My Post-Apocalyptic Shelter Levels Up Infinitely! Chapter 985: Arriving at the Treasure Fish Again, A New Target!_l

The Daliang Kingdom had seen six emperors, and it was currently the twenty-fifth year of Emperor Xuande's reign.

Legend had it that during the fiercest part of Emperor Taizu's battle against the remnants of the previous dynasty, a celestial fire descended. Overnight, the opposition was utterly annihilated.

Now, Daliang's national might was ascendant.

The current Emperor Xuande, known for his incorrupt administration, had established the Xuanwu Guards to keep tabs on the martial artists across the realm.

Yangzhou.

Zhang County.

Liancang City.

Snowflakes, carried by a biting northern wind, stung the faces of the hurried pedestrians.

A few soldiers, clad in padded jackets, lounged by the city gates, bellowing at those entering.

"Curfew approaches. Those with coin may find an inn. The rest, move along, move along."

The majority entering through the east gate were impoverished families, with little coin to spare.

After collecting the gate toll, the languid guards shooed away the newcomers as if they were bothersome insects.

Beyond the east gate lay the slums the soldiers had pointed towards.

Su Mo, draped in a threadbare long coat, his face a mask of grime and wrinkles, resembled a destitute elder at life's end.

The soldiers, glancing his way, naturally mistook him for a refugee from the county and directed him towards the so-called slums.

It was the heart of winter now. Unbeknownst to many, over three months had elapsed since his arrival in this world.

After a brief inspection of the posted notices on the city gates, Su Mo walked in with an air of nonchalance.

As Su Mo's figure vanished into the blizzard, a document affixed to the city gate, loosened by the fierce wind, fluttered to the ground.

The leading soldier grumbled about ill fortune and spat upon the fallen paper, smudging it further.

He straightened the creased paper, re-secured the large script proclaiming its title, and then led his men back to their posts.

"Sir, could that fellow who just passed be a wanted criminal? He looked somewhat familiar," a slender man with an honest countenance ventured timidly.

"Hah! Shoo, shoo! Every other person is a notorious sea bandit! Take that demon-slayer Su Mo, for instance. They say every soul he slew had their meridians shattered, their very hearts pulverized. A gruesome sight, truly."

"From a mere thirty taels of silver initially, this scoundrel has been pursued relentlessly by the authorities, committing atrocities at every turn. Now, he's a veritable demon, with a bounty of five hundred taels, possessing the might of peak Ming Jin. How could such a vicious individual mingle with you downtrodden folk and enter the city?"

As he spoke, the commander noticed a growing crowd gathering to eavesdrop. With a dismissive wave, he ordered his subordinates to roughly disperse them, sending the onlookers scrambling in panic.

Unaware of the conversation behind him, Su Mo hastened into the city. After securing a hearty meal at an inn, he summoned the attendant to book a room for the night.

The adage, 'the most perilous place is often the safest,' held true.

Su Mo, who had consistently flirted with danger, owed his evasion of the authorities not solely to his peak Ming Jin cultivation, but also to his audacious disposition.

The current inn was a mere two hundred paces from the government office. From his room's window, one could clearly observe the officials coming and going.

It was inconceivable to these authorities that such a notorious outlaw would be lodging virtually under their noses.

Name: Su Mo

Age: 68

Cultivation: Peak Ming Jin (Qi and blood decline) [Technique: Level 1 Vajra Palm, Level 1 Verdure Glider, Level 1 Vajra Force]

Activating Profound Insight, Su Mo nodded in quiet satisfaction.

Upon his initial transmigration to this world, he had discovered that while immortal cultivators were absent, the mastery of martial arts had surpassed that of his previous world.

Whispers even spoke of martial artists at the zenith of the Transcendent State who had nearly breached the void to ascend.

Despite a temporal discrepancy of eight hundred years, he never forgot the imminent peril threatening the world where his true body resided.

Failure to achieve any advancement within a year meant certain death should he return. This world's setting was distinct, and so was its language. Thankfully, his 'Insight' ability allowed him to grasp the meaning behind the words. In a society with a less developed culture, the language itself wasn't overly complex.

Within a mere month, conversing on a basic level ceased to be an obstacle.

During the subsequent two months, he visited several prominent martial arts centers across various locales, hoping to acquire martial arts techniques through instruction. Apart from his physical body's cultivation reaching the pinnacle of 'Bright Jin', his martial arts skills from his past existence were woefully inadequate. It was no wonder 'Profound Insight' hadn't taken notice of him.

Regrettably, no martial arts school was willing to accept a 68-year-old individual as a disciple and impart their techniques.

Left with no other recourse, Su Mo decided to disregard the martial world's ethical code and resorted to nocturnal raids to pilfer cultivation manuals.

In this new reality, time was an increasingly scarce commodity. Given Su Mo's honed skills and formidable strength, he possessed numerous paths to indirectly secure the coveted manuals.

For instance, he could have easily subdued the martial artist who was the inheritor of the 'Vajra Palm'. Moreover, there were the two hall masters who served under him; countless methods existed, at least hundreds, to force them into revealing the secret manuals.

“However, this is not the path I wish to tread…” Su Mo mused inwardly.

Time was of the essence, and delay signified impending peril. Having navigated the martial arts world before, he understood the necessity of making difficult choices.

His martial prowess was indeed improving; his current self could decisively overpower his past peak. Yet, at this moment, the more pressing concern was extricating himself from a situation teetering on the brink of death.

The night passed in profound silence. As the following morning dawned, after reapplying the dark coal smudges to his face, Su Mo scaled the inn's rear wall and disappeared into the night.