Zhi Guan could see that Mu Qing basically agreed with him. And yet, here they were, in a palace built by the demonic faction with Mu Qing following the orders of his Master. Clearly, despite feeling the same, he couldn’t bring himself to just … let it go. The debt he felt he owed to Elder Feng was too big.
Zhi Guan lowered his head and thought for a moment. It might look odd if he stayed in here for a long time and Song Yu Zheng and his two friends noticed but he currently couldn’t care about that. Not even managing the benefit it would have if Mu Qing rejoined their side with all the information on the demonic side he had available … this was a person he knew. A person who clearly didn’t believe in whatever goal his Master had set and instead missed the home he had previously grown to love.
Mu Qing had to feel miserable and even if he didn’t want to actively work against his Master and rejoin the righteous side, he should at least convince him to leave the demonic faction and start over somewhere else. Just being a lone cultivator was good as well. At the very least, he wouldn’t feel as torn.
Zhi Guan looked up again and faintly shook his head. “I get why you are hesitant. My Master picked me up after my mother and I had fled from the war. It wasn’t a good time but it wasn’t so bad either that I wouldn’t have survived otherwise. You, on the other hand … I guess it wasn’t like that so this feeling that you owe him something is a lot deeper.” To be honest, he wasn’t exactly sure about how Mu Qing had lived before joining the sect but he doubted it had been good. If it had been, he wouldn’t feel like this.
Mu Qing gave a hum. “It’s as you said. He saved my life so I owe it to him. No matter what happens, I can’t just turn my back on him.”
Zhi Guan furrowed his brows. “What about junior martial sister Xi? Didn’t you promise her a life as well? Does that promise count less?”
Mu Qing shook his head but he looked pained. “No, it doesn’t. If I could, I would fulfill it. But I can only do one. We are now standing on opposite sides in a war, after all.”
“You wouldn’t have to.” Zhi Guan really didn’t consider himself to be an emotional person. Having a relationship or something like that … no, he’d rather not. It just seemed like a waste of time to him. But he had also watched others happily get and stay together. Shen Lei and his third junior martial brother were the best example. Mu Qing and Xi Ju Hai had been like that once as well. Could they really not go back?
Zhi Guan shook his head, refusing to accept it. He might not care himself but he knew that both Mu Qing and Xi Ju Hai cared very much. It wasn’t fair to let this happen. “Your Master picked you up for a reason. This kind of premeditated rescue, is it worth it? In fact … with him being who he is, are you even sure he saved you?”
Zhi Guan didn’t say it but the words ‘maybe he was the one who caused the issue threatening your life in the first place’ hung between them.
Mu Qing could only purse his lips. “It’s not that I didn’t think about it. Back then, when I found out about who he really was, the thought almost immediately crossed my mind. But it’s been so long and nobody else from my village survived. There is just no way to ever find out. It’s not like my Master would ever admit to it if it was true, after all. So I can only take what I always thought to know as the truth.”
“Despite the fact that he also always pretended to be a righteous cultivator? Clearly, that was a lie as well. He deceived everyone. Why would you believe that he wouldn’t have deceived you personally as well in regard to your own history?”
Mu Qing could only shake his head. He had thought about it. Not just once but many, many times. Every time he had a moment to himself, he’d think of Xi Ju Hai, of the place he had left behind, and the aspirations he had once had. His Master had destroyed all of that and he had never felt that it was wrong. Instead, he had expected him to fall in line and had even sent him away much earlier than the others. This kind of man, surely, he couldn’t expect him to be honest and aboveboard?
It wasn’t like he wasn’t aware of this. Taking everything into consideration, it was more likely than not that there had been something shady going on when his village was eradicated in a matter of weeks. But the problem was … if he dared to acknowledge that, he’d also have to confront how he was the reason all those people had died. “I don’t want to be … the bane of my family’s life. If you’re right, they were all killed. And the reason for that would be me.”
“Because you have some of the blood of the Lin family.”
Mu Qing faintly raised his brows. “It seems you’ve already uncovered a lot.”
Zhi Guan smiled faintly, not hiding it but not saying more either.
Mu Qing sighed but nodded. “Yes, that is what this is about. I had some of their blood so my Master took me in. Unfortunately, even though the blood is there, the heritage isn’t. I’m unable to use any skills so … here we are, with still one more junior martial brother after me.”
Zhi Guan hummed. “Mei Chao Bing was the one who finally had the skills so your Master betrayed the sect when he was still young, believing he could take him away without trouble.”
“Well, I believe it was an accident that it happened at that time but yes, he probably never thought he’d fail to take away the one he had been looking for all that time. Even though I followed his orders, I am happy he still hasn’t managed to do it. I hope it stays that way. Otherwise … I don’t think the future is going to be pretty.”
Zhi Guan could see that Mu Qing basically agreed with him. And yet, here they were, in a palace built by the demonic faction with Mu Qing following the orders of his Master. Clearly, despite feeling the same, he couldn’t bring himself to just … let it go. The debt he felt he owed to Elder Feng was too big.
Zhi Guan lowered his head and thought for a moment. It might look odd if he stayed in here for a long time and Song Yu Zheng and his two friends noticed but he currently couldn’t care about that. Not even managing the benefit it would have if Mu Qing rejoined their side with all the information on the demonic side he had available … this was a person he knew. A person who clearly didn’t believe in whatever goal his Master had set and instead missed the home he had previously grown to love.
Mu Qing had to feel miserable and even if he didn’t want to actively work against his Master and rejoin the righteous side, he should at least convince him to leave the demonic faction and start over somewhere else. Just being a lone cultivator was good as well. At the very least, he wouldn’t feel as torn.
Zhi Guan looked up again and faintly shook his head. “I get why you are hesitant. My Master picked me up after my mother and I had fled from the war. It wasn’t a good time but it wasn’t so bad either that I wouldn’t have survived otherwise. You, on the other hand … I guess it wasn’t like that so this feeling that you owe him something is a lot deeper.” To be honest, he wasn’t exactly sure about how Mu Qing had lived before joining the sect but he doubted it had been good. If it had been, he wouldn’t feel like this.
Mu Qing gave a hum. “It’s as you said. He saved my life so I owe it to him. No matter what happens, I can’t just turn my back on him.”
Zhi Guan furrowed his brows. “What about junior martial sister Xi? Didn’t you promise her a life as well? Does that promise count less?”
Mu Qing shook his head but he looked pained. “No, it doesn’t. If I could, I would fulfill it. But I can only do one. We are now standing on opposite sides in a war, after all.”
“You wouldn’t have to.” Zhi Guan really didn’t consider himself to be an emotional person. Having a relationship or something like that … no, he’d rather not. It just seemed like a waste of time to him. But he had also watched others happily get and stay together. Shen Lei and his third junior martial brother were the best example. Mu Qing and Xi Ju Hai had been like that once as well. Could they really not go back?
Zhi Guan shook his head, refusing to accept it. He might not care himself but he knew that both Mu Qing and Xi Ju Hai cared very much. It wasn’t fair to let this happen. “Your Master picked you up for a reason. This kind of premeditated rescue, is it worth it? In fact … with him being who he is, are you even sure he saved you?”
Zhi Guan didn’t say it but the words ‘maybe he was the one who caused the issue threatening your life in the first place’ hung between them.
Mu Qing could only purse his lips. “It’s not that I didn’t think about it. Back then, when I found out about who he really was, the thought almost immediately crossed my mind. But it’s been so long and nobody else from my village survived. There is just no way to ever find out. It’s not like my Master would ever admit to it if it was true, after all. So I can only take what I always thought to know as the truth.”
“Despite the fact that he also always pretended to be a righteous cultivator? Clearly, that was a lie as well. He deceived everyone. Why would you believe that he wouldn’t have deceived you personally as well in regard to your own history?”
Mu Qing could only shake his head. He had thought about it. Not just once but many, many times. Every time he had a moment to himself, he’d think of Xi Ju Hai, of the place he had left behind, and the aspirations he had once had. His Master had destroyed all of that and he had never felt that it was wrong. Instead, he had expected him to fall in line and had even sent him away much earlier than the others. This kind of man, surely, he couldn’t expect him to be honest and aboveboard?
It wasn’t like he wasn’t aware of this. Taking everything into consideration, it was more likely than not that there had been something shady going on when his village was eradicated in a matter of weeks. But the problem was … if he dared to acknowledge that, he’d also have to confront how he was the reason all those people had died. “I don’t want to be … the bane of my family’s life. If you’re right, they were all killed. And the reason for that would be me.”
“Because you have some of the blood of the Lin family.”
Mu Qing faintly raised his brows. “It seems you’ve already uncovered a lot.”
Zhi Guan smiled faintly, not hiding it but not saying more either.
Mu Qing sighed but nodded. “Yes, that is what this is about. I had some of their blood so my Master took me in. Unfortunately, even though the blood is there, the heritage isn’t. I’m unable to use any skills so … here we are, with still one more junior martial brother after me.”
Zhi Guan hummed. “Mei Chao Bing was the one who finally had the skills so your Master betrayed the sect when he was still young, believing he could take him away without trouble.”
“Well, I believe it was an accident that it happened at that time but yes, he probably never thought he’d fail to take away the one he had been looking for all that time. Even though I followed his orders, I am happy he still hasn’t managed to do it. I hope it stays that way. Otherwise … I don’t think the future is going to be pretty.”
