Chapter 134: You Almost Got My Cousin Killed?

Feng Ye spoke with a firm and uncompromising tone, cold and ruthless. As the only one among all the shadow guards who had witnessed their master’s true power, he felt that having a master as god-like as her was the greatest blessing of their lives. If they could not seize this opportunity, they would have no right to remain by her side.

For by then, there would be no need for the master to speak; they would be too ashamed to even stand in her presence.

Though Feng Wu and Feng Liu did not know what had transpired in the Valley of the Immortal Sacrifice, nor were they fully aware of the shocking and terrifying power Su Mujun possessed, the sword techniques, supernatural abilities, and other unimaginable gifts she had bestowed upon them were enough to make them worship and look up to her. Naturally, they understood Feng Ye’s words.

The master had provided them with conditions no one else had; if they could not grasp the opportunity, they had no one else to blame.

Beautiful Ye watched the scene with a blank expression, glancing from one person to the next, before pouting and returning his attention to the screen that interested him.

Su Mujun did not add anything further. It was enough that Feng Ye had conveyed the message. As for these children, perhaps because they were all orphans, they possessed much more "character" than the students sent by various countries to the Jun Du Academy.

Feng Wu followed Su Mujun’s gaze. Seeing that she was fixated on one of the screens, he explained in a timely manner.

"Her name is Yu Yue, fifteen years old. Her innate talent for supernatural abilities is quite good; she is a mid-level two fire-type user. However, she lacks talent in practicing the Nine Heavens Soul-Sacrificing Sword Technique, having mastered only thirty percent of the power of the first form to date. Moreover, her personality is a bit too dim-witted."

"She is indeed a bit dull..." Su Mujun smiled with amusement.

The others followed her gaze, curious to see exactly what kind of dullness could elicit such an interesting smile from Su Mujun.

Yu Yue, unaware that she had become a source of amusement for the master she was meant to serve, had a pair of cold, shimmering black eyes that were as indifferent as still water. Yet, her expression was somewhat conflicted as she looked at the person speaking to her.

"How about it, Yu Yue? If you agree to give me the red rope in your hand, I’ll buy you five boxes of dragon-beard candy after training ends."

Da Ye’s narrow, long eyes flickered with shrewd light as he looked at Yu Yue, his youthful face filled with a simple, friendly smile.

Yu Yue’s cold, shimmering black eyes finally revealed a hint of dullness and slowness, making it clear to everyone that the supposed indifference from before was merely an illusion—it was pure, unadulterated denseness.

Yu Yue bit her lip, filled with hesitation. The thought of boxes of dragon-beard candy made her uncontrollably lick her lips. The way she opened her mouth made Da Ye’s eyes brighten, and he approached her slowly with an increasingly friendly and brilliant smile.

But just as Da Ye reached out, expecting Yu Yue to personally hand him the red rope, he was met with a ball of scorching fire.

Da Ye’s expression changed instantly. He hurriedly used his light-body technique to dodge, but because he was caught off guard—and because Yu Yue’s ability level was slightly higher than his—his back caught fire.

"You hateful Yu Yue!"

Da Ye shouted while using his abilities to form a mist of water to extinguish the flames on his back. However, his only answer was an even more intense fire attack.

Yu Yue’s calm face remained devoid of emotion, looking completely composed. Her cold, shimmering black eyes were flat and ruthless as she attacked Da Ye, her pink lips parting to say:

"I want the red rope."

Da Ye, while struggling to dodge her attacks, tried to coax her with annoyance.

"Damn it! Are you complaining that five boxes aren't enough? Eight boxes... no, ten! How about ten?!"

Hearing this, Yu Yue paused for a moment. She looked blank for a second and said, "Fine, I won't hurt you."

Da Ye was stunned. Just as he was wondering what this dim-witted girl meant, a cloud of smoke blew into his face. Da Ye’s first reaction was "Oh, hell!", followed by an attempt to hold his breath, but he was a beat too late. Having inhaled a bit of the sleeping powder, he rolled his eyes and collapsed, filled with regret.

Who said Yu Yue was a blockhead? Who?! He would absolutely tear them to pieces!

Yu Yue, however, lacked even the slightest sense of cunning. She didn't have many ulterior motives; she simply wanted the ten boxes of dragon-beard candy Da Ye had promised, but she didn't want to give up her chance at victory—as it concerned whether she would be sent away. Thus, she used "not hurting him" as a gesture of gratitude.

Had she not found a pack of sleeping powder on one of the others earlier, she truly wouldn't have known how to get the red rope without hurting Da Ye.

If Da Ye knew that inside Yu Yue’s dim-witted brain, there was no such thing as "playing the pig to eat the tiger," but rather a complete blank, he would likely want to bang his head against a piece of tofu. After all, losing to someone pretending to be a pig is better than losing to a genuine blockhead.

Yu Yue walked over to Da Ye, squatted down, and untied the red rope from his wrist. She didn't stand up immediately, but instead stared at him blankly for a long time, seemingly considering something with her characteristic slowness.

Afterward, she took a small piece of charcoal from her pocket, scribbled a few crooked words on Da Ye’s chest, and then stood up and left.

In front of the computer screens, everyone except Su Mujun, who laughed wickedly and said, "What a glutton," remained silent.

Little Ye laughed innocently: "Just like Little Ye~"

The others looked at the words on the screen, their mouths twitching uncontrollably.

On Da Ye’s chest, it was written clearly: *Owes Yu Yue ten boxes of dragon-beard candy...*

Su Muxu remained silent; he was clearly stunned.

Feng Ye stiffly looked at Feng Wu and Feng Liu, who smiled awkwardly: "This... this Yu Yue is good at everything else, except for being a bit slow and dim-witted, plus being a glutton..."

Su Mujun looked away with a half-smile, moving to another screen, and said with deep meaning: "Fortunately, although she is a glutton, she did not forget that she is still in training."

Otherwise, someone without principles who is easily tricked would have no value in staying.

***

Feng Wu and Feng Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that Yu Yue remembered her mission; if she were the type to forget everything for the sake of food, they would have failed their duty.

Because of this, Feng Wu and Feng Liu took a lesson to heart. In the future, besides looking at strength and perseverance, they added a new requirement to the selection process: IQ.

Later, when someone asked them why, they sighed deeply: "Because those with low IQ are prone to sabotaging their teammates..."

This time, the person Su Mujun noticed was another girl. The ruthlessness and coldness of her attack made Su Mujun raise an eyebrow with a wicked smile.

Seeing this, Feng Liu hurriedly explained: "Master, this child is named Yan Fei, fourteen years old. A level-two early-stage speed-type user. She has mastered fifty percent of the first form of the Nine Heavens Soul-Sacrificing Sword Technique. Her personality is cold and guarded; she likes to settle things in one strike."

There was no need for Feng Liu to explain what "settling things in one strike" meant. Everyone present, except for Beautiful Ye, understood. Such a ruthless person would be avoided by others, but for Feng Ye and the others, it was exactly what was needed.

Although they were not entirely clear about the ultimate purpose of training this batch of children, judging by the extreme nature of the training, it was clear that these children would inevitably have to shed blood. Thus, having a cold heart was naturally for the best.

On the screen, Yan Fei encountered a girl of the same age, but it was clear that the other girl’s strength was slightly inferior. Yan Fei gave a cold, sharp shout:

"Mountain and Sea Soul Sacrifice!"

The girl opposite her also shouted coldly: "Mountain and Sea Soul Sacrifice!"

Fierce winds rose around them, and sand swirled, but Yan Fei, possessing the speed-type ability, was clearly faster.

The moment their sword auras collided, Yan Fei’s figure flickered rapidly. A second later, she appeared behind the girl. Knowing when to stop, she did not kill her; instead, she knocked the girl unconscious, took the red rope from her wrist, and turned to leave quickly with an expressionless face.

Seeing this, Su Mujun had no doubt that if killing had been permitted, the girl on the ground would not merely be unconscious, but a corpse.

In Yan Fei’s cold, clear eyes, Su Mujun saw a numb, ruthless blood-red hue. It was clear that this child had killed before, and more than one person...

"Where did you find this one?" Su Mujun asked, looking at Yan Fei’s retreating back.

Feng Liu replied with a stern expression: "Reporting to Master, this girl already had some foundation in martial arts. When I encountered her, her family was being besieged by a group of jianghu assassins. Her parents died in the siege, and she had also killed a few of them herself."

"Seeing her potential, I saved her and brought her back. To be safe, I investigated her background. Her parents ran a security firm; because they were righteous, they had many clients, which offended their competitors. They were killed in secret. Aside from Yan Fei and a sister she lost track of, everyone in the household was killed."

Hearing this, Su Mujun tapped her fingers on the desk. She did not ask further, her gaze drifting casually until it stopped upon a slender figure.

The boy was walking slowly through the woods. If one ignored his actions, he looked as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. However, in his hands, he held several sharp wooden stakes carved from branches, burying them one by one into the soil covered with withered leaves.

He buried the thicker end deep into the soil, leaving only the sharp, pointed end exposed, covering it with leaves. After setting traps all around, the boy sat down cross-legged, watching his surroundings as if admiring the scenery. His face was thus revealed on the screen.

It was youthful and clean, perhaps even "beautiful" was the right word. Every feature of his delicate face was exquisite—arched eyebrows, a refined nose, and soft, red lips. Every part was beautiful, whether viewed individually or as a whole.

This beauty was not an overwhelming shock, but a soul-stirring quality—not intense, yet tangibly felt.

Especially those smiling, arched eyes; the irises were light brown, very clear, and carried a warm, clean smile, making his face appear even more beautiful and pure. He looked like a raindrop left on a green leaf after a spring shower, or an angel who had accidentally fallen into the mortal world.

He appeared completely harmless, as if he were truly just a clean, beautiful child out for a stroll, sitting there so quietly it made one's heart ache.

Feng Ye and the others, following Su Mujun’s gaze, felt a pang of pity.

Feng Ye looked at Feng Wu and Feng Liu with surprise, as if silently asking: "Is this clean, obedient, and beautiful child one of our people?"

Su Muxu’s cat-like eyes, bright as stars, also flashed with surprise, and he looked at Feng Wu and Feng Liu with similar suspicion, wondering if this was a child who had wandered into these nameless mountains...

When the two of them had seen the image, the boy was already sitting there quietly; they hadn't seen him slowly bury the sharp wooden stakes, or they wouldn't have been suspicious.

"This little brother is so beautiful..." Beautiful Ye also saw the boy on the screen, his pure black eyes flashing with sparkling surprise.

Looking at this little brother, he felt as if he were seeing beautiful dew and warm sunshine...

After a momentary pause, Feng Wu coughed lightly and said: "This child is named Wu Ya, thirteen years old. Feng Ba brought him back. At the time, I also felt this child was too clean and obedient to adapt, but I never expected him to be extremely intelligent and unusually obedient. He does whatever he is told, and no matter how bitter or tiring it is, he persists."

"Even when taking the Marrow-Cleansing Pill, while others were screaming and rolling on the ground in pain, he was the only one who curled up in a corner, silent, refusing to cry or shout. He endured it without a sound and became one of the strongest among all the children."

"In just three months of training, he has become a level-two mid-level mental-type user. He has even mastered eighty percent of the first form of the Nine Heavens Soul-Sacrificing Sword Technique. Not only that, but his skill in mechanisms is beyond anything one could imagine."

When Feng Wu mentioned "eighty percent," Feng Liu sighed appropriately.

He looked at Wu Ya on the screen as if watching a miracle. Even after three months, he still couldn't help but marvel whenever he saw the boy; he wondered how that brain of his was wired...

Hearing that Wu Ya had mastered eighty percent of the first form, Feng Ye’s sharp eyes also flashed with shock, and his expression toward Wu Ya changed.

They all knew that those who practiced the Nine Heavens Soul-Sacrificing Sword couldn't learn it easily through talent and effort alone; it required a sharp mind—what the master called IQ.

The more intelligent a person was, the higher their comprehension. He had finally seen this truth in this seemingly clean, beautiful, and harmless child...

Feng Ye did not yet know of Su Mujun’s past. When he eventually learned the truth, and looked back on his current awe, he would wish he could start over; he would never have been so shocked.

After all, compared to his monster of a master, these things were like pebbles sinking into the sea, unable to stir up any waves...

***

In this world, if one were to compare IQ and talent, aside from the monsters in the master’s circle and A-Xue, no one could compare to the master.

This was a serious issue that Feng Ye would only realize later.

Su Muxu watched Wu Ya on the screen and said with emotion: "Sister, I thought I was among the smarter ones for my age, but I didn't expect this Wu Ya to be even more astonishing."

Su Mujun turned her head, reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately, and smiled wickedly: "No matter what others are like, A-Xu is always the smart one in Sister’s heart."

Su Muxu looked at the wicked smile on Su Mujun’s face and the soft, elusive light in her dreamy cat-eyes. He curled his lips into a warm, bright smile, though he felt a bit of doubt inside.

"Sister, you seem... not surprised at all?"

Through his observations earlier, he was certain that his sister was also visiting this place for the first time and did not know the people in the woods. Naturally, this was her first time knowing about Wu Ya. Logically, anyone seeing such a Wu Ya would be astonished.

Su Mujun only smiled wickedly and did not answer Su Muxu’s question. That smile held a profound and mysterious meaning.

At that moment, Su Muxu did not know that not until a future day would he truly understand the meaning behind Su Mujun’s smile today.

It was an achievement that shook the world, surpassed by few—an existence that the whole world would look up to in vain...

Su Mujun cast her gaze back onto Wu Ya. The beautiful, obedient child was quietly rotating his clear, light-brown eyes, looking around at random.

But for a fleeting second, Su Mujun keenly sensed that his gaze had clearly locked eyes with her through the screen. Even though it lasted only a blink and Feng Ye and the others didn't notice anything unusual, assuming it was a coincidence, Su Mujun knew it was not. Although Wu Ya couldn't be entirely sure, he had sensed that something was monitoring him. In that instant, the soft smile on his face became even more obedient and brilliant, full of the scent of sunshine, warm and soul-stirring.

Yet, Su Mujun subconsciously frowned, a ripple of fluctuation flashing in her heart. Before she could investigate what it was, it vanished.

It was an intuition of a moment. Although Su Mujun didn't capture what that intuition was, she had a bottom line in her heart: this child was not simple...

Just as Su Mujun was pondering, another boy appeared on the screen.

When that person saw Wu Ya sitting there quietly, he was stunned for a moment, then became vigilant. Because everyone in training knew that although Wu Ya was young, his strength was not to be underestimated; he was enough to make everyone wary.

"What are you doing sitting here?" Lan Ying scanned his surroundings warily and asked Wu Ya.

Wu Ya smiled at him obediently and answered honestly: "I’m waiting for Brother Lan."

"Waiting for me?" Lan Ying frowned suspiciously, sizing Wu Ya up: "What are you waiting for me for?"

"I want the red rope on Brother Lan’s wrist," Wu Ya answered obediently.

His beautiful face held a clean, obedient smile, just like an angel who had fallen into the mortal world—pure and beautiful enough that one couldn't bear to corrupt him.

Lan Ying looked at Wu Ya cautiously. For some reason, ever since this boy arrived, he had always felt that this boy with the clean aura was too unconventional—unconventional enough to make him feel a sense of inexplicable danger. That was why he never interacted with this powerful yet obedient and clean child.

At this moment, even though Wu Ya answered honestly and didn't hide anything, he still felt uneasy.

That intuition, which had never failed him, made him stand in silence for a moment. He didn't approach Wu Ya, nor did he turn and run. Instead, he reached out, untied the red rope from his wrist, threw it accurately to Wu Ya, and then turned and left quickly without looking back.

Wu Ya reached out and caught the red rope. He sat on the ground, watching Lan Ying’s retreating back, and revealed a brilliant, warm smile: "Thank you, Brother Lan."

His clean voice was as youthful as a dewdrop, very pleasant to hear.

After putting the red rope away, Wu Ya slowly stood up, brushed the dust off his body, and walked away slowly. Meanwhile, the traps covered by leaves remained silent in the soil, unaware of who the unlucky passerby might be...

Seeing this, Su Mujun curled her lips into a smile, tinged with a bit of playfulness: "Who is this?"

"Reporting to Master, his name is Lan Ying, sixteen years old. His personality is relatively cautious and steady, and his strength is quite good. Currently, he is a level-two early-stage strength-type user. He has mastered sixty percent of the first form of the Nine Heavens Soul-Sacrificing Sword Technique."

Feng Liu frowned as he spoke. Seeing Lan Ying act this way, he didn't know what to say. He couldn't find fault with Lan Ying, because even if Lan Ying had fought, he would not have been Wu Ya’s match. Yet, he felt that admitting defeat like this was somehow not quite right...

Su Mujun nodded and said nothing more. She simply looked at the sky, which was gradually darkening, and said lightly: "It should be time, right?"

Feng Wu nodded: "Another quarter of an hour and it will be time."

Su Muxu and Feng Ye looked at Su Mujun, their eyes filled with contemplation. They subconsciously wanted to guess Su Mujun’s thoughts, but no matter how they observed her, they couldn't penetrate the true meaning behind her wicked smile.

A quarter of an hour passed quickly. Soon, young men and women in camouflage uniforms emerged from the woods in the distance.

Everyone looked young, between twelve and sixteen, mostly fourteen or fifteen. Yet, every single one of them radiated an intangible aura—a quality different from ordinary people, making one realize at a glance that these children were not simple...