Deal

"Wait!" Wu Xue called out, "I think master is mistaken about something!"

"Oh?" Xu Ling seemed amused.

Wu Xue coughed and said, "I understand master wants me to experience failure and humiliation before going out to gain experience, but you are mistaken if you think it will deeply affect me."

"I have known you since you were a baby, I can even say I know you better than your parents," Xu Ling chuckled, "Do you really think you can change my mind?"

Wu Xue sighed and shook his head.

"I will talk with the girl later," Xu Ling said and giggled, "I will seal her strength enough for you to not think it's a completely helpless fight."

"Really?" Wu Xue asked while feeling something off about his master.

Xu Ling giggled and stopped talking with him.

It was much faster than he expected, just two days later, his master arranged a public duel between him and Wu Qing, and everyone in the clan was somehow informed.

"Sorry," Wu Qing personaly apologized to him, "She offered me something I couldn't refuse."

"Damn!" Wu Xue cursed out loud, not caring about his countenance, "Resorted to bribes, huh? You are not the only one who can do this!"

He then looked into Wu Qing's eyes and said, "If I pay you enough, will you at least spare me from being beaten without a chance to fight back?"

"You sound completely hopeless about the fight," Wu Qing giggled, "I wonder what you can offer to me."

"Of course I'm hopeless," Wu Xue frowned, "Even if your powers were sealed, your fighting experience and learned spells are much better than mine.

"As for what I will be offering, it's this."

He showed her a small round ball of black metal and explained, "Mirioi Hidden Star Core, you surely know the value of this thing."

Wu Qing was stupified and asked in a hurry, "Where did you get this thing?"

"I ask... I mean, someone gave it to me," Wu Xue made a casual excuse, "Is it enough?"

"It is," Wu Qing nodded excitedly, "I can ask for a craftsman to forge a very beautiful pendant with it! This kind of metal is simply the best to make jewelry!"

"You are going to use it to craft a decorative item?" Wu Xue was shocked.

"Otherwise?" Wu Qing giggled, "I have better metals to forge useful things, but this Mirioi hidden star core is simply too rare to come by and that's why I want it."

"I guess you are richer than I estimated," Wu Xue smiled bitterly and said, "I will give you the metal after the duel."

"Okay," Wu Qing nodded and then asked, "I heard from senior Xu that you are still in the lower Realms of cultivation, why is it?"

"Because I'm ambitious enough," Wu Xue smiled mysteriously, "I wonder if you will be okay after having your powers sealed, the feeling of weakness will surely hit you hard."

"That's nothing for me," Wu Qing shook her head, "I once had to pass a test on the sect with my powers completely sealed, I only had the strength of an ordinary mortal woman."

"That's extreme!" Wu Xue was shocked, "What kind of test was that?"

"It's too complicated, let's talk about it at a later time," Wu Qing shook her head and left, "I will be waiting for you at the ring."

One day later, it was the time of the duel.

"Will it be okay?" Wu Ying asked her master with a concerned face, "How will the rest of the clan react when they know about little Xue's true situation?"

"It's also a test for him," Xu Ling leisurely took a sip of tea, "He needs to steel his heart and forge a strong will, and it rarely comes without suffering and humiliation."

"But..." Wu Ying was still reluctant.

Wu Cang then patted her shoulder and comforted, "Don't worry too much, it was just a matter of time before it happened. And I also agree with senior Xu."

Wu Ying sighed and went to talk with her son, who was preparing to go to the ring.

"You know what will happen, right?" she asked.

"First, I will lose," Wu Xue smiled and carefreely, "Second, many people from the clan might shun me from now on."

"You still want to do this?" she asked.

Wu Xue snorted and sneered, "Master thinks she can temper my will with such little tricks, I will never feel bad just because some vagabond people who have nothing bigger to do think they are better than me."

"Don't speak ill of your master!" Wu Ying frowned.

"You are simply too deep into the abyss to see her real nature, mother," Wu Xue chuckled, "In truth, she likes to tease others quit–"

A hand magically appeared and smacked his head hard, not giving him time to react, it disappeared just after.

"See?" Wu Xue chuckled and massaged the top of his head, "She knows I'm right."

"I'm glad you have your heart in the right place, but..." Wu Ying sighed, ignoring what just happened, "Reality might hit harder than you think, you might suddenly discover you feel upset with how people treat you.

"No matter how right in place your head and heart are, without experiencing it yourself, you will never truly be able to expect things accurately."

Wu Xue was silent for a moment and then nodded, "You are actually right, perhaps master is doing the right thing after all."

Wu Ying approached and embraced him, "No matter what other people think, you will never lose our favor."

"This thought never passed through my mind," Wu Xue comforted her, "I have to go, Wu Qing should be feeling bored by waiting."

As a hero without fear of failure, he gave his back to his mother and went to the ring to fight.

Five minutes later, he was full of bruises and with a few black and blues spread all over his body. It was a complete defeat.

He didn't even have the chance to counterattack and use his powers and artistic conceptions, he was simply one-sidedly massacrated.

"Why?" he asked while down on the ground like a piece of shit.

"You master offered better conditions," Wu Qing smiled innocently, "But it was a happy cooperation, Wu Xue."

"Cooperation, my ass," Wu Xue was about to cry.

Suddenly, his senses began to get magnified and he could sense and hear things he wasn't before.

"I can't believe it, he is actually at such low level..."

"He seems to possess a mortal physique too, have you noticed it?"

"His soul's talent is complete trash, how can he be their son?"

"A piece of trash is the disciple of two great existences... why don't I have such luck?"

Wu Xue knew why his hearing was suddenly so good, it was his master making sure he heard everything.

"You might be quite bored, master," Wu Xue sighed and got up from the ground with difficulty, his bones were cracking, "If before I was almost certain, I'm now completely certain.

"I don't give a shit about what other people think," his last words were particularly high sounding.

He looked at all people who were watching and shouted, "That's right, I'm a piece of meat without any talent!

"But, what about it?

"A piece of meat without talent like me has a higher status than all of you, how do you feel!?

"Just my two masters are enough to bring all of you to your knees."

Xu Ling, who watching everything with interest, suddenly felt an itching hand hit her disciple.

"Let me tell you, my two masters were powerful enough to destroy the clan without difficulty, how do you feel about knowing someone like me is their disciple? Doesn't it make you inferior to a piece of talentless trash like me?

"A piece of talentless meat like me has enough status to have my feet licked by the lot of you who have been murmuring cowardly behind my back."

The arena's atmosphere suddenly stagnated, everyone was dumbstruck by his wild speech.

"Heh!" Wu Xue began to laugh out loud, "Yes! That's the expression I wanted to see, you bunch of trash who only knows to murmur behind other people's backs."

"You!" a young man couldn't help but shout, but his mouth was covered by those close to him in a hurry. He was one of the sons of the new clan leader.

"Well, I'm leaving," Wu Xue said and sat on the ground, "I hope this realization never leaves your minds, a piece of trash like me was bestowed with a status that none of you might dream of obtaining."

Wu Qing was dumbstruck and didn't know what to do as she saw Wu Xue leave the arena.

Meanwhile, Xu Ling was furious at her disciple's lack of self-control and couldn't help but teleport away to hide her embarrassment.

Wu Ying and Wu Cang were both still shocked by the many ugly words their son just spouted in public.

Just one person in the whole arena found everything very amusing, Wu Wan'er. She began to laugh loudly after Wu Xue left.

Wu Xue was walking towards his cave abode completely unaware of the beating he was going to suffer from his master and parents.

He was actually extremely satisfied, he never felt so happy by just cursing. He found a new flavor of ecstasy.

What proceeded to happen was not suitable to be described in detail, but Wu Xue spent two weeks in a coma after a terrible beating he received from his master, even his parents were scared by her violence and couldn't stand to beat him more after she ended.

When Wu Xue awakened from his coma, he didn't feel any kind of discomfort, his body was actually feeling great.

He got up from the bed and saw a small figure sleeping soundly, "Wan'er, what are you doing?"

He poked her cheeks a few times, but she didn't awaken, he then put her on the bed and left the room, he was in his parents's courtyard.

"Are you happy now that you offended one-tenth of the clan?" his mother noticed him and didn't even ask if he was feeling well.

"I'm okay, thank you for your concern," Wu Xue laughed, "I'm feeling great, actually."

"It seems mas–, senior Xu was right by beating you up to that extent, your head is too hard for your own good," Wu Ying was furious, "Do you have any idea of how the whole clan reacted?"

"I didn't say any lie though," Wu Xue giggled, "I do not need to take their jealousy seriously."

"You..." Wu Ying began to gasp, "You will forever be a member of the clan, you can't simply seek to be shunned by everyone."

"It's just a surname," Wu Xue frowned, "I hate this kind of blind loyalty the most."

"Just a surname... hahahaha," Wu Ying laughed but was even angrier, "Let me put some sense in your head."

"Stop," Wu Cang appeared and stopped Wu Ying from knocking Wu Xue back into a coma, "Haven't you noticed? It's too late to try and change his ideals."

Wu Ying clenched her teeth and left.

Wu Cang looked at Wu Xue and sighed, "If you continue with this attitude, it will be inevitable to separate from the clan, one day."

"...I know," Wu Xue sighed, "But I couldn't help but feel extreme disgust after hearing their numerous cowardly murmurations."

"The world has always been like this," Wu Cang patted his shoulder, "Adults need to adapt, no one can change how the world works."

"I know I can't change it," Wu Xue nodded and then shook his head, "But accepting and adapting is another matter. It has been years since I decided to follow the path of shunning the world."

Wu Cang was shocked after hearing that, "Do you know what you are talking about."

"You have always been the most scheming person I know, father," Wu Xue giggled, "I'm sure you noticed my tendencies a long time ago, even before my masters."

"..." Wu Cang looked at him with a complex expression, "You always showed to be different from others, I always knew this day would come."

"I'm actually happy to let the world the kind of person that I, Wu Xue, truly am," he grinned, "Please comfort mother, I will enter seclusion."

"What is your dream, son?" Wu Cang suddenly asked.

Wu Xue halted his steps and smiled at him, "Dreams could be shackles, but also boosters. I'm the type who treats dreams as just dreams, as the infinite dreamy combinations of cloud formations.

"It's beautiful to look at and desire, but when you finally grab it, all you feel is a void.

"I want to wander the world, know different cultures, and people. Honestly, my greatest objective is to always maintain a child's curious heart in my chest.

"Fuck adulthood, fuck maturity!"

Wu Xue laughed out loud and left hurriedly, by fear of his father suddenly beating him up because of his ugly words.

However, all Wu Cang did was suddenly grin and feel proud of his son, "So young, but already honestly and cleverly set on his true inner path. I wish I had his vision and breadth of spirit back then."

...

"It seems your plan backfired," Ru Meng giggled while amusingly looking at Xu Ling's tired expression.

"Why are you happy? Can't you see your disciple is heading towards the pit of lawless nature?" Xu Ling sighed and massaged her temples.

"I'm happy he finally discovered the pleasure of showing the world who he really is," Ru Meng shook her head, "It's just unfortunate that his true nature will end up giving more trouble than relief."

"Exactly!" Xu Ling clenched her teeth, "He publicly offended many of the members of his clans while finding everything amusing, he is turning into a chaotic agent!"

"Is that a problem, though?" Ru Meng asked with narrowed eyes, "I wonder why you are so angry at it, he didn't say any lie, those people deserved to be cursed by cowardly murmuring behind his back."

"It's his own clan!" Xu Ling raised her voice.

"I see..." Ru Meng seemed to understand everything, "You are shamelessly expecting your disciple to do what you didn't back then."

"Go out," Xu Ling's expression turned dark.

"Stubborn!" Ru Meng sighed and teleported outside.