Decaying World

Chapter 105 105 Breaking In (Long Chapter, Seeking First Subscription)

The two sat down cross-legged, and Lin Hui poured the tea powder left by Wang Yueheng into the teapot, added water, and started brewing.

The weather in March was already a bit chilly, and some small insects began to stir, flying around the pavilion. Lin Hui used his internal energy to disperse them with a gentle breeze.

“But the abbot’s words can salvage so much. Lord Liu Xiao has now broken through to the Divine Official level and has truly entered the upper-middle ranks of the Rain Palace. With my status, a single word can determine my future. If she really wants to target me…” Yan Wanqiu sighed after sitting down.

"Is it really that exaggerated? Can the power of a priest affect the Chen family's main branch?" Lin Hui asked in surprise, gesturing for the other person to sit down as well. The two then sat down in the pavilion.

He now enjoys entertaining guests here, chatting and brewing tea.

"The three families in the inner city are closely connected and intertwined. Above the Rain Palace Priest, there are only three levels: the Grand Priest, the Elder, and the Palace Master and Deputy Palace Master. In the inner city, they are the true powerhouses who can govern a district of one million people. Even if I have the best talent, it would take me at least ten years to reach that level. And that time is too long, too long for too many uncertainties. Nobody knows what might happen along the way."

Yan Wanqiu continued, "So theoretically, although my aptitude is top-notch and I'm on the same level as your sister, firstly, I don't have her privileged background and resources from a young age. Secondly, potential is just a possibility, but your sister has already converted her potential into strength. So the gap between us is bigger than you imagine."

"I see." Lin Hui suddenly understood and gained a better understanding of the situation in the inner city. He pondered for a moment. "Don't worry, don't worry about my sister. I'll persuade her to stay."

"Thank you very much, I owe you a favor." Yan Wanqiu said earnestly, "In a few days it will be my wedding day with Yan Zhao. If the abbot is free, please do me the honor of attending the ceremony. This is the invitation."

She handed over a bright red invitation with both hands.

"Okay, I'll come and bother you then," Lin Hui said with a smile.

This was his first time dealing with this fellow villager, a genius, and the other man was more courteous than he had imagined. Aside from being a bit poor and not bringing gifts when visiting, the fact that he remembered his childhood sweetheart after becoming successful showed that he was a decent person at heart, and it was worth trying to get to know him.

After briefly exchanging information about the Chen family and the Amamiya, Yan Wanqiu did not linger and quickly got up to take her leave.

Lin Hui also entered into a period of dull and arduous cultivation once again.

Two days later, he went to Yan Wanqiu's wedding alone and offered his blessings. This public blessing was met with sarcasm from Liu Xiao, whom he encountered upon returning home.

But Lin Hui's skin grew thicker and thicker. After saying a few nice words, he managed to get Liu Xiao's attitude to return to normal.

After visiting the little sister who could only crawl, I returned to headquarters to continue my training, and everything was peaceful.

Soon, another uneventful week passed.

After a long period of arduous training, he finally reached the third rank of the Gale Sword Technique for body tempering.

His internal energy had reached its final qualitative leap, the sixth level of perfection. This was also the limit of what was rumored in external martial arts.

*
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Outside Xinyu Town, inside a dilapidated temple.

An elderly farmer with white hair slowly walked through the dilapidated door, carrying a hoe. He came to the statue of the deity, put down the hoe, and clasped his hands in prayer.

"You're late. Number 5." A slightly hoarse female voice came from behind the statue.

"Where is the protector? I have brought the latest intelligence," the old farmer said in a deep voice.

"They'll be there soon. This time, the branch was raided, and the head of the sect and thirty-five members were killed. This case has alarmed the entire regional sect. The sect leader personally ordered Protector Zhou to come and investigate the murders. The seriousness of this case is even greater than the previous struggle over the replica of the Longevity Wheel. The Qinghe Sect didn't just wipe out the head of the sect in one fell swoop," the woman said in a low voice.

"So I've investigated everything that could be investigated," the old farmer nodded.

"Then you can speak now." A clear female voice suddenly came from the entrance of the dilapidated temple.

The voice was like a silver bell, carrying a subtle allure that instantly evoked a hazy sense of fondness in the listener.

"Greetings, Protector!" A woman in a gray cloth dress quickly stepped out from behind the statue and, together with the old farmer, bowed to the people entering through the gate.

The person at the door was dressed in a sky-blue outfit, with a thick white cloak over it, and a palm-width, gleaming silver single-edged knife hanging at his waist.

His face was cold and aloof, and his features had a kind of androgynous quality.

"The goods transported through this route were betrayed by a traitor. I just finished killing people and handing over the mission. I need to rest and resupply. During this rest period, you guys organize the cases here for me," the man said in a deep voice.

“Yes! But Protector, the trouble this time lies in the fact that the murderer has deep ties with the three major forces in the inner city. Taking action against him rashly may cause trouble,” the old farmer warned.

"It doesn't matter. The head of the incense shop and his men are all dead anyway, so it doesn't matter anymore. I'll leave after I'm done killing. What happens to Tu Yue in the inner city is none of my concern." The man patted the hilt of his sword. "Tell me, who is the target?"

“It’s Lin Hui, the abbot of Qingfeng Temple. Judging from the traces left on the burned body, the fatal wounds were all caused by a sword slash to vital points in an instant. In this vicinity, the only person with such strength is the abbot of Qingfeng Temple, the Invisible Sword Lin Hui,” the old farmer replied. “The most troublesome thing is that this person’s movement speed is extremely fast. Even Zhou Tianwu, who has fought him, cannot keep up with his speed, so killing him will be extremely difficult.”

"Speed ​​type? It barely qualifies as a speed type Zhou Tian. That's a bit troublesome. Does this person have any important people in his life? Close relatives, friends, wife, daughters, descendants, etc." The protector pondered.

"Yes, there are suitable targets for threats. His mother, Yao Shan, is just an ordinary person and easy to capture. Then there's his father, a disciple of a sect. But his father has always been protected by experts and has a very deep relationship with the Liu family in the inner city, so it's not easy to make a move against him. The easiest targets are the disciples of Qingfeng Temple, but I haven't heard which disciples he's closest to."

"Then let's choose his mother," the protector said casually. "First, capture her, threaten her to come over, and then anyone who gets within five meters of her will surely die."

*
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Wild Wind Plains.

Holding his longsword, Lin Hui gazed at a caravan that had just returned from the foggy area in the distance. After confirming that they were not from his Qingfeng Temple, he withdrew his attention.

He casually swung his longsword and clearly felt the enhancement he received from the body tempering of the Gale Sword Technique.

It was a comprehensive improvement in all aspects: strength, speed, reaction, and even a subtle, invisible airflow appeared on the outer layer of the skin, which seemed to be the prototype of the special effects surrounding the wind.

This invisible aura is very weak, and it protects every inch of his skin at all times. This makes Lin Hui's robes flutter slightly even when he is standing still, making him look quite elegant.

Even her long hair kept swaying behind her.

'At only the third level of Body Tempering, he's already moving almost as fast as before when he was using special effects. This speed increase is truly astonishing.'

Lin Hui sighed inwardly. He now had virtually no rivals in the outer city; his daily cultivation was more of a habit, a reflection of his anxieties about potential future dangers.

"Looks like you've been slacking off a bit." Suddenly, a clear voice came from the distance on the right.

The voice is transmitted through some kind of secret technique; even when the person is not present, the words seem to be spoken right next to your ear, as if they were right next to you.

Lin Hui turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.

There was a man there, strong and muscular, dressed in black and wearing a silver dragon mask, slowly approaching.

"Who are you?" Lin Hui squinted at the other person, certain that he had never seen this person before.

Although they wear masks, they now judge people not just by their faces, but by more details hidden in their body shape.

The other person's physique gave him a distinct sense of unfamiliarity.

"You can call me Dragon Princess," the newcomer said with a smile. "This is my mother's mask. I inherited her position and continue to use her name."

"Your identity, your purpose?" Lin Hui asked again.

"You'll find out my identity later. As for my purpose," the Dragon Princess smiled, "it's to tell you that you're about to face a great calamity!"

"Me?" Lin Hui scoffed. "Your words are no different from what those charlatans who want to swindle money start with. Can't you come up with something more original?"

"You think I'm lying to you?" The dragon mask shook its head. "You've broken through in internal energy, your reputation is widespread, and you have older brothers and sisters to take care of you. Logically speaking, you shouldn't be in danger. But what if the danger doesn't come from your own actions, but from someone else actively approaching you?"

"What do you mean?" Lin Hui's expression changed slightly, as if he had thought of something.

"The literal meaning." The dragon mask chuckled. "Alright, enough suspense. I'm here to inform you that becoming the head of a region has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is maximizing all kinds of resources and benefits, and no one will dare to compete with you. The disadvantage is that if any trouble arises, you'll be the first one targeted."

This time, without waiting for Lin Hui to urge him, he continued.

"The Three Sects and Six Gangs and the wandering experts of Xingdao fought a battle in the Fog Zone, resulting in many deaths and injuries, requiring substantial compensation. Since the profits in the inner city have been divided up, someone proposed to allocate profits from the New Martial Alliance to compensate the wounded. A total of twelve pieces were divided, and your territory is among them."

"What do you mean? The New Martial Alliance isn't subordinate to the Three Sects and Six Gangs, is it? Besides, I only joined the New Martial Alliance, I didn't sell myself to it. My territory has always been mine. What right does the New Martial Alliance have to divide it?" Lin Hui frowned.

"Yes, many people think that way. But in reality, the leaders and deputy leaders of the New Martial Alliance are all top experts from the Three Sects and Six Gangs. The so-called New Martial Alliance is actually just a tool for the inner city martial artists to control the outer city martial artists and resources," the dragon masked man laughed.

"And then what? He says I have to split it?" Lin Hui said coldly.

“Of course not. Actually, quite early on, right after you settled things at Qingfeng Temple, some people wanted to cause trouble, but your family turned them away. Plus, you got the Wang family involved, so things were fine for the time being,” the dragon mask said. “But things are different now. Other people with connections and backgrounds will also have to give up some of their resources. If you don’t give them anything at all, then people will have to fight Xing Dao. Are you willing to do that?”

"I wouldn't even agree to be hit. There's no chance of any expert like Xing Dao attacking my little plot of land," Lin Hui said calmly.

"But they are acting out of a sense of righteousness, using the pretext of resisting the attack of Xing Dao's experts to plunder from various places. If you don't give them what they want, they'll have to send people out," the dragon masked man laughed.

"They didn't inform me beforehand, and I've never heard of this so-called great battle. If you have any objections, let the people from the New Martial Alliance come and talk to me."

Lin Hui remained noncommittal; such things actually happened all the time, but this person had come to tell him in such a mysterious way.

His true purpose remains unknown, so he is far more wary of the person in front of him than of the rumored New Martial Alliance seeking benefits.

"You really are so stubborn, aren't you?" Seeing that Lin Hui didn't care about what he said, the dragon mask couldn't laugh anymore.

"Let's not talk about that. You should know about Qinghe Sect, right?" He changed the subject. "They've got their eyes on you. As a terrorist organization that has been using internal energy realm cultivators to test and modify their technology, this isn't a good thing. Over the years, no fewer than a hundred internal energy realm cultivators have died at their hands."

"Alright, enough of what you've said. What are you trying to achieve? Just spouting rumors and hearsay won't scare anyone," Lin Hui said, seeing through the other party's intentions.

“Actually, I was planning to invite you to join us on behalf of our Benevolent Sect and become an outer sect protector,” the dragon-masked man said solemnly. “If you join us, all these matters can be easily resolved.”

"Let's talk about it when things have come to a head. No one can tell what's true and what's false just from your words," Lin Hui said calmly.

“That’s right, here’s my contact information.” The dragon mask tossed out a piece of black jade. “When you encounter trouble and can’t get through it, you can crush it, but you only have one chance. Remember that.”

"Such arrogance," Lin Hui squinted, tapped the black jade with the scabbard, flicked it upwards, caught it with the flat end, and then looked at the other party, only to find that the dragon-faced man had disappeared.

There was no wind, no sound, as if the other party had never existed in the first place.

'This method doesn't seem like that of a martial artist.'

He guessed in his mind.

The outer city is getting more and more lively. Qinghemen, Wanhua Sect, Shanxin Sect, various forces, plus the New Martial Alliance, the Three Sects and Six Gangs, and a large number of people trying to get a piece of the outer city's interests.

It was utter chaos.

'Song Zhanlong's death was truly deserved. Judging from the current situation, if he hadn't died because of me, he would have died in some other incident later on.'

He had no interest in joining these factions; he only wanted to cultivate diligently on his own to improve his strength and ensure the safety of himself and his family.

Ignoring the dragon mask's intimidation, he continued to clear his mind and practice the Gale Sword Technique to temper his body.

And it was on the third day after the dragon mask appeared.

Old Man Lin Shunhe is back.

(End of this chapter)