"Brother Wu, it's me, you don't need to worry!"
Mu Jinyu was afraid they would leave here and then run into other pursuit teams, making their situation even more dangerous, so he quickly flashed and blocked their path, shouting again.
This time, Wu Zhiming not only found Mu Jinyu's voice very familiar but also clearly understood his words.
Seeing Mu Jinyu's face again, a hint of surprise appeared on his own.
"Brother Mu, you… you're okay…"
The other two heard Wu Zhiming's words and realized that the person in front of them was indeed Mu Jinyu, the culprit they believed to be responsible for their current predicament.
They also stopped in their tracks, looking at Mu Jinyu with very complicated expressions.
There was resentment, pain, helplessness, and admiration…
For the one they thought had caused their situation, naturally, there was a bit of hatred in their hearts.
But they were clear-minded people, understanding well that Mu Jinyu couldn't be blamed for the destruction of Demon Slaying City and their being hunted. After all, Mu Jinyu had hardly interacted with them.
In contrast, if it hadn't been for Mu Jinyu, Demon Slaying City would have already been overrun by beast tides some time ago.
So, their complex gaze towards Mu Jinyu also bore a bit of admiration.
They all understood that the ones they should hate were Mu Jinyu's enemies, those towering figures who, unable to find Mu Jinyu, vented their fury on unrelated people from powerful factions.
These people are the ones truly deserving of death.
When Mu Jinyu and Wu Zhiming reunited, they talked for a while. Mu Jinyu explained why, during the ten days while the Heavenly Sword Faction was being attacked and those related to him were being pursued, he hadn't made any moves.
"I see now, so you went to the Northern Regions and Plains, unaware of these things happening. I thought Brother Mu wasn't one for self-preservation alone. I was wondering why you remained inactive for so long…"
Wu Zhiming sighed.
"I'm sorry, I really didn't know they would go so far as to hunt unrelated people. I'm truly sorry to you all."
Mu Jinyu's face showed guilt and self-reproach as he spoke in a pained tone.
Though these people being hunted didn't have much of a relationship with him, and some of them he hadn't even met, he was not stone-hearted. His heart was still made of flesh, and he could not feel nothing as these people were indirectly harmed because of him.
"Brother Mu, you don't need to blame yourself, it's not your fault. I know the process of your conflict with them. You are in the right here; it's just that they want to bully through their power."
Wu Zhiming shook his head and sighed, "When you went to Wu Family for revenge, you only killed those elders who called for your head the loudest and spared the younger generation disciples. I understand your intention was to deter those who were eager for conflict but had shallow grudges with you. You didn't want to wipe them out entirely. But even though you held back, they didn't think you were qualified to negotiate with them. Instead, they're massacring everyone you've come into contact with..."
Saying this, Wu Zhiming looked at Mu Jinyu with teary eyes, speaking sincerely, "The City Lord and those friends who fought alongside us, they're all dead. If you encounter them, I hope you won't hold back anymore. Kill all these criminals, to comfort the spirits of the fallen!"
"I will!" Mu Jinyu nodded heavily, gritting his teeth unconsciously, "My coming here isn't just to see how Demon Slaying City is doing, but also to get revenge on the Divine Formation Sect!"
"The Divine Formation Sect?" Wu Zhiming nodded slightly upon hearing Mu Jinyu's words, "Were the ones chasing us from the Divine Formation Sect?"
Hidden Sects are called so because, except for forces at their level, their details are mostly unknown to others.
Although Wu Zhiming was a National Scholar of Wu Kingdom and had remarkable talent, he lacked a strong backing, hence knew little about Hidden Sects and Super Clans.
So being pursued by them, he was always furious but couldn't figure out who they really were. He thought they were people from the Wu Family in the Central Domain.
"Brother Mu, if you're going for revenge against the Divine Formation Sect, take me with you!"
Learning that those who chased him were from the Divine Formation Sect and that Mu Jinyu was going after them, Wu Zhiming hastily said.
"Count us in as well, I've long wanted to crush their heads!"
The other two also gritted their teeth in agreement with Wu Zhiming.
They wanted to follow Mu Jinyu, hoping to take down those rouges, even if they couldn't, watching the main culprits die at Mu Jinyu's hands would be satisfying.
"No." Without hesitation, Mu Jinyu directly refused, "It's too dangerous. My previous ability to break through the Wu Family was due to the power of the Heavenly Tribulation. Now, I haven't reached the Peak of the First Layer of Unity Realm Stage. Even undergoing the Second Layer Tribulation to progress a minor realm doesn't compare to the cross-regional Heavenly Tribulation of major realms; I fear it won't do much harm to the Divine Formation Sect, so it's best if you don't come."
Under Mu Jinyu's persuasion, Wu Zhiming and the others eventually gave up on joining him.
Afterward, Mu Jinyu helped them change their appearances, advising them to leave Wu Kingdom. With their new identities, they wouldn't be pursued anymore unless the Divine Formation Sect and the Wu Family went mad and slaughtered everyone.
Or, if they chose not to leave, they could hide temporarily until he dealt with the Wu Family and the Divine Formation Sect, those who were hell-bent on opposing him, and then they could move freely once again.
The three finally decided against leaving Wu Kingdom, opting to find a place to hide and wait for good news from Mu Jinyu.
Mu Jinyu watched them leave, then turned to Wen Rou and Jian Ruyan, saying, "You both should find a place to hide too."
"Little Mu, I..."
Wen Rou instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Mu Jinyu's serious eyes, she ended up biting her lip and agreeing.
Knowing that the Divine Formation Sect is not like the Wu Family, their proficiency in formations is high. A sect like this naturally has an incredibly strong Mountain-Protecting Array that is not easily shaken.
Mu Jinyu intended to attack the Divine Formation Sect while their people were attacking the Heavenly Sword Faction, which was still very dangerous. Once caught in their Killing Formation, although he has reached the Unity Realm Stage, he might not have enough power to protect her and Jian Ruyan.
Although Wen Rou didn't want Mu Jinyu to take risks, preferring to face them together even, she knew she would be a burden, unable to help Mu Jinyu and only distracting him. In the end, she suppressed her reluctance and agreed.
Finally, Mu Jinyu found a nearby cave for Wen Rou and Jian Ruyan to stay in. He sealed the entrance and set up many forbidden formations outside, making it impossible for anyone to detect their presence, before softly sighing and leaving.