Chapter 303 - 189: Enslaved

Chapter 303: Chapter 189: Enslaved

A few Taiping Captains wouldn’t just show up in the depths of Daxing Mountain for no reason. They must be on an extremely important mission.

Considering the strength and talent Su Mu had displayed, he was undoubtedly a top prospect the Taiping Bureau was carefully grooming.

For the Taiping Bureau to be willing to let him take such a risk in the depths of Daxing Mountain, one could only imagine how critical their mission must be.

Under such circumstances, they couldn’t possibly allow any loose ends.

’The fact that they haven’t killed me to tie up loose ends already shows that these Taiping Bureau men have principles.’

’Putting himself in their shoes, Shi Ziran felt that if he were Su Mu, he would have eliminated any and all uncertainties without a moment’s hesitation.’

’After all, what was there about his identity that could possibly earn the trust of the Taiping Bureau?’

"I have no way to repay you for saving my life."

Shi Ziran suddenly spoke.

He knelt on one knee before Su Mu, bit his fingertip, and drew a line on his brow. Pointing a finger to the heavens, he declared in a solemn voice, "I, Shi Ziran, whose true name is Shi Zizai, swear an oath to the Nine Heavens Gods and Buddhas. From this day forward, I will be Su Mu’s servant, my loyalty unwavering. If I break this vow, may I fall into Eternal Hell upon my death, never to be reborn."

Su Mu was speechless.

Xu Chongyuan and the others stared at each other in disbelief. ’The Green-eyed Golden Eagle, Shi Ziran, who once roamed the world uncontested, is now pledging to become Junior Brother Su’s servant?’

’This feels completely surreal.’

At his peak, Shi Ziran’s cultivation had reached, at the very least, the Peak of the True Essence Realm.

’For an expert of his caliber to become a servant... what would that even be like?’

Xu Chongyuan and the others didn’t believe this was merely a temporary ploy on Shi Ziran’s part.

For a man like Shi Ziran, swearing an oath on his beliefs said everything.

You could argue that such men aren’t necessarily good, but they are fanatical and uncompromising when it comes to their beliefs.

The fact that Shi Ziran was still desperately trying to avenge the Fragrance Sect’s Sect Leader, who had been dead for so many years, was proof enough.

"Junior Brother Su, he can be trusted,"

Xu Chongyuan said in a low voice.

Su Mu’s expression was impassive as he looked at Shi Ziran. "You wish to enter my service as a servant? Fine.

But remember this: I do not like it when you act on your own initiative. I hope this will be the last time."

A chill went through Shi Ziran. He knew Su Mu was referring to how he had sworn an oath of loyalty without his consent—an act he had indeed taken upon himself.

’I can’t help but smile wryly,’ he thought. ’He’s just a young man in his early twenties. While his cultivation isn’t low, it’s not exceptionally high, either. And I, Shi Ziran, am a man who has seen the world. So why do I feel such immense pressure in his presence?’

’Even when I faced the Sect Leader back in the day, I never felt pressure like this.’

’Truly, the younger generation is formidable.’

"Yes, My Lord."

Shi Ziran said respectfully.

"Get up. You don’t need to kneel before me in the future."

Su Mu said calmly.

’Although Shi Ziran came from the Fragrance Sect, his record has been wiped clean,’ Su Mu thought. ’As my own status rises, I’ll need capable people around me. Shi Ziran is undoubtedly a suitable candidate.’

’He’s a veteran of the Jianghu and his strength is considerable. A man like him would make a perfect steward.’

As for the trouble that might follow Shi Ziran, Su Mu paid it no mind.

’I’m a Fifth-Grade Taiping Captain now, not the refugee I once was. I can handle whatever comes my way.’

"Rest for one hour, then we press on."

Su Mu announced in a deep voice.

"My Lord—"

Acting every bit the part of a loyal old servant, Shi Ziran approached Su Mu and bowed. "I have something I must report to you."

"What is it?"

Su Mu asked.

"The leader of those Demon Court demons was named Lord Hu. I fell into their clutches at the edge of the Barren Lands. The entire way here, I was silently memorizing their route. I know how to get from here to the Barren Lands safely!"

Shi Ziran said with a grave expression.

Su Mu and Xu Chongyuan exchanged a look, both of them surprised and shocked.

The pleasant surprise was that Shi Ziran had already traversed this path, meaning their journey ahead would be much easier.

After all, while they had a map, deciphering one drawn by demons was a real headache.

The shock was that the route was real.

There truly was a path that led directly from the Barren Lands to Jingzhou!

"The good news is, the Demon Court likely hasn’t confirmed if this route is genuine yet, which is why they sent that group to scout it,"

Xu Chongyuan said grimly. "Since we’ve discovered it ahead of time, we have many ways to make this path not-so-safe."

If they destroyed the path, they could prevent the Demon Court from launching a surprise attack on Jingzhou.

Forging a path was difficult, but destroying one? There were more than enough ways to do that.

"Is it possible we could use this route to launch a sneak attack on the Demon Court?"

Su Mu mused aloud.

Xu Chongyuan and Zhong Guizheng exchanged a look with the others.

’Is this the difference between us and a peerless genius?’

’All we could think of was how to defend ourselves.’

’But Junior Brother Su is already thinking about how to go on the offensive.’

’What incredible confidence is that?’

"It would be very difficult."

Shi Ziran said, "While this path leads into the Barren Lands, once you exit Daxing Mountain, you’re still several hundred li from the Demon Court’s royal capital. That entire stretch of land is crawling with innumerable demons.

A small force would be useless.

A large force would make it impossible to avoid detection."

Shi Ziran had just returned from the Barren Lands; he had seen all this with his own eyes.

"Oh, right. My Lord, there is one other thing."

Shi Ziran continued, "The person representing the Pure Land Sect in their alliance with the Demon Court is the son of their Sect Leader, Sha Lian Ting.

Sha Lian Ting’s son, Sha Tongtian, is operating under the alias Shao Santong. He is currently a Fourth-Grade Inspection Envoy in the Inspection Bureau at Liang Province’s Hujue Pass.

I overheard him making a pact with the Demon Court’s National Preceptor. They plan to secretly open the gates of Hujue Pass and allow the Demon Court’s army to pour into the city."

"What?"

The color drained from the faces of Su Mu, Xu Chongyuan, and the others.

Liang Province was different from Jingzhou. While Jingzhou was separated from the Barren Lands by the massive Daxing Mountain range, Liang Province shared a direct border with it.

Hujue Pass was a vital strategic fortress between Liang Province and the Barren Lands.

If the Demon Court’s army were to capture Hujue Pass, the tens of millions of citizens in Liang Province would face a life-or-death crisis.

Even the other provinces of the Da Xuan Empire would be affected.

"Damn them all!"

Su Mu and his men cursed almost in unison.

Succumbing to demonic practices was despicable enough, but for the Pure Land Sect to become traitors to their own kind...

"This information must reach Liang Province as soon as possible."

Su Mu said gravely, "Shi Ziran, following the route you came by, how long will it take to reach the Barren Lands from here?

And once we’re out of Daxing Mountain, how far is it to Hujue Pass?"

"The Demon Court’s demons traveled for nineteen days with me in tow."

Shi Ziran answered without hesitation. "Considering the demons move faster in the mountains than we do, it would probably take us twenty-two or twenty-three days. If we push ourselves, we could be even faster.

Once we’re out of Daxing Mountain, it’s only a seven or eight-day journey through the Barren Lands to the area outside Hujue Pass."

Su Mu did a quick calculation in his head.

’If we go back to Wuling the way we came, it would be faster than the one-month journey here since we know the route now. Even so, at top speed, it would still take an estimated twenty-four or twenty-five days.’

’After getting back to Wuling, sending a messenger to Liang Province would take another ten days or more.’

’All told, it would take over forty days for the news to reach Hujue Pass.’

’But if we press forward, we can reach Hujue Pass in just thirty days.’

Ten days might not seem like much, but at a critical juncture, never mind ten days—even a single day could be a matter of life and death.

"Are you all up for it?"

Su Mu asked in a low, serious voice.

Xu Chongyuan, Zhong Guizheng, and the others all understood what Su Mu was asking. The situation was urgent and allowed no delay.

"We are."

Xu Chongyuan said grimly. "No need to rest. We can leave right now."

"Good."

Su Mu said. "Take turns carrying Shi Ziran."

Shi Ziran started to refuse, but Su Mu cut him off.

"You’re injured, and we don’t have time to wait for you. You will guide us."

Su Mu added in a low voice, "Don’t be stingy with those elixirs. You need to recover as quickly as possible."

Witnessing Su Mu’s decisive and resolute nature, Shi Ziran knew this was not the time for false modesty. He nodded firmly. "I understand."

He shoved a handful of elixirs into his mouth and raised his hand, pointing in a certain direction.

"This way!"