The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 232: Dragon Mountain's Distant Gaze

A distorted cry rent the air as Xue Meng lunged desperately towards Shi Mo, but it was too late. Hua Binan swooped down like an incarnation of the grim reaper, seizing Shi Mo by the throat from behind.

"Shi Mo!"

"Shi Mingjing!"

Both the elders on the precipice of life and death and Xue Meng turned their heads at the sound. By then, Hua Binan had already whisked Shi Mo away on his sword, ascending into the sky under the bright moon, coldly observing the chaos below.

Xue Meng was near madness, rushing after them on Longcheng, but halfway through, he was forced to retreat to the ground by a swarm of killer bees unleashed by Hua Binan.

Hua Binan held Shi Mo's neck with his long fingers adorned with the spirit snake ring, gently caressing his throat. Suddenly, a sharp spike shot out from the ring, gleaming with a chilling light.

"The Eye Healing Technique is exceptionally difficult to master," Hua Binan said calmly. "This young friend is not a disciple of Solitary Moon Night, yet he can wield it with such proficiency. He must possess extraordinary talent."

With such a spectacle, how could anyone still engaged in combat on the ground ignore it? In that instant, both Xue Zhengyong, Mo Ran, and even Chu Wanning, standing before the barrier, saw Shi Mo being captured by Hua Binan.

Mo Ran's eyes narrowed abruptly, his fury and anxiety igniting a crimson glow that forced Huang Xiaoyue and over a dozen others several yards back. A few unfortunate souls were even sent tumbling off the edge of the Soul Summoning Platform, plunging into the endless sea of clouds below, swallowed without a trace or echo.

"Hua Binan! Let him go!"

Shi Mo's face was ashen as he looked down at Mo Ran, then at Xue Meng.

He pressed his lips together before finally saying, "Go help Master. Don't worry about me."

"Shi Mo!"

In front of the spell formation, Chu Wanning's complexion was as pale as paper. The hands pressing against the array's focal point trembled uncontrollably, blue veins bulging on the back of his hands. His heart seemed to have risen to his throat.

Shi Mo's gaze turned towards him, a hint of sorrow in his eyes.

"Master..."

"How fortuitous," Hua Binan said, momentarily stunned before his smile returned. "I randomly grabbed someone, and it turns out to be Grandmaster Chu's disciple?"

Chu Wanning: "..."

"No wonder you've already achieved something at such a young age," Hua Binan praised without reserve. "With such an excellent disciple, wouldn't a master feel distressed?"

"Hua Binan, if you harm him, I'll make you pay in the future!"

"Does that mean the Grandmaster intends to stand idly by today?" Hua Binan smiled and whispered in Shi Mo's ear, "Did you hear that? Saving you or sealing the array, he chose the latter."

Shi Mo closed his eyes, his lips trembling but remaining silent.

Hua Binan laughed loudly. "In that case, I truly feel sorry for this young friend. He has a master who values justice more than his disciple's life. Shi Mingjing, you truly evoke pity."

Amidst the howling winds, no one replied for a long time.

Perhaps because his life hung in the balance, Shi Mo slowly opened his eyes in the silence. "Master, I'm sorry."

"..."

"I know... You all still remember what I did for my own selfish desires in the past. I still don't know if those actions were right or wrong... I'm actually not worthy of being your disciple, Master. Many times, I fail to prioritize righteousness over my own life..."

"Shi Mo..."

Upon the elevated platform, Xue Meng couldn't help but recall that fateful night when Chu Wanning had perished. Huaizui had ordered them to descend into the Underworld to save their master, yet Shi Mo had hesitated, not immediately agreeing.

As for Mo Ran, his mind wandered back to that bowl of wontons from years ago. In the inn, Shi Mo had bowed apologetically, revealing that it was Chu Wanning who had prepared that gentle gesture.

And what about Chu Wanning?

He thought of the time before Jin Chengchi sought the sword, when Shi Mo had sighed at the unattainable divine weapon.

Aside from these instances, he could not conjure more regrets in his mind.

Shi Mo has always been gentle, impeccable, and obedient. He is like the fresh snowfall in a harsh winter, pure and untainted. Hence, any speck of dust or a single blooming plum blossom on the snow would stand out prominently, stirring particular attention and lingering thoughts.

Whether it was his mistakes, his moments of hesitation, or the occasional streaks of selfishness and cunning that flickered within him, they were all so vividly etched and unforgettable.

Yet, he was also just an ordinary person, not a statue nor a silk painting; he had his own emotions.

Yet, nobody has truly understood him.

To Xue Meng, Shi Mo was a friend, one he believed should naturally follow in his footsteps, supporting and affirming him at every turn.

To the former Mo Ran, Shi Mo was an object of admiration, someone he believed to be inherently pure, tolerant, warm, and flawless.

For Chu Wanning, Shi Mo was a disciple, gentle in nature and approachable, with a forbearance and resilience that he both envied and admired.

Only now did they realize that all along, Shi Mo had silently played the role of Xue Meng's closest friend and follower, Mo Ran's former beloved and later nuisance, and Chu Wanning's least noticeable, least outstanding disciple.

The one role he had never played was himself.

Hua Binan sneered coldly, "Do you have some last words to say?"

"Let him go, Hua Binan!"

"Don't hurt him!"

"Hurting him isn't a problem," Hua Binan replied. "If all of you surrender and wait for your demise, there'll be no need for me to take his life."

"..."

The array before Chu Wanning's eyes flickered, clearly at a critical point where its fate hung in the balance – it would either be sealed away or burst into existence. His grip remained firm but trembled slightly.

This was not a dilemma between life and death in the Netherworld, where decisions had to be made in an instant, leaving no time for further contemplation.

It was a knife held against the throat of his disciple, giving him room to hesitate, to witness with his own eyes, causing him excruciating pain and discomfort.

Hua Binan lifted his chin slightly and said with a soft smile, "Well, now that the array has been activated, you can still choose to fight. But if this blade falls, it will be near impossible to come back to life. Have you, Grandmaster, thought this through?"

At that moment, Shi Mo spoke up.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was still clear enough to hear.

"In truth, I don't really like eating sugar-coated haws."

"Huh..." Hua Binan looked down at him, seemingly puzzled by the meaning behind his words.

Shi Mo didn't cry; instead, he wore a slight smile as he gazed at his beloved friend, former acquaintance, and master lying on the ground.

"I don't enjoy sugar-coated haws, but Young Master, when we were young, you always asked me to help you eat them. What I truly wanted to cultivate was barrier magic, but alas, Master deemed my talent insufficient and refused to teach me much. I...” His gaze fell upon Mo Ran, "Aran, I actually know what you wanted to say that day in Butterfly Town when the sky tore open."

Mo Ran froze, staring blankly at him.

Shi Mo's gentle and tranquil smile remained. "…But then Master returned, and you never finished the unsaid words. On that wine tower, I saw you both eating together. From the look in your eyes, I knew you would never say the rest of that sentence for the rest of your life."

Mo Ran: "…"

"I was actually very envious of Young Lord, and I… I'm also very envious of Master," Shi Mo whispered softly. "Please don't think I'm hateful because of my envy…"

"I've never thought you were hateful!" Xue Meng shouted anxiously, his eyes reddening. "I, I didn't know you disliked sugar-coated haws, I really didn't… Shi Mo! Shi Mo!"

Hua Binan, however, had grown impatient. He seized Shi Mo by the throat and glared at Chu Wanning, his voice fierce. "I'll count to three. If you don't stop, I'll destroy him!"

"No!" Xue Meng turned back in panic, urgently calling out to Chu Wanning. "Master, please stop for now! We can't just watch Shi Mo get hurt in front of us! Stop!"

"One."

The tremors in Chu Wanning's fingertips, initially imperceptible, were now clearly visible to all.

He looked at Shi Mo, his usual sharp phoenix eyes meeting the consistently soft and gentle peach blossom gaze. The phoenix eyes moistened.

"Two!"

"Screech—"

In that instant, blood spattered.

Xue Meng and Mo Ran's cries pierced the sky like swords: "Shi Mo!!!"

"…There's no need to count to three." Blood dripped down as Shi Mo lifted his hand to cover his eyes.

He hadn't cried the entire time.

But now, blood seeped through the gaps between his fingers and trickled down his cheeks.

He had collided with Hua Binan's hanging, icy thorn at the count of two, slashing across it horizontally. Startled, Hua Binan tried to withdraw his hand, causing the sharp tip to veer slightly. The blade that was meant to slice across Shi Mo's neck grazed past his eyes instead. In an instant, both of his eyes were lost!

"There has never been a surrender among Yu Heng's disciples, nor have there ever been…weaklings."

"Shi Mo!"

"Shi Mo!!!"

Shattering the heavens with a deafening cry.

Chu Wanning was also deeply shaken. He had already poured all his strength into the task, but seeing his disciple destroy his own eyes and blood streaming down his face, he couldn't help but weaken in his grip. In that instant, the array formation fiercely backfired, unleashing a surge of spirit energy that crashed into him, sending him flying several yards away.

Chu Wanning coughed out a mouthful of blood, but he couldn't attend to himself. Reaching back, he tried to reinforce the array, but it was too late. Hua Binan, stunned for a moment, burst into laughter. He grabbed Shi Mo's collar and pulled him up, his eyes shining with delight.

"I didn't expect you to be so useful? It seems killing you would be a waste."

"What are you doing, Hua Binan?!"

Hua Binan didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at Xue Meng before turning his gaze to the rapidly cracking black mysterious barrier. He smiled and said, "This array has gathered the efforts of many, and it's finally about to break. Esteemed cultivators and heroes, this is the first time I, Hua, have attempted to open such a formation. I'm not sure what will happen next."

As he spoke, he swiftly descended with his sword, dragging Shi Mo towards the entrance of the Soul Summoning Platform's tunnel. Before vanishing into the passage, he threw one last sentence to the crowd,

"Stay here and have some fun. Dragon Mountain is grand, an excellent place to rest your bones."

Almost simultaneously, a thunderous boom echoed through the sky. The array formation spread like ink on parchment, rapidly engulfing most of the sky, even hiding the moon behind its dark veil.

"What's happening?!"

"What kind of array formation is this?!"

"Is it the Heavenly Rift of the Ghost Realm?"

"But the Heavenly Rift in the Ghost Realm isn't this color!"

The group that had been engaged in a fierce battle just moments ago now found themselves, metaphorically, on the same boat, all of them warily looking up at the dark rift that had torn open the sky.

This might no longer be described as a mere fissure. Above the Soul Summoning Platform, a significant portion of the sky had fractured, revealing an abyssal darkness from which muted yet urgent vibrations faintly echoed.

Huang Xiaoyue's face was pale, his nostrils flaring. "Is… is there some monstrous creature about to emerge from behind? Why would there be such a commotion?"

Mo Ran took the lead, wielding the See Ghost Sword in hand, standing at the forefront. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning slashed across the night sky.

Rumble!

Heavenly Thunder Rend the Skies!

"Split apart!"

"Something's behind us! Something's coming out!"

"Is it a vengeful spirit?!"

Seeing Mo Ran and Chu Wanning too close to the dark fissure, Xue Meng hastily wiped away his tears and started running towards his elder cousin and his master. However, he was pulled back by Xue Zhengyong, who held him tightly behind himself.

"Dad!"

"Stay here, don't go over there!"

"No! I want to be with my master, with my brother!"

Xue Zhengyong's gaze was sharper than ever before. He left no room for argument: "Do you want to risk your life?! Don't you know—"

The rest of his words were cut off as he froze, unable to continue.

Xue Meng wept, almost wailing: "Dad, I have to help them. Shi Mo has already been taken. I can't hide behind you anymore and watch any of them get hurt! Please, let me go!!"

Xue Zhengyong was yet to respond when the dark array in the middle hissed with green smoke and lightning. A rolling mass of billowing clouds emerged from within.

As they drew closer, they realized that it was a group of masked cultivators dressed in black!

They stood on their swords, defying gravity and descending amidst thunder and lightning. They came in clusters, without any distinguishable sect or origin. The leader, a man draped in an opulent cloak embroidered with golden and silver threads, wore a hood and a grim silver-gray mask covering his face. He stood with his hands behind his back in the air, causing the winds to stir and clouds to converge. Even without speaking a word, he exuded an immeasurable aura of ferocity.

"What is this?" Xue Zhengyong was dumbfounded.

Those less experienced were even more speechless, staring blankly at the sky.

Were they ghosts?

But no, these didn't resemble any ghosts they knew.

More and more figures emerged from the black clouds, riding swords - dozens, then hundreds... Eventually, they stood in the sky, their numbers rivaling those on the ground, nearly a thousand strong!

Xue Zhengyong shuddered, mustering his qi to yell after a moment, "Are you humans or ghosts? Why not reveal your identity?!"

"..." The leader of the group rolled his eyes, and when his gaze fell upon Xue Zhengyong, it seemed to carry a profound meaning.

"Answer us! Can you understand what we're saying?" Xue Meng shouted as well.

The man didn't say much. After a brief pause, he lifted a pale, slender hand and paused in mid-air.

Then, with a single sweep, he spoke succinctly.

"Kill."

Author's Note: Rival number one who isn't really a rival has finally made his appearance! You clever readers must already know who he is. I'll give him a proper introduction tomorrow.