5 Go Away

"No, this isn't right!"

The stabbing pain in his face made Chu Tianhe recover his senses. He took one look at Shen Shu's indifferent face then down at the stack of gold banknotes quietly scattered like withered autumn leaves around his feet.

The sight struck him like a hammer, causing him to sway as if suddenly dizzy with pain.

He could see the dream of his Pure Wind Abbey becoming one of the ten great sects quickly vanish before his eyes.

He stumbled, almost falling.

It was as if the dream had never appeared, as if it had only been his one-sided wish.

But now, he was awake.

"No!" he roared, repeatedly shaking his head. His breath came in haggard pants of desperation as if suddenly waking from the dank dimness of a nightmare.

"Brother Shen, what is the meaning of this?" he spat, eyes flashing the coldness of an enraged beast. "Why have you reneged and shamed me for no reason?"

"Is it possible that you think my saber isn't sharp?" he roared. His bellow shook the courtyard like thunder falling from the nine heavens. The cold wind of his anger threatened to tear Shen Shu's clothes into shreds.

"Dissolute!"

Old Jiang's eyes flashed with murderous intention. But as soon as he took a step forward to attack, Shen Shu, with his back to him, raised a hand. His meaning was clear.

"Abbey lord!" Old Jiang exclaimed, rocking anxiously on his heels. "This Chu Tianhe and his Pure Wind Abbey are not good things. In recent years, they've robbed all of our potential disciples and have often asked people to stand at the entrance to our temple to shame and curse at us. Now this Chu Tianhe wants to seize our sect command by force!"

"For the sect, such a villain should be killed!" Old Jiang's eyes palpitated with a soul-stirring chill as he spoke.

Shen Shu didn't say anything to him. He merely waved his hand again, more forceful this time. Old Jiang, seeing this, immediately drew back with a slight sigh. However, he quickly recovered and began to give Chu Tianhe a second, warier look. Although Shen Shu didn't want him to make a move, it was his duty to remain on guard. There was no telling whether or not Chu Tianhe would suddenly attack Shen Shu out of shame or anger. It would be no one's fault but his own if any harm came to his abbey lord.

"Huhu!!"

Chu Tianhe's chest heaved with each angry breath. He glared at Shen Shu; face twisted with hatred. At this moment, he wished he could eat the youth's flesh and drink his blood.

"Shen Shu, you must give my Pure Wind Abbey an explanation!" he solemnly said.

"An explanation?"

Shen Shu chuckled at first. Then a cold smile crept onto his face. Chu Tianhe felt the anger in his heart freeze under Shen Shu's gaze as if he was being watched by Yama and might die at any moment.

"Thump!"

Chu Tianhe swallowed with great difficulty. He confronted Shen Shu for a few more breaths before shifting his eyes away. He could no longer find the courage to look at this seemingly harmless boy eye-to-eye. His heart was shaking with fear. A cold sweat seeped out of every pore in his body.

'This Shen Shu is obviously just a good-for-nothing wastrel. How can he have such a strong imposing manner?' he shouted inwardly, feeling particularly aggrieved. He had met Shen Shu's father when he was young. However, the daring Shen Tianlong, who had overawed a side, had never brought such pressure and fear to him with only a look.

Chu Tianhe didn't know that the Shen Shu in front of him was not the original Shen Shu. The present Shen Shu had been the Divine Depository's tower spirit in his past life. Even in the Dharma-Ending Era, where the world vitality was thin, a casual strike of his had been able to sink the average star.

Let alone, the Divine Depository used to house countless god-saints. Any of these god-saints could easily crush Chu Tianhe with a finger several million times over as if running over and killing an ant. He had known such characters for thousands of years. So even though he didn't have their strengths, he could still imitate their imposing manners.

It was not an exaggeration to say that if Chu Tianhe hadn't looked away when he had, an enormous shadow would've been cast in his heart, forever ending his road of martial arts.

Who said a look couldn't kill people?

Such as the eyes of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, a god-saint supreme powerhouse could turn the vault of heaven to ash.

Of course, Shen Shu didn't possess such strength. But he didn't need eyes that could burn the heavens and make all living things tremble with fear. The person he was dealing with was Chu Tianhe.

"What do you want me to explain?" he finally asked, breaking the long silence.

Chu Tianhe opened his mouth to reply. But Shen Shu cut him off before he could.

"What qualifications does Pure Wind Abbey have to ask for an explanation?" he said, stepping forward with a shout, his voice cold and hardened.

"Do you want to explain why you've forcefully plundered every disciple who has wanted to join my Falling Cloud Abbey?"

"Do you want to explain why you are trying to take our sect command by combining threats with inducements?"

"Or maybe you would like to explain why you, Chu Tianhe, were arrogant enough to trample our front door when you arrived!"

Chu Tianhe stumbled backward as Shen Shu pressed him again and again. By the time he caught his footing, he found that he had fallen back to the courtyard entrance. Sweat ran in cold rivulets under his arms.

"Y-y-you!" Chu Tianhe pointed a trembling finger at Shen Shu and stammered.

"Go away!" Shen Shu shouted. Though his words sounded ordinary to everyone else, they rang cold in Chu Tianhe's ears like the water of the Yellow Springs.

At this moment, Chu Tianhe's fear had reached its peak. He could feel that if he didn't listen to Shen Shu's order, he would face total annihilation.

His face burned, flushed with shame for what he was about to do. But for fear that he might provoke the youth by staying any longer, he immediately scrambled out of the dilapidated courtyard without another word.

"This…"

Feeling helpless, the disciples of the Pure Wind Abbey exchanged speechless glances.

"You're still here?" Shen Shu asked them. As his eyes slowly narrowed, a chill rippled through them. When even their abbey lord had fled, they, as disciples, would certainly not pretend to be anyone brave.

Under Shen Shu's cold eyes, they turned and ran.

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