Pursuit of the Truth

Su Ming did not immediately return to Han Mountain City. He changed directions instead and went to the four locations He Feng provided him for the four cave abodes. Once he found them and saw the stone coins hidden within the cave abodes, he was shocked.

He Feng had a large amount of stone coins within the four abodes. It far surpassed the amount he had in his storage bag. When he saw these stone coins, Su Ming helped himself to them. He swung his arm and put away all the coins in his storage bag before turning around and leaving.

He Feng waited, but when he saw Su Ming continue charging towards Han Mountain and showing no intention of asking him, he was stunned, because it was different from what he had imagined.

He waited for a little while longer before He Feng found himself asking.

”Master, haha… Aren’t these stone coins good?”

”They’re not bad,” Su Ming stated calmly.

”It’s my greatest glory to be able to serve and please you. If you think it’s good, then all is well. If you ever find yourself lacking money, then you don’t have to worry. With my abilities, I will definitely be able to earn a lot of stone coins for you.”

He Feng spoke carefully in hopes of drawing the topic to his plans.

”Alright!” Su Ming answered without any hesitation.

The moment he finished speaking, he no longer spoke. As he charged forward, the distance between him and Han Mountain City closed up.

He Feng felt depressed. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke once again.

”Master, I only used a few years to obtain all these stone coins. I’m not boasting about myself. I’m well versed in the art of negotiation. In truth, Master, your method of negotiating with the others previously was wrong. I’m very good in this…”

”Oh?”

The ghost of a smile appeared on Su Ming’s lips. He knew since a long time ago that He Feng wanted to say something, or else he would not have given him such a huge present.

The moment he heard Su Ming replying, He Feng’s spirits were lifted. He immediately used this chance to present the benefits of having him around.

”I’m not boasting about myself. It’s true, Master, I’m very talented in the buying and selling of items. We have to haggle the price when we buy things. This is something easy for me.

”I got these stone coins with this method. My status in Han Mountain City was about the same as yours as Mo Su. I’ve made quite a name for myself in the city.

”Master, I’m not boasting about myself. If you let me handle your finances, I’ll definitely earn loads for you. If anything catches your eye, you just have to tell me and let me buy it for you. I’m not boasting about myself…”

The more He Feng spoke, the more excited he became. He even spoke about his past glorious achievements. However, every single time he mentioned all these, there would always be one sentence that repeated itself.

”I’m not boasting about myself… Master…

”…I’m really not boasting about my amazing self… I mean… I’m not boasting about myself…”

Su Ming’s kept on smiling as he listened to He Feng. He suddenly felt that this He Feng was perhaps the man’s real self.

The day passed by with He Feng continuing to boast about himself. When night fell, Han Mountain appeared before Su Ming’s eyes.

When he saw it, the smile on Su Ming’s lips gradually disappeared. He brought out the black mask from his bosom and put it on his face, turning into Mo Su. He did not go to Han Mountain City immediately, but chose to go towards Tranquil East Mountain.

Tranquil East Mountain in the dusk was the same as usual. It gave out a towering presence. However, that mountain now looked a lot more different in Su Ming’s eyes.

When he first saw this mountain, he had been nervous. He might not have been nervous the second time he came here, but it was not a place he could enter freely.

This was the third time he stood at the foot of Tranquil East Mountain. Even if he was as small as an ant before the mountain, he knew in his heart that he could now walk on it.

Su Ming did not speak. He stood at the foot of the mountain and walked up the steps. The instant his foot landed, the mountain suddenly trembled and an intimidating pressure fell on him.

That pressure did not possess any intelligence. It was clear that it was the activation of Tranquil East’s Mountain Protection Art, used to prevent outsiders from trespassing into their tribe.

Su Ming’s expression was calm. That presence charged towards him with a loud bang, but it came to an abrupt halt about 100 feet away from him, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall. A lot of rumbling sounds echoed in the air, but that pressure could not move any further.

With the mask on his face, Su Ming moved forward. Once he took ten steps forward, whistling sounds sliced through the air towards him. Ten people charged towards him from the mountain. All of them had respectful expressions on their faces. They stopped far away from Su Ming and bowed deeply towards him.

”Welcome, Lord Kindred Mo…”

Su Ming nodded his head and continued onward. He was not fast, but he crossed about a dozen steps with each step he took towards the top of the mountain.

At that moment, a dozen more people charged towards him. The one leading the team of people was Fang Shen, the tribe leader of Tranquil East Tribe. Behind him were the powerful Berserkers of Tranquil East Tribe. Once they appeared, they bowed towards Su Ming deeply with conflicted but respectful looks.

”Welcome, Lord Kindred Mo.”

Fang Shen moved a few steps forward, then when he was hundreds of feet away from Su Ming, an excited look appeared on his face. He wrapped his fist in his palm and greeted Su Ming.

”Greetings, sir.”

Su Ming’s footsteps faltered. He looked at Fang Shen and spoke calmly.

”Tribe leader, there’s no need for you to do this. I came here to fulfill my promise. Please bring me to Fang Mu.”

”Thank you for your aid!”

Fang Shen bowed once more towards Su Ming. When he straightened his body, there was a look of shock and respect in his eyes that was difficult to conceal when he looked at Su Ming. He looked at Mo Su standing before him and remembered all the things that had happened when they met each other.

”Sir, this way. You don’t have to worry about my son as of yet. Please come to Tranquil East Tower and allow Tranquil East Tribe to offer you our welcome… The Elder is preparing himself, he’ll come by later to welcome you personally.”

”There’s no need for all that trouble.”

As Su Ming spoke, he activated the Branding Art. When his power reached Transcendence, his Branding Art improved. When he activated it, the area it covered now spanned to half of the mountain, allowing him to instantly locate Fang Mu.

Su Ming took one step forward and moved on air before turning into a long arc and charging towards Fang Mu’s house at the mountainside. Fang Shen quickly spoke to the people by his side and followed behind Su Ming.

At the mountainside of Tranquil East Mountain was an ordinary house made of stone. Han Cang Zi was sitting cross-legged within. She was frowning and there was a melancholy look on her face. Along with her blue skirt, her troubled look gave her a different air of beauty.

Whistling sounds traveled forth and Han Cang Zi looked as if she was shocked awake. She lifted her head, and when she saw the masked Su Ming approaching in the long arc in the sky, her eyes brightened up.

When the long arc descended and turned into Su Ming once the light dissipated, he looked at Han Cang Zi and nodded.

”Greetings, brother Mo.”

Han Cang Zi got up and spoke softly. There was a hint of joy in her voice.

”How’s Fang Mu?”

He cast Han Cang Zi a glance, then looked at the room behind her.

Han Cang Zi hesitated for a moment before she spoke softly.

”Not too good…”

”Si Ma Xin activated the Berserker Seed in Mu Er’s body beforehand, so even after he left, Mu Er remained unconscious… From what I understand about Si Ma Xin’s Art, Mu Er’s life force is blocked…” Han Cang Zi whispered with grief on her face.

Su Ming was silent for a moment before he said slowly, ”I played a hand in this.”

”Sir, you don’t have to blame yourself. It was bound to happen someday.”

Fang Shen’s voice appeared from behind Su Ming. He walked up towards them with a dejected look.

”In truth, I knew that Mu Er did not suffer from an injury, but it was because Si Ma… Xin planted the Berserker Seed within him… When I met you in the past, I did not have much hope of him getting cured. I just made others think I didn’t know about it.

”I hope you will forgive me for this.”

Fang Shen let out a long sigh and bowed once again towards Su Ming.

Su Ming did not look at Fang Shen. He walked towards the room behind Han Cang Zi and pushed open the door. The instant the door was opened, a freezing chill blew into his face. The cold wind spread to an area of about hundreds of feet, and the floor where the wind blew through was covered in a layer of frost.

Everything within was revealed clearly when he opened the door. The room was not big, but as of then, it was filled with cold air. There was also a layer of ice in the room.

A boy lay on a stone bed.

The boy was still. His face had a purplish black hue. A lot of frost covered his body, and he looked like a frozen corpse.

Su Ming remained silent for a moment before he walked into the room. The instant he did so, blue lightning arcs immediately swam through his entire body, then traveled down his legs to the ground. The arcs swam across the ice around him, and as cracking sounds filled the air, the ice immediately showed signs of shattering.

When Su Ming walked by, the ice behind him completely shattered, revealing the floor underneath.

When he was beside Fang Mu, many lightning arcs swam around his body, making him look as if he was surrounded by lightning. He looked at the unconscious and nearly dead Fang Mu, then lifted his right hand. Lightning sparks gathered together in his right hand until they turned into a large amount of lightning in his hand. He was just about to tap the center of Fang Mu’s brows with a finger…

”Sir, please hold your hand...” an old voice said.

A long arc charged towards them from outside the house. When it descended, it turned into an old man. That old man was the Elder of Tranquil East Tribe.

He took a few brisk steps forward and moved past Fang Shen, who looked as if he was struggling internally. He was just about to step into Fang Mu’s house when Su Ming turned his head back and cast the old man a freezing look.

When he saw that glance, the Elder of Tranquil East Tribe felt shaken. He sensed danger and a feeling of being oppressed rose within him, making his heart instantly race. He stopped abruptly and stood outside the house. He did not dare rush forward anymore, but chose to walk towards Su Ming and bow deeply to him.

”Greetings, sir.

”Sir, on behalf that Tranquil East Tribe has never offended you… please spare us… I will be eternally grateful if you do so.”

There was anguish on the Elder’s face, and he did not straighten up once he bowed down.

”What is the meaning behind your words?” Su Ming asked unhurriedly.

”Sir, if you save this child, then our tribe will inevitably offend Sir Si Ma. If Sir Si Ma is angered, our tribe will not be able to withstand his fury… Fang Mu is a good child, his only mistake was that he was born in Tranquil East Tribe…” the old man answered in a low tone.

Su Ming remained silent for a while and then his gaze moved to Fang Mu, but his words were clearly directed towards Fang Shen. ”Fang Mu is your son. You choose.”

Fang Shen trembled, and his struggles became more apparent.