Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior

The man smiled silently. Shangguan Miao once refined pills for the Hongmen Martial Arts Hall in the Land of Cyan Clouds, recognized as the top Pill Master in the Three Counties. Later, after the Hongmen Martial Arts Hall faced a change and encountered Shangguan Ke, he decided to leave the Land of Cyan Clouds.

After leaving the Land of Cyan Clouds, Shangguan Miao felt his pill refining skills were shallow. The young brother just now looked to be barely over twenty; since he chose to register for the examination, he must already be a Seventh Grade Alchemist.

If such a genius failed, there’s no need for me to seek trouble myself.

"Little Ke, your kind intentions are known to your Fifth Uncle, but your Fifth Uncle still won’t go." Shangguan Miao chuckled and changed the topic, "Little Ke, Fifth Uncle has yet to congratulate you. You have brought glory to our Shangguan Family in Bei County. If your big brother knew, he would certainly be proud of you!"

Shangguan Ke’s eyes flashed a touch of pride but also shook his head.

"Beyond the sky, there are heavens; beyond humans, there are people... I, Shangguan Ke, am nothing much. That Wang Chan is the real favored of the heavens..."

"Little Ke, why belittle yourself? Now, you are already a Golden Order Blade Catcher of Qingzhou. When do you plan to return to Qingzhou?"

Facing the inquiry, Shangguan Ke shook his head again.

"I won’t return to Qingzhou for now. I plan to stay in Donglai County for a while..."

Shangguan Ke did not explain further, as the matter involved the Demon Slayer Bureau. A few days ago, the Demon Slayer Bureau in Donglai County reported a suspected impersonation by a Golden Order Blade Catcher.

Now, the Tao Family has pinned the crimes committed by that person onto Wang Chan, also accusing them of colluding with river bandits and plotting against the Tao Family.

Currently, Shangguan Ke has received a secret order from her superiors to assist the investigation in the Ancient County.

Shangguan Ke felt helpless in her heart. Not to mention that anyone with clear eyes would know this isn’t Wang Chan’s doing and must be retaliation from the Tao Family, but even taking a step back.

Neither Wang Chan, who won the tournament, nor the Tao Family, head of the Donglai Noble Family, are individuals that a mere Golden Order can provoke.

"During the tournament, Wang Chan spared those outside the Tao Family; this person has reason and is not malicious... The only option is to start the investigation from Wang Chan..."

In Shangguan Ke’s view, neither party can be provoked, but at least they need to put on a show. It seems wise to start with Wang Chan, for the Tao Family has generations of Great Cultivators stationed.

Furthermore, it is heard that the Tao Family currently has not one but two Great Cultivators.

However...

As of now, Shangguan Ke did not know that just three days ago, the second ancestor of the Tao Family was slain by a single sword, leaving no remains, and now there is only one Great Cultivator left.

The news of that battle is tightly sealed by the Tao Family and the County Mansion, and even Shangguan Ke, as a Golden Order Blade Catcher, has no qualification to know.

...

Su Mu did not know about the small episode that happened after leaving.

But if he had conversed a bit more, Su Mu might have realized that the man earlier was the Pill Master whom Wang Xuantian had sent two Protectors to invite from the Land of Cyan Clouds.

He was also Shangguan Qing’s father, a disciple of the Hongmen Martial Arts Hall, who once desired to meet and learn from those skilled in Alchemy, though later events prevented Su Mu from going.

The two met by chance in Donglai County, unaware of each other’s identity.

But now, Su Mu is no longer the person who needs instruction; sometimes fate works intriguingly like that.

Heading north on Donglai Street, Su Mu arrived at the Lin Fu Inn.

"Waiter, get me a room."

"Alright, sir, please come inside."

Su Mu chose a room by the window, paid five taels of silver for five days, and instructed to have hot water delivered. Closing the door, Su Mu walked to the window and looked out from the third-floor window ledge, catching sight of a corner of the Tao Mansion.

This was also the reason Su Mu chose this room.

There’s a saying that the most dangerous place is the safest; under the light, it’s dark. Now, the Tao Family is issuing Wanted Orders throughout the Commandery City and surrounding areas to find his trace.

Who would think Su Mu would be bold enough to return to the Commandery City, even to an inn just a few streets away from the Tao Mansion?

Meanwhile, the search within the Commandery City is somewhat more relaxed compared to outside, which validates Su Mu’s decision to return to the Commandery City.

Not long after, hot water was delivered, and Su Mu took a refreshing hot bath. Now the Nourishing Sinew Decoction has little effect on Su Mu; he placed a few bags in for a bath.

This caused a numbing sensation at the break in Su Mu’s meridians, accelerating the healing process slightly.

"First wait for news from Qiancao Hall before planning further..."

While bathing, the small black shadows in Su Mu’s eyes didn’t pause at all. Currently, Su Mu’s body is injured, but his sea of consciousness is unscathed and growing stronger.

In that sea of consciousness, beside fists and blade shadows, an overwhelming sharpness is taking form, surging brightly.

"In life and death, there is great enlightenment!"

Activating the Life-Attracting Technique to relax his body for the Sun Family Ancestor, the Ancestor used Su Mu’s body to execute a sword strike that killed Tao Shengjiang; Su Mu gained considerable insights from that strike.

Even though it was just one strike, the realm of this sword was incomparably higher than Guo Zhen’s, the two like fireflies compared to the bright moon.

Thus, with just a single sword strike, Su Mu, possessing a remarkable comprehension of one hundred and eighty-four points, keenly captured a trace of the keen intent, especially as the ancestor borrowed his body to execute it personally.

Su Mu sensed that he was not far from comprehending the entry-level sword momentum.

"As expected of the Sun Family Ancestor... Just a wisp of intent from a single sword stroke can aid my comprehension of sword momentum. I wonder what terrifying power and realm the ancestor had at his peak?"

Su Mu felt a wave of emotions in his heart, increasingly yearning for power.

"Hoo—!"

Taking a deep breath to calm his mind, Su Mu multitasked, first swallowing a Qi and Blood Pill to slowly absorb its medicinal power for recovery, while also employing the Yin-Yang Breathing Technique he had comprehended at Bai Jiao Mountain.

With the Five Elements Gang Force cultivated from the "Five Elements Technique" and the Yin-Yang Breathing Technique circulating gently through Su Mu’s yet-to-heal tendons and viscera, he involuntarily exclaimed as he slowed down the process.

"Huh?"

As Su Mu relaxed mentally, he carefully sensed the circulation of the Gang Force within him, and his eyes grew increasingly bright.

The Five Elements Gang Force began to autonomously guide Su Mu himself,

The sharp metal, the life-giving wood, the non-competing water, the fierce fire, the solid earth; these five distinct Gang Forces now circulated and switched with ease.

There seemed to be signs of weaving and merging faintly.

Under the influence of the cultivated "Five Elements Technique," the Profound Demon Five Transformations, which had absorbed two types of demon blood, also began to operate autonomously.

The phantoms of the Fire Sparrow and Water Ape quietly emerged, like two protectors flanking on either side.

...

"Master Cang, Cao Yu requests an audience!"

Cao Yu hurried back to the gang, stopping outside a secluded courtyard and respectfully reported.

The autumn wind blew, bringing waves of herbal fragrance, refreshing the lungs.

"Come in."

An old voice came from within the small courtyard’s herbal house.

Although Master Cang did not handle affairs within the gang, he held a very high status and seniority, necessitating respectful greetings from all the Hall Masters, Elders, even the Vice Gang Leader and Gang Leader upon meeting him.

After receiving permission, Cao Yu walked lightly into the courtyard. Inside the herbal house, an elderly man with graying hair was lying on a bamboo lounge chair resting. The man was chubby, appearing old, yet his opened eyes flashed with two gleams of light.

"It’s you, it seems you’ve found a good candidate this time."

The old man spoke with a smile.

Cao Yu nodded respectfully, then took out a small porcelain bottle containing six Qi and Blood Pills and handed it over, "Master Cang, these are pills refined by an alchemist today, please inspect them."

The old man took the porcelain bottle, and the moment he unplugged the cork, his eyes brightened slightly, and he poured all six pills into his broad palm for examination.

"Hmm, this batch produced six pills, three could be called superior, three medium-high, particularly skilled in controlling the heat..."

"How old is this person?"

"About twenty."

"Twenty!"

Hearing this, the old man’s eyes fully opened, the light in them becoming even brighter, urgently questioning, "How long did it take? How many batches did they refine?"

Cao Yu was responsible for the assessment, although he didn’t know exactly from which day it started.

The path of alchemy heavily relies on talent. If it took three batches to succeed, the potential would be slightly discounted.

On this basis, if the time to refine did not exceed two days, they would still be considered a good candidate, but if it took the full three days, they would be slightly less so.

"It took about two hours..."

"Two days, then it’s a good candidate..." The old man stroked his beard, full of smiles, but quickly realized something, and his expression stiffened.

"Wait a moment, what did you say? It took two hours?"

"Replying to Master Cang, indeed it was two hours, and it was completed in one batch." Cao Yu replied, swallowing a gulp of water with his head lowered, and without waiting for the master’s response, he spoke again.

"Does it qualify?"

"Qualify? What nonsense! Where is he?!"

The old man suddenly sat up from the bamboo chair, his expression excited, ecstatic, and even showed a hint of ferocity, "Where is the old man’s beloved disciple? Quickly bring him here, no, invite him to see me!"

"Perhaps, it would be better if I personally went to invite him..."