Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 133 - 115: Playing with Fire, Flying Catkins Chasing the Cicada

"Very well, we'll proceed as Hero Li suggests. I'll order the servants to prepare a small courtyard for you. Xiaohong, you escort the young miss back first."

Landlord Li caught a glimpse of his daughter Li Yu's worried expression. He immediately instructed Xiaohong to escort her back to her room; the rest of the matter he intended to discuss in detail with the young Silver Order Blade Catcher from the Cyan Cloud Demon Slayer Bureau.

The wedding day is approaching, yet Li Feiyu's plan is fraught with risk—truly a strategy of luring the enemy into a trap. The problem is, Bai Yi is not someone easily dealt with.

If things go wrong, it will be like inviting a wolf into the house, playing with fire and getting burned!

But for now, Landlord Li can only entrust everything to Li Feiyu. He's the only one actually willing to take action.

Landlord Li had his selfish reasons too. The greatest risk of this plan falls on Li Feiyu; after all, it was Li Feiyu himself who put forward the idea. If he perishes, he has only his lack of skill as a Blade Catcher to blame.

"If Li Feiyu can truly help my Li Family through this disaster... even exhausting all my wealth would be worth it!"

Landlord Li resolved to take a gamble—if it works out, all the better; if not, he could at least try to come up with another plan in the remaining time.

"Father, Yu'er feels that..."

"Zhang Lin, Xiaohong, hurry and take the young miss back to her room!"

Landlord Li raised his voice sternly, afraid his daughter would say too much. What if Li Feiyu changed his mind? The guard Zhang Lin immediately understood, while the maid Xiaohong murmured an apology in her heart to the young miss.

At once, Xiaohong covered Li Yu's mouth, and together with Zhang Lin, forcefully removed her from the hall.

Soon, only Su Mu and Landlord Li were left in the main hall. After a brief conversation, Landlord Li summoned the servants.

"Xiaocui, take a few people and quickly prepare the eastern wing's small courtyard for Hero Li. In the next few days, except for delivering his meals, no one in the mansion is to approach the courtyard without my permission."

"Old Zhou, go to the treasury to withdraw silver, then make a trip to the Market and spread word of Hero Li's arrival. The sooner, the better."

...

As Su Mu arrived, the entire Li Mansion started moving, yet the eastern wing's courtyard remained secluded and silent.

Su Mu, who had stepped right into the center of this storm, acted as if nothing had happened, undisturbed by the outside world.

He took out two faded ancient texts from his bundle: "Feixu Skill" and "Eight-Step Chasing Cicada."

These two were among the six Secret Manuals of Body Technique that Su Mu had extorted from the Qingfeng Gang Leader, Gu Feng.

"Feixu Skill," an Eighth-Grade Lightness Technique, was said to be created by Qingzhou's 'Liu Xu Wanderer,' who, after watching willows drift in the wind, refined it from "Grass Step Flying." It blends agility with killing intent. At its peak, the practitioner must tread a hundred steps against the wind through falling willow fluff during the Beginning of Spring without ever touching the ground. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Eight-Step Chasing Cicada," an Eighth-Grade Lightness Technique whose name means 'catching a startled cicada within eight steps,' pursues explosive speed and evasion. Each step increases one's momentum, excelling at weaving through encirclements and escaping pursuit.

To try learning lightness skill on the eve of battle would, to the average person, be nothing but a futile last-minute effort, inviting ridicule.

But Su Mu moved unhurriedly, picking up "Feixu Skill" at random, reading while following the manual's breakdown of the lightness technique forms.

After one round, Su Mu's eyes brightened. He closed them, digesting the experience, and in his chaotic footwork hints of order began to appear.

By the second practice, comprehension welled up like a spring. As a wave of coolness surged between his brows, his inner talent awakened. In Su Mu's mind, willow catkins fluttered, and a blue-clad figure stepped lightly through the drifting fluff.

Third time through, Su Mu's whole body trembled.

Feixu Skill (Entry-level 1%)

The difficulty of cultivating lightness technique exceeds fists and kicks. Yet within only three tries, Su Mu had entered the beginning stage.

"Huuu—"

Su Mu exhaled lightly with eyes closed, as if awaiting some sign.

"Rustle, rustle!"

The cold wind shook the snowy locust tree branches in the small courtyard, sending drifts tumbling down.

At that instant, Su Mu suddenly moved. The Strength Pill in his dantian spun gently, and as the twin Powerful Force Jiaos channelled into his legs, his figure drifted like willow fluff—caught the wind and with a step glided three zhang ahead.

"Worthy of an Eighth Grade Body Technique—just the entry level lets me cover three zhang in a step, rivaling the Ninth-Grade Startled Sparrow Great Success..." Yet Su Mu turned this over in his mind. "But now my physique, power, and qi-blood levels are all far beyond when I trained in Startled Sparrow Step."

Su Mu was a bit surprised too. He realized this "Feixu Skill" was exactly the lightness skill Gu Feng had used that day when he burst into battle.

If Gu Feng saw this, his jaw would surely have dropped. This was his own lightness technique, and it took Gu Feng a full year just to reach entry-level.

What Gu Feng spent a year on, Su Mu accomplished by reading three times.

Hidden Dragon in the Abyss—already far beyond the reach of common men.

"Continue."

Su Mu stepped lightly again, floating back into the room like a willow catkin catching the wind. He put down "Feixu Skill" and picked up "Eight-Step Chasing Cicada" from the table.

This time, after just two readings, Su Mu, with the aid of his transformed state, conjured up the image of a flying cicada in his mind.

"Eight-Step Chasing Cicada"—when first practicing, it's best to study live cicadas during summer, otherwise entry will take twice the effort for half the result.

Yet though it was midwinter, this didn't hinder Su Mu's understanding of the art. Observing the cicada in his mind sufficed for cultivation. He used feet, knees, elbows, and hands to imitate the flying insect.

Three times through, Su Mu transformed this inspiration into reality.

Eight-Step Chasing Cicada (Entry-level 1%)

"The initial realm of Eight-Step Chasing Cicada is 'chasing the cicada.' Let's test it out."

Exerting strength, Su Mu immediately felt an incredible lightness underfoot. As he took a step, the flow of qi-blood and force within his body sped up, faintly producing a summer cicada's restless hum.

The first step covered just over a zhang. The distance wasn't far, but it made Su Mu's eyes light up—he sensed his body's qi-blood and strength flow rise by a full ten percent.