Aftermath [Part 2]

A day later, Lin Huang and the Spring-Autumn King finally found a city.

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"We actually reached Sansu Prefecture. A single flick of a finger sent us flying this far. A Divine Being truly is worthy of the name."

The Spring-Autumn King shouted excitedly, tugging at his injuries and making him cough up blood again.

"Damn it, can't you heal me completely in one go?!"

Lin Huang watched the Spring-Autumn King complain with great interest. "I remember the Law Enforcement Department's official assessment of you was that you hated evil as if it were your mortal enemy and stood firm in righteousness. But after spending a day with you, you've been nagging like a resentful housewife. Did that finger from the Divine Being not only seriously injure you, but twist your personality too?"

"You're the twisted one! Your whole family is twisted!"

The Spring-Autumn King roared, then snorted coldly. "Do you think I'm as ** as you, daring to profane a Divine Being?! Between life and death lies great terror. If my strength were still intact, I'd act rather than talk, but if I don't vent a little now, then I really will be twisted."

"Between life and death lies great terror. Is it because the fear of facing death head-on has nowhere to go? So that's how it is." Lin Huang nodded, understanding the Spring-Autumn King's current psychological changes.

"Don't worry. Although you screwed me over, no matter what, you still saved my life. You can go. I won't report you." The Spring-Autumn King gave Lin Huang a complicated look, but before he could finish speaking, Lin Huang struck him with the Green Bamboo Staff.

"Hey, don't go too far. You're still hitting me? I'll fight you to the death!"

A moment later, the Spring-Autumn King, his head covered in lumps, obediently followed behind Lin Huang.

"Think carefully. Once you understand why you survived, I'll let you go." Holding the Green Bamboo Staff, Lin Huang walked over to the mail station and casually sent something off.

"I already said I don't know why either. And you'd better release me quickly. You caused such a huge mess this time; you won't get away with it. Those fools at the Divination Bureau may be stupid, but they'll figure it out sooner or later. Once they find me, you won't be able to run. And I'm talking to you here, can you at least look at me? What are you sending? Don't you know you're wanted? You'll leave clues like this. They'll be able to track you down."

The Spring-Autumn King kept rambling. The terror of facing death had mostly faded away, but he felt that in the current situation, playing dumb and acting crazy was still the safest course.

Lin Huang said nothing, merely raised the Green Bamboo Staff in his hand. The Spring-Autumn King immediately shut up.

"I'll give you three days. If you still can't figure it out, you die."

Lin Huang spoke blandly, hailed a Crystal Energy Vehicle, and headed for Two Realms Field.

"Your nerve is getting bigger and bigger. You're a wanted criminal! Fine, you didn't change your appearance, but you're actually taking a Two Realms Shuttle? Don't you know riding one requires identity verification?" The Spring-Autumn King rambled while racking his brains over Lin Huang's question. He knew Lin Huang meant what he said. If he could not give Lin Huang an answer in three days, he really would be dead.

"My warrant has already been revoked." Lin Huang gave the Spring-Autumn King a mocking glance. "Look, crippling a hundred thousand people made me wanted, but merely profaning a Divine Being got my warrant revoked. Do you understand now? In this world, strength reigns supreme."

The Spring-Autumn King fell silent, bitterly laughing to himself. He knew Lin Huang was telling the truth. Even if the Law Enforcement Department and the Arbitration Bureau still harbored other thoughts in secret, openly, they could no longer treat Lin Huang as an enemy. Someone who could face a Divine Being and survive could not possibly be treated as an enemy by the entire Human Realm regime. Unite every force that could be united—this was the Human Realm regime's slogan, provided that one was strong enough.

"To kill one is a crime; to slaughter ten thousand is to be a hero. Slaughter a million, and one becomes a hero among heroes. Heroes among heroes, their paths differ..." Lin Huang happily recited a poem by some great figure of the Blood Realm. Beside him, the Spring-Autumn King wore a defeated expression.

Zhongnan Prefecture, Zhongnan Dojo.

The Daoist Temple, once blessed with outstanding people and beautiful scenery, now resembled the end of the world. It was utterly ruined, with earthfire raging and lava flowing everywhere. It would take at least a century to recover.

"Lin Huang. I want him dead!"

The Sect Leader of Zhongnan Dojo, the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint, wore a livid expression. He had merely gone to White Jade Capital at the invitation of his master, the Zhongnan Sword Saint, and Zhongnan Dojo's ten-thousand-year glory had been utterly erased.

Although nearly a month had passed since the incident, the more the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint thought about it, the angrier he became. Especially when he thought of how his master, the Zhongnan Sword Saint, had been seriously injured and only regained consciousness after nearly a month in a coma, his fury intensified. He had rushed back from White Jade Capital for one purpose only: seize Lin Huang, kill him, and wash away this shame.

"The Arbitration Bureau has revoked Lin Huang's warrant. Celestial Academy and Taiyi Sect are strongly advocating reconciliation with Lin Huang and recognition of his Saint Rank."

As if snow had fallen atop frost, the news arrived. The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint merely sneered. "Ignore them. A pack of wind-chasing opportunists. I may endure such monstrous humiliation, but my master cannot. Even if my master can, the patriarchs of every generation cannot. Lin Huang must die."

"He is merely a Saint Rank. Does he truly think himself undying and indestructible, Eternal and Unwearing through ten thousand tribulations?"

"Find him. Even if you have to turn the entire Human Realm upside down, find him for me."

"And where are the surviving disciples of the Daoist Temple? Bring them all here. I will personally question them about what happened that day."

The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint was beside himself with fury, his teeth itching with hatred for Lin Huang. When he saw the surviving disciples, his anger surged even higher. "Why are there only a few of them? Where are my ten disciples? Are they all dead?!"

"The patriarch's divine sense was awakened. Of the disciples in the Daoist Temple, fewer than one in ten survived. As for the Sect Leader's disciples, only Hao Renjie survived. It is said that he was at the scene."

"He is the only one left?" The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's tone sank, and the hatred in his heart for Lin Huang deepened further. He waved helplessly. "Bring him here."

"There were survivors from that battle? Heh, perfect. I'm also very curious about exactly how Lin Huang survived."

A figure abruptly appeared beside the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint. He was strikingly handsome, with long hair draped over his shoulders and a white robe that made his sex difficult to distinguish. Only his protruding Adam's apple proved he was male. He held a palm-sized lollipop, licking it now and then.

"Hong Ying, why are you here?"

The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint frowned and instinctively put some distance between himself and the newcomer.

Hong Ying, the Hong Clan's prodigy from twenty years ago, had been Marquis-Sealing before reaching twenty, King-Sealing at thirty, and had attained Saint Rank shortly after turning forty. He was considered the most outstanding genius of that generation.

Though he had presently only passed the Heavenly Tribulation and attained the rank of Sub-Saint, the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint knew that Hong Ying was the Hong Clan's designated successor. They had even given Yi Zi's manuscript to Hong Ying. His true combat strength was comparable to that of a Great Saint who had passed the Heaven and Earth Two Tribulations and reached the peak of Saint Rank.

Yet although Hong Ying's talent was peerless, veteran Saints like the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint deeply disliked him. A strange old man who carried lollipops all day and occasionally lured underage girls away—he was simply the shame of Saints.

"A twenty-five-year-old Saint Rank, and a Great Saint who passed the Heaven and Earth Two Tribulations and nearly became a Demigod. I'm very interested. And robbing holy lands, profaning Divine Beings, that sort of thing—I've wanted to do it but never dared. I'm really very interested in a person like that." Hong Ying bit his lollipop to pieces and laughed wildly.

"Old man, you aren't going to refuse me, are you?"

Hong Ying's lazy tone angered the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint so much that he nearly drew his sword and cut him down. In the end, however, he only snorted coldly. "Is this your intention, or the Hong Clan's?"

"They're the same. You know it—the Hong Clan listens to me." Hong Ying spoke shamelessly. Seeing the disbelief on the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's face, he added, "My uncle is dead, so I'm in charge. Hey, you don't even want a free thug? Old man, are you senile?"

The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint could no longer endure it and drew his sword.

"A gentleman uses his mouth, not his hands." Hong Ying leaped back. Looking at the lollipop in his hand, then at the cold-glinting longsword in the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's hand, he hurriedly shouted, "I can help you find Lin Huang."

"You know I'm clever. Ever since I was little, no matter how my father and the others hid their things, nothing could escape my keen eyes."

The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint sheathed his sword and pressed a hand to his throbbing forehead. "Don't cause trouble for me. You'd better not."

"I know. You ask questions, I won't speak. In front of your disciple, I'll save you face. Don't worry, I understand." Hong Ying took out another lollipop, stuffed it into his mouth, and retreated behind the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint.

"Master." Hao Renjie walked uneasily before the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint. As the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's Second Senior Brother—no, second disciple—Hao Renjie knew this incident had become enormous, incredibly enormous, and he himself could be considered an accomplice. Thinking of this filled him with grief and indignation. He almost wished he had died instead, so that he would not have to face the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint.

"It's good that you're alive. Good that you're alive." Thinking of how only Hao Renjie remained of his ten disciples, the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint could not help feeling sorrowful.

After comforting Hao Renjie a few times, the Ice-Sealed Sword Saint returned to the matter at hand. "Renjie. What exactly happened this time? Tell me everything in detail. Don't be afraid. Take your time."

Hao Renjie drew a deep breath. The moment had finally arrived. He could not hide it, and now it was time to test his art of speaking.

Hao Renjie knew lying was impossible, but the truth was absolutely out of the question as well. He could only emphasize the minor and gloss over the major, mixing nine parts truth with one part falsehood, saying not a word about his own performance during Lin Huang's robbery of the Twelve Secret Vaults.

Looks like I bluffed my way through. I really am a genius. As Hao Renjie spoke, he grew calmer and calmer, unable to resist praising himself inwardly.

"Wait. I have a question." Hong Ying raised his hand to speak.

The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint knew that although Hong Ying was naturally **, his insight was exceptionally sharp. He nodded, signaling him to continue.

"Second."

"My name is Hao Renjie."

"Aren't you Old Ice's second disciple? Ah, don't fuss over such details, Second. I've never robbed—no! I mean, never visited—your family's Twelve Secret Vaults. But I imagine the Divine Array guarding it must be extremely, extremely complex. Even if I wanted to rob it, cough cough, wanted to visit it, it would be very difficult. At the very least, one would need the lowest level of authorization before slowly taking control without triggering the Divine Array. Therefore, there is only one truth."

"It wasn't me." Hao Renjie denied it by reflex.

Hong Ying smiled. The Ice-Sealed Sword Saint's face turned livid.

Hao Renjie was about to struggle further when someone hurried in from outside. "Sect Leader, someone sent something to Second Senior Brother, with a message: Since you repeatedly begged me to spare this Blazing Fire Divine Sword, then in consideration of your cooperation all the way, I'll give this Blazing Fire Divine Sword to you, as proof of our immortal accomplice friendship."

"There was no signature. Oh, did I say something wrong? Second Senior Brother, your face looks awful. Ah, Sect Leader, your face has turned green..."