```

    "Nobles'' offspring, do they not run amok throughout the world?" Chen Mu sighed helplessly.

    Five Ghosts Moving Mountain could break through Spiritual Light, but the consumption was too great.

    Just two exertions last night had left him drained. If Sikou Yu had held on a bit longer, his death would have been certain.

    Even with a Magic Artifact, it''s like this. What chance would other Jianghu people have against a noble''s son?

    "It''s nothing special," Jie Jia said indifferently. "It''s not like I haven''t killed one before."

    Chen Mu: "..."

    Look at how capable you think you are! So, you''ve killed nobles'' sons, right?

    Your lord here just killed one last night!

    .net

    Thus, Chen Mu also said with an air of nonchalance, "Indeed, it''s not much."

    Jie Jia gave Chen Mu a sidelong glance.

    Chen Mu remained unmoved, feeling incredibly satisfied inside.

    No explanation necessary!

    I am not one to boast vainly.

    Not like this old man, constantly bragging with outdated stories.

    ...

    After the meal, Chen Mu hung lanterns in the pavilion, lit the Insect Repellent, and poured two cups of digestion-aiding herbal tea to cut the grease.

    He handed one cup to Jie Jia and continued to ask for advice, "What should I do if I encounter a Body Protection Aura?"

    Since I''ve paid the money, I might as well ask everything clearly.

    Jie Jia took a sip of the tea and glanced at Chen Mu: "Didn''t you say it was nothing special?"

    Chen Mu said indifferently, "Right. I just want to know how useless they actually are."

    Jie Jia: "..."

    After a moment, he simply said, "If you can''t run, then just wait for death."

    "Isn''t there any way at all?" Chen Mu asked without annoyance. "Not even the Shell Soul?"

    Jie Jia shook his head. "Spiritual Light is a transformation of Soul Strength, and it''s stronger than Soul Strength."

    "Can you use a bowl of water to smash a bowl of ice?"

    "If you encounter it, just run fast. A slight touch and you are done for."

    "So only a Magic Artifact can break through Spiritual Light?" Chen Mu pondered.

    Jie Jia''s eyes rolled, and glancing at Chen Mu, he asked, "Can your Ebony Wood Sleeve Sword be the same as the Forged Iron one?"

    Chen Mu was startled, then realized, Magic Artifacts also have levels of quality.

    Whether it can break through depends on trying it out.

    "No wonder," Chen Mu murmured.

    That Sikou Yu always acted superior, looking at him as if he were an ant, constantly chiding those of lower status.

    Upon reflection, the offspring of nobles really are like a different species from commoners.

    Just the protection of a young noble''s Body Protection Aura can wear down an expert with the Shell Soul.

    "Decades of hard practice can''t compare to being born in the right family," Chen Mu lamented. "It''s a world that truly breeds despair..."

    Every time he went out, he would change his appearance, and he would make slight adjustments even at home.

    Even the face Jie Jia saw on a daily basis had changed from the original Chen Mu''s.

    "I still need to refine the Shape-shifting Technique further," Chen Mu glanced at the Proficiency level.

    Shape-shifting Technique: 4940/10000/First Rank;

    He never practiced it deliberately, just pondering in his spare time and covertly changing his appearance when meeting people. Unknowingly, the Shape-shifting Technique had already progressed halfway.

    Considering the extensive search in Nanyang Prefecture City, Chen Mu decided to stay indoors.

    Jie Jia could disregard the scions of influential families as if they were nothing. Others clearly could not.

    As for Chen Mu, the virtual nobody, he definitely could not.

    Otherwise, Sikou Yu wouldn''t have been so arrogant and prideful.

    Apart from a few individuals like Jie Jia, scions of influential families really could dominate the world.

    If it weren''t for the internal turmoil in Da Liang, Nanyang Prefecture would be one of the few stable places. Right now, Chen Mu would be fleeing in the middle of the night.

    "Better to hide at home for a while."

    "I just won''t be able to see Miss Yu Tao."

    "Forget it, safety comes first."

    "Unless the Shape-shifting Technique breaks through to First Rank, I shouldn''t go out."

    ...

    Dawn, Da Liu Village.

    Kui Tuo, his eyes bloodshot and in a wretched state, rushed out of the village entrance.

    His hair in disarray, his clothes covered with streaks of white salt stains—a result of sweat-soaked garments.

    He had run around the village for the entire night!

    No matter how fast he ran, he couldn''t find a way out. Each time, he would end up back at the Land God Temple''s gate.

    His more than ten subordinates just stood at the entrance, warmly inviting him in for barbecue.

    If it weren''t for the burning heat on his chest that kept him alert, he would have been dead by now.

    He reached into his chest and pulled out a brown leather scroll as wide as a palm and as thick as a thumb. He untied the thin hemp rope that bound the scroll and unrolled it.

    On the brown leather scroll, there were numerous red dots like stars, with silk threads connecting them. At first glance, it seemed like a dynamic pattern.

    It was something that the gang leader Zhang Ye had given him yesterday morning.

    At that time, the drawing on the scroll was red as blood, but now it had faded to just a faint watermark.

    Looking up at Da Liu Village.

    Without knowing when, five or six old men appeared under the willow tree, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans and playing chess.

    Seven or eight bare-bottomed kids were playing nearby.

    The scene was exactly the same as yesterday—Kui Tuo felt a chill up his spine at the sight.

    Evil spirits!

    Kui Tuo suddenly noticed a figure.

    The child he had frightened into tears yesterday was now facing away from him, peeing and playing in the mud.

    As if sensing his gaze, the child''s head abruptly rotated 180 degrees, continuing to pee while cracking a wide smile at him.

    Kui Tuo: "..."

    Fuck!