speak, suddenly put down the wine cup in his hands. He seemed to already have a plan in his mind. He faintly smiled, saying, ¡°There is no need to worry everyone. From what I saw today, that Li Mu is overly vain and timid, and he was only pretending to put on a show of calm composure. And from other signs and information I obtained, he shouldn¡¯t come from some powerful family background so there is no need to care about him too much. They say a dragon cannot suppress a local snake, and this Li Mu cannot even be considered a dragon; he¡¯s only a worm on the ground trying to crawl his way up. As long as we join forces then in the future the government power of Alabaster County will still remain in the hands of Sir Zhou. Only Sir Zhou¡¯s words count; Li Mu is nothing but a joke.¡±


    In terms of the rankings of government officials, the County Registrar Feng Yuanxing was on par with County Deputy Zhou Wu. They were each one of the three heads that worked beneath the county magistrate. However, Feng Yuanxing was someone who came from another land and didn¡¯t have a considerable family background. He was all alone in the government of Alabaster County and had found it difficult to steady himself. Thus, he had always attached himself to Zhou Wu as a subordinate, never competing for power.


    ¡°Haha, everything will depend on everyone¡¯s help here. Come, let us drink to our hearts¡¯ content!¡± Zhou Wu revealed a satisfied smile. He laughed, raising his wine cup for a toast.


    The entire banquet scene in the great hall was filled with happy talk and laughter.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    County Commander¡¯s mansion ¨C


    In a chamber, one of the three county chiefs of Alabaster County, Zheng Longxing, had a surprised look on his face.


    A warrior in black knelt down in front of him.


    ¡°Reporting to the ceremonies master, news has been sent from the gang. This Li Mu is a master of the martial arts world and was able to kill two brothers of the gang in a single move¡­the assassination mission failed this time.¡±


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 5 Scared?

    Chapter 5 ¨C Scared?


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    ¡­


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    ¡°How could that be?¡± Zheng Longxing traced the three wisps of beard that trailed down his chin, a surprised look on his face. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Li Mu a scholar candidate who passed the imperial examinations? How could he suddenly become a martial arts master? The Strength Unity realm can¡¯t be considered much but it is still enough to mix into the martial arts world. Yet, such people were instantly killed? Could the information sent from the capital be wrong?¡±


    Besides his status as the county commander of Alabaster County, he had another identity ¨C that was, one of the four ceremonies masters of the Bloodmoon Gang.


    This mission to assassinate Li Mu had been set in action by him.


    And he himself was a martial arts master.


    The Strength Unity realm was the very beginning of the road of martial arts. After that was the Energy Unity realm, Concept Unity realm, and so forth. But no matter how it was said, a martial artist that entered the Strength Unity realm should have managed to roughly master his internal energy and could be considered a third-class martial artist in the martial arts world.


    The martial artists that the Bloodmoon Gang sent out to assassinate Li Mu were all vigilant and elite disciples. Besides five third-class martial artists at the Strength Unity realm, there was an Energy Unity realm warrior leading them. That leader could be called a master amongst third-class martial artists, and more than enough to deal with an imperial scholar candidate who had yet to reach even 15 years of age.


    But, such a force had actually been defeated and two of the gang disciples had even lost their lives in the process.


    ¡°It might be because Li Mu¡¯s hidden depths are too deep. I never heard that such a person would know martial arts.¡± The black-clothed warrior said with a bowed head.


    Within Zheng Longxing¡¯s mind, the scene of Li Mu¡¯s performance in the County Administrative Hall this morning appeared.


    When the youth sat atop the official¡¯s chair, although he appeared calm, the truth was that he was extremely squeezed and was only pretending to be composed. It was easy to see through, after all, whether it was in aura or action, he was entirely similar to a newcomer. He completely lacked all signs that he was a martial arts master or an imperial scholar candidate. Could it all have been an act?


    If he really was acting, then to be able to act to such a degree was far too terrifying. He was surely a deeply hidden individual of his generation.


    This time, the reason Zheng Longxing took the risk of having the Bloodmoon Gang assassinate Li Mu midway to Alabaster County City was because he wanted to seize the position of county magistrate.


    Within the Western Qin Empire and even the entire continent, martial arts factions and sects all possessed extremely special statuses; they could even almost stand on par with the various governments. Many chief administrators of empires came from backgrounds that originated in sects of the martial arts world. It could be said that the martial world collaborated with the various imperial courts to rule the world.


    In fact, even when it came to the law of the land, martial artists were given preferential treatment. Zheng Longxing was originally just a bodyguard, but afterwards he joined the Bloodmoon Gang. There, he performed great merits again and again, eventually rising to the position of ceremonies master. It was only because of his gang that he was able to become the county commander of Alabaster County and take control of military power.


    Now, the Western Qin Empire¡¯s political scene was in chaos with corrupt officials running haphazardly about. The land was faintly descending into turmoil.


    He had plotted everything in advance. As long as he successfully killed the new county magistrate he could quickly deal with that county deputy Zhou Wu. Then, using the Bloodmoon Gang¡¯s strength, he could absolutely take the position of county magistrate.


    Zheng Longxing¡¯s ambitions were endless.


    In his eyes, Alabaster County was in an extremely good position. If appropriately managed, this could be his own paradise. He could slowly accumulate his strength and in the future it would be possible to rise even further.


    But now, a hiccup had appeared in his plans as soon as they began.


    He lost himself in thought within his chamber. Then, after a long time of pondering, a ruthless light finally flashed across his face. ¡°The plan absolutely cannot be changed. It¡¯s not too late. Have the gang send an even stronger master to assassinate Li Mu and kill him off before he is prepared. There can be no delaying my plan.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The night quickly passed.


    The suns rose up in the eastern skies.


    There were two suns in total, one large, one small, following each other up into the skies.


    The dappled sunlight was gorgeous, the weather wonderful.


    Creak.


    The bedroom door opened.


    Li Mu walked out from his room. He was in a state of unprecedentedly high spirits.


    ¡°Young master, you¡­¡± The silly and cute attendant Ming Yue stared at Li Mu with wide eyes. After a brief moment, she screamed and turned around, running as she said, ¡°It stinks, it stinks to the high heavens¡­! Young master, just what is that dark stuff all over your body and why does it smell like poop?¡±


    Li Mu was left speechless.


    For the entire night, he had been cultivating the Xiantian Arts. He had entered a meditative state that he had never experienced before, and like that, the entire night had passed in the blink of an eye. As he walked out of his room he didn¡¯t examine himself. It was only after being yelled at by Ming Yue did he see that his entire body was covered in black dirt that emitted from his pores.


    A vile and hurl-inducing smell swirled around his body.


    Even he thought he smelled disgusting.


    ¡°Somebody, prepare the hot water¡­I am going to take a bath¡­¡±


    Li Mu yelled out.


    There were workers in the County Administrative Hall that did a variety of tasks. Hot water was quickly heated up and brought to Li Mu¡¯s room along with a tub.


    After taking a bath, Li Mu felt much more comfortable.


    He was surprised to see that after washing off the black dirt over his body, his skin had become clearer and smoother. When he examined himself in the mirror, he discovered that his hair had grown almost an inch longer overnight and he even seemed to have grown a little bit taller.


    ¡°This Xiantian Arts is indeed miraculous. It even has beautifying effects.¡±


    Li Mu said, expressing his heartfelt admiration.


    However, he was soon worried.


    This was because of his official outfit, there were no other clothes that he could wear.


    When he came from Earth he had brought with him sneakers, sweatpants, and a vest. However, he didn¡¯t plan on wearing these clothes again. These types of clothes were incompatible with this world and he would likely be criticized if he wore them. It was best to save them as a memento; they might even come in handy when he returned to Earth 20 years from now.


    Thinking it over again, an idea popped up in Li Mu¡¯s mind.


    He vaguely recalled that when he wandered through the back county hall, he had found several boxes within the alchemy room. These boxes seemed to hold clothes that he could use as an emergency measure for now. Once he obtained his salary and had money in hand, he could send his two young attendants into the streets to buy a few robes for him.


    Damn, this county magistrate felt far too wronged. Not only was he laughed at as a joke on his first day but he was so poor that he didn¡¯t even have a single copper coin to his name.


    Li Mu angrily hurried through the rear county hall and towards the alchemy room.


    The alchemy room was situated in a quiet location. One had to pass through a secret door in the training room to arrive here. There was a suspended pill furnace in the room, rows of cabinets, low round cushions, leaf fans, medicine drawers, and other such essentials. There was also a stack of neatly chopped firewood in the corner¡­in short, there were all the necessary items here required for alchemy and more. One could see at a glance that this had all been decorated by the previous county magistrate.


    And yet, all these arrangements caused Li Mu to feel just a bit closer to this room.


    Because back on Earth, the old conman¡¯s room at Kindled Lamp Temple was also set up in a similar arrangement.


    He swept his eyes over the room, walked over to some black wooden chests and opened them.


    It was as he remembered; there were indeed several sets of clothing within.


    But as he took them out he saw that they were six different colored robes. They were sewn together with great care and one could even see that the stitches were made from golden threads. The different colored robes came in slightly different styles, but one could see that they were embroidered with silver threads and had images of cranes, kirins, pagodas, dragons, phoenixes, eight trigrams, and all sorts of other images stitched into various spots. Moreover, the six robes came with inner shirts, pants, and boots; they were complete outfits, and were even washed clean.


    ¡°Oho, it seems that my predecessor was a meticulous person.¡±


    Honestly speaking, Li Mu was quite curious about this predecessor of his who resigned his office to head into the distant mountains.


    He quickly put on the inner shirt and a blue-colored robe. It actually fit quite well on him.


    The material of the robe was also comfortable to the touch, just like pure cotton.


    Li Mu left the alchemy room and returned to his bedroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, satisfied by what he saw.


    The youth that greeted him in the mirror was slender and tall, his back straight with a dashingly heroic spirit to him. Draped in the gold-threaded blue robes, it gave him a faintly ethereal atmosphere, as if he really were an immortal of daoist sects.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Li Mu was happy with his appearance.


    The only flaw was that the sleeves were too large and a bit too long.


    If he ran into an enemy and needed to fight, then he would first need to pull up his sleeves.


    The question of his clothes could be considered temporarily solved.


    A county guard brought in breakfast.


    At breakfast, the two young attendants nearly choked on their shock as they saw Li Mu¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°Young Master finally looks a bit more normal.¡± Qing Feng commented, his face filled with relief. He was just like a father that was relieved to see his idiotic son return to normal.


    Ming Yue¡¯s eyes were as wide as peach blossoms, ¡°Young Master is very handsome.¡±


    It was afterwards Li Mu learned that in the Western Qin Empire, the major belief was in taoism. Many nobles, wealthy people, and upper class people often wore these robes as their casual everyday wear. As for these types of clothes, they were quite popular and common in general, so it wasn¡¯t strange for the current county magistrate Li Mu to be seen wearing them.


    Before Li Mu finished eating, a county guard brought in a message. County Deputy Zhou Wu and others had returned to request an audience and ask for instructions on how to manage the county affairs.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not seeing them. I have no spare time.¡± Li Mu arbitrarily said, directly refusing them.


    He didn¡¯t want to see outsiders in order to prevent his fa?ade from being seen through.


    ¡°Ah¡­Young Master, you must do your due diligence¡­¡± The young attendant Qing Feng had a twisted expression on his face.


    Li Mu waved his hand and rose up to return to the rear county hall.


    Behind him, the raucous laughter of the young attendant Ming Yue echoed out.


    ¡­..


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    In the lobby of the County Administrative Hall ¨C


    ¡°He isn¡¯t seeing anyone again?¡±


    County Deputy Zhou Wu stared at the young attendant Ming Yue and found it hard to understand. He fumbled for a moment before saying, ¡°Does the lord county magistrate not wish to know about the current county politics?¡±


    The silly and cute little girl Ming Yue could be said to have been eating her fill and sleeping in warmth for these past few days in the County Administrative Hall. With her faint red cheeks, she could be called a beautiful little girl. She grinned and said, ¡°My young master said that all government affairs will be handled by County Deputy Zhou; he has no interest in them.¡± As she finished speaking, she recalled that there were some pieces of roasted pork from this morning that she had hidden away and had yet to finish eating. As she thought of this, she began to drool and quickly turned around and ran away.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    County Deputy Zhou Wu and the crowd of officials glanced at each other and could see the stunned expressions on everyone¡¯s faces.


    In these past few days they had come here with a plan in mind, and were ready to demonstrate their authority to Li Mu. However, no one expected that the young county magistrate would actually hide away like a little turtle and wave his hands in dismissal without any intention of emerging from the back county hall at all. He didn¡¯t see anyone either. It was unknown whether or not he truly had no interest in government affairs or whether he would embarrass himself and was hiding as a result.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 6 Someone Came to Report an Injustice?

    Chapter 6 ¨C Someone Came to Report an Injustice?


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    In the crowd of people, the county commander had a gloomy look on his face.


    He had originally prepared all sorts of plans to assassinate Li Mu, but he never expected that Li Mu would hide away in the County Administrative Hall and not come out at all. Although the Bloodmoon Gang was strong and even had a number of officials in their ranks, there were still many risks if they were to break into the County Administrative Hall and try to kill off a ninth-grade county magistrate.


    Because of this, their only choice was to wait for an opportunity to present itself. But from the way things were going, it seemed that Li Mu was going to hide away in the rear county hall for an indeterminate amount of time. Just when would he finally come out?


    ¡°I have to find some way to lure Li Mu out.¡±


    Zheng Longxing thought to himself. He was already impatient.


    ¡­


    Time passed, a day at a time.


    Soon, half a month flashed by.


    Within the training room in the rear section of the County Administrative Hall, Li Mu was punching his fists into a slab of granite as tall as he was.


    Bang!


    It was difficult for even swords or sabers to mar this slab of granite. But, these punches were actually cracking it apart, causing chips to fly everywhere.


    This strength was simply superhuman.


    ¡°I wonder just how strong my fist is?¡±


    Li Mu said with satisfaction as he blew off the stone dust from his hands.


    In these past days he had been cultivating the True Martial Fist during the daytime and now he finally managed to perfectly display the opening static stance.


    At the same time, Li Mu was just barely able to display the first style of the True Martial Fist ¨C Sky Charging Hammer. Even so, his movements lacked the necessary charm, and after every time he attempted it his muscles would feel as if they were being torn apart. If he were to forcefully use this move, it would lead to him tearing apart his muscles and even wounding his organs.


    Li Mu tried several times but eventually gave up.


    Currently, he had a much clearer understanding towards the True Martial Fist and Xiantian Arts.


    The True Martial Fist seemed to be a body technique that could temper the human body.


    Every move and every style had a mysterious function of strengthening the body.


    In this past half month, Li Mu tried his best to practice the opening stance and first style of the True Martial Fist, Sky Charging Hammer. During this time he also discovered that his skin and flesh had become much harder and more resilient. Even when he used sharp stones to cut across his skin, they still wouldn¡¯t break open the surface and would only leave behind faint marks.


    As for the function of the Xiantian Arts, that was completely opposite to the True Martial Fist.


    The Xiantian Arts could heal internal wounds and strengthen the mind.


    During the night, Li Mu would cultivate the Xiantian Arts.


    This sort of breathing technique energized Li Mu¡¯s mind and spirit. Even if he didn¡¯t sleep all night he would still be as exuberant and cognizant as if he had slept for the entire night. Not just that, but his senses had been sharpened. His hearing and vision became much more sensitive and even his reaction rate was greatly enhanced.


    And, the Xiantian Arts had an incredible regenerative effect. Li Mu had suffered internal wounds and tore his muscles several times when training in the True Martial Fist, but all that damage had been repaired using the Xiantian Arts.


    When cultivating the Xiantian Arts, through the strange breathing rhythm and inner mantra, one could draw in the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth to enter the body and cleanse the organs. The impurities would be discharged through every breath, and this was similar to the legendary techniques of purifying the body and mind. Over time, Li Mu¡¯s physique also changed little by little, and there was a feeling similar to being reborn.


    Faintly, Li Mu also understand the intentions of that old conman.


    The Xiantian Arts and True Martial Fist represented the inner and outer body, each complementing the other. They were able to change a person¡¯s physique.


    Li Mu had lived for 14 years in the polluted environment of Earth and breathed in the dirty air there. The things he had also included all sorts of unhealthy substances that left behind many internal injuries and impurities within him. By training in these two cultivation methods, he could gradually restore himself to his most primal and natural Xiantian state. Only like this would he be able to step onto the road of interstellar martial arts in the future and fight with the peerless proud sons of heaven that existed in the various stars all around.


    What left Li Mu feeling a little sad was that whether it was the Xiantian Arts or True Martial Fist, neither of them seemed to possess much actual combat strength?


    ¡°Kuh¡­¡± Li Mu couldn¡¯t help but cough and spit out phlegm.


    This phlegm was filled with traces of red blood and black dirt.


    This was not the first time this had occurred.


    When Li Mu first started coughing up bloody phlegm, he had been frightened, thinking he had developed some incurable sickness.


    It was afterwards that he slowly came to realize this was all because the Xiantian Arts were cleansing his internal organs and eliminating the impurities and internal wounds he had accumulated over time. It was only because the Xiantian Arts were strengthening and cleansing his lungs that such a dire phenomenon occurred.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already hidden myself away in the administrative center for over 20 days. It¡¯s about time to go out and breathe some fresh air.¡±


    As Li Mu coughed, he began to move.


    He was originally an active youth that loved going out and exploring lively situations. If it weren¡¯t for him being scared that those hooligans from the Bloodmoon Gang would try to assassinate him then he would have long since gone out for a stroll around the city.


    Now, with his strength having increased a bit, he was also a bit more confident in himself. Thinking it over, Li Mu decided to go and venture outside the County Administrative Hall to walk around.


    The old conman had once said that when it came to cultivating martial arts, the most taboo action was to remain in deep seclusion and hide away from reality. Sometimes, cultivating diligently in seclusion for an entire year was worth less than sparring with others. Sometimes, fighting someone in a life or death battle might be better than 10 years of hard work.


    Li Mu certainly didn¡¯t want to engage in random life or death battles, but going out to see the wider world was also good.


    Since he came to this new world, he should at least try to integrate himself into it.


    As Li Mu was thinking this, before he could summon his two young attendants ¨C


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    From the great front doors of the County Administrative Hall, a loud rumbling boom rang out like thunder, echoing through the entire hall.


    The young attendant Qing Feng ran up, panting, ¡°Young Master, someone has struck the injustice drum to report a complaint¡­¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s eyes brightened.


    ¡°Injustice drum¡­that means someone came to report a complaint¡­¡±


    Li Mu began to recall movies and television shows from Earth where the county magistrate would preside over cases in the court hall.


    Hahaha!


    Li Mu began wildly laugh inwardly.


    This was perfect. He could take this chance to display his abilities as a county magistrate. After a brief act he could then relax.


    Hehe, thinking about it, he had seen many serial dramas that had situations like this with people reporting injustices. Now, all that knowledge could be put to use.


    If someone was desperate enough to strike the injustice drum then that meant this would surely be a great, breaking case. Li Mu shook his fists together in excitement. As someone who came from Earth, he could surely use his advanced schools of thought and reasoning to awe and suppress these trifling people from another planet.


    While he cultivated his martial arts skills and increased his strength, at the same time he could uphold justice for the common people and be an upright and honorable Magistrate Li!


    Thinking about it, this would definitely be amazing.


    ¡°Someone, we¡¯re holding court, holding court!¡±


    Li Mu impatiently hurried towards the court hall with large strides.


    ¡°Eh? Young Master, hold on a moment, you forget to switch into your official clothes¡­¡± The young attendant Qing Feng panted as he chased after Li Mu.


    This little fellow was a bit thin and pale, seeming as if he lacked energy.


    Ever since he arrived at Alabaster County City, he felt as if he were working as the mother and father here.


    In the gardens of the rear county hall, the little girl attendant Ming Yue was holding up a catcher¡¯s net that she had just used to capture a cicada. As she heard the loud rumblings of the injustice drum she was stunned for a moment before immediately understanding what was occurring. A look of excitement flashed across her face. Haha, someone had struck the injustice drum! Then wouldn¡¯t this be fun?


    She opened her mouth and directly ate the cicada, chewing it with great zest.


    Her movements were as quick as lightning. It was nearly impossible to follow her with the naked eye.


    As if she simply weren¡¯t a human at all.


    ¡­


    ...


    ¡­


    ¡°Hold court!¡±


    ¡°Justice!¡±


    Six county guards stood loosely arranged on the sides of the hall. Their guard staffs were pointed to the ground as they shouted out loud.


    In the court room, a faintly solemn and dignified atmosphere filled the air.


    Li Mu excitedly sat in his seat at the top of the court room.


    Pa!


    His gavel struck the table.


    ¡°Bring in the plaintiff.¡± Li Mu quickly entered into his persona as county magistrate.


    The county guard on the side hesitated, a strange look on his face. He leaned over, coughed, and said in a low whisper, ¡°My Lord, the secretary is not here. Without anyone recording the proceedings, we cannot hold court¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah? Then where is the secretary? Why isn¡¯t he here?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­the secretary has been ill of body lately so several days ago he requested leave to recuperate.¡±


    ¡°How come no one told me?¡±


    The county guard¡¯s expression became even stranger. He said, ¡°The secretary personally came to request leave three or four times already, but Lord has refused to see him each time.¡±


    Ah.


    Li Mu¡¯s face blushed red.


    So he could only blame himself on this.


    What should he do now then?


    At just the right time, the young attendant Qing Feng arrived. He rushed in, panting, carrying with him the official magistrate robes that he brought all the way over here.


    Li Mu¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Hey, come over here. Little fellow, you¡¯re going to be the secretary for a while¡­¡± Li Mu pointed to the side where the secretary usually sat.


    ¡°Eh? Young Master, isn¡¯t this¡­a bit inappropriate?¡± Qing Feng was stunned.


    Li Mu chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? If I say you¡¯re appropriate then you¡¯re appropriate.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The young attendant wasn¡¯t able to change the mind of his stubborn young master, so he lifted the official robes up high and said, ¡°Young Master, put on these clothes first.¡±


    Li Mu, ¡°I¡¯m not putting those on.¡±


    ¡°You need to wear your official robes before presiding over a case.¡±


    ¡°Those clothes are uncomfortable to put on. I¡¯m not putting them on. As the county magistrate, I will decide these matters.¡±


    Qing Feng, ¡°¡­¡±


    At this time, the plaintiffs were led forwards.


    The first person was actually a little girl around 10 years of age. Her face was covered with tear stains and she wore mourning clothes. She supported a woman that also wore white mourning clothes but was extremely injured and covered in blood. As the two people walked into the court room hall, a series of bloody footprints followed in their wake.


    Damn!


    What sort of situation was this?


    How could these plaintiffs be in such a miserable state?


    Could this be a murder case?


    Li Mu¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°I ask the county magistrate to uphold justice for us¡­¡± The woman fell to her knees. Blood flowed out from the corners of her lips and she cried out in sorrow and pain. She could barely steady herself and nearly spat out another mouthful of blood.


    The little girl beside her was scared pale white. ¡°Mother, Mother, don¡¯t scare me! Grandma, Grandpa, and even Father are gone, please don¡¯t leave me¡­wuhuhu¡­Mother, Kin¡¯er is scared¡­¡±


    Looking at this scene, Li Mu was also scared.


    A county guard brought forwards the official letter of complaint.


    In the last 20 some days, Li Mu had obtained a rough understanding of this world¡¯s writing system; it was more or less similar to the traditional characters used in ancient times. As he looked over the letter of complaint, he was approximately able to grasp the essentials of the case.


    On Earth, this case was an extremely common situation of bullying and theft seen in television series and novels.


    The severely wounded woman kneeling in the hall was named Zhang Li. With her parent-in-laws as well as her husband Zhang Sheng, the four of them opened and managed a small medicine shop in Alabaster County. Because they sold genuine goods at fair and reasonable prices, and even treated both young and old with open honesty, their business thrived.


    However, the number one medicine hall, Divine Herb Hall, regarded this small medicine shop as a thorn in their eyes. Using their superior strength they randomly came up with a reason to purchase the small medicine shop at only a tenth of the price. They wanted to tear down the Zhang Family¡¯s business before it could grow further. Zhang Li¡¯s father-in-law refused this proposal and was beaten dead as a result. Her husband Zhang Sheng and her mother-in-law were enraged. They went over to complain and were also beaten to death. The widow Zhang Li and her daughter Little Kin were driven out of their small medicine shop and tossed into the streets¡­


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 7 Overbearing

    Chapter 7 ¨C Overbearing


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    As a good, law-abiding youth of the 21st century, he used to be enraged to the point of smashing his keyboard even when seeing videos on Weibo of little kids having their candy taken away.


    Now that he saw this, Li Mu was utterly incensed.


    ¡°¡­How dare they. Someone, immediately go to Divine Herb Hall and bring the storekeeper as well as his murderous lackeys here¡­I will judge them.¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s anger seemed to crackle through the hall.


    Originally, he had come here to pretend to judge a case to better his impersonation. But now he was truly moved to anger.


    The six county guards in the hall all had strange expressions on their faces. Even though they heard the order, none of them moved.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Li Mu asked, staring at them.


    ¡°Uh¡­my Lord, it¡¯s like this¡­¡± The county guard from before approached Li Mu. He bent over with downcast eyes and whispered in a low voice.


    So, this Divine Herb Hall could be called deeply ingrained within the foundation of Alabaster County City. They had tremendous influence and also a powerful gang faction standing behind them. Divine Herb Hall was said to be one of the businesses of Alabaster County City¡¯s Divine Orchard Gang, one of the four great factions in the city. They ran rampant through the county as they liked, and even if they were to kill several people in the light of day, it wouldn¡¯t be considered much at all. In the past the County Administrative Hall turned a blind eye to their actions.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Immediately arrest them, all of them! The past is the past, and now I am the current county magistrate. I have already set my mind on this matter.¡± Li Mu was so angry that even his nose was twitching.


    What kind of ridiculous bullshit was this? Four great factions? They were actually so unbridled that they took lives without any consideration. This was just hateful to the extreme.


    So this was what an underworld triad of another world was.


    But I don¡¯t care. I am the county magistrate. In Alabaster County City, I am the greatest.


    Li Mu felt thick disdain in his heart. Even if this were an underworld triad they still shouldn¡¯t be able to fight against the local lord.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± The county guard hesitated.


    The other five county guards remained where they were with lowered heads. They were afraid that Li Mu would call upon them by name to make the arrest.


    ¡°What are you all standing about for? Go and arrest that man for me.¡± Li Mu could feel his dignity as county magistrate being provoked and began to shout out loud.


    Finally, under the stern orders of the county magistrate Li Mu, the six county guards reluctantly left to make the arrest. All of them had expressions of dread on their faces.


    Like this, the courtroom had emptied.


    The little girl Kin¡¯er¡¯s quiet sobs could be heard with special clarity now.


    Pity and sympathy swelled up in Li Mu¡¯s heart. He went forwards into the court hall and soothed the panicked and weeping little girl. He stood up in an indignant posture and thumped his chest, saying to the woman, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can rest assured that I will uphold justice for you.¡±


    If an official couldn¡¯t uphold justice for his people then he might as well go sell sweet potatoes in the streets instead.


    Although Li Mu was only an imposter, he was still filled with righteousness. And since he was impersonating the county magistrate, he should do his job.


    ¡°Thank you, honorable great Lord.¡± The woman¡¯s dim pupils exuded the color of gratitude.


    Her injuries were incredibly serious. Her words were halting and blood flowed out from her lips.


    To tell the truth, her coming to the County Administrative Hall to strike the injustice drum was her final desperate gamble after having been cornered. She didn¡¯t have much hope to begin with but now it seemed that this new county magistrate was an honest official who loathed the wicked and evil. His actions had caused hope to bloom in her heart.


    And at this time, the little attendant Ming Yue just happened to skip in.


    Li Mu turned his head. ¡°Hey you, yes you, go to the city and find a doctor to come treat this big sister¡¯s wounds.¡±


    The little attendant Ming Yue came to a stop and the happy smile on her face froze. ¡°I can¡¯t, I have to stay here and watch the fun. Tell him to go.¡± The one she referred to was Qing Feng who was still recording the case on a table to the side.


    Li Mu disdainfully said, ¡°Can you read? Can you write? Do you know legal literature? Can you record what just happened?¡±


    Before Li Mu finished speaking, Ming Yue turned around. With a shamed expression she rushed out of the hall to find a doctor.


    An hour soon passed.


    During this time, one of the county guards sent out returned. With a morose expression he reported that Divine Herb Hall¡¯s storekeeper said he was too busy today and didn¡¯t have time to come to the court hall to stand trial. He would come another day when he had free time¡­


    Li Mu was angered breathless.


    ¡°Tell him that if he doesn¡¯t come to the court hall within an incense stick of time then I will personally go to his medicine store and break it down myself.¡±


    Li Mu clenched his jaws.


    What a bastard. He couldn¡¯t come because he was busy? He dared to put on an act before the county magistrate?


    Li Mu loved to put on an act the most, but what he couldn¡¯t stand the most was others putting on an act in front of him.


    The county guard was helpless. He gloomily left.


    And a dozen minutes or so later, the little girl attendant returned to the court hall with a bearded doctor. The doctor examined Zhang Li and bandaged her. After examining her injuries, he stated that although she had suffered some damage to her internal organs she wasn¡¯t in danger of dying. She only needed to take some medicine and rest for three to five months to fully heal. The little girl Kin¡¯er profusely thanked the doctor and even fell down to her knees to thank him. It was an extremely pitiful sight.


    Li Mu sighed with emotion.


    This little girl¡¯s family had been able to open a small medicine shop in Alabaster County City. This proved that they weren¡¯t poor; they were at least around the middle class. At the very least they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about where to find clothes and food. But, when facing the bullying of evil forces, their entire family had been ruined and devastated nearly overnight.


    And if one had to find a reason, it was because they were too weak.


    The strong ate the weak. In this backwards civilization that seemed like ancient China, the law of the jungle had actually manifested to such a crazed degree.


    With this, Li Mu realized just how necessary one¡¯s personal strength was.


    After another hour ¨C


    The six county guards brought in a middle-aged person in embroidered robes. They arrived in the court hall.


    ¡°Storekeeper Huang, please.¡± The county guard was extremely polite to this middle-aged man. He led the middle-aged man into the court hall before turning to Li Mu and bowing, ¡°Reporting to the Lord, I have brought the person you requested here. He is Divine Herb Hall¡¯s storekeeper, Huang Wei.¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s gaze fell upon the body of this Storekeeper Huang.


    ¡°I greet the Lord Magistrate.¡± Huang Wei wasn¡¯t tall. He was chubby with a fair complexion and his robes exuded an expensive taste. He smiled as he bowed.


    This man seemed benign and pleasant, but Li Mu had cultivated the Xiantian Arts and his senses and awareness had risen dramatically above those of an average person. He could clearly feel thick disdain emitting from this person.


    ¡°Zhang Li, is this person the murderer?¡± Li Mu asked the woman.


    The woman stubbornly stared at Huang Wei before finally shaking her head. ¡°Reporting to the Lord, I do not know him. He is not the one who killed my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and husband.¡±


    Li Mu was incensed. He looked towards the county guards.


    The county guards shrank back, not daring to meet his gaze.


    Huang Wei faintly smiled. He had already prepared himself for this. ¡°Reporting to the Lord, there has been a misunderstanding. It was only when these guards came to my store this morning that I realized something like this occurred. I immediately launched a vigorous investigation into the matter and discovered that it was one of my rookie shopkeepers who led a few apprentices to cause such a mess. Because of their wrongdoings, they have already been dismissed from my Divine Herb Hall¡­as for the matters related to Zhang Li and her family, although I deeply sympathize with her plight, this matter is unrelated to my Divine Herb Hall.¡±


    Huh?


    What the hell.


    He was actually trying to play it this way.


    On Earth, wasn¡¯t this just called blaming the temporary workers?


    After a moment of stunned silence, Li Mu flew into a rage.


    This person was simply trying to trick him.


    ¡°What a bunch of crap. How could everything be such a coincidence?¡± At this time, the little attendant girl Ming Yue angrily beat her chest and let out a string of insults. The words she used were incredibly¡­rude and vulgar.


    Huang Wei glanced at Ming Yue. After seeing that she was just a na?ve little attendant still wet behind the ears, he simply sneered and didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Just what kind of look is that? Do you believe that my young master won¡¯t beat you to death with his fists¡­?¡± Ming Yue was 12 years old. She had sparkling white teeth and skin as fair as jade, just like a little carving. But at this time this beautiful little girl¡¯s short temper had been lit and she was just like a little wolf. The county guard to her side stopped her, afraid that she would rush over and bite the storekeeper.


    Pa!


    Li Mu pounded his gavel down. He gnashed his teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your reasons. Within three days, Divine Herb Hall will hand over all those murderers. Otherwise, just wait for your store to be closed. The Zhang Family¡¯s medicine shop that was stolen must be immediately returned, and not just that but Zhang Li will be compensated with 500 taels of silver for medical charges and¡­emotional and mental damage.¡±


    For this shopkeeper to bring out such an excuse, he was just disgracing himself.


    Since Divine Herb Hall wanted to be unreasonable, Li Mu would solve this in an unreasonable way.


    ¡°My Lord, you are simply forcing us to do something beyond our power.¡± Huang Wei¡¯s lips twitched for a moment before the fake smile returned. ¡°As stated, those villains are no longer a part of our Divine Herb Hall. As for the Zhang Family¡¯s medicine shop, that was bought by us for a high price, so how can you say that we stole it? We even have the contract here as proof, which has the thumbprint of the original owner, Zhang Long¡­¡± As he spoke, Huang Wei took out a yellow contract deed from his robes and passed it to the county guard.


    ¡°Fake, that¡¯s fake¡­¡± The heavily wounded Zhang Li rose up upon seeing this. She struggled to reach Huang Wei, angrily saying, ¡°That is a forgery. You definitely took my father-in-law¡¯s thumbprint after killing him¡­if my father-in-law agreed to sell the shop, why would he be killed by you¡­you are just a demonic beast in human skin¡­I will fight you¡­¡±


    A county guard at the side hurried forwards to stop the woman. He shouted out, ¡°In the court of law, do not cause trouble.¡±


    Puff¡­


    The woman was breathless. She was so angry she spat out another mouthful of blood.


    ¡°Mother, Mother¡­Mother don¡¯t scare Kin¡¯er. Mother, please wake up. Kin¡¯er doesn¡¯t have a father anymore¡­¡± The little girl Kin¡¯er was na?ve, with little experience of the wider world. In just several days she could be said to have fallen from heaven to hell. She had lost everything and she cried so much that her eyes were swollen. In her panic she looked like a little duck caught in a raging storm.


    Li Mu took the yellow contract deed. Without a glance he ripped it in half.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Huang Wei¡¯s complexion changed once more. He glared at Li Mu and smiled once more. ¡°My Lord, this contract deed had the official stamp of the county deputy Lord Zhou. You just tore it apart. What is your intention?¡±


    ¡°I am not afraid of you so I¡¯m going to tell you right now exactly what is going on. I won¡¯t be playing your ridiculous and nonsensical little word games. You know well in your heart what the truth is. As for where this contract deed came from, you are also well aware¡­every word I said just now will not change, so remember them for me and go back to report them to your master. If you can¡¯t do as I¡¯ve told you then three days from now I will personally lead people to ruin your store.¡±


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 8 Third-class Master

    Chapter 8 ¨C Third-class Master


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    As Li Mu¡¯s glare stayed on Huang Wei, even he felt a bit faint of heart.


    He had never seen such a county magistrate before. Not only were his words vulgar but his manner was completely overbearing.


    ¡°Good, very good. My Lord, you indeed have the majesty of a great official. Haha, I will remember this. But, My Lord, this is Alabaster County and I¡¯m afraid that you might not be able to keep your promise, haha¡­¡± As Huang Wei regained his composure he no longer disguised his emotions. He coldly smiled and said tauntingly, ¡°I will pass on Lord¡¯s words to my master and not omit a single one. I hope that in the future, Lord will remember the words that you have spoken, hehe¡­then, I shall bid my farewells.¡±


    With that, he turned and walked away.


    After taking two steps, Huang Wei felt that he hadn¡¯t spoken his fill. He turned his head and said with a contemptuous smirk, ¡°Allow me to give Lord a piece of advice. Lord has just arrived at Alabaster County so it''s possible that you don¡¯t know just how deeply ingrained our Divine Herb Hall is in the county. You should do your best to find out as much information as you can in the next three days, otherwise I fear that Lord won¡¯t even have time to regret.¡±


    Then, Huang Wei swaggered away.


    The little shopkeeper actually dared to be so arrogant in the court room of the County Administrative Hall. From this one could see just how rampant and domineering this Divine Herb Hall and the Divine Orchard Gang behind them must be in the wider Alabaster County City.


    Li Mu stared at Huang Wei¡¯s back. He had several moments where he wanted to run up and slap that Huang Wei¡¯s mouth rotten, but he finally endured it.


    He knew that after taking office he had secluded himself in the county hall for 20 some days, and because of this he had been regarded as some soft fruit.


    How could he let this be?


    It seemed he really needed to expose his fangs.


    He had to find a chance to let these natives of an alien planet experience just how warm the regards from Earth could be.


    But now was not the time to worry about this. Three days from now, he would deal with them altogether.


    But before then, there were some matters that Li Mu needed to clarify.


    ¡°Men, bring Zheng Li and Kin¡¯er to the medical hall to recover.¡±


    The woman and her daughter were helped up by the county guards.


    ¡°Rest assured. After three days, I will give you due justice.¡± Li Mu comforted the widow and child.


    Zhang Li and Little Kin left as they uttered words of thanks.


    In the darkest times of their lives as they drowned in despair, they finally saw a glimmer of hope and justice.


    ¡°In today¡¯s court session, how come there were only you six here?¡± Li Mu returned to his official seat and looked at the four remaining county guards. He had thought it was a bit strange when he first walked in. When he previously spoke with Qing Feng about various things he had learned that there should be around a hundred county guards in the County Administrative Hall, so how come there were only six people here today? Where was everyone else?


    ¡°Uh, that is...¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    The four county guards hesitated.


    ¡°You speak.¡± Li Mu pointed towards the county guard that first spoke. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    This county guard was very young; he looked to be around 20 years of age. He was tall and built like a rock with sharp and strong features. As Li Mu pointed a figure at him his complexion suddenly changed. His voice faltered, ¡°This subordinate¡¯s name is Zhang Ru¡­the other people have likely¡­all been sent out¡­I¡¯m not too sure about the reason either¡­¡±


    From the man¡¯s reaction alone, Li Mu could tell that the truth absolutely wasn¡¯t so simple.


    However, thinking about it some more, he waved his hand in response, indicating for everyone to leave.


    There wasn¡¯t much information he could obtain from these small county guards.


    These county guards seemed as if they were all granted pardons from death. They immediately retreated.


    ¡°Young Master, someone is trying to undermine you and ruin your foundation.¡± The little girl attendant Ming Yue indignantly muttered.


    At this time, the young attendant Qing Feng finished recording Li Mu¡¯s first court case. He laid down his brush and stood up, worry in his voice and on his face, ¡°Ming Yue is right for once. The atmosphere has been strange in the administrative center these past several days¡­¡±


    Ming Yue was happy for a moment, her large eyes smiling until they turned to crescents. But then, she realized the meaning behind Qing Feng¡¯s words and her ears began to twitch. She looked at Qing Feng, ¡°For once? Then, are you saying I was wrong before?¡±


    Qing Feng, ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It just occurred to me that I have yet to wash Young Master¡¯s underwear. I should head back to do the laundry first¡­¡± Qing Feng turned and left.


    Ming Yue jumped up. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t leave, tell me what you meant first!¡±


    Li Mu rubbed his forehead.


    Just where did the Li Mu that fell off the cliff find these two ridiculous attendants?


    This was the first time that Li Mu had held court, but he didn¡¯t feel good upon finishing it. He didn¡¯t feel any of the joy he thought he would from playing the part.


    The main reason was that after Li Mu thought about matters a bit more earnestly, he decided that he needed to take more initiative to integrate himself into this world. At the very least, he should brush ways with the martial arts world or even collide with it. Although the old conman had said that his safety should come first, there was no such thing as absolute safety on the road of martial arts.


    It was impossible for a skilled sailor to be born on the surface of calm lakes. Only by sailing through wild storms could a true captain be forged.


    Li Mu needed his martial arts cultivation to reach a degree at which he could break out of this planet¡¯s shackles within 20 years.


    To do that, he needed to fight.


    As he thought through all these things, his thoughts became far clearer.


    He returned to the back county hall and continued to train.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Early the next day, Li Mu summoned county guard Chief Captain Ma Junmo to better understand some things.


    ¡°Greetings, My Lord.¡±


    Ma Junmo was a tall and burly man with a trimmed beard and a square face. He wore flexible black armor and a circular red guard hat. A heavy saber hung in a sheath at his waist and he exuded an obvious strength and momentum. As one of the three county heads of Alabaster County, he was clearly considerably powerful. At the very least, Li Mu felt that this person was a little stronger than the leader of those six Bloodmoon Gang warriors that had tried to kill him when he first arrived.


    ¡°Chief Captain Ma, there is no need to be so polite. Please, sit.¡± Li Mu gestured towards a chair to the side. He asked, ¡°The reason I asked Chief Captain Ma to come here today is because there are some matters related to the martial world that I wish to consult you about.¡±


    ¡°Matters of the martial world?¡± Ma Junmo was startled. This young county magistrate had been evading him for a period of time already and had finally called him in for an audience, but instead of speaking about county matters, he wanted to ask about the martial arts world?


    Li Mu nodded. ¡°I hear Chief Captain Ma also comes from a faction background?¡±


    Ma Junmo was a martial artist and had a stoic and quiet personality. He said, ¡°I come from the Alabaster Faction.¡±


    ¡°Alabaster Faction?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are located in the Alabaster Mountains. Among the hundreds and thousands of sects in the empire, the Alabaster Faction is ranked 99th. Even in the entire continent, they are a ninth-grade sect. 10 years ago I was lucky enough to obtain the guidance of an outer court Elder of the Alabaster Faction. I was received as his secret disciple and taught all the martial arts I now know.¡± Ma Junmo honestly said.


    In fact, the reason that he was able to become the county guard chief captain of Alabaster County was not only because he received the recognition of the previous county magistrate but also because he had the status of an outer court disciple of the Alabaster Faction. In the surrounding several thousands of miles, the Alabaster Faction was extremely famous and they had a deep impact on the area.


    ¡°Ninth-grade sect?¡± Li Mu muttered, thoughtful. ¡°Sects are also divided into grades?¡±


    Ma Junmo thought that this young county magistrate had devoted all of his time to studying scholarly texts and thus didn¡¯t know even the most general knowledge of the martial arts world. He nodded, replying, ¡°Yes, the three great empires and nine divine sects rule the world together. But outside the nine divine sects, there are also tens of thousands of large and small ones that litter the land. Thousands of years ago, there was once an ancient sage who divided up the continent and brought about order. Sects cannot directly rule the secular world and they also need to be graded. Once graded, sects receive special privileges to stand above the secular world and the disciples of these sects are also not completely bound by secular laws either¡­¡±


    Li Mu didn¡¯t speak. He calmly listened to Ma Junmo¡¯s explanation.


    He understood that this world was in fact not the same as ancient Earth.


    In this world, martial arts strength could be used to control countries and decide their destiny. There were tens of thousands of sects and they were omnipresent through the world, seeping into every nook and cranny of the world.


    The three great empires of the continent were Western Qin, Northern Song, and Southern Chu. These three empires ruled side by side, dominating the common secular world. But, many of those officials, ministers, and military officers all had sect backgrounds. Even many of the royal family members of the three great empires possessed long legacies of martial arts inheritances.


    ¡°The nine great divine sects, what are they?¡±


    ¡°Lord doesn¡¯t know of them?¡± Ma Junmo was surprised. Beneath the vast canopy of heaven, it was excusable if one didn¡¯t know the names of the emperors of the three great empires. But, to not know of the nine great divine sects that had ruled the world for thousands of years, that was actually strange.


    Li Mu said in all seriousness, ¡°Yes. Well, it¡¯s like this. I fell down a cliff a while ago and hit my head.¡±


    Ma Junmo was skeptical of this reasoning but he still replied, ¡°The nine great sects are Hidden Flower Temple, Bluestate Mountain¡¯s Bluestate Dao Palace, Divine Solar Hall, Heavenly Monster Mansion, Knowledge Academy, Graymark School, the Great Prairie Primal Wolf Divine Palace, Deep South Vast River, as well as my Western Qin Empire¡¯s destiny-stabilizing sect, Sealed Mountain Meadow.¡±


    Li Mu nodded. Afraid that he would arouse Ma Junmo¡¯s suspicions, he decided not to ask for further details. He changed the topic, saying, ¡°I am just a scholar so I don¡¯t have much understanding of the realms of martial arts cultivation. Chief Captain Ma, what boundaries is martial arts divided into? Do martial artists of different strengths have different titles?¡±


    This time, Ma Junmo wasn¡¯t suspicious. He patiently explained, ¡°Martial arts cultivation is indeed separated into different boundaries. When an ordinary, strong and healthy individual trains in some cultivation methods they can increase their strength and augment their blood vitality. They would be slightly stronger than the average person. When combined with some commonly known martial arts, such a person could defeat several other ordinary unarmed people. Once they achieve a thousand jins of strength, this would be called the Strength Unity realm. In the martial arts world, this is a beginning-level master. Beyond that, if they manage to successfully open their inner energy and take control of their inner energy, then that would be the Energy Unity realm. This could be called a third-class master. And further beyond that, if one can fuse their strength and energy together, this is called the Concept Unity realm. That is a second-class master of the martial arts world¡­¡±


    Upon reaching here, Ma Junmo no longer continued speaking.


    Li Mu listened with relish. Hearing Ma Junmo stop, he immediately asked, ¡°and what is above Concept Unity? What boundary is there? What type of powerhouse would be considered a first-class master?¡±


    Ma Junmo forced a smile. ¡°This subordinate¡¯s martial talent is slow and lacking. In the past, what my master taught me was only some basic foundation techniques. As for what realms lay above the Concept Unity realm, I don¡¯t really have much understanding into them. And as for a genuine first-class master, besides my master from the past, I fear there is not one in Alabaster County City. At the very least, I have never seen one before.¡±


    ¡°Which boundary is Chief Captain Ma in?¡± Li Mu asked.


    Ma Junmo didn¡¯t conceal anything. ¡°This subordinate¡¯s martial talent isn¡¯t amazing at all. After diligently training for 10 years, I have only entered the Energy Unity realm.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s very strong.¡± Li Mu commented, his words not matching with his thoughts.


    He nodded thoughtfully.


    The pressure and feeling that Ma Junmo gave off weren¡¯t particularly strong. Li Mu was confident he could wound him with a single punch.


    In other words, his current combat strength was stronger than that of an Energy Unity realm martial artist. He could be considered a third-class master.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 9 Sudden Change

    Chapter 9 ¨C Sudden Change


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    But what he lacked was actual combat experience. If he were to truly fight, his opponent surely wouldn¡¯t stand around like a stone block and allow him to freely strike them. Thus, if he were to fight someone on the level of Ma Junmo, his chances of winning would only be around 70-80%.


    Li Mu objectively judged his strength.


    ¡°How strong is the Divine Orchard Gang in the county? Do they have any powerful masters in their ranks?¡± Li Mu also asked.


    Ma Junmo¡¯s thoughts skipped a beat as he heard this.


    News of what happened yesterday in the court hall had already spread through all the high level circles of Alabaster County.


    Many people thought that this new young county magistrate was crazy and all of them were waiting to see what kind of joke he would make of himself.


    But for the lord county magistrate to ask such a question, could he really be planning on moving against the Divine Orchard Gang?


    ¡°The Divine Orchard Gang was founded over 20 years ago. They were a gang formed from various medicine, agriculture, hunting, and alchemy industries. The gang has thousands of members, and although most of these people are ordinary citizens, they can still be considered a considerable influence in Alabaster County City. The gang has over 10 beginning-level masters at the Strength Unity realm and at least two third-class masters of the Energy Unity realm: the gang leader Sikong Jin as well as their guest Fan Changan.¡± Ma Junmo was clearly a proficient county guard chief captain. He had a great deal of information about these matters.


    But at the end, the straightforward chief captain couldn¡¯t help but add on, ¡°The Divine Orchard Gang has been operating in the county for dozens of years already. They have formed all sorts of intertwined connections with different officials and merchants; they cannot be underestimated.¡±


    This could be called an extremely vague reminder.


    Ma Junmo thought that this was the very least he could do.


    As for whether or not this young county magistrate listened to him, that was his own business.


    Although Li Mu was his boss, his foundation was too shallow and he possessed too much of a youth¡¯s impulsiveness. He wouldn¡¯t accompany Li Mu to his death.


    As Li Mu heard this information, his heart began to race.


    So, it seemed that the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s influence was a bit greater than expected. This would be a little troublesome.


    Should he first endure for a year or so until his strength increased before he did something?


    But thinking about it, this was not a feasible idea.


    He had already put forth an act. Even if he must cry, he had to play the role until the end.


    Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t he really become a joke?


    At this time, the sound of rapid footsteps came from outside. A county guard rushed in, panicked, ¡°My Lord, My Lord, things are bad! Some thugs attacked the medical hall and captured Zhang Li and her daughter! Zhang Ru has also been killed¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ma Junmo¡¯s complexion changed and he stood up.


    Li Mu was stunned before immediately understanding what happened. He took a few steps forwards and grabbed onto the county guard. ¡°What did you say? What is going on?¡±


    ¡°People from the Divine Orchard Gang attacked the medical hall¡­¡± The county guard¡¯s voice shivered as he replied. He was also wounded from the fight.


    Li Mu had sent the plaintiff Zhang Li and her daughter Little Kin to the medical hall for their wounds to be healed. At the same time, he assigned the county guard Zhang Ru to protect the plaintiff. However, only a day had passed and a bunch of hoodlums from the Divine Orchard Gang had been prompted to attack. They said that Zhang Li had falsely accused Divine Herb Hall and was colluding with the dog officials from the County Administrative Hall, and that all of this was done to ruin their livelihoods. Then, they forced their way into the medicinal hall and captured the plaintiff. As for the county guard Zhang Ru who worked for the County Administrative Hall, he had even been beaten to death¡­these actions were simply overturning the heavens.


    ¡°Motherfucker!¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s anger suddenly erupted.


    They dared say he was a dog official?


    Then he would kill those bastards.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Alabaster County¡¯s official administrative medical hall ¨C


    The front doors had been broken in and even the signboard had been pulled down and torn apart. The entire courtyard was in tatters and pained groans echoed out.


    Of the medical hall¡¯s four doctors, three had been knocked unconsciousness and another had a broken leg and blood dripping down his head. He was being supported by an apprentice whose face was beaten black and blue. They sat at the entrance of the medical hall, their faces numb as they gazed at the chaos.


    The people from the Divine Orchard Gang had already left.


    Li Mu had come one step too late.


    The air was filled with the smell of blood.


    Li Mu had sent four county guards to protect Zhang Li and her daughter. Besides the one that had returned to report this incident to him, two of them were lying unconscious in the lobby with broken hands and feet.


    But, the only county guard that Li Mu knew by name was that young and strong Zhang Ru. It seemed that because he had resisted, someone had shoved a sharp medicine scoop through his chest, pinning him to the dark wooden screen doors of the medical hall. His eyes were wide open and he held a long service saber in his hand. A pool of blood had formed beneath his feet, and his eyes were filled with pain and anger as if he had died with deep injustice and unsatisfied grudges.


    This was the first time Li Mu had seen a corpse at such a close distance.


    But he didn¡¯t feel fear.


    What had been a living person yesterday had become an icy cold corpse today.


    Li Mu lifted his hands and brought down Zhang Ru¡¯s corpse. He gently laid him down, stroked his face and closed his eyes.


    On the side, even though Chief Captain Ma Junmo had become accustomed to the arrogant and reckless actions of this gang, he still couldn¡¯t conceal the anger on his face.


    The Divine Orchard Gang was becoming increasingly daring and excessive; they even dared to kill a county guard. Their gallbladders were larger than the heavens.


    As for Li Mu, he actually calmed down.


    The reason he had given a buffer of three days¡¯ time was in order to obtain more information and get a better understanding of the situation and then deal with this manner calmly and reasonably. But now, it seemed that some people¡¯s arrogance had become utterly uncontrollable and could only be dealt with in the most simple of ways.


    He took the steel saber from Zhang Ru¡¯s hand and looked towards the county guard who had reported this incident to him. He asked, ¡°You saw what happened. Was this all really done by people from the Divine Orchard Gang?¡±


    The county guard shivered. He didn¡¯t dare look Li Mu in the eyes. He nodded and said, ¡°This subordinate saw everything clearly. The Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s Four Heavenly Guardians led people to break their way into the medical hall and capture Zhang Li and her daughter. Big Brother Zhang Ru ordered me to report this to you, but I never thought that¡­¡± Speaking to here, the county guard burst into tears. Although he was afraid of death, Zhang Ru was a kind older brother who had looked after him and his fellow colleagues.


    Li Mu looked at Ma Junmo. ¡°Chief Captain Ma, is the headquarters of the Divine Orchard Gang located in the city?¡±


    ¡°It is in the city.¡±


    ¡°Then do you dare to lead me there?¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Ma Junmo hesitated for a moment. The Divine Orchard Gang was formed from all sorts of complex elements and they had no lack of ruffians and thugs at their command. The headquarters was even worse, simply a ruinous mess. If they really caused a ruckus then those outlaws might go insane. At that time, lives would be put in danger.


    ¡°You do not need to fear. Just bring me to the entrance of their headquarters; you do not need to guide me in.¡± Li Mu calmly said.


    But even though Li Mu¡¯s expression was calm, Ma Junmo felt that this young county magistrate was like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.


    ¡°Of course this subordinate dares to bring you.¡± Ma Junmo¡¯s face blushed red with Li Mu¡¯s words. He began to feel his blood boiling over. He grit his teeth and shouted out, ¡°Zhang Ru was my soldier! I will also demand justice for him. But, My Lord doesn¡¯t need to brave this danger alone. We should gather the county guards and soldier guards first and then go together¡­¡±


    Li Mu shook his head. He said with a bit of disdain, ¡°Does Chief Captain Ma still believe that I can mobilize the soldier guard troops of Alabaster County?¡±


    Ma Junmo fell into an awkward silence.


    County Deputy Zhou Wu and County Commander Zheng Longxing were secretly undermining Li Mu. Even he had managed to catch wind of this.


    Thus, he was well aware that besides a small number of county guards, this county magistrate was in truth nothing but an empty figurehead without any power at all. He couldn¡¯t mobilize any soldiers.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Li Mu lifted the saber and walked out of the medicinal hall.


    ¡­


    Zhou Mansion ¨C


    County Deputy Zhou played with a ring of beads in his hands, a sinister smile etched across his face.


    ¡°I never thought things would be like this. This young county magistrate comes from a scholarly background, but he does have a little courage. He actually wants to go to the headquarters of the Divine Orchard Gang alone, hahaha¡­the heavens are truly helping me.¡± He smiled, his face just like that of a snake.


    He was well-informed of all matters. Everything that occurred in the county was within his grasp.


    On the side, County Registrar Feng Yuanxing smiled. ¡°The Divine Orchard Gang is supported by County Commander Zheng Longxing, and is also considered his right hand. For these past years, they have handled many matters for him, but this Zheng Longxing simply doesn¡¯t realize that you have already placed a spy in the Divine Orchard Gang. When Zheng Longxing sent people to break into the medical hall, he shouldn¡¯t have wanted to kill anyone, but you actually moved in secret to do so¡­haha, this has truly become a great mess now. Let¡¯s see how this Zheng Longxing deals with this.¡±


    Zhou Wu playfully smiled. ¡°Yes, but this matter hasn¡¯t become great enough.¡±


    ¡°Lord¡¯s meaning is¡­¡± Feng Yuanxing asked with a smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that if this young county magistrate isn¡¯t careful, he might accidentally die in the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s headquarters, and then wouldn¡¯t Zheng Longxing be in an even worse situation?¡± Zhou Wu lightly said.


    Feng Yuanxing was startled. A trace of alarm and fear flashed through his eyes.


    What a vicious and sinister plan.


    If he could take advantage of this opportunity to kill the young county magistrate in the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s headquarters, then the entire Alabaster County City would be turned over.


    After all, he was still a ninth-grade official. If he died to the hands of a gang, then no matter how corrupt and inefficient the empire¡¯s government was, they would still investigate this. It would be easy for the empire to find the connection between Zheng Longxing and the Divine Orchard Gang. At that time, even if he wasn¡¯t sentenced to death, his position as the county commander would come to an end.


    As things stood, just a little bit more planning and the seat of Alabaster County Magistrate would completely belong to County Deputy Zhou Wu.


    ¡­


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    ¡­


    At the same time, at the county commander¡¯s office ¨C


    Zheng Longxing had a happy expression on his face. ¡°Haha, that turtle finally left the County Administrative Hall. My painstaking efforts finally bore fruit¡­however, why did that county guard die? Didn¡¯t I give express orders not to kill anyone?¡±


    ¡°It might be because those outlaws from the Divine Orchard Gang were unable to control themselves¡­¡± The aide on the ground explained, fear thick in his voice.


    ¡°Whatever. The goal has been achieved, so the death of a county guard isn¡¯t anything at all.¡± Zheng Longxing waved his hand.


    ¡°My Lord, how about having Sikong Jin move to get rid of that fellow and end this trouble.¡± The aide pulled his finger across his throat.


    ¡°What nonsense.¡± Zheng Longxing scolded. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know of my relationship with the Divine Orchard Gang? If that young county magistrate dies in the Divine Orchard Gang then there is no way I can escape being connected to this matter. Hehe, This time I fear the entire county is paying attention to this matter. Tell Sikong Jin to stay in seclusion and not see that small county magistrate. If the county magistrate forcefully rushes in, have someone in disguise catch him and make him suffer a little before releasing him in public¡­.as for what happens afterwards, there is no need for you to worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± The aide rose up to leave.


    ¨C


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 10 Pig Killing Saber

    Chapter 10 ¨C Pig Killing Saber


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    Zheng Longxing summoned another aide and handed a letter to him. ¡°Deliver this letter. Inform the master from the Bloodmoon Gang to prepare himself according to these arrangements and be ready at any time.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The aide turned and left.


    In the shadows of the chamber, this county commander¡¯s lips split open. He diabolically laughed, ¡°Haha, a young magistrate in his teens suffered such a humiliation and committed suicide after being unable to bear it. This reasoning is flawless. Even if they investigate, they won¡¯t be able to find anything¡­hehehahaha!¡±


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    ¡°My Lord, we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Ma Junmo pointed towards a forest of stones in front of them.


    This stone forest was located in the southwest corner of Alabaster County City. It was in a remote, distant location and there were strange and bizarre rock formations all around. There was thick green vegetation and the air was moist. Many snakes and poisonous insects dwelled here, and a heavy miasma permeated the land.


    This place was occupied by the Divine Orchard Gang over 20 some years ago. After all these years of operating from this location, this place had become like a small mountain village. A tall fence stretched around the area. This was the headquarters of the Divine Orchard Gang and it was a nearly impregnable bastion with a layout as confusing as a maze. Even if an army of 300-400 people came, they would still find it difficult to assault this base.


    When speaking of this region, the people of Alabaster County City would often shudder and pale.


    All of the residents of the city regarded this stone forest as a land as terrifying as an Asura hell.


    ¡°You can go back.¡± Li Mu turned and said to Ma Junmo. Then, he lifted the steel saber in his hands and headed towards the front gate of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    ¡°My Lord¡­¡± Ma Junmo wanted to persuade Li Mu again, but when the words reached the tip of his tongue he just couldn¡¯t speak them. He straightened his back and clenched his teeth. ¡°I will accompany you inside¡­¡± Just as he said these words he began to regret them. Once they went inside, how would they come back out?


    Li Mu waved his hand without even turning his head. ¡°You wait out here.¡±


    Ma Junmo¡¯s legs became like lead. He didn¡¯t even take a single step forwards.


    He turned around. He could see that in the far off distance, on the road they used to get here, there were a number of people looking towards them. There were some officials from the County Administrative Hall, some members from other gangs and factions, and even some bodyguards from wealthy families and so forth¡­news of this matter had clearly spread at an astonishing speed and all of the high-level figures in Alabaster County City were paying attention to this event.


    Was a heaven-shaking tsunami about to roll towards them?


    Ma Junmo suddenly felt a spell of dizziness come over him.


    At this time, Li Mu arrived at the front gates of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    Two stone columns that were over 20 meters high stabbed into the heavens like stone daggers. A door was built between them. This door was made from ancient wood that was thousands of years old and was incredibly heavy and thick. It was dyed bright red, just as if it were soaked in blood. Several disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang stood at the entrance, all of them wearing crimson, blood-red clothes, and all of them exuding a perverse and eccentric aura. Their eyes were cruel and callous as they stared at Li Mu walking towards them.


    ¡°Divine Orchard Gang Leader Sikong Jin, roll out of your nest and see me!¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s anger began to ignite. He took wide steps forwards.


    The Divine Orchard Gang disciples were like sparrows whose nest had been disrupted.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Halt¡­¡±


    ¡°It looks like you want to die. You dare to rush into the headquarters of my Divine Orchard Gang?¡±


    Angry shouts sounded out. The members of the Divine Orchard Gang approached.


    Li Mu paid them no heed. He shouted out, ¡°Sikong Jin, I don¡¯t believe that you don¡¯t know I¡¯m here! Hurry up and get the hell out here!¡±


    These words were like a thunderclap in broad daylight. They cracked through the air, causing everyone¡¯s ears to buzz and hum. They immediately revealed expressions of astonishment.


    This young county magistrate, how could his voice be so loud? Was he a martial arts powerhouse? No¡­there wasn¡¯t any sense of aura emitting from his body.


    ¡°He actually dares to shout out the name of our gang master. Capture him.¡±


    A gloomy and dire voice spread out from behind the front doors.


    ¡°Go!¡± The members of the Divine Orchard Gang rushed forwards.


    Li Mu bent down a little. Strength began coursing through his legs.


    The ground beneath his feet instantly cracked like a spider¡¯s web.


    Then, like an engine suddenly pushed to the limits, he hurtled forwards.


    His speed was as quick as lightning.


    The disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang simply weren¡¯t able to respond to what had happened. All they saw was a flash of light and a figure flicker in front of them. A gust of wind rushed past them and blew them off their feet. As for Li Mu, he had already disappeared.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The distant Ma Junmo¡¯s heart tightened. His pupils shrank.


    This level of speed¡­even a master at the perfection of the Energy Unity realm would be unable to possess such speed, right?


    What was going on here?


    Could this County Magistrate Li actually be a martial arts master who had hidden his abilities all along?


    Gasps of surprise sounded out from afar. Those observing were also startled silly.


    And soon after ¨C


    Bang!


    The sound of a thunder crash erupted, sounding like the beating of divine drums.


    Li Mu rushed towards the great gates of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters like a raging gust of wind. He kicked at the gates.


    Then, beneath the gaze of numerous eyes filled with shocked disbelief, something incredible occurred. With that single kick, the great 10,000 jin heavy gate suddenly blew apart like two fragile planks of wood. The gate doors were blasted several meters away before they struck the stone forest and caused a cloud of dust and smoke to rise up. Pieces of stone flew about and the ground for several miles began to shake as if an earthquake were occurring. This sort of crazy and violent scene was simply indescribable.


    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°My mother!¡±


    ¡°How is this possible?¡±


    ¡°This¡­this is¡­just what sort of strength is this!?¡±


    Cries of alarm were shouted out one after another from behind Ma Junmo.


    In that moment, the minds of countless people had gone completely blank as if they lost all capacity to think.


    This included Ma Junmo.


    He was a master who originated from the Alabaster Sword Faction, but even in his lifetime he had never seen such terrifying strength before. That young fellow had rushed forwards as fast as a bolt of lightning, and in that moment he had been like a dragon in human form. This was simply not strength that a martial arts master at the Energy Unity realm should possess. In fact, this far outstripped the Energy Unity realm¡­


    ¡°Sikong Jin, you still aren¡¯t coming out? Do you want me to tear apart this little rat nest of yours?¡±


    Li Mu roared out. His voice was like rolling thunder, blasting through the skies of the headquarters.


    Screams of shock and pain transmitted from the Divine Orchard Gang stronghold within the stone forest.


    The collapse of the great gate had smashed apart dozens of stone pillars. Many disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang had been hiding amongst them, and they had been injured when they couldn¡¯t dodge in time. Many of them had their legs and arms smashed to a pulp by stones and it was only now that they were able to react. Voices of fear and panic cried out. Amongst the stone powder and dust, there were also the faint shouts of angry gang masters¡­


    On normal days, this Divine Orchard Gang headquarters was like a dark and gloomy living hell. But now this living hell was like a sparrow nest that had been smashed by a stick and was completely stirred into chaos.


    Li Mu gathered power in his legs. He leapt up 10 meters and landed on the fallen doors with a loud bang.


    ¡°You crazy fool, you deserve death for destroying my headquarters¡¯ gate.¡±


    A cold humph emerged from the clouds of dust and rock. A sharp keening blade sound followed right after.


    The clouds of dust and rock split apart.


    A gray figure leapt through the skies like an eagle. He carried a two meter long saber that he brought slashing down.


    This saber carried a terrifying momentum.


    But Li Mu cultivated the Xiantian Arts and his reaction rate and senses far outstripped those of an ordinary person. Although this saber seemed as fast as lightning, it was in reality incredibly slow. He took two steps to the side, dodging this saber that was hidden in the dust.


    This simple evasive movement came from Li Mu¡¯s instincts.


    But from the far off distance, beneath the watchful gazes of numerous different parties, what they actually saw was Li Mu moving like flowing water and clouds, every step he took filled with profound skill and accurate timing, like an antelope leaping through the mountains.


    Clang!


    Sparks splashed out.


    The saber chopped onto rock. Sounds of cracking stone rang out into the air.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Li Mu turned to the gray figure holding the saber.


    This was a cruel and ferocious man that seemed around 40 years old. He was thin and narrow and his gray hair hung scattered around him. He wore black flexible armor and his entire body exuded a dark and sinister aura and a sour rotting smell. Upon hearing Li Mu, the man proudly smirked, lifting his two meter long saber and saying, ¡°I am ranked third in the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s Four Heavenly Guardians, Heaven Severing Saber Xu Zhi. No matter who you are or where you came from, since you dare to break down the gates of my Divine Orchard Gang headquarters then you must pay the price.¡±


    ¡°Four Heavenly Guardians?¡± Li Mu¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°So when your people broke into the medical hall, killing a county guard and capturing Zhang Li and her daughter, you were also among them?¡±


    ¡°Haha, yes, I was there.¡± Xu Zhi raucously laughed.


    He already knew that this youth in front of him was the county magistrate and was only pretending not to know.


    The orders from above had been to publicly humiliate this young country magistrate. Since he received these orders, he would naturally carry them out well¡­hehe, if he were to cut off an arm or leg or beat him half to death, that should be considered as humiliating him.


    ¡°It''s good that you were one of them.¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s heart burned with rage, but his eyes actually remained calm.


    He thrust his steel saber into the ground and then pulled up the overly spacious sleeves of his robe. After he tied them up he tested them and found that they were just tight enough. Then, he picked up the steel saber that he took from the dead Zhang Ru.


    With this, Li Mu seemed like a different person. He looked like a street gangster that was preparing to fight; he lacked the elegance of a martial arts master. The people secretly spectating from afar were already shocked speechless, but after seeing this scene they all felt it was a bit funny. It was just like a peerless fairy maiden from the heavens fidgeting because she had a sudden urge to use the restroom while still in public.


    However, in the next moment, a scene that stunned everyone occurred once more.


    The moment Li Mu grasped the steel saber, strength rushed down his thighs and legs. It exploded into the ground and even the rock beneath his feet was blown up into dust¡­


    The ground shook.


    He rushed forwards.


    As fast as lightning.


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    Heaven Severing Saber Xu Zhi¡¯s pupils shrank.


    This was because everything blurred in front of him for a moment, and after that, Li Mu disappeared from his sight.


    Woosh!


    Saber light flashed.


    In the blink of an eye, Li Mu appeared ten meters behind Xu Zhi.


    Because he rushed forwards too recklessly, he had to take two additional steps before he came to a stop.


    Bang!


    The two meter long saber fell to the ground.


    ¡°You¡­how¡­I¡­¡± Heaven Severing Saber Xu Zhi grabbed onto his neck with both hands. ¡°You¡­just¡­what saber skill was that?¡±


    Li Mu looked down at the standard county guard saber in his hand. He said, ¡°Pig Killing Saber.¡±


    Indeed. What he used was the pig killing knife saber technique he learned back on Earth when he worked at the slaughterhouse.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 11 The Terrifying Pig Killing Saber

    Chapter 11 ¨C The Terrifying Pig Killing Saber


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    After Li Mu repeatedly tempered this saber technique, he had become incomparably skilled and proficient with it. No matter how fat or wild a pig, a single strike of this saber would allow it to die without pain.


    Heaven Severing Saber Xu Zhi opened his mouth to roar out loud, but what came from his throat was actually the unwilling and terrified screams of a wild beast on the verge of death.


    Chi chi chi!


    A line of blood appeared on his neck. Then, a spray of blood followed, becoming increasingly clear and thick. Blood dyed Xu Zhi¡¯s hands red. Finally, he fell to the ground, blood pooling all around him.


    Like this, the notorious Heaven Severing Saber of Alabaster County City¡¯s Divine Orchard Gang, one of the Four Heavenly Guardians, died. His head rolled away, decapitated.


    This was a brutal and bloody image.


    Li Mu turned his head.


    In a way, this was the first time Li Mu had truly killed someone. On that rainy night when he first arrived he had killed two of the Bloodmoon Gang¡¯s disciples, but in his heart he never felt any sense of guilt or sorrow.


    Looking at Xu Zhi¡¯s corpse with its severed head that dripped blood, he didn¡¯t feel any disgust or discomfort. He didn¡¯t even feel as if he had to vomit.


    In that moment, Li Mu immediately understood why the old conman had forced him to go work at the slaughterhouse and kill pigs.


    It really was to cultivate his killing intent!


    It was to allow him to see and get used to bloody situations like this where there were severed body parts.


    That old conman had already expected today¡¯s matters to occur.


    He had sent Li Mu to another planet where they followed the law of the jungle, where the strong ate the weak. This was to force Li Mu to not only protect himself but to also force him to plow his way forwards on the road of martial arts and temper his body and firm his mind, finally being able to break free from the shackles of a planet. Becoming a true powerhouse was impossible without wielding a sword or killing others.


    And at the same time, the anger in Li Mu¡¯s heart had yet to abate.


    ¡°The Divine Orchard Gang must pay. All of the Four Heavenly Guardians must die.¡±


    He was filled with an incomparable determination.


    At this time, the dust and rocks that filled the air began to gradually settle down.


    A great number of footsteps rang out.


    Hundreds of Divine Orchard Gang disciples, led by the high level members, rushed forwards and surrounded Li Mu.


    Crossbows with poisoned arrows were aimed at Li Mu. All sorts of poison insects were released and different types of miasma were brought over¡­many members of the Divine Orchard Gang were outlaws and fugitives skilled in manipulating poison and poison insects; this was their greatest capital in being able to remain so rampant in Alabaster County City.


    ¡°Take him down no matter the cost. All you have to do is make sure he has a single breath remaining; it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s crippled.¡±


    A ruthless and cruel voice sounded out from the rear of the crowd.


    ¡­.


    Deep within the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    The green-robed gang master Sikong Jin reclined quietly in a giant cave.


    The noon sunlight shined down from the ceiling, illuminating a circular pool around three meters in radius that was located in the center of the cave. The water was deep green like jade and emitted heavy and bizarre emanations that filled the entire cave. Colorless and tasteless, these emanations created a terrifying atmosphere in the cave.


    ¡°Divine Orchard Gang Leader Sikong Jin, roll out of your nest and see me!¡±


    A deep roar sounded out form the distance like rolling thunder. It passed through the ceiling and reverberated through the entire cave.


    Sikong Jin looked to be a middle-aged man in his thirties. He was a handsome man, with large ears and sharp eyebrows and a temperament like a scholar. A faint smile always hung on his face. At first glance, it was easy to develop a favorable impression of him.


    But, if one looked carefully, they would notice that his skin was too pale, as if white powder had been spread on it.


    In a brighter light, one could see the thin blue blood vessels beneath that pale skin.


    After leading the Divine Orchard Gang for 15 years, Sikong Jin¡¯s status in the gang could be called that of an unshakeable ruler.


    With his great strength and ruthless methods, he had planted fear and awe into the hearts of every gang member.


    ¡°Haha, this young county magistrate actually came. This young fellow has a bit of courage.¡± Sikong Jin reclined on his chair. Stood behind him were two beautiful young women clothed in the thinnest and barest of fabrics, gently waving feather fans towards him. A vague happy expression hung on his lips.


    To be honest, he simply didn¡¯t place this young county magistrate in his heart.


    The previous county magistrate wasn¡¯t too bad, but in the end wasn¡¯t he also forced to resign and go deep into the woods?


    Currently, the Qin Empire¡¯s political administration was in turmoil. Alabaster County was located at the eastern edges of the empire. The mountains were high and the emperor was far ¨C it was hard for any justice to come to this land. Good and evil were jumbled up and the officials could no longer control the situation. Currently, the power of different factions was what determined the dominant power. This young county magistrate with a shallow foundation had just arrived and hadn¡¯t even managed to steady himself, and yet he wanted to take action against the Divine Orchard Gang?


    Sikong Jin smiled.


    Within the cave, there were also other high level members of the Divine Orchard Gang. All of them laughed at these words.


    The entire cave was filled with a cheerful atmosphere of those who believed they stood above all others.


    If they could leave the county magistrate helpless, just how great an honor would that be once this news passed out?


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out and the ground shook.


    The entire cave trembled, just like an earthquake.


    Within the placid jade-green surface of the circular pool of the cave, faint ripples started to spread out.


    The laughter immediately died now.


    The high level figures of the Divine Orchard Gang stared at each other in blank dismay. Their faces were filled with surprise, just like dozens of ducks that were being shocked. None of them were able to make a sound.


    Sikong Jin was also stunned.


    In a moment, a breathless gang member rushed in. ¡°Reporting¡­the county magistrate has broken in. He kicked down the door, he¡¯s unstoppable...¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Some people cried out in alarm.


    ¡°He kicked down the gates of our headquarters? With his foot? Are you joking? Those two doors are at least 10,000 jins heavy!¡±


    ¡°You are sure it is the young county magistrate?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he a scholar that passed the imperial examinations?¡±


    Like a rattled rat¡¯s nest, the high level figures of the Divine Orchard Gang were left shaken.


    Sikong Jin¡¯s face darkened.


    He coughed.


    All noise in the cave immediately vanished.


    ¡°Perhaps it is because the gates have been left in disrepair for so many years¡­¡± Sikong Jin lightly smiled. ¡°Those two doors have been standing guard there for at least a dozen years already. I guess that the doorframe has likely loosened during this time, haha. It will be fine to have people gather and repair them.¡± This was his reasoning, and he also sounded supremely confident. ¡°Xu Zhi is on duty today guarding the headquarters¡¯ gates. Yes, with his specially forged saber and his 36 wind saber techniques, even I look highly upon his skills. His cultivation is at the peak of the Strength Unity realm, so I place my full faith in him. Everyone, I only fear that during our short talk, Elder Xu Zhi has already captured that young county magistrate¡­¡±


    But before his voice fell ¨C


    More footsteps sounded out.


    Another disciple of the Divine Orchard Gang rushed in, his face pale and his voice trembling. He fell down to his knees, stumbling over his words as he said, ¡°G-g-gang master¡­fellow Elders, things are bad. Elder Xu Zhi has been cut down¡­¡±


    The atmosphere fell deadly silent once more.


    Sikong Jin¡¯s faint smile disappeared and the corners of his lips twitched.


    His face burned red, like someone whose ears had been slapped around.


    ¡°How dare he. This young county magistrate has gone too far. Everyone, move out and seize that young county magistrate for me. I want him to taste just how skilled my methods are¡­¡± Sikong Jin finally lost his temper. He stood up, his eyes shining with a fierce fire. ¡°Pass down my orders. The gang members do not need to hold back. They only need to make sure he doesn¡¯t die where he is!¡±


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    ¡­


    ¡°You¡­you¡­just what kind of saber technique is this?¡±


    Invincible Spear Strike Song Tong, the last ranked of the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s Four Heavenly Guardians, had eyes filled with fear and unwillingness. His iron spear that he relied on to become famous had broken in half and had fallen to the ground. A cool feeling transmitted from his neck along with traces of despair. His mind echoed with images of the saber that had flashed towards him just now. It had clearly been nothing but an ordinary saber chop, so how come he couldn¡¯t even block it when he revolved his inner energy to the limit?


    ¡°This is a pig killing saber skill.¡±


    Li Mu honestly said.


    In his hand, all that was left over was a bare saber hilt.


    After all, the standard service saber of a county guard was just ordinary. It had been hard for it to withstand Li Mu¡¯s terrifying strength, and finally it had shattered during the last strike.


    Puff!


    A fog of blood rushed out.


    Invincible Spear Strike Song Tong¡¯s head fell to the ground and a geyser of blood erupted from his neck before his body also slumped down.


    And near his corpse were also the cold bodies of the Four Heavenly Guardians¡¯ Poison Snowflake Sword Zhao Yong and Poison Hands Du Heng. They had both been beheaded by a saber.


    When adding in the previous Heaven Severing Saber Xu Zhi that had died, they were the Four Heavenly Guardians. Each of them was an infamous character that had trampled their way over piles of dead bodies, and each one of them possessed ruthless and vicious methods. They had rampantly trampled throughout Alabaster County for the last ten years, but today, in less time than it took to finish a cup of tea, in a situation where they had joined forces, they had their heads cut off one after another by someone else. This was simply unbelievable.


    And the one who chopped off the heads of these Four Heavenly Guardians was actually the young county magistrate who everyone thought was weak and insignificant.


    In the distance.


    Ma Junmo¡¯s mind was completely blank.


    He staggered where he was, unable to stand steady. Illusions seemed to pass in front of his eyes, and he still recalled that saber light that was as horrifying as white lightning.


    Terrifying!


    Too terrifying!


    Just what sort of demonic saber technique was that? The infamous Four Heavenly Guardians had been chopped up as if they were melons and vegetables. All of them had perished.


    In Alabaster County City, Ma Junmo could still be considered a master at the upper echelons.


    But if he were to consider his own strength and abilities, it would be incredibly difficult for him to win against any of the Four Heavenly Guardians within 300-400 moves. And if they were to join forces against him, he would surely die. It was impossible for him to kill them with such relaxed ease as the lord county magistrate had just done.


    The entire scene and process hadn¡¯t seemed as if the fierce and infamous Four Heavenly Guardians were besieging Li Mu at all. Rather, it looked as if Li Mu was wielding a saber and cutting down four fat pigs.


    And behind Ma Junmo, all the various observers from the different influences had also fallen into states of fear and shock.


    They were nearly unable to believe their own eyes and they couldn¡¯t understand how all of this happened. In particular, some people that came here to gloat over the misfortunes of others were shaken as if they had been struck by lightning. Different expressions froze on their faces, and because of the tremendous shock and panic that flooded them, all of them had complexions as pale as paper.


    ¡°How could this be?¡±


    ¡°Li Mu is a master!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too powerful.¡±


    ¡°This is bad. We must hurry back and report, otherwise a great mess will occur.¡±


    ¡°Quick, quickly go and report to the sect master¡­we must immediately adjust our attitude towards this young county magistrate.¡±


    For a moment, countless thoughts erupted in the minds of these people.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 12 Furious Li Mu

    Chapter 12 ¨C Furious Li Mu


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    As the various gathered forces began to recall how they had treated this young county magistrate, all of them began to drip with a cold sweat. They started to realize just how crazy a death wish their actions had been and were so frightened it seemed as if their souls would vanish from their bodies. This person had seemed as if he could be pinched like a soft persimmon, but he was actually a ruthless tiger pretending to be a pig.


    The Divine Orchard Gang had truly kicked an iron plate this time.


    Now they could only see how Sikong Jin managed this situation.


    Bang!


    Li Mu kicked another stone column.


    The stone column was so thick that it needed two people to wrap their arms around it, but this thick column stone column actually loudly collapsed as if it were made from flour.


    Crushed pieces of stones flew into the air and fell down like rain, smashing the poisonous insects on the ground and turning them into colorful splats. Some of the bug and snake masters were also struck by the stones and they retreated back with screams.


    Li Mu was like a dragon in human form as he leapt up once more and hurtled deep into the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    ¡°I must rescue them first.¡±


    He was searching for the plaintiff Zhang Li and Kin¡¯er.


    Rumble rumble rumble


    Crashing sounds emitted from the stone forest. Columns of stone collapsed, filling the air with dust and rocks. Pained cries echoed out, filled with increasing alarm and fear.


    It was like a wild tiger had broken into a flock of chickens.


    Soon after ¨C


    ¡°You all¡­actually committed such a villainous crime¡­all of you should just die!¡±


    Li Mu was so angered that he exploded out in a roar. His voice was like a thunderclap that rang deep into the stone forest.


    Soon after, more panicked shouts and cries for mercy howled out from the disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang.


    Soon, the acrid smell of blood emerged from deep in the stone forest.


    Many people were being cut down.


    Li Mu was going on a killing spree.


    Ma Junmo stood outside, looking at this scene from afar. He approximately understood what had happened.


    When the Divine Orchard Gang was first founded, they were originally a union of agricultural and medicine businesses that had only wanted to seek a better livelihood. They were a normal small gang, but afterwards they gradually rose in status. Many outlaws joined them and it was at this time that they began to rapidly inflate. Afterwards, when the current gang master Sikong Jin joined, the nature of the gang began to undergo a complete change, becoming utterly dark and evil.


    In these past years, the Divine Orchard Gang could be called a cancerous tumor in the side of Alabaster County City. They committed all sorts of vicious and evil acts and many young and beautiful women had disappeared because of them, with all clues leading towards the Divine Orchard Gang. Rumors said that they had been taken to the Divine Orchard Gang where the disciples would humiliate and abuse them. And, it was even said that the Divine Orchard Gang helped Sikong Jin cultivate his poison arts and brought in live test subjects to do so. It was said he used living people as reagents for his alchemy and dug out their beating hearts and livers to feed his insects. He was cruel to the extreme.


    Besides the disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang and visitors, anyone else that was caught and brought into their headquarters had already stepped onto the road of death.


    At this time, with Zhang Li and her daughter having been brought to the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters, they had absolutely no chance of living.


    Ma Junmo could see that the lord county magistrate wasn¡¯t some bloodthirsty killer. The reason he broke into the Divine Orchard Gang was to save others. Besides cutting down the Four Heavenly Guardians that had killed the county guard Zhang Ru, he didn¡¯t choose to slaughter the ordinary disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang. But, as he entered the depths of the headquarters and saw the tragic and hellish conditions there as well as the corpse of the dead plaintiff, his rage finally broke past the limit and he began his killing spree.


    Miserable screams transmitted from deep within the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    Many people who watched from outside were horrified.


    This young county magistrate was crazy.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°What?¡±


    County Deputy Zhou Wu was startled. The red porcelain teacup in his hand fell to the ground and broke apart.


    ¡°My Lord, Li Mu is a martial arts master, and a very terrifying one at that. With a single saber, he is soon about to clear out the entire Divine Orchard Gang. Even though the Four Heavenly Guardians joined forces they still weren¡¯t able to overcome four moves from Li Mu¡¯s hands. One saber strike each¡­all of them were cut down¡­¡± The one who ran back to report this was a servant from the Zhou Family. He panted and as he spoke his face paled with fear.


    ¡°How is this possible? You...are you sure you saw what you did?¡± Zhou Wu¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. A dark premonition rose up in his heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely sure.¡± The servant continued gasping for breath, as if he couldn¡¯t rid himself of the shock and fear that still wracked his body.


    Zhou Wu fell off his chair, his face flushed with embarrassment. He looked as if he had eaten a dead mouse and was at a loss for words for a long time.


    The county registrar Feng Yuanxing waved his hands, indicating for the servant to go out and investigate again.


    When the house servant left, Feng Yuanxing rose up and cupped his hands across his chest. ¡°My Lord, it seems our analysis was wrong. This Li Mu is bad news, and he was simply playing the role of a pig to eat tigers. Even we were fooled by him before. Time is of the essence. We should carefully weigh our options on what to do next. I believe this news will soon spread throughout the entire county and all the various influences will begin to change their position towards Li Mu.¡±


    Zhou Wu nodded but was unable to speak.


    If Li Mu was only an imperial scholar candidate , then there was simply no need to worry about him. Taking a step back, even if Li Mu were only a martial arts master, then this wouldn¡¯t be a fatal problem. But, the current issue was that not only was Li Mu a terrifying martial arts master but he was also the county magistrate. With these two identities gathered together, he had become a dreadful force.


    Within the great Qin Empire, a county magistrate was the lowest imperial administrative official designated to see over the citizens. But they also possessed absolute authority and power; even the county soldiers were supposed to fall under their control. Although the Zhou Family was a local bully of Alabaster County, when they had to face such a person who combined both strength and authority, they actually fell into a passive position.


    ¡­


    At the same time.


    County Commander Zheng Longxing had a dark and gloomy expression as he sat in his chamber.


    The expression on his face had yet to fade away.


    The Zheng Longxing who thought he had been in control of everything had suffered a tremendous blow. He suddenly thought that he was some ridiculous clown jumping about. He had plotted and schemed in the shadows, but in truth he was simply playing atop the palm of this young county magistrate.


    He suddenly understood that the reason this young county magistrate had hidden away in the County Administrative Hall was not because he was afraid of being hunted down or scared of seeing people, but actually because he looked down upon them all with disdain and simply didn¡¯t place them in his eyes.


    It was too late to regret.


    He had received the news when the Bloodmoon Gang first failed to kill Li Mu, but he hadn¡¯t taken this too seriously. This was because he had erred in his judgment of Li Mu¡¯s strength.


    With one wrong step, every step after began to fall apart.


    Now, how should he deal with this?


    A lazy and languid tiger that had no intention of bothering anyone had been enraged and turned into a vicious man-eating beast, completely unable to be controlled.


    And all of this was created by him.


    ¡°This is bad. I have to hurry over.¡± After Zheng Longxing was dazed for a long time he suddenly regained his composure. He leapt up, saying, ¡°Someone, send out the orders. Have the soldiers prepare the horses and quickly go to support the lord county magistrate with me.¡±


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    ¡­


    ¡­


    Li Mu was angry.


    Very, very angry.


    He felt as if there was a raging fire in his chest, one that would soon erupt from him.


    The hellish scenes from the depths of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters continued to flash through his mind.


    Zhang Li and her daughter Kin¡¯er had been stripped naked and died miserable deaths.


    This mother and daughter had been waiting for justice to be upheld on their behalf, but they had been tortured and killed by the Divine Orchard Gang in the most brutal way possible.


    Besides the mother and daughter, Li Mu also saw a number of unknown corpses that had been chopped up like cattle and thrown in an empty area of the stone forest. As for the disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang, they were cooking this human meat to feed and raise snakes, bugs and other vicious beasts. Their expressions had been unchanged, as if they had long since become used to this¡­


    There were also some people that were kept in cages just like farm animals. It was unknown how long they had been locked up but their faces were numb and their bodies were thin and covered with scars; they were basically crippled. Their vacant eyes lacked any life, and they were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.


    The Divine Orchard Gang headquarters was no different from an Asura slaughterhouse.


    Li Mu was outraged to the point of craziness by all of this.


    His eyes turned blood red and a single thought kept ringing in his mind ¨C


    Kill!


    Kill all of these beasts in human skin!


    The county guard service saber had already been destroyed. As he rushed into the throngs of Divine Orchard Gang disciples, a casual fist was able to blow them apart with his great strength. A kick sent a stone column flying away, crashing into numerous Divine Orchard Gang disciples and killing them. Screams of pain and horror and cries of mercy filled the air, but Li Mu spared them no quarter.


    The terrifying strength of his mortal body erupted. There was no one able to contend with him within the Divine Orchard Gang.


    Even if Strength Unity and Energy Unity masters joined together, they still couldn¡¯t withstand the raging anger and passion behind Li Mu¡¯s casual fists.


    He rushed ahead, hurtling deeper and deeper into the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters. Like a tiger flying into a flock of sheep, he was completely unstoppable.


    In a rock cave deep within the headquarters.


    The atmosphere was incomparably heavy.


    Gang Master Sikong Jin¡¯s complexion had darkened. He had changed his robes for a pitch black flexible armor, and there were dozens of fully armed high level members of the Divine Orchard Gang surrounding him. These were the strongest elite disciples of the enforcement team as well as the deathsworn that he had cultivated with painstaking effort over these past years. They had the combat strength of an army.


    This was the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s true hidden card.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, the Divine Orchard Gang is over, it¡¯s all destroyed¡­¡±


    Sikong Jin could feel his heart dripping blood.


    All the hard work he had spent over 20 years on was disappearing before his eyes like running water. This was no different from cutting meat off his body.


    Sikong Jin was well aware that once everything that occurred within headquarters was exposed to the light, his status would change from that of a gang leader to that of a wanted criminal. The county commander Zheng Longxing would be unable to conceal this. From this point on, he could only set onto the road of a fugitive. The glory and prosperity he had enjoyed for more than 20 years would disappear like mist before his eyes.


    And all of this was because of the young county magistrate.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m going to be chased down by officials anyways, we might as well settle this here and now. I will kill this little county magistrate to take revenge for the enmity of destroying my foundation. Only one of us can live beneath the heavens!¡±


    The darkness in Sikong Jin¡¯s heart grew.


    ¡°Brothers, join me and avenge our fellow gang brothers. No matter who it is, since they have offended our Divine Orchard Gang they must die.¡±


    He shouted out loud and raised morale, about to lead the people out of the cave.


    But before his voice fell ¨C


    Bang!


    The doors to the cave emitted a thunderous rumble.


    Someone was pounding the gate from outside, causing the entire cave to shiver. Rocks began to fall down from the ceiling.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 13 Crushing the Divine Orchard Gang

    Chapter 13 ¨C Crushing the Divine Orchard Gang


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    ¡°Kyaa!¡±


    The several beautiful maids screamed in fear. They trembled and fell to the ground, their faces paling.


    Sikong Jin¡¯s gaze swept over them. A flash of viciousness lit up his eyes. In any case, he couldn¡¯t take these women away. If so, then he didn¡¯t want them to benefit others.


    He flung out his palm and dozens of green flying needles flew out, striking the pitiful women between the eyebrows. These concubines that were usually doted on and loved daily were all killed off. The corpse venom contained within the needles quickly turned their bodies into green goo.


    ¡°Sikong Jin, get out here and prepare to die!¡±


    The doors to the rock cave burst open.


    Dust and rock chips filled the air. A figure stepped forth from the doorway, his body wreathed in billowing dust and smoke. As he walked forwards, his visible outline was like a demonic god descending upon the world.


    This person was Li Mu.


    Sikong Jin¡¯s eyes were vicious. He grimly smiled and waved his hand, saying, ¡°Kill him. Chop him into pieces for me!¡±


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Battle cries soared to the heavens.


    The elite disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang were protected in armor. They grasped long spears, bows, crossbows, swords, sabers, and all sorts of weapons. Just like an army, they rushed towards Li Mu. They wanted to completely submerge him like a tide.


    Li Mu kicked out several times. The rocks beneath him flew out with 10 thousand jins of strength behind them, smashing into the group.


    The sound of broken bones sounded out. Flesh and blood splashed and miserable cries filled the air.


    Without even a single exchange, a third of the Divine Orchard Gang disciples were crushed to death.


    Li Mu¡¯s form of combat defied all common sense. In the face of absolute strength, the armor of the Divine Orchard Gang disciples that was able to block metal blades was actually torn apart like paper. Not only did their armor not protect them, it encumbered them, making them lose speed and flexibility so that they died even faster.


    Sikong Jin¡¯s complexion changed.


    He immediately realized that in a direct fight, even he wouldn¡¯t be able to block one of Li Mu¡¯s strikes.


    He drew back a little and then took down a large bow from the stone wall next to him.


    This bow was silver-white all over, and seemed to be formed from strange branches that wound around it like snakes. The surface of these branches was rough and the design of the bow was simple. The bow was a meter long, even smaller than many ordinary bows when they were drawn. The bowstring was a milky white color and as thick as a finger, far thicker than ordinary bowstrings. This lent an extraordinary flavor to the bow.


    This bow was incredibly heavy.


    Even with Sikong Jin¡¯s cultivation, his arms trembled as he began to draw it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use this divine killing bow to send you off.¡±


    He looked at Li Mu who was surrounded in a circle of enemies and grinned.


    A specially forged large spiked steel arrow was placed on the bow. Sikong Jin took a deep breath and began revolving his energy, circulating it through his meridians. A faint dark green gas began to writhe around his arms. As an Energy Unity realm master, he could revolve his inner energy and rapidly increase his strength. A nearly imperceptible light flashed on the strange wooden bow, as if some sort of change had occurred.


    Sikong Jin summoned all his strength to pull back the bow a sixth of the way.


    The arrow was aimed at Li Mu.


    At this time, Li Mu had already killed off over two-thirds of the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s elites.


    He cultivated the Xiantian Arts, his senses were keen and his reactions as fast as lightning. These so-called elite disciples simply couldn¡¯t keep track of his figure. And when they approached Li Mu, they were like watermelons smashed by an iron hammer; their bones and muscles burst apart as their bodies ruptured¡­this was an unparalleled slaughter.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    Sikong Jin was ruthless. He waited for the moment when Li Mu had just attacked to shoot this arrow.


    Bizarrely, the cream-colored thick bowstring didn¡¯t produce a single sound.


    Even though the bow had only been drawn back a sixth of the way, that spiked arrow shot forwards like a beam of light.


    As fast as lightning.


    It was hard for the naked eye to track.


    In the midst of battle, at this moment Li Mu¡¯s intuition suddenly erupted with danger.


    He forcefully pivoted his waist and leaned sideways to the right.


    Bang!


    A muffled sound rang out.


    Li Mu only felt as if something heavy smashed into his left shoulder. With incredible momentum, his body lightened and he flew backwards until he crashed into a stone wall 10 meters away.


    His left shoulder had been pierced through by an arrow.


    The large spiked arrow had passed through his shoulder and nailed him to the stone wall.


    Hum ¨C


    The arrow and its feather plumes vibrated without end.


    A burning heat raced up his shoulder. Li Mu looked down at this large arrow and then took a deep breath.


    An agonizing pain transmitted from his left shoulder, nearly making his vision fade black.


    ¡°Haha, attack! Kill him for me! Kill him!¡±


    With his sneak attack having succeeded, Sikong Jin viciously laughed.


    The remaining four or five shocked Divine Orchard Gang elite disciples were ecstatic with joy. They left their weapons and rushed forwards.


    Li Mu¡¯s eyes began to heat up.


    His breath came faster and heavier, making it seem as if he were some wild bull that had delved into a state of madness. He kicked his feet against the stone wall, using the recoil force to tear free. Blood splashed out and he flew off the wall, the spiked arrow still pierced through his shoulder.


    He casually flickered forwards.


    He swung his fists around in the same way.


    There was no technique behind his attacks!


    But he was fast ¨C far too fast!


    Ping! Ping! Ping!


    The five Divine Orchard Gang elite disciples saw something flash in front of them. Their bodies shook for a brief moment before they all burst apart, dead.


    Li Mu had already rushed in front of Sikong Jin.


    Sikong Jin was startled. He revolved his inner energy and used his movement techniques. He drew backward, as if there were an invisible rope behind him pulling him back. At the same time, he bent the bow once more and nocked the arrow, barely managing to draw it a tenth of the way as it shot out three arrows continuously.


    But this time, Li Mu was already prepared.


    He still dodged left and right with his seemingly clumsy steps. But because his steps were too fast he avoided all three arrows. The arrows scratched past him, carrying with them heated flows of energy.


    ¡°You are that scumbag Sikong Jin?¡± Li Mu roared.


    Sikong Jin revolved his inner energy and flashed away, dodging to the side. Without speaking he drew out another specially forged spiked arrow and nocked the bow once more. He had given up on trying to fight in a melee, because he was well aware that with the horrifyingly strange level of strength that Li Mu had displayed, he would be wounded with just the smallest touch.


    Li Mu slowed a little.


    He grabbed the steel arrow that shot towards him head-on, and then waving it right and left, he smacked apart the other two spiked steel arrows.


    Bang!


    Li Mu gathered strength in his legs. Countless cracks appeared in the ground beneath his feet. Then, he shot forwards like a cannonball, not giving Sikong Jin any chance to shoot more arrows. Like a bolt of lightning he instantly approached. His fist came smashing out, solidly strike the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s gang master in the stomach.


    Bang!


    Sikong Jin spat out a mouthful of blood and the organs in his stomach turned to mush. The black armor that protected him didn¡¯t break apart but he was still severely wounded and sent flying backwards several meters. With a loud crash he struck walls of the circular pool in the center of the cave, leaving behind a human-shaped hollow.


    He gasped for breath. He had lost all ability to fight.


    Thick rivulets of blood flowed out from his mouth.


    Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!


    Li Mu slowly walked forwards. His glare blazed with hot anger as if he wanted to burn Sikong Jin to ashes.


    ¡°Haha¡­haha¡­haha¡­¡± Sikong Jin humorlessly chuckled.


    He now knew he had chosen wrong.


    He was wrong because he shouldn¡¯t have developed thoughts of killing Li Mu here because of his hatred towards him. Rather, if he had run away at the very start he still might have had a chance of living. The error on his part had been because he had wanted to kill Li Mu to vent his anger, and because of that single decision he had stepped onto a path beyond redemption. With his current heavy wounds, even if he somehow managed to escape now he still wouldn¡¯t live for much longer.


    ¡°Human trash like you should die a thousand times, ten thousand times.¡±


    Li Mu looked down at Sikong Jin. ¡°So tell me ¨C how do you want to die?¡±


    ¡°Die?¡± Sikong Jin knew that it was no longer possible for him to escape, and with this in mind he actually calmed down. His complexion was pale white and blood gushed out from his mouth with every breath he took. He looked up at Li Mu and tragically smiled. ¡°I have seen far too many dead people. Whether they are 80 year old elders or babies that have yet to be born¡­haha, I¡¯ve killed them all! If they die then they die! In this world where people eat people, even the sovereign kings of empires that stand lofty above us, even the sect masters of the nine great divine sects, there will come a day when they die. I have already enjoyed everything that I wanted to and lived the worth of my life¡­haha, oh, you asked me how I want to die, right?¡±


    Speaking to here, he coughed loudly once more and then smiled.


    ¡°I¡­want¡­to..die¡­with¡­you¡­green dragon, why don¡¯t you come out!¡±


    As his voice fell ¨C


    Huala - !


    From the mirror-calm surface of the green pool, a green figure flashed out like lightning.


    This green lightning was fast to the extreme. It instantly wrapped around Li Mu; it was a giant water python covered with green spots with a body as thick as a bucket. There were two small bone horns jutting out from its head, making it look just like a flood dragon. It was extremely fast as it opened its large maw and moved to swallow Li Mu¡¯s head.


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    Before Li Mu could react, he found that his body was tied down.


    He lifted his hands and grabbed onto the python¡¯s jaws so that it couldn¡¯t bite him.


    Numbness began to spread out from his palm.


    Poison?


    Li Mu¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°Hahaha, just give up. This green dragon is a variation species from the Alabaster Mountains. When it is grown, it can even swallow whole a tiger. I only managed to obtain it after paying a steep price and then I used all sorts of precious herbs and medicines to raise it for ten years and have it reach maturity¡­cough¡­I¡­originally wanted to use it to refine a pill¡­but now I no longer have a chance. Haha¡­green dragon¡¯s body is covered with virulent poisons from top to bottom and even I don¡¯t dare to touch it¡­then¡­I¡¯ll see you on the road to the Yellow Springs River!¡±


    Sikong Jin fiercely laughed in deep satisfaction.


    Great gulps of fresh blood gushed out from his mouth, mixed together with bits of organs.


    Li Mu felt the numbness in his arms become increasingly intense. His two arms seemed to have lost all feeling and he could no longer restrain the green python. The python¡¯s maw that emitted noxious poison gasses approached Li Mu¡¯s face a bit at a time, and the cloying, decaying scent that followed it nearly made Li Mu faint.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 14 All Parties Gathered

    Chapter 14 ¨C All Parties Gathered


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    The sounds of slaughter stopped.


    Outside the gates of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters, the atmosphere had fallen into a strange and quiet peace. All of the observers that came to watch seemed to have forgotten to breathe; they could even hear their own heartbeats.


    Ma Junmo¡¯s expression was unsure.


    The lord county magistrate should have won, right?


    He hesitated. Then, he finally firmed his resolve and was about to step in.


    But suddenly, from behind, the thunderous sound of galloping horses rose up.


    Over 500 soldier guards of Alabaster County rushed forwards, led by the county commander Zheng Longxing.


    ¡°Ma Junmo, where is the lord county magistrate?¡± Zheng Longxing shouted out from afar.


    ¡°Reporting to the county commander, Lord Li killed his way in¡­¡± Ma Junmo respectfully answered.


    He was the chief captain and the county commander Zheng Longxing was his immediate superior; he didn¡¯t dare despise him in the least.


    ¡°If he¡¯s inside then why are you still outside? Soldiers, don¡¯t stop, rush in with me and rescue the lord county magistrate.¡± Zheng Longxing roared out, an expression of worry and anxiousness etched on his face. He kicked his horse and shot forwards like a bolt of lightning, racing past the collapsed gates of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    Zheng Longxing also came?


    As the various parties watching from afar saw this, all of them felt a strange feeling stirring in their hearts.


    Just what was the meaning of this?


    Everyone knew that the one supporting the Divine Orchard Gang from behind for all these years was this County Commander Zheng.


    As for why the Divine Orchard Gang would anger Li Mu, anyone with the slightest bit of intelligence could imagine that reason for that occurring. Now, with the Divine Orchard Gang being crushed, that was no different from one of Zheng Longxing¡¯s arms being chopped off. And if Zheng Longxing were to rush in and help clear away the Divine Orchard Gang, wasn¡¯t that the same as lifting a stone and smashing it on his feet?


    For Zheng Longxing to arrive here in such a hurry, the most likely reason was that he wished to finish things as soon as possible and take this chance to destroy any and all evidence that he was colluding with the Divine Orchard Gang. Only then would he be able to free himself from the consequences of what would occur.


    But, how could things be so easy?


    Everyone knew that with this, County Commander Zheng would be in a great deal of trouble.


    But as Zheng Longxing and his soldiers rushed forwards, the sound of more footsteps came rapidly approaching from behind.


    From afar, County Deputy Zhou Wu was leading a force of 300 soldier guards to catch up.


    And at the very front of this force, standing side-by-side with Zhou Wu, there was the county registrar Feng Yuanxing as well as Li Mu¡¯s two young attendants Qing Feng and Ming Yue; it was unknown how those two had arrived here together with Zhou Wu.


    ¡°Ma Junmo, where is Lord Li?¡± Zhou Wu¡¯s performance was completely similar to that of Zheng Longxing¡¯s. He shouted out this question from afar.


    Ma Junmo pointed towards the gates of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters, not even saying a single word¡­


    Woosh!


    A gust of wind raced past him.


    ¡°Sir! Sir! Are you inside¡­.did you die? Are you alive?¡± The silly and cute little attendant Ming Yue raced forwards like a wild dog, dragging the anxious and sweaty young attendant Qing Feng behind her. They hurtled directly past Ma Junmo and the others, leaving them behind in their dust.


    So fast!


    Ma Junmo was startled.


    Just what food did that little girl eat growing up to be able to run so quickly?


    ¡°What? County Commander Zheng already went it? This is¡­we must hurry and rescue Lord Li!¡± Zhou Wu heard that County Commander Zheng Longxing had rushed into the wreckage of the headquarters first and immediately fell into a panic. He knew that he couldn¡¯t allow Zheng Longxing to arrive first and destroy all the evidence of his involvement and wash himself clean. He quickly led his subordinates forwards.


    Looking at Zhou Wu¡¯s worried face, those that didn¡¯t know the situation would think that the ones inside the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters were his parents.


    At this time, Ma Junmo no longer hesitated. He immediately followed behind them and rushed in.


    Soon, the ruins of the stone forest appeared before them.


    ¡°Heavens, this is¡­¡±


    Seeing the stone forest within the headquarters, everyone was shocked.


    It didn¡¯t look like a fight had taken place in the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters at all. Rather, it seemed as if a cataclysmic earthquake had ruined the land.


    Nearly all of the buildings had collapsed and stone columns had fallen everywhere. Giant hollows formed by punches and kicks were still visible everywhere, and severed limbs littered the ground. Pools of blood soaked the earth and smashed up flesh and bone dust filled the air¡­the corpses of the Four Heavenly Guardians had already been collected by the soldier guards who arrived before. As for the other core disciples of the Divine Orchard Gang, they didn¡¯t even have complete corpses to collect; they had been blown apart alive.


    Seeing the wreckage around them, Zhou Wu, Feng Yuanxing, and Ma Junmo felt their hearts shiver.


    It was hard to imagine just how horrifying the battle must have been at the time.


    Although Zhou Wu had already heard news of this from his subordinates, truly seeing it with his eyes was another matter. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked again. In his heart, a deep sense of fear and powerless began to swell up. It was clear from this just how great Li Mu¡¯s true strength was and it was far higher than his worst expectations. Vaguely, he felt like he was facing some ancient primal beast and not some imperial scholar candidate that hadn¡¯t even reached 15 years of age.


    Zhou Wu suppressed the panic racing through his heart. He turned and gave several orders in a low voice to the county registrar Feng Yuanxing.


    Feng Yuanxing nodded. He waved his hand and a team of elite soldier guards dispersed outwards.


    Ma Junmo thought for a moment and then decided to follow County Deputy Zhou Wu, not leaving his side.


    The further in they walked, the more horrifying the traces of the battle became.


    Ma Junmo saw a thick stone column that needed at least five or six people to wrap their arms around it, and this thick stone column had been shattered from the middle. And from the impact site, one could still see the remnants of a half-meter deep hollow; it was obvious that this stone column had been broken by a punch. Just thinking of it caused a tingle of fear in his heart. What sort of strength was needed to accomplish this?


    Even for someone whose cultivation was at the peak Energy Unity realm, it would still be impossible to barehandedly punch with such terrifying strength, right?


    As County Deputy Zhou Wu saw all of this, his complexion continued to change.


    After all, he was a martial arts master and naturally knew what the traces of battle around him signified.


    The Divine Orchard Gang was one of the four great factions within Alabaster County City, and also the faction that was most troublesome to provoke. They had innumerable disciples that were skilled in poisons and they utilized all sorts of ruthless and sinister methods to achieve their goals. In his struggle for power, Zhou Wu once thought of using a few major cases as an excuse to wipe out the Divine Orchard Gang. This would also be the same as cutting off County Commander Zheng Longxing¡¯s arm. But, his attempts failed several times, and in fact, though he caused some minor losses to them, the Divine Orchard Gang only continued to grow in influence and become even more solid.


    But now, such a stubborn influence had been wiped out by a single person in less than two hours.


    As Zhou Wu thought of this, he felt a cold chill shoot straight up his back and into the skies.


    The subordinate warriors who followed behind him were also pale and shaken. Many of them were frightened senseless by the limbs and blood and bones that scattered the ground like some brutal battlefield. Some of them couldn¡¯t stand what they saw and ran to the side to vomit.


    The group walked about a kilometer forwards and finally arrived at the entrance of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters¡¯ stone cave.


    But what was surprising was that County Commander Zheng Longxing and over a hundred of his subordinate soldier guards were only standing at the entrance of the cave; they hadn¡¯t gone in.


    The crowd of people stood at the entrance to the cave, seemingly hesitating for some unknown reason.


    Zheng Longxing turned as he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He saw Zhou Wu and the others, and a cold and ruthless light flashed in his eyes.


    But soon, this cruel light faded from his eyes. In the next moment a genteel smile appeared on his lips once more, as if he were seeing an old friend he hadn¡¯t seen in many years. He laughed and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, you arrived quickly. It seems that this matter even alarmed you.¡±


    Zhou Wu also put on a pretend smile. He walked forwards and cupped his hands across his chest, saying, ¡°It would be bad if I didn¡¯t come. The lord county magistrate is in danger so I should come rescue him, haha¡­I heard that there were some people that wanted to kill Lord Li¡­.haha, Lord Zheng, it seems you arrived even faster than I did. How admirable of you.¡±


    ¡°Hoho, I am the county commander. Governing the soldiers is part of my responsibilities so of course I would arrive earlier.¡± Zheng Longxing laughed, all smiles.


    The two spoke on good terms, with many smiles and laughs between them.


    Those that didn¡¯t know the situation would think that these two people were good brothers raised by the same mother.


    ¡°Oh? If that¡¯s the case then how come Lord Zheng has yet to go in?¡± Zhou Wu asked.


    Zheng Longxing faintly smiled, not replying.


    He had already been at the entrance to this rock cave for the time it took to drink a cup of tea, but he hadn¡¯t gone in.


    The reason was simple. There were no longer any sounds coming from the rock cave. He had even shouted inside several times but there had been no response. He sent people to search around the cave but didn¡¯t find any signs that someone escaped. With this, he could be sure that Sikong Jin or Li Mu was still in the cave.


    Perhaps¡­the two of them had perished together?


    Zheng Longxing had a good understanding of who this Sikong Jin was. He was cruel and merciless and took revenge for even the slightest affront to him. He had numerous cards hidden in his hands and his methods were evil and ruthless. Perhaps when Li Mu entered the cave, Sikong Jin had used some trap against him, and maybe in the end the two of them died together?


    If that were the case then it would be far too good a result.


    Thus, Zheng Longxing stood at the entrance, hesitating even as he kept watch outside.


    He was worried that if he rushed in, Li Mu might not be dead but might perhaps be in a critical state. If that were the case, then he surely couldn¡¯t finish off Li Mu with so many other soldier guards all around him.


    And while he hesitated, Zhou Wu had caught up.


    Zhou Wu quickly understood Zheng Longxing¡¯s thoughts.


    If Li Mu were to die inside, that would absolutely be good news to Zhou Wu. As long as he could use this matter and manipulate it a little, he could knock Zheng Longxing to the ground. Then the role of the ruler of Alabaster County would certainly be his in the future.


    This was an opportunity sent down by the heavens.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Wu also prayed. He prayed that Li Mu had died inside.


    Like this, the two groups of troops stood at the entrance of the rock cave, both of them staring at each other in a bizarre standoff. They didn¡¯t go in and they didn¡¯t speak either; it was a weird atmosphere.


    But at this time, loud sobbing sounds came from within the cave ¨C


    ¡°Sir, how are you? Wuwuwu¡­Sir, you¡­¡±


    It was the little boy attendant Qing Feng¡¯s distressed cries.


    Before, as Zheng Longxing was hesitating, the two young attendants had rushed into the cave without a second thought. At this time it was clear they had discovered something. Listening to the sad wails of the young attendant, it was likely that Li Mu truly had died inside, or at the very least his fate was worse than imagined.


    A happy expression lit up Zhou Wu¡¯s face.


    Zheng Longxing also relaxed.


    ¡°Go, we must quickly enter and support Lord Li.¡±


    ¡°Enter!¡±


    The two people spoke, leading hundreds of soldiers to rush in.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 15 I Nearly Forgot Something Importan

    Chapter 15 ¨C I Nearly Forgot Something Important


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    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing walked forwards with lively steps. They were in extremely good moods.


    The fear and awe that grew in their hearts as they surveyed the horror and destruction left behind by the battle was all swept away.


    No matter how powerful a martial arts master, even if they were the sect masters of the nine divine sects, although they might command awe and dread while they were alive, they lost all prestige once they died. As they imagined that Li Mu died inside the cave, the two county heads felt as good as if they were eating icy cold watermelons beneath the shade of trees on a sweltering hot day.


    From ahead, the cries of the young attendant Qing Feng intermittently passed out.


    ¡°Wuhuhu, Sir¡­¡±


    The weeping wails wrenched at the heart.


    But to Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing¡¯s ears, these sounds were like a dazzling symphony of nature.


    Their steps quickened.


    ¡°Huh? There seems to be some fragrance¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is that smell? It¡¯s so nice.¡±


    Several county guards discussed in low whispers.


    Finally, the group reached the depths of the rock cave. This was the deepest core position of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters, and also where the great open courtyard was.


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Long hastened their steps, almost running into the hall of the cave.


    However ¨C


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    As these two saw the sight before them, their eyes widened. They stared helplessly on, as if they had frozen where they were.


    Looking into the great hall of the stone cave, they saw that the Li Mu who should have died hadn¡¯t died at all. Rather, he was overflowing with exuberant energy as he sat on a stone chair, eating barbecue.


    Yes, that was right ¨C he was eating barbecue.


    Li Mu had taken off the top half of his daoist robes, revealing his solid arms and tight chest and abs. His skin shined like white jade and a barbed arrow as thick as a thumb was pierced through his shoulder. The arrow had penetrated through his shoulder blades and out his back, bringing with it pieces of flesh and bone. It was a horrifying sight, but Li Mu seemed utterly composed as if it didn¡¯t hurt at all.


    A bonfire had been lit in front of him.


    Li Mu had used another large barbed arrow to pierce through several pieces of unknown tender white meat, and was roasting it over the crackling fire.


    A wonderful smell of cooked meat flooded the entire cave hall.


    This sort of smell caused the entire atmosphere to feel even stranger and more bizarre.


    How could this be?


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing nearly bit off the tips of their tongues.


    In that moment, they were no longer eating icy cold watermelons beneath the cool breezy shade on a hot day. Rather, they felt as if they were in the deep of winter and someone had poured a bucket of water over their heads as they ran naked outside. Their hearts chilled.


    Li Mu¡­hadn¡¯t died!


    Not just that, but he seemed quite refreshed and leisurely.


    He was actually here roasting meat?


    This¡­what the hell was going on?


    The two county heads felt as if they were going crazy.


    ¡°Oho, someone came. Ah, you look familiar, just who¡­yes, that¡¯s right, it was you. What was your name again?¡± Li Mu was roasting the barbecue meat with an earnest expression. He casually glanced up towards Zhou Wu.


    Zhou Wu felt a deep helplessness grow within him.


    He had wracked his brains, plotting against Li Mu for all this time, taking Li Mu as the greatest obstacle in his way. But, this other person didn¡¯t even place him in his eyes. In the past, Li Mu had already asked him his name once, but now this person didn¡¯t even remember his name.


    ¡°Subordinate County Deputy Zhou Wu greets the lord.¡± He forced out a smile. ¡°Congratulations My Lord for revealing your invincible might and trampling flat the Divine Orchard Gang, aweing the entirety of Alabaster County.¡±


    Li Mu nodded, no longer paying attention to him. He picked up the roasted meat and then took a bite. He shook his head, unsatisfied. ¡°This is missing seasoning; the flavor is a bit impure¡­oh, that¡¯s right, and you? It looks like you are an official too? What¡¯s your name?¡± He used the spiked barbecue arrow to point at Zheng Longxing.


    ¡°Subordinate is County Commander Zheng Longxing. I greet the lord.¡± Zheng Longxing bowed, a bitter taste in his throat.


    Behind the two county heads, the hundreds of soldier guards fell to their knees. They loudly shouted, ¡°We greet the Lord County Magistrate.¡±


    Li Mu glanced up, not bothering to return any ceremonial greetings.


    To allow such a cancerous tumor like the Divine Orchard Gang to infest a corner of the county for over 20 years and torment the citizens for all this time, everyone within the governing administration of Alabaster County was responsible. County Magistrate Li Mu already had his own deep opinions of these people.


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing looked towards the young attendant boy Qing Feng in unison.


    At the entrance to the rock cave, it had been this little fellow that had confused them.


    If your young master was so lively and energetic inside, just why were you crying out as if you were mourning? You have harmed us¡­ha¡­we thought that your young master had died so we rushed in with such joy¡­now what do we do?


    Little Qing Feng completely ignored the gazes of these two county heads. He continued to cry as he cleaned the fresh blood flowing from Li Mu¡¯s shoulder. Then he took out bandages from somewhere, wanting to wrap up the wound. But, he couldn¡¯t pull out the arrow, so it was simply impossible to bandage the wound. He cried and sobbed as he attempted it again, a completely heartbroken expression on his face.


    The little girl attendant Ming Yue¡¯s eyes were shining bright and wide as she stared at the barbecue in Li Mu¡¯s hands. Drool dripped down her chin.


    As for being sad because Li Mu was injured?


    That didn¡¯t exist at all.


    For the slow and simple-minded Ming Yue, it was fine as long as her young master didn¡¯t die.


    What could be more important than eating meat?


    The bonfire continued to crackle.


    The fresh fragrance of cooked meat filled the air.


    The entire atmosphere of the cave fell into a strange awkwardness.


    After a moment, County Deputy Zhou Wu just managed to compose himself. Breaking the silence, he said, ¡°My Lord, you should leave first. Recovering from your wounds is most important.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if Lord was injured then you should go and receive treatment from the medical hall as soon as possible. You can allow your subordinates to clean up the mess here for you.¡± Zheng Longxing was also looking forwards to Li Mu leaving posthaste.


    He knew he had missed the best chance to kill Li Mu.


    He was completely confused on how he should proceed with the following step. He no longer had any contingencies left. As for the masters from the Bloodmoon Gang that he arranged to assassinate Li Mu, that plan would also need to be cancelled. Even if all those assassins joined together, they still weren¡¯t enough to withstand a single punch from Li Mu.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry. After fighting for half the day, I¡¯m a bit hungry now. I¡¯ll think about it once I finish eating this barbecue.¡± Li Mu leisurely ate the barbecue on the barbed arrow. He pointed behind him and said, ¡°It still has to roast for a while.¡±


    At this time, Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing noticed the 30 meter long green python that was lying on the ground behind Li Mu.


    This python had two gray horns jutting out from its head, and it faintly possessed signs of evolving into a dragon. But, this green python had died. Without any need to guess, one could tell that it had been killed by the young county magistrate. Around a meter of the python¡¯s tail had been cut by a sharp saber and skinned to reveal jade-white flesh. Part of the flesh had been cut out and it was clearly the meat that Li Mu was roasting over the fire.


    A green python that was showing signs of evolving into a flood dragon was actually butchered like this?


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing were stunned as they saw this.


    They were both individuals with discerning eyes. They naturally recognized that this python was a variation species and was extremely rare; it was sure to be incredibly valuable. For martial artists, it was a precious medicine that they would long for in their dreams. The snake blood, snake gallbladder, snake skin, snake venom, and even the snake meat could enhance a martial artist¡¯s physique and inner energy, and strengthen their blood vitality.


    Such a creature was being raised in the Divine Orchard Gang?


    Zheng Longxing¡¯s face became even more ugly.


    He thought that he had complete control of the Divine Orchard Gang, but now it seemed that¡­Sikong Jin had deceived him on many matters.


    ¡°Sir, I...I¡­I¡­I¡­¡± The little Ming Yue pointed at the barbecue, drooling as she spoke. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t just eat by yourself. How about sharing some with me?¡±


    Li Mu tossed a bit of roasted snake meat to this little idiot, and then also handed some to the little Qing Feng. He said, ¡°What is there to cry about, you¡¯re a big boy now¡­eat some meat first! This is hundred-year old snake meat, hahaha, it¡¯s extremely delicious.¡±


    Little Qing Feng¡¯s tears had yet to dry. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Li Mu shoved a piece of roasted snake meat right between his lips, stopping him from speaking.


    Li Mu laughed.


    In truth, in the depths of his heart, he was touched by these two young attendants of his.


    There were so many people present, but the only ones who truly wished for him to be safe and well were likely just these two little children. As for everyone else¡­Li Mu was not a fool; he could guess what they were all thinking.


    For a time, a faint bloody smell filled the cave. Li Mu and his two attendants chewed with great gusto. Besides the sounds of eating meat, there wasn¡¯t much else.


    The atmosphere became even stranger.


    Zheng Longxing and Zhou Wu¡¯s hearts raced. They were perturbed by what was occurring.


    Suddenly, Li Mu lifted his head like he remembered something. He slapped his thigh.


    Zheng Longxing and Zhou Wu were startled. They quickly bowed and looked towards Li Mu, ¡°What is it, My Lord?¡±


    Li Mu said, ¡°Damn, I almost forgot something important.¡±


    The two of them were filled with surprise and uncertainty.


    Something important?


    What did this young county magistrate want¡­?


    But Li Mu continued to say, ¡°Men, hurry and bring Divine Herb Hall¡¯s storekeeper Huang Wei here.¡±


    Zhou Wu was confused by this, but he still turned and immediately ordered people to do so.


    After around an incense stick of time, the Divine Herb Hall storekeeper, Huang Wei, timidly entered the cave, led by two soldier guards.


    ¡°My L-L-Lord¡­¡± Huang Wei was frightened pale and his lips trembled.


    Seeing Li Mu, the storekeeper nearly cried out loud.


    Divine Herb Hall was one of the businesses of the Divine Orchard Gang and he could be considered one of their members. With everything happening all around him, how could he not feel fear?


    An incense stick of time ago, Huang Wei had just received news of what occurred; the Divine Orchard Gang had been singled out and was being demolished. When he heard this he had rolled his eyes, thinking it was a joke. In his mind there wasn¡¯t anyone who had appeared in Alabaster County City yet that could challenge the Divine Orchard Gang. But, he never expected that right after that, a team of county guards would appear at the doors to Divine Herb Hall and drag him all the way here.


    Everything he heard and saw along the way here, the corpses scattered amongst the stone forest of the headquarters as well as the blood remains of Sikong Jin in the cave¡­all of this left Huang Wei shaking in fear.


    In particular, when he saw Sikong Jin¡¯s bloody corpse, Huang Wei felt as if the heavens had collapsed on him.


    Previous Chapte

 Chapter 16 Betrayal

    Chapter 16 ¨C Betrayal


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    It had to be known that within Huang Wei¡¯s heart, Sikong Jin was a spiritual demon lord who controlled the destiny of everyone in the Divine Orchard Gang.


    Now, that invincible existence in his mind had been beaten into a pile of rotting meat by someone.


    And, the one who killed Sikong Jin was the young county magistrate who he had been taunting and sneering at just several days ago in the county court hall.


    If he could turn back time, Huang Wei truly wished that on that day in the court hall he had fallen to his knees and called this fellow his father, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t have looked down on him with contempt.


    Li Mu sat where he was, eating the fragrant barbecued snake meat, grinning as he saw Huang Wei¡¯s expression.


    At such a great time, how could he not continue his act?


    What he liked to see were these people who had openly taunted him in the past suddenly frightened speechless by him.


    This sort of feeling was amazingly refreshing!


    ¡°My L-L-L-Lord¡­.please forgive me.¡± Huang Wei felt as if he were standing upon pins and needles as Li Mu stared at him.


    Li Mu laughed. ¡°L-L-L-Lord your face¡­wahaha, a few days ago in court, weren¡¯t you extremely arrogant back then?¡±


    ¡°This lowly one should die, this lowly one should die¡­¡± Huang Wei bowed deeply, almost smashing his head into the ground.


    Li Mu was invigorated. ¡°Heh, weren¡¯t you also the one who told me that in Alabaster County City, I might not be able to keep my word? So, tell me, does this count as keeping my word?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡± Huang Wei was immediately frightened. He didn¡¯t think that this young county magistrate would be someone to bear such a grudge. His voice trembled, ¡°This lowly one was a fool, this lowly one should die¡­in the county, My Lord is majestic and wise. Only your words can be relied upon.¡±


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing glanced at each other. They finally understood that the so-called ¡®important matter¡¯ was to drag this little storekeeper Huang Wei of Divine Herb Hall here for punishment. Wasn¡¯t this a bit too vengeful?


    The two of them were left speechless.


    But Li Mu didn¡¯t care about this at all.


    This Huang Wei had put on such a front that day, so today he would be ruthlessly smacked around.


    A true man should stand tall and virile, with a strong and indomitable spirit. If others were to put on such an act and affront you, then if you didn¡¯t beat them back would you still be called a man?


    And now was the best time to beat them back.


    ¡°I also remember that on that day, you said I should inquire into how deeply rooted your Divine Herb Hall was. So, I came here to the Divine Orchard Gang to ask. Sikong Jin didn¡¯t seem too willing to tell me, so I sent him off first. Storekeeper Huang, how about you personally tell me instead?¡± Li Mu asked in all seriousness as he continued to eat his barbecue.


    Huang Wei was frightened to the point of peeing his pants.


    ¡°In front of the great lord, Divine Herb Hall isn¡¯t worth a single cent¡­¡± His intestines began to turn blue with regret.


    Li Mu said, ¡°Oh. Then, about the case concerning Zhang Li and her family, what can you tell me?¡±


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Huang Wei¡¯s heart shivered. He instinctually wanted to justify those events with a few sentences, but as he saw Sikong Jin¡¯s rotting corpse near the pool as well as Li Mu¡¯s somewhat playful and thoughtful smile, his mind became as clear as a mirror and he didn¡¯t dare to try his luck again. He reiterated the process of everything the apprentices of Divine Herb Hall had done, confessing all they had done and all their lies.


    ¡°My Lord, this lowly one has spoken of the entire series of events. This lowly one was mistaken. This lowly one was wrong. This lowly one deserves 10,000 deaths¡­but I beg the lord to spare this lowly one¡¯s life. This lowly one will surely turn a new leaf in the future, surely become a new person¡­¡± Huang Wei cried as he finished, pleading with remorse and sorrow in his voice.


    Li Mu put down the barbecue in his hands. He looked as if he had been touched.


    ¡°Become a new person? What lazy words. Storekeeper Huang, you can turn over a new leaf and become someone else, but what about Zhang Li? And Little Kin, she was only a child. Before she tragically died, do you know what she experienced in these Divine Orchard Gang headquarters that is no different from a living Asura hell? Do you even dare to imagine? Very well. If you can return Little Kin and her family back to life, then I will give you a chance to reform yourself. How about it?¡±


    As Huang Wei heard these words, he recoiled as if bitten by electricity. Despair swelled up in his eyes.


    ¡°My Lord has such a vicious heart¡­¡± His eyes filled with hatred, as if he were cursing Li Mu.


    Li Mu welcomed this hatred-filled gaze. He chuckled. ¡°My viciousness cannot even compare to a tenth of yours¡­remember, in your next life, do some more good deeds and stop putting on such a front.¡±


    As his voice fell, Li Mu sent out strength from his toe. A piece of rock shot out and pierced through Huang Wei¡¯s forehead.


    This cruel and ruthless storekeeper of Divine Herb Hall died like this, bringing an end to his life of evil.


    On the side, Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxiang were stunned.


    This young county magistrate wasn¡¯t trying to make an example of punishing people to frighten them, right?


    Li Mu turned his head. He looked towards the two and said, ¡°You two also saw what happened. He confessed his crimes himself and according to the laws of the empire, he deserved execution. If I killed him, this isn¡¯t an example of personal retaliation, alright?¡±


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing thought to themselves ¨C wasn¡¯t this clearly a case of personal retaliation?


    The so-called important matter was to drag a small fry like Huang Wei from Divine Herb Hall all the way here to kill him?


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing were full of complaints in their mind, but they definitely wouldn¡¯t speak them out loud.


    ¡°Of course, of course. My Lord is fair and impartial, upholding justice for the people, so how could there possibly be something like personal retaliation?¡±


    ¡°Haha, what a great kill. Such a despicable person that holds no regard for life should be sliced into 10,000 pieces.¡±


    The two men praised.


    In fact, even if it were just two hours ago, they never imagined that they would be speaking such flattering words to this young county magistrate.


    Li Mu nodded. ¡°Then that¡¯s good. Men, come and bring this villain, hang him in the stone forest at the entrance to the headquarters. Put up a notice. Inform the people of his sins and alert everyone else. If anyone dares to violate the laws and commit such heinous crimes in the future, plundering from the innocent, then they too will meet such a fate.¡±


    Several soldier guards loudly shouted out in response. They moved forwards to take away Huang Wei¡¯s corpse.


    Li Mu thought for a moment and then added on, ¡°Pass on my orders. Not on a single one of those criminals from Divine Herb Hall will be spared. Capture them all and interrogate them. Find the mastermind behind the crime. No matter who is involved, all of them will be punished according to the laws of the empire.¡± Li Mu¡¯s voice echoed through the cave, vast and deep. Everyone could feel an unshakable will contained in his words.


    ¡°We obey.¡±


    Some hot-blooded soldier guards spontaneously shouted out in response.


    Li Mu nodded. In his mind, the tragic state of Zhang Li and her daughter appeared once more. He couldn¡¯t help but feel sadness and remorse.


    If only he had managed this case better then he could have saved that mother and daughter from a cruel fate. But, because of his carelessness, because he was overly cautious and indecisive, because he took too many things for granted¡­for a number of reasons, what eventually happened was that two innocent lives had horrifically suffered miserable deaths in this demon¡¯s cave.


    This world, how could it be so dangerous?


    The human heart, why could it be so cruel and evil?


    Li Mu felt a little stuffiness in his chest.


    He had single-handedly demolished the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters, but the anger in his heart had yet to be fully released.


    The ones responsible for this situation was not just the small Divine Orchard Gang.


    The real culprits were those ¡®big bosses¡¯ that manipulated things behind the scenes while ensuring that their hands were stained with blood. They were still out free in the world.


    At this time, more footsteps rang out from the distance.


    County Registrar Feng Yuanxing was actually leading a team of soldiers forwards.


    Seeing Feng Yuanxing, Zhou Wu¡¯s eyes brightened.


    Before this, he had ordered Feng Yuanxing to search through the ruins of the headquarters and find evidence of collusion between Zheng Longxing and the Divine Orchard Gang.


    Had he finished already?


    Thinking about it, in these past years, Feng Yuanxing had faithfully followed him at his side and had played the trusted role of adviser and strategist. Not only had Feng Yuanxing helped him solve many troubles but he was also loyal and showed great graciousness. As long as he could ascend to the position of county magistrate, he would surely entrust many responsibilities to Feng Yuanxing; Zhou Wu was someone who knew when to give.


    Thinking of this, Zhou Wu tossed Feng Yuanxing a questioning glance. He wanted to know what the results were.


    However, unexpectedly, Feng Yuanxing didn¡¯t even glance at Zhou Wu, but directly stepped towards Li Mu. He knelt down and said, ¡°This subordinate is the registrar of Alabaster County. I greet the lord.¡±


    Li Mu splayed out on his stone chair. He glanced at Feng Yuanxing, not responding, instead continuing to eat the snake meat in large bites.


    ¡°Reporting to the lord county magistrate, this subordinate led the troops to clean up the battlefield and sift through the ruins of the Divine Orchard Gang. We have found the innocent women and poor citizens and have safely arranged them elsewhere. We also have 171 criminals of the Divine Orchard Gang who have yet to die and have temporarily locked them away. As for how to handle them, I ask Lord County Magistrate for direction.¡± Feng Yuanxing bowed his head, ignoring the repeated glances from Zhou Wu.


    Li Mu still didn¡¯t bother with him.


    He seemed to be incredibly hungry. He ate meat in great mouthfuls and golden oil dripped down the corners of his mouth.


    Feng Yuanxing clenched his teeth. He hardened his heart and made a decision. He said, ¡°Reporting to the lord, there is also another matter that is of vital importance. This subordinate doesn¡¯t dare to conceal it. During the capture of the Divine Orchard Gang criminals, there were several Elder level characters that, in order to plead for mercy, were willing to testify against County Commander Zheng Longxing and admit that they colluded with the Divine Orchard Gang to kill the innocent¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zheng Longxing shouted out in rage. ¡°Feng Yuanxing, you dare to slander me, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, County Commander Zheng, there is no need to be so impatient. Allow County Registrar Feng to finish speaking first. The innocent are innocent and the guilty are guilty, so what do you have to fear from County Registrar Feng?¡± Joy began blossoming in Zhou Wu¡¯s heart. The matter he entrusted to Feng Yuanxing had truly been accomplished. While this young county magistrate was simmering in his rage, he could directly expose this matter. By fanning the flames, he could end Zheng Longxing forever. Within the Qin Empire, a county magistrate had enormous lawful authority and could directly sentence one to life or death.


    But, before Zhou Wu finished speaking, he heard Feng Yuanxing say, ¡°There is also another criminal from the Divine Orchard Gang who declared that he was a trusted spy sent in by County Deputy Zhou Wu. In order to plead for mercy, he is willing to testify that the death of County Guard Zhang Ru during the attack on the medicinal hall was actually all arranged by County Deputy Zhou Wu. And, the reason he did so was to intensify the conflict between Lord County Magistrate and County Commander Zheng¡­at the same time, they wanted to borrow the knife of others to kill and bring harm to you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± This time it was Zhou Wu who snapped out in shock. He angrily roared, ¡°Feng Yuanxing, what nonsense are you speaking? You¡­since when have I ever treated your poorly, you¡­dare to slander me, you¡­¡±


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 17 Shedding All Pretenses

    Chapter 17 ¨C Shedding All Pretenses


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    As county commander Zheng Longxing heard these words, he actually started to gloat over the misfortune of others. ¡°Hey, county deputy Zhou, there is no need to be so impatient. Allow county registrar Feng to finish speaking first. The innocent are innocent and the guilty are guilty, so what do you have to fear from county registrar Feng?¡±


    The words that Zhou Wu spoke just now had been fully delivered back to him by Zheng Longxing.


    Zhou Wu was so angry that his body shook.


    He never dreamed that this Feng Yuanxing who had always been obedient and so docile that he seemed weak, would actually betray him in such a critical moment and twist such a sharp knife into his body¡­what a poisonous snake, he had actually been fooled by him all this time!


    Li Mu smiled, with an expression on his face that indicated these people didn¡¯t need to mind him.


    What an amusing scene. Li Mu felt as if he were watching a great play unfold before him.


    The little Ming Yue had no mind to pay attention to the treacherous backstabbing actions of these county heads.


    She drooled so much that she finally couldn¡¯t help herself. She took several large barbed arrows herself and cut off slices of meat from the green python to roast.


    As for the young boy attendant Qing Feng, he had a pensive look on his face, as if he were thinking over something. He looked just like a little adult.


    Feng Yuanxing knelt on the ground. He didn¡¯t dare to stand up. Drops of sweat flowed down his forehead.


    Even though he had always been a clever and resourceful man, he still couldn¡¯t make out what this lord county magistrate Li Mu was thinking of through his posture.


    He originally thought that after hearing this report, this easily angered and impulsive lord county magistrate would surely fly into a blazing rage and utterly destroy Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing. This was because from what had occurred today at the Divine Orchard Gang, this young county magistrate surely had an impulsive personality.


    But, Li Mu¡¯s reaction had left him faithless. Fear began to rise.


    More footsteps echoed out.


    Ma Junmo brought in a doctor from the medical hall to help heal Li Mu.


    This doctor was over 40 years of age and he had a slim and slender appearance. He had seen Li Mu last time in the medical hall. At that time, his heart had been filled with anger and numbness, near despair for how the world worked around him. But at this time, as he looked at Li Mu, his gaze was filled with worship and fanaticism.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that this young lord county magistrate had single-handedly annihilated the Divine Orchard Gang and taken revenge for all the injured people from the medical hall.


    With Li Mu¡¯s consent, the doctor examined his wounds. He was left surprised, and his admiration grew even greater.


    The arrow had pierced through bone. If it were anyone else, they would have likely fainted from pain already, but Li Mu actually calmly sat here and ate barbecue with a completely unaffected expression. Truly, this was an extraordinary man who knew how to manage great events.


    ¡°My lord, before I bandage the wound I must pull out the arrow. It may hurt a little, so please endure the pain.¡± The doctor began to carefully clean up the pieces of flesh and bone near the entry point of the arrow.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Li Mu nodded. ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    Li Mu grabbed the large barbed arrow and directly tore it out.


    Pa!


    With a sharp sound, an arrow of blood shot out and splashed onto the kneeling Feng Yuanxing, horrifying him so much that he took several steps backwards. Panic filled his face, but Li Mu didn¡¯t glance at him at all.


    After Li Mu drew out the barbed arrow, he reached over and wiped it clean using the clothes that covered Sikong Jin¡¯s corpse. Then, with unnerving calm and composure, he strung more snake meat on the barbed arrow and started to roast it.


    ¡°Can you bandage it now?¡± He took several bites before turning to the bewildered doctor who looked as if he had seen ghosts come to life. He smiled, saying, ¡°That¡¯s right, would you like to have a few strips of snake meat first? It¡¯s quite delicious.¡±


    ¡°N-n-no thank you¡­my lord truly is a divine man.¡±


    The doctor came to his thoughts. As he looked at Li Mu, his gaze was even more zealous than before, as if he were looking at a living god. He quickly began to bandage Li Mu¡¯s wound.


    As for Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing, their hearts shivered as they saw this.


    Shit. This young county magistrate was definitely a ruthless man.


    That barbed arrow had spikes all around it. By tearing it out, flesh and blood followed and the wound became a giant bloody hole. Yet, Li Mu tore it out without even batting an eye. This person¡¯s will and ruthlessness were far too terrifying. How could this person live under the control of others? If they knew about this beforehand they would have joined forces to deal with Li Mu instead of stabbing each other in the back like this.


    The two men looked at each other, troubled in their hearts.


    They were now filled with regrets.


    A moment later.


    Li Mu¡¯s wound was bandaged.


    He stood up, patted his stomach and sighed in satisfaction. ¡°That was great. It feels good to eat my fill.¡±


    He looked over towards the green python corpse, of which 90% still remained. He looked at the young attendant Ming Yue and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. You little glutton, stop eating. Find several people and bring the python to the County Administrative Hall. It is enough to eat for many days¡­remember, carefully store it in the icehouse so that it doesn¡¯t start rotting.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, okay¡­¡± Ming Yue¡¯s small belly was already filled to the point of bursting, but she still continued to greedily eat.


    It was only after this little glutton finished eating another strip of meat that she stood up, satisfied. Her pale and little hands wiped her mouth and she laughed as she beckoned Ma Junmo over. Dozens of county guards assisted in lifting the giant green python and bringing it outside.


    Li Mu patted Qing Feng¡¯s shoulder. He said, ¡°You go too. That little girl is too careless, I can¡¯t feel relieved if she¡¯s by herself.¡±


    Qing Feng hesitated for a moment. He looked over Li Mu to make sure there weren¡¯t any problems remaining. Then, just as he opened his mouth and was about to say a few more things, Li Mu waved his hand, indicating that he already knew and there was nothing left to say. Finally, Qing Feng left the medical hall together with the doctor.


    The bright afternoon light shined down into the cave courtyard. It was like swords of silver light were stabbing into the cave, illuminating the fluttering dust and rock.


    Within the entire cave, the only ones left over were Li Mu, as well as Feng Yuanxing, Zhou Wu, Zheng Longxing, and the troops they brought here.


    Li Mu slowly sat back down in the stone chair. He lifted the strange white bow from Sikong Jin¡¯s corpse and began to play with it. Then, he also took the 20 barbed arrows and stabbed them into the ground. It was only now that he looked up and asked, ¡°During this time, who was the bastard moving behind my back and trying to undermine me?¡±


    Ah?


    Whether it was Zhou Wu or Zheng Longxing, both of them were left stunned.


    What left them stunned wasn¡¯t Li Mu¡¯s question, but the tone and posture when he asked it.


    This feeling didn¡¯t seem it belonged to a mighty and aloof county magistrate, but to a local thug who was beaten up on the streets and looking for revenge after being rescued.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Zhou Wu¡¯s expression was difficult to look at.


    As for Zheng Longxing, he remained silent on the side. He didn¡¯t try to fan the flames or take advantage of someone when they were down.


    He already realized that today¡¯s situation was quite dangerous. Although he wanted to kill Zhou Wu many times before, if he were to continue trying to tear down Zhou Wu now, then he would be the idiot here. In fact, it was best to secretly join forces with Zhou Wu to deal with the threat from this young county magistrate.


    ¡°You bastards. You dare to do it but not admit it? What a bunch of special morons!¡± Li Mu sneered.


    Then, he looked at Feng Yuanxing and asked, ¡°What you said just now, is all of it true?¡±


    Feng Yuanxing looked as if he had been pardoned from a capital crime. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, ¡°I am willing to guarantee the truth of my words with my life.¡±


    ¡°Haha, county registrar Feng, you should reconsider your words and reply again. Your life already doesn¡¯t have much value left.¡± Zhou Wu said, grimly sneering. At this time, his hatred towards this Feng Yuanxing who had betrayed him even surpassed the hatred he felt towards his old enemy Zheng Longxing. And even while he was caught in a rage, he was still aware that no matter how unwilling he was, he needed to collaborate with Zheng Longxing to overcome this crisis.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. County registrar Feng, you should figure out just what you are saying and what your words mean.¡± County commander Zheng Longxing said, his complexion dark. The threat behind his words was evident.


    Li Mu smiled. ¡°You bastards, you still dare to put on a front before me¡­in fact, let me tell you something, I am already sick of talking to you two stupid clowns. I am utterly disgusted by you both.¡±


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing coldly coughed and they also straightened up. Their groveling smiles towards Li Mu disappeared.


    They had already determined that giving in and admitting their guilt wouldn¡¯t solve their problem.


    Although the two of them didn¡¯t speak to each other about this, their many years of struggling against each other actually allowed them to form a tacit agreement. They had long since decided to join together to resist Li Mu.


    But Li Mu didn¡¯t bother with them. He looked at Feng Yuanxing, playing with an arrow as he carefully asked, ¡°You, speak. Colluding with the Divine Orchard Gang, harming the innocent, scheming to murder me¡­according to the laws of the empire, what is the punishment for these crimes?¡±


    ¡°The punishment is death.¡± Feng Yuanxing slowly said, firming his determination.


    As these four words came out, Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing¡¯s complexion changed.


    This trash Feng Yuanxing, he really chose to go down the blackest road.


    ¡°Surname Feng, you are quite good. We will slowly settle this account in the future.¡± Zheng Longxing said, his eyes vicious.


    He was already calculating what would happen after today¡¯s matters. He would look for a chance and teach that family-less Feng Yuanxing just how to write the word death.


    Zhou Wu didn¡¯t speak. He only laughed several times.


    Those familiar with him would know that Zhou Wu would only reveal such an expression when his anger and killing intent had reached the extreme.


    ¡°You two little mice, do you have anything else left to say?¡± Li Mu looked at the two county heads.


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing both coldly humphed. With things having reached this step, they no longer felt any awe, nor were they afraid that Li Mu would really kill them. In fact, they didn¡¯t even need to maintain any pretenses anymore.


    ¡°Lord Li, since today¡¯s matters have already ended, I ask to be excused.¡± Zhou Wu vaguely said.


    ¡°I also have matters to attend to. Lord Li should slowly clean up the aftermath here.¡± Zheng Longxing sneered.


    The two of them were already pondering how they could join forces to resist Li Mu¡¯s momentum once they returned. No matter how strong Li Mu was, he didn¡¯t have any foundation in Alabaster County City. He was but a single person, and if he wanted to rely on his bravery and singular strength to confront the forces and strength that the two of them had built up over 20 years, they would see just how far he could go.


    Li Mu also nodded. ¡°Okay. Since the two of you want to go, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Previous Chapter Next Chapte

 Chapter 18 Let Me Send You On the Road

    Chapter 18 ¨C Let Me Send You On the Road


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    As Feng Yuanxing heard these words his complexion immediately changed.


    This young county magistrate didn¡¯t seem to have a way to deal with these two local bullies; it seemed that he had been too impatient in switching allegiances today.


    As Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing heard these words they also began to relax. They laughed, not concealing the deep provocative insolence on their faces anymore. Then, they turned and started to walk out of the cave.


    At this time Li Mu then said, ¡°Let me send you two on the road.¡±


    Weng!


    The sound of a trembling bowstring filled the air.


    Zheng Longxing felt a wind blow against his back. His heart skipped a beat.


    But with his strength, he couldn¡¯t respond at all. All he felt was his back shake and his body fly forwards. With a loud crash, he smashed into the stone wall of the cave. He spat out a mouthful of blood as excruciating pain began to spread through his body.


    ¡°You¡­I¡­¡± With his face smashed into the stone wall, he was unable to turn around and thus he couldn¡¯t see the horrified expressions of the people behind him.


    Zheng Longxing struggled to reach back at the barbed arrow which was still quivering in his shoulder. He tried to summon strength to pull it out, but he found that all of his strength was like a falling tide scattering away from him. He tried several times, but in the end he was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even lift up his arms.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­am¡­unwilling¡­you¡­Li Mu, just who are you?¡±


    Zheng Longxing shouted out with the last fading embers of his life.


    That arrow had contained a terrifying might. It shot through his body, blowing apart his organs. Now not even a god could save him. This was already the final fading radiance before his demise.


    But Li Mu didn¡¯t have any intention of responding to Zheng Longxing¡¯s question that he had asked with the remaining strength he had.


    He sat on the stone chair, looking as if he hadn¡¯t even been the one to shoot the arrow just now. He looked at the bow in his hands, his eyes shining.


    ¡°Hahaha, I am¡­a ceremonies master¡­of the Bloodmoon Gang¡­you¡­the blood moon will illuminate all, blood will flow through the world...the blood moon¡­will not let you go¡­¡± Zheng Longxing¡¯s limbs twitched several more times before he took his final breath. He died, still nailed to the rock wall with an arrow.


    Someone from the Bloodmoon Gang?


    Li Mu¡¯s thoughts stirred, but on the surface he didn¡¯t seem to have heard this at all.


    He continued to examine and stroke the silvery bow in his hands.


    ¡°What a good bow.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    Even with his strength, he only managed to draw the bow a quarter of the way. Yet this arrow was able to instantly kill an Energy Unity realm master. If he could draw this bow all the way to the degree of a crescent moon, just how terrifying would the strength behind it be?


    Such a bow was sure to have extraordinary origins. For it to fall into Sikong Jin¡¯s hands, it was no different from a pearl being tossed among the pigs.


    And on another side, the hundred some soldier guards who still stood in the cave, as well as Feng Yuanxing, Zhou Wu, and the others, were all completely petrified, lost in a daze.


    He r-r-r-really killed him?


    No one imagined that this lord county magistrate would attack without even the slightest indication at all. He used an arrow to instantly kill county commander Zheng Longxing, and he didn¡¯t hesitate at all in doing so.


    This killing was far too decisive!


    The one that was shot to death was a dignified county commander, a leading figure of Alabaster County. Just by stamping his feet, he could cause Alabaster County to shake.


    But in the end, such a character had died so casually.


    As if he were no different from a pig¡­


    Shit, this fellow was too violent.


    Everyone was shocked by this sight.


    This incomprehensible event and the psychological shock waves that resulted caused them all to lose the ability to think for a moment.


    The first one to respond was Zhou Wu.


    Indescribable fear swelled through him like a tide, nearly submerging him.


    He screamed out in horror. His figure flashed and he flew towards the cave entrance like a bolt of lightning.


    If Li Mu dared to kill Zheng Longxing, then he would also dare to kill Zhou Wu.


    In that moment, panic and dread reached the extreme in Zhou Wu¡¯s heart.


    Zhou Wu had occupied the position of Zhou Family Patriarch in Alabaster County for dozens of years, and this was the first time he had felt such an impending threat of death. He had looked down upon this young county magistrate far too much. He wasn¡¯t a soft and malleable fruit, nor was he a foolish and stupid fellow. No, he was a true monstrous dragon, an absolute killing star. Before this, he thought that he could use the power of his family to confront this killing star, but now he realized that any influence would immediately collapse in the face of this demon.


    Weng!


    The sound of a faint vibrating bowstring echoed out once more.


    Like the summons from the god of death.


    Bang!


    A fog of blood shot out from Zhou Wu¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ahhh! No¡­¡± He stumbled to the ground, howling in sorrow like a butchered pig.


    Zhou Wu¡¯s left leg had been blown apart by the large barbed arrow. It had been blasted away into a pile of bloody mist and ruined flesh. As for that large barbed arrow, it continued forwards with unstoppable momentum until it pierced into the distant rock walls, sinking all the way in.


    Li Mu shook his head. ¡°My apologies, I missed.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t practiced archery before and wasn¡¯t able to aim correctly. Although the two arrows had struck the target, it was all because of the heightened senses obtained from cultivating the Xiantian Arts, and not because he was skilled in archery.


    Li Mu suddenly thought that a weapon like a bow was quite suited for him.


    If he had such a bow before and also practiced archery skills, then he simply wouldn¡¯t have needed to engage in melee combat at all. He could stand afar and shoot arrows at his enemies.


    Today, Li Mu had completely lost his temper when he exploded with rage. He didn¡¯t hold back the impulses that surged in his heart. On normal days, he always put his safety first and was afraid of hurting himself too much, so he absolutely would never have done something as dangerous as coming here. It was always better to be cautious than to rush into danger without a care. But if he had a bow, then he could solve this problem. Once he was skilled enough with the bow, it would be no different from a sniper rifle. He could take out his enemies one by one from afar; wouldn¡¯t that be even more amazing?


    Li Mu decided that after he returned back to his residence, he would definitely train in archery.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!! Ahhhh!¡± Zhou Wu howled in pain. ¡°My leg, my leg¡­¡± Although he himself was also a martial artist, he had simply occupied too lofty and prideful a position for all these years, and now his mind lacked the bravery that a martial artist needed. After losing a leg, snot and mucus stained his face.


    As for everyone else, they were still dazed.


    If it was said that the arrow killing Zheng Longxing had shocked everyone into a stunned silence, then Zhou Wu¡¯s pained cries awakened them from their stupor.


    Even so, they didn¡¯t know how they should respond.


    The ordinary soldier guards were already frightened senseless by the traces of the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s destruction, and had lost any and all morale to resist.


    As for Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing¡¯s direct subordinates, they were so scared they nearly pissed in their pants. They didn¡¯t dare to come forwards, lest they arouse Li Mu¡¯s attention. All of them hoped that Li Mu wouldn¡¯t recognize them.


    Facing this young lord county magistrate that was no different from a death god, even those deathsworn that didn¡¯t fear dying couldn¡¯t summon any desire to fight.


    The blood of the slaughtered Divine Orchard Gang disciples had yet to dry. The shock that everyone felt from Li Mu casually pulling out the barbed arrow from his shoulder had yet to fade. Two arrows had killed these two county heads, and now, to everyone else in the cave, this young county magistrate was someone who wielded absolute power and was no different from a god that controlled all as he sat there and laughed.


    Just who could fight with him?


    ¡°Ahhhh¡­no, no, don¡¯t kill me, I don¡¯t want to die. My Lord¡­I was wrong, spare me¡­¡±


    Zhou Wu''s courage broke. He howled in pain, tears and shit flowing out of him. He lay on the ground and struggled to crawl forwards.


    His pitiful screams were like a hammer that smashed into the hearts of those present, making them feel fear and apprehension.


    Li Mu frowned. ¡°How noisy.¡±


    His gaze moved towards the county registrar Feng Yuanxing.


    Feng Yuanxing was startled. He immediately understood Li Mu¡¯s intentions.


    He grit his teeth, stood up, picked up a saber from the ground, and quietly walked forwards.


    ¡°You¡­Feng Yuanxing¡­you¡­no, what are you doing¡­spare my life¡­Li Mu...lord Li Mu¡­I swear I will no longer disobey you¡­I swear that I will be absolutely loyal to you from now on¡­forgive me¡­I don¡¯t want to die¡­men, men, come save me¡­¡± Zhou Wu began to wildly struggle as a foreboding premonition filled his mind. He looked towards Li Mu with pleading eyes, seeming like a dog that had its spine broken.


    But Li Mu didn¡¯t even look at him.


    This man had wanted to kill him. If so, then he should have prepared himself to bear the consequences.


    Feng Yuanxing saw Li Mu¡¯s expression and no longer hesitated. The saber in his hand fell down, hacking Zhou Wu to death. Fresh blood splashed on his body.


    He tossed the saber to the side and wiped the blood off his face. He walked forwards and fell to his knees again. ¡°My Lord, the two criminal officials have been punished.¡±


    The hundred some soldier guards all knelt down and lowered their heads. None of them dared to move as they were all awed into submission by Li Mu¡¯s pressure.


    The situation had been resolved.


    Li Mu finally relaxed inwardly. He stood up and started to stretch his body.


    From where his shoulder was bandaged, fresh blood flowed out and dyed the white bandages red.


    He was in so much pain that he grimaced and nearly cried out loud.


    Shit. To put on an act he indeed had to pay the price.


    When he pulled out the arrow, it wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t fear pain. Rather, it was because the snake venom in his body hadn¡¯t dissipated yet. It was like an anesthetic that numbed his body to pain so that he didn¡¯t feel anything from pulling the arrow out. But now, the snake venom had gradually been filtered out and the pain became increasingly clear. It was like a sharp knife hacking away at his shoulder, incomparably excruciating.


    Li Mu suppressed himself from crying, but beads of sweat still covered his forehead.


    At the same time, he felt that some uncontrollable change was occurring within his body. Magma seemed to flow through his blood vessels, heating him up the extreme, making him feel as if he had been set on fire.


    Li Mu approximately guessed that this was because the green snake¡¯s blood was fusing together with his own strength.


    In the last moments of his battle against Sikong Jin, he had been careless and fell victim to a sneak attack. The snake venom had struck him and his strength had started to fade away. He had nearly been swallowed by the green python. But in that crucial moment, he suddenly remembered a novel he had once read, the Legend of the Condor Heroes. In that novel, the hero Guo Jing had grabbed the weak point of a snake and drank its blood while it was alive. Thus, he desperately struggled and bit that python to death, sucking in all its blood. It was only then that he managed to crawl out from the depths of danger.


    Afterwards, it seemed as if Li Mu had been casually sitting in a stone chair, eating barbecue without a care for the world. But in truth, he had been quietly revolving the Xiantian Arts to suppress the power of the snake venom and snake blood in his body. Now the snake venom had faded, but the power of the snake blood couldn¡¯t be suppressed for much longer.


    No matter what, his act today had reached perfection.


    Li Mu stood up and started to walk out of the cave.


    He needed to return to the County Administrative Hall as soon as possible and go into seclusion to refine the snake blood in his body.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 19 Great and Honorable Li

    Chapter 19 ¨C Great and Honorable Li


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    ¡°Congratulations My Lord, you have suppressed the Divine Orchard Gang and also eliminated the two culprits Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing in a single day. From this day forth, Alabaster County City is in the control of My Lord¡¯s hands.¡± County registrar Feng Yuanxing followed behind Li Mu, subserviently smiling as he spoke.


    Li Mu turned and suddenly looked at Feng Yuanxing.


    ¡°Do you think I killed them in order to seize power?¡± Li Mu asked.


    Feng Yuanxing¡¯s smile froze.


    Li Mu¡¯s gaze swept over the numerous kneeling soldiers.


    Since he had this chance, why not put on another little play?


    He should show that this young county magistrate was a righteous individual with a strong sense of morals.


    ¡°All of you, make sure you listen well to my words. The reason I killed these two people was in order to enforce the laws of the empire, impartially. It was to remove these two cancerous tumors that have haunted the citizens of Alabaster County City for all this time, and also to take revenge for all the innocent people that tragically died in the hands of the Divine Orchard Gang. Everything I did was to protect the citizens of Alabaster County and to cleanse the administration of my great Qin Empire¡­¡± Li Mu passionately said, completely displaying the spitting image of an unselfish official. Then, he asked everyone, ¡°If Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing truly loved the people, then even if they tried to undermine me, would I kill them?¡±


    Feng Yuangxing immediately responded.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, My Lord is heroic and benevolent, devoted to the betterment of the people. Your existence is the greatest blessing of all citizens in Alabaster County. This lowly one was trying to gauge the heart of a gentleman with the thoughts of a commoner. I truly deserve death.¡± He suddenly changed his tone, his face filled with the color of shame, ¡°For the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Alabaster County to have My Lord as their loving county magistrate, it is their greatest stroke of good fortune.¡±


    Li Mu¡¯s lips twitched.


    Damn, this old man didn¡¯t care about face at all when he tried to flatter others.


    ¡°Then I will let you deal with everything after this. The sins of Zheng Longxing and Zhou Wu must be cleaned up, but make sure you do not implicate the innocent. Do not let anyone go. Everything must be done according to the laws of the empire¡­as for what happened today, county registrar Feng, make you sure draft a report and state everything that occurred. I cannot be bothered with such things.¡±


    Li Mu turned around and left.


    ¡°I obey.¡± Feng Yuanxing piped up, a smile on his face.


    Did this mean that the lord county magistrate had accepted him?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a sea of people outside the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    Concerning what happened here, it had already spread out like a raging storm. Of course, this didn¡¯t include what happened in the cave.


    Besides the upper level influences of the city, many ordinary citizens also heard the news.


    Ever since Li Mu broke past the gates of the Divine Orchard Gang, news of him had disappeared, as if he had grown wings and flown away.


    In the past 10 years, the Divine Orchard Gang had colluded with numerous officials and committed all sorts of evil and vicious crimes. They had committed theft, murder, blackmail, kidnapping, and all kinds of wicked thing. The citizens of Alabaster County had been tormented and harmed by them, and although the citizens hated the Divine Orchard Gang and felt rage in their hearts, they still didn¡¯t dare to speak out.


    But now, many of these citizens heard that the current lord county magistrate had gone and destroyed the Divine Orchard Gang. Their first reaction was disbelief, but as news grew stronger and stronger, more and more people gathered here.


    By this time, all signs indicated the Divine Orchard Gang¡¯s destruction had been completed.


    But everyone wanted to know what was occurring deep within the stone forest.


    They didn¡¯t dare to enter, so they could only wait outside.


    Thus, when Li Mu rode out on a white horse led by a county guard, he was shocked by the seas of people waiting outside.


    ¡°Shit, why are there so many people here?¡±


    Looking from afar, one could see that there were 4000-5000 people waiting outside the gates of the headquarters, all of them densely packed together.


    And as these people saw Li Mu emerge, the originally noisy crowd seemed to fall silent as if dark magic had been cast on them. The atmosphere suddenly turned quiet.


    He had come out!


    The high level figures of the various influences felt their hearts race as they saw this.


    Although they had already mentally prepared themselves, they were still shocked to see Li Mu ride out on a horse.


    This was because it meant that this young county magistrate had utterly suppressed the Divine Orchard Gang with his strength alone¡­the Divine Orchard Gang that was one of the four great factions of Alabaster County. And besides a minor wound to his shoulders, he seemed completely unscathed¡­just what sort of strength and bravery did he have to accomplish this?


    This also meant that from this point on, Alabaster County had welcomed a strong and ardent county magistrate.


    The entire political scene would be completely changed.


    For many factions and for many rich and wealthy people, this wasn¡¯t good news.


    But the many common citizens were all surprised and overjoyed as they saw Li Mu. This was because the new county magistrate was far younger than they expected, and although his body was stained with blood, with his looks and with his large eyes and thick eyebrows, he actually exuded a certain kindness, just like the boy next door. He didn¡¯t possess the high-spirited and unapproachable majesty that the previous officials seemed to wrap themselves up in.


    It could be said that the common citizens had an extremely good first impression of Li Mu.


    However, no one dared to break the silence.


    Li Mu used the silver bow to knock the horse¡¯s butt. The horse began to gallop and accelerate forwards.


    The crowd opened a path.


    Li Mu rode through them.


    ¡°What a pity. This was a good time to put on an act.¡± Li Mu sighed inwardly. After the events that just happened, he should have faced the people of Alabaster County and given them a flaming speech filled with righteous passion. After all, the minds and hearts of the people could be used in his favor at some time. But currently, the strength of the snake blood was still boiling within his body like a brewing volcano. He couldn¡¯t waste time here; he had to hurry back and refine this strength.


    Man and horse, the two of them vanished into the distant streets.


    A moment later.


    Feng Yuanxing led a hundred some soldier guards out of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters.


    A flurry of movement occurred in the crowd.


    A figure separated from the masses of people and walked close to Feng Yuanxing. This person cupped his hands across his chest, saying, ¡°Lord Feng, what happened to Sikong Jin? How come county deputy Zhou and county commander Zheng haven¡¯t come out?¡±


    Feng Yuanxing looked up. He calmly said, ¡°So it¡¯s Skystar Martial Hall¡¯s Hall Master Wei. Divine Orchard Gang Master Sikong Jin broke into the medical hall and killed innocents, completely disregarding all laws and morality. He affronted the lord county magistrate, and his crimes were unpardonable. He has already been personally executed by the lord county magistrate. As for county deputy Zhou and county commander Zheng¡­¡± Feng Yuanxing paused for a moment and then continued, ¡°Those two colluded with the Divine Orchard Gang to plague the citizens. They plotted to murder the county magistrate and their sins were exposed to the light. They have already been executed by the lord county magistrate as demanded by the law!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Skystar Martial Hall¡¯s Hall Master Wei was shocked. He thought he had misheard. ¡°Lord Feng, you¡­are you making a joke here?¡±


    Feng Yuanxing coldly coughed. Without any expression, he said, ¡°At such an unusual time, I have no mind to joke with you.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned and waved his hand, loudly shouting out an order, ¡°Men, have the corpses of the three criminals Sikong Jin, Zhou Wu, and Zheng Longxing brought the city morgue and tightly guarded. The others will accompany me to Zhou Mansion and Zheng Mansion to confiscate their property. The lord county magistrate has ordered that no criminals of the Divine Orchard Gang can be let go, neither can those that collaborated with Zheng Longxing and Zhou Wu.¡±


    As he spoke, he hurriedly led the troops away.


    Behind him, 20 elite soldier guards carried the corpses of Sikong Jin, Zhou Wu, and Zheng Longxing away from the stone forest.


    Immediately, the crowd of thousands immediately burst into a frenzy as if a bomb had been tossed into their midst.


    Wei Zilong stood where he was, completely frozen. His mind had gone blank.


    How could this happen?


    How could a situation like this happen?


    How could something like this possibly occur?


    Within Alabaster County City¡¯s four great factions, Besides the Divine Orchard Gang, the others were Raincall Temple, the Deepwind Escort Company, and Skystar Martial Hall. Raincall Temple was a Buddhist temple and thus they had no connections with the Divine Orchard Gang or the likes of Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing. However, when it came to the Deepwind Escort Company and Skystar Martial Hall, they actually had all sorts of complicated connections to Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing. Although they were better organizations that the Divine Orchard Gang, they weren¡¯t paragons of virtue.


    Now hearing that these two county heads had been unexpectedly killed, Wei Zilong felt a chill in his heart.


    An indescribable cold raced up his spine and through his head, making him feel as if he were trapped in an ice cave.


    Several monks from Raincall Temple were watching from afar. Their skin was fair and clear, and they were chubby and tall. As they heard the news their complexions also changed. They whispered amongst themselves and then turned to leave.


    There were also several tough-looking men wearing the standard issue flexible armor of the Deepwind Escort Company. They were mixed into the crowd, and as they confirmed the identity of the corpses being brought out, their faces were also filled with shock. They quickly left.


    Wei Zilong forcefully suppressed the alarm and fear in his heart. He hurriedly turned and left.


    The heavens had collapsed atop Alabaster County.


    It was already certain that the major powers would be completely reshuffled.


    The designation of power was also going to undergo a dramatic shift.


    Where would Skystar Martial Hall go and what choices would they make?


    He had to hurry back to decide.


    And at the same time, the discussions of the crowd became even more heated, so loud that it turned scorching hot.


    Up until now, many people still didn¡¯t believe what they had heard and they also didn¡¯t dare to believe their own eyes. There had simply been no indication that such a major event would occur today; it was like the weather had suddenly changed out of nowhere. If it was said that the Divine Orchard Gang had been destroyed and Sikong Jin had been killed, this was still within the expectations of some people. But with Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing also being killed, this was simply a great storm that appeared out of nowhere, leaving them all stunned by the howling winds.


    So the young county magistrate that rode away on a horse had done something so major?


    ¡°Great and Honorable Li!¡±


    Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted out.


    Many of the common citizens shouted out in response.


    ¡°Great and Honorable Lord!¡±


    ¡°Wuhuhu¡­Cui¡¯er, are you watching this from heaven? The lord county magistrate has taken revenge for you. Those beasts of the Divine Orchard Gang have all died¡­wuhuhu!¡±


    ¡°Father, Mother, Sikong Jin has died. You may rest in peace now.¡±


    ¡°The lord county magistrate is truly a great and honorable official. A good official has finally come to our Alabaster County!¡±


    ¡°Justice has returned!¡±


    ¡°If any family has an injustice, quickly go to the County Administrative Hall to hit the drum of injustice. The great and honorable lord will surely uphold justice for us.¡±


    The people began to boil over with a frenzied zealousness.


    There were even some people that found firecrackers from somewhere and lit them in front of the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters¡¯ gates.


    The whistling sound of the firecrackers spread outwards for miles.


    The atmosphere was warm and pleasant. Many people cried hot tears of joy, as if they were celebrating a holiday.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 20 Second Form of the True Martial Fis

    Chapter 20 ¨C Second Form of the True Martial Fist


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    County Administrative Hall.


    The back county hall, in the training room ¨C


    Li Mu sat cross-legged on a round cushion, his eyes cast down in meditation. He breathed in a peculiar rhythm as he revolved the Xiantian Arts.


    He was refining the strength of the snake blood within his body.


    White mist wafted upwards, rising from his head as if he were a steaming furnace.


    Li Mu could clearly feel that as he revolved the Xiantian Arts, the burning pain that coursed through his body from the snake blood began to fade away. Instead, that burning pain became an extremely comfortable warmth that flowed through him, making him feel as if he were soaking in a hot springs bath.


    The variation python that Sikong Jin called green dragon had been raised by him in the headquarters of the Divine Orchard Gang and fed all sorts of precious medicines via secret techniques. It had almost gained the ability to communicate and two flood dragon horns had begun to grow from its head, indicating that it was evolving into a flood dragon. To a martial artist, this sort of variation python was incredibly valuable. It could enrich one¡¯s blood vitality, inner energy, and even alter their physique and allow them to resist the majority of poisons afterwards. The snake¡¯s entire body could be called a treasure.


    Sikong Jin had arduously raised this python for many years in preparation to use it to increase his own strength.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for the strange turn of events, it was likely that he would have taken the snake blood already. But finally, it had ended up benefitting Li Mu.


    Time passed.


    In the blink of an eye, half a day passed.


    Li Mu was wreathed in white steam, as if he had been placed in a steamer. Every single one of his pores emitted hot steam.


    The temperature of the training chamber rose by several dozen degrees.


    ¡°Hu¡­¡± Li Mu took a long breath and opened his eyes. He slowly stood up, feeling entirely comfortable.


    In particular, there was no pain from his wounded shoulder at all.


    Li Mu unwrapped the bandages. As he saw what was underneath, he was immediately stunned.


    ¡°Eh? The wound completely regenerated¡­there isn¡¯t even a scar left behind?¡±


    This left him completely dumbfounded.


    This was because the arrow wound was a giant puncture, and in order to continue on with his act, he had forcefully pulled it out, barbed tip and all. This caused the wound to tear even more, almost to the point of seeing a hole through it. But now, in just a mere half a day, it had completely recovered without even a small scar¡­this was just too unbelievable.


    What was going on here?


    Could it be because he had fused with the snake blood? Or was it the effects of the Xiantian Arts?


    Li Mu was excited to the extreme. For a moment, he found it hard to think about the possible reasons.


    With great enthusiasm he went and found a small knife. He thought of cutting the back of his hand a few times to see how fast his wounds would regenerate, but as he suddenly thought about how painful this might be, he hesitated several times before thinking it over.


    After all, no matter what, being able to recover from such a deep wound in half a day was good news.


    Moreover, Li Mu could faintly feel that some sort of change occurred within his physique. His strength had increased a great deal from when he first went to demolish the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters, and his body was filled with overflowing power. It was like a punch of his could break open the skies or shatter the earth.


    In addition, Li Mu could feel that after the battle, his senses became much sharper than before. It was like a seal had been released within his body. His joints became much more flexible and his ligaments more pliable.


    Li Mu tried to use the True Martial Fist.


    He could easily position himself in the standing stance.


    When he practiced the first form, the Sky Charging Hammer, the feelings of pain and agony that haunted him in the previous days had disappeared. The invisible chains that seemed to bind him down had vanished and there was no longer any numbness when he continued for a long time. Instead, he felt an unprecedented level of comfort. Strength rose up between his waist and abdomen, coursing through his spine like a howling dragon. It released through his fists and legs, exploding outwards like strikes of thunder.


    Li Mu was simply intoxicated by such a feeling.


    After he displayed the first form, Sky Charging Hammer, he didn¡¯t continue onto the second form, Heaven Chasing Thrust. He continued to repeat the Sky Charging Hammer again.


    Each time he did so his movements became increasingly nimble and skilled.


    Li Mu could feel strange information appear within his mind. This was a sort of skill and strength, and was incredibly profound. It was just like a blessing that sharpened his heart and mind, allowing Li Mu to understand the changes that occurred within the Sky Charging Hammer and also to integrate these changes into his body until they became an instinctual part of his physique.


    After an unknown period of time, Li Mu¡¯s entire body dripped with sweat. But now his movements were finally rid of the explosions of air that they created. Instead, every punch and kick flowed like gentle clouds in the sky, like gently murmuring streams curving through mountains. There were no longer any explosions of power, and in fact, one couldn¡¯t feel any power contained in these moves at all.


    Li Mu stopped.


    He knew that he had taken another step forwards in controlling his strength.


    The True Martial Fist was not some buddha-slaughtering type of martial art. But in terms of tempering the body, condensing one¡¯s intent, enlightening the mind, or even opening up the heart to the road of martial arts, it actually possessed an unparalleled effect. It could be said to contain the wisdom of the Great Dao within every small movement. The old conman had said that the True Martial Fist was the fist of the immortals, and now Li Mu finally believed him.


    Indeed. It would be impossible for ordinary martial arts cultivation methods to possess such functions.


    The True Martial Fist and Xiantian Arts were Li Mu¡¯s greatest assets. He absolutely could not reveal them to anyone ever.


    Otherwise, even though he was innocent, his treasures would arouse the envy of others.


    If the martial arts masters of this world were to learn of the existence of such cultivation methods, it would just be like in the Jin Yong novels like the Return of the Condor Heroes, where a sacred martial arts book like the Nine Yin Manual appeared; it would surely stir up a great storm of blood and death.


    Although Li Mu was confident in himself, the time was too early and his foundation was too shallow. He hadn¡¯t grown at all, and his wings hadn¡¯t even taken form. When he crushed the Divine Orchard Gang today he had seemed invincible, but the Divine Orchard Gang was merely a small faction in a small county city. If he were to face the true martial arts giants of this world, Li Mu had no faith he could win.


    Li Mu stretched his limbs in the training room.


    He stepped in front of a stone tablet within the training room. Without using any strength, he slowly stretched a fist forwards until it collided with the stone tablet. His fist seemed to fall into mud, directly entering the stone tablet without even creating a crack in the process.


    This was a sign of converging his power to the peak.


    A flash of enlightenment lit up Li Mu¡¯s mind. He suddenly put force behind his fist.


    Bang!


    A light sound cracked through the air.


    The stone tablet that was as hard as iron suddenly burst apart like flour, turning into stone chips and dust that scattered outwards.


    Li Mu blew the stone powder off his body, satisfied with this power.


    He realized that the True Martial Fist¡¯s first form, Sky Charging Hammer, contained the mysteries of using great strength with ease. This fist contained tens of thousands of jins of strength, but it actually fluttered out like a piece of straw in the wind. When facing off against an opponent, it would be incredibly difficult to guard against.


    ¡°The only thing to regret right now is that it seems my body hasn¡¯t yet produced the inner energy that the martial artists of this world cultivate.¡±


    Li Mu was a bit confused by this.


    The Xiantian Arts didn¡¯t seem to be a martial arts method that cultivated inner energy. When he breathed, there was a warm current that passed through his meridians. But when his cultivating finished, this warm current also disappeared and wouldn¡¯t stay in his body.


    Perhaps he should try training in the cultivation methods of this world¡¯s martial arts?


    After all, the Xiantian Arts and True Martial Fist seemed to be auxiliary cultivation methods that increased strength and enhanced the physique; they didn¡¯t seem to be true combat fighting methods.


    As Li Mu was lost in his thoughts, he stepped outside the training room.


    Outside the door, the night was deep.


    Moonlight fell down upon the world like water.


    Beneath the moonlight, a thin figure stood outside the door, completely silent, just like a lost ghost.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Li Mu was frightened for a moment. He walked closer before recognized that it was the little girl attendant Ming Yue. ¡°The hell, what is a little thing like you sneaking around here and hiding for? Are you trying to give me a scare?¡±


    Ming Yue turned her head, her crescent shaped eyes sparkling, as if the moon were reflected within them. She unhappily said, ¡°Young master, your words are becoming increasingly wrong. What do you mean sneaking around and hiding? I am just enjoying the view of the moon¡­oh, that¡¯s right, that buttlicker Feng whatever his name is was waiting for you in the County Administrative Hall. He¡¯s already been waiting there for two hours.¡±


    As Li Mu heard this, he thought it quite humorous.


    Even this little girl Ming Yue could see that this Feng Yuanxing was nothing but a suck-up?


    He likely came here to report on wrapping up today¡¯s duties.


    Just as Li Mu was about to leave and meet Feng Yuanxing, he suddenly recalled something. He chuckled and asked Ming Yue, ¡°In the back county hall, are there any chickens, ducks, or other living creatures?¡±


    As the moonlight fell upon the little attendant Ming Yue, her skin seemed as pale as snow. She lit up with a smile and tilted her head before nodded, ¡°Probably...young master, did you want to butcher one to eat meat? I want to eat chicken butt.¡±


    Li Mu helplessly slapped his forehead. ¡°Very well, you can have the chicken butt. Go and butcher a chicken first and bring me back a bowl of chicken blood.¡±


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    ¡­


    County Administrative Hall, front lobby ¨C


    Feng Yuanxing waited, his heart filled with trepidation.


    He had already been waiting here for two hours. Although he was extremely nervous, he didn¡¯t reveal any of this on his face.


    As he waited, everything that occurred in the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters began to echo in his mind. Every time it did so, his awe towards Li Mu would deepen.


    Today, in the rock cave, he had chosen to decisively betray Zhou Wu. This was because he had determined that Li Mu was a youth with an impulsive personality. A person like this might have powerful martial strength, but as long as his methods were good enough, such a person could also be manipulated. Feng Yuanxing had stayed by the side of that wily and corrupt official Zhou Wu for a long time and was confident in his scheming ability and political prowess. He had believed that he could control Li Mu and have this young county magistrate follow his suggestions. Like this, he could be the one controlling all authority within Alabaster County.


    But now he felt more and more uncertain of his plans.


    Li Mu¡¯s performance had left his heart filled with dread.


    At this time, footsteps rang out.


    Feng Yuanxing¡¯s heart shook. He knew that the county magistrate had arrived. He hastily stood up and straightened his robe, putting a respectful and earnest smile on his face.


    But as he looked up and saw the person walking in from the side gate, he was left stunned.


    The one who came was indeed Li Mu.


    But he looked completely different from how Feng Yuanxing expected he would be.


    The Li Mu in front of him had an upper body completely wrapped in an overly exaggerated amount of bandages. Dark red bloodstains seeped through the bandages, enough to shock and alarm the mind. Moreover, Li Mu¡¯s overall demeanor seemed tired and he leaned on a walking stick, walking slowly into the lobby. He had the appearance of someone who was severely wounded. Compared to the overwhelming majesty that he displayed this morning, when he seemed to have been overflowing with vitality, he had undergone a complete reversal.


    ¡°Greetings to the lord county magistrate.¡± Feng Yuanxing quickly bowed.


    Previous ChapterNext Chapte

 Chapter 21 Inner Energy

    Chapter 21 ¨C Inner Energy


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    Li Mu waved his hand. With the little girl attendant Ming Yue supporting him, he sat down in the central seat. He said, ¡°What matter is there? Speak quickly.¡±


    Feng Yuanxing bowed and said, ¡°Reporting to the lord county magistrate, the Divine Orchard Gang headquarters have already been cleared out. The associated criminals have been jailed and their weapons, raw medicinal materials, grains, and so forth have been shipped to the County Administrative Hall, waiting for my lord¡¯s guidance to process them. The county commander office and Zhou Family Mansion have been sealed up, but¡­¡± As he spoke to here he hesitated, not daring to continue.


    ¡°But what?¡± Li Mu asked, tiredly.


    Feng Yuanxing clenched his teeth. ¡°When this subordinate led the troops over, the county commander office and the Zhou Family Mansion had already been cleared out. Their possessions were shifted somewhere else and the core members were also missing. All that was left were some servants and maids. Some hidden rooms were also damaged. There wasn¡¯t any harvest nor were there any clues left behind.


    This was equal to saying that he had come back empty-handed without any merits at all.


    In that instant, Feng Yuanxing trembled with fear. He feared that he would see the face of this young county magistrate darkening, and then this young county magistrate would decide to ¡®send him along the road¡¯ and shoot him dead just like how Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing died¡­really, this felt as if he were in a cage with a tiger.


    ¡°Oh. For minor matters like this, you can process them yourself. If you can search it up then do so, if you can¡¯t then don¡¯t.¡± Li Mu said, lacking any interest.


    When he killed Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing, it hadn¡¯t been to take their wealth and definitely not for their so-called secrets.


    Feng Yuanxing relaxed.


    Li Mu continued, ¡°When you confiscated the property of the Divine Orchard Gang, were there any rare martial arts manuals found during the inventory?¡±


    ¡°There were a few basic cultivation method manuals found. From Sikong Jin¡¯s body we also obtained one Five Poison Manual and one Energy Tempering Arts. These are nothing but ordinary cultivation method manuals. When compared to the supreme supernatural might of my lord, the difference is as great as the heavens and earth¡­¡± Feng Yuanxing continued to grovel.


    Li Mu impatiently said, ¡°Enough of the nonsense. Bring the books to me.¡±


    Feng Yuanxing¡¯s face didn¡¯t have any sign of disobeying. He quickly said, ¡°Of course, of course, this lowly official will quickly bring them to my lord.¡±


    As Feng Yuanxing turned to leave, Li Mu suddenly recalled something. ¡°That¡¯s right, are there any skilled master archers in the county city?¡±


    Feng Yuanxing turned back. He said, ¡°My lord, your question is such a coincidence. Our county guard chief captain Ma Junmo just happens to be the number one ranked archer in all of Alabaster County. Do you plan on training in archery?¡±


    Li Mu nodded. Suddenly, he violently coughed and spat out bloody phlegm. His complexion changed. ¡°I¡¯m fine. If there aren¡¯t any other matters then you may withdraw.¡±


    Feng Yuanxing¡¯s thoughts stirred as he saw that bloody phlegm.


    It seems that this lord county magistrate¡¯s wounds were more serious than he first imagined.


    He suddenly looked a bit worried.


    With Li Mu¡¯s current state, could he survive the retaliation of the Zhou Family and Bloodmoon Gang?


    Zhou Wu and Zheng Longxing had been killed, causing great losses to the two influences standing behind them. They definitely would not let things go like this.


    Feng Yuanxing left worried.


    As soon as he left, the little girl Ming Yue leapt up in giggling excitement. ¡°Young master, why did you cover yourself in chicken blood as if you were about to die? That brownnoser looked as if he completely believed it¡­hahaha, that¡¯s right, how come you¡¯re still coughing up blood? You aren¡¯t really dying, right? Hahaha, you must keep true to your words and let me eat the chicken butt.¡±


    ¡°You little rascal¡­go eat your chicken butt.¡± Li Mu lifted his hand and slapped the little attendant girl in the back of his head.


    This little idiot, was her emotional intelligence really that low?


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    In the deep of night.


    ¡°Li Mu. If I don¡¯t take revenge then I, Zhou Zhenhai, am not a man.¡±


    Outside the county city, far along the roads leading into the Alabaster Mountains, an old man around 60 years of age was holding a dim lamp, letting out a shrill of harsh curses as he looked down upon Alabaster County City. He had a grim and sinister appearance.


    There were several hundred people standing beside him.


    They included the brothers, concubines, and children of county deputy Zhou Wu. All of them were part of the Zhou Family.


    And this viciously cursing 60 year old man was Zhou Zhenhai, the father of county deputy Zhou Wu.


    Everyone from the Zhou Family had thick hatred glowing in their eyes.


    Originally, they led leisurely and opulent lifestyles within the county city. They did as they pleased, living the lives of emperors. But because of the arrival of this new young county magistrate, all of them were done for. They had no choice but to flee in a flustered panic and give up everything to suffer in the mountains. In particular, some juniors of the Zhou Family had lived pampered and spoiled lives and never experienced any sort of pain. As they were forced to flee into the night and journey up this rugged mountain road, they even formed bloody blisters on their feet and were bitten all over by mosquitoes. They were all left miserable beyond compare and all of them wished that they could tear Li Mu to pieces and swallow him alive.


    ¡°Maybe we should have stayed in the county city. That surname Li might not have dared to do anything to us. We could have used our connections to¡­¡± A Zhou Family junior said, unwilling to resign himself to his current fate.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Zhou Zhenhai¡¯s gaze was sharp and heated, just like an enraged lion. His eyes swept over everyone, forcing them to lower their heads. ¡°You idiots. That Li Mu is cruel and merciless, just like a wild wolf. If he dared to kill my son then he¡¯s already prepared to utterly destroy us, even if it means his own destruction. If we were to stay in the county city then I fear all of us would be nothing but corpses sitting in pools of blood. If you want to die then go back yourself.¡±


    Everyone stayed silent, not daring to speak.


    Today, upon hearing the news that Zhou Wu had been killed, it had been this old former Patriarch Zhou Zhenhai that had taken the initiative to move the people of the Zhou Family away, leaving Alabaster County City as soon as possible. Only like this could the legacy and bloodline of the Zhou Family be saved.


    ¡°Humph, I¡¯ll allow him to be rampant for a few days. We will go to the Alabaster Sword Sect and find my big brother who just took the position of outer court Elder. As long as we can invite this master from the Alabaster Sword Sect to take action then we can easily cut that Li Mu into pieces. We will burn his bones to ashes and take revenge for the enmity of this day.¡±


    Zhou Zhenhai viciously said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He leaned on his walking stick and cast one final vile glance towards Alabaster County City. Walking along the rugged roads, he headed towards the distant mountains.


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    In the darkness, the temperature was icy cold.


    ¡°Zheng Longxing died. Hehehe, what a great death. A solemn ceremonies master received so many resources from the Bloodmoon Gang to help him rise from a piece of trash to Alabaster County¡¯s county commander, and yet he somehow died to the hands of a mere teenage child. What an incompetent fool. It¡¯s good that he died earlier so that we don¡¯t have to waste any more resources on him.¡±


    A voice like a night owl reverberated through the dark hall.


    A blood red moon floated high in the dome above the hall.


    The rays of light in the hall seemed as if they were flowing streams of bloody water. Over 20 martial arts masters knelt on the ground, all of them wearing the standard Bloodmoon battle armor. In this atmosphere, no one dared to speak, not even daring to take a deep breath. They all knew that the gang master was extremely unhappy with this matter. After accumulating power and prestige for all these years, there was no one in the Bloodmoon Gang who didn¡¯t fear this mysterious gang master.


    ¡°But, this person killed a ceremonies master of my Bloodmoon Gang. If we consider this matter finished as it is then we will become the laughstock of the northwestern martial arts world. And our dreams of becoming a graded sect will also vanish into dreams¡­¡± The Bloodmoon Gang Master¡¯s voice echoed out once more.


    The voice was like screeching metal, causing the stomach to tumble and the heart to race.


    ¡°Since this Li Mu also seems to be someone of the martial arts world, then this matter will be easy to settle. Have someone send out news that three months from now, I will emerge from seclusion. I will go to the summit of Rooster Mountain and personally challenge this Alabaster County Magistrate Li Mu. We will resolve this matter according to the rules laid down by the nine great divine sects.¡± Within the hall, the voice of the Bloodmoon Gang Master echoed like a bloodthirsty Asura.


    All of the masters in the Bloodmoon Gang felt their hearts tremble.


    After going into seclusion for 10 years, the gang master was finally going to leave?


    Ten years ago, the gang master was already a peak Concept Unity powerhouse. He had killed his own path forwards and was a ruthless man that all people in the northwest martial arts world feared. In order to lead the Bloodmoon Gang into becoming a graded sect, he chose to go into seclusion and cultivate an extremely overbearing and evil cultivation method. Now, the worldwide sect grading competition that occurred only once every 10 years was about to happen, and the gang master was about to leave seclusion at the same time. Did this mean that he had finally made a breakthrough and had complete confidence in succeeding?


    It could be imagined that this ruthless man of the northwest martial arts world would appear once more, setting off yet another storm of blood.


    As for that young county magistrate?


    He would die without a doubt.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°This little thing could be called a manual?¡±


    Li Mu shook his head with disdain. He put aside the blue booklet.


    After Feng Yuanxing left last night, he sent someone to bring in all the martial arts books that were collected from the Divine Orchard Gang. They were basically common street items. The most important of them were the Five Poison Manual and Energy Tempering Arts, which could barely be considered martial arts manuals.


    Li Mu first read through the Five Poison Manual. He was left disappointed.


    This so-called Five Poison Manual¡¯s contents more or less involved cultivating poisons, countering poisons, using poisons to enhance weapons, setting up traps, using poisons to cultivate and kill people, and other such things. On the whole, all it recorded were unorthodox methods of killing others. For the short-term it could enhance one¡¯s strength, but one¡¯s achievements would be limited. Wanting to cultivate anything long-term would be impossible.


    Although Li Mu had just started cultivating, he had been influenced by the various martial arts philosophies he had seen from the movies and televisions series on Earth. Moreover, the old conman had always taught him that he could not take the wrong path or use evil means. True strength was one¡¯s own strength, not strength that came from external objects or poisons.


    Thus, after flipping through the Five Poison Manual, Li Mu lost any interest in such a malevolent and unorthodox technique.


    Then he started to read through the Energy Tempering Arts.


    The first part of this book narrated the general outline and it aroused a bit of Li Mu¡¯s interest.


    ¡°The power of the mortal body is weak, divine weapons are weak, the mountains and flowing rivers are weak, burning flames and freezing ice are weak¡­everything in the myriad of existence is weak, and the strongest power in this world is only energy. Energy. It exists in the power of the heavens and earth, and exists in the rules that govern all living beings. Without form and without color, without smell and without taste, it exists above the highest nine heavens and exists below the deepest nine nether hells. Common people cannot perceive it. Luckily, ancient sages appeared in the distant past, observing the Dao of the world and realizing the meaning of nihility to capture the power of energy within the spirit. They discovered the methods to draw energy into the body and obtain its strength, walking unhindered through the world¡­and now, the methods of refining energy have spread out far and wide. Tens of thousands of sects exist in the world and countless secret supernatural powers and techniques exist amongst them. But at its core foundation, everything relates to refining energy, and not even the nine great divine sects are an exception¡­¡±


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