Mu Changqing shrugged indifferently and comforted him.
"It's alright. I've only told you about this, and I've saved up quite a few spirit stones over the years, enough for my needs. You don't need to worry."
"Then it's settled. From now on, you'll be alone in the Great Yu Immortal Sect. Be careful."
With that, Mu Changqing stood up, patted Tang Si's shoulder, and leaped off the ancient tree, leaving.
Tang Si remained silent, his gaze calmly fixed on Mu Changqing's receding figure. The tree's shadow obscured his vision, and no one knew what he was thinking.
...
A month later, Mu Changqing quietly departed without informing anyone.
He didn't even tell Tang Si the specific time of his departure.
Walking alone on a country path, Mu Changqing stretched lazily, feeling much lighter in spirit.
"With that supreme treasure, I'm equivalent to having the Great Dao Body. My cultivation from now on will be twice as effective with half the effort."
Mu Changqing pondered his next destination.
Suddenly, several dark shadows rapidly approached from high in the sky.
Mu Changqing was alarmed and instantly shifted, creating distance.
*Bang!*
The ground instantly erupted into a large pit.
Looking at the three figures whose faces were concealed, Mu Changqing coldly asked,
"Who are you? Do I have any grievances with you?"
"Heh heh, no. We've been entrusted to retrieve something from you."
Upon hearing this, Mu Changqing's pupils contracted, his mind racing.
He had always kept a low profile in the Great Yu Immortal Sect, never offending anyone, nor had he ever revealed any supreme treasures. How could this be...!
Suddenly, Mu Changqing's pupils widened in disbelief.
"No... impossible. How could Gou Dan'er do this?"
Mu Changqing couldn't believe it, and he stared coldly at the three individuals opposite him.
One was in the Six Extremes Realm, and two were in the Core Condensing Realm.
Even with his solid foundation, he was no match for them.
Drawing his sharp sword from his storage pouch, Mu Changqing put on a desperate show.
In the next moment, Mu Changqing tossed out several Thunderclap Pearls. The terrifying explosion forced the three to retreat several steps.
Mu Changqing seized this opportunity to flee frantically.
The three were stunned, and then a surge of fury washed over them.
The chase began. Although Mu Changqing's cultivation had improved slowly over the years,
his understanding of basic techniques was unique. His speed was so great that the three couldn't catch up for a while.
For ten full days, Mu Changqing faced death countless times.
His robes were covered in a mixture of mud and blood, emitting a pungent, metallic odor.
But he refused to give up, unwilling to perish like this.
Mu Changqing refused to believe that Gou Dan'er, the honest boy who had always followed him, would try to kill him over a mere supreme treasure.
"Damn it, is this guy made of iron? How can he endure so long?"
"We must kill him and retrieve the supreme treasure, or we won't be able to account for ourselves to the Holy Son."
The three looked grim and accelerated their pursuit.
Finally, Mu Changqing fell into a ravine and escaped along a raging river.
Seeing the turbulent river hundreds of feet below, the three hesitated and did not pursue further.
...
A month later, Mu Changqing slowly awoke, finding the surroundings somewhat familiar.
Simple furniture, a crude wooden bed.
"Cough, cough, why am I back home?"
Mu Changqing's pale face was filled with confusion.
*Creak!*
A slightly hunched figure entered the room.
"Changqing, you're awake?"
The visitor was Mu Changqing's second uncle.
He and Gou Dan'er's parents had died in a beast attack when they were young, and they were both raised with the help and care of the elder before them.
Therefore, his second uncle was like a parent to him.
"Second Uncle, why am I here?"
Mu Changqing suppressed his discomfort and sat up, asking with confusion.
"Changqing, three days ago, villagers found you by the river and brought you back."
Gratitude filled Mu Changqing's pale face.
But when he thought that he might have been betrayed by Tang Si, whom he considered his brother, his heart ached.
Mu Changqing stood up, intending to get out of bed, only to find his legs weak and unable to walk.
"Changqing, you're seriously injured and won't recover anytime soon. Rest well, don't move around. You're home now, you're safe."
His second uncle quickly helped Mu Changqing lie down, comforting him kindly.
Mu Changqing frowned. He was indeed seriously injured, but it was only superficial.
He shouldn't be unable to walk.
However, he didn't think much of it, perhaps due to severe internal injuries from falling off the cliff.
His second uncle fed Mu Changqing some herbal medicine and then left the room.
Faintly, he heard the clanging sound of metal. Mu Changqing was puzzled but paid it no mind.
Lying down, Mu Changqing meticulously retraced everything.
Thinking of Tang Si, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Over the past ten years, they had met less and less, and Tang Si had changed greatly.
As one saw more of the world, people naturally changed.
Mu Changqing sighed again. He was intelligent and resourceful, and he understood the reasons.
It was just that he had always treated Tang Si like a brother and had no reservations.
"The cultivation world... the cultivation world is truly full of deceit. Even brothers are no different."
As dusk fell, Mu Changqing felt a sense of confusion.
Why was no one attending to him?
He was, after all, an injured person, and upon returning home, he should have been cared for.
Even his second uncle, who had raised him, had only visited him once.
Mu Changqing tried to get up but found his legs weak and limp, unable to move.
"How could this be?"
Mu Changqing tried to circulate his aura but found that it wasn't just the severe injuries.
He silently looked at the medicine bowl by the bedside, his face grim, looking particularly eerie in the moonlight.
"Why???"
Mu Changqing lay back weakly, looking at the unfamiliar yet familiar room, a wry smile on his face.
"Perhaps... perhaps I'm overthinking things."
Mu Changqing's head throbbed, and he drifted into unconsciousness.
The next day, the morning light broke through the darkness and shone on Mu Changqing's face from the dilapidated window frame.
He slowly woke up.
Before long, the clanging of iron locks was heard.
Mu Changqing quickly closed his eyes, feigning sleep.
*Creak!*
The door opened, and footsteps approached.
There was more than one person; three or four pairs of footsteps sounded.
Mu Changqing's right hand, hidden under the blanket, clenched tightly. He circulated his spiritual energy with all his might, dispelling the weakness in his body.
"Do we really have to do this? But I raised Changqing myself."
"Second brother, don't you understand? Gou Dan'er is now the Holy Son of the Immortal Sect, a person of high status. For the sake of the village, we can only obey him."
"But Changqing and him were like brothers since childhood. Why is this happening?"
"Heh heh, don't worry about it. The messenger left the village three days ago. If we calculate the time, they should have arrived. When Gou Dan'er arrives, he'll decide how to deal with Changqing. Given their relationship, he won't take Changqing's life, don't worry."
"Sigh, I hope so. This poor child... he's not awake yet? It seems he's seriously injured. How about we increase the dose of the sleeping potion and let him sleep until Gou Dan'er arrives?"
"You rascal, you're so insidious, putting on a false show of concern."
"Scram, I just don't want this child to suffer any more."
Hearing someone approach and just as they were about to feed him more medicine, Mu Changqing suddenly opened his eyes and swiftly grabbed the person's throat, glaring fiercely at everyone.
"Why? Why is this happening?"
Mu Changqing roared, his voice hoarse, looking at the few people in disbelief.
The elders he respected now appeared utterly disgusting.
Mu Changqing's eyes were red. The physical pain paled in comparison to the betrayal by his kin.
A faint green light flickered on his palm, piercing the second uncle's skin and drawing a trickle of blood.
(Realms: Spirit Entry (Absorbing Spirit into Body), Meridian Opening (Twelve Meridians), Five Palaces (Five Viscera), Six Extremes (Six Fu Organs), Core Condensing, Soul Infant, Spirit Transformation, Body Integration, Dao Comprehension (Mortal Tier Nine Realms))