Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 155: Chapter 117: Too Weak

He looked down. The red was blood; the white, brains.

”Was he the backup you mentioned?”

Just then, a voice called out.

Hu Dazhen snapped his head up, just in time to see another head flying toward him.

How could he not understand what he had just shattered with his fist?

His figure flashed as he dodged the head. Looking closely, he immediately recognized whose it was.

His pupils contracted violently as he looked up in the direction the head had come from.

There, he saw a handsome and dashing young man walking toward him under the moonlight, a longsword in hand.

Xiang Xiaoyuan’s eyes glazed over in a daze.

”Su Mu?!”

Hu Dazhen cried out in shock.

”You recognize me. It seems you really were here for me.”

Su Mu said calmly, ”In that case, you can go and join them.”

Before his voice had even faded, Su Mu shot into action.

’What a fool!’

Although he didn’t know how the two Blood Transformation Realm experts from the Fragrance Sect had died, in Hu Dazhen’s eyes, Su Mu was merely in the Body Tempering Realm.

’For him to dare attack me first... isn’t he just courting death?’

Enraged, his clothes billowed without a wind as he threw out both iron fists.

”Look out!”

Xiang Xiaoyuan couldn’t help but shout.

Even as he shot forward, Su Mu had the leisure to turn and give Xiang Xiaoyuan a smile.

Then, the Ziwei Soft Sword crashed against Hu Dazhen’s fists.

BOOM!

Both of them took a step back.

In a contest of pure strength, Hu Dazhen, a Blood Transformation Realm expert, had failed to gain any advantage.

Just as a look of shock appeared on Hu Dazhen’s face, Su Mu struck again.

The sword light flickered as a gale rose.

In an instant, the flashes of the blade became unpredictable.

All that could be seen was the sword light, not the person wielding it.

Xun Wind Realm!

Kan Water Realm!

The two Realms mixed, seeming to undergo a strange transformation. Su Mu’s attacks were as swift as a gale and as fierce as a crashing wave.

Hu Dazhen was forced back step by step, his expression one of utter horror.

He finally knew how the two Blood Transformation Realm experts from the Fragrance Sect had died.

’Su Mu... he actually hid his strength!’

’He’s not in the Body Tempering Realm at all!’

’This power... it’s definitely the Blood Transformation Realm!’

Originally, Hu Dazhen hadn’t understood why Hu Gongxiu was so insistent on killing Su Mu. He’d even paid a great price to hire two Blood Transformation Realm experts from the Fragrance Sect for the job.

Now, he finally understood.

’This Su Mu cannot be allowed to live!’

’Hu Gongxiu had already realized this, and he had taken Su Mu very seriously. But it still wasn’t serious enough.’

’Who could have guessed that Su Mu actually possessed the power of the Blood Transformation Realm!’

’Son of a bitch! With power like this, what are you doing cooped up in the Outer City? Are you trying to trap people?!’

Hu Dazhen cursed inwardly. He felt as if he was surrounded by nothing but sword light, barely able to cope.

Then he remembered the girl on the side, who could also erupt with the power of the Blood Transformation Realm.

’Originally, it was the three of them—all in the Blood Transformation Realm—against one Blood Transformation Realm and one Body Tempering Realm. It should have been a guaranteed win.’

’But in the blink of an eye, the tables had turned. Now it was him, a single Blood Transformation Realm expert, facing two of them.’

’How am I supposed to fight this?’

The thought of retreat rose in Hu Dazhen’s mind.

Just then, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Looking down, he saw a slender longsword sticking out of his chest.

”Ah...”

Hu Dazhen let out a pained cry.

The delayed signal from his nerves sent excruciating pain flooding his mind.

THUD!

A foot planted itself on his abdomen and kicked him away.

The longsword left his body, spraying a shower of blood.

Hu Dazhen flew back several dozen feet before landing heavily on the ground.

He leaped to his feet, but in the next moment, his body froze. He cast one last, difficult glance at the wound on his chest, then collapsed with a thud.

”He’s dead?”

Xiang Xiaoyuan blinked her large eyes, which were filled with confusion.

’Hu Dazhen... was killed by Su Mu just like that?’

’But isn’t Su Mu only in the Body Tempering Realm?’

’Even if he has comprehended a Realm, he shouldn’t have been a match for Hu Dazhen, right?’

’How did he do it?’

’I originally came to save Su Mu, but in the end, he saved me instead. Now I owe him another huge favor.’

For a moment, Xiang Xiaoyuan’s heart was in a turmoil.

She looked up just as Su Mu came to a stop a short distance in front of her.

”Don’t come any closer!”

Xiang Xiaoyuan called out hastily.

”Hm?”

Su Mu stopped, a look of confusion on his face.

”I’m a mess right now. I don’t want you to see me like this. Please forgive me, Lord Su.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan took two steps back, putting more distance between them, afraid that Su Mu would recognize her if he got too close.

”You jest, Miss. I have yet to thank you for your assistance.”

Su Mu didn’t press her, remaining where he was and cupping his hands in a salute.

”I didn’t help you. You saved me instead.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan shook her head.

”I wouldn’t say that.”

Su Mu said, ”If you hadn’t held this man off, Miss, I wouldn’t have been free to kill the other two. I can’t beat the three of them alone. So, it’s all thanks to you.”

”I really didn’t do much.”

The face under Xiang Xiaoyuan’s mask flushed slightly. ”Since Lord Su is safe, this humble girl will take her leave.”

”Miss, may I have your name?

Su Mu asked.

”In the Jianghu, we are all just travelers crossing paths. A name isn’t necessary.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan refused.

”Have we met before? Why does your voice sound so familiar, Miss?”

”Lord Su must have misheard. We’ve never met.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan was flustered. She gave Su Mu a quick salute before her figure darted into the darkness.

Su Mu pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly, not giving chase.

’No matter who she is, for now, she doesn’t seem to bear me any ill will. That’s enough.’

’She probably won’t go around telling everyone what she saw tonight. Since she doesn’t want to reveal her identity, I’ll just let it be.’

Just then, Su Mu suddenly saw the woman return.

Su Mu thought she had changed her mind.

But she stopped a good twenty feet away from him.

”Lord Su, these remnants of the Fragrance Sect don’t know where the treasure is. Don’t be fooled again in the future.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan called out to Su Mu from a distance.

”You know about the Fragrance Sect’s treasure?”

Su Mu grew even more curious about her identity.

”That so-called treasure is a lie. There isn’t that much gold and silver.”

Xiang Xiaoyuan said.

”I’m not interested in gold and silver.”

Su Mu said, ”But I’ve heard that the Fragrance Sect collected quite a few Martial Arts manuals and Divine Weapons...”

”There are some...”

Xiang Xiaoyuan realized she had said too much. ”I’m leaving. Take care.”

With that, she scurried into the forest like a startled rabbit.

’Who is she, really? She seems to know a lot about the Fragrance Sect. When she said there was no treasure, her tone was so certain, not like she was repeating some rumor...’

Su Mu pondered for a moment but couldn’t think of anyone like her among his acquaintances.

Just then, Chen Song and his men rushed over to report, shouting from a distance.

”My lord, all the Fragrance Sect remnants have been executed! We found something. Please come take a look.”

Su Mu dismissed his thoughts and walked over to Chen Song and his men.

* * *

SQUELCH!

A longsword pierced through a demon’s skull.

Luo Anning leaned over, hands on her knees, panting heavily.

A lock of hair fell across her cheek, stuck to her skin with sweat. The black hair and pale skin created a stark contrast.

Suddenly, a blood-red flush appeared on her fair skin, making it look almost translucent.

The red glow flashed and then vanished. As if utterly exhausted, she slowly leaned against the corpse of the Tier One Demon she had just killed, closing her eyes to regulate her breath for a long time.

”I’ve finally broken through.”

After a long while, Luo Anning slowly opened her eyes. Though her face couldn’t hide her exhaustion, her eyes were filled with joy and excitement.

’I’ve finally reached the Blood Transformation Realm. I should be the first among this batch of Taiping Bureau White Clothes to break through. Fighting really does work. If I had just stayed in Wuling City to cultivate, it would have taken me at least several more months to break through. Su Mu might have even surpassed me.’

’Now, I’ll finally get to embroider the word ’Taiping’ on my uniform before Su Mu. He’ll have to call me Senior Sister.’

Luo Anning muttered to herself, her tone tinged with a hint of smugness.