On the road back to Tianyuan City, Shen Xiu remained silent.
He sat in the carriage Murong Zhan had sent, watching the scenery race backward beyond the window, while Xue Wuya's final words replayed over and over in his mind—"You are a good person. In this world, there are not many good people." He had never cared how others judged him, yet those words made him think for a long time. Perhaps it was because the speaker had been a Sect Master of the unorthodox path, or perhaps because he had heard something different within those words.
Lin Fan sat across from him with his eyes closed, seemingly resting. But Shen Xiu knew that Lin Fan never truly rested while traveling. He simply did not want to speak.
"Brother Lin," Shen Xiu said.
Lin Fan opened his eyes and looked at him.
"Do you think Xue Wuya will truly keep his promise?"
Lin Fan was silent for a moment before answering blandly, "For now, he will. The Blood Fiend Sect is an unorthodox sect, but they are not madmen. They know that the reappearance of the evil races beyond the domain brings them no benefit whatsoever. As long as we do not press them too hard, they will not take the initiative to join forces with the Dark Church again."
Shen Xiu nodded, and the weight in his heart lifted halfway. The Blood Fiend Sect's withdrawal meant that half of the Dark Church's alliance had already fallen apart. Once Netherworld Valley was dealt with as well, the Dark Church would be completely isolated. At that point, they could gather all their strength against the Dark Church without worrying about enemies before and behind them.
The carriage returned to Tianyuan City at dusk.
Liu Qingyan was still waiting in the courtyard.