Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 15: Underhanded Tricks

Zhong Qiang still had his own little clique. After Su Mu took down three of them in the blink of an eye, many of the loudmouths immediately backed down, and those who had been about to charge forward began to hesitate. But there were still some bold ones. While no one dared to go up alone, three or four of them together gave them a bit of confidence. One of them was even holding a large club. They were the ones who usually bullied others, but now that they were being bullied themselves—and with Su Mu standing on the platform making such a public declaration—if they didn’t step up, they’d have no place in this world anymore. Fierce Elephant Fist! Su Mu’s fist slammed into the club. He’d just knocked out Zhong Qiang with a single punch—and he’d really only used five percent of his strength. Zhong Qiang’s cultivation was only at the peak of the Xiantian realm—a vast gulf had already opened up between him and Su Mu as he stood there now. He didn’t know the names of the few who had jumped up, but he saw them often; they usually acted like bullies. The one wielding the club held a slightly higher status within their little circle than Zhong Qiang did. Their leader was named Shen Kun; his cultivation level was actually only one rank higher than Su Mu’s, so these men could only bully those at the Xiantian realm. Don’t be fooled by the Outer Sect’s modest size—the hierarchy is very clear, with the Innate and Post-Innate realms serving as the dividing line. Those at the Post-Heaven cultivation level could live in clean, spacious quarters and were assigned tasks that were as light as possible—sometimes even offering perks—while those at the Pre-Heaven level formed the very bottom rung of the sect, forever stuck with dirty, grueling chores. If they didn’t perform well, they might even be whipped by the supervising elders. Now Su Mu was giving it his all, showing no mercy—a single powerful punch shattered the staff! His fist continued forward, slamming into the opponent’s face. Instantly, blood spattered all over his face, and his entire body was sent flying six or seven meters away. A few people reached out to catch him but were knocked to the ground as well. One punch—and he was knocked unconscious! Thud! Su Mu took two solid hits and spat out a mouthful of spit. “Are you guys just tickling me? Let me teach you what a real punch feels like!” In less than a minute, all three men were lying motionless on the ground, wailing in pain and writhing on the floor. Now, no one dared to charge up onto the podium anymore. “Su Mu, I can see that Zhong Qiang is seriously injured. Have someone take him to get treated right away—we don’t want that arm to be ruined for good!” shouted Meng Tie, who looked older than his years. This man had some connection with Su Mu and was a fairly honest, down-to-earth sort. “Anyone else who’s not convinced? Come on up!” Su Mu walked over and gave Zhong Qiang a casual glance. “Stop playing dead—say something.” “I concede defeat! I didn’t know who I was up against… Junior Brother Su Mu, please spare me this time!” “You admit defeat?” “I really do!” “Whether you’re really conceding or just pretending, I don’t care one bit. If you want to run off to Shen Kun and cry to him, go ahead. I beat up his dog, so I’m not afraid of the dog’s owner coming after me. Tell me yourself—are you a dog or not?” “I am! “I’m breaking one of your dog paws this time to teach you a lesson. Now get lost!” Su Mu kicked him off the high platform and glared coldly at the onlookers. “Not a single one of you can hold a candle to me. Those of you who were just bragging but didn’t have the guts to fight me—you can shut your stinking mouths from now on!” With that, Su Mu leaped down from the podium and strode away. The crowd instinctively parted to the sides, staring in horror at the sea of people lying sprawled on the platform. News of the incident spread quickly, with rumors flying in all directions. Some boldly speculated that Su Mu had already entered the Posthuman Realm and completed his Marrow-Washing; others claimed his cultivation had reached the “Awakened Perception” stage—that even when attacked by several opponents at once, he could still dodge their strikes with ease, thanks to his heightened perception. In any case, the true state of his cultivation remains a mystery. As the saying goes, those who survive a great calamity are bound to have good fortune ahead. After being rumored dead and then returning safely to the sect, his first public appearance was so dominant that people couldn’t help but wonder if he’d just gotten incredibly lucky. People can no longer view him through the lens of the past. Those in the lower ranks take pride in Su Mu, as he has avenged them—especially those who had previously been bullied by Zhong Qiang’s gang. There were also some who were gloating; now that Su Mu had flexed his muscles, the people behind Zhong Qiang would certainly not let the matter rest. There’s still plenty of drama to come. After returning, Su Mu simply mentioned it briefly to Da Fu; the news that he’d beaten Zhong Qiang made the fat man overjoyed. Today was a rare day with nothing on his schedule; if any tasks were assigned, the Elder in Charge would send someone to notify him in advance—usually around dusk the day before. Su Mu had already set aside time for this. While his Fierce Elephant Fist was nearly mastered, he hadn’t yet focused much on strengthening his Iron-Headed Hammer and Vajra Body techniques, so he decisively headed to the quarry. When it comes to tempering one’s tendons and bones, stone training is indispensable. Lifting stones is a very common method, and the “Iron-Headed Hammer” technique can also be practiced using stones; the large, neatly squared stones at the quarry are specifically designated as physical training stones. Following the methods outlined in the *Essentials of Cultivation*, he began his practice. That same evening. In a spacious room, Zhong Qiang lay listlessly on the bed with his entire arm tightly bandaged. The few brothers living with him were all injured as well; some had even had their teeth knocked out. Today, they had been humiliated beyond belief. A tall, lanky teenager walked in. The silent figures lying in the room sat bolt upright the moment they saw him. “Kun Ge!” Zhong Qiang’s eyes lit up. His older brother had been working at Luoxia Peak these past few days, and he hadn’t expected him to rush back tonight. “Kun Ge, you’re finally here!” The guy who’d had his teeth knocked out was on the verge of tears. “Lie back down, everyone. I’ve already heard what happened. I rushed back overnight just to check on my brothers. I never would’ve thought a dead fish could turn itself over.” “Kun Ge, you’ve got to avenge us! You have no idea how arrogant Su Mu was today—he didn’t even give you the time of day.” “He even said that if we dare ask those low-level disciples for cultivation pills again, he’ll beat us up every time he sees us!” Someone couldn’t resist adding fuel to the fire. “Don’t worry. You guys look up to me as your big brother. If you get bullied and I don’t stand up for you, who’d want to stick with me in the future? But right now, it’s not the right time to go head-to-head with him. I need to gauge his strength first before I find the right opportunity to take him down. I’ve been pretty busy these past few days.” “So, what are you saying, Kun Ge…?” “There’s a grueling mining job. I’ll bribe the Elder in charge to assign it to him. Song Dachui is a bully over there—I’ll have someone stir up trouble between them, and conflict is bound to arise.”