Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 17: Preparations

Su Mu went inside and gave a brief account of the situation. Qian Dafu was frantic with worry. “Mu Ge, you can’t go! That place is way too dangerous!” “That old turtle has already made up his mind—there’s no turning back. If this were in the past, I’d really be scared, but I’m not afraid now.” “Why on earth did the Elder in Charge single you out to go? The people there are all unreasonable—some are even murderers. I know someone who was caught stealing and was exiled there to do hard labor for half a year. When he came back, he was missing a leg. They said a demon beast bit it off, but in reality, someone beat it right off while he was still alive. Not long after he returned, he was expelled from the sect. That place is a lawless mess. Unless you’re on good terms with the people in charge there, if you’re targeted, you’ll be subjected to abuse day in and day out. I think you should go ask your senior sister, Mu Ge, to help you out—that way, you might be able to get out of going.” “Da Fu, don’t worry too much. The people there are ruthless, but I’m no pushover either.” Su Mu now had the confidence to stand his ground. In the past, hearing Da Fu’s advice would have made him swallow his pride, and he might actually have gone to beg his senior sister for help. But if he couldn’t even handle this small obstacle now, how could he ever establish himself in the sect? And how could he even think about saving his father and avenging his mother? In his view, the Elder Steward’s earlier remarks were all nonsense, but one thing he said was actually true—he’d just treat this as a trial by fire. Qian Dafu knew Su Mu’s temperament; he’d made up his mind to go, and no amount of persuasion from him would change that. “Mu Ge, I heard that there’s a leader among the outer-sect disciples in the Tianfu Mine—his name is something like Song Dachui. If anyone’s unlucky enough to be exiled there, they’ll go out of their way to give him a gift. Why don’t you just swallow your pride and prepare a gift too? It’s better to avoid trouble than to invite it—spend a little money to ward off disaster.” Qian Dafu was the son of a merchant, and the phrase he heard most often from his elders was “better safe than sorry” and “spend money to avoid trouble.” He hadn’t yet developed the habit of settling matters with his fists; he usually resorted to giving gifts or bribes to curry favor. “Song Dachui—judging by the name, that guy must have some serious punching power. He’s not even worthy of receiving a gift from me. Don’t worry about this. By the time I return in a month, your injuries will have long since healed. I’m leaving you two books; practice from them whenever you have time. Don’t mention this to anyone, and make sure to hide the books well—got it?” Su Mu took out the handwritten manuscripts of the Fierce Elephant Fist and the Vajra Body Technique. He had originally planned to burn them after mastering them, but having read through them several times, he had already committed the entire content to memory. “Mu Ge, where’d you get these?” Qian Dafu’s eyes lit up. “Don’t ask about that. Your cultivation level is too low right now, so you might not be able to grasp it fully at first. It’s okay—take your time. Even slow learners have their own methods; a drop of water can wear away a stone. This physical cultivation technique is perfect for building your foundation. In the future, if someone attacks you, you’ll be able to fight back. If your cultivation levels are close enough, I’ll even take you with me to the Inner Sect. But if you keep being this weak, I’m going to get really upset.” “Okay, okay, Mu Ge. I’ll definitely practice hard.” “I won’t be coming back tonight, and I’ll be training outside tomorrow too. Take good care of yourself.” With that, Su Mu left and returned once more to the Xuanwu Cliff. They were set to depart for the Tianfu Mine the day after tomorrow, so he had one more night and one more day to make good use of. He decided to make the most of the time to learn a few more martial arts techniques. Su Mu didn’t have any specific plans for what to learn; he would simply unlock skills at random and see how many he could master before leaving. He was like a sponge, absorbing everything voraciously; perhaps sensing the pressure, his cultivation speed had increased significantly. Leg techniques, palm techniques, footwork, staff techniques… In just one night, he mastered four martial arts styles. When he grew tired, he rested; once refreshed, he got back up and continued training. He spent every waking moment immersed in the cave. The martial arts techniques inscribed on the Xuanwu Cliff were written concisely, without any superfluous details; some even included insights and reflections to help future practitioners learn quickly. Su Mu was naturally quick to grasp things, and he absorbed many of these martial arts. When he awoke, it was already broad daylight outside the cave. At first, he could still recall which styles he’d learned, but as he practiced more and more, he eventually lost track of them all. Some palm techniques had only about three variations; if one grasped the key points, they could be mastered in a single hour. He was utterly exhausted; by the time he emerged from the cave, the sun was already high in the sky. Fortunately, he had set out at noon; if he’d started in the morning, he might not have even woken up. Su Mu walked down the mountain, found a pond, and took a bath, which instantly left him feeling refreshed. Along the way, he picked some wild berries to stave off hunger. With some time to spare, he wandered aimlessly through the woods, snapped a straight tree branch with a palm strike, and, after a little shaping, turned it into a staff. Su Mu was fully prepared for battle as he headed toward the mine; had he brought a sword or knife, the Elder in charge likely wouldn’t have allowed it. Looking up, he saw the Sun had risen to the zenith of the sky. Su Mu quickened his pace down the mountain and spotted a beast-drawn cart parked by the roadside from a distance. A few people had already arrived; each of them looked as if they’d lost their father, their faces a picture of gloom. “Su Mu, what are you doing here? It’s been ages since I’ve seen you. I knew it was only a matter of time before you made a name for yourself,” said a dark-skinned teenager, looking surprised. Su Mu recognized him; his name was Guo Yan. A Marrow-Washing-stage cultivator, he had entered the Post-Heaven Realm just three months after Su Mu joined the Outer Sect. Not long after, he moved out of his old, dilapidated shack and stopped associating much with the group he used to hang out with. The Innate and Post-Heaven Realms were like a watershed—even one’s circle of friends would change. After that, the two rarely saw each other. Guo Yan used to look down on Su Mu a bit, but now his attitude was clearly extremely polite—even a bit ingratiating. “It’s been a long time. Are you heading to the mine as well?” “Yeah, I’ve really had the worst luck in eight lifetimes—some scheming bastard must be sabotaging me behind the scenes! When I get back, if I find out who it was, I’ll make them pay!” “Same here. I also think someone’s pulling strings behind the scenes,” Su Mu said with a faint smile. “That doesn’t make sense! Why don’t you ask your senior sister for help? It seems like it would only take a word from her. For someone like me with no backing, when something like this happens, I don’t even have anyone to turn to.” “I actually think going to the Tianfu Mine is great. It’s a rare chance to experience it—I can’t wait.”