The old man had endured enough—the harassnt, the threats, the suffocating presence of the sects. The city was no longer the safe haven it had once been. It had changed, twisted into sothing unrecognizable, a place where strength dictated justice, and the weak were nothing more than pawns to be sacrificed.
His weary gaze drifted to his son, his daughter-in-law, and his precious granddaughter, who had been beaten despite their innocence. The sight of her swollen face, the dried blood on her lips, and the bruises littering her arms sent a sharp, searing pain through his heart. His fingers curled into trembling fists, his nails digging into his palms as suppressed rage threatened to erupt.
"The River Bending Axe Sect needs to pay for this…" Doun muttered under his breath, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
A terrible silence followed.
A chilling weight settled in the air as one of the disciples turned his head, his eyes narrowing. "What did you just say, you old geezer?" His voice was sharp, laced with hostility. He stood up, his imposing figure casting a shadow over Doun. The other hostages shrank back in fear, knowing that defying their captors only led to more suffering.
Mr. Lan, another captive, instinctively pulled against his chains, but they refused to budge. They were crafted from refined immortal-grade tal, far beyond his ager strength to break. Panic flickered in his eyes as he watched the disciple take a nacing step forward.
The disciple sneered. "You think you can talk big just because you're about to die? Let show you what happens when worms like you speak out of turn."
He raised his hand, preparing to strike.
SHING!
A tallic glint flashed.
THUD.
SPLAT.
A horrific scream tore through the room.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The disciple staggered back, clutching the stump where his hand had been. Blood spurted violently from the wound, staining the floor in dark red pools.
"W-what!?" the second disciple barely had ti to react before his world turned upside down—literally.
He saw sothing—a fleeting glimpse of a figure standing amidst the chaos, but before he could process it, his vision darkened.
His head hit the ground with a sickening thud, rolling a few feet before coming to a stop. His body collapsed soon after, the gaping wound on his neck still gushing blood.
The armless disciple's eyes widened in horror. He turned, his mouth opening to scream again, but his voice caught in his throat. Standing before him was a man who exuded death itself.
Lin Mu.
His expression was cold, emotionless, yet it carried an air of finality that was more terrifying than rage.
SHING.
The disciple's head flew from his shoulders, landing beside his fallen comrade.
Silence fell.
The hostages sat frozen, their minds struggling to comprehend what had just happened. Fear and disbelief warred within them.
"Who…?" soone whispered.
"Sir Lin Mu?" Dou Qi was the first to recognize him. Her voice trembled, but her eyes shone with newfound hope.
Lin Mu didn't respond. Instead, he lifted Afternoon Pine and swung it a few more tis.
SHING. SHING. SHING. SHING.
The chains fell apart, clattering to the ground in broken fragnts.
"You're free now," Lin Mu said simply, his tone devoid of warmth.
"T-thank you, Sir Lin Mu." Doun's voice cracked with emotion, his hands trembling as he touched his now-unshackled wrists.
"You need to escape, Sir Lin Mu," Mr. Lan said urgently. "A High Elder is after you!"
Lin Mu didn't blink. "Don't worry. He's dead."
"…Dead?"
The weight of the revelation crushed any further argunt. Mr. Lan searched Lin Mu's expression, looking for any sign of deception. But the cold steel in Lin Mu's eyes told him everything he needed to know.
The High Elder was gone.
"Can you all take care of yourselves? I'll leave my beast to guard you." Lin Mu's voice remained level. "Go to the city guards. They should protect you."
Doun nodded, determination flickering within his tired gaze. "We can do that."
Lin Mu exhaled. "I still have loose ends to tie up."
"Are you leaving?" Dou Qi asked hesitantly.
"No," Lin Mu said, his voice carrying an unshakable resolve. "I'm going to visit the River Bending Axe Sect." He turned away, his presence already beginning to fade. "It's ti for them to pay."
And then, just like that, he was gone.
All that remained was a small feline creature.
"wo." Little Shrubby blinked up at them.
The hostages exchanged bewildered glances.
Lin Mu soared across the sky, his mind sharp despite the storm of emotions raging within him. The River Bending Axe Sect had crossed too many lines. They had terrorized the weak, trampled over the innocent, and thought themselves untouchable. That arrogance would now be their downfall.
Yet, anger alone wasn't enough. He had to be precise, thodical. This was an immortal sect, after all. Rushing in blindly would be foolish.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled out a jade slip and sent a ssage to his companions:
'I'm heading to the River Bending Axe Sect.'
The ssage was short, but he knew they would understand.
Chanting the Calming Heart Sutra, he pressed forward.
Back at the sect, chaos was brewing.
The past few days had been disastrous. Their businesses had collapsed, their connections severed, and now, whispers of betrayal ran rampant.
Disciples gathered at the gates, voices raised in desperation.
"Why can't we leave!?" one shouted.
A High Elder stood before them, eyes burning with fury. "You traitors! After everything this sect has given you, you turn your backs on us!?"
"This is a sinking ship!" another disciple argued. "The Patriarch has lost his mind! Staying here ans death!"
More voices joined in, their courage bolstered by numbers.
"The only way you're leaving is as corpses," the High Elder growled, his aura surging.
"You can't kill us all!" one disciple countered. "The Orthodox Sects won't stand for this!"
"Yeah! My brother's in the Sunflower Peak Sect! They already know what's happening here!"
The High Elder's expression darkened. If word had truly spread, then their ti was running out.
And then, as if fate itself had sealed their doom…
A shadow passed overhead.
Lin Mu had arrived.
User Comments
0 comments from readers