Chapter 39

"Consider yourself lucky. You didn't earn any contribution points, but at least you escaped with your life."

"Go get some rest. I'll report this. Things like this are quite normal."

The head steward suspected nothing.

He would never imagine that Ling Yan's death had anything to do with Lin Xuan.

After all, how could someone in the Body Forging Realm possibly have the ability to kill someone in the middle stage of Blood Refining?

What was more, he knew that Ling Yan had reached minor accomplishment in a top-grade yellow-tier sword technique and proficiency in a top-grade yellow-tier movement technique.

Although Lin Xuan was a capable fighter, he probably wouldn't last even a single exchange against Ling Yan.

"Yes!"

Lin Xuan said nothing more, turned, and left.

"Senior Sister Ling Yan is dead?"

"Heavens, thank goodness I wasn't the one who went with her. Otherwise, I might not have made it back either."

"Lin Xuan was lucky too. He actually managed to escape."

"Exactly. He even brought back Senior Sister Ling Yan's sword. What a pity—Senior Sister Ling Yan had heaven-gifted talent..."

Ling Yan's death stirred up quite a commotion in the area where Lin Xuan and the others lived.

Of course, many people were already accustomed to such things.

The path of cultivation was never smooth sailing. Anyone seeking to improve quickly would always face the risk of death.

In the outer sect, inside a private courtyard.

"Ling Yan is dead?"

A handsome young man in his twenties frowned deeply.

"Yes, Senior Brother Liu Yan. The head steward of the menial disciples reported it personally. Lin Xuan brought back Senior Sister Ling Yan's sword."

A young man standing before Liu Yan spoke respectfully.

Liu Yan narrowed his eyes. "With Ling Yan's combat strength, how could an Earth-Rending Bear kill her so easily?"

"And why didn't Lin Xuan die?"

At that moment, a powerful pressure radiated from Liu Yan.

Cold sweat beaded on the reporting young man's forehead, and he hurriedly shook his head. "I don't know, Senior Brother."

"Hmph..."

Liu Yan snorted and withdrew the aura surrounding him. He said flatly, "Investigate what exactly happened. You have one day. I want every detail."

"Yes!"

As though granted a pardon, the young man quickly departed.

Liu Yan sank into thought. After a long while, he murmured, "Unless the Earth-Rending Bear broke through to late-stage Blood Refining, or someone ambushed her, Ling Yan couldn't possibly have died."

"The one who should have died survived, while the one who shouldn't have died is dead. Interesting."

"This won't be easy to explain to True Inheritor Lu..."

A day passed quickly.

The young man came to Liu Yan again.

"Senior Brother, the Earth-Rending Bear's lair is empty. The Earth-Rending Bear is probably dead, but Senior Sister Ling Yan really didn't return either..."

Liu Yan narrowed his eyes. "So something is wrong after all. Was it Lin Xuan?"

"Well..." The young man hesitated before saying, "I don't think so. Lin Xuan is only at the middle stage of Body Forging. Even with a sneak attack, he couldn't hope to harm Senior Sister in the slightest."

"But I did discover that a menial disciple who was Senior Sister Ling Yan's enemy seems to have approached Lin Xuan when she went to find a menial disciple to accompany her."

"I just can't confirm whether this has anything to do with Senior Sister Ling Yan's death."

"Whether it does or not, since he's Ling Yan's enemy, kill him. And Lin Xuan must die too. I'll leave this to you."

Liu Yan waved a hand and spoke casually, his eyes filled with utter disregard for human life.

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

The young man answered and left, and the private courtyard fell silent once more.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan walked out of the Animal Husbandry Garden.

"I won't be coming to the Animal Husbandry Garden anymore."

Lin Xuan spoke to Chen Ze, who had followed him out.

Now that his cultivation had broken through to Body Forging Peak, the Wild Boars could no longer provide Lin Xuan with any cultivation time or blood energy.

"Yes, Senior Brother Lin!"

Chen Ze immediately answered.

"Mm. Oh, and don't forget to take care of those two fellow townsmen of mine. You should know what to do."

Before leaving, Lin Xuan added another reminder.

Ma San and Liu Qi were undoubtedly suffering beyond words now. Every day, they worked themselves to the bone, while Chen Ze docked their contribution points under all sorts of pretexts.

At this rate, never mind cultivating—they would probably work themselves to death in the Animal Husbandry Garden sooner or later.

But there was nothing they could do. They had neither backing nor strength, and they had sided against Lin Xuan from the start. Now, they could cry to heaven and earth, but neither would answer.