Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior

All the way, Su Mu searched for traces of the masked woman selling Demon Blood, whom Bai Qiushan had mentioned, while his eyes also swept over the stalls selling Secret Manuals.

"Iron Head Skill…" Su Mu paused, his gaze lingering briefly on this manual, then brightened. He squatted down, picked it up, and flipped through it.

"Only the first three pages may be read."

Su Mu closed the manual after flipping through two pages, feeling a hint of surprise in his heart. As the name implied, Iron Head Skill was indeed a rare Martial Art specifically for cross-training the head.

Molten Fire Golden Body had its flaws, and this Martial Art happened to compensate for them. Once mastered, with a bit of inference, Molten Fire Golden Body could be taken a step further!

"How much for this manual?"

"Eighth-Grade Secret Manual, five hundred taels, not open to bargaining."

"Too expensive. The training requirements for this manual are harsh, and even when mastered, it doesn't add much actual strength—not worth the price. I'll take it for three hundred taels."

"Hehe, you do know your stuff. Three hundred it is."

The stall owner, wearing a Black Bear Mask, chuckled. He'd been unable to sell this manual for several months now, so he was afraid Su Mu might back out and hurriedly handed over the manual.

"I want this wooden board as well."

"Alright."

A hint of puzzlement appeared beneath the stall owner's mask. He couldn't fathom why Su Mu insisted on taking a worthless scrap of wood used for covering wares, but the world held all sorts of oddities.

Su Mu pulled out silver notes worth three hundred taels. After taking the wooden board and manual, he continued to wander the Black Market, but after a round, he still hadn't spotted the person mentioned by Bai Qiushan.

So Su Mu casually found a spot and sat down. The wooden board he'd requested came in handy now—Su Mu used his finger to carve a line on it: Looking to purchase Demon Bird Blood, Fire Attribute preferred.

Then he cross-legged, leisurely closed his eyes, and continued inferring on Crane Play and Monkey Play.

"Demon Bird Blood? Even if someone has that, they wouldn't readily bring it out. Without strength, it's just asking for trouble."

"If this guy dares to openly buy Demon Beast Blood like this, he must have something to rely on—no ordinary person."

Many people noticed the words Su Mu had carved on his board, each with their own thoughts. Some quietly shook their heads, doubting he'd get any Demon Blood this way; some eyes glinted with greed; but most felt a bit of apprehension toward Su Mu.

With the moon hanging overhead, dawn approached.

The first night passed, and the woman who'd previously sold Demon Blood at the Ghost Market did not show up. Su Mu thus gained nothing, leaving him a bit disappointed. Still, there were two nights left of the Ghost Market, so there was no need to rush.

"Tonight wasn't a total loss, at least Iron Head Skill is mine."

Before daybreak, all the riffraff and outcasts left the Ghost Market; come dusk, they would resume their hidden identities, donning masks to return.

Su Mu quietly left with the rest, and after returning to the inn at Baihe Town, he took out the Iron Head Skill manual and began to read.

Iron Head Skill—a rare Eighth-Grade Cross-Training Martial Art focused on refining the head. The head is a vital spot; to cultivate this, one must first master a special Breathing Technique, then temper the skull with the power of breath, making it hard as iron—ordinary blades and swords cannot harm it.

The difficulty of training this Iron Head Skill was higher than most Eighth-Grade Cross-Training Martial Arts.

"Interesting."

Su Mu read through the manual page by page, then closed his eyes slowly, two tiny black figures manifesting in his mind.

One figure practiced the Breathing Technique, the other practiced the moves of Iron Head Skill.

In an instant, understanding dawned.

Huff!

As Su Mu tried inhaling and exhaling, his whole body trembled slightly with his outgoing breath.

Iron Head Skill (Entry-level 1%)

With just one run-through—even though Su Mu's meridians were severed and he'd never actually trained—simply by inferring with his eyes closed, he'd directly reached entry-level with this Eighth-Grade Iron Head Skill.

This was the power of Dragon-and-Phoenix Level; as his Comprehension rose step by step, Su Mu's current level had become unattainable for most—comprehending and cultivating these Low Grade Martial Arts was as easy as eating or drinking.

The night passed uneventfully.

On the second night at the Ghost Market, Su Mu made another round but still found no trace of the woman, so he once again set up his stall to buy Demon Blood.

Time flowed on; the full moon faded behind clouds, and Su Mu sighed softly as he packed away his stall.

Not long after leaving the Ghost Market, deep in the woods, Su Mu's eyes beneath the Cyan Wolf Mask glinted as he slowly turned to look at the seemingly empty forest, speaking calmly.

"Since you've followed me, why not show yourself?"

Su Mu had noticed someone tailing him before leaving the Ghost Market. With his sharp senses, he could tell those on his trail tonight weren't murderers or thieves—at least, he felt no hostility from the people behind him.

Moments later, a figure emerged from the dense woods—a young woman in black martial gear, wearing a Black Swallow Mask, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall.

A woman—not very old!

Su Mu was almost certain she was the one Bai Qiushan mentioned, the very person he'd been searching for these past few days.

"May I ask what brings you here?"

His thoughts raced, but Su Mu's face betrayed nothing as he calmly asked the question.

"I saw you buying Demon Bird Blood at the Ghost Market. What you want, I have." Black Swallow Lady got straight to the point, not mincing words.

"Since it's a deal, if you've got the goods, you may as well name your price."

Su Mu's eyes swept over her, not fully trusting her. Clearly, she didn't have Demon Blood on her now; he also checked her hands—no Sumeru Ring or the like was present.

At this, Black Swallow Lady shook her head, "I don't want money. Since you dare openly buy Demon Blood, you must be strong? How about you spar with me for a few rounds."

"If you prove yourself to me, we can trade. Otherwise, forget it."

Beneath his mask, Su Mu's face showed a hint of puzzlement. For some reason, this woman felt oddly familiar, almost as if he'd met her before, but he couldn't place her.

Furthermore, Su Mu could smell a concentrated aura of Demon Blood on her—her presence was indeed peculiar.

And the fact that she didn't want money, but chose to verify a trader's skill first—this implied she really did have Demon Bird Blood, and it was definitely high-quality!

"I must have some strength."

"Good—then show me what you've got!"

Excitement sparkled in Black Swallow Lady's tone; she was itching to fight.

This time, though, Su Mu shook his head, his gaze flicking past Black Swallow Lady to the depths of the woods.

"A bout with me is fine, but first you'd better deal with your own trouble."

At this, Black Swallow Lady was stunned, then caught the hint in his words. Beneath her mask, her pretty face tensed; she followed Su Mu's gaze and called out in a low voice.

"You all can come out now!"

Dark shapes flitted among the deep woods, birds scrambled away in alarm.

"You actually saw through our tail—clever. We've got no beef with you, we're only here for that whore. Why not just walk away?"

Soon, three figures slowly emerged from the darkness.

The leader was a scholar-like man in green, who snapped his folding fan shut and respectfully greeted Su Mu from several yards away. Beside him stood two others, one tall and one short, both holding blades.

The three formed a pincer formation, step by step pressing in with their energy locked onto Black Swallow Lady.

...