Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior

Dark clouds pressed upon the city from the heavens, the sky like a furnace, seemingly trying to cleanse the dust of Donglai County City.

"Crash hh hhhh——!"

The pouring rain washed over the city, making a crashing sound. The shops on the city streets closed early, and the ordinary people in the alleys hurried home, busy collecting clothes.

"Quickly, move faster."

"Up ahead, that old temple is right there, we can take shelter from the rain."

A few beggars hunched their backs as they ran through the rainy alleys, grass shoes splashing in the water, their clothes already completely soaked by the rain.

At the entrance of the old temple.

A man with ordinary features walked out holding a girl wearing a conical hat concealing her face, seemingly unconscious.

Several gazes fell upon the unconscious girl in unison, and the beggars exchanged looks, noticing mutual vigilance and concern. Despite their worried expressions, they instinctively surrounded the man coming out of the temple.

A bitten steamed bun dropped from someone’s embrace, falling into the rain, and immediately a beggar felt heartbroken, squatting down to pick it up.

"Today, you never saw me... leave here after taking shelter from the rain."

The man gave the beggars a gentle smile, a voice seemingly possessing a calming power, leaving the beggars stupefied as he walked past them.

At some point, the leading beggar had a silver pouch in hand, with others staring dazedly, instinctively using their bodies to block the pouch.

"That man... rainwater couldn’t wet his clothes; he could kill all of us."

"He should be a good person..."

About seven or eight years old, the little girl who felt sorry for the bun spoke crisply, and the beggars looked at the two who had already vanished from view, the eldest among them, Li Da, spoke.

"Let’s go inside to take shelter from the rain."

As soon as they stepped into the old temple, their expressions changed; though there were no corpses inside, they smelled a strong saline stench.

Several screams abruptly echoed in the temple, followed by the sound of swallowing.

Gulp.

The group swallowed, staring at the bloodstains not yet washed away entirely. The fourteen or fifteen-year-old leading boy’s hands trembled, almost dropping the silver pouch.

"Big brother, this... could this money be..."

Several panic-stricken gazes turned to him.

Though trembling, the youth took several deep breaths, his chest heaving violently, yet he refused to give up the money bag.

Even if the money was dirty and might bring big trouble, it would fill their stomachs, giving his younger siblings a better life.

The taste of hunger was truly unbearable.

The instructor at the martial arts hall mentioned that he, along with his third brother and little sister, had some martial talent; this money might allow them to step into Martial Dao. If this chance to change their destinies was missed, it might never come again!

At worst, if trouble came later, he would bear it alone, trading his worthless life for his siblings’ futures; it was all worth it!

"Let’s leave here, we should get out quickly."

"Deep in that alley there’s a small courtyard; it hasn’t been inhabited for years. We should go there to hide from the rain!"

"Remember, today we never saw that man, forget about him entirely. This money... this money we found, don’t speak a word of it."

"Alright, big brother, we’ll listen to you."

Leaving the old temple, the leading boy Li Da cast a deep glance towards the alley, imprinting the man’s features in his memory.

...

Su Mu listened to the screams coming from the direction of the old temple without turning back.

Since arriving in this world, Su Mu had witnessed too much deception. Just now, he saw rare kindness in those beggars.

And in the leading youth, he saw a bit of his former self, hence he casually handed them a money pouch; dozens of taels of silver meant nothing to him now, mere drops in the ocean.

As for more money.

Su Mu wasn’t a great philanthropist, and those who possess a treasure courted trouble.

The bustling streets turned cold and lonely under the rain, at the place where the noodle stall stood, a figure in the rain, undisturbed by wind or rain, blocked by a delicate power an inch off his skin.

Everything remained in harmony, this figure’s control over power far exceeded that of Guo Zhen, already hinting at forming the embryo of Gang Force.

This was the second person Su Mu met with such mastery over power outside himself.

"Help me take care of her for a while."

"Wang Chan... or should I call you Lin Langtian, or something else?"

"A name is just a symbol, without much meaning."

"You already owe me a favor, this trouble is too big, the Tao Family won’t let it go, the Li Family isn’t guaranteed to protect you, why should I continue to help you?"

Su Mu knew this person indeed had no need to continue helping him, whether he could survive this disaster remained uncertain. Previous intel from Li Lu was about to lose its value, selling it for a favor was a very solid deal.

Even if Su Mu died, nothing would be lost.

Yet from the other’s standpoint, there was no need to wade into troubled waters.

At that moment, spiritual light flashed in Su Mu’s hand, revealing a smooth, seemingly finely-polished stone, the size of a baby’s fist.

"Your talent surpasses Guo Zhen’s, you’re close to condensing Gang Force... this thing should be useful to you."

As the stone appeared, a burning gaze fell upon it; this stone was none other than the rock formed from Su Mu’s inference of Gang Force at his seat, containing the embryo of Su Mu’s Gang Force.

"Alright, it’s a deal."

The figure reached out and took Li Lu from Su Mu’s arms with one hand, and captured the stone with the other.