Different Paths, No Fellowship

Different Paths, No Fellowship

Inside Luo Mu's small clinic, around a square table, Father Xiao sat on the left, his face full of embarrassment. Xiao Ling'er sat on the right, looking troubled, yet her gaze was unshakably firm. Bai Lin sat at the head of the table, smiling, perfectly at ease.

Luo Mu sat at the other end, his expression calm, revealing no trace of emotion. Even when he had just learned from Father Xiao that the young man before him was a cultivator, Luo Mu's expression had barely changed.

In the past, with Luo Mu's willingness to stake his family's entire fortune just to become a cultivator, seeing one standing right in front of him would surely have left him overjoyed.

But now, Father Luo's death had dealt him a heavy blow. He still hadn't emerged from the shadow of it, and couldn't muster any enthusiasm.

Still, the arrival of the three today gave Luo Mu a bad feeling. He kept the thought to himself, leaving the room, with only the four of them in it, rather awkwardly silent. Father Xiao and Xiao Ling'er, who both felt guilty, were especially ill at ease.

After a long while, Bai Lin began to grow impatient. Father Xiao, who was good at reading people's expressions, caught it at once. He hesitated, thinking that his daughter might need Bai Lin's guidance in her cultivation from now on. For the sake of her future, how could he keep Master Bai waiting? With a soft sigh, Father Xiao steeled himself and spoke to Luo Mu, swallowing his pride.

"Xiao Luo, the dead can't come back to life. Your father is gone, and I, your uncle, feel terrible about it too," Father Xiao said to Luo Mu, his face full of grief.

At the mention of his father, a flash of pain crossed the depths of Luo Mu's eyes, but his expression soon returned to calm.

"He's been gone for so many days. You've only come now, haven't you?" Luo Mu raised his eyes to Xiao Ling'er, then looked at Father Xiao and spoke.

Though Luo Mu's tone was calm, everyone present could hear the resentment and anger behind it. The two families were practically about to become in-laws, yet after something like this happened, the other family had waited so long to visit. How could Luo Mu not be angry?

"Ah... You're right. This was your uncle's fault. But you know Ling'er has now successfully entered the Qi Refining Stage and become a bona fide cultivator. There are many things she has to take care of, and she simply couldn't get away. I hope you can understand, Xiao Luo," Father Xiao said with a sigh, his face troubled.

A flower planted with care did not bloom, while a willow planted by chance grew into shade. Luo Mu had already heard that Xiao Ling'er had entered the Qi Refining Stage and become a cultivator, someone beyond the reach of ordinary people. But hearing Father Xiao say it himself now left him with a jumble of emotions and a bitter taste in his heart.

Still, that wasn't the point. The point was that his father had died. No matter how busy they were, they could certainly have found a little time to visit. But they had waited until now to arrive, filling Luo Mu with rage. His usual courtesy and politeness were gone, and his words turned sharp.

He wanted them to know he was furious, and that it was all because of the Xiao Family. He couldn't even be bothered to look at Xiao Ling'er, who had always been close to him, because their behavior had disappointed him too deeply.

Your family had cause to celebrate, yet you completely ignored my family's bereavement!

"Since you and Ling'er are so pressed for time that you can't get away, what did you come here for today? If there's nothing else, please leave." Luo Mu looked at Xiao Ling'er, then at Father Xiao, his tone turning slightly cold.

His instincts told him that if he let the three of them stay any longer, something was bound to happen. His anger and agitation, combined with that inexplicable feeling, made him directly show them the door.

As for Master Bai, Luo Mu had ignored him from beginning to end. As far as Luo Mu was concerned, this was a private matter between him and the Xiao Family. What did it have to do with an outsider? It didn't matter if he was a cultivator.

Bai Lin had noticed Luo Mu ignoring him from beginning to end, but he showed no displeasure. He still wore a smile, looking every inch the refined young 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 were beginning to feel uneasy. Their faces grew even more awkward. They hadn't even explained why they had come, yet Luo Mu was already asking them to leave. It was hard not to feel embarrassed.

But Father Xiao and Xiao Ling'er could also tell that Luo Mu's resentment toward the Xiao Family had reached a fever pitch.

"Stop dawdling and get to the point!" Just as Father Xiao was feeling utterly awkward, Bai Lin's voice sounded by his ear.

Father Xiao abruptly turned around. Luo Mu and Xiao Ling'er showed no reaction, as if they hadn't heard what Bai Lin had just said.

"No need to look. This is a technique for transmitting sound. I directed my voice only to you just now; the others can't hear it," Bai Lin's voice sounded by his ear again as Father Xiao looked on in confusion.

This time, Father Xiao saw it clearly: Bai Lin's lips hadn't moved at all, yet his words had miraculously sounded in Father Xiao's ear. Father Xiao was deeply shaken and marveled at the wonder of immortal arts. When he thought that his daughter would soon be just like Master Bai, excitement surged through him, and much of his deep guilt and embarrassment vanished in an instant.

For my daughter's future, I'll throw away every last shred of pride!

"Xiao Luo, don't be in such a hurry to send your uncle and Ling'er away. We came here today because there's something very important we need to discuss with you!" Father Xiao took a deep breath and finally gathered the courage to steer the conversation back on track.

"Something important? To discuss with me?" A tremor ran through Luo Mu, and his sense of unease grew stronger.

"That's right!" Father Xiao said firmly. He had hardened his heart: he couldn't let his daughter's future be ruined by Luo Mu. His daughter now had a bright future ahead of her, while Luo Mu's prospects were bleak. If he really let his daughter marry Luo Mu, her "immortal path" might well be cut short because of him.

The thought made Father Xiao's heart jolt. He swore he would never allow such a thing to happen, and even his tone grew resolute.

"Uncle, no need to beat around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it. Get to the point." His unease made Luo Mu feel even more irritable, and his attitude was naturally no better.

Ever since his father had passed away and the Xiao Family had failed to visit despite their longstanding ties, Luo Mu had lost much of his respect for Father Xiao.

"Fine! Since you put it that way, Xiao Luo, I'll speak plainly!" Father Xiao nodded. He glanced at Luo Mu's calm expression, then at Xiao Ling'er, who was sitting anxiously and looking uncomfortable, before continuing. "Ling'er has now successfully entered the Qi Refining Stage and become a true cultivator. At not even eighteen, as long as she cultivates diligently, she's sure to ascend the great immortal path one day. By then..."

"Uncle, just get to the point," Luo Mu interrupted without mercy before Father Xiao could finish.

Being interrupted so suddenly put Father Xiao in a sour mood after he had just imagined a bright future. The words he spoke next came with far less guilt.

"Fine! I'll get to the point! I want you and Ling'er to dissolve your engagement here and now! You're already people from different worlds, so there's no reason to stay together and risk holding back Ling'er's cultivation!" Having finished, Father Xiao stared intently at Luo Mu, his expression tense, as if he were afraid Luo Mu would refuse.

If Luo Mu refused, he really wouldn't have the nerve to force him. Even if he did, his conscience wouldn't let him rest easy.

After hearing Father Xiao, Luo Mu didn't answer him. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Xiao Ling'er. After all these years together, he wanted to see what expression she wore as her father said those words.

Luo Mu would never believe that Father Xiao hadn't discussed this with Xiao Ling'er beforehand. Though he knew she had surely given her consent, he still couldn't help looking at her. Perhaps, deep down, he still clung to a glimmer of hope.

Under Luo Mu's unrelenting gaze, Xiao Ling'er's face flushed with embarrassment. At last, she summoned the courage to speak to him.

"Brother Luo Mu, my father's right. You have no spiritual roots, so you can't gather spiritual energy in your dantian. Cultivating immortality is impossible for you. Now that I've entered the Qi Refining Stage, my days will be devoted to cultivation, no longer like the lives ordinary people lead. For that reason, the paths we must walk from now on are different, and there's no point in continuing our relationship." Xiao Ling'er spoke softly. The complicated emotions on her face were still clear. After all, they had been together for so many years; to end it just like that was bound to hurt. It was only natural that she would feel reluctant.

"Still, after all these years, I'm grateful to you, Luo Mu, for giving me so much happiness. It's just that fate has played us cruelly. What must end will end." Xiao Ling'er paused, then continued.

After she finished speaking, Xiao Ling'er noticed intense sorrow welling up in Luo Mu's otherwise calm eyes. Seeing that, she already felt she had wronged him; how could she bring herself to meet his gaze? She quickly lowered her head and fell silent.

The room fell quiet again, and the awkwardness returned. After a full quarter of an hour, Luo Mu, who had remained silent, finally spoke.

The sorrow in his eyes had vanished by then. Perhaps he had simply lost all hope in the Xiao Family and Xiao Ling'er, or perhaps he had buried his grief completely. Whatever the reason, there wasn't a trace of it on his face.

"Heh... Different paths, no fellowship. Ling'er's right. Since we're walking different roads, there's no point in carrying on." No emotion could be heard in Luo Mu's voice. He spoke flatly, as if describing something that had nothing to do with him.

"So, Xiao Luo, you agree?" Father Xiao asked quietly, his voice revealing a hint of joy he could barely conceal.

"Go. All of you, leave. None of you from the Xiao Family are ever to set foot in this clinic of the Luo Family's again!" With that, Luo Mu turned his back to them, making it clear that he had no intention of dealing with the three any further.

Luo Mu's words made Xiao Ling'er and Father Xiao tremble. They hadn't expected someone so young to be capable of such ruthlessness. The Xiao and Luo families had now completely torn off all pretense.

But they hadn't considered that what they had done to Luo Mu was every bit as ruthless.

The two stood up, their feelings tangled. Since they had achieved their main purpose, there was no point in staying any longer.

Father Xiao had just risen when Bai Lin, who hadn't spoken a word this whole time, stopped him.

With a puzzled look on his face, Father Xiao turned to Master Bai, utterly confused. But Bai Lin's next move left Father Xiao stunned.

Bai Lin flicked a finger. A white orb of light, no bigger than a pea, sprang from his fingertip and shot toward Luo Mu, who had his back to the three of them. The orb entered his body. Luo Mu's whole body shuddered, and then he stood rooted to the spot like a wooden post, motionless.