Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior-Chapter 147 - 120: Tiger Head Iron Order, Vengeance and Justice

As soon as the two sentences were uttered, the temperature inside the room seemed to suddenly drop, and the air inside threatened to freeze like frost.

Li Tie listened to Xiaohu's calm breathing on the bed and looked up at the young man before him. This was the first time since their reunion, nearly two years apart, that he seriously scrutinized Su Mu.

Before him, Su Mu was no longer the naive and immature youth from the smithy, but instead, carried a steadfastness like a mountain. His eyes revealed resilience, and his posture stood tall like a pine tree braving the harsh winter.

His handsome appearance had become more rugged and resolute. At almost eight feet tall, he already surpassed Li Tie. Although dressed in ordinary cloth, his every gesture exuded an extraordinary aura, and as he asked a question, an invisible pressure accompanied him.

"I wasn't wrong to trust you back then!"

Li Tie thought to himself after observing for a long time, feeling quite gratified, yet he shook his head.

"This matter is none of your concern, Xiaomu..."

"Uncle Li, your affairs with Xiaohu are my affairs,"

Su Mu said gravely. Seeing this, Li Tie sighed deeply, as memories of Su Mu reaching into boiling water and dismantling a wooden chair flashed in his mind.

Li Tie recalled that Su Mu might be avenging Zhou Mountain. The heads of Black Tiger Gang Leader Zhao Xuan and the leader of the bandits who attacked Qingshui Town were likely taken by Su Mu to honor Zhou Mountain and the masters.

But Guo Lie is not like Zhao Xuan from the Black Tiger Gang. Guo Lie has the Zhao Family from Canghe City backing him, along with a tributor from the Zhao Family ensuring his protection.

The tributor from the Zhao Family is a Seventh Grade Muscle Strengthening Realm Martial Artist. Three or five Zhao Xuans wouldn't be a match for the Zhao Family tributor. No matter how gifted Su Mu is, he's still too young. Even if Su Mu's martial arts advanced in less than two years, he certainly wouldn't be the tributor's opponent.

Moreover, once he offends the tributor from the Zhao Family, he'd face a powerful force, which Li Tie hopes to avoid involving Su Mu.

"Xiaomu, you must promise me one thing, do not act rashly, or I won't discuss it anymore."

Hu!

Su Mu took a deep breath and exhaled, "Uncle Li, rest assured, I won't be impulsive."

At that moment, Li Tie began recounting the story, starting with dismissing the blacksmiths from the smithy. Upon returning to Dongshan Town, Li Tie noticed Xiaohu's close relationship with a girl named Yang Qingqing in a pastry shop within the market.

As a father, Li Tie understood his son's thoughts. Moreover, Xiaohu had always shown little interest in forging, which was evident to Li Tie since their time in Qingshui Town.

Compared to forging, Xiaohu preferred making food, so Li Tie rented a shop near the market and opened a bun shop.

Li Tie had some savings, and opening the bun shop wasn't primarily to earn big money. Unexpectedly, Xiaohu showed considerable talent in this area, though Li Tie didn't know where he learned the skills. The buns Xiaohu made were popular in town, also because the shop offered them at affordable prices.

Over the past year, the bun shop's reputation spread, and business flourished daily. Although the buns were sold cheaply, their high volume caught Guo Lie's attention.

Initially, these people came under the pretext of negotiating to purchase the bun shop but offered only fifty taels, which Li Tie naturally refused. Afterwards, they demanded the secret recipe for the buns, which Li Tie also declined.

"Then came the situation we're now facing…" Li Tie said through gritted teeth, "Just this morning, Guo Lie's men from the gambling house took Xiaohu away and smashed the bun shop."

"Xiaohu was forced and threatened with Miss Qingqing right before he fainted from being beaten up. It's likely Miss Qingqing has also fallen into their hands, and I don't know her current situation..."

"They even declared..."

At this moment, Li Tie suddenly didn't want to go on, but seeing Su Mu's direct gaze, he gritted his teeth and spoke up.

"They declared that if we don't gather the silver within three days, we'll have to follow the gambling house rules: first break the limbs, then shatter the kneecaps."

Upon hearing this, Su Mu laughed coldly with rage, a sight that made Li Tie tremble all over. He immediately put his hand on Su Mu's shoulder, "Xiaomu, you promised me, you must not act rashly. Leave this matter for Uncle Li to handle; I'll find a way to gather the silver."

"Uncle Li, rest assured, I won't act rashly."

"That's good, that's good..."

Li Tie sighed in relief, completely unaware that beside him, Su Mu's expression remained calm, though murderous intent had already filled his heart.

"I, Su Mu, promised Uncle Li... but Li Feiyu did not promise. Moreover, Li Feiyu may not even need to take action."

With resolved murderous intent in his heart, Su Mu knew the situation in Qingshui Town must not repeat.

In life, who wouldn't have a few enemies, especially one like Guo Lie, who oppresses the people and exploits them like a tyrannical and rampant villain.

In the Jianghu, bloodshed and revenge are considered normal, even seen as quick and straightforward justice.

After a long absence, that night Su Mu bought some dishes to enjoy with wine, drinking heartily with Uncle Li. In this troubled time, Uncle Li soon fell asleep, drowning his sorrows in drink.

Su Mu retrieved silver notes worth one thousand five hundred taels from inside his clothes and placed them in Uncle Li's clothes, then dispelled the alcohol from his body using power and quietly left under the cover of night.

...

Amidst the howling wind and snow, a lone figure walked south on the snow, their boots not leaving a single trace.

Inside the tavern, the shop assistant was rubbing his sleepy eyes, cleaning up. The last table of drunkards lay sprawled on it, snoring like thunder, the remaining turbid wine in the bowl reflecting the dying fire in the hearth.

Just as he yawned and was about to close the half-open door.

"Squeak!"

A slender hand suddenly wedged into the door gap, making the shop assistant feel as if the door was weighed down by a massive stone, causing him to step back three paces in shock.

The wind and snow poured in as a figure in a straw raincoat stepped into the tavern, under the conical hat spoke a hoarse voice: