Four burly men burst out of the woods, all clad in armor. It wasn't iron, but their matching padded uniforms still exerted an immense pressure.
"Why'd you stop running? Run out of steam?"
"Heh heh, a Qingyun Army squad leader's head is worth thirty taels of silver. That'll let the four of us brothers live it up for a few days."
The four men joked among themselves, their eyes sweeping over the bloodied Qingyun soldier as if he were a fat lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Shi Feng was a Ninth Rank Qi Refining Martial Artist and a squad leader in the Qingyun Army, commanding fifty men. On this occasion, he had left the city alone on the County Marshal's orders, only to be ambushed by the four men on his way back.
"You bandits can try your luck. Let's see how many of you I can drag down with me before you take my head!" Shi Feng pretended to be calm, but he was already at the end of his rope. He glared at them and growled out his threat.
Anyone with eyes could see him staggering. He was clearly a paper tiger, fierce in appearance but weak within.
"Boss, there's a young man over there too... Judging by his clothes, he's probably a commoner."
One of the four had noticed Su Mu, who stood not far away in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat. He immediately asked the cold-faced soldier leading them.
"A commoner? Your eyes must be playing tricks on you. What commoner? I see two Qingyun Army lackeys. Kill them both." The cold-faced man looked at Su Mu and sneered.
"Yes, yes, the boss is right!" The others immediately chuckled in agreement.
Hearing them, Shi Feng flew into a rage. "You Black Mountain Army call yourselves rebels, yet you kill, burn, rob, and plunder. Now you won't even spare a young man just passing by. How are you any different from bandits?"
"If you've got a problem, take it up with me. Let the boy go. I, Shi Feng, will bear the consequences!"
Black Mountain Army?
Su Mu narrowed his eyes slightly. He had heard that name at the Black Market. The stall owner selling manuals had mentioned the Black Mountain Army alongside the Qingyun County authorities, before listing Qingyun County's five major powers.
From the way he'd said it, the Black Mountain Army was probably even stronger than Qingyun County's five major powers.
From their conversation, Su Mu had also learned that the Black Mountain Army was a rebel force. But how could killing innocents to claim merit be the work of rebels resisting tyranny? They seemed more like a gang of vicious bandits running amok in troubled times.
"Hm? You still claim you aren't a Qingyun Army lackey? If you weren't one yourself, why would you protect him? Get them! Kill them both!"
At Shi Feng's words, the four Black Mountain soldiers only sneered. They didn't care who Su Mu really was. He'd just been unlucky enough to cross their path today.
Killing one was killing; killing two was killing.
A Qingyun Army squad leader's head was worth thirty taels of silver, while an ordinary Qingyun soldier's head could fetch two or three taels. Even a fly was meat. Why would they give up what was already within their grasp?
Besides, they were old hands at killing innocents to claim merit. In their eyes, the commoners' heads were bright silver and military merit. Once they'd amassed enough merit, they would receive the Heavenly General's reward, and their path in martial arts would lie open before them.
At first, Su Mu hadn't planned to get involved. He'd been ready to use Startled Sparrow Steps and leave at any moment. After all, the battle between the Black Mountain Army and the Qingyun Army had nothing to do with him.
But the four Black Mountain soldiers' words sent killing intent surging through Su Mu. Though he had lived in this world for over a year, deep in his bones and soul, he was still a modern Chinese man.
Su Mu had grown up steeped in modern Chinese civilization. He could hardly accept the brutality before him. He was just a commoner passing by, yet in their eyes he was like a two-legged beast. With a few words, they had casually decided his fate and declared they would slaughter him too.
Su Mu couldn't help thinking of the Silver-Eroding Needle Gu Poison inside his body. Even his own life was no longer in his hands.
If he hadn't seen it, that would have been one thing. But now that he'd witnessed it, Su Mu wasn't going to walk away. And after hitting a wall and leaving Qingyun City today, he'd already been carrying a pent-up anger.
The Gu Poison, being an Abandoned Child, and hitting a wall—three grievances simmered inside him. The four Black Mountain soldiers had now set them ablaze. He had to vent this fury.
"I'll use you to vent it!"
Su Mu lowered his head slightly, killing intent blazing in his eyes.
"Young man, when the time comes, run toward Qingyun County. Run as fast as you can. I'll hold them off!" Shi Feng took a deep breath, gave Su Mu one last look, and set his jaw.
With a furious roar, Shi Feng forced out one last breath of strength, drew his saber, and charged the four Black Mountain soldiers.
Shi Feng knew his own condition all too well. He was doomed today either way. Better to die buying the young man a chance to survive. Whether the boy could escape was beyond Shi Feng's power now. It would be up to the young man's fate—and whether he was tough enough to make it.
"I'll handle this one. You two cover me. Fourth, go kill the kid. Don't let that Qingyun Army lackey get away."
The Black Mountain soldier in charge waved a hand, deliberately provoking Shi Feng before laughing and drawing his saber to meet him.
"Run!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blades collided, ringing out in a chain of metallic clangs.
The Black Mountain soldier called Fourth strode toward Su Mu. Cruelty showed on his face, though he spoke in a mild voice.
"Kid, don't blame me. Blame your bad luck for running into us. I don't really want to kill you either."
With a savage grin, the Black Mountain soldier drew the curved saber from his waist.
"Don't worry, my blade's quick. You won't feel much pain."
As he finished speaking, the Black Mountain soldier raised his curved saber high and was about to bring it down. The young man, who had kept his head slightly bowed, slowly lifted it. But the soldier saw none of the terror and tearful pleading he'd expected. There was only calm, and a pair of eyes seething with killing intent.
The Black Mountain soldier had been through many fights. The moment he saw those eyes, he sensed danger. He immediately swung his blade in a flash of white, aiming to cut off Su Mu's head.
But in that split second, Su Mu—the seemingly harmless young commoner in the soldier's eyes—moved. His left hand shot out, fingers hooked like a claw.
Whoosh!
The claw lashed out with astonishing speed. It was Tiger Frolic, one of the Five Animal Frolics, perfected. An ordinary person would need at least twenty years to master the Five Animal Frolics. This claw carried twenty years of skill!
The tiger claw struck before the blade could fall, landing precisely on the Black Mountain soldier's sword-bearing right wrist. A fierce burst of force followed.
Crack.
The soldier's face twisted in an instant, and a scream tore from his mouth. He felt his wrist crushed by the claw. The next moment, Su Mu's left hand tensed and twisted sharply.
The curved saber flew from his grasp. His sword-bearing wrist folded back against his arm, bent a full 180 degrees.
Another, even more agonized scream rang out.
"No... spare... spare me..."
At death's door, the Black Mountain soldier's instinct to survive sent him stumbling backward, desperate to get away from Su Mu, the ferocious tiger ready to devour him. He begged for mercy, but Su Mu gave him no chance.
Su Mu took one step and used Startled Sparrow Steps, closing the distance in an instant. His empty right fist slammed forward, and Tiger Frolic shifted into Tiger Subduing Fist.
Fierce Tiger Pounce!
The punch smashed into the Black Mountain soldier's face. The instant fist met face, flesh caved in and his skull shattered. Then the soldier's body flew back like a broken sack, landing heavily a full zhang away.
His fist was a fierce tiger's strike, a single blow enough to kill. The young man punched and spoke coldly.
"You've never died before. How would you know it wouldn't hurt?"
As his words fell, the Black Mountain soldier on the ground convulsed a few times, then breathed no more.
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