Chapter 3757: A Suitable Candidate

Many of the missing people followed similar patterns.

Some were running from debts, some were escaping arranged marriages, some had wandered away and others had died.

One particularly promising candidate turned out to be secretly maintaining three separate families in three different cities. Even Ashy had looked impressed by that achievement but Lin Mu merely rubbed his forehead.

The search continued as two weeks passed.

During that time Elder He Jian steadily approached One River City. News traveled surprisingly quickly as the elder had become somewhat famous across the region.

Every few days someone would speak about him.

A village would discuss how he had helped them deal with a beast infestation. A town would praise him for eliminating bandits. Travelers would mention seeing him teaching children or offering guidance to young cultivators free of cost.

The reports painted a remarkably consistent picture.

He Jian seemed genuinely kind. He never flaunted his strength and he never demanded rewards. He simply wandered, observed and helped where he could before moving on. Lin Mu found himself liking the elder despite never meeting him.

That also increased the urgency of his situation.

Eventually the latest news arrived.

He Jian was only one hundred and twenty kilometers away. He had stopped at a place called Honey God Village. The elder intended to remain there for several days before continuing onward, as the village had many people who needed help and the old man couldn’t bring himself to leave without helping them.

When Lin Mu heard that, he frowned as he knew time was rapidly running out. Despite all their efforts, none of the identities they found truly fit. Some were too famous, some were too suspicious and others possessed backgrounds that would be impossible to replicate.

Then there was the one that had almost worked perfectly.

Lin Mu still felt slightly irritated whenever he remembered it.

The candidate had disappeared a year earlier. They were intelligent, reserved and had little family. And to top it all they possessed a cultivation talent that could reasonably explain future growth.

Their personality even resembled Lin Mu’s own temperament according to what Ashy had heard. The identity would have been nearly flawless. The only issue was that she was a woman.

Ashy had immediately proposed using her and Lin Mu had immediately refused. Ashy had then spent nearly an hour explaining why it was actually a wonderful idea but Lin Mu had continued refusing.

The discussion eventually ended only after Xiao Yang nearly fell over laughing.

Thinking about it now still made Lin Mu feel uncomfortable. His Absolute Body Control Art had many capabilities but turning himself into a woman was not one of them. And even if it somehow became possible one day, he had absolutely no intention of attempting it.

Thus, another potential identity was lost, and the situation became increasingly troublesome. If nothing suitable appeared soon, Lin Mu might need to allow He Jian to pass through the region entirely.

He could always track him down later.

It would be inconvenient but manageable.

That evening Lin Mu sat inside his room at the inn while reviewing information once more.

Outside, the city slowly settled into silence as the streets emptied and lanterns dimmed. Most people had already gone to sleep and Lin Mu was considering several alternative plans when the window suddenly burst open.

A black blur shot into the room.

"MASTER!"

The voice nearly made Lin Mu jump as he saw Ashy crash onto the table. Her feathers were puffed up and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I FOUND IT!"

"I FOUND THE PERFECT PERSON!"

The bird practically screamed the words.

Thankfully they were inside the room. Otherwise the entire inn would have wondered why a tiny bird seemed to be having a life changing revelation.

Lin Mu quickly raised a hand.

"Calm down."

Ashy continued bouncing excitedly.

"I found him!"

"Master, this time I really found him!"

Lin Mu waited until the bird finally settled down.

Only then did he speak.

"Who?"

Ashy puffed out her chest proudly.

"A young man."

"Missing."

"Perfect background."

"Almost nobody knows much about him."

Lin Mu immediately became interested.

"Where?"

Ashy grinned.

"Honey God Village."

The answer caused Lin Mu to straighten slightly.

"Honey God Village?" he repeated.

Ashy nodded rapidly.

"The same village, the one Elder He Jian is currently staying at."

That immediately elevated the importance of the information.

Lin Mu motioned for her to continue.

Ashy happily began explaining.

"The missing person is called Little Bull."

The name caused Lin Mu to blink.

"Little Bull?"

"That’s what everyone calls him." Ashy nodded. "Nobody seems to know his real name."

Ashy hopped across the table while talking.

"He is an orphan and grew up in the village. Apparently, he disappeared about a month ago."

Lin Mu listened carefully.

The details sounded promising already. No family, no major connections and a relatively recent disappearance.

The timing was workable.

"What makes him special?" Lin Mu asked.

Ashy’s eyes widened dramatically.

"Divine Strength."

Lin Mu paused.

"Divine Strength?"

The bird nodded so hard her entire body shook.

"Everyone says so."

"They all talk about it."

Ashy began listing examples.

According to the villagers, Little Bull could lift boulders larger than houses. He could carry entire carts by himself. He once pulled ten plows simultaneously across farmland. He could sow fields at speeds that left experienced farmers speechless.

Some claimed he could uproot trees with his bare hands while others swore they had seen him wrestle immortal beasts. Many stories sounded exaggerated, yet the consistency was difficult to ignore.

The descriptions all shared the same theme.

Little Bull possessed ridiculous physical strength despite apparently lacking any cultivation.

Lin Mu became increasingly surprised.

Someone like that should have attracted attention long ago.

Even powerful sects would notice such talent.

"Are you certain?" Lin Mu asked.

Ashy nodded firmly.

"I investigated."

The bird looked unusually serious now.

"I spied on dozens of people; villagers, merchants, hunters and more. They all said the same thing."

She paused briefly.

"Master, I even found the fields he worked."

"The strength is real."

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes.

That was significant as physical evidence was harder to dismiss.

Ashy continued.

"The strange thing is that nobody knows where his strength came from. He doesn’t cultivate, he never joined a sect and he doesn’t know martial techniques. Yet he keeps doing impossible things."

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