Pill Containment Formation
The curtain on the tournament at Eight Grass Village came down. Humanity clocked seven wins, while the fiends only racked up three wins. Consequently, the fiends were granted three months access to the village’s spiritual qi core annually.
Humanity was pleased to win; however, they refused to acknowledge Mu Yu, Ximen Buxing and Lie Shang’s contributions to the win out of spite for the trio. Humanity felt as though the trio treated them as jokes, coming and going as they pleased.
After the trio legged it, humanity’s reinforcements arrived. Famous swordsman Zhangsun Gaoyang, am undefeated Body Severing Realm Ninth Realm disciple of Rakshasa Manor, had his rear handed to him. In the end, Tian Ran’s victory was the only victory they could accept.
The results of the tournament dragged many orthodox sects’ reputation through the mud. The reaction to Mu Yu’s return was different to previously for he was one of the major contributors in the tournament. It also led to people suspecting the truth behind Mu Yu bailing out the fiend king, not that it was enough to convince everyone he wasn’t in cahoots with the fiends.
Someone started spreading information that Ghost Gate’s disciples tried to procure the fiend king’s soul using a Nine Walk-ins Formation, leading to some turning against the sect formerly vaunted.
***
At Pill Cauldron Sect.
Heart Refinement Cliff was where disciples who erred were imprisoned. The tall cliff was foggy and peaceful. Because a tranquil state of mind was compulsory to excel as an alchemist, seniors would send disciples to the cliff to sooth their minds once they lost their cool.
At the bottom of Heart Refinement Cliff was Pill Containment Formation. Anyone who committed unforgivable crimes would be incarcerated there until judged. The formation consisted of eighty-one sections, all linked together. All activity occurring in the prison grounds were relayed to those on surveillance. Conversely, it was impossible for anyone inside the formation to get a glimpse the exterior. Put it this way: the prisoners were surrounded within four walls but had the sky for their cell sealing. Even so, they couldn’t escape. In addition, there were always two disciples on duty.
Ku Mu was held captive in the ninth Pill Containment Formation ever since Mu Yu was labelled a traitor. He was turned into a scapegoat for Mu Yu’s supposed crimes as Mu Yu was absent. The pressure from the other sects forced Daoist Yun to lock up Ku Mu.
Elder Leng visited the formation daily since Ku Mu was imprisoned to supposedly read at a small room in the formation. He’d lock his gaze on the ninth formation and let his mind wander. Before they knew it, almost a year had flown by.
Leng Bingxue sneaked into the formation and made her way to the ninth formation.
“You not even going to greet your father?” asked Elder Leng, voice neutral.
Leng Bingxue ignored her father and headed in. Elder Leng puffed. “Heartless daughter. I kept the jerk safe, yet she won’t even greet me.”
Ku Mu looked up.
Leng Bingxue questioned, “Is it so hard for you to say something other than a greeting?”
Ku Mu refused to respond. Leng Bingxue understood Ku Mu felt guilty and apologetic toward Mu Yu. Only when Mu Yu was around did he talk more. He embraced brevity to the point of bordering on mute ever since he learnt Mu Yu was trapped in Second Heaven. That was when Ku Mu realised he had gone from treating Mu Yu as a chess piece to treating the boy as his son. He didn’t realise he was only able to be himself when Mu Yu was around. Mu Yu was always stirring him up, and he’d flip out every time. Even so, he relished those times and wished life would remain as nice.
“Is the boy that important to you?” Leng Bingxue inquired.
“… I owe him. I shouldn’t have let him go to Second Heaven.”
Leng Bingxue sat down in front of Ku Mu. “So, you’re only going to speak to me if I mention him?”
Ku Mu’s lips budged, but he withheld his thoughts in the end.
“He has to wait a decade if he wants to escape. Almost a year has gone by since then, so there are nine years left. Do you really think he’ll survive until then?”
She may not have realised it, but Ku Mu interpreted Leng Bingxue’s persuasion as knifes digging into him, reminding him of his failure to protect Mu Yu.
“Shi Dengtian will never let you off the hook. I visit daily just to stop him from assassinating you to avenge his nephew, while my father also watches over you. People care and worry about you, but you keep everyone at arm’s length. Why don’t you explain to Patriarch that you never gave Mu Yu the order to help the fiend king? Why won’t you reveal the reason you sent Mu Yu to Second Heaven?”
“It’s meaningless even if I’m realised.”
“Xue’er, Yun Dan received a decree from Third Palace and is asking everyone to assemble for a discussion. That includes you,” Elder Leng informed from outside.
Leng Bingxue: Why are they suddenly butting in after all these years? They only exist to lead the campaign against elemental demons. I guess this pertains to those demons again, then.
Leng Bingxue rose up and stopped upon reaching the robust wall. Softly, she notified, “I heard Mu Yu escaped Second Realm and schooled the fiends on behalf of humanity. The opinions of him are now mixed, so you don’t need to worry about him anymore.”
“What?” By the time Ku Mu looked up, Leng Bingxue had departed through the wall. Ecstatically, albeit subtly, he muttered, “Mu Yu escaped?”
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