Chapter 1392: Chapter 1392: Disappointed Again
Mu Ze was stunned, the weapon in his hand fell to the ground with a harsh sound, but both Mu Ze and Xicheng seemed oblivious, just staring blankly at each other.
Mu Ze’s expression grew increasingly panic-stricken, while Xicheng’s gaze became colder.
When Mu Ze was still a little boy, they began to accompany each other, both considering the other their best friend.
They never anticipated a day would come when they would face each other in battle.
Xicheng finally withdrew the magical power that attacked Pu Lizi, but by then, Pu Lizi had already been shattered into pieces by the surging waves.
"Brother Xicheng..." Mu Ze took a step forward, trying to explain something.
"I don’t know you." Xicheng coldly interrupted him, turned around, and without looking back, conjured magic wings and flew towards Kurosawa Highland.
"Brother Xicheng!" Mu Ze cried out desperately towards the sky, hoping Xicheng would give him a chance to explain.
He truly didn’t mean to hurt him; he knew very well how kind Xicheng had been to him, doing so many things without expecting anything in return. He wouldn’t bear to harm Xicheng even if he had to cut himself.
However, he did precisely what he was least likely to do.
Hearing the commotion, the people of the Mu family gathered around. Seeing Pu Lizi’s gruesome body, they screamed in fright. Mu Ze had to temporarily give up chasing after Xicheng and try to calm down to handle family matters.
When cleaning up Pu Lizi’s incomplete corpse, they found one of his hands. Usually, a person’s hand opens loosely after death, yet this hand was tightly clenched.
Everyone found it strange and, despite their fear, forced open Pu Lizi’s hand to find eight bloody characters in the palm: "A thousand-year tribulation, a world hero."
Pu Lizi, the grand elderly, was skilled in divination during his lifetime. Everyone believed he must have sensed something before he died, hence leaving these words as a warning.
At that time, people did not yet understand the hardship they were about to face and could not comprehend the significance of Pu Lizi’s eight characters, only recording them as an important matter for future generations to decipher.
Pu Lizi being killed by Xicheng made everyone angry, yet no one dared to seek revenge against Xicheng. Instead, they constantly nagged at Mu Ze, using both soft and hard tactics, forbidding him from approaching Xicheng again and definitely not inviting Xicheng to the Mu family home.
In fact, if someone hadn’t seen Mu Ze injure Xicheng, some might have taken the opportunity to riot and force Mu Ze to relinquish the clan leader position.
For the sake of temporary stability and peace, Mu Ze could only superficially agree, saying he would manage the Mu Water Clan with his own strength in the future.
In full view, he dared not blatantly seek out Xicheng. By the time he had a chance to go to Kurosawa Highland, a month had already passed.
When Mu Ze, in the dead of night, painstakingly avoided everyone and reached Kurosawa Highland, he discovered he could no longer enter.
The area around Kurosawa Highland was set with an extremely powerful magic barrier, preventing anyone from entering. The barrier also blocked sight and sound, making Mu Ze’s shouting and crying futile.
What he didn’t know was that this magic barrier had just been set up that evening.
Even after being injured by Mu Ze, Xicheng, upon calming down, was reluctant to blame Mu Ze. He healed his wounds and quietly waited at Kurosawa Highland; as long as an apology and explanation came, he would forgive him.
But foolishly, he waited a month, and Mu Ze still didn’t come.
Recalling the first time he met Mu Ze, when he said he’d return the next day, he waited anxiously all day only for Mu Ze to finally show up by evening.
Gazing at the setting sun, Xicheng silently told himself to wait a little longer, until the sun completely set, and then he would stop waiting.
The sunlight grew softer and moved steadily westward, gradually dipping until it vanished.
Mu Ze still hadn’t come.
Xicheng felt a hollowness inside, devoid of anger or resentment, only infinite sadness.
Trembling slightly, he raised his arm and released powerful magic, setting up a barrier around Kurosawa Highland to prevent any entry.
That night, Xicheng sat alone on the floor of the hall, repeatedly playing the flute, solitary and companionless.
Meanwhile, outside the magic barrier of Kurosawa Highland, Mu Ze cried out in pain, helpless.
In the latter half of the night, Mu Ze finally left in despair, returning to the Chief Mansion on Stoning Plain to continue as clan leader.
After dawn the next day, Xicheng felt some regret and used his Divine Sense to scan outside the magic barrier, discovering traces of Mu Ze’s visit.
It made him both happy and sad, so he quietly slipped into Stoning Plain to inquire about Mu Ze but heard Mu Ze had sworn to his clan never to associate with him again.
Since he had already decided, why visit Kurosawa Highland last night?
"Mu Ze, I never expected you to be such a treacherous person." After his newfound hope was shattered again, Xicheng finally succumbed to uncontrollable anger, clenching his hand and crushing the golden flute to bits.
A single disappointment is not frightening; what is frightening is disappointment repeated again and again.
He abruptly returned to Kurosawa Highland and stood before Azure Dragon Spring, without a moment’s hesitation, raised his palm, and unleashed a destructive magical force, shattering the rock holding the Jade Dragon Pattern Bottle.
How can any egg remain intact when the nest is overturned?
The rock shattered, the Jade Dragon Pattern Bottle broke, and the Azure Dragon Spring, which had flowed for tens of thousands of years, vanished.
After doing all this, Xicheng stood dismally before the ruins for several days, eventually allowing himself to fall into another slumber.
He wasn’t sleepy, but he didn’t know what else to do besides sleep.
He feared that if Mu Ze pleaded with him, he would be unable to resist softening his heart; he was a lofty Deity, and he detested weakness.
Before falling asleep, he reinforced the magic barrier once again to ensure no one could enter.
After Xicheng fell into slumber, the Mu Water Clan on Stoning Plain panicked, discovering the spring water from Kurosawa Highland had disappeared. Without the inflow from the spring, the lake was shrinking and would eventually vanish.
Rainfall was rare in the desert region, and Azure Dragon Spring was their primary water source. Without it, their lives would become unsustainable.
Facing life and death, those who had once spoken against Xicheng and pressured Mu Ze to avoid him began gathering once again before Mu Ze, invoking duty and morality, asking Mu Ze to put aside past grievances and reconcile with Xicheng.
