The aftermath was far more brutal and bloody than he had imagined. Liu Buli, who thought he had grown accustomed to such scenes, still felt his heart pound with unease as he rewatched it.
As the last traitor was torn to shreds, Liu Buli finally rubbed his eyes and quietly asked Lu Wuming, who was already soaked in blood and stained a deep crimson, "Wuming, is it all done?"
It was a rhetorical question, of course.
But Liu Buli knew that as long as he heard his voice, Lu Wuming would snap out of his frenzied, blood-soaked state. So, even if it was unnecessary, the question at this moment was crucial.
Just as he expected, in the next second, Lu Wuming turned his head to look at him.
The madness in his eyes instantly receded. He offered Liu Buli a slight smile and said, "Shizun, it's all done. It's just a bit messy. Why don't you go back to the room and wait? Wuming will come find you once I'm cleaned up."
Despite his words, Liu Buli had no intention of leaving him alone.
Lu Wuming had anticipated this outcome. As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand. His claws retracted, transforming back into normal fingers. A mist appeared at his fingertips, a spiritual technique Liu Buli had taught him.
Watching Lu Wuming expertly use the spiritual technique to cleanse the surrounding bloodstains, Liu Buli felt a twitch at the corner of his mouth, his previously gentle expression faltering.
He recalled teaching Lu Wuming spiritual techniques, hoping he would use them to replace the brutality and madness of the Ghost Clan.
But what was this now?
Had the spiritual techniques completely devolved into mere battlefield cleaning spells?
Upon reaching this conclusion, Liu Buli felt his composure begin to crumble.
Fortunately, Lu Wuming cleaned up quickly, not making him wait too long. Once the surrounding bloodstains had vanished completely, Liu Buli continued, "Wuming, honestly, you prefer using your claws to these techniques, don't you?"
Lu Wuming nodded.
If he had used these methods before to make Liu Buli feel he was useful and not a burden, now, without that intense inferiority complex and fear, his understanding of the two techniques boiled down to a simple statement: "I just find it more convenient."
Hearing this answer, Liu Buli understood. Like him, Lu Wuming had finally let go of the past.
A slight smile touched Liu Buli's lips. "If you find it convenient, then use this method when you encounter danger in the future. However, when outsiders are present, it's best to continue using the spiritual techniques I taught you. While they might not be as convenient or effective, they won't attract unnecessary trouble."
Lu Wuming nodded in agreement.
In his understanding, he didn't really need to remember when to use which. Since Liu Buli was always by his side, using spiritual techniques wouldn't be an issue. When a switch was needed, Liu Buli would remind him, just like when they encountered the merfolk in the sea. He didn't need to overthink it.
With this conclusion, Lu Wuming unhesitatingly changed the subject. "Oh, right, Shizun, you said you came to pick me up. Are you not angry with me anymore?"
The moment he heard the question, Liu Buli's face instantly flushed red.
Whether he was angry or not was no longer important to him.
After all, he had a dream last night. In it, he had deeply reflected, and realized he bore undeniable responsibility for how things had become.
Given that, it was better to bring his "big dog" out of the Hall of Reflection.
After all, as the sect leader, he couldn't stay in the Hall of Reflection with Lu Wuming, could he?
Liu Buli tried to comfort himself internally. Facing Lu Wuming's question, he merely coughed lightly and said earnestly, "If I leave you here alone, you won't figure out what you did wrong. Therefore, I've decided to bring you back to my side, to guide you constantly, so that you will eventually learn from your mistakes."
Lu Wuming immediately broke into a radiant smile.
He didn't overthink things. As long as Liu Buli allowed him to stay by his side, he was already overjoyed.
He ran to Liu Buli's side as quickly as possible, intending to embrace him. However, upon seeing his blood-stained body, he stopped.
After a moment of hesitant pause, he sheepishly retracted his hands.
He was filthy now, and his rationality had not yet vanished. Knowing Liu Buli's fastidious nature, he naturally wouldn't insist on getting him dirty too.
However, his intentions were well-thought-out, but Liu Buli didn't give him the chance to distance himself.
Liu Buli reached out and directly embraced Lu Wuming, smiling as he said, "What are you hiding from? How many times have I told you, no matter what you've done, I will face it and bear it with you. In that case, it's just a bit of blood. If we both get stained, even if others see it, it will only look like you were helping me deal with traitors."
Lu Wuming froze as he spoke.
Then, he extended his arms and held Liu Buli tightly in his embrace.
The hug lasted a long time. It wasn't until Liu Buli was struggling to breathe from the pressure that he finally pushed Lu Wuming away and waved his hand, saying, "Let's go. First, let's clean ourselves up."
Lu Wuming immediately nodded obediently.
Following Liu Buli to the sect leader's private hot spring, Lu Wuming's eyes lit up. He said, "Shizun, it's been so long since we bathed together..."
Liu Buli instantly blushed and turned around to lightly hit Lu Wuming. Glaring, he said, "You've been in the Hall of Reflection for two days, and you haven't reflected on anything at all?"
"I have reflected," Lu Wuming replied quickly. "Shizun told me not to use those silks anymore, so I won't. But we are already married. It's only natural for me to desire Shizun's body. If I ever stopped desiring it, that would be the problem, wouldn't it?"
Lu Wuming spoke with such righteous conviction.
Liu Buli was momentarily speechless.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "Who taught you to say such things?"
"The books," Lu Wuming replied. "The books you bought for me, Shizun. They don't just talk about these things; they contain much more. Shizun, we haven't properly spent time together in two days. Now that we finally have the chance, don't you want to try everything?"