Assassinating Zhao Wu, Destiny Breaks Its Bounds

Assassinating Zhao Wu, Destiny Breaks Its Bounds

Assassinating Zhao Wu, Destiny Breaks Its Bounds

"Save... save me... glug glug..."

With a rope suddenly tightening around his neck, Zhao Wu's body began thrashing almost on instinct as he tried to break free. That struggle only sent him plunging into the water.

After choking down several mouthfuls of river water, no one knew where he found the strength, but with a sudden burst of force, he actually shot his head above the surface.

"He's this strong? Didn't they say he was nothing but a wine sack and rice bag?"

Lin Mo's heart jolted. As both hands locked tightly around the rope, he curled himself into a ball and planted his feet against Zhao Wu's back, then drove forward fiercely.

Using the force to pull and twist, he made the rope sink deeply into the flesh of Zhao Wu's neck, nearly strangling it out of shape.

With nearly half his neck caved in, Zhao Wu finally lost consciousness and sank beneath the river. Perhaps until the moment he died, he never understood who had killed him...

"Whew... that was close. I never thought that even those lousy destinies would nearly drag me into disaster."

Lin Mo clung to the planks of the black-canopied boat, gathered his last breath, and flipped himself aboard. He lay there like a dead fish, gulping down fresh air.

He had carefully observed Zhao Wu when Zhao Wu set out earlier. [Observe Qi and People] had shown him clearly that Zhao Wu possessed only white destinies, most of them utterly unreliable.

Such as [Wine Sack and Rice Bag], [Strong Body, Weak Kidneys]...

Though he had made some preparations beforehand, he had not expected that the mere words "strong body" would nearly let Zhao Wu react during the ambush.

Once Zhao Wu had reacted, Lin Mo's odds of victory against a thug built like a slab of meat would have plummeted. He might even have lost his life.

"Risk and opportunity always went hand in hand... At least this trip was worth it!"

Lin Mo looked at the two bundles on the deck and unconsciously licked his lips before hurriedly undoing them.

Neither bundle was large. They were Zhao Wu's carefully selected belongings. One held several relatively valuable changes of clothes, while the other contained ready silver.

"One tael, two taels, two taels and five mace... seventeen taels and three mace!"

"How long would it take to save this much without eating or drinking? One human life cost two mace. Counting the shares he handed out and the money he spent drinking and whoring, that bastard Zhao Wu must have harmed at least twenty or thirty lives?!"

Lin Mo sucked in a cold breath. No matter how one looked at it, he had rid the people of a great scourge, so there was no burden in his heart.

Suddenly, his mind trembled. Once he sensed the source and immersed his consciousness in that Jade Talisman, the corners of his mouth could not stop rising.

[Rewarding good and punishing evil. Zhao Wu slain. Fate Fortune gathered +12]

Lin Mo watched the numbers on the Jade Talisman jump continuously while the two destinies flickered without end. A strange feeling arose within him...

It seemed he could change his destiny?

Lin Mo tentatively focused his attention on the destiny [Weak and Humble Destiny]. It was the foundation for martial training, and also what he most urgently wished to change.

With only his current foundation, even if he truly practiced diligently day and night as he had said, he likely would not sense his qi and blood within half a month. He would merely miss a chance to change his destiny and household registration.

Under the gaze of his consciousness, the words [Weak and Humble Destiny] seemed to dissolve like ink. When they gathered once more, the white light grew even brighter.

[Destiny Breaks Its Bounds. Cost *10. Weak and Humble Destiny -- Healthy and Strong]

Through that white light, Lin Mo saw the new destiny [Healthy and Strong].

As his destiny changed, a current of heat emerged from his dantian and spread through his limbs and bones. At first, it merely felt warm and itchy, as though he were soaking in a hot spring.

His muscles and bones crackled loudly. When Lin Mo opened his eyes again and clenched his fist, he suddenly felt brimming with strength.

This was completely unlike his usual feeling of being skin and bones, like a straw stalk. If Zhao Wu were reborn, Lin Mo would dare fight him head-on!

"Perhaps I was not born with talent for martial arts, but with this ability, I can still cultivate the martial path!"

Lin Mo took several deep breaths and tried to calm his tangled thoughts. Only today had he finally understood the function of this Jade Talisman.

He turned back toward the black canopy. His two Lin family cousins were still asleep, and under [Observe Qi and People], the destiny [Calamity of Blood Light] had finally vanished completely.

He slowly approached and checked their breathing, ensuring that both were still alive. Then he rowed the unconscious pair to the bank near Big Fishing Village.

After doing all this, Lin Mo had no intention of keeping Zhao Wu's clothes to sell, nor the black-canopied boat. Though they were indeed worth quite a bit, he swiftly destroyed them all.

After going ashore, he lit a bonfire in the wilderness and dried his soaked clothes while turning the silver over in his hands.

"Seventeen taels and three mace. This isn't some silver note, but solid taels of silver, along with broken silver and copper coins..."

"At the martial hall dormitory, there's nowhere to keep this much silver. It would be troublesome if anyone discovered it."

Adhering to the principle of caution, Lin Mo kept two taels on hand and hid most of the rest in the yellow mud brick where he had previously concealed his money pouch, in his old house at Big Fishing Village.

Early the next morning, Lin Mo returned to the martial hall courtyard before everyone else awoke. He stood with the other apprentices on the yellow mud practice ground as Xu Changfeng led them in reviewing yesterday's White Ape Stance Training.

Despite having gone a night without sleep, he remained full of vigor. After his destiny improved, it seemed to bring not only abundant vitality, but also significant growth in every aspect of his essence, energy, and spirit.

Practicing stance training was dull and tedious. So long as one could imitate the movements properly to a certain extent, Xu Changfeng considered it good enough, especially among these apprentices, most of whom came from poor families.

He looked into the crowd. Many had already stepped onto the Plum Blossom Stances. Many stepped up, and many fell; rising and falling was simply the norm.

Yet during the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he kept seeing one person standing atop the Plum Blossom Stances, strikingly conspicuous.

Gritting his teeth, Lin Mo stood on the Plum Blossom Stances and practiced the stance training. Though his movements were too ugly to look at, he had actually managed to complete the first three forms of the White Ape Stance Training.

Xu Changfeng clearly remembered that this person had only arrived the day before yesterday and had only learned yesterday!

Though even after learning the White Ape Stance Training, it would still take time to sense qi and blood, his learning ability seemed somewhat beyond ordinary people.

"This kid isn't bad!"

Xu Changfeng watched Lin Mo's figure and silently gave his evaluation.

After practicing in earnest for an entire morning, when Lin Mo stepped down from the Plum Blossom Stances, his hands were numb and even his legs had gone weak.

Only after most of the others had left did he stagger away.

"Even with my destiny improved, qi and blood cannot be sensed in a day or two. But at this pace, I'll definitely pass the assessment within two weeks!"

"Before then, my body still matters. With such high-intensity training every day, I may need to buy some medicinal ointment."

Lin Mo left the courtyard and went with the others to the dining hall that provided meals. As he shoveled down white rice, he continued pondering in his heart.