Chapter 111: Saving Someone, Save Them to the End

"Yes!"

【Corpse discovered. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

……

The scrap-iron shards' blade-wind howled back and forth across the town for a stretch, and every bandit dropped dead on the spot.

The stunned, terrified townsfolk stopped their shouting, and even their sobbing was pressed down to the lowest murmur.

A tall, elderly man tottered out into the street, first glancing warily around him, then went "thud" and dropped to his knees on the ground, kowtowing as he called out.

"I don't know which hero stepped in to save us — this old man kowtows in thanks to our benefactor!"

"……Thank you, benefactor!!"

Hearing him, the others filed out one after another, knelt in the street, and kowtowed in every direction as they shouted.

Not being able to see anyone didn't stop them from giving thanks.

Chen Mu had no intention of showing himself, but he didn't leave either; hidden in a corner, he activated "Vocal Mimicry" and, in a deep middle-aged man's voice, said calmly, "Are there any more bandits nearby?"

"There are… oh no, there aren't."

The tall old man first gave a start, then shook his head uneasily.

"If there are, there are; if there aren't, there aren't."

Chen Mu spoke again, calm as ever, "If there are still some, this one can take care of them on the way, to cut the trouble off at the root."

"This…" The old man's body trembled. "Would this bring trouble upon you, benefactor?"

He added, explaining, "It's mainly that among these bandits there are martial artists of considerable strength. Benefactor, you…"

"Considerable strength?" Chen Mu cut in lightly. "How considerable, exactly? Are they at the Innate Realm?"

"Not quite that." The old man shook his head hurriedly and said quickly, "The bandit leader is at Postnatal eighth layer — or was it seventh? These men are hiding up on Ox-Head Mountain. This old man is willing to lead the way for you, benefactor!"

In his heart he was overjoyed.

Innate!

The benefactor who had saved them was absolutely at the Innate Realm!

Even if he wasn't, he wasn't afraid of Innate Realm martial artists.

Earlier he hadn't dared to mention that there were still bandits, because he didn't want to drag the benefactor down.

But in fact, if the bandits on Ox-Head Mountain weren't wiped out in one sweep,

every single person in their town would die!

Chen Mu could have walked away on the spot, but the retaliation that would follow once the bandits caught on — no one would escape it.

That was also why Chen Mu had stayed.

If you save someone, save them to the end!

"You can forget it."

Chen Mu said calmly, "Just have a young one lead the way. We set out at dawn."

"Yes, yes — thank you, benefactor!"

The old man was moved to tears and bowed low once more.

"Thank you, benefactor!!"

The others followed right behind, shouting in unison.

"Get up."

Chen Mu said calmly, "The bandits' corpses can be buried, and everything on their bodies is yours."

"This…" Hearing that, the old man hesitated.

"Enough — that's how it'll be done." Chen Mu decided.

"……Thank you, benefactor!"

The old man's body trembled once, and he kowtowed in gratitude.

The others did the same — thud thud thud against the ground, kowtowing without cease.

What a great benefactor!

Not only had he saved their lives, he'd even given them a way forward.

Although Chen Mu couldn't be bothered with the few taels of broken silver on the bandits, for the townsfolk it was a huge help.

Especially the weapons the bandits had left behind — all good stuff. Even if they didn't sell them, they could keep them for self-defense.

……

After the thanks were done, the whole town sprang into action.

Some put out fires, some dug pits, some gathered up the loot.

The tall old man carried great authority and was remarkably capable at organizing — a few sentences from him and everyone was set to their task.

Throughout the whole process, Chen Mu never showed himself.

When the old man brought over clear tea, Chen Mu took it from the air at a distance.

Dawn was nearly breaking.

A young man called Zhuzi walked out in front, left the small town, and headed for Ox-Head Mountain.

Chen Mu followed along on the flank, a hundred meters off.

When they reached the outer perimeter of Ox-Head Mountain, Zhuzi nervously dropped flat and crouched in the grass.

"Benefactor, that mountain up ahead is where the bandits gather."

Two hundred meters ahead of him, a great mountain with sheer cliffs on three sides towered over the land.

"Mm~"

Chen Mu spoke calmly, "Wait here for a moment."

"Yes, benefactor." Zhuzi replied nervously.

After speaking, he carefully glanced to both sides.

Along the entire way here, Chen Mu had never shown himself. Now that they'd reached the destination, surely he should…

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Zhuzi cried out, but only got halfway before quickly covering his mouth, eyes wide.

Because he saw a figure in the air, soaring through the sky, crossing over two hundred meters, descending onto Ox-Head Mountain.

He can fly!

Benefactor can actually fly!

Beyond a doubt, benefactor is a Heavenly Origin master!!

Zhuzi's body trembled with excitement.

The bandits on Ox-Head Mountain had plagued the surrounding dozens of li. Their victims were hardly limited to their small town. Over the years, the authorities had launched encirclements, but they all ended without result.

One reason was Ox-Head Mountain's terrain—easy to defend, hard to attack. The second was that several bandit chiefs were extremely powerful. Either Acquired Eightfold or Acquired Ninefold.

But the one going up the mountain this time was different—a Heavenly Origin master!

The bandits on the mountain were as good as dead!

Thinking of this, Zhuzi clenched his fist and waved it forcefully.

"Ah~!"

"Kill, kill them!"

"…"

In the midst of his excitement, clamor and successive screams came from Ox-Head Mountain.

"It's started!"

Zhuzi widened his eyes and looked toward Ox-Head Mountain.

……

……

On Ox-Head Mountain.

Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~

Piece after piece of scrap iron whistled through the Shanzhai, shooting down the bandits who scattered in panic.

"How dare you!"

A burly, fierce-looking man, amid a furious roar, swung a fine-steel greatsword and charged at Chen Mu. His aura fully released—he was unmistakably Acquired Eightfold.

Whoosh~

A slash cleaved out, its cold light dazzling, fierce and terrifying.

The blade energy cut through the air, visible to the naked eye.

But unfortunately…

"Swish~!"

Sword light flared suddenly.

Sword Qi cut forth, arriving in an instant, colliding head-on, shattering everything.

"Pfft!"

Before the fierce-faced man could comprehend what was happening, a bloodline appeared on his neck, and his entire head flew up into the air.

【Corpse discovered. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

The card was in hand; he quickly checked it.

A three-month Internal Force card!

Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~

Pocketing the card, Chen Mu continued shooting piece after piece of scrap iron, slaying bandits.

Then, he picked up the cards.

……

Three minutes later.

Every person in the entire Shanzhai was dead.

Chen Mu had picked up over a hundred cards, but most were Energy cards and Stamina cards.

Only eleven Internal Force cards—the shortest one month, the longest five months.

Six Power cards, two Cultivation cards.

Four Skill cards, but all Acquired martial arts.

Overall harvest was mediocre.

So Chen Mu walked around inside the Shanzhai, searching to see if there was anything good.

For the dead bandits, Chen Mu couldn't be bothered to go through them one by one.

Only the three chiefs' corpses were checked, yielding several hundred taels of silver notes and various auxiliary pills.

After circling the Shanzhai, he found a sizable stockpile of grain—enough to feed five hundred people for over a month.

Gold, silver, and jewelry were also plentiful, but the quality was ordinary.

As for weapons, they were all common goods, with a great heap of rusty ones.

Three martial arts manuals, all Acquired martial arts.

There was only one thing that made Chen Mu's eyes light up.

It was a chest, locked with an iron chain, under the bed of a wooden cabin.

Opening the chest, inside lay three deep-blue crystals, each the size of a pigeon egg, with starlight shimmering within.

Heavenly Kun Stone!

The core ore for forging spirit weapons!