Chapter 3: The Bizarre Bead.
Recalling what Mu Bingling had just said, and considering her strength, he subconsciously felt that she wasn't making an empty threat. 'Perhaps she really *can* make me regret this.'
Shaking his head, Mu Rongxuan sneered. 'What's wrong with me? I'm a Seventh-Ring Martial Disciple. Though it's only a single-tier difference, that's more than enough. Besides, my true strength isn't just the Seventh Ring—it's the Peak of Seven Rings!'
With this thought, Mu Rongxuan's confidence returned. Gazing at Mu Bingling's slender figure, he muttered in a voice only he could hear, "Mu Bingling, you are mine. Only I am worthy of you." With a smirk, he turned and led his group of followers toward the training grounds in the distance...
By now, Mu Chen had already run to the rear mountain, his favorite place to be alone. His mind was a complete blank. Mu Rongxuan's last words had utterly shattered what little self-respect he had left.
"Mu Chen, if you're a man, stop hiding behind a woman forever."
"Well, well, if it isn't our crippled fourth young master?"
"Look, everyone! The Mu Family's laughingstock is showing his face. If it were me, I'd be too ashamed to come out in public."
"Waste."
"Cripple. You're nothing but a waste."
"..."
One scornful face after another appeared in Mu Chen's mind. They jeered and taunted, using every sharp and vicious word they could think of to carve the word "waste" deep into his heart.
"AHHH! I'm not a waste! I'm not a waste!! Why, why, WHY!!!" A beast-like roar erupted from Mu Chen's lips. His youthful face twisted into a savage mask of agony as he repeatedly smashed his clenched left fist against the stone cliff face before him.
The cliff was a natural formation, its sharp edges mercilessly tearing open the tender flesh of Mu Chen's hand. Blood streamed from the back of his hand, spattering his snow-white robes and blooming into vibrant red flowers. A sharp pain shot through his brain, but it wasn't enough to bring him to his senses.
"Why is this happening?! Heavens, if you were going to abandon me, why did you let me come into this world at all? Why! SOB... SOB... Why..."
Punch after punch. His skin split, his flesh tore, and the stark white of his bones became visible. Blood gushed from his fist, making his deathly pale face turn even paler. His frenzied roars faded into soft murmurs.
Mu Chen slumped back against the stone wall and slowly slid to the ground. His left arm, now numb, hung limply at his side, letting blood drip freely from his hand onto the soil below. He was tired, so incredibly tired. But after this outburst, he felt a strange sense of release, a peace he had never known before. The surrounding flowers bloomed with dazzling brilliance, green leaves swayed in the wind, and multicolored Spirit Butterflies danced among the blossoms. 'They're so free. So happy. I wish... I wish I could become a Spirit Butterfly. Even without an arm, I could have wings. At least... no one would mock me... for being a waste...'
As he thought this, a wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him—a symptom of excessive blood loss. The next moment, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
What he didn't know was that after he passed out, the blood flowing from his left hand slowly seeped into the soft earth. Though the seepage was very, very slow, the amount of blood Mu Chen had lost was very, very large...
Three meters underground, directly beneath where Mu Chen sat, a dim, transparent bead lay dormant. No one knew when this bead had been buried here, no one knew who had buried it, and certainly, no one knew why such a bead was here at all. In short, it had been here since before humans had ever set foot in this place.
Mu Chen's blood continued to seep downward. Suddenly, as if sensing something, the bead began to flicker rapidly. A strange, attractive force erupted from within it with a WHOOSH. It locked onto the blood that had permeated the topsoil and, in an unbelievable fashion, began to slowly pull it deeper into the earth. As time passed, a single drop of blood finally landed gently on the bead. Bizarrely, instead of sliding off, it seeped directly through the surface. The once-dim bead began to emit a faint glow. Then, a strange scene unfolded: all the blood that had been seeping elsewhere suddenly surged madly toward the bead, and all of it was absorbed by the transparent orb.
As it absorbed more and more blood, the light radiating from the bead grew brighter and brighter. A moment later, it seemed to have absorbed its fill. The remaining blood simply slid off its surface, no longer being drawn in.
HUMMM!
The previously motionless bead suddenly trembled, letting out a hum. In an instant, it shot upward through the soil with lightning speed. The earth parted before it, creating a direct path to the surface. As soon as the bead emerged, it traveled up Mu Chen's hand and into his mind, where it slowly settled into silence.
"Haha, I can finally see the light of day again! Let's see which lucky little brat has become my master." A deep voice, tinged with a Barbaric Aura, rang out. Each word seemed to resonate like a Brahma Sound, shaking one's very soul.
"Tsk, tsk. Why is he so weak? He's practically a waste... and a cripple, to boot. Ah, well. A cripple is a cripple, I suppose." The voice sighed in resignation, then added, "Huh? Why is this kid still bleeding? If this keeps up, not even an Immortal could save him."
As soon as the voice faded, the bead in Mu Chen's mind suddenly spun. A sliver of ethereal white gas seeped out from within, permeated Mu Chen's meridians, and rushed toward his left arm. The white gas circulated over the back of his hand a few times, and the wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"His meridians are quite broad... Hmm? Someone's coming. Looks like I can't heal his wound completely. Oh well, this should prevent anyone from getting suspicious." After saying this, the deep voice fell silent. The bead in Mu Chen's mind quickly dimmed, becoming just as dull as it had been in the earth...
"Mu Chen! Mu Chen!" A clear voice, filled with extreme anxiety, called out. The newcomer was none other than Mu Bingling, who had chased after him. Her limpid blue eyes scanned the area until, finally, she spotted the unconscious Mu Chen in front of a stone cliff on the rear mountain. Although the wound on his hand was mostly healed, the blood that had sprayed out earlier had still stained his snow-white clothes red.
The sight of Mu Chen covered in blood made Mu Bingling's face turn deathly pale. Her worst fear had come true...
"Mu Chen! Mu Chen, don't you scare me! Mu Chen!" Mu Bingling shook his body relentlessly. In her panic, and being young despite being a disciple of a Noble Family, she had never witnessed such a scene. She was so flustered that she forgot to check if he was breathing. Her beautiful eyes turned red as tears streamed down, splashing gently onto Mu Chen's face.
SPLAT.
With a soft splash, Mu Chen felt a coolness on his cheek, but it was just that—a cool sensation. He didn't stir. In his unconscious state, he couldn't hear anyone calling his name. However, the shaking from Mu Bingling made his already uncomfortable body feel even worse, and he let out a subconscious groan.
Seeing Mu Chen's mouth open to groan, Mu Bingling froze. Her tear-streaked face immediately lit up with joy. She quickly pulled Mu Chen up and cradled him in her arms. Mu Chen had always been thin and didn't weigh much, so it wasn't too difficult for a Sixth-Ring Martial Disciple like Mu Bingling to carry him.
Seeing that Mu Chen was still showing signs of life, Mu Bingling quickly leaped down the mountain...
"Mother, Mother, come quick! Something's happened to Mu Chen!" Mu Bingling shouted as soon as she burst through the door.
Hearing her cry, Mufeng and Bi Wan burst out from the room. Their eyes immediately fell on Mu Chen, lying in Mu Bingling's arms. The blood on his clothes had already dried to a dark black. Mufeng's expression darkened as he rushed forward. He checked Mu Chen's breathing and, finding him still alive, quickly extended his right hand. A ball of white light enveloped his palm. This was solidified Primordial Qi—the sign of the Grand Martial Master Realm!
Mufeng calmly placed his right hand on Mu Chen's chest, right over his heart.
"Thank goodness, it's just excessive blood loss. But he's lost far too much. Thankfully, Bing'Er brought him back in time. Any later, and Chen'Er would have really..."
Mufeng didn't finish his sentence. Bi Wan, standing beside him, was already a sobbing mess. She snatched her son, Mu Chen, into her arms and pressed her right hand against his arm. A water-blue light enveloped it completely—it was solidified Primordial Qi again. It turned out that the couple, Mufeng and Bi Wan, were both Martial Artists of the Grand Martial Master Realm. Yet, because of a past calamity, the young Mu Chen had been reduced to a cripple.
Seeing that Bi Wan would need a moment to heal the boy, Mufeng turned to the worried Mu Bingling and said in a low voice, "Bing'Er, this is an emergency. Go to the Medicine Pavilion and fetch a ten-year Blood Ginseng. Tell me what happened when you get back. Here's my Jade Pendant."
Mu Bingling took the Jade Pendant without a moment's delay. She nodded and darted away, her movements swift and graceful. Mufeng watched her go, slightly startled, then nodded to himself. 'Bing'Er's strength has improved again. She's reached the level of a Sixth-Ring Martial Disciple without anyone noticing.'
Meanwhile, Bi Wan had stopped crying. The water-blue light gradually receded. The back of Mu Chen's hand, which the bizarre bead had only partially healed, was now completely restored, as good as new.
Mufeng asked anxiously, "Wan'Er, how is Chen'Er?"
Bi Wan sighed, her eyes red-rimmed. "He's out of immediate danger, but my Water Elemental Power can only heal some of his external injuries. Chen'Er has lost too much blood and will need time to recover. What sins did we commit in our past lives for Chen'Er to suffer so many misfortunes?"
At this, Bi Wan began to sob again, and Mufeng quickly moved to comfort her.