The street, seething with crowds, fell utterly silent in an instant.
Who dared call himself "this Sage"?
Apart from the dozen or so Half-Sages on the Saint Origin Continent, no one dared refer to himself that way. Otherwise, the Temple of Sages would put him to death at once.
Everyone turned toward the voice, eager to see which Half-Sage had arrived.
What they saw was an unfamiliar face, and the man wore only a White-Clad Ink Plum Garment.
Which Half-Sage was disguising himself as a Hanlin Academician?
But in the next instant, countless scholars widened their eyes. There had once been someone who could call himself "this Sage" despite being a Hanlin Academician: Void Sage Fang Yun.
But hadn't Fang Yun passed away?
Everyone gazed expectantly at the unfamiliar Hanlin Academician. Some even drew sharp breaths to keep their emotions in check.
Then the light on the unfamiliar man's face faded, finally revealing his true appearance.
"Void Sage Fang!"
The entire crowd was stunned!
"Void Sage Fang has come back to life!"
"Void Sage Fang is alive!"
"Our young Magistrate Fang isn't dead!"
"Yes! That's Void Sage Fang's voice! I recognize it!"
"There's no faking that!"
Rather than being certain, the crowd desperately hoped that all of this was real.
Their voices spread swiftly in every direction like rolling waves. Many gazed at Fang Yun, their eyes reddening.
At the entrance to the county offices, Ji Zhibai, Fei Chang, and the other officials stared at Fang Yun, dumbstruck. Countless thoughts flashed through their minds, and they considered countless possibilities, yet in the end they only grew more bewildered.
"Y-you... weren't you dead?" Ji Zhibai stammered, his eyes vacant, as though he still could not accept what stood before him.
"I was never dead." Fang Yun walked forward as he spoke.