Trust
Xu Ziye was ambitious, but he lacked determination and courage. Voice quavering, he expostulated, “Shifu used to hold me in high regard! He won’t kill me! I will become a genius once I have a sky erasing pill and ascend to Body Severing Realm. He wouldn’t kill such an outstanding disciple!”
Xu Ziye’s denial didn’t hide the fact that Ku Mu had swayed him. There was no questioning Shi Dengtian was no longer the Shi Dengtian of the past. He was no longer a faction leader but a demon who wouldn’t stop at anything to exact his vengeance. Xu Ziye witnessed Shi Dengtian break the left leg of one of his prized disciples just for not placing Shi Minghui’s tablet straight.
“Are all outstanding disciples so stupid? You’re outstanding with that brain of yours? Kill me, and Shi Dengtian will kill you. He could just deny his involvement and claim you committed suicide out of fear of punishment and only avenged Shi Minghui due to your friendship with him. Not only would you have died for nothing, but your name will also be buried in a mountain of mud.”
Ku Mu easily read Xu Ziye from the latter’s reactions. Ku Mu intended to break down Xu Ziye’s defence mechanisms and buy time until Elder Leng returned. Ku Mu was willing to do anything to ensure he lived long enough to confirm Mu Yu’s safety. Ku Mu was notorious for poor communication, but he came through when it counted.
“You should quite while you’re ahead. Once Shi Dengtian kills you, he’ll have exacted his revenge and can continue reaping the benefits of his status.”
Xu Ziye began to tremble. He really bought into what Ku Mu said until Mu Yu came to mind again. “Lies! Shifu wouldn’t be so cruel to me! If anything, it should be your fault. Had it not been for your disciple, Shifu wouldn’t be treating me as spit-out bones! I know he’ll value me again after I kill you. He won’t kill me! He won’t! Kneel! I won’t let a dying man shake my resolve! I won’t listen to you!”
Ku Mu was worried sick and bleeding from his lip. Still, he disobeyed and kept his smirk on his face.
“Kneel!” Ku Mu kicked Ku Mu behind the knee, dropping Ku Mu. “Haha, Bamboo Peak leader, my foot. Look at you grovelling at my feet. You think you can trick me?” Xu Ziye then choked Ku Mu. “You’re nothing! If Shifu wants you dead, you’ll die! I will be restored to my glorious status after I finish you!”
Ku Mu could only groan as Xu Ziye bounced him off the wall and onto the ground.
“Shifu won’t silence me! I’m Shifu’s most trusted disciple!” Xu Ziye thumped on Ku Mu’s chest using his foot.
Despite the pain, Ku Mu rebuked, “How many talented disciples does he have? You’re not even a Body Severing Realm cultivator. Most trusted? Is that a bad joke? You want to know something? Knowing him, he’d be ruthless to you even if you were his most trusted aide. Mu Yu has escaped Second Heaven, hasn’t he?”
“Yeah, he has. So what? He won’t come for you!” Xu Ziye savagely rammed his fist into Ku Mu. “I’ll kill you even if it costs me my life. This is all your fault. If it wasn’t for you, Mu Yu wouldn’t have come here. If he didn’t come here, I would’ve gone to Second Heaven. Shi Minghui wouldn’t have had to die. Shifu wouldn’t have ordered me to kill you, either! You two ruined my future!”
Ku Mu refused to surrender even if he died. “Your kind isn’t even qualified to clean my disciple’s shoes! Mu Yu is my disciple and my son! His aptitude puts your so-called talent to shame. You can kill me with your despicable means, but you’ll never catch up to Mu Yu! He’s my pride! You are an insect!”
The words that escaped Ku Mu’s mouth were akin to shedding rocks weighing him down all the time.
“Yeah? Well, too bad for you. Your disciple isn’t coming for you!”
Xu Ziye finally brought out the sword. For the first time since commencing the plan, he was ecstatic, ecstatic to vent his wrath on Ku Mu. “Even if I’m silenced, I can die smiling for I have had my revenge!”
“Mu Yu won’t let it end so easily for you.” The glinting sword didn’t frighten Ku Mu. “Mu Yu will avenge me.”
“He’s now labelled a traitor. He’s barely getting by and snooping around to keep his head on his shoulders. Avenge you? He’ll be dead by then! The coward is hiding. He’s too scared to come here. Why is your remarkable disciple abandoning you here? Because he’s a coward. I know you’re waiting for him. Too bad, he doesn’t care about you. If you beg me on your knees, and call your disciple a useless sack of crap, I’ll spare you!”
“Unlike Shi Dengtian, I trust my pupil, hahaha.” Ku Mu never spoke his mind around Mu Yu, but he decided to tell the pitiful Xu Ziye how important Mu Yu was to him.
“Trust?” Scowling, Xu Ziye decided to destroy the trust Ku Mu cherished. “Mu Yu will never have your trust! You can take it with you to hell!”
As the sword came down to his throat, Ku Mu closed his eyes and smiled peacefully. “Taking my trust for my disciple to hell is better than losing that trust.”
“Those who harm my shifu shall perish.”
Ku Mu vigorously opened his eyes in disbelief. Xu Ziye was launched out. Before Ku Mu was the back of an enraged youth. Ku Mu never shed a tear in his life, yet, for some reason, he couldn’t control his tear ducts.
Ku Mu: Damn brat, you’re finally here!
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