THE SYSTEM IS NOT MINE

”You must be the infamous Mutai,” Elder Han observed the muscled man sitting beside the campfire, a giant axe resting beside him.

”Yes, I am.” Mutai tore a piece of meat from the bone as he stood up. Sand slid slowly from his red clothes, and his figure brought a heavy presence to the atmosphere.

”I really underestimated Chu Feng,” Elder Han said.

”It was not Sir Chu Feng.” Mutai chewed slowly, then swallowed before continuing. ”He didn’t know the biggest battle happened at this wagon. It was just my hunch that the people who died here were important.”

”So I underestimated Chu Feng’s people. A much bigger mistake on my part,” Elder Han said.

Meanwhile, Gua Zen’s eyes wandered. Next to the lifeless Nira, Theon had fallen, his head barely attached to his body. The wound on his neck was clearly from an axe.

Then Gua Zen turned toward Mutai and pointed his sword. ”Where is Hwai Za?”

”I tried to chase her, but she escaped.” Mutai wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

”So she is alive?” Hearing that she had escaped, Gua Zen lowered his sword.

”Sadly, yes.”

But Gua Zen and Elder Han did not drop their guard. Elder Han kept his hand on the sheath of his sword, ready to unsheathe it at any moment.

”Don’t be agitated. I am not here to fight.” Mutai tossed the bone aside and watched them.

”I am here to convey a message from Sir Chu Feng. He handed it to me just in case I met the wise people who backed off from chasing the green liquid.”

He paused.

”The green liquid makers have not completed their work yet. The one in the market is the initial successful product. The experiment is still ongoing.”

”Sir Chu Feng believes there is someone behind everything. He believes that even the makers, the distributors, and the buyers are under the palm of the mysterious man.”

Elder Han, Gua Zen, and Zuzu exchanged glances. Then Elder Han asked, ”So what does he want from us?”

”Nothing.” Mutai turned the remaining meat over the fire. ”He just wants you to be aware before being greedy.”

Elder Han clenched his fists. ”What else?”

”That’s it.” Mutai did not look up.

”Mutai, I understand. And can you fulfill my selfish request?” Elder Han stepped forward and bowed.

”What’s it?”

”Can we spar?” Elder Han met Mutai’s eyes.

”Elder, let me go first.” Gua Zen cupped his hands. ”I never liked Theon, but he still killed him. The dignity of my Iron Hood Sect should not be trampled by a nobody.”

Mutai and Elder Han glanced at him.

After a moment of silence, Mutai stood, picked up the axe, and rolled his shoulders.

Then the campfire jumped, and Mutai was already in front of Gua Zen.

Gua Zen’s sword erupted with wind qi as the axe slammed into it, pushing him back into the dark woods.

Then Mutai’s axe moved sideways, aiming at Elder Han.

Wind erupted around the elder as the axe came down at him and collided with his sword. The ground beneath Elder Han’s feet turned mushy as he slid two steps back and hit one of the dead bodies lying around.

“How about I spar with both of you at once?” Mutai said as his axe collided with Elder Han’s sword.

“You are very arrogant,” Elder Han replied as the wind around him rotated and blasted out, pushing Mutai ten steps backwards and sending Zuzu and the dead bodies flying.

Then Elder Han leapt into the sky, and his sword descended through the air, pointed towards Mutai. A crescent-shaped wind cutter came out of the sword. It arrived at Mutai in no time.

Mutai raised his axe and met the crescent with his ground-reinforced axe. The dust from below blew up. Right at that moment, a wind came from the dark woods and instantly hit Mutai before the dust could settle.

Mutai was pushed back as Gua Zen’s sword collided with the axe. Gua Zen was in the air, with wind all around him as he flew.

From above, air cutters arrived. Mutai looked up and saw two of them already above his head.

Mutai closed his eyes and abandoned his axe. Ground qi was now completely focused on his body. He lifted his hand, caught Gua Zen’s sword, and then threw him to the side.

The air cutters hit Mutai, pushing him into the woods.

Elder Han stared at the woods where Mutai had disappeared. It did not take long before Mutai’s figure jumped towards him from the woods, and then his sword collided with Mutai’s punch.

Elder Han was thrown downwards towards the other side of the woods.

Mutai then dropped to the ground as the dust rose beneath him. His forehead had two small cuts that were bleeding.

Then two winds simultaneously came at Mutai from different sides.

Mutai lifted his hands and caught the swords of Elder Han and Gua Zen on either side. The ground beneath him absorbed the impact and cracked. Then he pulled his hands together, causing Elder Han and Gua Zen to collide with each other. Wind burst out, sending both of them flying to the sides while Mutai still held their swords.

Mutai then threw the swords far away.

Elder Han leapt again and threw a wind-reinforced punch. Mutai caught it as he sent the impact into the ground through his ground qi.

Immediately, Mutai kicked Elder Han. Elder Han defended himself with wind around him, but he was still thrown away.

Gua Zen instantly followed and threw a punch from the other side. Mutai caught his fist and pulled him closer before kicking him in the stomach.

Gua Zen defended himself with wind qi but still felt the impact as he howled in pain.

Elder Han arrived again with another punch, and it hit Mutai in the face. The wind punch tilted Mutai’s face only slightly.

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Gua Zen erupted with wind qi.

Right then, the campfire went out.

The surroundings turned dark.

“Fellow Daoists, I think we should stop,” Elder Han suggested.

“Okay,” Mutai said as he stopped and pulled Gua Zen up, straightening him.

“Can we light the campfire?” Zuzu’s voice sounded somewhere in the darkness.

“Mutai, can we?” Elder Han asked.

“We have to get some rocks and wood first,” Mutai said as he moved and began searching for suitable rocks.

“I have wood,” Zuzu said as she moved in the darkness. “Could you tell me where you are? I will come.”

“Here,” Elder Han said.

Zuzu slowly and carefully moved towards the voice.

Somehow, they all gathered together, and a second campfire was lit. Mutai pulled out the boar, roasted it.

And Gua Zen went around and gathered the bodies of Theon and Nira and placed them together a few metres away from the camp fire.

At the same time, in Trade Miller City,

Chu Feng came onto the road, and his men went around knocking on each and every home.

Hua Fain also reached one of the homes and knocked.

“I know you are all afraid, but we are not killing innocents. We are only purging those who wish to harm us. Please rest assured that Sir Chu Feng will never harm the innocent.”

Hua Fain did not get any reply. He continued onto the subsequent houses.

“So believable? You are a monster who kills people. Go away! My daughter is scared,” a man shouted after opening the door.

Hua Fain did not react and left. While walking away, he stared at his palm, opening and closing his fingers.

Monster?

He had been called that many times, ever since childhood.

A random priest of the God of Souls called him a child of the devil because he was born with a mole above his spine. Ever since that day, his parents stopped being affectionate towards him.

When he fought off a bully to save his friends, his parents called him a monster.

Then he met Sir Chu Feng, who personally came to his home in search of that random sham and assured his parents that there was no such thing as the devil’s child.

But his parents were more inclined to believe the sham, and then he decided to leave them and go with Chu Feng, where he was not called a devil’s child or a monster.

He still remembered the last moment clearly.

Chu Feng had said, “I am sorry! I tried my best, but I couldn’t change their minds. Come with me. Staying here is not good for you.”

Hua Fain then looked at his parents one last time.

“Yes, go away, you monster. I regret giving birth to you that day,” his mother said.

His father did not even look at him.

Hua Fain then turned to Chu Feng. He was still a child who wanted the affection of his parents, but what he got was rejection.

With tears in his eyes, he stepped forward and never went back since then.

”Sir Hua Fain,”

”Sir Hua Fain,”

Hua Fain came back his senses and looked at the red clothed guy calling him off.

”Are you alright? ” He asked.

”Yes,” Hua Fain said, ”Tian Che, Why are you referring me as sir, Aren’t you used to call be Brother Hua, ”

”Sir Hua Fain...how can I keep calling you Brother after you have shown your might, ” Tian Che said.

”Stop calling me sir, that’s weird. Just because I am strong does not mean I am not your Brother Hua.” Hua Fain patted Tian Che on his back.

The men of Chu Feng continued to reassure the city.

After some time, everyone gathered at the crater. Chu Feng stood in front of the dead body of Executioner Mo.

Behind him, Hua Fain, Hai Mazi, and the others stood. Some men in red clothes carried fire torches.

“We have won, but the cost was enormous.”

“We have lost our comrades, Jian, Klein, Trent, Kimichi,...” Chu Feng recited a bunch of names.

”Are currently missing, I presume that they are no longer with us.” Chu Feng said and hasn’t uttered any word for two minutes after that.

”They might be somewhere currently rotting away, tomorrow we will get our heroes back.”

“I wish we could hold the funeral in their hometowns or Ebonreach, where most of them are from,”

”Their bodies might have already begun to rot away, it would be an insult to the dead if we wait any more,”

”We will go out tomorrow and bring our heroes back, are you with me? ” Chu Feng asked.

”Yes, ” The red clothes men replied in unison.

The night passed.

The next morning, at the camp,

Gua Zen woke up only to see Elder Han chopping wood.

“Where is Mutai?”

“He left,” Elder Han said as he chopped wood.

Gua Zen put his hand on his chin and pondered, then he heard grass move, and noticed a silhouette coming out from. Within, ”Aren’t you Nua?”

”Yes, Gua Zen”

”Do you know where is my sister Nira?”

Gua Zen did not reply immediately, he looked at the place where he placed Theon and Nira’s bodies.

Nua looked over, ”No..” she uttered as she rushed towards the body of the woman with white hair.

Meanwhile, Chu Feng’s forces spread out. They went out with empty wagons and brought back several dead bodies wearing red clothes.

The purge did not stop. The slum network continued to smell out people, hoping to find the cockroaches who had escaped.

The general public of the city still refused to come out.

By evening, multiple funeral processions moved out of the city towards the graveyard of Trade Miller City.

Chu Feng, Hai Mazi, and Hua Fain were walking along with the funeral procession towards the graveyard.

“Brother Hua, I missed you so much,” Hai Mazi said.

“I did not really think our little Hai Mazi would grow up to this day. Back then, when I heard you nominated yourself for the mission, I was surprised,” Hua Fain said.

“Brother, let’s talk about it later. It’s a funeral,” Hai Mazi reminded him.

Hua Fain then went silent.

“They were all good people…” Hua Fain said as he remembered the time he had spent with everyone.

“Yes, they were,” Chu Feng said.

“But their sacrifice was not in vain. They died for the greater good,” Chu Feng added as the funeral procession moved towards the graveyard.

After arriving at the graveyard, multiple tombs had been dug. Then the people were buried.

After burying them, Chu Feng took the stage and said,

“It’s a sad day for us.”

“Our brothers are dead.”

“They were brave and truly fine people who took up swords for the greater good.”

“They died protecting me and as part of my schemes. I am sorry. I am really sorry.”

“Some of them have families waiting back in Ebonreach. I can’t face their families.”

“But Saint Merchants will forever remember the heroes. I announce a house for the families they left behind, and three times their wages in silver every month.”

“Let’s mourn the deaths and the losses, but at the same time we should not forget that we have won, ” Chu Feng said.

”The victory is ours, and we have earned it.”

”And we have to celebrate it for us and for the departed souls, ”

”But not now, I will tell you the appropriate time.”

Chu Feng announced, and then afterwards began to return

After the funeral was completed, the sun had almost set as the procession returned.

They walked to the inn district of Trade Miller City.

With no mansion around, they were all staying in inns.

Chu Feng walked into the inn. After passing multiple doors, he arrived at his room and entered.

A bed, a table, and a couple of lanterns on the wooden floor—that was all it had.

Chu Feng sat on the bed and stared at the lanterns, seemingly in deep thought.

Knock!

Knock!

Hearing the knock on the door, Chu Feng stood up and opened it. Hua Fain stood outside and was waiting.

“Hua Fain, come inside,” Chu Feng said.

Hua Fain slowly took steps inside behind Chu Feng as Chu Feng sat on the bed.

“Why are you standing? Sit next to me,” Chu Feng said.

“Sir Chu Feng, how can I sit with you?” Hua Fain said as he stood straight.

“You brat! Stop pretending. Come and sit,” Chu Feng said.

“Haha… then I won’t mind,” Hua Fain said as he dropped the formalities and sat next to Chu Feng while keeping one leg over the other.

“Sir Chu Feng, why did you call for me?” Hua Fain asked as he looked at Chu Feng.

“Nothing! Just want to know if Mutai is back” Chu Feng replied.

“Yes, he was, just after the funeral,” Hua Fain said. “But he left immediately, saying that while on his way back, he saw some good and sturdy goats near Rochi Town. He said he is going to buy them for the celebration.”

“That kid. Why didn’t he meet me before leaving?” Chu Feng asked.

“Well, he is still upset about one of the enemies getting away from his hands. He said he can’t face you right now with the failure,” Hua Fain said.

“That brat should have met me first,” Chu Feng said.

“Haha, Sir Chu Feng, you know how he has always been. He will recover from the failure and meet you soon,” Hua Fain said.

“What about Shui? Did he wake up?” Chu Feng asked.

“Not yet. He is still burning with fever,” Hua Fain said, his face turning a bit sour.

“I still can’t believe that he went after the green liquid even after the warnings,” Hua Fain said.

“Ha… that kid is clever. I see your shadow in him, he is more similar to you than you realize, ”

”And he did something foolish, I did warn him about seeking the green liquid, still he went ahead,”

”But the most foolish one was the Executioner Mo,”

”He died for nothing.”

”I wish I could just inform him that liquid was important but not more important than his life.”

Chu Feng said.

”And we were about to destroy it anyway as it served its purpose.”

Hua Fain stayed silent.

Chu Feng also did not speak for a minute, and then said, “Let me know when Shui wakes up,”

“Yes, Sir Chu Feng. ” Hua Fain said, keeping his head down.

“Well, also take care of Hai Mazi. She had to go through a lot of things for the mission. I feel sorry for her,” Chu Feng said.

“No worries. Leave her to me,” Hua Fain said.

Then they chatted for a few more moments.

“Also, I am going to take a nap. Tell everyone outside not to disturb me until tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t worry, Sir. I will take care of it.”Hua Fain nodded, and walked out of the room.

Right after Hua Fain left the room, Chu Feng brought the finger towards his eyes as his eyes turned red and moisture gathered in his eyes. Chu Feng did not notice, but a pair of eyes emerged in the darkness and observed him.