After Lin Bai returned to the small courtyard, he stood beneath the old tree and said in a low voice, "The Sword Alliance has now begun to take shape. Next, I'll have to find a way to deal with the Imperial General, that steward of the Right Prime Minister's Residence, and the Prefectural Assistant!"
"But counting the days, the one-month deadline I agreed on with Dan Xiaonan should be here soon!"
"I hope I can settle the matters within the Badlands Prefecture before entering the Dragon Court and Phoenix Pavilion!"
"That way, I'll have a fallback in the Divine Capital."
Lin Bai's expression tightened as he spoke in a low voice.
That night, the moon climbed to the center of the sky.
Lin Bai had been sitting cross-legged in his room cultivating when he suddenly sensed movement in the courtyard. He immediately shot out, landing in the yard, and saw a blood-soaked martial artist kneeling on one knee, with a treasured sword placed before him.
"Si Ce!" Lin Bai called out expressionlessly.
Si Ce knelt on the ground, a treasured sword placed before him. He said while kneeling, "Si Ce has come to ask the Night Emperor to punish him!"
Lin Bai's expression suddenly turned stern. He said in a low voice, "You just completed a task. I haven't even had time to reward you. Why speak of punishment?"
Si Ce slowly took two round objects wrapped in black cloth from behind his back and placed them before Lin Bai. When he spread the cloth open, two human heads were revealed. They belonged to Han Zong and Chen Feiying.
At the sight of them, Lin Bai's expression suddenly turned icy.
Si Ce said in a low voice, "I knew this would surely incur the Night Emperor's displeasure, but for the