Duncan stood before the ruined wreck with complicated emotions in his heart.
This was Starsinger Town.
The town he grew up in. Even though he didn't have much attachment to this town in general, his heart couldn't help but wince seeing the devastation laid out before him. Anger, sorrow, and grief mixed up in his heart, making it heavy.
When he stepped outside of the Starsinger Town one year ago, Duncan didn't think he would never see it again. His life in this town wasn't anything majestic or heartwarming, but this town had been his home.
To see it become a ruin like this, Duncan felt an undescribable irritation in his heart. Duncan knew that in this world, entire villages being exterminated overnight wasn't a rare scene. Even kingdoms fall overnight, let alone a small town like Starsinger Town.
But, that didn't mean it didn't affect him. Ever since he became a cultivator, he had never felt such a complicated feeling in his heart. This town wasn't the paradise where he grew up loved. He was an orphan and a spirit stone miner, what was there to talk about love? There was only suffering in his past.
Duncan knew that claiming he loved this town and the people in it will only be self-deceiving. Duncan didn't feel much towards the town in general. However, regardless of all this, it had been his home for seventeen years. To see it all vanish like this, didn't make him comfortable either.
As for the sorrow and anger, the only person in this entire town who could elicit such feelings in him was Granny Jiao. Granny Jiao was the only one who showed him even an ounce of compassion. She was the only one whom he missed in this entire town.
Even Bessa wasn't an exception to it. He may have given his virginity to Bessa at the tender age of fifteen, but his relationship with her wasn't that deep. The Fallen Leaves Bar in its entirety was just a place for him to socialize. At most, it was on par with the town in his heart. But, that's it.
It was Granny Jiao that Duncan missed. It was Granny Jiao's death that made Duncan a little angry. Looking at the ruins in front of him, Duncan didn't know what he should feel.
Was he going to take revenge on the people responsible? Sure. He had already decided to do it. But, his impetus to take revenge wasn't that strong. It was just a reaction to what happened here. The desire wasn't something burning. If not for Granny Jiao, even this desire wouldn't have been sustained for almost a year.
Duncan stood staring blankly at the ruin trying to sort out his emotions clearly. His hand unconsciously fell on the sword he was carrying. As he stood there trying to sort his emotions, a huge crater fell into his eyes.
Duncan stared at the crater blankly. He knew what that place was. It was where the spirit stone mine had been located. From the looks of it, it is clear that the explosion had radiated outwards with it as the center. The attack had landed on the spirit stone mine causing it to explode and in turn, wipe out the entire town.
Duncan frowned as he realized that it wasn't exactly the cultivators who were careless, but it was because of the explosion of this spirit stone mine that the town was destroyed. Was it because of a stray attack? Or was it intentional? Duncan didn't know and didn't care either.
None of this mattered. The Starsinger Town was gone and as the last survivor of the town he had to live with it. Taking one last look at the crater, Duncan closed his eyes and stabilized his mind.
His journey to the ruin of the Starsinger Town this time was on a whim. His initial destination had been the Starmist City where the Wang Clan was located. But, as he made his way out of the Grasslands, Duncan felt like visiting his former home. So, he followed that whim and came here.
And it was good that he came here. Right now, his mind had been stabilized. He knew himself well after facing this ruin. He wasn't fooling himself with some desire to revenge anymore.
ραndαsΝοvεl.cοm Maybe he was a bit heartless. But, it didn't matter. Right now, he only had one thing on his mind. Exterminate the Wang Clan and establish a legendary foundation. As for other matters, he didn't care about them much.
As for his journey away from the sect this time…
If he was being honest with himself, Duncan would readily admit that he was feeling apprehensive at the moment. His apprehension wasn't about the strength of the Wang Clan or any other matter. It was because of the atmosphere in the sect at this moment.
When he had gone to his master to seek permission to head out and experience the world, his master had been rather happy to let him go. He didn't even ask him much about his intended destination or his reasons. He had simply sent him off with a few essential pill bottles and a smile on his face.
His master's smile made Duncan a little bit uncomfortable. It was as if his master knew about something that he didn't know. The smile his master sent him off with wasn't a farewell smile or a good wish smile. It was a smile full of meaning. Duncan didn't know how to describe it.
The atmosphere in the sect had become very subtle in the past one month. Ever since he came back from the Grotto Heaven, Duncan felt as if the sect was on the verge of a bloodbath. There seemed to be some sort of undercurrent flowing through the sect that he wasn't privy to. It made Duncan's hair stand on edge.
Something wasn't right!
Even for a demonic sect, the atmosphere in the sect was wrong. It was as if everything was on tinders and only needed a spark. He didn't know where the spark would come from, but he knew that when it comes there will be a bloodbath in the sect.
The Sect Master and his master currently had the support of most of the disciples. On the other hand, the elders and a few disciples were looking at them with worry and anger in their eyes.
Duncan didn't know the reason for it. But, from what he heard from others, it was clear that the Sect Master and his master wanted to showcase their power to the outside world. But, the elders had been against it for some time now.
His master happily sending him off at this time without even questioning what he was going to do, didn't sit well with Duncan. There was something fishy in it. He himself knew why he came out. And his actions would be anything but peaceful.
Did his master know of his intentions? If so, how? If he knew, shouldn't he prevent Duncan from heading out? Considering the situation in the sect, his actions would be in line with what the Sect Master and his master wanted to do. Is that why his master didn't forbid him from leaving? In that case, was his master using him to light the tinder?
Duncan felt that things weren't that simple. There was something else in the works. He was worried that he would become an unwitting pawn in his master's hands. He still remembered his master's look when he came out of the Grotto Heaven alive. So, he was worried about his master's intentions toward him.
But, he needed to do this. And he needed to do this quickly.
This was for establishing a firm foundation in his cultivation path. If it was just for revenge, Duncan wouldn't mind waiting for a while. But, he couldn't afford such delays when it came to his cultivation path. He was already lagging behind most disciples of his generation in the sect.
His identity as the direct disciple will only give him leeway for a while. Right now, people are waiting for him to slip up. His performance so far had been good enough that no one had come to trouble him yet.
Even if he was the direct disciple of the Vice-Sect Master of the sect, that identity would only give him leeway to a certain extent. Right now, his master was favoring him due to his rapid progress in cultivation.
But, if he delayed his cultivation path or became less useless to his master, Duncan knew his master's favor would run out. It would mean that he would become a salivating target for others in the sect.
Duncan also knew that his master's favor was like a double-edged sword. The more he was favored, the more he would be envied. And one day, this favor would end. Duncan was clear about his master's personality. A man like his master wouldn't favor someone who isn't useful. He knew that much at least.
And when this favor runs out, if his strength wasn't upto par, he would be living a life of a dog in the sect. None of his Senior Brothers were fuel-efficient lamps. They would pounce on him the moment his master's favor ended. When that happens, without sufficient personal strength, Duncan knew he would be in trouble.
So, whether it was to increase his personal strength or to be in his master's favor, Duncan knew that his decision to exterminate the Wang Clan was the right one. His master may have ulterior motives while sending him out. But, so what?
As long as he was useful, his master would protect him.
So, Duncan let go of all the distracting thoughts that were bouncing around in his head and took a deep breath.
"Power, it is all about power. And the Wang Clan will be the first sacrifice on my road to power," Duncan muttered softly.
At that moment, the aura around his body slightly changed into something more mysterious. Taking one last look at the town that was now a ruin, Duncan turned around and started walking in the direction of Starmist City.
*****
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