Chapter 2 Slaying the Demon with a Sword

Hearing that mechanical voice, Chen Mu was completely stunned.

With a thought, the panel surfaced before his eyes once again.

[Chen Mu: Seventeen years old, remaining Lifespan: One year, (Plundered Lifespan): Thirteen years]

[Mastered Martial Arts: "Broadsword Technique" Minor Achievement! "Taibao Horizontal Training" Perfection!]

[Lifespan can be injected into martial arts to enhance martial attainment!]

[Note: When Lifespan is less than one year, it cannot be injected!]

[Note: Plundered Lifespan cannot be converted into personal Lifespan; it can only be infused into martial arts!]

"Am I still a short-lived ghost?"

Looking at the one year of remaining Lifespan on the panel, Chen Mu went completely numb.

After speaking, he couldn't help but fiercely kick Li Feiyu's corpse several times.

If this dog hadn't harbored the intent to kill and steal his martial arts, he wouldn't have had to infuse his Lifespan just to survive, leaving himself with less than a year to live.

Now, although he had seized Li Feiyu's years of martial cultivation, they couldn't be converted into his own life expectancy and could only be used for martial arts infusion. Wasn't this just a massive headache?

While Chen Mu was fiercely kicking Li Feiyu's corpse, a jade-green bamboo slip was shaken out from the chest of the body.

"A bamboo slip?"

"Could it be a martial art?"

Although Li Feiyu deserved to die, one thing about him was commendable: his obsession with martial arts. Even though he started practicing at thirty, he still possessed a near-fanatical obsession with them.

However, he came from a poor background and started too late, so he had no access to high-level martial arts. Despite this, he managed to master the common Broadsword Technique to an extraordinary degree, even helping Chen Mu pass the Demon Suppression Division's assessment.

One must know that for the Yunmeng City Demon Suppression Division, there were seven thousand applicants this year for only three spots. The difficulty was comparable to the most competitive civil service exams of his past life. Moreover, those exams had candidates who persisted for two, three, or even seven or eight years, but the age limit for the Yunmeng City Demon Suppression Division was strictly seventeen.

Opening the green bamboo slip, sure enough, it was a manual for a martial art.

This martial art was named—"Sword Drawing Technique"!

Chen Mu read through it carefully several times, a sense of relief growing in his heart.

He was relieved that Li Feiyu had not even reached the entry level of this technique.

His own "Taibao Horizontal Training," practiced to Perfection, could form a Protective Aura. Blades and swords could not touch his skin, and axes could not break his defense; it was considered a top-tier defensive martial art.

However, this "Sword Drawing Technique" was an offensive martial art that discarded all defense, concentrating all of one's power into a single strike—unstoppable and capable of piercing anything.

The "Sword Drawing Technique" and "Taibao Horizontal Training" were like the classic conflict between the spear and the shield. Whether the spear was stronger or the shield sturdier depended on the user's own strength and their comprehension of the martial arts.

But it was conceivable that once Li Feiyu entered the threshold, even if he couldn't break the Protective Aura, Chen Mu would definitely have been unable to keep him there.

But the shield was his, and now the spear was his too!

Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Mu picked up the "Sword Drawing Technique" and instantly refined it—no, he instantly infused it with Lifespan.

[Three months passed; you have gained insights into the "Sword Drawing Technique." You have reached the entry level!]

[One year passed; you have gained comprehension of the "Sword Drawing Technique." A single draw decides victory or defeat, a single strike determines life or death. Your "Sword Drawing Technique" has reached the Minor Achievement Realm!]

[Twelve years passed in a flash. Since entering the Minor Achievement Realm, you have drawn your sword day and night, a hundred thousand times. On this day, a flash of inspiration struck, and you drew your sword suddenly, but in the end... the Breakthrough failed!]

Hearing the final mechanical voice in his head, Chen Mu almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

A flash of inspiration, a sudden draw—his heart had been fired up when he heard that, only for the Breakthrough to fail. His heart went cold instantly!

"It seems that to deduce martial arts, one still needs sufficient Lifespan. Otherwise, these Breakthrough failures will likely become a common occurrence!"

However, the Minor Achievement Realm was already enough. With just "Taibao Horizontal Training," he could be said to have more than enough defense. Now with the addition of the "Sword Drawing Technique," he had both offense and defense. Before a Martial Artist who had not yet entered a higher Realm, he could be considered a top-tier contender.

Dragging Li Feiyu's corpse back to the courtyard, he set a large fire, completely destroying the remains.

From then on, the Karma between the two of them was burned away along with the fire.

...

Knock, knock, knock!

In the middle of the night, Chen Mu's door was knocked upon just as he had fallen asleep.

"Xiao Mu, do you have any silver coins?"

Chen Mu opened the door. Outside stood Wu San, a dark and thin farmer dressed in patched, ragged clothes.

As fellow villagers, he and Wu San had never had any dealings, but tonight, Wu San had come to borrow money.

"You're asking me for money?"

Chen Mu looked at Wu San quietly and spoke.

"Xiao Mu, haven't you become a lord of the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Tonight my daughter is getting married, and the Great Mountain God rebuked me for her dowry not being generous enough. I really can't produce any extra money. I thought since you've become a lord of the Demon Suppression Division, you'd surely have more silver in your pockets."

"I'll borrow one string of coins today, and next year I'll clear a few more acres of wasteland and definitely pay you back!"

"The Mountain God marrying a daughter?"

"There's still such a backward custom here?"

Hearing Wu San's words, Chen Mu connected his past and present lives and found that these things were indeed very similar.

By 'marrying off' a daughter, they sought the Mountain God's protection to ensure favorable weather in the coming year.

However, the custom of the Mountain God's marriage was practiced in more than one place in Yunmeng City, yet every year, countless people died of hunger due to droughts and snow disasters.

"Although I've joined the Demon Suppression Division, I don't report for duty until three days from now. My monthly salary hasn't been issued, so I have no extra money!"

Everyone has their own fate. Chen Mu didn't want to interfere, and he couldn't interfere anyway.

Right now, he only wanted to raise his Realm and extend his already short life.

Just as Chen Mu was about to turn around and close the door, several short, stout, and greasy men walked up behind him.

"Old Wu San, did you borrow the money? Your daughter is supposed to get married today. If the auspicious hour is delayed and the Great Mountain God is enraged, not only you but the entire village will suffer..."

"Tsk, this kid's blood energy is quite vigorous! This is top-quality Blood Food!"

Before the lead fat man could finish speaking to Wu San, his gaze quickly shifted to Chen Mu.

"Kid, come with me to Arid Wood Mountain. The Great Mountain God has taken a fancy to you!"

The lead fat man looked at Chen Mu, rubbing his hands together in excitement.

"Blood Food?"

Hearing those two words, Chen Mu stopped and turned to look at the three men.

Humans could Cultivate martial arts to break through their Realms and achieve Ascension.

Similarly, demons had their own cultivation methods, among which devouring humans and drinking blood was the simplest and fastest way.

Therefore, only demons would refer to humans as Blood Food!

However, after sensing for a dozen breaths, Chen Mu failed to detect even a hint of Demonic Qi from the three of them.

"Not demons, but humans?"

But in the next moment, the panel appeared again.

[Three Chang Ghosts discovered. Nine years of Lifespan can be plundered!]

Seeing that Chen Mu showed no reaction, the lead fat man spoke again.

"Kid, I advise you not to be ungrateful. If you don't come with us and the Great Mountain God is enraged, that fury is not something..."

The greasy fat man continued talking, while Chen Mu lifted his broadsword.

Since he could plunder Lifespan, then this matter was indeed his to handle!