Ku Mu’s Past
“I expected too much from you,” chided Ku Mu, albeit grateful. Mu Yu was his archenemy’s disciple, but the young boy had done so much for him. “You shouldn’t have given me the reversal pill.”
“If you were gone, I’d have to send you off. That’s a waste of my youth. Plus, I don’t look good in mourning clothing,” Mu Yu joked.
Ku Mu found Mu Yu’s joke funny but annoying at the same time. He deliberated to himself then said, “… You should’ve given it to that bugger, Feng Haochen. That would’ve saved you the trouble of travelling to Second Heaven…”
Ku Mu was privy Mu Yu never thought of giving the pill to Feng Haochen. Having said that, part of him still bitterly wondered if Mu Yu would still have saved him if the boy knew it could restore Feng Haochen’s cultivation. He subconsciously demeaned himself and felt inferior to Feng Haochen…
“I can’t just let you die on me. Do you need to deliberately cry at funerals? I don’t like crying. I don’t want to jump through all the hoops of faking it, hehe.”
Mu Yu genuinely appreciated everything Ku Mu taught him even though he took issue to some of the latter’s methods. Producing another reversal pill from scratch was beyond him. That was not to mention the difficulty of collecting the ingredients.
“Oh yeah, this is my friend, Tian Ran.” Mu Yu called Tian Ran over.
Tian Ran cheerfully saluted Ku Mu. “Greetings, Elder Ku Mu. My name is Tian Ran. I am a disciple of Secular World Sect.”
Mu Yu looked up because he didn’t hear Ku Mu respond. Ku Mu silently stared at Tian Ran until Xiaoshuai asked, “Hey, you checking me out?”
“H-h-how come you bear such a striking resemblance to Miao Yuyan?”
“You recognise my mother?” Tian Ran queried, smiling sweetly.
“Your mother is Miao Yuyan? Your father must be… that bugger, Feng Haochen, then,” said Ku Mu, digging his fingers into his palm.
“How do you know that?!”
Both Tian Ran and Mu Yu were startled.
Ku Mu took in a big breath to stop his shaking. He then questioned, “Is your mother doing well?”
Tian Ran’s shoulders rolled forward. “She’s not doing well. The sect locked her on a mountain for she refused to reveal my father’s identity. I cannot do anything as that is the sect’s rule.”
“Your sect rules are ridiculously strict,” Mu Yu remarked.
“As Secular World’s holy maiden, she should be our next patriarch because of her talent and advanced cultivation. Moreover, she must not be in a romantic relationship with a man. My mother lost her chastity, so…”
“Your sect can’t accept it even if her man is Third Heaven’s True God?”
“As I mentioned, they don’t know my father is True God. Even if they knew, they wouldn’t approve. They invest too many resources to accept their holy maiden losing her chastity.”
“You’re also a holy maiden. Doesn’t that mean…”
“Technically, I am only a candidate because of my gifts. The sect won’t concern themselves with it unless I am the chosen one.”
Ku Mu grabbed Mu Yu’s shoulder. “You must find dark herb and nine qi soul purifying flower. Feng Haochen can only save Miao Yuyan once he recovers his cultivation.”
“You’re saving my shifu for Tian Ran’s mother?”
“What is your relationship with my father?” inquired Tian Ran, hoping to find a strategy to help her mother.
“Old friends.”
“Oh, you and my shifu are love rivals.”
“Shut up.”
“Elder, you like my mother? But…” Tian Ran wasn’t sure how to continue. Her parents and Ku Mu’s romantic troubles put her in a pickle. She should’ve sided with her father, but Ku Mu, strictly speaking, was helping her mother. “What is the story between you and my parents?”
“You really want to know?” Ku Mu asked poignantly.
Tian Ran and Mu Yu nodded. Xiaoshuai shamelessly nodded his head… on Tian Ran’s bosom.
“I admit I like your mother. Regardless of what light you see me in, I will not change my stance. I can’t tell you why I like her myself.”
Ku Mu sat on the fence. Tian Ran and Mu Yu sat on the steps. Ku Mu chewed on his words before carrying on with his emotional story.
After Ku Mu left Pill Cauldron Sect, he met Miao Yuyan, who was out to gain experience. When he met her, she had a wound a fiend beast delivered. He, of course, saved her. She never discriminated against him for liking poison or because he stuttered. They then adventured together, during which Ku Mu gradually developed romantic feelings for her. When he finally decided to confess his feelings, Feng Haochen entered the picture.
Compared to Feng Haochen, who was blessed with every positive adjective, Ku Mu appeared insignificant. They were unaware he was Third Realm’s True God; they theorised he was a disciple from some sect.
Ku Mu was bitter Feng Haochen and Miao Yuyan fell for each other at first sight. Thus, he disliked Feng Haochen. Eventually, he came to terms with the fact that he could never put the same blissful smile on her face that Feng Haochen did. Hence, he chose to leave. Never once did he plot against Feng Haochen as Feng Haochen’s misfortunes were Miao Yuyan’s woes. Ku Mu wasn’t one to spite them as a petty man. He’d rather protect Miao Yuyan’s smile.
Miao Yuyan discovered she was pregnant with Tian Ran after she was confirmed to be Secular World Sect’s maiden. Around that same time, Feng Haochen vanished without a trace. Ku Mu took the risk of infiltrating Secular Sect after hearing of her pinch. That was how he found out Feng Haochen’s true identity and why the latter left.
Once Ku Mu learnt Feng Haochen was Celestial Prison’s formation foundation, he realised what price Feng Haochen would have to pay. Thereafter, he set out to help Feng Haochen recover his cultivation and rescue Miao Yuyan.
Ku Mu stood to gain nothing from his endeavour. He purely couldn’t stand leaving Miao Yuyan in her pitiable predicament. That was when Ku Mu Valley was created. He immediately identified Mu Yu’s shifu when he saw the boy execute Celestial Sword Nine Catalysts at Floating Celestial Island. The rest was history.
“Gramps, sorry for misunderstanding you,” apologised Mu Yu, fidgeting.
“You misunderstood me? About what?” Ku Mu glared daggers at Mu Yu.
Xiaoshuai blurted, “Mu Yu also thought you were a longer, stutterer, have a foul temper, eccentric, stubborn, l-.”
“Like to threaten people, hit people and super violent,” supplemented the dragon vine.
Mu Yu hurled Xiaoshuai and laughed awkwardly. “Don’t listen to them. I always thought you were suave, strong and kind.”
“And you call people shameless,” grumbled the dragon vine.
“Hmph,” snorted Ku Mu. He asked Tian Ran, “You must be going to Second Realm.”
“Yes.”
“Keep her safe. I don’t want any harm to befall her when she resembles Yuyan.”
“You got it!”
A soft voice outside the door caught their attention. They didn’t see anyone outside, but there was a piping hot bowl of soup on the table. Xiaoshuai expounded, “Elder Frost was inside the house. She brought the bowl over. None of you saw her?”
Xiaoshuai didn’t pay any heed to the love story. Who’d expect him to when there was the aroma of soup?
Ku Mu questioned, “When did she come by?”
“Not long after you started your story.”
Ku Mu spaced at as he gazed at the bowl. He and Leng Bingxue were childhood friends, so he did have some feelings for her. He didn’t want to accept her because he didn’t see himself as a man who could reciprocate her feelings whilst loving Miao Yuyan at the same time. He believed Leng Bingxue deserved better. To be fair, he had the right to choose who he loved. He never made any promise to Leng Bingxue that couldn’t fulfil.
“You not going to go explain yourself?” Mu Yu asked.
Ku Mu sat down on the word.
Xiaoshuai: “Um… The soup smells so nice. Can I have it?”
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