Chapter 3930: Simple Help And Heading East

After memorizing every detail the child could remember, Lin Mu rolled the scroll back up and stored it inside his storage ring. The direction had finally become clear and he no longer needed to wander aimlessly through the immense subterranean world.

Somewhere to the east existed a settlement whose hunters carried tattoos resembling the curved horns upon the crest. Whether that village possessed the answers he sought remained uncertain.

Even so it was far better than searching an endless forest without any clues.

Lin Mu looked toward the gathered prisoners before giving them a slight nod. "You’ve been of great help."

The broad shouldered hunter returned the nod. "You kept your word. So did we."

There was little else to say as their transaction had concluded fairly. Lin Mu turned and prepared to leave and he had barely taken two steps when the hunter suddenly called after him.

"Wait." Lin Mu stopped and looked back.

The hunter scratched his beard before asking, "Do you even know where east is?"

The question made Lin Mu pause for a moment as he certainly did.

There existed countless methods of determining direction. The position of the moss upon the cavern ceiling, the subtle flow of underground Qi, the movement of certain insects, and even the stars would have served him if they had been beneath an open sky.

More importantly, his Immortal Sense could easily perceive enough of the surrounding terrain to establish direction. In fact the most accurate method was for Lin Mu to merely use his comprehension of the Metal Dao and feel for the magnetic fields.

Still he chose not to say any of that.

Instead, he simply smiled faintly. "I was going to figure it out."

The hunter chuckled. "I figured."

He gestured toward another man standing nearby. "Bring it."

The man immediately disappeared into one of the huts and a few moments later, he returned carrying a shallow wooden bowl filled with clear river water.

Lin Mu watched curiously. Although he already knew what the man intended to demonstrate, he found himself appreciating the simple practicality of it. The hunter casually picked up a broad leaf lying nearby and he gently placed it upon the surface of the water.

The leaf floated peacefully in the center of the bowl.

Next the hunter produced a slender metal needle. It had clearly been treasured for many years and despite its age, the needle remained perfectly straight. From a leather pouch hanging at his waist, the hunter withdrew a small dark stone.

Its surface carried faint metallic streaks and Lin Mu immediately recognized it. ’A naturally magnetic stone.’

The hunter slowly rubbed the needle against the magnetic stone a few times and each movement remained deliberate. Several nearby children watched the familiar demonstration with interest.

After enough passes, the hunter carefully lowered the needle onto the floating leaf. For several breaths, the needle stayed still then, the leaf slowly rotated across the surface of the water.

Tiny ripples spread outward and gradually the movement stopped. The needle settled into a fixed direction.

The hunter pointed toward it. "That’s north."

His finger shifted ninety degrees.

"And that..." He smiled. "...is east."

Lin Mu nodded. "My thanks."

The hunter simply waved his hand. "No need. You’ve already paid fairly."

The exchange ended there.

Lin Mu quietly looked at the simple compass one last time before turning toward the forest. Moments later he disappeared among the towering trees. As he traveled through the forest, a quiet chuckle escaped him.

The sound surprised even himself.

’Interesting...’

He had spent enough time among the prisoners near the entrance to develop a rather poor impression of the people living within the Mad Demon Depths.

The first group he encountered had survived through ambushing newcomers. They practiced cannibalism and they blindly worshipped an ancient array. Suspicion and violence had become second nature to them.

This settlement, however, felt different. The hunter had already completed the agreed transaction and the information had been exchanged after the cloth had been accepted. Yet, he still took the extra effort to help Lin Mu determine the correct direction.

Lin Mu hadn’t requested additional assistance but the man simply offered it. It was a small gesture, one requiring no reward. But such things often revealed more about a person’s character than grand speeches ever could.

Perhaps after generations of surviving together, these people had managed to preserve pieces of ordinary humanity. At least more than the prisoners near the entrance. Lin Mu’s expression remained thoughtful.

’At least they aren’t cannibals.’ That alone already placed them far above the first group.

Their food stores explained much as they practiced fishing, hunting, gathering herbs and even trade. Communities with reliable resources rarely descended into the same desperation as those starving near the entrance.

Lin Mu naturally understood that hardship could reshape people.

Different environments produced different outcomes and the prisoners closest to the entrance received the least resources, the weakest hunting grounds and the harshest conditions.

Meanwhile this village enjoyed rivers, forests and a bit of trade. Their lives remained dangerous but they still possessed opportunities unavailable elsewhere. Perhaps that single difference had changed everything.

Lin Mu continued running eastward as the forest rushed past him in a blur. Towering trunks flashed by while roots twisted beneath his feet and every few kilometers, he released his Immortal Sense.

Gradually the trees began growing even denser. The terrain rose and fell through a series of gentle hills and eventually Lin Mu decided speed mattered more than remaining beneath the canopy.

He lightly stepped upward.

SHUA

The Ascending Air Steps carried him into the sky. Step after step appeared beneath his feet and within moments he rose high above the treetops. The pale glow of the moss once again illuminated his surroundings.

Traveling through the air offered far greater visibility.

Every so often he paused and his Immortal Sense expanded outward like an invisible ocean. He carefully searched for signs of human activity like broken branches, footprints, blazes carved into tree trunks, small piles of arranged stones and other subtle marks hunters often left behind.

Several trails appeared and some looked fresh while others had existed for months.

Unfortunately Lin Mu couldn’t determine whether any belonged to the hunters carrying the horned tattoo. The underground forest simply contained too many travelers, so every clue faded into another.