I got humbled

Shen Wu, now realizing the familial connection between Ling Ling and the War God, couldn't help but berate himself internally. "I should have known, they both have crimson hair..." His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp slap to the back of his head, eliciting a loud yelp from Shen Wu. "OWW! I SWEAR I'M GONNA GET A CONCUSSION!"

As Shen Wu recoiled from the blow, Master Gu swiftly intervened, squeezing the back of Shen Wu's neck with a firm grip that made him unable to move. Leaning down, Master Gu whispered sternly in Shen Wu's ear, "Kid, apologize to the War God... not even I can guarantee your safety if you anger him..." With that ominous warning delivered, Master Gu released his hold on Shen Wu's neck and gave him a light push forward.

Bitter about being slapped, Shen Wu narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the War God. However, he quickly composed himself and put on a polite smile. The War God observed Shen Wu's reaction with a scrutinizing gaze before turning to Ling Ling. "Does your master also treat you like that?" he inquired, his tone carrying a hint of concern.

Ling Ling sighed wearily before responding, "This is what he's like in front of you. Imagine what he's like on the nameless peak..." She glanced towards the distant peak where Master Gu had trained both her and Shen Wu, a flicker of apprehension crossing her features.

Shen Wu couldn't help but feel a surge of solidarity with Ling Ling. Despite their differences, they shared a common experience of Master Gu's demanding and often harsh training methods. With a newfound sense of respect for Ling Ling.

As Ling Ling's words pierced the air, Shen Wu's expression shifted from surprise to disbelief, then to simmering anger. "But I'm still far better than that weakling Shen Wu, he can't even use internal energy yet LOL..." Ling Ling's laughter only served to darken Shen Wu's mood further, his fists clenching at his sides. He felt a stab of betrayal at Ling Ling's callous dismissal of him.

Before Shen Wu could react, the War God turned his attention to him, asking, "So I'm guessing your name is Shen Wu?" Shen Wu opened his mouth to respond, but Ling Ling interjected eagerly, "Yeah! He's Shen Wu, my junior brother!"

The War God observed Shen Wu with a dissatisfied look, his disappointment palpable. With a scoff, he muttered, "Tch... The War God sect doesn't house weaklings." Shen Wu felt a wave of shame wash over him at the War God's words, his fists tightening even more.

Meanwhile, Master Gu's demeanor grew tense as he exchanged a tense glance with the War God. "I thought your conditions for taking in disciples were almost impossible, looks like you made a stupid mistake..." the War God remarked, his tone laced with disdain.

Master Gu narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of warning. "Oi, War God, don't you lecture me on my mistakes. This kid is my disciple, and it's none of your business what I do with him."

The War God's expression darkened, and he emitted a suffocating aura that made Shen Wu drop to his knees, gasping for breath. But before the oppressive energy could overwhelm him completely, Master Gu intervened with a swift chopping motion, dispersing the aura.

Shen Wu panted heavily, his chest heaving as bloody tears fell down his cheeks. He looked up at the War God, his eyes wide with terror, feeling utterly helpless in the presence of such overwhelming power.

As Shen Wu was suddenly pulled back by Master Gu, he skidded a few feet behind, feeling both relieved and bewildered by the abrupt turn of events. Master Gu, usually composed and collected, now wore an expression of annoyance unlike anything Shen Wu had ever seen from him.

Walking up to the War God, who towered over him, Master Gu's voice carried a sharp edge as he spoke, "You think I'm afraid of fighting you? Don't mistake respect for fear or one day you'll regret it."

The War God looked down at Master Gu, his gaze unwavering. "Perhaps I should be the one to teach you about mistakes and regret... do you perhaps remember that old friend of yours, and how your mistake killed him?" The mention of Master Gu's old friend caused a flicker of pain to cross his face, and Shen Wu could sense the tension in the air growing thicker by the second.

Master Gu's eyes widened in shock, and in an instant, he released an ungodly amount of blood-red aura that instantly made multiple people fall to their knees, as if being crushed by multiple times the normal gravity. His hair turned a deep shade of crimson, and his eyes transformed into pools of absolute blackness.

"How dare you speak of him!" Master Gu's voice thundered, echoing through the surroundings, even causing the War God to take a step back, surprised by the sudden surge of power.

"Stop it! Are you planning to do the same bloodshed as fifty years ago?!" the War God demanded firmly, his voice laced with urgency and concern.

Master Gu's aura began to recede, his hair returning to its natural black hue and his eyes back to their usual chestnut brown. With a heavy sigh, he looked at the War God, his voice calm but tinged with warning, "Don't talk about him ever again, unless you want exactly what happened fifty years ago to happen."

Shen Wu watched in awe and apprehension, realizing that there were depths to Master Gu's past that he had never even begun to comprehend. And in that moment, he understood that there were certain memories and wounds that should never be brought to the surface.

Master Gu walked back towards Shen Wu and grabbed him by the arm, lifting him up with a grin. "So, do you finally see how powerful your master is, kid?" he asked, his tone light with amusement.

Shen Wu, still reeling from the recent events, gave a thumbs up with a faint smile. "Yeah, dope," he replied casually.

Master Gu looked at Shen Wu with a hint of confusion. "Dope? What's dope?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Shen Wu wiped the remaining blood from his face and clarified, "Basically, your power is impressive."

Master Gu chuckled and patted Shen Wu on the back. "Let's go, we still have a disciple competition to get to... well, you get to," he remarked, gesturing for Shen Wu to follow.

"Yeah, alright," Shen Wu responded nonchalantly, though internally, he was still processing the intense encounter with the War God. "I've really been humbled, huh... perhaps from now on I better lay low," he mused to himself.

As Master Gu and Shen Wu walked past the War God, Ling Ling shouted, "Wait up!" and caught up to them. Shen Wu didn't spare Ling Ling a single look, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. "I thought we became closer, you know, like friends..." he murmured, his voice tinged with hurt.

Ling Ling looked towards Shen Wu apologetically. "Yeah... sorry... I was just teasing you... sorry," she apologized, her expression sincere.

Shen Wu sighed and looked away, feeling a mixture of frustration and resignation. "Whatever, just wait. I'll get so strong that even if Buddha were to descend, he wouldn't be my match," he declared defiantly.

Master Gu looked at Shen Wu with a hint of amusement. "Big dreams, huh... right now, you should be thinking about winning the disciple competition," he advised, his tone serious.

Shen Wu nodded confidently. "Yeah, no biggie," he replied, but then his expression shifted as he narrowed his eyes and glanced back at Master Gu.

"Hmm?" Master Gu raised an eyebrow in response to Shen Wu's sudden scrutiny.

Shen Wu hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "But you never taught me any martial arts!"

Master Gu's response was nonchalant. "Huh, so it appears I didn't," he remarked casually.

Shen Wu's mouth fell open in disbelief, and he glanced back ahead, feeling a mix of frustration and incredulity. "Just great," he muttered under his breath.

As Shen Wu gazed ahead, he saw a huge arena that eerily resembled the one he had once seen in Rome, but on a larger and more grandiose scale. Whistling in awe, Shen Wu remarked, "Damn, this do be looking kinda grand."

Ling Ling interrupted Shen Wu's admiration with a teasing comment. "Anyone ever tell you that you speak very oddly?" she remarked, her tone playful.

Shen Wu shrugged, trying to maintain his composure. "Not until now," he admitted with a hint of self-awareness.

Master Gu, overhearing the exchange, chimed in with a smirk. "It's part of his charm," he commented cryptically, earning a puzzled look from Shen Wu.

As Shen Wu pondered Master Gu's remark, his mind raced with confusion and a touch of incredulity. "Is Master Gu fucking gay?!?!" he thought to himself, his thoughts interrupted by Master Gu's sudden turn towards him.

"For some reason, I feel like I have to reiterate that I like women... not men," Master Gu stated bluntly, as if sensing Shen Wu's inner turmoil.

Shen Wu let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," he muttered under his breath, feeling a mix of embarrassment and gratitude for the clarification.

Ling Ling, who had been watching the exchange with a blank expression, finally spoke up, her confusion evident. "What are you two talking about?" she asked, her brow furrowing in puzzlement.

Shen Wu waved his hand dismissively, trying to brush off the awkwardness. "Just guy things, you wouldn't understand," he replied cryptically, before turning and walking towards the arena.

Meanwhile, Ling Ling turned to Master Gu, still seeking an explanation for the strange conversation. Master Gu simply shrugged and offered a vague response, "The kid is right... just miscellaneous male things..." With that, he followed after Shen Wu, leaving Ling Ling behind, utterly perplexed.

Alone, Ling Ling muttered to herself, "What the fuck does miscellaneous male things mean???" She shook her head in bewilderment before hurrying to catch up with her master and fellow disciple, resigned to the fact that some things were perhaps better left unexplained.