If pain had a rhythm, the Ironfang Sect's slave convoy was its marching drum.
Chains clanked.
Whips cracked.
And the prisoners moved with hollow eyes—except one.
At the very end of the line, Xue Rong, shirtless and barefoot, stomped forward with his chin high and a black eye almost healed from yesterday's fight. He was sixteen, muscle-packed, unrefined—but his eyes burned like they belonged to a man who had killed gods in his dreams.
A nearby guard noticed the defiance and growled, "Look down when you walk, mutt."
Xue Rong looked up and smiled.
Then—headbutted the man straight in the nose.
"AAARGH! MY FACE!"
The other guards swarmed him, beat him down, and chained his legs tighter—again. As they dragged him away, the boy hissed through bloodied teeth:
"You really should wear helmets."
Far above the valley, Shen Mo watched the scene unfold with mild interest, seated atop a tall, wind-carved stone. He held a cup of tea, despite there being no tea leaves, no fire, and no cup five seconds ago.
"He's got spirit," he muttered, sipping nothing from nothing.
[System Notification:]Target Disciple Identified – Xue RongStatus: Captive of Ironfang SectPath: Body Cultivation (Unawakened)
Recruitment Condition: Willingly accepts master in a moment of defiance or despairUnlock Trigger: Destruction of Ironfang Sect
"Tch. Always destruction. Never diplomacy," Shen Mo sighed.
He stood and dusted off his robes—which were already spotless.
"Let's pay a visit."
He vanished in a gust of black smoke that smelled vaguely like cinnamon and spite.
Ironfang Sect – Outer Yard
"You want to purchase a prisoner?" sneered the gatekeeper, eyeing Shen Mo's dark robes. "No visitors allowed. Especially not creepy ones."
Shen Mo raised a brow. "Is the gatekeeper supposed to have three teeth?"
"What does that—HEY!"
A gentle tap from Shen Mo's finger sent the man flying through the wall behind him, where he stuck like a painting.
A few disciples rushed out, saw Shen Mo, froze, and wisely turned around without speaking.
Inside the prison hall, Shen Mo found rows of chained cultivators, most broken and silent. But at the very end, bound in triple-forged chains, sat Xue Rong—awake, alert, and glaring at the guards like he could snap them with thought alone.
One guard whispered, "He bit my cousin last night…"
"I said I thought it was meat," Xue Rong shouted back.
Shen Mo coughed.
Xue Rong turned.
"...You the new torturer or just here to laugh?"
Shen Mo stepped closer. "Neither. I'm here to give you an offer."
"Unless it's 'free me and give me breakfast,' not interested."
"Join me. Live. Gain power beyond your imagination."
Xue Rong squinted. "That's vague."
"You'll get used to it."
"Do I get to punch people?"
"Often."
"And I don't have to call you 'Master' unless I mean it?"
"Call me whatever you want. Just fight."
Xue Rong snorted, then winced. One of his ribs was definitely cracked.
"Fine. But first, destroy this place."
Shen Mo smirked.
"Already working on it."
He turned away, then paused.
"By the way… how attached are you to that particular guard?"
Xue Rong looked over. "The one who calls me 'dog'?"
"Yes."
"Not at all."
Shen Mo nodded.
The guard sneezed.
His head exploded.
"WHAT THE—!?" screamed the other guards.
Shen Mo faded into smoke again, leaving chaos behind.
Back at Twilight Shadow Sect, Shen Mo returned to the peak. Yun Xi and Han Li were waiting.
"Master, you were gone for two days," Han Li said. "Did you… uh… buy another hostage?"
"No," Shen Mo replied, sitting cross-legged. "I found a disciple. Now I just need to kill his entire captors."
"That's... very 'you'."
"Thank you."
[System Notification:]Ironfang Sabotage Sequence InitializedObjective: Infiltrate, Collapse Infrastructure, Eliminate Sect Leader
Martial Disciple: Level 2 → Level 3Passive Skill Gained: Bone-Twisting Palm (Silent Cripple Technique)
Shen Mo's eyes closed.
The mountain air grew sharp.
The war had begun.
And somewhere far below, a bruised boy sat in a cell, chewing raw root bark and smiling.
"Whoever you are, you better come back."
He leaned back against the cold stone and grinned.
"Because when you do, I want to fight beside you."