Chapter 444 - Falling Out

Human nature was a mystery and the hardest to fathom in the world.

"Grandfather, can we help that big brother? He doesn't look like a bad person." The young boy turned to look at his grandfather, hoping his grandfather could lend Liu Wuxie a hand. After all, it was too unfair to gang up on a youth in his eyes.

"This young lad isn't simple and won't die anytime soon." The old man caressed his grandson's head with a look of doting affection. It was good to have a sense of justice in the heart, and the old man was satisfied with his grandson's performance.

Liu Wuxie continuously performed the Frost Finger, turning swordfish into ice sculptures. The swordfish shattered when they fell onto the deck, turning into small chunks of frozen blood.

It didn't take long for the deck to be covered in blood, with corpses littering the area around Liu Wuxie.

The Jade Blood Yaksha's eyes bulged, having lost so many subordinates, while Liu Wuxie was fine.

Jiang Gongming was also shocked because he had already exchanged hundreds of moves with the Jade Blood Yaksha, and he couldn't delay any longer. If he still couldn't defeat the Jade Blood Yaksha, this would give everyone the impression that the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's deacon was incompetent.

The swordfish's assault wounded Liu Wuxie's right arm, back, and left leg. The blood pooled at Liu Wuxie's feet formed into a small stream, and the battle was ferocious. Over three thousand swordfish flew in, covering the sun.

Liu Wuxie didn't move an inch but killed over 2,000 swordfish and more than a hundred sea demons. Such an achievement was insignificant for cultivators in the high-level Heavenly Phase Realm, but it was terrifying for someone in the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

He was only in the Heavenly Dipper Realm and had killed many sea demons, with many in the high levels of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

The Jade Blood Yaksha produced a strange sound, and more sea demons emerged from the sea. This time, the army was larger and stronger, including sea demons in the Heavenly Phase Realm.

They had sharp fangs and spiked hands, capable of tearing apart chunks of flesh.

Liu Wuxie's expression remained unchanged, knowing he had to find a way to escape if it came to that. This scenario might actually be the best outcome for Jiang Gongming, who would have a justified reason to kill him for defying the sect's orders if he fled.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from around the warship as the sailors blew their horns and pointed their specially-made crossbows at the emerging sea demons.

The Dugu Clan finally intervened because their reputation would be ruined if the chaos continued. Who would dare to board the Dugu Clan's ship if they couldn't even ensure their passenger's safety?

"Jade Blood Yaksha, haven't you had enough?" a woman's voice came from the top of the warship. This woman, dressed in red, gave off a powerful aura.

The Jade Blood Yaksha stopped fighting with Jiang Gongming. The former returned to the sea and allowed waves to carry him while Jiang Gongming returned to the deck.

"It's the third lady of the Dugu Clan! I’ve heard she handles the Dugu Clan's maritime business."

The Dugu Clan had many ladies, but only one could be called the third lady. She was the youngest daughter of the Dugu Clan's patriarch.

The Dugu Clan only had a few direct descendants, while the majority of disciples belonged to the various branches. Many bore the surname Dugu through years of development, and the branch descendants would leave to establish themselves annually.

The direct descendants were the clan's focus to be nurtured and wielded authority.

This woman, who bore the surname Dugu, was also the third daughter of the Dugu Clan's patriarch. Her status was self-evident because her appearance caused the sea demons to become quiet and retreat to the sea.

It wasn't because they were afraid of the Dugu Clan, but they feared the crossbows in their hands. Those crossbows were specially made for the sea demons and were highly lethal, as every shot would kill a sea demon.

Over the years, the Sea Demon Clan has tried to eliminate the Dugu Clan and monopolize the sea resources. But every attempt had resulted in heavy losses; there was a reason why the Dugu Clan could sail in the sea for thousands of years.

The sea demons were powerful, but the Dugu Clan wasn't weak either. Every warship had an expert knowledgeable above the Nascent Transformation Realm.

"Lady Dugu, this is our feud. Please do not interfere." The Jade Blood Yaksha's face was terrifyingly grim. His gills expanded, emitting white bubbles—a sign of anger.

"I'm not interested in the feud between you two, but he's now a passenger of the Dugu Clan. We must ensure his safety. If we can't ensure our passengers' safety, how will we stand firmly in the seas?" The woman's words won applause from the deck.

This was why they took the Dugu Clan's warship; some even waited up to a month. The sea was full of dangers, and the cost of the Dugu Clan's warship was nearly double that of ordinary ships, but they would ensure the safety of each passenger, the reputation built by the Dugu Clan.

The third lady had made herself clear that she wouldn't intervene in personal feud nor wage war with the sea demons for a human because it would be detrimental to the Dugu Clan's expansion plans.

This meant that as long as Liu Wuxie left the ship, the Dugu Clan would no longer be concerned about his safety.

The sea demons weren't stupid and possessed intelligence that was not inferior to humans. So, how could they not understand the meaning of the third lady's words?

They knew if they continued to act against Liu Wuxie, the Dugu Clan would have no choice but to intervene, and the battle would result in mutual destruction.

Even the emperor would disapprove of it if he were to know. The Dugu Clan and the Sea Emperor had long signed an agreement; the Sea Demon Clan wouldn't cause trouble for the Dugu Clan, and the Dugu Clan would provide a batch of resources annually as a toll fee.

The Dugu Clan had no choice but to deal with the Sea Emperor if they wanted long-term development in the sea. This was mutually beneficial. The Sea Demon Clan would gain resources, while the Dugu Clan could be spared from troubles.

The Dugu Clan made a lot of profit from their maritime business, and what they gave away was insignificant. This balance had been maintained for hundreds of years, and the Jade Blood Yaksha didn't have the guts to defy the Sea Emperor's will. Thus, despite his anger, he didn't dare to act against the Dugu Clan and could only bear it.

"Alright, since Lady Dugu has spoken, I will comply. The moment this boy disembarks from the Dugu Clan's ship, his life is forfeit." The Jade Blood Yaksha finally withdrew with his troops.

The surrounding swordfish also retreated, allowing the warship to resume its voyage. Everyone was still reflecting on the earlier battle, deeply impressed by how Liu Wuxie, in the Heavenly Dipper Realm, had managed to kill so many sea demons.

Everyone heading to the Blood Sea Abyssal Island was ruthless, and even they were shocked by Liu Wuxie's performance.

As the sea demons retreated, Liu Wuxie remained standing and did not look up, disliking the feeling of being looked down upon by others. The third lady's position on the ship forced everyone to look up at her, which irked Liu Wuxie.

It wasn't her he disliked, but her actions. The Dugu Clan could have intervened earlier to prevent the battle, but they waited until the last moment to make him owe them a favor.

From this very moment, Liu Wuxie regarded the Dugu Clan with disgust.

In a nutshell, it was like someone onshore who could have saved a drowning person but waited until the victim was about to drown before acting.

Liu Wuxie's cold gaze turned towards Jiang Gongming. Their facades had completely torn away. He had pretended to get along with Jiang Gongming on the journey because it was of no benefit to antagonize someone in the Astral River Realm.

After this incident, they both knew they wished for each other's death.

"Deacon Jiang, you have truly shown your true colors. Not only did you conspire with others to kill me, but you also resorted to despicable means, using the sea demons to try to get rid of me. It's a pity your plans failed."

Since their facades had been torn away, Liu Wuxie no longer felt the need to be courteous. He was confident that Jiang Gongming wouldn't act against him in front of so many witnesses and that Jiang Gongming's mission would be over once they arrived at Blood Sea Abyssal Island.

"Liu Wuxie, you haven't changed your demonic nature one bit. Not only did you violate the sect's rules, but you even dared to disrespect an elder. I will truthfully report today's events to the sect and ensure your stay on Blood Sea Abyssal Island is extended." Jiang Gongming looked indignant and pointed at Liu Wuxie, accusing him of spouting nonsense.

"The Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has declined in rankings because of garbage like you. I, Liu Wuxie, swear it'll be your death upon my return from the Blood Sea Abyssal Island!" Liu Wuxie raised his hand and vowed to kill Jiang Gongming.

Dark clouds suddenly covered the sky with rumbling lightning, as if Liu Wuxie's vow had been acknowledged, shocking many people. After all, given his ability, Jiang Gongming could have easily stopped the Jade Blood Yaksha today.

Jiang Gongming was in the second level of the Astral River Realm, while the Jade Blood Yaksha was only in the first; there was a drastic difference between their strength.

"I'm afraid you won't even be able to come back from the Blood Sea Abyssal Island alive!" Jiang Gongming naturally wouldn't be angry with Liu Wuxie because the latter was already a dead man in his eyes.

The Blood Sea Abyssal Island was fraught with peril, and with Liu Wuxie having offended the Jade Blood Yaksha, the Sea Demon Clan's vengeful nature promised further trouble.

"We'll see," Liu Wuxie said curtly, ignoring Jiang Gongming and choosing not to return to the cabin. He had no desire to share space with someone like him. Instead, he retreated to a secluded corner, tending to his wounds with the solitary resolve of a wounded wolf.

The world was filled with injustices and darkness, and strength was needed to carve out a path of light.

Lady Dugu hovered in the air and quietly observed their conversation with her brows furrowed. She regretted not intervening earlier to stop this farce.

Dark clouds had gathered when Liu Wuxie made the vow, and no one had ever caused such a reaction from the heavens with their vow. This meant that heaven recorded every word spoken by Liu Wuxie.

Such a person was either a madman or a monstrous genius. This simply meant he wasn't ordinary.