The Growth of a Titan
Chapter 369- Love Is Like A Dog

Chapter 369: Chapter 369- Love Is Like A Dog

Ushi shook his head helplessly and said.

"Eldest Brother Yoon-Jae, this is an innate ability that those of my Clan use to choose their lifelong cultivation partners, so we’ve never needed a reason to research how to remove it."

Ushi saw the doubt in Yoon-Jae’s eyes, so he added.

"Eldest Brother Yoon-Jae, I’m telling the truth."

After a moment, Yoon-Jae lowered his sword. But just when Ushi was going to sigh internally in relief, he saw Yoon-Jae suddenly turned the sword and place it against his neck.

Ushi was shocked.

"Eldest Brother Yoon-Jae, wha-what are you doing?"

With the sword against his neck, Yoon-Jae calmly said.

"Get rid of this or else I’ll kill myself."

Ushi was dumbfounded by this and perhaps thought that Yoon-Jae was bluffing, but when he looked into Yoon-Jae’s eyes he didn’t see any hint that he was.

Ushi started to panic a little.

"Eldest Brother Yoon-Jae, you’re not serious, right? Please don’t joke around like this, can you put down the sword?"

Ushi stepped forward, but Yoon-Jae suddenly pressed the sword closer against his neck drawing blood.

Ushi’s body shook and he stopped dead in his tracks while looking at the blood running down Yoon-Jae’s neck and clothes in a daze.

"Are you going to get rid of it or not?"

Ushi snapped out of his daze state and lifted his gaze to meet Yoon-Jae’s own.

Yoon-Jae’s gaze towards him was cold as usual, but for the first time that coldness caused Ushi to worry.

Even though Yoon-Jae had always been cold towards him during their interactions, Ushi was always able to sense that Yoon-Jae didn’t truly hate him.

But now, Ushi didn’t sense that in the way Yoon-Jae was looking at him now.

’I... Was I wrong?’

Ushi started to panic even more. Was Yoon-Jae really that mad at him for using this ability on him? The effects were a little excessive, but Ushi believed that if Yoon-Jae liked him then at most he would be angry and beat him up a little, not this.

Ushi hesitated for a bit then said.

"Eldest Brother Yoon-Jae, if you’re worried about being tied to me in life and death, then I can ask my father to disrupt the life-link the ability created between us so if I die you won’t suffer any harm."

Yoon-Jae finally showed emotion on his cold face, but he was laughing... rather hysterically even. And he did so because of the utter absurdity of this situation.

He then looked at Ushi and said whipping away a stray tear.

"You think I care whether you live or die? I made a promise to myself that I’ll never let someone dictate my fate, and what you did crossed my bottom line. I don’t just want this thing to be disrupted, I want you to get rid of it completely!"

"B-But, Eldest Brother Yoon-Jae, once the ability is activated and the bond is successfully formed it can’t be undone without severe consequences. Even just failing to form a connection would cause me to be bedridden for months."

After hearing that, Yoon-Jae looked coldly at Ushi and spat.

"Fine."

He then drew back his hand to slam the back of his sword to sever his neck.

Ushi’s pupils shrink as there wasn’t a shred of hesitation in Yoon-Jae’s movements.

He was actually serious!

"No wait!"

Ushi shouted and he was just in time as Yoon-Jae’s hand stopped just inches away from the back of the sword.

Ushi shuddered at the thought of what would happen if he had been too late. He looked at Yoon-Jae and said with a forced smile.

"Eldest Brother, can’t we talk this out? We-Ah! Okay, okay, I’ll remove it!"

Ushi cried out in a panic when he saw that Yoon-Jae was about to continue.

Yoon-Jae glared at Ushi coldly, while Ushi looked back at him with a complicated expression on his face.

"Elder Brother Yoon-Jae, do you really detest the idea of me that you would kill yourself than be with me? Am I really that unpleasant? I know I’m not as considerate as second Eldest Brother, and neither am I thoughtful, but my feelings are truly genuine."

Yoon-Jae said nothing and only continued glaring at him.

Ushi met Yoon-Jae’s gaze, and it seemed as if he was trying to find the answer to his question in his eyes.

However, the only thing Ushi saw was coldness, boarding on hatred.

Ushi’s body shook, and his heart seemed to shatter at that moment.

An expression that was extremely similar to the one he wore when he found out Yoon-Jae wasn’t a girl appeared on his face. But this time, it was genuine.

With a bitter smile, Ushi nodded and said.

"Okay, I’ll remove it."

Ushi then formed a single-hand seal with his right hand. After forming this hand seal, the moon tattoo appeared on his forehead and glowed with a dark light. At the same time, Ushi’s right hand slowly turned translucent.

Then without hesitation, he stabbed his right hand into his chest.

Ushi’s face twitched, the pain didn’t feel like something stabbing into him, rather, it felt like someone was ripping off his skin and where his hand entered his body, right above his heart. However, he endured it and opened his hand to grasp the dark aura that had merged with his heart.

He then pulled on it.

However, Ushi’s body suddenly convulsed before he spat out blood. He then swayed as if he was about to fall over.

Yoon-Jae, who had been coldly watching him, had his brows furrowed upon seeing this.

"What are you doing?"

Ushi couldn’t stand anymore so he knelt on the ground.

Gasping, he explained.

"The only way to remove the effects of Shadow Bonding is if it’s used backward."

Ushi then gritted his teeth and pulled against the black aura in his heart, but he coughed up another mouth full of blood, this time much more than the first.

"But why are you coughing up blood like that then?"

Hearing Yoon-Jae’s question, Ushi suddenly chuckled and explained.

"Well, I’m essentially ripping out my heart, so I guess it’s a given that I’d cough up blood, no?"

Yoon-Jae’s face fell upon hearing that.

Looking up at Yoon-Jea, Ushi said.

"I’ll probably die after. But with this, the link between our life essence would be severed, so you’ll be fine. And after I die the soul link will naturally disappear."

After saying this, Ushi then observed Yoon-Jae’s reaction.

The frown on Yoon-Jae’s face vanished before a cold expression returned.

"And whose fault is it that you’re in this situation? See what your inconsiderate actions caused? So, what if your feelings are genuine? After you die, I’ll be sure to burn some paper money at your grave."

Yoon-Jae’s mocking and biting cold words completely shattered any remaining hope Ushi had that this was all an act by Yoon-Jae.

He had seen how convincing he could be back at the Eternal Desert, so he thought he was simply acting. But Ushi truly couldn’t tell at this point.

Suddenly, Ushi’s grip on the black aura in his heart loosened, and he thought about not going through with this. He would surely die if he went ahead and tried to sever the life essence bond his Shadow Bound ability created between him and Yoon-Jae.

However, Ushi suddenly remembered what his mother had told him about this innate ability.

She said that it wouldn’t work with just anyone who has romantic feelings for him, but someone compatible with him down to his very soul.

In truth, Yoon-Jae wasn’t the first person Ushi had used this ability on, but he was the only one it ever worked on. And he was happy since he had liked Yoon-Jae the moment he saw him.

However, he might have rushed things.

No, that was an understatement, he completely ruined things.

As Ushi closed his eyes Yoon-Jae’s cold look surfaced in his mind and he felt a deep sense of regret.

Smiling bitterly, he muttered.

"Well, I suppose I’ll try a different approach in the next life."

Ushi clutched the black aura tighter and viciously pulled.

However, just as the black aura was moments away from being ripped out of him, Yoon-Jae suddenly moved and appeared in front of him.

"Idiot."

That was the only thing Ushi heard before feeling a fist smash against the side of his defenseless head, rendering him unconscious.

After knocking Ushi unconscious, Yoon-Jae put away his long sword and looked down at him.

Seeing that his life was hanging by a thread, Yoon-Jae muttered under his breath.

"Why do have feelings for idiots?"

Yoon-Jae then pulled out the piece of Essence Furit he still had remaining before stuffing it into Ushi’s mouth.

Afterward, he unceremoniously grabbed Ushi by the collar and flew up into the air toward his own courtyard.

Sometime after he left, a youth in his mid to late teens suddenly appeared in the alleyway.

A strange expression was on his face as he watched Yoon-Jae leave with Ushi.

He then sighed and shook his head before saying.

"Who knew it would take this much to find a leash for that brat? How did that saying go, ’Love is like a dog, even if you beat it will still follow you?"

The youth then laughed to himself before he suddenly disappeared. Now he finally felt comfortable leaving Jianghu.

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