Chapter 244 - The Three Forms Of The Boulder Collapsing Fist

"So what have you decided to name them?" Xukong asked, feeling curious.

"The form in which Vital energy is used will be, 'Boulder collapsing fist: First form- Impact.'

The form which uses spirit qi will be, 'Boulder collapsing fist: Second form- Piercer.'

And the final form which uses the combination of both will be, 'Boulder collapsing fist- Devastator.'

These are what I have decided upon." Lin Mu answered.

After listening to Lin Mu's words, Xukong was satisfied and felt like the names were appropriate and could not really find any fault with them. In the end, they were but mere names and would not really affect the technique itself. Thus even if Lin Mu had named them something else, he would not have minded.

"They're good." Xukong praised.

"I think so too, Senior." Lin Mu replied, feeling proud of his naming sense.

Lin Mu then took another look around the area and he felt like he should leave now, lest someone else comes here and finds him. While it would not be a big problem for him, but it would still be too bothersome for him to give an explanation to others.

Having thought of this, he decided to leave.

"Hmm, the day should start getting longer now. We should have more daylight." Lin Mu muttered to himself as he looked up at the sky that was relatively clear.

The winter was now at its end, and the snow had stopped as well. The only place that Lin Mu could currently see snow was far in the distance on the northern peaks and the depths of the forest. While it was still cold right now, it wasn't as chilly as before.

Soon the peasants would start farming and getting ready for spring. Though in the region among the four satellite towns of Wu Lim city, only the eastern town was specialized in farming and produced the majority of grains.

The southern town was mostly an army base, yet there were still some peasants that grew grain in small tracts of land. It wasn't much, but it was still enough to satisfy the town's needs. But in the case of the eastern town, they grew a much larger quantity. So much so that around ninety five percent of it was exported to the other towns and Wu Lim city, with a smaller part also going to other regions.

"I wonder if the hunters would be organizing the spring hunt this time." Lin Mu muttered to himself while walking.

"Spring hunt?" Xukong questioned with an interested tone.

"Ah yes, senior. Before the farming can be started, the hunters organize a large hunt to cull the population of beasts that are leftover from winter. This allows the peasants to farm without worrying about random beast attacks and also allows the hunters to gain a reasonable amount of coin after the winter." Lin Mu answered.

"That seems reasonable. But why the uncertainty?" Xukong asked.

"It's just that now that there are mercenaries hunting in the forest, I wonder if the hunters will even get an opportunity to hunt." Lin Mu replied.

"Hmm, that is a bit concerning for the townspeople, but nevertheless shouldn't matter to you anymore. You are no longer a commoner." Xukong spoke up in a calm tone.

Lin Mu had a strange sense of realization after hearing Senior Xukong's words. All this time, although he had become a cultivator, he was still thinking from the perspective of a commoner and was unknowingly thinking and worrying about stuff that no longer concerned him.

"Seems like I'm still not completely used to my identity." Lin Mu spoke in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"Don't worry, you will get used to it soon. Independent cultivators often have difficulties coming to terms with their new identities compared to the cultivators that join sects." Xukong explained.

"I understand, Senior." Lin Mu replied with a slight smile.

But just as he said this, he smelled something that made him stop in his tracks.

'Hmm? Smoke? Is there someone nearby?' Lin Mu thought to himself before blinking to the top of a tree.

He then looked around and spotted smoke rising from an area near to him.

"This is strange, the hunters don't come this deep into the forest, at least not at this time, this is too early. Is it perhaps the mercenaries? No… they should be further in the depths of the forest, they won't find many spirit beasts in this area." Lin Mu analyzed.

"Why don't you just go and take a look?" Xukong suggested.

Lin Mu hummed in response before heading in the direction of the smoke. A couple of minutes later as he approached the location, he could smell something different.

"Someone's cooking something? What's this…

~Sniff~

Fish?" Lin Mu muttered as he got closer.

Lin Mu soon reached the location where the smoke was coming from and was surprised upon seeing the scene.

"What?!" He uttered in surprise.

In front of Lin Mu, a pile of sticks and dried leaves were burning in a pile that looked as if they would go out any moment. They were placed rather messily, and it seemed as if the person who made the bonfire did not have any experience in setting one.

Though that was not the most surprising thing, the surprising thing was actually the fish that was being cooked over the barely burning fire. The fish was skewered into a stick and was being held over the fire at a very low angle. But it seemed to be attached to a bush or whatever was hidden behind a bush, as Lin Mu could not see it from this angle.

"What is that, did someone set camp and go away?" Lin Mu wondered before walking closer.

He saw that the stick that was skewering the fish was shaking for some reason, but when he turned to the side and saw what was hiding behind the bush he was shocked, to say the least.

"The Brown Shrubby Forest Cat… is it… cooking?"