Secret Collusion, Qingshui Slaughter! (Seeking Follow-up Reads!)

The young man snapped back to reality, a look of urgency flashing across his face. Instantly, the wind picked up beneath his feet, and in a few blinks, he covered over ten zhang, diving headfirst into the wilderness.

To get to town from here, besides the main road, there was also a small path, though it required a slight detour.

Su Mu unleashed the Startled Sparrow Steps without reservation. For a time, his figure flickered like a startled swan through the mountain path, his speed so great that gusts of wind constantly swirled around him.

Bang!

Under such terrifying speed, the wine gourd in his hand lightly brushed against branches and leaves by the roadside, then exploded with a roar. Wine splashed into the air. As the wine merged with the falling raindrops and plunged into the muddy ground.

The figure on the small path had long since vanished from his original spot, appearing ten zhang away.

Bang, bang, bang!

Following a series of wine gourd explosions, Su Mu could no longer bother with such things. At this moment, his eyes were solely on Uncle Li, Little Tiger, Master Zhou, and the others in Qingshui Town.

In the end, Su Mu instinctively channeled his Force to cover the last gourd of wine. Protected by the Force, this final gourd managed to survive.

Traveling at full speed over short distances, Su Mu's speed surpassed even the Qingyun Army's warhorses, and he arrived outside the town ahead of them.

Looking up and gazing into the distance, Su Mu saw the Qingyun Army briefly halt outside Qingshui Town before continuing southward.

"The Qingyun Army's intel was likely mistaken... that band of rebels didn't attack Qingshui Town, which is why the Qingyun Army is still pursuing them."

As he pondered, Su Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

After the Qingyun Army departed, Su Mu emerged from the mountain path. However, with still half a li to the town entrance, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

A sharp, salty stench mixed with the smell of rust drilled directly into his nostrils.

Su Mu was now very familiar with this smell; it was the smell of blood.

He took a step forward.

Cries of grief also drifted into his ears with the wind. Unconsciously, Su Mu clenched his fists.

"Everyone will be alright... they will be!"

The archway of Qingshui Town was adorned with gruesome, bloody corpses. The heads of these bodies were severed and piled beneath the archway. Su Mu could now recall almost anything he saw, and at a glance, he recognized these people as residents of Qingshui Town.

"The apprentice from the bun shop."

"Aunt Zhang from the tailor shop."

"The Old Physician from the pharmacy..."

For a moment, Su Mu was dazed. He clearly remembered the town being peaceful and tranquil when he left. It had only been ten-odd days, and upon his return, the town was a river of blood, attacked by rebels.

The rain continued to drizzle ceaselessly. Su Mu looked on as streams of fresh blood were washed away by the rain, flowing towards his feet.

A terrible premonition flashed through his heart, and it grew heavy.

"May the deceased rest in peace..."

Su Mu took a deep breath, skirted around the corpses, and, with a heart full of anxiety, stepped into Qingshui Town.

A mother clutched her dead child, weeping inconsolably. Surrounding shops were in ruins, and from within, mournful cries could be heard. The familiar streets and alleys suddenly felt incredibly strange at this moment.

Splat.

Su Mu's foot landed on the bluestone ground, mixed with blood and rainwater. He trembled all over as he arrived outside the Li Family Blacksmith Shop.

The once sturdy blacksmith shop's door was shattered and collapsed, looking as if it had been forcibly blown open from the outside. A sharp, bloody stench continuously wafted out from within the shop.

"Who's there?"

Sensing Su Mu's approach, two low, alert shouts came from inside the shop. Instantly, two blacksmiths, covered in blood, their expressions tense, holding knives and swords, half-concealed themselves as they peered out from the shop.

"You're Little Mu?!"

Upon seeing the person's face clearly, the two of them froze, then their tense bodies relaxed, and they let out a long sigh of relief.

"Little Mu, why have you returned? Weren't you supposed to be in Qingyun City?"

Su Mu didn't answer the two masters' questions. He anxiously stepped into the shop, a sliver of hope still in his heart. Su Mu asked, "Uncle Li, Little Tiger, Master Zhou, and everyone in the shop, are they all alright?"

"It's Little Mu! He's back?"

A familiar voice rang out from inside the shop, but it was tinged with sorrow. Li Tie, also covered in blood, emerged from the shop, tightly gripping a long saber. His face was heavy, devoid of its usual composure.

"Uncle Li."

Seeing that Li Tie was unharmed, Su Mu immediately felt a wave of relief.

"Little Mu, come inside first..."

Li Tie looked at Su Mu, trying to force a smile onto his face, but he couldn't manage it. He opened his mouth to say something but fell silent.

Noticing Uncle Li's expression, Su Mu's heart sank. The bad premonition grew stronger.

As he stepped into the shop, the pungent smell of fresh blood intensified. Su Mu's gaze sharpened, and his whole body trembled. Several corpses lay scattered in the messy shop. Su Mu was familiar with every single one of them.

These were all masters from the blacksmith shop. Many had guided Su Mu when he was an apprentice, and now, they were all dead.

Soon, Su Mu's pupils contracted sharply. He clenched the fist of his empty left hand, making cracking sounds.

"Master Zhou?!"

Among the corpses was a burly middle-aged man. He was none other than Zhou Shan, who had taught Su Mu blacksmithing skills, gifted him the recipe for the Three-Complete Body Strengthening Soup, and often looked out for him!

"May I see this blade?"

"This is a medicinal recipe passed down in my family for generations… You look rather frail, why don't you go gather the herbs according to this prescription and try a few doses…"

"This kid has a low tolerance for alcohol; he's had enough with this much."

Their voices and appearances remained vivid, and scenes from the past flashed before Su Mu's eyes. That parting had been a final farewell. Su Mu's eyes reddened, and the last shred of hope in his heart shattered.

"Uncle Li, can you tell me what happened?"

Su Mu noticed that Zhou Shan's body was covered in stab wounds, but they weren't fatal. They looked as if he had been tortured before dying.

Li Tie gritted his teeth. "Those rebels who called themselves the Black Mountain Army attacked suddenly. They stormed into the town and started burning, killing, and looting without a word. We could only close the shop doors, but the leader of those rebels, a burly man in iron armor, smashed the door with just a few punches."

"That person told us to go with him. How could the masters in the shop follow such villains? So, that armored brute grabbed Zhou Shan and a few other masters to force us to comply, and then right in front of everyone…."

"He killed Zhou Shan and the other masters in front of everyone. Fortunately, the news that the Qingyun Army was arriving intimidated the rebels. They fled the town without a second thought."

Su Mu's furious expression gradually calmed, but an unprecedented, intense killing intent surged from the depths of his heart.

The Black Mountain Army, the Black Mountain Army again!

"Alas, the masters who died have been with me for nearly twenty years. They all have families. I've failed them. How can I face their parents, wives, and daughters now…"

Li Tie blamed himself immensely, sighing repeatedly, his tone a mixture of grief and rage.

"Damn rebels, they're worse than pigs and dogs! They're just a bunch of bandits who deserve to die!"

One of the surviving masters in the shop cursed.

"Aren't there officials in town? Where are the soldiers? And what about the Black Tiger Gang that collects protection fees? Where are they?" Su Mu asked coldly.

"Alas, the officials and the Black Tiger Gang went out of town yesterday to suppress bandits. Who would have thought those thieves would find an opening…"

A blacksmith master sighed.

The Black Tiger Gang and the officials left town to fight bandits, and the Black Mountain Army attacked the town right after?

Su Mu absolutely refused to believe such a coincidence. In an instant, he suspected that the Black Tiger Gang might be colluding with the Black Mountain Army.

Just then, Su Mu suddenly remembered something. "Uncle Li, where's Little Tiger?"

"Little Tiger is fine. He fainted in the room."

Thank goodness!

This was the only bit of luck in this misfortune. Su Mu immediately put down the pastries and the last pot of wine in his hands. He then took out several bottles of liniment from his clothes that the Young Physician had given him when he left town.

"Uncle Li, here's some liniment. Please distribute it to the masters first so everyone can tend to their wounds."

"Alright."

Uncle Li took the liniment. Seeing Su Mu turning to leave the shop, he quickly called out, "Little Mu, where are you going?"

"Uncle Li… I, I feel a tightness in my chest. I'm just going out for some air and will be back soon."

"Okay, but Little Mu, don't go too far."

Leaving the shop, Su Mu headed straight for the Black Tiger Gang's headquarters. However, the members of the Black Tiger Gang had not yet returned. Su Mu cast a cold glance at the intact gate of the Black Tiger Gang and then walked towards the town entrance. He no longer concealed the killing intent in his heart and looked south.

"The Black Mountain Army… and the Black Tiger Gang all deserve to die!"

"The Qingyun Army pursued them south earlier. I'll go south first to check… Uncle Zhou, the masters in the shop cannot have died in vain. The Black Mountain Army must pay the price!"