Chapter 21:

The long spear in Qiao Mu’s hand was abandoned by the mountain bandits.

The spear tip of this long spear is made of iron, and the spear shaft is made of white waxwood. It is similar in length to the standard long spear Qiao Mu used before.

He swung it a few times, quickly adapting to the long spear in his hand. At the same time, standing on the mountain ridge, he looked down at the crowd of official soldiers below, his gaze following Military Officer Chu’s movements as he quietly waited for an opportunity.

"Military Officer Chu, seems to be rank 8?"

He closed his eyes and looked inward, he could see that his dantian and qi sea were already filled with abundant and invisible internal strength, forming a vortex in the center of his dantian.

The vortex of the qi sea’s internal strength is a sign that his internal strength has reached the limit of the dantian.

In other words, Qiao Mu has now reached the peak of 9th rank in internal strength, just one step away from 8th rank.

One death consumed eight years of Qiao Mu’s lifespan and was equivalent to far surpassing eight years of hard cultivation. It directly surpassed the intermediate stage of internal strength accumulation, reaching the peak of 9th rank.

"If you kill me again, maybe I can break through to the 8th rank."

"Military Officer Chu leads a thousand soldiers, but he is only an 8th rank martial artist, not much different from me. There is a chance to sneak attack him."

A fearless peak of the 9th rank, attacking an 8th rank martial artist with their life at stake, has a high chance of success.

After assassinating, Qiao Mu can even continue to level up.

The main question is how he should assassinate Military Officer Chu.

At this time, there are still thousands of soldiers around Military Officer Chu. If Qiao Mu were to force his way, he would end up trapped, just like when he faced the bandits before. His internal strength would be depleted, and he would die again, unable to even reach Military Officer Chu.

"Before Military Officer Chu returns to Yan City, there are thousands of soldiers around him. It’s difficult to get close to him, but what if he doesn’t get close?"

Qiao Mu tightly grasped the long spear in his hand.

After secretly practicing for eight years, Qiao Mu has already mastered Military Spear Skill. The long spear in his hand is an extension of his arm.

"Let’s try ambushing from a distant mountain ridge using a spear!"

Although Military Spear Skill doesn’t involve ambushes, Qiao Mu felt confident in his ability to try it with the long spear he had.

"If the first shot misses, I’ll temporarily give up and think of another plan when he returns to Yan City."

He crouched on the mountain ridge, silently waiting for the right moment.

It didn’t take long before he saw Military Officer Chu walking towards the back of the team, accompanied by Old Huang and others who were carrying a body. They seemed to be having a conversation.

Here they come!

Military Officer Chu walked to the back of the team, closer to the mouth of the valley. From Qiao Mu’s position, the straight-line distance between them was less than a hundred meters!

He tightly gripped the long spear in his right hand, his arm muscles tense, aiming at Military Officer Chu below the valley.

"Stay calm. Even if this assassination fails, I still have other opportunities."

"So this time let’s be cautious and steady…"

"Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method!" Qiao Mu’s internal strength soared instantly, and the spear in his hand spewed out a blood-colored aura, speeding through the air!

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Below the valley.

Military Officer Chu had just finished discussing the handling of Qiao Mu’s body with Old Huang, and turned to leave.

Military Officer Chu instructed his confidant by his side, "After returning to Yan City, take care of Qiao Mu’s body and inform the City Lord’s mansion."

The confidant immediately understood and said,

"Indeed, Lord Chu’s brilliant strategy effortlessly dealt with a troublemaker that even the City Lord couldn’t handle."

"Hmph, just a reckless man with youthful courage!" Military Officer Chu sneered.

"What’s the use of knowing how to fight? In this world, you need power and connections to survive."

"He’s so arrogant in Yan City? Daring to challenge the city lord? I’ll take care of this little nobody, without even breaking a sweat."



Thinking of Qiao Mu’s heroic sacrifice, a smile couldn’t help but appear on his face.

"He’s so skilled in combat, so brave. After he dies, everything will be over. At that time, I will claim credit for all the bandits he killed."

"And if it weren’t for his heroic death, our army would have suffered heavy casualties fighting against a thousand bandits in the valley."

"Speaking of which, I have to thank him." Military Officer Chu smiled:

"Having such a useful young man, it would be even better if we had more of them."

Just as he finished speaking, Military Officer Chu suddenly felt a surge of fear, his pupils contracted.

A sharp whistling sound came from behind his ear, a spear rapidly descending towards him!

"There’s a skilled attacker! Among the bandits, there is actually such a skilled person? It was right for me not to rush in!"

Military Officer Chu quickly gathered internal strength in his toes and was about to dodge with all his might, but in a momentary glance, he saw the figure standing on the mountain ridge.

Although it was hundreds of meters away, the figure’s posture gave him a strong sense of familiarity…

That person….

That person seems to be Qiao Mu?!

In an instant, Military Officer Chu’s mind was greatly shaken, and the surging internal strength in his meridians slowed down slightly.

Swish!

This spear, which came through the air, pierced through Military Officer Chu’s throat in the blink of an eye. The immense force threw Military Officer Chu’s body backwards, pinning him to a tree several meters away.

Military Officer Chu’s eyes widened, staring intently at the figure on the mountain ridge.

At the very end of his life, he felt a great scare.

He tried to open his mouth to shout, but all that came out was a weak sound, not a complete word.

Blood gushed from the hole in his throat, and he quickly lost strength. His hands fell down, and he died.

"The enemy is attacking!"

The soldiers beside him were also in a panic.

They had just won the battle and were ready to return to the city, but they didn’t expect that at this moment, their leader, Military Officer Chu, would be ambushed by a skilled fighter and fatally struck with one blow!

Old Huang and the others were equally terrified.

But their fear was different from other soldiers’.

"Just…just now, did you see that figure on the mountain?" Old Huang stammered.

The soldiers, feeling sad and carrying Qiao Mu’s body, were walking at the back of the group.

So, apart from Military Officer Chu, only a few of them saw the fleeting figure on the mountain.

"…", the monk beside remained silent for a moment, instinctively flipping open the banner to take a glimpse of Qiao Mu’s bloody body.

"I saw it too, it was a bandit ambush," he said seriously.

"Yes, it was bandits," Old Huang also realized, shouting loudly:

"Bandits are coming!"

"Bandits are coming!" shouted the few soldiers in unison.

The group of soldiers, now without a leader, immediately panicked and ran away.



No one went to collect Military Officer Chu’s body. Instead, they quickly ran away like they were avoiding danger. After all, there was still a skilled person nearby who could kill Military Officer Chu in one strike, and he could attack at any time.

Officer Chu’s body was alone and hung on a tree on the small hill, with no one daring to approach.

The gentle breeze blew, and the leaves rustled on the tree that Officer Chu was nailed to.

Fresh blood flowed down the body, staining the tree trunk with the words "Fallen Wood Valley" in red.

At Officer Chu’s throat, the wooden handle of the long spear was still slightly trembling.