Eternal Life Begins with Learning

"What’s wrong? Did that head sprout flowers or something? Can’t take your eyes off it?"

Wu Shuo casually teased as he looked at Chu Mu, who was silent with his head down.

Chu Mu gave an embarrassed smile and held up the head. "I was just replaying the fight with that rebel in my head and got a little lost in thought."

"Heh..."

Wu Shuo chuckled, not calling Chu Mu’s bluff. He glanced at the head in Chu Mu’s hand, his expression approving. "Just four more heads, and we’ll have to start calling you something else."

"It was a fluke. I wouldn’t dare ask for more."

"HAHAHA! You little rascal, you’re as cunning as a monkey!"

Wu Shuo laughed heartily and waved his hand. Without another word, he called out to the other Inspectors traveling with him, and they departed.

Chu Mu silently watched Wu Shuo and the others leave. After a moment, he finally turned his gaze back to the severed head in his hand.

’Selling it is obviously out of the question now.’

’Even if I tried to sell it, there’s no guarantee Li Gang would take it, and I’d definitely make an enemy of Wu Shuo.’

’I’m not stupid enough to take on such a thankless task.’

But then, Chu Mu couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. He had originally wanted to earn some merit, raise his status, and get a chance to learn True Martial Arts.

Now he had the merit, and he’d even obtained some True Martial Arts, but... he’d also been dragged into this mess.

’The situation was crystal clear... by giving him that True Martial Arts manual, Wu Shuo now obviously considered him one of his own people, whether he liked it or not.’

’And his own team leader... Li Gang and Wu Shuo were clearly at each other’s throats!’

’What a headache!’

The corner of Chu Mu’s mouth twitched. ’Once you’re in the Jianghu, your fate is not your own.’

"Brother Mu, the Squad Leader is a pretty good guy."

Hearing Xu Yuan’s words, Chu Mu raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Ever since I joined the Inspection Office, the Squad Leader has always looked out for me. He’s kind to everyone else, too."

"When I went to the Fengyue Tower with the Squad Leader before, I heard a lot of people talking about our team leader. They all say he’s too arrogant and looks down on everyone because of his Martial Arts..."

Chu Mu mulled this over for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. Don’t repeat this to anyone else."

Xu Yuan agreed and said no more, silently following by Chu Mu’s side.

The two of them worked together to clean up the mess in the forest. Soon, a few other Inspectors returned to help, and after a while, they finally managed to put the chaotic scene back in order.

They didn’t even have time to rest before the order to advance echoed through the forest.

The group trudged through the mountain snow, advancing cautiously under the light of their torches.

No one knew if another attack was coming.

If an attack did come, even if they ultimately repelled it or even turned the tables, someone would inevitably end up as cannon fodder, dying deep in this old forest.

Their squad had started with over a dozen men, but now, only a handful remained.

Li Gang was still nowhere to be found. In his absence, and after several attacks, Chu Mu had undoubtedly become the backbone of this battered squad.

It seemed Chu Mu hadn’t realized this yet, or perhaps... he had, but was unwilling to accept the responsibility.

After all, he could barely protect himself, so how could he possibly look after others?

[Name: Chu Mu.]

[Skill:

Basic Blade Technique (Initial Glimpse) 205/500]

[Spiritual Radiance Value: 29.6%]

Chu Mu stared at the Light Curtain Panel in his vision. He wasn’t too surprised to see that his Blade Technique’s Skill Level had shot up again.

The intensity, danger, and twists and turns of this fierce battle against the man in black had undoubtedly far surpassed his previous clash with the young boy.

Even at the end, under the effects of the "Spiritual Radiance Blessing" and with multiple other factors at play, he had been forced into a steady retreat, struggling just to defend himself.

This practical combat experience was clearly far more profound and thorough!

Coupled with the "Spiritual Radiance Blessing," it was only natural to have gained so much.

The Light Curtain Panel faded away. Chu Mu hefted the Long Saber in his hand, his gaze shifting before finally settling on the blade once more.

The edge of the blade was pristine, gleaming as if brand new. If he hadn’t experienced it himself, he would have found it impossible to believe that this saber could remain completely unscathed after such a high-intensity battle.

’Such craftsmanship... such extraordinary skill...’

A flicker of movement in Chu Mu’s eyes betrayed that his thoughts had drifted back to that small courtyard in Qili Village.

’Who was the master that taught the Qili Village villagers Martial Arts? What was their purpose? Were they... still in Qili Village?’

Numerous questions flooded his mind. Chu Mu looked again toward the dark, dense forest in the distance, but ultimately pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind.

The closer they got to the villagers of Qili Village, the fiercer the resistance would become. No one would simply sit back and wait for death.

’The road ahead is very dangerous.’

And just as Chu Mu had expected, not long after the team set out again, they were attacked once more.

This time, however, Chu Mu’s squad only heard the commotion; the attackers’ target was clearly not them.

The disturbance began suddenly and ended just as quickly. Before anyone knew the outcome, the shouts to move out rang out again.

For the rest of the journey, the sporadic ambushes almost never ceased.

These scattered attacks seemed to clearly expose the attackers’ powerlessness.

After all, every previous attack had been a coordinated assault, erupting from all directions and putting everyone on edge.

These consecutive ambushes, in contrast, felt more like a desperate frenzy, like moths drawn to a flame.

Chu Mu wasn’t sure if his guess was correct, but as these sporadic ambushes continued, a series of commands were issued, and the entire procession of Inspectors clearly began to move much faster.

For most of the Inspectors, what was almost the most grueling and longest night of their lives passed in a haze of exhaustion and bloodshed.

The sky... was finally brightening!

Even Chu Mu, who had some ability to protect himself, felt a sense of having escaped death when he felt the light filtering through the dense woods.

"It’s dawn!"

"It’s finally daytime!"

Several Inspectors couldn’t hide their excitement, all of them chattering at once.

Chu Mu scanned the surrounding forest. Though the sky was still dim, the growing light meant the woods were no longer shrouded in darkness.

The expanded field of vision brought with it an indescribable sense of security.

"Over there!"

"There are people on that mountain!"

"It’s those Rebels!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

At that moment, the sudden shouts made the already boisterous forest even more clamorous.

Chu Mu subconsciously looked in the direction of the voices and only then noticed that they were already near the mountain’s summit.

The shouts he had just heard had clearly come from the summit itself.

Chu Mu quickened his pace and, before long, reached the summit. He looked out upon a continuous range of snow-covered mountains.

And the traces of the Qili Village villagers mentioned in the shouts... were just as obvious.