Chapter 431: Betrayal
"This..." Qing Yu slowly stopped crying. Although she was reluctant to let her master bear everything alone, she knew Zhao Dong was right. Her cultivation was low; even if she stayed, what could she do? Thus, Qing Yu clenched her teeth and finally nodded, agreeing to leave.
Seeing this, bitterness surged in Zhao Dong's heart. He was overwhelmed with a guilt so strong he could die. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice laced with guilt. "It's all my fault. I'm the one who implicated you, who forced you to betray the sect. It's all my fault! All my fault!"
Crying, Qing Yu hugged Zhao Dong. "Senior, please don't say that. I don't blame you. Qing Yu doesn't blame you.
"Senior is a truly honorable and loyal man. Even if I had known everything, I would have still willingly brought you into the Blood Sect.
"I'm doing this of my own free will, Senior. Please don't be like this..."
Qing Yu's gentle voice and considerate words only deepened Zhao Dong's guilt. She had done so much for him, yet from start to finish, he had been using her. At this thought, a pain as sharp as a knife stabbed through his heart. He couldn't accept saving one girl at the expense of another. He had to compensate Qing Yu!
Qing Yu had taken an interest in him because of his alchemy. Therefore, Zhao Dong decided he would pass on his alchemical arts to her. However, he did not say this outright. The priority was to leave the Blood Sect first.
Mu Yu coughed dryly. Only then did Qing Yu realize her lack of composure. Blushing, she pushed Zhao Dong away and lowered her head, her gaze flickering away.
Ah! Qing Yu... how could you hug Senior in front of Master? This is so embarrassing!
Watching Qing Yu's shy expression, Mu Yu unexpectedly felt a pang of envy. Is this what love is? It's a shame... I've lived for decades and still don't know what love feels like.
She composed herself, patted Zhao Dong's shoulder, and said comfortingly, "Everything is dictated by fate. Without this incident, we would never have formed this bond as master and disciple.
"Qing Yu is still here, Ruyu is still here, Xu Yafei is still here, and so is your master. You have no reason to feel guilty.
"If you truly want to assuage your guilt, then work hard to increase your strength. Return soon to slay that old dog Ouyang, and bring Qing Yu back openly and with her head held high!"
"Master..." Mu Yu's words instantly swept away the gloom shrouding Zhao Dong's heart. Tears welled in his eyes as he vowed, "Master, rest assured. Your disciple will definitely kill that old dog Ouyang and bring Qing Yu back with her head held high!"
"Mmm, I believe in you," Mu Yu replied, her eyes full of gratification.
Nearby, Senior Sister Dai watched Qing Yu, her own eyes filled with reluctance to part. She gently took Qing Yu's hand, but her mind drifted for a moment. Why... why don't I feel particularly excited holding my junior sister's hand?
At the same time, her beautiful eyes involuntarily glanced toward Zhao Dong. Recalling the scenes in the side room, Dai Ruyu felt her heart begin to race. Wait! Could it be? No, no, no! Dai Ruyu! You hate men more than anything! This is impossible!
Dai Ruyu hurriedly dispelled the distracting thoughts from her mind and forced a smile that looked more painful than a grimace. "Junior Sister, take care of yourself."
Her words were as few as ever, completely in keeping with her style.
Qing Yu threw herself into her senior sister's arms. "Senior Sister... you take care too... you have to take good care of yourself..."
"Mmm, it's getting late. You should go," Senior Sister Dai said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye and gently patting Qing Yu's back.
Senior Sister Dai took out two clean disciple robes for Zhao Dong and Qing Yu to change into, then watched as Mu Yu led the two of them away.
After a long while, Dai Ruyu finally sighed and returned to her cave abode.
「The Back Mountain Path.」
Mu Yu walked along the path while Zhao Dong and Qing Yu, hiding in the nearby grass, followed closely behind her. They encountered several disciples along the way, but upon seeing Mu Yu, they all greeted her respectfully before taking a detour. Everything was proceeding with unimaginable smoothness.
Ten minutes later, the three of them had already passed through the Mountain Protection Array and left the Blood Sect's territory. Birds chirped, and the air was fresh. The feeling of freedom was exhilarating for Zhao Dong. He straightened his robes, about to step out and thank Mu Yu, when two elders suddenly appeared a short distance away.
"Elder Mu, the entire sect is searching for the infiltrators. What gives you the leisure to stroll down the mountain?"
These two were none other than the pair of elders who were at odds with Mu Yu.
Mu Yu's expression flickered, but she quickly composed herself. "Do I need to report my whereabouts to the two of you?"
"Haha, that won't be necessary," the one-eyed elder replied indifferently. "Of course, we don't need to know where Elder Mu is going.
"However, as for where the people behind Elder Mu are headed, I'm afraid we'll need a clear explanation!"
With that, the elder flicked his finger, sending a hidden weapon shooting straight toward Zhao Dong's hiding spot. Zhao Dong hastily grabbed Qing Yu and rolled aside to dodge the weapon. In doing so, his figure was exposed to the two elders.
"Hmph! Mu Yu, so you really are colluding with Zhao Dong! If we hadn't sensed something was amiss and waited for you halfway down the mountain, you might have actually gotten away!" the one-eyed elder boomed.
With a flick of her fair hand, Mu Yu's longsword left its sheath. At this point, a great battle was unavoidable.
"Enough talk! Face my sword!" Mu Yu's lotus-like steps carried her forward as her figure shockingly split into five copies. The five figures moved with an eerie grace. Viewed from above, they looked just like a blooming lotus—beautiful, yet filled with deadly intent.
"The Lotus Swordsmanship? Mu Yu, do you really intend to betray the sect?" the one-eyed elder roared.
Mu Yu scoffed. "The sect will only perish in the hands of people like you. I am merely trying to find a future for it!"
"Enough nonsense! Die!"
Mu Yu knew that if she didn't kill these two today, she would be the one to die.
"Fine! Since you're seeking death, we'll eliminate a traitor like you for the sect today!"
"Flying Flowers, Falling Leaves!"
The one-eyed elder roared, and with a wave of his hands, countless hidden weapons shot toward the five figures.
"Petty tricks," Mu Yu scoffed. Her body and footwork twisted with an eerie yet graceful arc, allowing her to instantly evade the storm of hidden weapons.
"Elder Blood, it's your turn!" the one-eyed elder shouted.
"Here I come!"
The other, silent elder stepped forward. He dropped to all fours and opened his mouth wide. His belly suddenly swelled to several times its normal size as he sucked all the surrounding air into his maw.
"The Frog Technique?" A flicker of caution finally crossed Mu Yu's eyes, yet the momentum of her sword didn't lessen in the slightest.
CROAK!
The next moment, the air stored in the elder's belly erupted, forming cannonballs of compressed air that shot straight toward Mu Yu.
It's true that for every technique, there is a counter. Mu Yu's Lotus Swordsmanship was defined by its unpredictable footwork and agile movements, allowing her to easily evade a storm of hidden weapons. Against these gapless air cannonballs, however, she could only meet force with force.
Their strengths were comparable, but Mu Yu's advantage was in agility, not raw power. In a direct clash like this, her body was sent flying like a cannonball, heavily thrown back by the impact.