Betrayal (II)

"Li Mo has violated the Order's prohibitions and has been imprisoned under strict guard. Apart from myself and a few other elders, no one is allowed to visit him in prison," Ke Su said coldly, as if he had aged ten years.

"Master, this..." Ling Ge said in disbelief. Li Mo lay on the ground, as if his whole body was ruined. And that was indeed the case. His lungs were ruptured, and he would have difficulty breathing. Even slight strenuous exercise would cause chest tightness, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. Coughing up blood was a common occurrence. It could be said that he was completely unable to fight.

Not long after, several members of the cult dressed in black grabbed Li Mo and dragged him into the temple. A middle-aged, refined man with a long beard appeared at the door and sighed. This man was Ling Ge's father Ling Weiluo, and also Ke Su's fourth junior brother.

"Father, what exactly happened?" Ling Ge asked hurriedly when she saw the refined man. She didn't understand what had happened, how could things have suddenly turned out like this? Li Mo had only cultivated a power, and although Master was strict with Li Mo before, it shouldn't have been like this.

Ling Weiluo shook her head, signaling Ling Ge to stop talking. Looking at Li Mo being carried away, she sighed and said, "It seems the seal on that thing has been broken."

"Let's go, let's go to the sealing tower and seal that damned thing again." Ke Su's face was filled with resentment as he turned and walked away. His once strong and powerful figure now appeared withered; people are starting to get old.

"Senior brother, calm down, you've also been affected by that thing." Ling Weiluo noticed Ke Su's expression and said calmly. Although Ke Su had an amazing will, he had always held fast to his original intentions even after being infected by that demon. On the contrary, Senior Brother Li Wen had succumbed to the temptation of power and willingly embraced the shadows.

Now, Li Mo, whom he regards as his own son, has followed the same path as the Shadow. This is a huge blow to Ke Su. However, it is precisely because of this blow that he needs to remain calm and composed, otherwise the Shadow may take advantage of his weakness.

"I understand." Ke Su nodded, pulled open the front of his robe, where there was also a black sun. However, unlike Li Mo's black sun, there were several black runes on it, sealing it like chains.

After closing his robes, Ke Su walked towards the backyard of the temple, leaving several disciples looking at each other in bewilderment. What was originally just a normal competition had turned into this situation. What exactly was the power of controlling shadows that Li Mo used that made his master and uncles feel so threatened?

The barrier was opened, and the layers of sealing and warning mechanisms were correctly activated. Ke Su and Ling Piaoluo walked up the ancient tower and saw the black gem on the wooden pillar at the very center of the tower top. The surrounding barriers emitted a warm, faint yellow light.

"Demon, stop hiding it. You were able to Li Mo through the sealing tower, so at least this seal has no effect on you!" Ke Su said coldly.

Then, the black gem emitted a large amount of black smoke and transformed into Lu Li's figure. He sat on the wooden pillar with a pleasant smile, and with a wave of his hand, the yellow light barrier turned into a yellow ball of light that appeared in Lu Li's hand.

"I really wasn't trying to hide anything. I just watched a good show and was slightly savoring it," Lu Li said with a faint smile. "Also, you can call me the Black Day. 'Monster' always sounds awkward."

"Speaking of which, isn't it great that you bunch of Assassin are playing with shadows? Stop with that 'being in darkness but yearning for light' trick. You've ruined a perfectly good light barrier." Lu Li's fingers moved rapidly, and the ball of yellow light spun in Lu Li hand.

"If we cannot turn our hearts toward the light, then we will be swallowed by darkness." Ling Weiluo said calmly, but her hands did not stop. A pale blue flame shone as she slapped the ground, and the flames spread, revealing the situation at the top of the tower.

The once ordinary tower top and surrounding floor are now covered with writhing black runes. These black runes are intertwined with another power, suppressing or corrupting most of the restrictions on the entire sealing tower.

"What terrifying pollution power! If you had a few more years, you might actually be able to escape." Ke Su looked at the black runes covering the ground and said with a wary look in his eyes. If it weren't for what happened with Li Mo, they really wouldn't have discovered it.

"Then see you next time, both of you." Lu Li sat on the wooden pillar, watching the two of them solemnly remove the arrangements he had made over the years and restore the seal. He guessed they would bring more people in a few days to strengthen the seal, and said with a faint smile.

As the last sealing node was completed, Lu Li's transformed figure was blasted into black smoke and dissipated, turning into a gem that landed on the wooden pillar.

"Notify the other elders to prepare to reinforce the seal. We can't let him wreak havoc on Holy Sight Mountain anymore." Ke Su coughed and said with some pain, then walked down the tower. Although his steps were steady, he looked somewhat unsteady.

"I'm a little tired today. Let's discuss the new successor of [Fearless Edge] tomorrow." Ke Su's somewhat aged voice came. Ling Weiluo sighed and turned to look at the black gem.

A thought flashed into Ling Weiluo's mind: everything was caused by this damned thing. Without it, the five of us brothers would all be fine. We might as well take advantage of its seal and throw it somewhere else...

Ling Weiluo a deep breath, casting aside all his previous thoughts. He realized that it was that damned thing tempting him again. He was certain that if he dared to do so, that damned thing would immediately corrupt a large number of lives and then launch a counterattack on Holy Sight Mountain.

Meanwhile, Li Mo was thrown into a dungeon in the temple. The door was closed, and in the small, dark cell, Li Mo coughed involuntarily and spat out another mouthful of blood. But more painful than these physical injuries was his inner turmoil.

My elder, the master I most desired to gain his approval from, harbored murderous intent towards me. Although he didn't kill me, he crippled me. This is not the attitude one should have towards a disciple. Even if I did something wrong, even if you don't show favoritism, couldn't you at least talk to me properly?

Communication can resolve most conflicts, but most conflicts originate from a refusal to communicate.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the last bastard Li Family..." A voice seemed to be mocking Li Mo, which made Li Mo's heart even colder. He was eight years old when his father had the accident. Eight years old is not young. He can remember a lot of things.

For example, he once sat alone beside his father's corpse, listening to the arguments between his master, uncles, and several elders, trying to decide whether he, the last survivor, should live or die.

Some suggested killing him to prevent future troubles, as he was the master of the deceased eldest grandmaster. Others proposed demoting him to a tenant farmer and forbidding him from practicing the art of Assassin, as he was already a cripple of the fifth grandmaster. In the end, Ke Su used the words that he could still inherit the Fearless Edge and was still useful, thus saving Li Mo.

"Is it still useful?" Li Mo raised his head and smiled, his mouth full of coughed-up blood.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! I had a reunion dinner at noon, so please forgive the late update.