Chapter 8

Half a year later, in a secluded mountain path outside Fengcheng.

A torrential downpour suddenly enveloped the sky, with raindrops the size of soybeans pelting the ground with a loud "pattering" sound. Thunder rumbled intermittently from the dark clouds, and lightning flashed across the sky.

A figure was running through the rain like a leopard, each step covering the distance of five or six normal strides. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed a nearby hill and disappeared into a dense forest.

A moment later, a sudden cold light flickered around the figure.

With a loud boom, over a dozen trees were cut in half and fell to the ground one after another as the figure flashed past.

At that moment, a massive bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, clearly revealing the figure to be a man wearing a straw hat and a rain cape.

The man vanished into the darkness as the trees swayed.

An hour later.

The door of an old, dilapidated mountain temple was forcefully kicked open with a "bang." Heavy footsteps echoed as a figure carrying a large object entered, bringing in a gust of wind and rain.

The two people sitting around a campfire in the temple's main hall stared at the newcomer in shock.

"Ah, we have a guest! Did you use my firewood?"

The newcomer dropped the object he was carrying onto the ground with a thud, shook the rain off his rain cape, and asked calmly.

The two people in the main hall were a man and a woman.

The man was in his forties, with a refined appearance but a weathered face. The woman was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fair and delicate complexion, but a large blue birthmark on her forehead marred her beauty.

"Ah, I didn't know the firewood in the temple belonged to you. I thought it was unclaimed, and since our clothes were soaked, my daughter and I used it. But don't worry, I will compensate you for the firewood," the middle-aged man said, bowing in apology. However, his eyes flicked to the large object on the ground, and a look of fear appeared on his face.

It turned out to be a large, brown wild boar, weighing about a hundred pounds, with white eyes and blood at the corners of its mouth. Its two large tusks were broken, and it seemed to have been dead for some time.

"Since the firewood has been cut, it's meant to be used. There's no need to talk about money!" The figure stepped forward, and in the light of the campfire, a young man with thick eyebrows and a single broadsword on his back was revealed. It was Shi Mu.

"Zhong, I don't know what to say. I really appreciate your help," the middle-aged man sighed in relief, smiling and thanking Shi Mu. He then sat back by the campfire and whispered a few words of comfort to the girl beside him.

The girl, wearing a green dress, glanced at Shi Mu a couple of times but said nothing, appearing quite reserved.

Shi Mu removed his broadsword and rain cape, revealing a thick black iron armor that covered his upper body, leaving only his neck and arms exposed.

"Ah, is that a black iron armor?" The middle-aged man and his daughter, upon seeing the black armor, exclaimed in surprise.

"Do you recognize this armor?" Shi Mu asked, somewhat surprised.

"Hehe, to be honest, I once saw a blacksmith forge this type of armor. It left a deep impression on me, so I can recognize it at a glance. Do you know how heavy this armor is? The blacksmith told me that although it can be worn, it is extremely fragile and offers almost no protection. Its only purpose is to provide weight for martial artists to train their physical strength," the middle-aged man replied with a smile.

"My armor isn't that heavy. I can't wear something too heavy," Shi Mu said vaguely, then used his fingers to grip the side of the armor and pulled with all his strength.

With a "crack," the black armor split into two pieces and was casually thrown to the ground.

The ground trembled slightly with two "thuds," and the middle-aged man's eyes widened in shock.

This must weigh at least five or six hundred pounds. Could this young man be a human beast? Otherwise, how could he move so freely while wearing such a heavy armor? It seems that despite his young age, his physical strength is formidable, and his body tempering technique must be quite advanced.

Shi Mu, freed from the weight of the armor, seemed more relaxed. He picked up his broadsword and, with a few swift movements, cut off the wild boar's front legs. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a cold light circled the leg, and in a moment, the fur was completely removed.

Next, he took a small bottle from his pocket, sprinkled some white powder on the leg, and walked over to the campfire to start roasting it.

Soon, a rich aroma of meat filled the temple.

The father and daughter on the other side of the campfire had already taken out some dry rations and were sharing them. The girl, smelling the aroma of the roasting meat, couldn't help but swallow her saliva, but then blushed and lowered her head, realizing it was inappropriate.

Shi Mu smiled and, with the nearly roasted pig leg, offered it to the father and daughter.

"How can we accept this? We've already used your firewood, and now to share your roasted meat..." The middle-aged man was delighted but pretended to be modest as he eagerly took the meat.

"Father..." The girl, seeing this, felt a bit embarrassed and called out to her father in a slightly reproachful tone.

"Can't you see there's more meat over there? This young man is so skilled; he won't mind sharing a bit of meat," the middle-aged man replied with a chuckle.

"Father, you really are something. Thank you, sir," the girl, still feeling a bit embarrassed, blushed and thanked Shi Mu.

"Don't worry about it. The wild boar I hunted is quite large, and I couldn't finish it all anyway," Shi Mu said with a smile, having already skinned the other leg and walked back to the campfire.

"By the way, young man, we should be close to Fengcheng, right? My daughter and I are from Yingcheng and were on our way to visit relatives. We didn't expect to encounter such a heavy rain and get lost in the mountains, which led us here," the middle-aged man said, tearing off a piece of the roasted meat and handing it to his daughter.

"I see. I was wondering why someone would be in this desolate temple so late at night. Don't worry, Uncle Zhong, we're not far from Fengcheng. Follow the mountain path east for about ten miles, and you'll see the west gate of Fengcheng," Shi Mu replied, somewhat enlightened.

"That's great. Xiuer, did you hear that? We can reach Fengcheng tomorrow, and you'll soon become the daughter-in-law of the Wu family," the middle-aged man said, delighted.

"Father, what are you saying? In our current situation, and with my appearance, it's uncertain whether they will acknowledge the marriage," the girl blushed, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"How can my daughter be ugly? In my eyes, you are always intelligent and beautiful! Hmph, as for our current situation, it has something to do with the Wu family. Xiuer, don't worry; I will handle the matter with the Wu family when the time comes," the middle-aged man said, unconvinced.

Hearing this, Shi Mu's heart stirred.

The Wu family? Could it be the Wu family in Fengcheng, the second most powerful family after the Jin family? However, the father and daughter seemed frail and were likely not martial artists.

As the middle-aged man and his daughter continued their conversation, and Shi Mu silently continued roasting the meat, a sudden, piercing howl echoed from the distance, followed by a rumbling sound that grew louder and closer, as if something massive was heading straight for the temple.

"What is that? Could it be a wild animal from the mountain?" The middle-aged man was alarmed, standing up and drawing a short sword from his belt, standing protectively in front of the girl, though his trembling legs suggested he was powerless.

"Be careful, it's definitely not a wild animal, at least not one from this mountain. Otherwise, I would have heard such a howl before."

Shi Mu, with a single step, grabbed his broadsword from the campfire and stared intently at the door, his body radiating a fierce aura.

He had been coming to this mountain frequently over the past half year, not for fun, but to practice his body tempering techniques and gain combat experience. Although the mountain didn't have many powerful beasts, he had killed over a hundred wild wolves and boars, giving him ample combat experience, far surpassing any inexperienced martial apprentice.

Although the middle-aged man didn't know martial arts, he had some discernment. Seeing Shi Mu's calm and composed demeanor, he felt somewhat reassured but still stood protectively in front of the girl.

With a loud "bang," the already dilapidated temple door burst inward, and amidst the flying splinters, a dark, human-like creature suddenly rushed into the main hall.

"This... this is a zombie! Oh no, how could such a thing appear here? What are the Fengcheng army doing? We're doomed," the middle-aged man, upon seeing the creature, nearly fainted on the spot.

A zombie?

Shi Mu, staring at the human-like creature, felt his scalp tingle!

The creature was about six feet tall, with a face covered in bloody, mangled flesh, leaving only two large, bloody holes where its eyes should be. Its body was covered in coarse, black, hard hair, and green liquid dripped from it, emitting a nauseating odor.