Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 63: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

The mule cart jolted even more violently along the rugged mountain path, its wheels grinding over gravel, emitting a teeth-grating creak.

This so-called "Peaceful Road" was a hundred times harder to travel than the official highway from last time. The path was narrow, flanked by dense, impenetrable woods. Withered, yellow branches stretched toward the sky like ghostly claws, making it difficult for sunlight to pierce through.

Inside the cart, Zhao Rui was tossed about until he felt dizzy and nauseous, his face pale, yet he uncharacteristically didn't utter a single complaint. He just clutched his book chest tightly, his ears perked up, listening intently to every sound outside, like a frightened rabbit.

Su Ming still walked beside the cart. His breathing was steady and deep, each step landing on the soft, decaying leaves with almost no sound. His mind was completely immersed in comprehending the Aura Concealment Art.

That faint glimmer in his Dantian no longer needed to be deliberately sought; it was like a small lamp within his body, moving with his thoughts. He was trying to control the light of this lamp, causing the warm flow of Yang Energy that originally diffused around his body to slowly contract inward, like a receding tide, clinging tightly to his own skin.

This process was extremely mentally taxing, requiring utmost concentration.

A long while later, Su Ming slowly withdrew from this state of feeling.

"Disciple, how does it feel? Do you feel your own presence diminishing, almost turning into a tree by the roadside?" Lin Yu's voice rang in his mind, carrying a hint of examination.

"Still far from it," Su Ming responded inwardly. "This energy flow is still too scattered, like smoke that can't be grasped."

"Good, you know your limits. Keep practicing. Only when you can condense this living person's Yang Energy to be roughly like a stone will you barely be considered to have passed the first lesson of my 'Way of Survival'."Su Ming stopped dividing his attention, pouring all his focus into controlling his breath.

His perception, sharpened by this intense concentration, became exceptionally keen. He could "hear" the different whistling sounds of the wind passing through the forest, "smell" the earthy scent of earthworms turning over beneath the soil, and "feel" the muscles of a startled wild rabbit tensing up in the distance.

Just as the mule cart rounded a mountain ridge, Su Ming's footsteps suddenly halted.

Into his "net," an inharmonious discordant note had intruded.

Not the sound of wind, not the roar of a beast.

But a very regular, deliberately suppressed sound of footsteps. One, two, three... at least five people. There were also the faint sounds of metal rubbing against leather, and... a faint, mixed scent of human odor, sweat, and cheap liquor.

This aura was very familiar to him.

"Master!" Su Ming cried out urgently in his mind.

from last time. Drive the cart behind the rocks in the gully to the right!" Lin Yu's voice reached Su Ming's

broke out on

out, pressing a hand against the mule cart's

"Stop!"

wasn't loud, but

wrong?" Old Qian was startled, instinctively pulling

cart immediately stuck his head out, asking nervously, "What

to the northwest. After a moment, he lowered his voice, speaking as quickly as possible, "Uncle Qian, drive the cart behind those

Rui's faces instantly turned

last time flooded their minds. Old Qian's hands trembled like a sieve, but his survival instinct made him comply immediately. Shaking uncontrollably,

jump off the mule cart, pulling the still somewhat dazed Zhao

something, but was stopped by Su Ming's icy gaze. That look said: If you want

hand tightly over his

over, crawling and stumbling. The three of them, plus one mule, held

equally restless mule, sensing its

of footsteps

place is really fucking hard to walk!" a coarse,

scar-faced man. "Keep your eyes peeled, all

from behind the rock, Zhao Rui's body stiffened violently,

stared fixedly at Su Ming's

eyes slightly closed, as if he had merged with the surrounding soil

face in the fallen leaves, desperately suppressing the sobs in his

appeared on the small path, each holding gleaming weapons. They scanned their surroundings vigilantly, their gazes sharp

of the bandits walked near the rocks where they

"I'm taking a piss."

liquid splashed against tree

of Su Ming and the other two rose to their throats. Zhao Rui could even smell the pungent odor of urine, his stomach churning

scar-faced man urged impatiently,

urinating bandit pulled up his pants,

turned, he kicked a stone. The stone rolled over

body remained utterly still; even