I Am Supreme

At the other end of the forest, involuntary gasps could be heard shattering the silence. There was movement behind Kong Luoyue as well, sounds of successive heaving and vomiting.

The involuntary gasps had come, undoubtedly, from the remaining schools. Did they not pick a man of straw to step over? Why did it seem like they had encountered a man of steel instead? Help was certainly required!

As for the successive heaving and vomiting, the sounds came from Kong Luoyue’s disciples. Prodigious and resilient as they were, they were still children after all; innocent and unjaded, the martial world combat and casualties were not part of their common experience prior to this – what was more, a scene saturated with crimson that saw blood with each blow.

Blood was all they suddenly saw, the copper stench filling their noses. Who could take it? All the young boys and girls had turned pale, without exception.

‘When the master said that he was going to show us the martial world, did he mean to let us watch a massacre?’

‘Blood everywhere and life and death only a matter of an instant?’

“The law of the martial world, the survival of the fittest!”

Kong Luoyue looked ruthless, the Stealth Marker in his hands gleaming as cruelly as he did. He spoke faintly, “The Black Tiger Sect came to challenge us and I’ve killed all of them. The martial world grudge ends here. Pupils, go and fetch me their heads!”

All ten boys and girls were stunned. Their gazes froze. They had to behead the dead men? Must they be so inhumane?

“I’ll count to ten. Anyone who fails to do it shall be chased out of the Residence of Nine Supremes on this very day!” Kong Luoyue announced and began to count, “One, two, three, four…”

There was no pause in his countdown, no mercy given.

The children were still in shock, but there was no room for further consideration as a jolt sparked within them. With a yowl, they bolted out as a group.

Someone from the forest spoke up fiercely, “The martial world grudge ends with death. Why are you mutilating their corpses? Kong Luoyue, don’t go overboard!”

Kong Luoyue remained stoic as he continued counting. “Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Stop!”

When Kong Luoyue said stop, it was just as the last little girl severed the neck of a Back Tiger Sect member and stood up, holding his head. Her guileless face was completely drained of color as she trembled like a leaf; her fist, however, clenched onto the head, refusing to let go despite the gusting wind.

Her grip was clasped tight. Her lips pressed together as if she would bawl at any time.

Kong Luoyue’s eyes landed on the girl like a hawk but he said nothing.

Other than the little girl, the rest of his disciples were all holding onto a head each. Their faces were as pale as sheets and they were all shaking similarly, not doing any better than the girl.

The small girl clutched the head in her trembling hands, suddenly running over and crying out, “Master, I – I didn’t exceed the count of ten…”

Kong Luoyue maintained a straight face, not moved by the child’s cry, and kept mum.

The young girl sprinted to Kong Luoyue only to be intercepted by a chilling flash that was fast approaching. A crescent-like scimitar appeared in the air, aimed at the girl’s neck with brimming killing intent.

Kong Luoyue kept watching coldly, not moving a finger.

The girl was about to run behind Kong Luoyue, but it was within that small window of brushing past him that the dagger flying from the forest took its chance to make an ambush.

In truth, the attack was unexpected, but Kong Luoyue could have deflected the blade easily with his current cultivation base. Instead, he stayed rooted with a straight face, coldly watching the ambush take place.

The small girl was still sprinting, but she was about to be killed by the flying blade. Kong Luoyue watched, on unmoved.

Clang!

A crisp noise – a sword – had blocked the lethal blade in its path during this critical moment. Then, a loud yelp followed.

It was a boy, just thirteen or fourteen years old and one of Kong Luoyue’s ten disciples who had stepped forward and blocked the blade with the sword in his hand, saving the girl. However, he was overwhelmed by the forceful ricochet on the scimitar, so much so that not only did the force crush the young boy’s sword, it traveled into his body and devoured his meridians.

With an agonized bark, the boy involuntarily shuddered before spitting three mouthfuls of blood and fell onto the ground.

“Senior brother Bai!”

The small girl shook, disbelief pouring from her gaze as she shrieked with tears running down her face.

It was when the boy collapsed that Kong Luoyue extended his arms to catch him.

His eyes scanned his pupils sternly. “Feel bad now? Won’t you feel bad when you watch your brothers being killed by others then?”

The remaining disciples flushed, whether from shame or guilt, it was unknown.

Kong Luoyue’s emotionless voice rang in their ears.

“This – is the martial world!”

“If I live, my enemy dies!”

“If my enemy doesn’t die, I do!”

Kong Luoyue carried the unconscious boy and announced faintly, “Let’s go!”

“Master!” The nine pupils shook themselves again, raising their heads and looking disbelievingly at Kong Luoyue; a few of them crying out.

The other party had ambushed their junior sister and had caused their senior brother to be severely injured, life and death undecided, and their master was about to leave without a care?

Kong Luoyue replied cruelly, “Revenge? You fellows are not up to it. Your performance just now was severely weak and cowardly. The sect has asked us to return. What follows does not concern us anymore.”

“Feel the hurt now? What were you doing earlier? Follow me back! Or do all of you want me to count again?”

Kong Luoyue ushered the nine disciples back mercilessly while carrying the wounded boy. The small girl who had returned last was drowning in her own tears as she made her way over speedily and asked, “Master, how is Senior Brother Bai?”

Kong Luoyue answered distantly, “What can you do about it? If you’d completed your task earlier, will you be asking how your senior brother is doing now? What will words that don’t help do?”

He turned to look at the girl, his tone icy like the snow. “If you don’t want anything to happen to your senior brothers in the future, behead your enemy as soon as you can! Remember!”

“I remember, master!” The girl looked stunned.

“Go back!”

“Master, we want revenge!”

“Your actions have forfeited you the right for revenge!” Kong Luoyue said, “The only thing all of you have to do now is to follow me back and stop spewing nonsense.”

Shi Bujia’s voice came from the Residence of Nine Supremes then. “Who dares challenge the Residence of Nine Supremes? Who dares to hurt my junior nephew? Come out, and be prepared for your death!”