Thrown into Prison

Back at the sect, Mu Bai was still deeply sorrowful, yet he had to conceal his feelings carefully. If anyone learned that the brothers Mo Deqian and Mo Dekun, and even a sect elder, had all died at his hands, he feared he would not even be able to escape the Spirit Taming Sect.

Lin Chuan was, after all, an elder of the Spirit Taming Sect. Had he died on a mission elsewhere, that would have been that, but he had died right outside the sect's gates, with two of his disciples dying at the same time. It was like a vicious slap across the face. The Spirit Taming Sect could hardly keep its anger in check, and immediately dispatched disciples from the Enforcement Hall to investigate the matter thoroughly.

If someone dared trample on them, the Spirit Taming Sect was no soft persimmon to be squeezed at will!

Soon, the bodies of Lin Chuan and the others were discovered. With the brothers Jia Yi and Jia Bing coming forward as witnesses, the entire course of events became clear at a glance.

The findings were indeed extremely difficult for the master of the Enforcement Hall to believe. Xiong Ji had always been steady and cautious in his investigations, yet every lead pointed unmistakably toward Elder Mu, even though his greatest fighting strength appeared to be no more than mid second level.

"Guards! Put him in shackles and give him a taste of severe torture!"

At Xiong Ji's command, six Enforcement Hall disciples immediately left to carry out his orders. They first went to Hundred Flowers Peak, but Mu Bai was not there. In truth, Mu Bai was in a state of extreme anxiety. Unable to settle his mind in meditation and afraid of giving himself away, he had simply stayed in the Alchemy Chamber refining pills day and night, hoping to put the matter out of his mind. He was still hoping he might escape this calamity by luck when the Enforcement Hall disciples kicked the door open with a crash and stormed into the Alchemy Chamber.

Mu Bai was still reeling from the disturbance when a crowd gathered outside the Alchemy Chamber. Even the menial workers hurried over at the noise.

"Elder Mu, come with us!"

"Who are you?"

"Stop playing dumb! The Enforcement Hall is conducting its business. We'll tie you up first!"

At a bark from the Enforcement Hall disciple leading them, two men immediately stepped forward, each holding a Spirit-Binding Rope.

Mu Bai instinctively drew his Soul Soldiers shortsword, only for an Enforcement Hall disciple to send it flying with a kick and a bang. With a metallic clang, the shortsword buried itself in a pillar, trembling and ringing.

"How dare you! Attempting to murder an Enforcement Hall disciple adds another count to your crimes!"

"No, no, no! I had no such intention!"

Mu Bai calmed down, regretting his rashness, and let the Enforcement Hall disciples bind him without resistance.

"Your excuses are useless. You've already committed a capital crime. Another count might at least earn you a quicker death!"

The Enforcement Hall disciple spoke coldly, little expression on his face.

"Take down that shortsword. It's physical evidence of his murders!"

After returning to the sect and thinking back on the fighting, Mu Bai had deeply regretted not destroying Mo Deqian's and Mo Dekun's bodies to erase the evidence. After all, it had been his first time killing anyone, and the old Divine Cultivator's death had also shaken him profoundly. As a result, Mu Bai had left far too many loose ends.

As for the Soul Soldiers shortsword in his hand, it was an even hotter potato as physical evidence. But the Clan Patriarch had personally given it to him for protection, and Mu Bai truly could not bear to destroy it.

Most crucially, he had let the brothers Jia Yi and Jia Bing go. After returning to the sect full of resentment, the two had revealed his whereabouts to Mo Deqian and his brother.

Bound with Spirit-Binding Ropes, Mu Bai was then escorted to prison by the Enforcement Hall disciples. He truly had no one else to blame. What had sent him to prison was his own softhearted mercy!

The incident soon caused an uproar in the Pill Hall. Some were shocked, never having imagined that a second-level Miscellaneous Master could kill a Xiu Zun elder. Of course, more people gloated over his misfortune. After all, in private, none of them accepted second-level Miscellaneous Masters holding the lofty positions of hall master and deputy hall master. It would have been even better if Zhu Da had committed an offense and been arrested too.

On the very day he was imprisoned, Mu Bai was whipped. His body was covered in lash marks and blood, a horrifying sight. Only by gritting his teeth and enduring it did he keep from passing out.

"Elder Mu, you were straightforward enough to confess your crimes truthfully. I genuinely admire that. But this whipping is required by procedure. Don't blame me for being cruel!"

Xiong Ji sat imposingly, his gaze blazing like a torch, as though it could see into Mu Bai's mind.

"Although Elder Lin did not die at your hands, killing the elite disciple Mo Deqian is enough to sentence you to death! Are there any relatives you wish to see? You may see them one last time."

Mu Bai was bound to the torture frame, blood spilling from his mouth. He was already breathing out more than he breathed in, his eyes unfocused.

"Are there any relatives you wish to see?"

Everyone came into this world alone, but the instant they opened their eyes, they already had family in this world. Yet when Mu Bai opened his eyes, he had been adrift on the boundless sea. Especially now, he had not a single relative, only himself, trying to scrape out a living in the Spirit Taming Sect with humility and caution.

Hai Zhan, Hai Chen, and the others had gone he knew not where, while Ling’er was living under someone else's roof, her whereabouts unknown. At this moment, Mu Bai truly had no family beside him. He had intended to do everything he could to gain a firm foothold in the Spirit Taming Sect, keeping a low profile in all things and working hard to improve his cultivation so that he could return and avenge his tribe. He had never imagined that he would bring a death sentence upon himself instead.

If I really must die, let me die quietly. Never let Ling’er know, and never let Hai Zhan, Hai Chen, or the others know. Let them think I was a coward who went into hiding. A hundred years from now, perhaps the traces of me will have faded from their hearts, and remembering me will no longer cause them pain.

"Hall Master Xiong, I have no relatives, no family..."

Mu Bai spoke softly. Two hot tears spilled from his eyes and fell.

Although Mu Bai did not fear death, he had regrets. He had yet to fulfill his promise to his deceased kin in the tribe.

"Elder Mu, think carefully. If you have relatives, even if they live far away, I will send someone to fetch them. If you truly have none, then the execution can only proceed immediately..."

"Hall Master Xiong, tell me, what exactly did I, Mu Bai, do wrong? Every one of them had higher cultivation than me, and Lin Chuan was even a mighty Xiu Zun. They joined forces to ambush and kill me. Was I supposed to stretch out my neck and wait to die?"

"Elder Mu, those are the sect's laws. Besides, those above..."

At Mu Bai's question, Xiong Ji started to speak but stopped, a troubled look appearing on his face.

"Heh, even if Heaven wanted to kill me, I could still struggle against it. But I have no one to rely on in the Spirit Taming Sect, and I overestimated myself and offended people I couldn't afford to offend. I'm already a fish on the chopping block. If you want to kill me, then do it!"

Mu Bai slowly closed his eyes, recalling every little thing he had experienced in his fifteen years of life. His happiest days had been his childhood in the tribe. Back then, he had been free of worries. Back then, every day had seemed so long. Back then, the adults had held up a stretch of sky for the tribe's children.

Though this world had treated him with such cold indifference, Mu Bai did not want to leave it just yet. He still had a great vengeance to exact, people he cared about, and his promise.

"Elder Mu, are you certain there are no relatives you wish to see?"

"No. I have no family! No family! No family..."

Hot tears streamed from Mu Bai's eyes. With blood and tears churning in his mouth, he roared in anguish, leaving Xiong Ji and many of the Enforcement Hall disciples unable to quite bear the sight. Yes, when all was said and done, what had Elder Mu really done wrong?