Different Paths, No Common Ground.

Chapter 4: Different Paths, No Common Ground

Inside Luo Mu's small clinic, around a square table, Father Xiao sat on the left with a face full of awkwardness, while Xiao Ling'er sat on the right, her expression melancholy yet her gaze unyielding. Bai Lin sat at the head of the table, smiling with an air of leisurely self-satisfaction.

Luo Mu sat below them, his expression calm, revealing no emotional fluctuations. Even after learning from Father Xiao just moments ago that the young man before him was a cultivator, Luo Mu's expression remained unchanged.

In the past, given Luo Mu's personality—one who would exhaust his family's entire fortune just to step into the ranks of cultivators—seeing a living cultivator standing before him would have surely left him incredibly excited.

But now, the death of Father Luo had dealt him a heavy blow. Still trapped in that shadow, he could not summon the slightest bit of interest.

However, the arrival of the three today gave Luo Mu a bad premonition. Though he thought this to himself, he did not voice it, leaving the room of four in an awkward atmosphere. This was especially true for Father Xiao and Xiao Ling'er, who felt uneasy due to their growing sense of guilt.

After a long while, Bai Lin grew impatient, an expression that the observant Father Xiao caught immediately. Hesitation flickered across Father Xiao's face. Thinking that his daughter might still need this man's guidance in her cultivation in the future, and for the sake of her prospects, how could he dare let Master Bai Lin wait any longer? With a soft sigh, Father Xiao braced himself and spoke to Luo Mu with a thick skin.

"Little Luo, the dead cannot return to life. Your father has passed, and I, your uncle, feel deeply troubled by it." Father Xiao spoke to the calm-faced Luo Mu with a look of sorrow.

At the mention of his father, a flash of pain crossed the depths of Luo Mu's eyes, only to be replaced by calm once more.

"It has been several days since he passed. Isn't this the first time you've come?" Luo Mu raised his head to look at Xiao Ling'er, then at Father Xiao, before speaking.

Although Luo Mu's tone was calm, everyone present could hear the dissatisfaction and anger hidden within. The two families were practically in-laws; how could Luo Mu not be furious that such a thing had occurred, yet the others had delayed visiting for so long?

"Ah... this is indeed my fault as your uncle. But you know, Ling'er has successfully entered the Qi Refining stage and become a proper cultivator. There are many matters to attend to, and she simply could not get away. I hope you can understand, Little Luo." Father Xiao sighed, his face showing a look of difficulty.

It was a case of "planting flowers with intent, yet they fail to bloom; planting willows without care, yet they grow into shade." Although he had heard that Xiao Ling'er had stepped into the Qi Refining stage and become a cultivator above the common folk, hearing it from Father Xiao's own lips left Luo Mu with a bitter, complex taste in his mouth.

However, that was not the point. The point was that his father had passed away; even if they were busy, they could have absolutely spared a moment to visit. Yet, they had arrived late, which made Luo Mu incredibly indignant. When he spoke, he no longer held the courtesy and politeness of the past, his tone becoming aggressive.

By doing this, Luo Mu wanted them to know that he was furious, and that it was all because of the Xiao family. He didn't even bother to look at Xiao Ling'er, with whom he had once shared a close bond, because their actions had disappointed him too deeply.

Your family has joyous news, yet you completely ignored the funeral in mine!

"Since you and Ling'er are so pressed for time and cannot get away, why come today? If there is nothing else, please return." Glancing at Xiao Ling'er and then at Father Xiao, Luo Mu spoke with a cold tone.

Luo Mu's intuition told him that if he let the three remain here any longer, something would surely happen. His inner anger and restlessness, combined with this inexplicable intuition, led him to issue an order to leave.

As for Master Bai Lin, Luo Mu had ignored him from start to finish. In Luo Mu's view, this was a private matter between him and the Xiao family; what business was it of an outsider, even if that outsider was a cultivator?

Bai Lin was no ordinary person. He had seen Luo Mu's dismissal of him from the beginning, yet he did not show a hint of displeasure, remaining with a smile on his lips—the very image of a well-mannered gentleman. Whether he truly didn't care, or was simply too calculating to show it, was hard to say.

Bai Lin's expression remained unchanged, but Father Xiao and Xiao Ling'er could no longer sit still. The awkwardness on their faces deepened. They hadn't even stated the purpose of their visit, and yet the other party was already driving them away; it was truly hard to save face.

However, from this, Father Xiao and Xiao Ling'er could see that the resentment Luo Mu held toward the Xiao family was now sky-high.

"Stop dawdling and get straight to the point!" Just as Father Xiao was at his most awkward, Bai Lin's voice reached his ears.

Father Xiao turned his head sharply, seeing that Luo Mu and Xiao Ling'er had no reaction, as if they hadn't heard what Bai Lin had said at all.

"No need to look around. This is a sound-transmission technique. I was only transmitting to you; others cannot hear it!" As Father Xiao was puzzled, Bai Lin's voice reached his ears again.

This time, Father Xiao saw it clearly: Bai Lin hadn't moved his lips, yet the words magically echoed in his ears. This left Father Xiao incredibly shocked, marveling at the wonders of immortal arts. Thinking that his daughter would soon be like Master Bai Lin, Father Xiao felt immense excitement, and the deep guilt and awkwardness on his face vanished by more than half.

For the sake of my daughter's future, I will cast aside this old face!

"Little Luo, don't be in such a hurry to drive your uncle and Ling'er away. Actually, we came today because there is a very important matter to discuss with you!" Father Xiao took a deep breath and finally summoned the courage to steer the conversation onto the right track.

"An important matter? To discuss with me?" Luo Mu's heart trembled; that sense of unease grew even stronger.

"That's right!" Father Xiao said decisively. At this moment, he had hardened his heart. He absolutely could not let his daughter be ruined by Luo Mu. His daughter's future was bright, while Luo Mu's was dark. If he truly let his daughter marry Luo Mu, her "great cause of the Immortal Dao" might be buried by him.

Thinking of this, Father Xiao was startled and vowed that he would never allow such a thing to happen, so even his tone became resolute.

"Uncle, no need to drag this out. If you have something to say, just say it. Be direct." The unease in his heart made Luo Mu's mood irritable, and his attitude was naturally no better.

Ever since his father passed away and the other party failed to visit despite their long-standing friendship, Luo Mu had lost much of his respect for Father Xiao.

"Good! Since you put it that way, Little Luo, I will be direct!" Father Xiao nodded. He looked at Luo Mu's calm face, then at the restless and unnatural-looking Xiao Ling'er, and spoke again: "Ling'er has successfully entered the Qi Refining stage and is now a true cultivator. At less than eighteen years of age, as long as she cultivates diligently, she will surely ascend to the Great Dao of Immortality. By then..."

"Uncle, please get to the point!" Before Father Xiao could finish, he was ruthlessly interrupted by Luo Mu.

Being interrupted suddenly left Father Xiao, who had just been fantasizing about a beautiful future, feeling displeased. The words that followed were spoken with even less guilt.

"Fine! I will get to the point! I hope that the engagement between you and Ling'er will be annulled! You are no longer people of the same world, so there is no need to stay together and delay Ling'er's cultivation!" After speaking, Father Xiao stared fixedly at Luo Mu, his expression tense, fearing that Luo Mu would refuse.

If Luo Mu refused, he would truly be embarrassed to use force, and even if he did, his conscience would not allow it.

After hearing Father Xiao's words, Luo Mu did not answer him, but instead cast his gaze toward Xiao Ling'er. After all, they had years of history; he wanted to see what expression she would have while her father said these things.

Luo Mu would never believe that Father Xiao hadn't discussed this with her beforehand. Although he knew in his heart that this must have been tacitly approved by Xiao Ling'er, he still couldn't help but look at her. Perhaps, deep down, he still held a shred of wishful thinking.

Under Luo Mu's intense gaze, Xiao Ling'er looked incredibly awkward, but finally, she summoned the courage to speak to him.

"Brother Luo Mu, my father is right. You have no spiritual roots and cannot gather spiritual energy into your dantian, so there is no hope for you to cultivate. Now that I have entered the Qi Refining stage, my days will be filled with cultivation; they will no longer be like the lives of ordinary people. Because of this, the paths we walk will be different, so there is no meaning in continuing this." Ling'er spoke softly. From her expression, one could see the complexity in her heart. After all, ending a relationship of so many years was not easy for anyone, and it was only natural for her to feel some reluctance.

"However, after all these years, I must thank you for the happiness you brought me. It is just a pity that fate is cruel; what must end, will end." After a pause, Xiao Ling'er continued.

Once she finished, she noticed a surge of intense sorrow in Luo Mu's calm eyes. Seeing this, Xiao Ling'er, who already felt guilty, dared not look him in the eye and hurriedly lowered her head, saying no more.

The room fell silent again, and the atmosphere became awkward once more. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the silent Luo Mu finally spoke.

By now, the sorrow in his eyes had vanished. Whether it was because he was too disappointed in the Xiao family and Xiao Ling'er, or because he had completely masked his inner grief, nothing could be seen on the surface.

"Heh... different paths, no common ground. Ling'er is right. Since the paths we walk are already different, there is indeed no meaning in continuing!" Luo Mu's tone was devoid of emotion, spoken as flatly as if he were discussing something that had nothing to do with him.

"So, you agree, Little Luo?" Father Xiao asked in a low voice, his tone revealing a joy that was hard to conceal.

"Go. All of you, go. From now on, no one from the Xiao family is to step foot in my Luo family's clinic again!" After saying this, Luo Mu turned his back, having no intention of paying them any more mind.

Luo Mu's words caused both Xiao Ling'er and Father Xiao to tremble. They had not expected that someone as young as Luo Mu could be so heartless. The Xiao family and the Luo family had now completely severed all ties.

Yet, neither of them considered that their treatment of Luo Mu was, in itself, an act of heartlessness.

With complex emotions, the two men stood up, intending to leave the place; since their primary objective had been achieved, there was no point in lingering any longer.

Father Xiao had just risen to his feet when he was stopped by Bai Lin, who had remained silent until that moment.

With a face full of confusion, Father Xiao looked toward the Immortal Master Bai Lin, utterly bewildered. However, Bai Lin's next action left Father Xiao completely stunned!

Bai Lin flicked his finger, and a pea-sized orb of white light sprang forth, shooting toward Luo Mu, who stood with his back to the three of them. As the orb entered his body, Luo Mu's entire frame shuddered, and he then stood rooted to the spot like a wooden statue, motionless.