章 39: Chapter 39 Final Goodbye

"Speed up!" Mo Xiaowen hurried Black Flash, as they rode back to the site of the battle. 'Should I have just ran...should I really be coming back, but I can't leave that oaf to die!' Mo Xiaowen thought as they approached the blockade.

Passing the felled trees, blood was splattered everywhere, dismembered bodies everywhere. Normally Mo Xiaowen would be disgusted by such a sight, but at this moment his eyes focused on one man, Old Ox.

He was laying down in a pool of blood, clutching a piece of torn robe, his once mighty figure, was now like that of an old man.

Jumping off Black Flash, Mo Xiaowen rushed to his side. "Old Ox! Wake up! We have to go, you won!" The boy cried as he tried to wake up the man, to no avail.

"No, no, no, you're just sleeping like usual, right? Didn't I promise to pay for your meal when I reached the Qi Gathering Realm!? You can't die yet!" Mo Xiaowen tried to convince himself, but he knew it was too late. Tears began to stream from his eyes as he fell to his knees.

Black Flash walked beside him and lowered his head in sorrow. "H-Help me bury him." Mo Xiaowen asked the horse. The two then began to dig a hole, as deep as they could before Mo Xiaowen wen to Old Ox's corpse.

'He's holding onto it even after death.... what is it?' Noticing the torn piece of robe, he carefully pulled it out of Old Ox's grasp. Reading it only caused him to feel even deeper sorrow.

"Dear Mo Xiaowen, I am dead. Don't blame yourself, it was my decision to fight them. I can't explain everything here since I've lost too much blood. Under my bed you'll find my final request. I am sorry I can't be there to see you reach Qi Gathering, but I know you can do it. Up until now you could rely on me but now you need to rely on yourself. Stand strong Mo Xiaowen, you're the best Junior Brother I could've asked for."

Finished reading Old Ox's final words, Mo Xiaowen wiped his tears before carefully putting the piece of robe away. 'He was never good with words.' The boy chuckled inwardly. 'I need to rely on myself now....and his final request, no matter what it is I'll fulfill it.'

With that thought, the boy lifted the man's corpse before carefully placing it in the hole. The boy and horse then filled up the hole, burying Old Ox. 'What about his axe....' Mo Xiaowen thought before finishing up the grave.

A few minutes later they left the gravesite, a stone marking it with the words, "Here lies Old Ox, He could topple Mountains with a Swing of his Mighty Axe"

---

Mo Xiaowen was now travelling through the Verdant Forest atop Black Flash, the two rushing towards the exit. 'Staying here any longer is a death sentence.....but one day I will have my revenge.' He thought vengefully before looking back at the axe.

Naturally Old Ox's actual killers were dead, but whoever sent them to cause chaos in the Verdant Forest was also equally responsible.

After running the rest of the day, and most of the night, Mo Xiaowen and Black Flash escaped the Verdant Forest, and headed back to the Demonic Cliff Sect.

A day after they returned the Demonic Cliff Sect sent the Inner Disciples to clean up the remaining bandits and defectors. The entire forest was soaked in blood and it was determined that this wasn't any simple bandit attack.

---

Inside the Elder Hall, the Head Elder and 6 of the other Elders were present, but there was an extra person sat atop the highest seat. He was a middle-aged man, dressed in plain grey robes. Stubble covered his face, making him look a bit unkept.

"What are your thoughts, Sect Master?" The Head Elder asked the unkept man. Hearing this the unkept man had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I'd have to consult the King, but its pretty clear, the Glistening Sand Kingdom wants a war." After much thought he gave his opinion. "Otherwise they wouldn't have sent Qi Gathering Realm Killers. Didn't they even kill that odd one?" The Sect Master asked.

"You mean Old Ox? The strongest man in Body Tempering, right?" The Head Elder replied.

"Yes him......they probably aren't going to attack very soon, otherwise that Old Ox wouldn't have been a target. No matter how strong he is, well was, he couldn't contend with those at the 5th Stage or higher no matter how strong his Body was. Meaning they feared his future power.

Reinforcing this even further is, why bother taking out our younger disciples? If they wanted a war next year, the year after, or even the year after that, their efforts would have no effect." The Sect Master concluded.

"So we have about 5 years is what you're saying?" One of the Elders asked.

"There's no way to know for sure, but if I had to bet, yes." The Sect Master answered lazily. "If that is all I'll be going back. I am sure you youngins can handle this without me." He continued before getting off his seat and leaving.

This left quite the comical sight, after all he looked much younger in comparison to the Elders. "Haizz, he always does this." One of them sighed.

"It doesn't matter we have other issues to discuss anyway." The Head Elder declared before changing the topic.

Outside the Elder Hall, the Sect Master who had just left, disappeared before reappearing at a small shack. It was at the highest point of the Sect and overlooked the cliff and sea below.

"Cough." He coughed lightly a trickle of blood seeping out from his lips. "I can never catch a break." The Sect Master sighed, before a fishing rod appeared in his hands. The middle aged man then began fishing from atop the Demonic Cliff.