End of Book 1 – Chapter 164: Epilogue 2

Xu Mo waved his hand, and the body of a young boy—no older than his early teens—appeared, suspended gently in the air. He had already instructed someone to clean the corpses and dress them in fresh clothing. Thanks to the time-freezing effects of the storage ring, the boy's body had not decayed. It looked as if he were simply sleeping.

"Z-Zhenhai!" the parents of the child cried out in utter shock.

"Big Brother..." the little girl who had remained eerily indifferent until now trembled slightly. Though she tried her best to appear strong and unaffected, Xu Mo, who had endured something similar, could see right through her façade. People like her—those who bottled up their emotions—were often the most fragile. Their suppressed grief was like a volcano, calm on the outside but capable of erupting violently and devastatingly when the heart could bear no more.

Ding—

[Villainess of Destiny Detected — Li Xueya]

Huh?

"What happened to you, my son? Open your eyes! Your father is calling you—why... why isn't he waking up?" the middle-aged man asked Xu Mo in desperation as his son remained motionless.

"He's no longer with us," Xu Mo said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion. The others in his group clenched their fists, visibly shaken as they watched the parents grieve. Even though they all knew the boy had died, their hearts refused to accept it.

"Who killed my big brother?" The little girl looked at Xu Mo, her voice calm but cold. Xu Mo glanced at her, hesitating. Could this porcelain doll-like child really grow strong enough to oppose the protagonists of this world?

"We don't know," Wu Ming answered on Xu Mo's behalf. "By the time we recovered his body, the killer had already fled."

"T-Thank you... Thank you for bringing back my son's body," the father said, his voice hoarse as the mother clung tightly to her son, unwilling to let him go.

"If there is anything we can do in return…" the father began, though his voice faltered, heavy with exhaustion and shock. As the village chief's son, he couldn't afford to appear weak. With his son gone, the village had lost a vital deterrent. If word got out, their enemies would strike the moment the sect withdrew its protection.

"What were you doing all this time?!" the grieving mother suddenly shouted. "You couldn't even protect one disciple! And you call yourselves cultivators seeking immortality?"

None of the sect members responded. Just as her husband feared, she was on the verge of bringing disaster to the village. He rushed to silence her, covering her mouth in panic.

"I, Xu Mo, True Successor of the Hidden Dragon Sect, am deeply ashamed that we failed to protect a future pillar of our sect," Xu Mo said, lowering his head respectfully before the grieving parents.

"Y-Young Master…"

"My Lord..."

"You don't need to bow to mortals," one of the sect members said in alarm, seeing their True Successor showing such humility.

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Xu Mo's followers were visibly distressed, watching their leader take responsibility. "It's my fault," Xu Mo continued. "If I were strong enough, no one would've dared lay a finger on my people. I would have done the same if it had been any of you."

He turned to the father. "We are here today to offer compensation."

The man's eyes widened at how even the sect's elite addressed Xu Mo with reverence. He had heard someone call him "Young Master" earlier—did that mean Xu Mo was the Sect Master's son?

Heavens… the man cursed his misfortune. Are we all going to be buried here today? But then the word "compensation" reached his ears.

Compensation?

That was unheard of in the cultivation world.

As a man in his fifties, he had seen much. Life and death were everyday occurrences in this world. He had been against his son joining the sect from the beginning. But his wife, now consumed by grief, had lost all sense of caution.

Yet these people—these cultivators—were not arrogant. They didn't take offense. Instead, they offered something unheard of.

Li Xueya remained silent, staring at her brother's lifeless body, her thoughts unreadable.

"We don't need compensation," the father said quietly. "But… you're welcome to rest. You've traveled far."

"Listen first. Then you may refuse if you still wish to," Wu Ming replied with slight irritation. The father flinched at the sharp tone, but Xu Mo calmly pressed a hand to Wu Ming's shoulder, signaling him to relax.

"I'll get to the point," Xu Mo said. "We can take you with us to the sect for protection, or offer you enough resources and money for your daughter to begin her journey as a cultivator."

"Take us to the sect?!" Li Xueya suddenly interjected. "I'm willing to go," she said firmly, a hint of killing intent leaking from her presence.

The sect members exchanged glances. She was too young to control her emotions properly, and killing intent at her age was dangerous—not to mention rare.

"Wait! Li Xueya, let the elders speak!" her father cried, stepping forward. He could see right through her—she wanted revenge.

"But that brother who's been speaking is clearly even younger than my big brother," she snapped. "Why is he allowed to speak for everyone while I can't even decide for myself?"

She glared at Xu Mo, now directing her killing intent toward him. Xu Mo calmly cloaked his mind with his Dao, turning it into an impenetrable fortress. Her anger no longer reached him.

He raised his hand, stopping the father before he could scold her.

"Don't raise your hand to children—not in front of me," Xu Mo said. He walked toward Li Xueya, bending to meet her eyes. "I know you want to come to the sect for revenge. I won't stop you. What you decide is up to you, but you must be ready to accept the consequences. Still, listen to your parents. They want only the best for you."

He gently patted her head, her shoulder-length hair swaying slightly. "I don't have siblings, so I might not say the right things... but you're still too young. Let me take on this burden. I promise I'll find the one responsible and make sure your brother's soul rests in peace."

He extended his palm to her.

Li Xueya glanced at her parents, then at her brother's body. They hadn't spent much time together, but they had shared four years.

"Li Xueya," her father said gently, "listen to the Young Master. Forget revenge. Leave this to us elders."

He lifted her into his arms, brushing her hair aside.

Xu Mo turned back to them. "So, what will it be? Come with us, or stay? You may refuse—there's no obligation."

The father looked around. Some villagers pitied them, others eyed them with greed, while a few remained indifferent. He glanced at his wife, daughter, and then at the small hut behind them—where his aging father remained indoors, too weak to move.

"Can you take Li Xueya away?" he asked.

"…"

Slap—

His wife struck him across the face, her fury boiling over.

"You want to hand our daughter to the same people who failed to protect our son?!"

"I see you arrived on foot," the man said, ignoring the sting. "My father is too old to survive the journey. So, I ask you—take my daughter."

A small smirk crossed Wu Ming's face as he understood Xu Mo's unspoken command. He reached into his robe and pulled out a whistle, blowing into it.

No sound came out, but a signal had been sent—to the ship hidden behind the mountain.

Within moments, a shadow fell over the village.

Though the sun still shone brightly, darkness blanketed the land.

The villagers looked up and screamed in terror.

"A flying ship?!"

"Run! We're under attack! Demons have arrived!"

Xu Mo sighed. He turned to Li Xueya's father. "This is our sect's mode of transportation. Rest assured—under my authority, no one in the sect will trouble you."

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