Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 16: Something Demonic Is Afoot

The roar was excruciatingly piercing. With a loud bang, the two large stones lying side by side in front shattered into pieces, while the ones behind remained intact. Su Mu frowned, withdrew his fist, walked over, and tapped one of them. Crack, crack—the second boulder also shattered into pieces. He hadn’t expected that cultivating the Vajra Body would not only strengthen his physique but also increase his physical strength. After another day of training, he had mastered the Fierce Elephant Fist to perfection, learned the Iron-Headed Hammer technique, and made substantial progress in all three martial arts. Su Mu didn’t have the build of a burly, muscular man, but his physique was already quite formidable. Upon his return, Qian Dafu was already able to get out of bed and was sitting there, drenched in sweat, performing a set of physical exercises to stretch every part of his body, which would aid his recovery. He was not one to sit idly by. Despite his plump appearance, he was not the type to just eat and wait for death; on the contrary, he trained quite diligently, especially after Su Mu became his roommate. He had gradually been influenced by Su Mu, but his foundational cultivation was too weak; he knew that even if he worked hard for another three to five years, he wouldn’t stand a chance of entering the Inner Sect. “You’re healing really fast. Take a break first—don’t wear yourself out. You’re sweating quite a bit.” Qian Dafu chuckled. “It’s all thanks to the Bone-Strengthening and Body-Nourishing Pill. A medicine this good really works wonders. I’m almost fully recovered now. I’ll save the rest of the pills—who knows, I might need them next time I break a bone.” “Look at you, being so stingy. Don’t hold back—take it all. Getting your body back to full health is the top priority. Da Fu, once your injury heals, I’ll teach you a body-cultivation martial art and a set of boxing techniques. Want to learn?” “Really?” Qian Dafu was over the moon. “Mu Ge, I already heard from Lao Tie about how you beat the crap out of Zhong Qiang’s gang at the briefing platform. Man, what a shame I wasn’t there at the time—I missed such a great show. What a pity, such a huge pity!” “Don’t worry about it. Once your injuries heal, come train with me. From now on, we’ll stick together through thick and thin—share the burdens and fight the battles together. If you don’t train hard, you’ll just be holding us back.” “Hehe, don’t laugh at me, Mu Ge, but I haven’t actually hit anyone since I got here. It’s more like I’m always the one getting beaten up. I’m not very good at fighting, but I’m willing to learn.” Su Mu patted him on the shoulder. “In the sect, strength is everything. If you’re not ruthless, you won’t survive. Weakness is an original sin—do you get it?” “Mu Ge, from now on, whatever you say, I’ll do—no questions asked!” Su Mu had already made up his mind along the way: he couldn’t just focus on improving his own cultivation; he had to look out for Da Fu as well, so that the two of them could pass the assessment together and smoothly enter the Inner Sect. Of course, passing together would be quite a challenge. If Su Mu made it into the Inner Sect, he could serve as Da Fu’s backing; even if he left, the Outer Sect members wouldn’t dare to bully him casually anymore. Success depends on one’s own efforts; he would help Da Fu as much as he could—teach him some skills and help him toughen up a bit. When the time came, Su Mu would also pass on to him the martial arts techniques on the Xuanwu Cliff that could aid in his breakthrough. “Su Mu, are you back yet?” A hoarse voice suddenly rang out from outside. Qian Dafu recognized the voice immediately and whispered, “Why has the Elder in Charge come in person?” “That old turtle is never up to anything good.” Su Mu stood up and opened the door. “I’m here. What brings you here, Elder Gui?” A gaunt man with high cheekbones stood outside, his hands clasped behind his back. “I won’t come in. Come here—I have something to tell you.” Su Mu let out an “Oh” and strode over. “Here’s the situation: there have recently been incidents of demon beasts preying on people in the Tianfu Mine. Many of the miners we recruited have fled, but the extraction of Source Stones cannot be halted. Therefore, we Outer Sect disciples must do our part. You’ll head down the mountain tomorrow and stay there for a month. Work hard—this field assignment will come with a special reward for you.” Su Mu’s expression darkened. Although some Outer Sect disciples had been sent to the Tianfu Mine, they were all those who had received major disciplinary warnings, committed offenses, or were notorious troublemakers—in other words, it was essentially a place of exile for Outer Sect disciples. The Tianfu Mine lay deep within the Tianfu Mountains, where demon beasts roamed freely. Although sect members provided protection outside the mine, demon beasts often lurked inside. Over the past two years, he’d heard of no fewer than seven or eight incidents where outer-sect disciples had been killed by demon beasts. That place was clearly unsafe, and Su Mu, while carrying out his duties as an outer-sect disciple, usually didn’t even venture down the mountain, let alone travel to such a remote location. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t worry—there are over a hundred outer-sect disciples there. As long as you follow the rules and regulations, it’s perfectly safe.” “I wonder how many people are going with me?” “Oh, about ten. Some outer-sect disciples have been working there for half a year already; their punishment is over, and it’s time for them to return. Now that we’re short-handed and some are being recalled, we’ve got to send some people to fill in. Everyone’s been talking about you these past few days. Since you’re so skilled, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go there and hone your skills. It’s only for a month—time flies, and it’ll be over in the blink of an eye. I’ve already reported this matter to the higher-ups.” Su Mu couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. “In the blink of an eye, my foot!” The Tianfu Mine was considered a place of exile; newcomers there were often bullied, and even when someone was beaten to death, no one ever investigated—they’d just pin it on a demon beast. Who knows the truth—was it a person who killed them, or a demon beast? The lives of Outer Sect disciples were already cheap; those in the Talent Mine were even cheaper. Su Mu had been doing just fine in the Outer Sect, yet he’d been sent to a place like this—he could already sense the whiff of a conspiracy. The Elder in charge had never had a high opinion of him. The reason was that he had once been a leading figure in the sect, but after suffering severe injuries in an incident, his cultivation plummeted rapidly, and he was assigned to the Outer Sect to serve as an administrator. He had a feud with Elder Qingsong. When Su Mu first joined the sect, he had been Elder Qingsong’s disciple; had he shown any real talent, he might have been held in higher regard. Instead, he was demoted from the Inner Sect to the Outer Sect, and with his meager cultivation, he was naturally looked down upon by the Elder. Even though Su Mu had thoroughly redeemed himself in the battle at the Lecture Platform not long ago, this preconceived notion had long been deeply ingrained and could not be changed overnight. “Since Elder Gui has already made all the arrangements, I’ll go then.” “Come down to the foot of the mountain at noon the day after tomorrow; a large carriage will be there to take you straight there.” With that, the Elder in charge turned and left.