Supreme Swordsman of the Nine Heavens

Once a Beast, Always a Beast

“Say that one more time!”

Anyone but Chu Kuang, whose eyes flashed red for a second, would’ve understood the beast reference Mu Yu made.

“Beasts in human skin are still beasts, huh?”

“How do you know… Who are you?!”

“Your maker.”

Mu Yu wrapped Water Spirit around Helian Kong’s soul item, embellishing the bone with blue energy. Water Spirit’s anticipation transferred to Mu Yu’s mind.

“You? Get your head out of your behind!” vociferated Chu Kuang, scaring everyone away with a burst of his spiritual energy.

“I’m human. You’re not.”

Chu Kuang pushed his foot into the ground, denting it, and then propelled himself forward with his claws at the ready.

Nobody felt sorry for Mu Yu when he decided to pick a fight with someone significantly stronger than himself.

Chu Kuang floated and floated… and floated, yet never reached Mu Yu. Drip! A drop of blood landed at Mu Yu’s feet, where the floor was unscathed. Chu Kuang couldn’t fathom how Mu Yu scored his chest. He couldn’t say a word for Water Spirit absorbed something from his body, sending his vision into darkness.

Thump! Chu Kuang’s soul surfaced from his downed corpse, cuing Mu Yu to remove the restriction on Wood Spirit for a moment so that it could absorb Chu Kuang’s soul.

In a game where levels mattered, Helian Kong’s soul item boosted Mu Yu’s cultivation to Body Synthesis Realm Ninth Layer, putting him on a higher level than Chu Kuang.

“Let’s go,” said Mu Yu.

Mu Yu unwrapped Water Spirit from Helian Kong’s soul item to return to Qiao Xue, who noticed it was more lively than usual, as the two strolled out of the silent and still inn.

“Was he someone under Xiang Nan’s control?” Qiao Xue inquired, strolling along the small path outside of Mist City with Mu Yu.

“Yes. He uses his ability to implant fiend beasts’ minds into human bodies. I’m fairly certain the dark horses everyone is talking about are his creations. At the end of the day, they aren’t fiend beasts who developed intelligence, though, which is the reason they still exhibit personality traits found in fiend beasts.”

“I thought you wouldn’t get in Xiang Nan’s way.”

“I won’t get in the way of his plan, but if his minions mess with the girl I like, I’ll end him… Xiang Nan won’t mind me killing their kind.”

Qiao Xue felt her face go up in flames.

“Sir! Sir, please wait!” called Daoist Xi Xian, panting as he chased after Mu Yu. “Thank you for ending his reign of tyranny. Please accept a bow from this one to show his gratitude.”

“There’s no need to thank me. There are things I’m duty bound to do.”

“You have no idea what he did to us, Sir. It may be just an act of convenience for you, but you have blessed our entire sect,” expressed Daoist Xi Xian, breaking down in tears of gratitude and resentment.

“Why didn’t you sneak away?” queried Qiao Xue, placing her hand on Daoist Xi Xian’s shoulder to offer some refreshing qi, consequently calming the elder’s frantic flow of qi resulting from his surge of emotions.

“Thank you, Miss! I would have ended my life if I did not feel obligated to protect my disciples. I only have myself to blame as an incompetent teacher. When my young disciples tried to defend me the day he ordered me to kneel before him, he sliced their necks open. I never saw his change coming.”

It was quite easy to understand why Chu Kuang kept Daoist Xi Xian alive. Despite his cultivation, Chu Kuang was not gifted with knowledge. Daoist Xi Xian, on the other hand, was weaker but possessed valuable knowledge. As a bonus, he could boss people around to satisfy his “king of the jungle” ego.

Mu Yu offered Daoist Xi Xian a few vials of healing pills. “Share these with your disciples. Consider it my apology for killing one.”

“You speak in jest, Sir. We are more than grateful for what you have done; we have no right to accept your pills. This old one merely came here to deliver his message of gratitude. As he has nothing valuable to offer, please accept a bow.”

“There’s no need to go that far. Things are more complicated than you think. Take them. We must be on our way now.”

Rather than saying he was apologetic for killing Daoist Xi Xian’s disciple, Mu Yu was apologising on behalf of Xiang Nan and offering pills to repent for Xiang Nan’s actions.

Just how many more thousands of Daoist Xi Xians are there now because of Xiang Nan? There’s no way I can stop them all, yet I don’t know if I can turn a blind eye to this, lamented Mu Yu, flying off with Qiao Xue.

Daoist Xi Xian kowtowed to Mu Yu as the latter left, rendering the latter unsure how to feel about it all.

: