Defection (III)
"You think Ke Su said that to protect you, but in reality, that's what he really meant—to make use of the remaining survivors?" A maliciously mocking voice rang in Li Mo's ear. "Once he realized you were out of his control, he ruthlessly crippled you. Now you're useless!!"
"I'm useless... Hahaha, cough cough!" Li Mo grabbed his hair and laughed wildly, then immediately couldn't help coughing. The sharp pain in his chest reminded Li Mo that he was already a cripple. Any strenuous exercise or even speaking loudly would cause him to cough. For Assassin, this was a fatal flaw.
"Then embrace the shadows, use their power to rise again, and show those people your strength." Li Mo turned around and saw his shadow stand up, arms outstretched. "Embrace the darkness!"
A pair of guards from Holy Sight Mountain walked through the dark dungeon. An old man with a white beard carried a box and walked in. Looking at what had happened that day, he couldn't help but shake his head.
Back then, the elders had objections to keeping Li Mo, but in the end, Ke Su overruled their objections and kept Li Mo. Perhaps it was out of guilt for killing his junior brother, or perhaps it was out of sympathy for the young Li Mo. In any case, Ke Su genuinely wanted to protect Li Mo strictly, trying to guide him onto the right path.
"Ke Su, it's just that your reaction to the shadow power was too intense." The white-bearded old man understood Ke Su's thoughts. Fearing that the elders would eliminate Li Mo completely, he preemptively crippled Li Mo, imprisoned him in the dungeon, and instead of immediately putting him on trial, he instructed the old man to seal the shadow power on Li Mo's body to silence the other elders. At least this would save Li Mo's life.
"Isn't it better to be alive than dead?" Whitebeard shook his head again. He was the one who carved the seal on Ke Su back then, and now he had to do it again. That so-called Shadow Gem had caused a lot of harm.
"Is this the cell? Open it." The white-bearded old man arrived at the cell Li Mo was being held and ordered the guards to open it. At the same time, he reached into a box in his hand, which contained top-quality wound medicine given to him by Ke Su. Although it was not enough to cure Li Mo's aftereffects, it could at least make him feel less uncomfortable.
"Why not just say it? You clearly care, but you insist on pretending." The white-bearded old man thought, and shook his head for the third time. Then he saw the person standing in the cell, covered in black armor, with dark power emanating from his Li Mo, transforming into a Short Blade.
"Hey, let's play a game. The game is called 'I Chase You Run'!" A Demon Mask materialized on Li Mo's face, and a slightly crazed voice came from it. The next moment, Li Mo's figure flashed, and a black blade sliced through his body. "Sorry, your reaction was too slow."
"So, do you want to continue?" Li Mo looked at the other guards and smiled maliciously. He didn't notice the bottle of medicine that had fallen to the ground, just as he had ignored the hidden concern from Ke Su in the past, except that this time there was no turning back.
Li Mo was a genius. Even under Ke Su's suppression, he was only second to the senior brother Sheng Heng in his generation. This was only because Sheng Heng had entered the sect a few years earlier. Blood was splattering and shadows were moving.
Li Mo transformed into a shadowy demon, releasing the prisoners from the cells one by one, forcing them to storm the cell doors, and then slowly closing in on them.
Various techniques for utilizing shadows entered Li Mo's mind, such as the black armor on his body, which could control his body and bring him great power. In addition, there were all sorts of exquisite techniques.
Suddenly, Li Mo began to cough violently. Although the Shadow could grant him power, it hadn't healed his lungs, so every time he used his power, he was tearing his wounds open. But who cared?
The prisoners rushed toward the prison gate. These prisoners came from different places. Some were laborers or apprentice members of the cult released from the Holy Sight Mountain, while others were wandering bandits or members of heretical cults.
The number wasn't too large, but there were some. Although Holy Sight Mountain belonged to the Assassin Order, it was still a righteous order. Some members hadn't committed any major offenses, and for the sake of their reputation, they were too embarrassed to kill them directly. So, they were usually imprisoned for a while and then released.
Some of them were sensible and knew they couldn't run away, as that would only make the consequences worse. But that demonic creature was right behind them, knife in hand, and terrified, they had no choice but to follow and try to break through the prison gate.
Li Mo didn't know how to describe his feelings. Did he want to laugh for freedom or cry for suffering? It didn't matter anymore. Let's go on a killing spree!
The armed guards of the cult standing at the prison gate only felt a black shadow flash beneath their feet. A dark figure appeared behind them, and two black Short Blade flashed past, taking their lives.
Looking at the blood-stained, terrified prisoners, Li Mo walked to the other side, a wicked smile spreading across his face, "They won't let you go. Taking your anger out on others is a virtue everyone possesses, so if you want to live, run, run away from Holy Sight Mountain."
Wisps of black energy flowed into the bodies of the prisoners following Li Mo's words. Lu Li used the Shadow Power, derived from a simplified Shadow Speech of the Madness Curse, to stir up the dark side of people's hearts, causing them to observe things with negative emotions.
It's true that everyone has the tendency to take their anger out on others, but if it's just because someone is being coerced, even if they take their anger out on others, the worst that can happen is that they'll be locked up for a little longer. But if they escape now, the outcome is uncertain.
However, after the black energy entered their bodies, these prisoners ignored these problems and assumed the worst about Holy Sight Mountain. So, one by one, they picked up the weapons of the dead guards and rushed outside.
Li Mo walked along the path on Holy Sight Mountain, as if walking in the shadows. Even though the sun was shining around him, it would be difficult to spot such a large figure Li Mo unless one looked closely.
However, Holy Sight Mountain was not to be trifled with. It quickly captured the prisoners, and some who resisted fiercely were killed on the spot. Several elders and a few contemporary Assassin discovered Li Mo's trail and quickly chased him to the top of Holy Sight Mountain.
"You traitor, are you trying to drive me to my death?!" Ke Su's voice carried a chilling desolation as he commanded. Li Mo stood on the edge of the cliff, looking at the words on the cliff face. He didn't answer, but instead softly read, "We firmly believe that faith is not everything."
"Master, that's indeed true. Besides faith, one also needs the power to execute that faith, cough cough!" Li Mo turned around to look at his once revered master and elders, coughing up two mouthfuls of blood. "Then goodbye, everyone!"
Li Mo leaped backward, heading down the mountain. The black energy around him surged, transforming into a membrane of wings, instantly making him appear as a bird soaring into the distance.