Emperor of the North

Two words were engraved on the shaft of the arrow – Death Shadow. Li Mu’s pupils constricted.

“Friends of the Death Shadow Clan, please show yourselves. I, Li Mu, do not recall having offended anyone from your clan, so why are you here to a.s.sa.s.sinate me?”

Li Mu’s gaze was like lightning, pointed tightly at the distant forest.

The Death Shadow Clan, a large a.s.sa.s.sination organization whose influence spans widely across Muyun City and several of the other cities around it. Rumor said that the head of the clan was a martial artist in the Xiantian Realm.

The Death Shadow Clan specializes in a.s.sa.s.sination tasks. They accept tasks regardless of a person’s background or ident.i.ty, so long as money is forked out, there’s no one that cannot be killed.

Although Li Mu might not have traveled far, their power of influence within Muyun City was something he understood. In an instant, he was able to identify his attackers on the sight of the two carved words.

“Hahaha. Nothing less from the genius of the Li family. To even know the existence of our clan at such a young age.”

Against the loud call from Li Mu, five figures walked out of the distant forest. These five figures each wore a black uniform and a black cloth mask; a sword hung on their back and a powerful crossbow in their hands.

“Gentlemen, have I offended any of you anywhere?” Sensing their might, Li Mu felt pressured. Despite the fact that he could not use his essence, the characteristic of a Houtian Realm’s ability to sense others might remained unaffected. Among the five, three were in the Tenth Point of Guti, one had just entered the Houtian Realm, and the last was an experienced martial artist in the Houtian Realm.

“The Death Shadow Clan has always been accepting money to bring misfortune to others. Kid, you did not offend us of the Death Shadow Clan, but you’ve offended our client. Someone spent fifty thousand silvers for your head. Do not blame us for your death!”

The five disciples of the Death Shadow Clan slowly closed in on Li Mu. The one who made the indifferent laugh was no doubt the lead and the strongest among the five whose cultivation had attained the mid level of the Houtian Realm.

“Fifty thousand silvers. What a big sum! The handicapped me whose life would soon wither is actually worth so much money? My five brothers, for the sake of the dying me, could you make known to me this person who is thirsty for my head?”

“Kid, do not think of getting any information from us. The Death Shadow Clan has a number of rules, and revealing our client’s information is the first big taboo. Since you’re now at death’s door, why don’t you just die with a peace of mind? But I shall tell you my code number before you do. I’m Forty-nine.”

With that, the lead gestured and the other four c.o.c.ked their crossbows before aiming at Li Mu.

Subconsciously, Li Mu retreated. But at this moment, he was at the peak of the Sunset Peak. Any further and he would be at the edge of the cliff. With only a few steps back and there would no longer be any footing left for him.

“Today, I shall surrender to your hands. But I’m still a little confused. Even though many do know that I cannot use my essence anymore due to poison, as to me leaving the Li family, other than a few of the Li members, no one else knows. So how did all of you get wind of this?”

“Well, since you’re about to die, then I shall do you a little bit of good. You’ve guessed right, the one behind your a.s.sa.s.sination is indeed from the Li family, but as for who, you’ll have to ask the lord of the underworld!!!”

After shadow number forty-nine finished, the sword in his hand glowed bright yellow. One of the many signs when essence is used on a weapon. The broad sword glowed bright yellow and a sword image formed around the blade of the sword. As he did so, he lunged himself at Li Mu.

“Clank!” The sound of two swords clashing resonated. With only physical strength alone, Li Mu blocked the incoming sword strike. But because of his inability to use his essence, using physical strength alone would not be able to go against shadow number forty-nine. From the strike, Li Mu was pushed a few steps back and he found himself with nowhere else to retreat. Behind him now was the dangerous lofty cliff.

“Can’t you just let me go? When I return to the Li household, you shall be rewarded for your goodwill!” Looking at the lofty cliff, and then back at the five disciples of the Death Shadow Clan, Li Mu clenched his fist tight. There was a sense of unwillingness.

“If we let you go, do you think we’ll still be allowed to live? Off with your life!” Grabbing the crossbow behind his back, shadow number forty-nine took an iron arrow from his quiver and directed a string of essence into the it.

With the essence of shadow number forty-nine, the arrow glowed bright yellow. A devastating aura could be felt out of the iron feathered arrow.

Sensing the terror, Li Mu’s face darkened as he looked at the five attackers. But before his attacker could shoot the arrow, Li Mu decisively turned and jumped off the lofty cliff.

In front was a thick white mist, and he could hear the wind moving rapidly past his ear. For the first time, Li Mu experienced the feeling of ‘flying’. Even though the alarm of his death was ringing, the feeling of the rapid wind going past his face felt mysteriously wonderful.

Recalling the ups and downs in his rather short life, those experiences flashed in his mind one after another. In the end, Li Mu felt tired. Being alive was a ch.o.r.e. Despite the many regrets he had, regarding his mother, the mastermind behind his poison and the a.s.sa.s.sination, and his ignorant longing to walk the martial arts route, all these would eventually become a bubble today.

The sound of the rapid wind going past his ear continued. But right after Li Mu was prepared and was waiting for his death, an invisible force suddenly sprung at him. That force was like a violent energy. As it did so, all Li Mu felt was as if the world around him was spinning before he knocked into something.

Li Mu was dizzy and felt a throbbing pain in his head. But before he had the strength to observe his surrounding, his eyes closed and he fainted.

On the peak of the Sunset Peak, shadow number forty-nine looked at the rest of his team. Li Mu leaping off the cliff was out of their reckoning.

“Lead, that kid just leaped off the cliff. I’m afraid the client won’t be too happy about this ah.”

Worried, a disciple of the Death Shadow Clan voiced his concerns to the lead.

“He jumped off by himself. The bottom of the cliff cannot be seen from the cliff on the peak of the Sunset Peak. Not just that kid from the Houtian Realm, even if it were to be a martial artist from the Xiantian Realm, his life would definitely have ended after falling off from such a height. When we return, we’ll say what we have to. I believe the other party would not make things difficult for the Death Shadow Clan because of this!” Shadow number forty-nine grinned. Without looking back, the five left.

Time pa.s.sed. Li Mu hazily opened his eyes. The first thing he felt when he regained consciousness was the pain, especially at his head. It was to a point where he had to clench his teeth tightly and wait after some time did the pain slowly began to fade.

Li Mu was unsure why he did not die. After some careful thought, all he knew was before he fainted, there seemed to have been some inexplicable strong energy which caused him to knock into something and faint. But that was all he knew.

From the few strains of light coming in through the entrance not far away, Li Mu quickly understood the environment he was in. He was in a cave. The cave was not wide which seemed to be only three to four meters in height and width. However, the cave was long and the end of it could not be seen.

“What is this place? Could this be the bottom of the Sunset Peak?”

Li Mu stood up slowly. He was fl.u.s.tered; the clothes on him were ragged, his body was mottled with blood and there were a number of injuries. But fortunately, those injuries were not major.

Looking around, Li Mu did not discover anything great. This was just an ordinary cave. Other than the several paths that led to where G.o.d only knows, there were no surprises in here.

At last, Li Mu arrived at the entrance of where the light shined. In general, wherever there’s light, that must be the exit.

“d.a.m.ned!!” At the entrance, Li Mu could not help but swear. The entrance of the cave was situated at the side of the cliff. If he were not careful and took a step out, he would have fallen all the way to the bottom of the cliff.

"Then…then I"m inside the Sunset Peak?"

"Yes! That must be. Now, the case of why I didn"t die makes sense! I must"ve been blown into this cave by some force while I was falling!"

After having reasoned out, Li Mu not only lamented for having escaped death but at the same time felt dispirited. That was because he was unsure how he would be able to leave the cave.

“Not only can I not see the peak from here, the bottom of the cliff also cannot be seen. Truly, how high am I away from the bottom? Without wings, leaving here seems impossible!”

Was he fortunate or unfortunate? At this moment, Li Mu was in a dilemma.

“Leaving from this entrance is definitely impossible for me, but the question now lies whether there’s another entrance somewhere within this cave. Well, since there’s nothing for me to do anyway, might as well explore a little!” Li Mu thought as he slowly returned deep into the cave and attempted another route.

The pa.s.sageway in the cave extended to all directions, and Li Mu was unsure whether this was naturally or artificially formed. Venturing deeper and deeper, Li Mu’s face darkened.

This cave did not seem to have an end. The problem wasn’t the distance between him and the other entrance of the cave, but the many other directions he could take within the cave. It was like a small maze. In this dimly lit cave, even with Li Mu’s amazing memory, he was lost, and he stopped.

“This cave must have been dug by someone, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so difficult to navigate through!” Li Mu muttered. However, as he hesitated and thought of a solution to navigate to the other entrance of the cave, his expression changed as he stood – startled.

“This is the fifteenth time! This may be helpful.” Li Mu muttered. The reason he said so was that ever since he had entered the cave, warm air seemed to flow out from within the cave from time to time.

Although the warm air was not strong, ordinary people may not even be able to feel it. At first, that did not bring much attention to Li Mu, however, his sensitive spiritual mind was able to pick up and record the number of times the warm air went by him.

“It is reasonable to say that where there’s wind, there’s an entrance. If so, following the trail should lead me to another entrance!”

After having thought for a moment, he a.s.sured himself and ventured in the direction where the air was blowing from.

And just like that, his direction was determined from time to time by the hot air and he followed it for half an hour.

“Why is it so warm here. Don’t tell me the that the hot air is coming out from the hot magma pulsing beneath!” Li Mu wiped the perspiration off his face. Eyeing the never-ending path in front of him, his face was washed with shocked.

Li Mu continued to venture downwards. He realized that the temperature in the cave began to increase higher and higher. It was as if every step he took, he was one step closer to the magma. If not for having trained his physical body to the Tenth Point of Guti, he might not even be able to continue venturing further.

After walking for another few hundred meters, the terrifying heat seemed to have filled the entire cave. Beads of perspiration dripped from his face without a stop.

Li Mu felt as if his whole body was in a fire stove. Even though his body was refined to the Tenth Point of Guti, the terrible heat was unbearable even for him.

“Just what is this place? Why is it this warm? Is this truly a volcano? But I’ve never heard of Sunset Peak being a volcano ah!”

Wiping the perspiration from his forehead, Li Mu panted. He concluded that he might dehydrate and die even before he arrives at his destination.

“Eh? There’s light! Is that the exit?” As he was hesitating on whether to continue forward, a bright red light appeared in front of him.