Chapter 133: What Is the Penalty for Wronging an Innocent Person?

The mountain peak, devoid of any human presence, was lush and dense with thick, verdant foliage. The terrain was steep and treacherous, yet hidden within this lush greenery lay a grand estate. Vines and branches crawled over its exterior, making it look like a mere patch of forest from afar; unless one were close, it was impossible to tell that a sprawling, verdant villa stood there.

The sun began to set in the west, casting a brownish-red evening glow upon the three youths who appeared at the villa's entrance, sketching a beautiful and striking scene.

The light also illuminated the plaque above the villa gate, which was tangled in green branches. The elegant yet sharp and domineering characters carved into it became clear and eye-catching, adding a touch of sharpness and grandeur.

"Wuming Residence?"

Su Muxu tilted his head to read the three characters on the plaque. Seeing the familiar handwriting, he turned to his sister, Su Mujun, with some surprise. "Sister, you inscribed these words. Does this estate belong to you?"

Su Mujun was not surprised by Su Muxu's certainty. Su Muxu had seen her handwriting before, and with his keen mind, he naturally recognized it at a glance.

Su Mujun swept her gaze over the desolate courtyard and nodded. "I acquired it from Chu Yuyue."

Hearing this, Su Muxu thoughtfully examined the strange estate. Its uniform green color allowed it to blend into the surrounding forest, providing absolute concealment. He vaguely sensed that this place was extraordinary.

Could this be his sister's secret base?

Su Mujun did not rush inside. After standing at the gate for a moment, Feng Ye’s figure darted out from the estate and stopped three paces in front of her.

"Master, there is no one inside."

Su Mujun’s eyes flickered with interest. "Let’s go. We will check the back mountain."

Feng Ye nodded and, no longer hiding his presence, followed behind Su Mujun. Although Su Muxu was confused, he asked nothing and followed suit. Night Beauty, equally sensitive, remained silent, though his pure, dark eyes darted around with intense curiosity.

Feng Ye led them directly to the summit, as it was the designated meeting point for every training session. Even if the children were out training, Feng Wu and the others would be guarding the spot.

Indeed, when they reached the flat ground cleared by Feng Wu and his team, they saw two figures.

When Feng Wu and Feng Liu spotted the group approaching, they immediately tensed, wondering if they were allies. As they drew closer, the two men noticed Feng Ye and relaxed, but they were taken aback when they saw his position.

Feng Ye was actually walking behind a youth in white...

Their hearts skipped a beat. Their gazes shifted, and when they landed on the youth's face, their expressions turned solemn, their bodies instinctively stiffened, and their sharp, calm eyes instantly welled with deep admiration and respect.

"Master."

The single word, spoken in unison, carried an irrepressible excitement.

Su Muxu and Feng Ye showed no reaction, clearly accustomed to this. Night Beauty, due to his mental state, never paid attention to such things; having not seen the two men for a long time, he simply smiled happily at them. "Big Brother Feng Wu, Big Brother Feng Liu, what are you playing at here?"

Su Mujun stopped three paces away, nodded to them, and looked toward the woods. "What kind of training?"

"Wilderness combat," Feng Wu replied in a low voice.

The group of twenty shadow guards, including those assigned to Su Muxu, had undergone this training. Combat was the best way to stimulate the human body's potential and an excellent method for identifying weaknesses and growing through failure.

Even though... it was brutal.

However, as long as a person had a breath left, the Master could save them. Thus, among those who had undergone the medicinal transformation, none had died in training.

Today was the first time these children were undergoing such brutal training, intended to test the results of their last six months of study.

Su Mujun walked over to a table set up nearby and sat down, watching the countless wilderness feeds transmitted across six computers.

Since Su Mujun had occupied Wuming Mountain, she had ordered Feng Ye and the others to renovate it completely. Aside from preserving its wild nature, the entire mountain was equipped with the most precise and advanced surveillance cameras.

These cameras were, without a doubt, designed and modified by Su Mujun herself. They were not fixed installations but mobile, miniature probes disguised as flying insects, capable of full-scale tracking.

The screens displayed sparse or dense woods, along with various figures and faces—men and women, young and old. The only similarity was their clothing: forest-colored camouflage, the kind used by modern armies for wilderness operations.

"Is this their first time in wilderness combat?" Su Mujun asked, folding her arms as she watched the scenes.

Feng Liu answered earnestly, "Yes, Master. We thought they had trained long enough, so we wanted to let them try."

"Very good." Su Mujun curled her lips in a smile that was wicked and cold, carrying a sharp, cruel edge.

Su Muxu and Night Beauty stared at the realistic images on the strange devices with shock and wonder. Night Beauty simply leaned in, curious and excited. "So fun! Big Sister, these things are so fun! Are these people real?"

Su Muxu, however, did not think as simply as Night Beauty. He looked at Su Mujun, incredulous. "Sister, what are these things?"

He did not ask if the scenes were real, having already witnessed the magical power of the communication stones. He knew these images were real. But how could these strange, black objects on the table possess powers similar to the communication stones? Was this another type of mysterious communication... device?

Right, his sister had said that objects with such functions should be called devices.

Su Mujun watched the screens calmly and explained, "These on the table are computers, and the ones monitoring the people outside are precision surveillance probes. Simply put, the computers transmit the images, allowing us to keep track of everyone’s movements in the woods without having to follow them."

Su Muxu nodded, though he only half-understood. In short, something mysterious was tracking the people in the woods and transmitting the footage to these "computers" for viewing.

Su Mujun spotted Feng Qi, Feng Ba, and Feng Jiu in a remote part of the woods; they were clearly there to provide rescue if needed.

Feng Wu reported, "Master, so far, 145 people have persisted through the physical training. Among them, 68 have awakened special abilities. Regardless of the length of their training, all of them have joined this wilderness exercise."

Because Feng Ye and the others had not stopped searching for orphans over the past few months, the number had grown from eighty to 145. This was the final number of those who had successfully survived the marrow-cleansing pill transformation.

Su Mujun showed no reaction to this number, her expression remaining entirely calm. This made Feng Wu and Feng Liu, who were watching her closely, feel anxious. They cast a pleading glance at Feng Ye, hoping their leader would give them a hint.

But Feng Ye ignored them, keeping his eyes fixed on the figures on the screen with focus and intensity.

Feng Wu and Feng Liu had to look away, crestfallen. It wasn't until Su Mujun asked a question that they straightened their backs, becoming as rigorous as possible. If the children in the woods could see their "devil instructors" acting like nervous children, their jaws would surely drop.

"Were those who were eliminated dealt with?"

"Yes, Master. We followed your orders, used Dream-Return Powder to erase their memories, and sent them back to where they were found. As for those who didn't survive the marrow-cleansing pills, we buried them. Those who were left crippled were also given the powder and sent to a villa in Xingdu Town, where we hired maids to look after them."

Su Mujun gave a light "mm" and said nothing more.

Returning them to where they were found meant exactly that—the streets where they were lost or the ruined temples where beggars lived. These children were orphans, either abandoned or without parents. She had brought them back because they had potential. If they lacked the ability to change their own fate, she would not waste her kindness on them; returning them to their origins was the greatest mercy she could offer.

If she hadn't been able to concoct the memory-erasing drug, the discarded ones would have had only one end: death. Only the dead could keep secrets. Only those who survived the pills but were left crippled would receive care for life.

Su Muxu looked from Feng Wu and the others to Su Mujun, his cat-like eyes flashing with thought. He did not ask further. He knew this was his sister's business, and she had her reasons. He only needed to watch. Besides, in his heart, his sister was omnipotent; he supported all her decisions unconditionally, even if they were cruel.

For a time, no one spoke. They watched the screens together, observing the skills of the youths, occasionally interrupted by Night Beauty’s excited exclamations.

The hundred boys and girls in the woods had no idea that every move they made was being watched from every angle by their instructors, and even by the true master of Wuming Residence.

After entering the woods, they had dispersed. They were to hunt in teams of one after fifteen minutes. This was their first wilderness combat; Feng Wu had not arranged for team combat but individual survival. Each person had a red rope embroidered with their name on their wrist. The goal was to collect the most red ropes within three hours. Any method was permitted, except for intentional murder.

With half an hour left, Su Mujun listened to Feng Wu’s report while scanning every screen.

She had spotted a few interesting individuals...

...

In the quiet woods, as the sun dipped lower, the sounds of wolves and insects emerged. A green figure darted through the trees with the agility of the wind.

Within the figure’s sharp eyes, one could see the cold, cautious precision of a drawn sword. Suddenly, the figure scrambled up a dense tree. Moments later, another agile figure approached cautiously from a different direction.

As the second person reached the tree, a silver light shot out like lightning from the branches, shattering the air with a sense of crisis.

The person below immediately sensed the shift in the air, dropped to the ground, and rolled, narrowly dodging the silver light.

*Crack!*

The sound of shattering ice echoed as an ice arrow pulverized into the soil. The youth, still on the ground, flicked his wrist, sending five or six thin metal shards flying toward the attacker.

*Clang!*

The sound of metal striking ice pierced the air. The attacker leaped down from the tree.

"Arrow Feather Dispersion, Annihilate!"

As the words fell, two cold, sharp ice swords materialized before the youth, stabbing viciously toward the more burly opponent.

The burly youth summoned a metal shield to block, but the force of the ice swords caused a screeching sound upon impact. The next instant, the swords exploded. The burly youth retreated three or four steps, while the attacker stood firm after only two.

"It's you!" The burly youth’s expression darkened as he recognized his opponent. He spat out the name through gritted teeth: "Zhu Yun!"

The voice was filled with irrepressible jealousy.

Zhu Yun, the one who had been hiding in the tree, looked at the other with a cold, mocking smile. "Xiwu, you are no match for me. Hand over your red silk, and I won't hurt you."

"Hmph!" Xiwu glared at him, unwilling. "Zhu Yun, you're too arrogant. We'll see who wins!"

Xiwu summoned a metal longsword and shouted, "Mountain and Sea Soul Sacrifice!"

His movement was like a blur, appearing before Zhu Yun in an instant, leaving a trail of afterimages. He slashed downward, stirring up a vortex of wind and sand.

Yet, Zhu Yun remained calm, a wicked smile on his face. He channeled his ice ability, manifesting a three-foot blade, and swept it out.

"Mountain and Sea Soul Sacrifice!"

The vortex of wind and sand was swallowed by Zhu Yun's more powerful gale. Xiwu was blown away, crashing onto the ground.

*Puff...*

Blood erupted from Xiwu’s mouth, and a long sword wound appeared on his chest. It wasn't fatal, but it would leave a scar for life.

As the dust settled, Zhu Yun stood calmly, looking down at the defeated Xiwu. "I told you, you're no match for me."

He walked over and untied the red rope from Xiwu’s wrist.

"Success depends on both effort and talent," Zhu Yun said, looking down at him. "If you must have an answer, it’s that your talent is simply insufficient."

Zhu Yun stood up and walked away, his movements swift and alert, showing no sign of arrogance or carelessness.

Su Mujun, watching from the clearing, curved her lips into a meaningful smile.

Su Muxu watched, amazed. "What talent. He looks only fourteen or fifteen, yet he is already a Level Two water-element user and has mastered sixty percent of the first form of the Nine Heavens Soul Sacrifice Sword!"

Feng Ye nodded, his sharp eyes filled with surprise. "Indeed, exceptional talent." He looked at Feng Wu. "Is this one of the ones you mentioned?"

Feng Wu nodded, a hint of envy in his eyes. "His name is Zhu Yun. He’s only fourteen, found by Feng Qi at the border two months ago. He just broke through to Level One peak ten days ago. I didn't know he had mastered sixty percent of the sword technique—we’ve only managed seventy percent in over half a year..."

Feng Wu and Feng Liu lowered their heads in shame, not daring to look at Su Mujun.

Feng Ye, the strongest among the shadow guards, had only mastered eighty percent. He felt a pang of shame himself, but quickly adjusted his mindset. He looked at Feng Wu and Feng Liu, his voice cold.

"Instead of being ashamed, focus your thoughts on training. If we lack innate talent, we compensate with hard work. If we have it, we must work even harder. The Master does not keep useless people. If you are replaced by those who come after you, I will not let you stay near the Master, even without her saying a word. I hold myself to the same standard."