"This is the so-called Shadow Sect? With such strength, you dare to guide the Dark River?" A Horse Chopping Sword rampaged through the Shadow Sect's estate, leaving a trail of blood in its wake, unstoppable by anyone.
Su Changfeng and Su Zhetian watched in stunned silence. Even the usually arrogant Su Zhetian found it hard to believe: "What kind of sword technique is this, so domineering. Is this man really surnamed Mu, not Xie?"
"Fools." Mu Ci Ling swung his Horse Chopping Sword, pressing the blade of an oncoming swordsman to the ground. With a flick of his wrist, he shattered the sword into two pieces before raising his blade again, ready to sever the man's head.
"Stop!" A low voice commanded.
Mu Ci Ling glanced down to see several white Paper Butterflies fluttering around him. He swiftly retracted his sword, erupting with Crimson True Qi. The butterflies exploded, kicking up dust but leaving him unharmed. Raising his head, he grinned. "So you're still alive."
Mu Zi Zhe landed gracefully, his white robes billowing. He stared at Mu Ci Ling. "Traitor. As a member of the Mu Family, you side with the Su Family?"
"Idiot." Mu Ci Ling dug a finger into his ear. "The Dark River has already changed. Still clinging to the Su and Mu Families? You've been left behind by the tide. Die, along with the old Dark River." Gripping his Horse Chopping Sword, he charged at Mu Zi Zhe.
Su Changfeng stood guard with his sword. "Mu Zi Zhe, former head of the Mu Family, the most sinister and cunning figure in the Dark River."
Su Zhetian gripped his hilt eagerly. "And the one I've longed to fight."
"If you hadn't stolen the Yama Palm technique, the position of Puppet would have gone to someone from the Mu Family. It was your recklessness that made the Mu Family feared, costing me the chance to succeed as Puppet." Mu Zi Zhe's sleeves lashed out like swords, clashing with Mu Ci Ling's blade.
Mu Ci Ling sneered. "If I hadn't stolen the Yama Palm, I would have been the rightful successor. You should thank me—I gave you the chance to become the Mu Family's head!"
"Nonsense!" Mu Zi Zhe raised his hand, and suddenly, an ancient zither flew from afar, landing beside him.
Su Changfeng gasped. "The Mu Family's Ninefold Heavenly Sound Zither."
"Such a long name. What's its significance?" Su Zhetian asked, puzzled.
"It's a treasure of the Mu Family. I searched for it in vain after returning to the sect. Turns out he's been carrying it all along." Mu Qingyang, carrying a Peach Wood Sword, arrived as well.
"So, the current head of the Mu Family." Su Zhetian grinned. "Aren't you going to fight? Let's see who's stronger—the former head or the current one?"
Mu Qingyang shook his head. "Clearly, he is..."
Su Zhetian blinked. "You're quite honest... No ambition at all."
"Ambition? Our Mu Family was never known for valor in the Dark River..." Mu Qingyang glanced at the shattered weapons and wailing Shadow Sect members, clicking his tongue. "As for these two, they're exceptions. Exceptions."
"Then who do you think will win?" Su Changfeng asked.
Mu Qingyang tossed a Peach Blossom Coin into the air. "Heads for Mu Zi Zhe, tails for Mu Ci Ling." The coin spun before landing on the back of his hand. Covering it, he smiled at Su Changfeng and Su Zhetian.Su Zhetian raised his head and declared, "Mu Ci Ling knows the Yama Palm—there's no way he can lose. I bet a hundred taels of silver on him."
"If Mu Zi Zhe can truly wield the Ninefold Heavenly Sound Zither, then he won't be inferior to the Yama Palm. I'll bet too—a hundred taels on Mu Zi Zhe's victory." A rare glint of excitement flashed in Su Changfeng's eyes, revealing his fondness for gambling.
"You always think it's the Yama Palm that caused all this. Well, today, I won't use it." The Crimson True Qi around Mu Ci Ling gradually dissipated as he raised his Horse Chopping Sword. "I'll take your head with just this blade."
"Can I take back my bet?" Su Zhetian grumbled in frustration.
"No. Bets are final once placed." Mu Qingyang lifted his hand, revealing the flat side of his Peach Wood Sword, and took a sharp breath. "Mu Ci Ling, don't you dare ruin my reputation."
Mu Zi Zhe stood the Ninefold Heavenly Sound Zither beside him and lightly swept his fingers across the strings. Countless Paper Butterflies fluttered up from the shadows.
Mu Qingyang was startled. "He actually mastered it."
The Paper Butterflies surged toward Mu Ci Ling, who swung his Horse Chopping Sword wildly. Explosions rang out, trapping his offensive momentum in place.
Mu Zi Zhe closed his eyes, seemingly lost in the music. His fingers danced across the strings, the melody growing faster and more frantic as the Paper Butterflies attacked Mu Ci Ling with increasing ferocity.
"Pathetic tricks. Is this all you've got?" Mu Ci Ling roared. He slammed his Horse Chopping Sword into the ground, unleashing a surge of overwhelming True Qi that dispersed the smoke and sent the Paper Butterflies flying back three zhang before exploding.
The music abruptly stopped.
Mu Zi Zhe's fingers rested on the strings, his eyes still shut.
Mu Ci Ling prepared to charge forward and shatter the zither, but he suddenly noticed a dozen or so Paper Butterflies still hovering around him, untouched.
Mu Zi Zhe's fingers trembled slightly, producing fragmented, barely audible notes.
"Run!" Mu Qingyang shouted, hurling his Peach Wood Sword.
"Retreat!" Mu Zi Zhe pressed down hard on the strings, releasing a powerful wave of True Qi that sent the sword flying back. Mu Qingyang caught it but was forced three steps back.
Mu Ci Ling lowered his head and saw the threads attached to the Paper Butterflies—they had woven a net, encircling him completely.
The music shifted once more.
It turned fierce and rapid, like a hunter tightening his net.
The Paper Butterflies lunged at Mu Ci Ling.
All the Puppet Silk strands tightened in an instant.
Mu Ci Ling knew these weren't ordinary Puppet Silk—they were the sharpest Puppet Blade Silk, the only weapon in the world without an edge, capable of slicing him into eight pieces in a heartbeat. He dropped to the ground, raising his Horse Chopping Sword to barely block the strands.
Mu Zi Zhe continued playing, the melody accelerating as the Puppet Silk pressed harder. Mu Ci Ling gritted his teeth, straining to hold on as the blade of his sword began to crack.
"Use the Yama Palm now, and you might still survive," Mu Zi Zhe sneered.
"I said I wouldn't, and I won't," Mu Ci Ling growled. "To kill a sneaky coward like you, I don't need the Yama Palm!""Back then, the Mu Family had the two of us, which should have been the best opportunity for our generation to rise. But you stubbornly ignored the master's words and acted on your own, leading to the Mu Family remaining the most marginalized among the three families." Mu Zi Zhe's voice carried a trace of resentment.
"I live only for myself!" Mu Ci Ling declared loudly.
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