Chapter 35 - Heroes Using Martial Might to Defy the Law
"Five…"
Chu Mu silently repeated the number in his heart.
The full toll of the inspectors' casualties remained unclear.
But the five severed heads stacked where the qianhu had been standing were plain as day.
Clearly, the earlier ambush had not been as one-sided as Chu Mu had initially assumed.
At the very least, they'd managed to take five enemy heads.
Of course, the casualty ratio wasn't likely flattering.
Glancing around, Chu Mu found his thoughts involuntarily drifting back to that earlier, storm-like assault.
In all his life—past and present—this had been the first time he'd ever truly faced another in a clash of blades.
Only eight strikes exchanged—nothing more.
But—
[Name: Chu Mu]
[Skills:]
Basic Blade Technique (First Glimpse of the Doorway) 103/500
[Ling Radiance Value: 59.3%]
Chu Mu stared at the translucent screen hovering in his field of vision, eyes flickering with surprise.
If he remembered correctly, as of last night, his blade proficiency had only been at twenty. This morning, after more than half an hour of practice, it had risen by just three points.
Now—one hundred and three.
Which meant that in that life-or-death exchange just moments ago, from surviving the youth's eight strikes, he had gained a full eighty points of blade proficiency!
"Was it a burst of potential triggered by mortal danger?"
Chu Mu replayed the scene in his mind once more, but soon dismissed the idea.
Raising his blade slowly, Chu Mu tried to mentally place himself back in that moment of combat. Gradually, he began to understand.
"Actual combat."
Immersed again in that scenario, Chu Mu was certain that, faced with the same assault, he could handle it better now.
It wasn't that his technique had suddenly improved—but rather, his mindset had transformed. In this brief but perilous engagement, his mentality had evolved—one might even say undergone a metamorphosis.
The fear of death is an instinct.
When faced with a weapon that can end one's life, fear—of pain, of death—is only natural.
Through this battle, though he hadn't completely conquered these instincts, he now faced real combat and mortal threat with a steadier heart.
"The tempering of battle, the forging of the mind…" Chu Mu murmured to himself.
Without such combat experience, relying solely on imagination, he would never have truly grasped the threat of a blade bearing down upon him, nor the instinctive fear it would provoke.
More importantly, he would never have known how he himself might react under such pressure—whether he could overcome those reflexive instincts.
Without facing that, it was all just theory.
No matter how advanced his blade skills might become in isolation, without experiencing real battle, he'd never be able to fully unleash them.
Chu Mu swung his long blade experimentally. With his transformed mindset, his movements felt smoother—more natural, more instinctive.
"By order of the qianhu, maintain vigilance and prepare to move out!"
Chu Mu lifted his head, taking in the gathering inspectors ready to depart. Then he turned to Xu Yuan and the others nearby.
"Let's go."
Letting out a long breath, Chu Mu gazed toward the dense forest ahead, eyes now glinting with eager anticipation.
The group resumed their march. They had gone no more than a mile or two into the forest when they were ambushed once again.
This time, however, after several such encounters, the inspectors had grown more experienced. They no longer panicked as they had at first.
Though the battle results were still less than stellar, the attackers had paid a steep price as well.
Of nine ambushers, only three managed to escape.
As for the youth who had nearly taken Chu Mu's life, he was grievously wounded by Li Gang and several other capable inspectors. In the end, though, he was rescued by his comrades.
This time, Chu Mu didn't get the chance to join the fray—but from the sidelines, he observed everything clearly.
Many of the wuzhang squad leaders and duizheng captains were quite skilled. The burly men flanking the qianhu were particularly formidable.
As for baihu He Ping, Chu Mu had yet to see him fight—his true abilities remained unknown.
Clearly, not everyone among the inspectors was simply going through the motions; there were plenty of genuinely capable individuals in their ranks.
The rest of the journey passed without incident.
Aside from a few unlucky ones injured by traps, the group arrived safely outside Qili Village.
Night had already fallen. Even with torches flickering, the village ahead lay shrouded in darkness.
At a shouted command, the inspectors began entering the village one after another.
"Brother Mu, why do I get the feeling the whole village has run off?" Xu Yuan sidled up beside Chu Mu, scratching his head.
"It's not just a feeling," Chu Mu replied calmly. "Why do you think those folks on the mountain were fighting so desperately to delay us? To buy time for the villagers to escape, of course."
"They wouldn't stay behind just to throw their lives away, would they?"
Despite his words, Chu Mu remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings by torchlight.
Just as the Geographical Records had described, Qili Village wasn't large. Built along the mountainside, it formed a natural slope.
Scattered across this incline were a few dozen houses. From the right vantage point, one could easily take in the whole village.
Doors stood open along the roadside; debris littered the ground—clear signs of a hasty departure.
"Search every house!"
"Don't even spare the latrines!"
Chu Mu glanced briefly at He Ping, who was shouting orders at the village entrance, then turned his attention to the courtyard before him.
A low wall of packed earth enclosed the space. The bamboo gate stood open, and by the light of the torches, Chu Mu could glimpse the yard within.
At a glance, his heart gave a start—then he strode quickly inside.
The yard was simple in layout. On one side grew a mulberry tree, beneath which sat a reclining chair and a small stone table.
On the other side stood a row of wooden training dummies and sandbags, with various stone weights piled in a corner—clearly used for physical conditioning.
The ground was worn and pitted—marks of long years of martial practice.
Such a scene was highly unusual for a small mountain village.
Instinctively, Chu Mu's mind conjured an image of life here:
Someone lounging beneath the mulberry tree, sipping tea or wine.
A group of youths training hard, honing their skills nearby.
This image aligned perfectly with reality.
The attackers they'd faced earlier had been skilled—and young.
How could a tiny mountain village produce so many capable fighters?
If even the hunters here were this formidable, Qili Village wouldn't be home to just a few dozen households.
Clearly, someone had taught the village youth martial arts.
Just as Chu Mu had imagined.
Heroes using martial might to defy the law!
Those with real skill would never submit meekly to authority.
Hence this violent resistance—and the deaths of the inspectors.
But… where had such skilled individuals come from, in a village like this?
*(End of Chapter)*