As Always, Spring Warms and Flowers Bloom

After the immense grief caused by raw emotion, reason returned.

Lin Ze'an buried Lin Gang on the back hill, laying him to rest beside his mother.

Two simple tombstones stood quietly in the glow of the setting sun, surrounded by nameless wildflowers.

Once the funeral rites were concluded, Lin Ze'an knelt before the tombstones and whispered, "Father, you once asked me which side of the scale I would choose."

"The old me would have chosen the masses. If one person's life could be traded for the lives of many, it would be worth it."

"But... I seem to have fallen into a trap."

His small hand gently stroked the inscriptions on the stone: "Because of that choice, I lost Mother, and now, I have lost you."

A choice between two... in the end, it was only because my strength was insufficient to support both options.

But why should I stagnate? As long as I keep moving forward, as long as I never stop my pace, the tragedy will not repeat itself.

"The me of today will never make that choice again."

"If one day the scales of life and death begin to tilt, I will use myself as the weight to protect life."

"Father, Mother, you must wait for me."

"One day, I will bring you back, and when that time comes, it will be just as it always was—spring will return and the flowers will bloom."

At Lin Ze'an's request, on the way back, the group stopped first at a nearby Spirit Hall branch.

Yue Guan and Gui Mei watched Lin Ze'an, who had remained silent, their eyes filled with concern.

Yue Guan whispered to Gui Mei beside him, "Old Ghost, what do you think of this child..."

Lin Gang's departure had dealt him too heavy a blow.

The boy had lost his mother at a young age, and now, even his father...

Gui Mei was silent for a moment, then sighed, "He is stronger than we imagined."

Inside the carriage, Lin Ze'an sat quietly by the window, his emerald eyes fixed on the passing scenery, his small face devoid of expression.

Yan and Hu Liena both tried to find ways to cheer Lin Ze'an up, chatting with him incessantly throughout the journey.

But to every remark, Lin Ze'an only offered a faint grunt, unable to muster any interest.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Spirit Hall branch.

Lin Ze'an stepped out and looked up at the massive statue of the Six-Winged Angel above.

Hu Liena and the others did not follow him in, remaining outside with Gui Mei, while Yue Guan accompanied Lin Ze'an into the branch.

After Yue Guan presented his token, the purple-robed bishop of the branch rushed over as if facing a great enemy.

He was a middle-aged man, and upon seeing the two, he hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Elder. I am Mai Xuanfeng. I wonder if you have any orders for this visit?"

Yue Guan gave a hum, "Rise."

"I heard that an evil Spirit Master appeared in a village within your jurisdiction. Were there any casualties among the villagers? Have you captured the culprit?"

Hearing this, Mai Xuanfeng gave a sheepish smile and said, "Reporting to Elder, the person has already been captured, and fortunately, there were no casualties among the villagers."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ze'an froze, his previously deadened eyes instantly snapping back to focus: "What did you say?"

No casualties? None???

From what he knew, besides his father, at least six other villagers had been killed by that evil Spirit Master.

This was what he called no casualties?

Yue Guan gently patted Lin Ze'an's hand, signaling him to wait.

A cold light flashed in his eyes as he continued to ask, "And where is the captured person? Bring him out."

Mai Xuanfeng's heart tightened, and fine beads of sweat seeped onto his forehead.

He hurriedly said, "Elder, that criminal was heinous, so he has already been dealt with."

Listening to this clumsy lie, Yue Guan sneered at him: "Dealt with? When? How was he dealt with?"

Mai Xuanfeng wiped his sweat, his voice trembling: "Just... just yesterday... according to the rules, he was executed on the spot."

"The body has also... already been cremated. That fellow had strange methods, and I feared leaving behind any future trouble..."

Before he could finish, Yue Guan roared, "Insolent!"

A terrifying spirit power erupted instantly, slamming into Mai Xuanfeng.

Mai Xuanfeng didn't even have time to react before he was sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall.

"Pfft—!" He spat out a mouthful of blood and slumped to the ground, looking at Yue Guan with a face full of terror: "E-Elder, please calm your anger..."

Yue Guan looked at him with a face full of fury and said, word for word, "We just came from that village, and you are telling me there were no casualties?"

And he had disposed of the culprit so seamlessly? Did he take him for a fool?

He looked at a deacon kneeling to the side and snorted coldly: "You tell me. If there is a single lie..."

The man scrambled over to kneel, trembling as he said, "Elder, have mercy! Elder, have mercy! We did indeed capture that evil Spirit Master."

"But... but Bishop Mai Xuanfeng told us to let him go..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire branch hall fell into a deathly silence.

All the deacons and temple guards buried their heads deep, not daring to even glance at Yue Guan's expression.

Hearing this, Lin Ze'an's face changed, his eyes filled with disbelief: "What? You let him go?"

The deacon was so terrified he kowtowed repeatedly: "It... it was the Bishop who ordered us to release him... it really has nothing to do with us!"

Mai Xuanfeng collapsed on the ground, his face turning ashen: "It's over... it's all over..."

Just then, the figure of Gui Mei appeared silently before Mai Xuanfeng, his hoarse voice laced with cold killing intent: "Who ordered it?"

Seeing the person who had suddenly appeared, Mai Xuanfeng jumped in fright and stammered: "That guy... he gave me a bribe..."

"Elder, please forgive me! Elder, please forgive me! This subordinate knows he was wrong! I truly know I was wrong!"

Lin Ze'an couldn't contain his anger; he rushed forward and kicked Mai Xuanfeng: "You shameless wretch!"

He could never have imagined that the Spirit Hall branch here had rotted to such an extent.

Following the structure of Spirit Hall, what about the higher-level branches? What about the oversight?

With Yue Guan and Gui Mei present, Mai Xuanfeng didn't dare to fight back at all. Even after being kicked, he scrambled to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly: "My Lord, please calm your anger! My Lord, please calm your anger!"

Lin Ze'an pointed at Mai Xuanfeng and shouted: "My father died protecting the villagers, yet you released the murderer for the sake of profit?"

He turned his back on Mai Xuanfeng and took a deep breath, his small hands clenching into fists as he struggled to calm his emotions.

A moment later, Lin Ze'an turned to Yue Guan and requested: "Master, please have everyone in this Spirit Hall branch detained and taken back to Spirit City."

"Have the Platinum Bishop in charge of the Heaven Dou Empire immediately inspect all Spirit Hall branches so that there won't be a second Mai Xuanfeng."

"Also, issue a wanted notice for that Evil Soul Master. I want to see him alive or his corpse dead."

"If Her Majesty the Pope has any complaints, put it all on me. I will take full responsibility."

Since this was an organization sheltered by the God of Angels, it should uphold the light and holiness of the angels...

Perhaps he could use that Looking Through Autumn Water Dew as a bargaining chip with Bibi Dong for this great purge.

Yue Guan patted Lin Ze'an's shoulder with a pained heart: "Very well, Master will handle it right away. You should calm down."

"Her Majesty the Pope will not object to such a matter. Master will definitely see that justice is served for your father."

If he couldn't even accomplish something that should have been done, then he would be far too incompetent as a master.