Empty-Handed
“I wanted to give you another chance to live for yourself,” Mu Yu conveyed in a raspy voice.
“… Everyone has their own way of living,” responded Ku Mu.
“And your way is to sacrifice yourself for others over and over? You’re an alchemy prodigy, yet you chose to learn poison and left Pill Cauldron Sect so that Uncle Yundan could succeed the patriarch seat, resulting in people disparaging. You’re the owner of Revealing Cauldron, yet you left it behind. You like Shiniang, yet you stepped away. You saved my shifu for her. You lost your life in the end for me. What do you get in return? Nobody knows the real you. You have nothing! Nothing!”
“Says who? I have a son.”
“I have a son,” extinguished Mu Yu’s flame and replaced it with warmth comparable to sunlight in winter. His vision was suddenly shrouded in fog.
“Who cares what they think of me? As long as my son knows the real me, then I’m satisfied.”
Mu Yu pretended his attention was on the text littered across Revealing Cauldron. Life did not necessarily flow through the body as blood or qi. The words of another could also supply one with life. Nonetheless, Ku Mu left Mu Yu questioning, “What is the purpose of life? What makes it different to death? How do the dead live? Are those who live without principles dead?”
Mu Yu could feel sense one’s life force, yet the purpose of life eluded him. Based on experiences, there was no unified answer. Some tried to give it meaning. Some believed their life to be worth more than others. Some believed their purpose in life was to achieve something particular. Some dedicated their entire life to being strong, but what was the purpose of being strong? To test the limits of life? Some were willing to give up their life for others. Some believed others should sacrifice their life for them. Some lived repetitive lives. Some led lives with vibrant variety. Some left nothing behind. Some left transient things behind. Some left something that would last seemingly until eternity behind. He just clung dearly to his life, Ku Mu’s life, because he felt he ought to return it to Ku Mu.
Living for oneself was called living. Living for the sake of others was also considered living.
“You’re important to me,” Ku Mu emphasised, eyes trained on Mu Yu.
Mu Yu shut his eyes, then inhaled.
“I may not be a dutiful father; however, no father would want his son to throw his life away.”
“Am I supposed to just watch mine suffer for the sake of others?”
“Your life is more important than mine.”
“Why do you make light of yourself? You’re a prodigy in formations, alchemy, poison, cultivation and more. Bai Jie would be quivering in hits boots and squeezing his tail between his legs if you returned.”
“While he fears me, he knows me well enough to know how to beat me. In contrast, he doesn’t know you, giving you an advantage over him. You have life and death qi, immortality, a celestial sword, swordplay, formations and a spirit lord’s domain. You have more tools at your disposal to give him a shock… You also have to live in order to protect the world your shifu is trying to protect.”
“Why must it be me who protects this world?”
“Because Sword Shadow Dust Gale entrusted it to you.”
Mu Yu sat up irritably. “I don’t want to protect this world; I’m sick of it. My shifu might want to protect those idiotic cowards who will turn on you at the drop of a hat, but I have no desire to. I can’t sacrifice myself for others as he or you do. The only people I’m risking my life for is my family and the honourable, brave innocents.”
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