Chapter 24 A Big Man? How Big?
In a blink of an eye, three days passed.
Li Mu experienced carefully, and he had already mastered the archery shooting from Ma Junwu completely before sunset.
He might not be so good at its essence as Ma Junwu had practiced for decades, however, they were almost the same.
It was sure that Ma Junwu would surpass Ma Junwu, who was the No.1 archer master in Taibai County after a period of time.
“You are really an extraordinary talent, Master,” Ma Junwu said with envy, “No, I should learn more from you.”
Li Mu glanced at him thoughtfully.
After one day’s contact, he found this Dutou Official of county government guard had really superior archery, but the question was, he seemed to be feeling a little inferior or not confident enough. Maybe it was related to his origin.
And actually, Li Mu knew something about Ma Junwu.
Because these days, the little boy attendant Qing Feng became so talkative during the meals as he was always reticent before. He would talk about various things on the Taibai County, especially on the secrets of some people and things in county officials. He knew them like the palm of his hand and talked tirelessly.
It was unknown how he knew about this.
But Li Mu might it guess it right that this little guy saw Li Mu ignored his proper occupation and regretted that his offspring did not live up to his expectations, as a result, he found this way to remind and help Li Mu and he might also work hard to get it.
But according to Qing Feng’s description, which Li Mu might also know, that the hunter didn’t enjoy good social status in the Empire of the Great Qin Dynasty. And it was impossible for Ma Junwu to become a county Dutou Official if he was not lucky enough. He was only related with the Taibai Sword Faction as he met a master from the Taibai Sword Faction when he hunted in the deep mountain back then.
Ma Junwu was promoted by the former county magistrate, but he was always marginalized and didn’t get success in the county office from the former county magistrate after the former county magistrate passed away, he became even more depressed as he was a gloomy person in the first place.
Essentially, Ma Junwu was not a bad man.
It was rare when he didn’t associate himself with undesirable elements and chose to refrain from dominating others though he didn’t stop some evils in such current sludge officialdom, anyway, he was not good enough to do so.
Li Mu thought for a while and said, “Hello, Mr. Ma, failure is the mother of success and success always comes from 99% sweat and 1% talent. You have to ask yourself if you have paid enough and worked hard when you want to be in the Control Battalion of ‘Guanshan Pasture’.”
Ma Junwu was stunned.
The same words had different effect by different people.
Li Mu had eradicated the Shennong Faction alone and this still amazed them while today’s picture of constant archery and hard work from him made Ma Junwu understand suddenly. Why was Li Mu was so energetic though he was so young?—Because he had worked hard day and night to get here.
Everyone thought Li Mu just hid due to fear because he was too young as he was not enthusiastic about official affairs nor power when he came to Taibai County, but now, they found he must be seizing every minute and second to practice.
The more Ma Junwu thought about it, the more he thought he guessed it right.
As he thought so, Li Mu’s words stirred in Ma Junwu’s mind, giving him compelling powerful shock and sense of motivation.
“Thank you for your advice, I can understand it now.”
He knelt excitedly and thanked him.
Li Mu smiled in a smug way and said, “That’s good, you will be in the Control Battalion of the ‘Guanshan Pasture’ sooner or later with your archery when you understand it and kill the devil inside.”
Ma Junwu nodded with a sharp light bursting out of his eyes.
“Well, that’s all for today.”
Li Mu dropped down the strong bow, put things away and got ready to be back to the county government office.
Ma Junwu was following Li Mu with a look of adoration.
As they arrived at the back door of the county government office, the big sun in the sky had completely fallen down the West Hill, leaving half of it still hanging in the distant top of the mountain. The sunlight was like blood, which reddened the beautiful mountain city.
Standing at the back door of the office, you could overlook the entire Taibai County.
Smoke swirled up, and birds were flying back to their nests. It was so poetic and picturesque and that made it so quiet and beautiful.
Overlooking this beautiful scenic, Li Mu was full of lofty ambitions.
“Well, you can be back now. Let’s meet at the drilling square tomorrow morning directly,” Li Mu said.
Ma Junwu nodded and turned back to leave. As he walked several steps, he turned back again, felt hesitated and finally said, “Master, though Zhou Wu has been executed, there’s still power left in Zhou’s family even though there’s nothing left in his house. They must be back for revenge. It’s just like the saying that ‘a centipede does not topple over even dead’. Well, you have to be cautious.”
Li Mu smiled and looked at Ma Junwu, then he said, “I know what to do.”
This county-level small family could be barely the local tyrant only and might be unshakable as a mountain in the eyes of ordinary people, but it was not worth mentioning just like the shape without a soul. In Li Mu’s opinion, it was better that the Zhou family behaved themselves and went away. Li Mu didn’t want to kill them all, but he didn’t mind beating them severely if they wanted to try to retaliate.
Zhou family members were not good guys at all.
Seeing Li Mu in a relaxing posture, Ma Junwu couldn’t help reminding again and said, “You know, the elder brother of Zhou Zhenhai, the former master of Zhou’s family, was a low-level presbyter of the Taibai Sword Faction and enjoyed a high position. This time, the Zhou family must go to the Taibai Sword Faction. I’m afraid that the old fox, Zhou Zhenhai, will move the force from this faction to make trouble for you.”
As Li Mu heard so, his face hardened.
Damn, how could it be like this?
The Zhou’s family had something to do with the Taibai Sword Faction?
“Damn it.” He cursed.
Though it was not long when he was on this planet, Li Mu had a general understanding of the status and influence of the Taibai Sword Faction in Taibai Mountains Region. As the only ranked faction within a thousand miles, there were 10,000 disciples in the Taibai Sword Faction, among which, many were master-hands with superior positions. Especially those masters with elder levels, and they had higher levels than Li Mu, a county magistrate, in the Empire of the Great Qin Dynasty.
It was originally governed together by clans and empires on this land.
For a long time, the real martial art masters were not subject to secular laws like the extraterrestrial dragons in the three empires.
It gave him some pressure since Li Mu provoked a ranked low-level presbyter.
“Ha ha ha, it’s just only a low-level presbyter and he’s nothing… Let me blow him up if he comes to me for trouble.”
Naturally, the young county magistrate might not be a wuss in front of Ma Junwu, who had just declared Li Mu as the person he admired, though he felt so much pressure. Then, he roared with laughter in a noble posture as if he was saying ‘Just ignore it and I only focus on my own affairs’.
Ma Junwu, as a fanboy of the County Magistrate, demonstrated himself thoroughly as a loyal fan and was totally relieved hearing Li Mu. He was completely convinced and said, “So, Master, you’ve already had a plan, and I think I was worrying too much. Bye-bye now.”
After that, he turned around and walked in the direction of the drilling square.
He was encouraged by Li Mu and decided to seize every minute and second to sharpen himself in his archery, he had to work hard for his own dream and could no longer waste his time.
Li Mu watched till Ma Junwu disappeared at the end of the street, then he rubbed the temple with a forced smile.
“Damn, I should not provoke such cruelty if I knew Zhou’s family is very influential socially… It’s my fault, Actuation is monster. Why did I so rushly kill Zhou Wu and Feng Yuanxing at that time? If only I didn’t kill them…” Li Mu sighed and went to the back yard of the county government office.
He couldn’t help recalling the “safety first, try to stay alive” principle that the old faker told him that day.
The old faker might get too angry and had a mental breakdown if he knew Li Mu provoked so many mortal enemies as he had been on this alien planet for only one month.
Li Mu felt so discouraged and regretted.
But, it was just like blessings never came in pairs, misfortunes never came singly.
Li Mu suffered another head-on blow soon.
Soon, a whirring voice came from the front garden. It turned out that the little girl attendant Ming Yue rushed in like a wild child in a gust of wind. She held a red post in her hand and said happily, “Hi Master, it’s good news, good news, someone who knows not where he stands wants to challenge you.”
Li Mu sulked and took over the post, then he said, “Damn good news, is it good news when someone wants to beat me?”
With the pigtails braided high on her head, Ming Yue took a kind of dark pleasure on her small, plump, pink face like white jade and said, “Master, this is a good chance for you to make a hit, you must know that I’ve been worrying about you these days. Their passion will decrease as time goes by after you killed Sikong Jing from the Shennong Faction, and there’ll be no more good chances if you want to make a name for yourself again. Now, there’s someone big coming and this is the opportunity for you to be famous again.”
“Someone big?” asked Li Mu, “how big is he?”
He had always wanted to compare himself with the masters on this world to get a thorough understanding of himself and experienced the power from a real internal qi martial art master. But to be honest, Li Mu didn’t feel very optimistic in his mind about this coming challenger, and the reason was simple, a real master would never commit himself to challenge his new generation.
Little Ming Yue said with excitement, “Big, very big. Hee-hee-hee, it’s the Grand Master of ‘Bloody-moon Evil Master’ from the Bloody-moon faction. It’s said that he is very famous and once a powerful person in the Northwest Wulin World, that’s a good way for you to become famous this time. Well, Master, kill him and you win a famous victory in the Wulin World overnight. Aha ha ha ha…”
…