Chapter 40: One Sword, Two Lives

Pfft! Pfft!
Two soft sounds broke the silence, each followed by a gush of blood spraying into the air.
Yang Cui and Mu Tianfeng instinctively clutched their icy necks, desperately hoping to stem the flow and save their lives.
But all was futile. Blood spurted through their fingers, casting a bizarre rainbow in the sunlight.
Bang!
Both crashed heavily to the ground, bodies convulsing.
“Ugh... ugh...”
They wanted to speak, but all that escaped their lips was blood.
Despair, unwillingness, regret… flashed across their faces again and again as life ebbed swiftly away.
Within a few breaths, their legs stiffened, eyes glazed, and no breath remained.
Blood continued to spill from their necks, staining the stone slabs crimson and filling the air with a pungent scent, sending chills through those who witnessed it.
Everyone held their breath, fearfully watching Mu Tianhen and the deathly sword still dripping blood in his hand. Their minds churned with questions.
The Mu family had been established for centuries, its main discipline the spear. Why, then, did Mu Tianhen wield a sword? Wasn’t he previously following the spear path?
What had happened to him to cause such a drastic change?
Had he truly practiced demonic arts, fallen into darkness?
If so, would there ever be peace in Shun’an City again? Would Mu Tianhen forcibly annex all factions and slay those who disobeyed?
If he truly had become a demon, would the elders of other clans act swiftly to eliminate him?
So many questions, none with answers, leaving all possibilities open.
Clang!
The crisp sound of the sword returning to its sheath brought everyone back to reality. From a distance, they watched Mu Tianhen, uncertain of his next move.
“Brother!”
But the first to act was not Mu Tianhen, but Mu Tianxue. She cried out, dropping Xiaobai to the ground, and ran to Mu Tianhen, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Mu Tianhen gently patted her head and spoke softly, “Xue’er, did I frighten you?”
Mu Tianxue looked at the corpses on the ground, then shook her head, “No. They weren’t good people—they were traitors to the family. They deserved to die!”
“As long as you’re not scared.” Mu Tianhen smiled, “Xue’er, you should go back now. I still have to undergo the assessment before I can become the head of the family.”
“Alright!” Mu Tianxue nodded vigorously, released her hold, and walked back, raising her fist to cheer him on.
Only then did she realize she had left Xiaobai on the ground. She picked him up and smiled, “Sorry, little one. Did I hurt you? Be good now.”
Hearing this, Xiaobai scratched lightly, as if protesting.
Comforting him after the fact—is that what girls always do? Is it useful?
But for the sake of the master, he let it go. After all, he wasn’t hurt, so he forgave her.
At this moment, Mu Tianhen looked up at Mu Qianyuan and the others, asking, “Ancestor, it seems no one else wishes to compete. May I now proceed with the assessment?”
Mu Qianyuan nodded, stood up, and announced in a loud voice, “With no one competing for the position of family head against the acting head, we enter the next phase of assessment.”
“I will personally set the test now. Pass it, and you shall be the head of the Mu family!”
With that, Mu Qianyuan stepped down from the platform, gesturing for the clan members to clear the scene, so that the corpses and blood would not mar the proceedings.
When he was less than ten feet from Mu Tianhen, he paused, giving Mu Tianhen a meaningful look, as if there was something he wanted to say but refrained.
Soon, Mu Qianyuan returned to normal, and ordered a large bronze plate to be brought forth and set upright beside him.
The plate was more than ten feet in diameter, made entirely of bronze. Numerous runes and enigmatic patterns adorned its surface, lending it an air of mystery.
Mu Qianyuan stood before the plate, suddenly waving his hands to send streams of energy into it, causing it to emit a series of sounds.
As his energy entered, the plate began to change, glowing with a faint blue light that enveloped its entirety.
About half a cup of tea’s time later, Mu Qianyuan ceased and turned to Mu Tianhen, saying, “Come, stand before the plate. If you endure for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, you will pass.”
Hearing this, the crowd was filled with confusion.
Was this truly the Mu family’s assessment? It seemed too perfunctory, too ritualistic.
Stand before the plate and simply endure for a stick of incense—wouldn’t that mean anyone could pass? It wasn’t a fight; who couldn’t do it?
Not just martial artists, even ordinary people could manage this.

Yet some believed it wasn’t so simple; there must be hidden secrets. Otherwise, Mu Qianyuan wouldn’t have performed such a ceremony.
Mu Tianhen himself thought so, though he couldn’t guess what the true test would be.
No matter what it was, he felt no worry. Even if it were a special teleportation array sending him to an assessment realm, he was confident he could succeed.
Thus, as Mu Qianyuan finished speaking, Mu Tianhen strode forward, standing before the glowing blue plate and watching for any changes.
Swish!
At that moment, the blue light on the plate surged, separating into a pale beam that shot toward Mu Tianhen, entering his forehead and sinking into his body.
The whole process was brief—not even a single breath.
Yet in that instant, it shook Mu Tianhen profoundly.
The moment the light entered him, his mind spun, eyes involuntarily closing, and his consciousness was pulled out, entering a completely unfamiliar world.
To the onlookers, Mu Tianhen simply closed his eyes and stood motionless, like a statue. Yet no one thought he had become a statue; rather, he was deep in meditation.
Everyone now realized the assessment was not as simple as enduring a stick of incense.
Not far away, Mu Tianxue’s heart leapt to her throat as she stared anxiously at Mu Tianhen, afraid something might happen to him.
She whispered to Mu Tianxiang, “Sister Tianxiang, my brother… will he be alright?”
“He’ll be fine,” Mu Tianxiang replied with a gentle smile. “This is a test set by the ancestor for Little Hen. Though I don’t know what it is, it won’t harm him.”
“Really?” Mu Tianxue asked again, uncertain.
Mu Tianxiang nodded, “Really. The ancestor cares for Little Hen—how could he harm him? Don’t worry, before long, he’ll succeed.”
With that assurance, Mu Tianxue finally relaxed, though her eyes remained fixed on Mu Tianhen, praying he would pass.
At that moment, Mu Tianhen’s disembodied consciousness found itself standing on a vast, empty prairie, its end nowhere in sight.
But his concern was not with the prairie, but with what was unfolding ahead.
PS: Here’s another guessing game—what has Little Hen seen happening ahead? Those who guess correctly can claim a ten-yuan reward in the reader group, limited to the first five, based on the order of comments before Chapter 41 is published. Group number: 1071946524. You are warmly welcomed.