Unforeseen
Ku Mu didn’t leave his house for the next two days, presumably because he didn’t want to run into Bing Lengxue again. Mu Yu tried to pry into their past, only to earn himself a scolding. Besides that, Mu Yu was worried Bing Lengxue wouldn’t approve of him taking a spot on the name list. Cai Lie wasn’t sure which side his shifu would take. Mu Yu assumed Daoist Yun Dao would agree out of consideration for his old friendship. Ku Mu, on the other hand, didn’t show any concern for the matter.
After Alchemist Yao came out of seclusion, Cai Lie came over to invite them to the conference hall – Pill Hall – at Main Peak. Golden patterns were a recurring theme at Pill Cauldron Sect. The hall interior wasn’t resplendent Instead, it was a collection of antique ornaments and designs. The hall had a no-flying rule enforced, and rarely did any disciple enter. Cai Lie had to stop at the entrance after the led Mu Yu and Ku Mu up the blue stone staircase. Mu Yu had questions for Cai Lie, but Ku Mu sauntered right in, forcing Mu Yu to hurry along.
Daoist Yun Dao sat in the centre, overlooking every other spot in the hall. Seated on his left was Bing Lengxue. On his right was Shi Dengtian, dressed in a black robe, judging from the unfriendly and jeering stare he reserved for Ku Mu. Next to Shi Dengtian was Shi Minghui, looking down at Mu Yu with his chin perked up. Next to Bing Lengxue was Alchemist Yao, dressed in white. Alchemist Yao gave Mu Yu a smile and Ku Mu a nod. There were other elders, all of whom were key figures of each faction and high-ranking alchemists within the sect. It should be considered an honour to meet them all in one place.
Ku Mu casually strolled over to a seat reserved for him without greeting anybody. At the end of the day, he was still regarded as Bamboo Peak’s master. As such, he didn’t need to salute others. Mu Yu, to the contrary, was obligated to greet the elders. The only gripe he had was Shi Dengtian’s snark chortle when he greeted the latter.
“You’re the one who killed my grand disciple, your fellow disciple, Mu Yu?” questioned Shi Dengtian.
Mu Yu politely smiled. “His death is regrettable. Howbeit, surely you can tell right from wrong after you investigated it considering your wisdom.”
“Patriarch brought it up with me. Nobody knows what really happened. How do we confirm Shi Yun attempted to rob you based on your testimony alone?”
“Since you stated nobody knows what really happened, how are you certain I killed him?”
“You admitted to Patriarch that you killed him, yet here you are refuting it now. That is what we call lying to Patriarch.”
“I did not lie. I clearly told Patriarch I suffered from qi deviation during the tussle and lost my rationality. Who I killed after are claims you pinned on me. I cannot deny what I cannot be sure of. If you want to get to the bottom of it, I am sure everyone knows there is no means of determining the truth.”
“Word games and crooked logic won’t save you! Your crime of killing Shi Yun isn’t absolved. Before we get to the bottom of it, you, as the suspect, m-”
“I killed him. Shi Dengtian, what are you going to do about it?” Ku Mu proclaimed, sick of the courteous façade.
Shi Dengtian narrowed his eyes. “Senior Brother, you don’t have to shoulder the blame for your disciple to save him, do you?”
“So what you’re saying is Shi Yun, as a junior, shouldn’t be punished to death for attempting to assassinate me, his shishu, his uncle?”
“Do you have proof?”
“Shi Yun’s cause of death was qi blocking his throat and his dantian being impaled. Can a Golden Core Realm cultivator can do that to a Primordial Infant Realm cultivator, correct?”
The killing method claimed required a high degree of technical competence. Therefore, it was impossible for one without their rationality and without cultivation several folds superior to the victim to execute. Pill Cauldron Sect’s elders were well aware of the fact but chose to pretend otherwise in order to make things difficult for Mu Yu. The exception was Daoist Yun Dao, who didn’t want to shame Ku Mu. Since Ku Mu, who had a reputation for killing without reason or rhyme, admitted to killing Shi Yun, they could only attribute the death to Shi Yun’s folly.
“We’re done with the matter. I didn’t call you all here today to discuss that. I summoned you to discuss the list of those travelling to Second Heaven,” declared Daoist Yun Dao. “Ku Mu wants his slot back. What are your opinions?”
Mixing a ridiculing and vexed undertone, Shi Dengtian immediately responded, “Senior Brother, you have not contributed to the sect in all these years. You are now useless, yet you demand the slot back? Does it sound reasonable to you?”
Mu Yu replied, “My shifu allowed the sect to use his slot as you saw fit for so many years without asking for anything in return. Does that not qualify as a contribution?”
Shi Minghui exclaimed, “My grandpa was speaking to your shifu. Who are you to butt in?!”
“You shut up. The people present are your seniors. Who are you to be shouting? Does your family not teach you manners? I am your shishu, your uncle, yet you shout in my face? See the door? Walk that way, and don’t look back!” thundered Ku Mu.
“An outsider is my shishu?”
“Outsider? Patriarch and your grandpa questioned me as a member of the sect, yet you deny my membership? Are you downplaying their decision? Are you accusing them of being wrong? What is the penalty for juniors who blurt such irresponsible claims?”
Mu Yu loved the livid look on Shi Minghui’s face.
“Leave, Shi Minghui,” instructed Daoist Yun Dao, forcing Shi Minghui to walk out with a scowl.
“We have always voted on our sect matters. I will decide after factoring in all your opinions. You just need to voice your opinion. Junior Sister, do you approve of the request?”
Leng Bingxue rose to her feet and demanded of Ku Mu, “Give me a reason to approve.”
Ku Mu avoided Leng Bingxue’s gaze again.
“Hmph!” Bing Lengxue walked out.
Mu Yu: Uh… Does she have a translator?
Daoist Yun Dao sighed. Understanding Bing Lengxue’s answer, he voiced, “Since she didn’t explicate her opinion, her opinion is void. What do you think, Junior Brother?”
Shi Dengtian ran shifted his sly gaze from Ku Mu to Mu Yu, stroking his chin as he replied, “I approve.”
Mu Yu’s eyebrows tugged up. Shi Dengtian was the last person he expected to approve. Daoist Yun Dao touched his chin and paused to think. He kept his surprise under wraps and queried, “How about you, Brother Yao?”
“I am against it.”
Everyone’s heads were spinning. Contradictory words they expected to come out from each person’s mouth came out, after all.
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