"The Mortal-Shedding Bead..."
Information about the bead naturally surfaced in Su Hao's mind. It was called the "Mortal-Shedding Bead."
"Was this the bead I found in a ruined mountain temple before I died in my previous life? Could it be the reason I transmigrated?"
Su Hao's body gave a slight tremor as he recalled traveling in his previous life and unexpectedly finding a crystal-clear bead in a ruined temple deep in the mountains. The moment he reached out and picked it up, he suddenly passed out. When he woke, the bead had vanished. Su Hao had thought he'd made a mistake while practicing and hallucinated.
"Looks like... its energy has to build up fully before the Mortal-Shedding Bead can display its wonders."
Then Su Hao saw wisps of blood-red energy flowing inside the Mortal-Shedding Bead. He roughly understood that it needed to accumulate energy before it could be activated. Perhaps that energy built up over time or under certain conditions. For now, there was nothing he could do but leave it at that.
"Since I've come, I'll make the best of it. Getting another chance at life is already the greatest fortune. In this life, I'll climb to the very peak of martial arts and reach heights I never came close to in my previous life!"
Night fell, and Su Hao lay in bed, brimming with excitement.
As Su Hao knew, the Central Great Gan was nothing like Blue Star in his previous life, which could be called an age without magic. Martial arts flourished here. Powerful warriors wielded immense strength and could take on a thousand men alone. Experts emerged one after another.
There were even traces left behind by so-called "immortals." This was the kind of place Su Hao had dreamed of reaching as he pursued the ultimate in martial arts. He silently vowed to climb to the summit once more!
His most urgent task was to recover his health. He would first return to the peak condition he'd enjoyed in his previous life, then worry about everything else!
The night passed peacefully. Six or seven days went by. Thanks to his internal martial arts breathing method, Su Hao recovered far faster than an ordinary person. His injuries were nearly ninety percent healed, and he could move around without difficulty, much to the relief of Mother Su and Su Xiaoqing.
"Ah Hao, the family head wants you to come to the Council Hall."
Around noon that day, Su Hao was practicing the Five Animals Fist in the courtyard to get his blood and energy circulating when someone came to deliver the message.
"The family head wants to see me? Could it be about what happened the other day?"
Su Hao's thoughts stirred. He had told Su Yun, the current head of the Su Family, about the attempted assassination a few days earlier. Su Yun had said he would look into it. Perhaps he had learned something.
Su Hao immediately headed to the Su Family's Council Hall.
Inside the spacious hall, Su Hao met the head of the Su Family, Su Yun. Su Yun was in his forties, with a beard and a stern, imposing face.
What surprised Su Hao was that another middle-aged man, about the same age as Su Yun, was there as well. His hair was flecked with gray, but he had a sturdy build.
"Family Elder Su Lie? What's he doing here?"
Su Hao recognized him as one of the Su Family's family elders, one of the pillars of Su Family Fort.
Su Yun spoke, his expression serious. "Ah Hao, I've just received word that a bloody battle took place recently in the Longshan City region. One side was the Flying Cloud Gang, and more than ten of its disciples were killed."
"The Flying Cloud Gang?"
Su Hao's thoughts stirred. He'd heard of the Flying Cloud Gang, one of the factions that had risen in recent years. It was quite powerful, with more than ten warriors in the first refinement realm. It was said that its gang leader had reached at least the second refinement. In Longshan City, a warrior like that was no nobody!
Su Ye continued, "The people the Flying Cloud Gang surrounded were led by a mysterious figure, but the martial arts he used... looked a lot like our Su Family's Heavy Mountain Fist."
"Could it have been... Father? Were those assassins members of the Flying Cloud Gang?"
Su Hao's heart gave a slight jolt.
There were only a handful of people in the Su Family who knew the Heavy Mountain Fist and could kill more than ten members of the Flying Cloud Gang. Putting that together with the assassins he'd encountered a few days ago, Su Hao pieced together the likely cause and effect.
For some unknown reason, the missing Su Yu had clashed with the Flying Cloud Gang and killed many of its men. Enraged, the gang had sent assassins after Su Yu's family, and Su Hao had been caught in the crossfire.
"Father... what exactly are you doing?"
Su Hao's mind was filled with questions. He couldn't understand why Su Yu had been gone for so long without a word, and the first news of him was that he might have made an enemy of the Flying Cloud Gang.
Su Yun offered Su Hao some reassurance. "Ah Hao, don't worry. You're one of the Su Family. No matter how powerful the Flying Cloud Gang is, they wouldn't dare storm our gates in broad daylight. As long as you're in Su Family Fort, they can't lay a hand on you!"
The Su Family might not be one of the top lineages in the Longshan City region, but it was an entrenched local power in Su Family Fort. Protecting Su Hao's family wouldn't be a problem!
"Thank you, family head!"
Su Hao thanked Su Yun gratefully.
"Don't mention it. You're one of our clansmen. The family has a duty to protect its own." Su Yun smiled.
"There's actually something else. Let Family Elder Su Lie explain it himself."
Su Yun glanced at Su Lie beside him.
The burly Su Lie sighed before speaking. "Ah Hao, I have something I'd like to discuss with you. It's about the Martial Academy slot."
"The Martial Academy slot?"
Su Hao frowned to himself. As expected, this had been coming.
The Martial Academy was an institution established by Longshan City. Its main purpose was to take in promising young warriors from the region and train them to become the city's future talent. Many of those who distinguished themselves there became pillars of Longshan City. The slots were extremely precious.
The Su Family had paid taxes to Longshan City for many years before earning three slots at the Martial Academy. Su Hao had received one of them. Now that Su Lie was bringing up the slots, he clearly had something in mind.
Sure enough, when Su Hao didn't respond, Su Lie continued. "Ah Hao, I've heard what happened to your father. The Flying Cloud Gang has its eye on you now. We can protect you in Su Family Fort, but once you leave, we won't be able to protect you if the gang attacks."
"So... why not hold on to your Martial Academy slot for now and let Su Yue go in your place? You're still young. You can take some time to build yourself up. Once things have calmed down, the Martial Academy will recruit again in a year or two, and you can still go then. That's the best choice for now. When the time comes, I'll support you with everything I have. For now, I'll also give you some compensation."
Su Lie revealed his true motive. His voice was gentle, but there was an unmistakable note of finality, as though he were simply announcing a settled fact.
Su Yue was Su Lie's son. He was fifteen and equally gifted, but the Su Family had only three Martial Academy slots, and there weren't enough to go around. Now that Su Hao was in trouble and his father's fate was unknown, Su Lie had seen an opening and set his sights on the slot that had belonged to Su Hao.
Su Hao replied calmly, "If I enter the Martial Academy, I'll be safer. No matter how vicious the Flying Cloud Gang is, they wouldn't dare act recklessly in front of the Martial Academy."
The Martial Academy had been established by the most powerful and influential figures in Longshan City. Who would dare attack one of its students?
Su Lie's mouth twitched slightly, though he kept smiling. "Ah Hao, your father's whereabouts are unknown, and your mother's health is poor. I think you should stay with the Su Family and care for your mother. Fulfilling your duty as a son is what you ought to do!"
Su Lie was using filial duty to pressure Su Hao, but Su Hao wasn't moved.
Su Hao looked toward Su Yun, but Su Yun instinctively avoided his gaze. Su Hao sighed to himself. His father had rendered great service to the Su Family, but after three years away, the goodwill he'd left behind had evidently almost run out.
Some people in the family had come to see the Martial Academy slot Su Hao had earned as a bargaining chip.
Su Lie gritted his teeth, trying to secure the slot for his son. "Of course, I'll compensate you as well. I'll give you one hundred taels of silver. That money will improve life for your whole family."
For an ordinary family of four, saving ten or so taels a year after food and clothing was considered quite good. Most families couldn't scrape together a hundred taels of silver even if they sold everything they owned.
Su Hao's thoughts stirred slightly. His family's life was indeed tight. His mother was gravely ill and often needed medicine, while Su Hao practiced martial arts every day and could only manage household chores. He had practically no time to earn a living, which was why he'd thought of hunting in the mountains to help make ends meet.
Besides, repairing his hidden injuries, building a perfect foundation, and regaining the peak strength he'd once possessed as a "Master of Transformation" would require a great deal of silver to buy the resources he needed for cultivation!
But Su Hao shook his head. "One hundred taels for a Martial Academy slot? You think you can get it that cheap? My price is one thousand taels, and then I'll transfer the slot to you."
Su Lie flew into a rage. "One thousand taels? Are you crazy?"
As a high-ranking family elder, Su Lie still couldn't come up with such a huge sum!
But Su Lie soon calmed down. He glanced at Su Yun, who had remained silent, then said in a low voice, "Family head, why not settle this fairly? Let Su Hao and Su Yue fight. Whoever wins will be more qualified to represent the Su Family and receive the slot."
Su Yun felt helpless. Both sides belonged to the Su Family: one was Su Lie, a family elder, and the other was Su Yu, whose whereabouts were unknown. Su Yu had only been missing for two or three years. If Su Yun treated his son harshly now and Su Yu returned one day, things would be unbearably awkward.
So Su Yun chose to keep his hands clean and tossed the decision back to Su Hao. He turned to him with a genial smile. "Ah Hao, what do you think?"
"I refuse," Su Hao replied without hesitation. "My father rendered great service to the family, and that's why I received a Martial Academy slot. Why should I gamble this precious slot against Family Elder Su Lie?"
The slot already belonged to Su Hao. He was sure he could beat Su Yue, but there was nothing to gain from winning and everything to lose if he lost. Su Hao wasn't a fool!
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