YM778.TV Chapter 45 - 35 Tracking and Counterattacking i
“The shops are closed!”
Under the curtain of rain, looking at the tightly closed shop doors, Xu Mu believed a bit more in what Chi Feiyan had said.
These shops rarely closed before, so they are all closing at the same time now, even a fool would know something was wrong.
He had initially planned to buy a few defensive magic artifacts, but it seemed that that was no longer possible.
“No wonder there were so few people when we entered the marketplace!”
Wait!
Xu Mu suddenly reacted. If the situation was indeed strange, how could no one have noticed the anomaly?
There’s no scarcity of smart people in this world!
Xu Mu’s heart skipped a beat.
He went to Shopkeeper Tu. He originally wanted to inquire about the situation and warn him. However, the shopkeeper also had his own suspicious behaviors and his whereabouts were unknown.
“He probably already received the news! Forget it!”
Xu Mu no longer cared, he left the marketplace and quickly walked home.
Tap tap!
A series of subtle footsteps, mixed with the continuous sound of falling rain, drifted into Xu Mu’s ears from behind.
Only ten steps away from him!
Such faint noises, combined with the interference of the rain, could hardly be noticed by ordinary cultivators. But Xu Mu, whose body cultivation has reached the level of Marrow Refinement, easily discerned them.
“Two Qi Cultivation mid-term practitioners strengthened by the Invisibility Technique! What’s their intention, trying to ambush me?”
Xu Mu’s brows furrowed slightly. Pretending to be oblivious, he deliberately entered a nearby deserted alley.
The footsteps got closer and closer.
Seven steps!
Five steps!
Three steps!
Two steps!
Clang!
Before the two people could make a move, Xu Mu made his first.
A crimson sword appeared in his hand. Fifteen Sharp Gold Formations were instantly activated, emitting dazzling light, steam rolling, forcibly pushing away the rainwater within several feet.
Before the two attackers could react, Xu Mu’s figure had already disappeared from its original spot.
A red lightning streaked across the void!
Squish!
A headless corpse appeared out of thin air, blood spurting out. It staggered a few steps before falling into a puddle with a thud.
Xu Mu held an umbrella in one hand and a longsword in the other, suspending the longsword in the air.
A tall, skinny man slowly appeared under his sword.
The man’s cheekbones were high, his face full of terror.
“Why are you targeting me?” Xu Mu asked coldly.
“Sir, we… we were just passing by… ah ah!”
The sharp sword cut into flesh, and the hot air made a sizzling sound on the flesh, filling the air with a rich, meaty scent.
“Speak!”
“I’ll tell! I’ll tell! We just saw that you were alone and didn’t seem to have a high level of cultivation. We thought you were an easy target!” The man hastily explained.
“Sir, 1 didn’t recognize you for who you are, please let me go as if I were just a fart! I’ll give you everything 1 have!”
“Aren’t you afraid of the patrol team if you act during the day?”
Although the management of the slum area was relatively lax, it was improbable that the patrol team would ignore any daylight attacks. If someone witnessed it, it would be hard to escape.
After all, the marketplace wasn’t that big unless you hid in the woods all the time.
“All?”
The man probably didn’t expect Xu Mu to ask this suddenly. After a moment of stunned silence, he answered uncertainly: “That’s because someone said the Clear River Sword Sect had been defeated and the Soul Forging Sect was about to attack. We didn’t know whether it was true or false, but the patrol team hadn’t patrolled for the last two days. Some people had already started stealing, so we thought we’d give it a try!”
Who would have thought to give it a go and end up dead!
The news did indeed leak!
Xu Mu secretly thought.
Many people in the marketplace had probably received the news, but most of them could not completely confirm it.
Everyone was testing the waters, just like these two robbers in front of him.
Unfortunately for them, they had kicked a steel plate.
These two were only as strong as the Brothers of Li Family, and Xu Mu had been able to easily kill them when he was at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, let alone now.
“Sir, spare…”
Squish!
A sweeping sword stroke!
The man’s body was instantly severed!
Whether the two wanted to ambush him, or whether they saw his red gold sword, they were doomed.
After putting the two bodies into a special storage bag, Xu Mu’s figure quickly disappeared in the curtain of rain.
Back at home, after burning the bodies to ashes and sprinkling them into the sewer at the alley entrance, Xu Mu opened the two men’s storage bags to check.
Thirty-four lower-grade Spirit Stones!
Two first-tier defensive artifacts!
Over a dozen talismans!
A few bottles of pills!
Three attack artifacts!
A few spell manuals!
“Paupers!”
They were all worthless things. Xu Mu, who was far more prosperous than in the past, simply took a glance and collected them.
“Ying Er, let’s pay a visit to Friend Lan’s house!” Xu Mu said to Ye Yingying, who was busy in the kitchen.
“Husband, what’s the matter?” Ye Yingying asked, puzzled.
“You’ll know when we get there!”
“Oh!”
Ye Yingying picked up the dozing Little Ling’er and followed Xu Mu out of the house.
Boom! Boom!
“Friend Xu, what’s going on?”
Lan Shijin, dressed in blue brocade, looked at Xu Mu with some surprise. This was the first time she had seen Xu Mu come over to visit with Ye Yingying.
“Friend Lan, may I come in first? I have something important to discuss with you.”
“Alright!”
Seeing Xu Mu’s serious demeanor, Lan Shijin opened the door to let them in.
Compared to Xu Mu’s house, Lan Shijin’s place was cleaner and tidier, filled with various decoratives, which were antique and elegant.
In the room, Leng Yuening, dressed in a white brocade, was sitting on a chair, still practicing her Ice Cone Skill. Seeing Xu Mu and Ye Yingying, she immediately dissolved her skill, her freezing demeanor thawed, as she habitually went to embrace Little Ling’er.
At this time, Little Ling’er, rubbing her sleepy eyes, came to.
ii
Ling’er! Come, let big sister hold you!”
Leng Yuening’s voice was pleasing, like wind chimes ringing around one’s ears. Contrary to her usual exterior coldness, it was comforting to the ear.
After spending considerable time with her, Xu Mu discovered that Leng Yuening was a person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
She was just not used to interacting with others, and acted cold and aloof to protect herself.
Unfortunately, her warmth was typically only towards Little Ling’er.
“Daddy… Daddy…”
Ye Yingying had just put Little Ling’er down, and she stumbled towards Xu Mu, clinging onto his leg.
She ignored Leng Yuening entirely.
Ever since she learned to walk, she unexpectedly became attached to Xu Mu, always wanting to cling onto him whenever he was free, never letting go even during meals.
Xu Mu, originally feeling melancholic because his daughter was not close to him, was now conflicted not knowing whether to cry or laugh about the situation.
“Come on! Come on! I have candy for you!”
Leng Yuening pulled on Little Ling’er a few times, and seeing how she was unwilling to let go, proffered a piece of malt candy from her pocket to coax her.
Little Ling’er looked at her dad’s thigh, then at the malt candy in Leng Yuening’s hand; her big black eyes darting back and forth, hesitating.
Xu Mu didn’t pay attention to their playful antics and said: “Friend Lan, 1 just came back from the marketplace…”
Xu Mu recounted everything he heard from Chi Feiyan, as well as his own observations and speculations to Lan Shijin.
“How could this be!”
Lan Shijin, her face full of shock upon hearing the news, sat on the chair in a daze, unable to speak for a moment.
Clearly, she had not been to the marketplace for a while and now, hearing such news so abruptly, she had a hard time accepting it.
Originally, she thought to bring her daughter back to her parent’s house after the war ended, but now it seemed her home was in grave danger.
Compared to Xu Mu, she was finding it even harder to accept.
It took her a long while to gather herself!
The shock of Leng Yuening and Ye Yingying was equally palpable too.
Only Little Ling’er, holding the malt candy and crunching away happily, was carefree, drooling everywhere with her double braids swinging back and forth.
“Friend Lan, I decided to leave with the Chi family tomorrow. Do you have any plans?”
Leaving with the Chi family certainly entailed many dangers, but Xu Mu was loath to put his and his family’s lives at the mercy of others, hoping that the people of Soul Forging Sect weren’t as cruel as rumored.
Also, for his future development!
Once the Soul Forging Sect wreaked havoc, restoring the prosperity of White Stone City would take a very long time.
Given his age, he doesn’t have that much time to wait.
The sooner he attains the ninth level of Qi Cultivation and breaks through to Foundation Establishment, the better his chances. Even with system’s help, he wasn’t sure if he could accomplish this if he was dragged onto until he was eighty or ninety.
After a long hesitation, Lan Shijin still hadn’t made up her mind to go with them.
She still didn’t want to believe that the Clear River Sword Sect could be defeated so easily.
“In that case, I’ll take my leave. If Friend Lan changes her mind, she can find me before we depart tomorrow morning.” Xu Mu said regretfully.
He still hoped that they could go together, at least there would be someone he knew, someone he could rely on. And Lan Shijin wasn’t that badly off in strength, being proficient in formations, she could be of great help on the way.
As for the Chi family, he barely knew them!
If he wasn’t left without a choice, he wouldn’t have thought to go with them.
Even if they traveled together, he would keep an eye on them.
Leaving Lan Shijin’s house, he ran into Li Moqing just returning from outside in the alleyway.
She was now dressed in a robe, heavily made up, and elegantly dressed.
Whether she had found herself a powerful patron or was merely doing well in business, not only did her dress and appearance see a sharp improvement, but her cultivation level also advanced to the third level of Qi Cultivation.
“Friend Xu, Sister Yingying, it’s been a long time.”
Upon seeing them, Li Moqing flashed an instant radiant smile.
She then turned towards Little Ling’er in Xu Mu’s arms, her face brightening.
“Isn’t this Little Ling’er? Come and let auntie hold you.”
Li Moqing reached out to hold her, but Xu Mu blocked her.
Without sparing Li Moqing a glance, he walked into his house with his wife and daughter.
“Humph!”
Seeing Xu Mu’s reaction, Li Moqing’s face fell instantly. She snorted coldly and sulkily returned home.
Upon returning home, Xu Mu immediately started packing.
“Husband, are we really leaving?”
Ye Yingying, with a disheartened face, was still somewhat in disbelief.
Just when their life started to turn around and she had adapted to her new life, it felt hard to accept that they would have to follow a group of strangers to an unfamiliar place.
“Don’t be upset, everything will be okay with me around!”
Xu Mu pulled her into his arms, comforting her.
“Mine… Mine…”
Little Ling’er was trying hard to pry her mom away, her daddy was hers.
Time quickly advanced to nightfall.
After Xu Mu’s family had dinner and played with Little Ling’er for a while, they were about to go to bed when they suddenly heard a shrill scream coming from the direction of the marketplace..