Lu Wuming's actions were swift.
By the time the dishes柳不离 (Liu Buli) had ordered were served, he had already returned to the restaurant. He walked to Lu Wuming's opposite and sat down with the fastest possible speed. Lu Wuming grinned and said, "Master, have you been waiting long?"
"Not really," 柳不离 shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he still asked, "Is it all cleaned up?"
"Cleaned up, guaranteed not a trace of the bodies will be found," Lu Wuming nodded, replying in a low voice that only the two of them could hear.
He glanced around again, hesitating, and asked, "Master, quite a few people saw this happen just now. So, perhaps..."
Before Lu Wuming could finish, 柳不离 lightly tapped his head.
Pursing his lips, Lu Wuming felt particularly wronged.
The phrase "cutting the weeds and removing the roots" was taught to him by his master. How could he, after diligently following his master's teachings, still be tapped on the head by him?
柳不离 handed Lu Wuming a pair of chopsticks, then picked up a piece of food and put it into his own mouth. After chewing a couple of times, he smiled and said, "Wuming, try this. The food tastes good."
Lu Wuming didn't understand why the topic had shifted so quickly, but since his master had said so, he obediently followed 柳不离's example and picked up a piece of food.
To be honest, the food did taste good.
However, Lu Wuming wasn't particularly attached to it; whether it was good or bad made little difference to him.
After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Master, should I learn how to cook this dish, so I can make it for you privately a few times when we get back?"
柳不离 smiled, "That's not necessary. While it's good, it uses too much oil. You probably won't want to eat it for a long time. When you crave the taste, we can come back for it again."
Lu Wuming suddenly felt enlightened. "So, Master, you're planning to spare the lives of the people in this establishment for the sake of this meal?"
柳不离's hand paused as he was picking up food. He felt a headache coming on.
What was going on with this foolish disciple's thought process?
Even if it had been a little off from the start, he had tried his best to correct it, but now, it seemed to be getting more and more skewed.
Pressing his forehead, 柳不离 slowly said, "Wuming, I teach you cultivation techniques, I teach you how to kill, and I teach you to be decisive in cutting the weeds and removing the roots, not for you to harm innocent civilians. I want you to kill those who deserve to be killed, those who have grudges, or those who actively seek death. The people from the Duan Tian Pavilion were purely seeking death, so I didn't stop you from killing them. But look at this shopkeeper. He has no cultivation. He's just an ordinary person who got caught up in it. From a certain perspective, he's also a victim. Why must you inflict further harm upon him?"
Lu Wuming frowned.
Indeed, he felt that his master's words had some merit. But the problem was, other people's lives had never been important to him. Not only that...
"If we don't kill him, and the people from Duan Tian Pavilion come looking for us, what if he tells them about us, wouldn't that..."
"Wouldn't that bring disaster upon us?" 柳不离 finished his sentence for him, then smiled and shook his head. He said, "I dared to let you act because I had already thought about how to bear the consequences. It's just a mere Duan Tian Pavilion. If they want to cause trouble, we don't need the Dan Sect; you and I can teach them a lesson. In that case, how can it be called disaster? Or perhaps, Wuming, you're actually afraid of them?"
The answer to the last question was definitively no.
柳不离 knew this in his heart, but he deliberately said it just to provoke Lu Wuming.
As expected, his slow-witted disciple immediately declared his fearlessness, stating that he didn't care about Duan Tian Pavilion, let alone gods or buddhas.
柳不离 laughed heartily, and finally stuffed a steamed bun into his hand. The two of them finally finished their meal in comfort.
After eating their fill, 柳不离 paid the bill and led Lu Wuming out of the restaurant. They hadn't walked a few steps when the shopkeeper quickly closed his shop, as if afraid that if he was any slower, his life might be forfeit.
Hearing the commotion behind them, 柳不离 glanced back, a smile of helplessness on his face.
Lu Wuming held his hand and asked him, "Master, are we going back to the Dan Sect now?"
"No, we're not," 柳不离 smiled and said, "We'll stay in this city. The young master of the Duan Tian Pavilion's leader was killed by you, so they should be coming for us soon. We'll wait here and deal with the matter before returning. It's not too late."
Lu Wuming was confused. "Wouldn't it be the same if we went back and fought them?"
柳不离 shook his head. "If we were to fight, their blood would stain my territory, and I would find it disgustingly dirty and difficult to clean. Moreover, our Grand Elder's cultivation is so poor. If we were to fight at home, I'm afraid it would frighten him, and something might happen to him. Then, if I wanted to go out and travel again, I'd have no one to manage things."