Tang San Panicked! The Tang Sect Fell Apart!

At almost the same time.

At the Tang Sect headquarters.

The atmosphere in the Council Hall remained oppressive.

They had also received word that Yu Xiaogang had fled overnight.

For the already demoralized members of the Tang Sect and Shrek, this was nothing less than snow piled upon frost.

Even their "teacher" had been scared pissless by Ning Lin. Where were they supposed to go from here?

"We can't wait any longer."

Tang San stood up, determination flashing in his eyes.

After a night to cool his head, he seemed to have recovered from his earlier fury.

He looked at everyone and said gravely, "Ning Lin's strength far exceeds our estimates. And now that Bibi Dong has become a god, she's someone we simply cannot contend with."

"If we stay here, death is our only way out."

Dai Mubai and the others remained silent, tacitly accepting his assessment.

"So I've made my decision."

Tang San drew a deep breath.

"I'm going to the Star Dou Great Forest."

"San, what are you going there for?"

Oscar asked, puzzled.

"To save Da Ming and Er Ming."

A trace of complicated emotion flashed through Tang San's eyes.

"After Xiao Wu sacrificed herself, I promised them that I would find a way to bring her back to life. But now, they seem to have run into trouble."

"I can feel their auras growing weaker and weaker."

He paused, his voice becoming even firmer.

"They're Xiao Wu's last remaining family. I can't stand by and let them die. Besides... I need greater strength myself."

"Only by becoming stronger can we take revenge on Ning Lin and Spirit Hall!"

With that said, no one argued further.

They knew Tang San had made up his mind.

"We'll go with you!"

Dai Mubai stepped forward.

Tang San shook his head.

"No, you'd be too conspicuous. Spirit Hall is bound to be watching us."

"Leave Heaven Dou City in separate groups and find somewhere safe to settle down first. We'll reunite when I return from the Star Dou Great Forest."

"What about me?"

A weak voice came from the corner.

It was Ma Hongjun.

His face was pale, and he had lost a great deal of weight. The old sparkle was gone from his eyes, leaving only endless desolation.

The sight of him made Tang San's heart ache. He walked over and patted his shoulder.

"Fatty, don't worry. I'll find a way to cure you."

"Go back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect with Rongrong first. That's the safest place."

Ma Hongjun said nothing, merely nodding in silence.

And so the plan was settled.

This little group, which had once made the entire continent sit up and take notice, chose to scatter for the time being under the immense pressure Ning Lin had brought upon them, each seeking a way forward.

Tang San set out for the Star Dou Great Forest.

A new storm was quietly brewing in the depths of the forest.

Early the next morning.

News that the Blue Lightning Prince, Yu Xiaogang, had deserted before battle and fled overnight spread throughout Heaven Dou City.

The entire city became a sea of joy.

Yu Xiaogang, that prancing clown, had become the laughingstock of the entire continent.

Meanwhile, by winning this duel without a fight, Ning Lin had pushed his prestige to unprecedented heights.

He himself, however, had little to say about it.

While the whole city cheered his victory, he had already changed into plain everyday clothes and taken his seat in the courtroom of the City Lord's Residence.

He was attending to the city's affairs.

To Ning Lin, being the strongest under heaven or possessing unrivaled prestige mattered less than the people of Heaven Dou City living and working in peace.

That was the foundation of his duty as the city's lord.

Today, a rather troublesome case was being heard in court.

The plaintiff was an old farmer whose household lived off the land.

The defendant, however, was a low-ranking noble with considerable influence in the city.

The case was simple.

The old farmer claimed that the noble had forcibly seized thirty mu of fertile farmland passed down through his family.

The noble claimed that he had bought those thirty mu from the farmer's father years ago with hard cash, and had a land deed to prove it.

Each side stuck to its story, and neither would yield.

"My lord! You must give this humble commoner justice!"

The old farmer knelt on the floor, tears streaming down his aged face.

"That land has been passed down in my family for generations. It's the lifeblood of my whole household! My father... he couldn't even read! How could he have signed any land deed?"

On the other side, the noble wore an arrogant expression.

"Lord Ning, I only agreed to come to this courtroom out of respect for your position."

"It's written in black and white, with a red seal as proof. The land is mine! This old wretch clearly thinks I'm an easy target and wants to extort me!"

As he spoke, he submitted a yellowed land deed.

Ning Lin picked it up and examined it closely.

The paper and ink did indeed appear to be quite old.

There were no obvious flaws in the signature or mark, either.

An ordinary official would probably have ruled against the old farmer.

This was the scene Hu Liena found when she entered the courtroom.

She had come to report to Ning Lin on the movements of Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, and the others.

She had assumed Ning Lin would be celebrating his victory, never expecting to find him here hearing such a trifling case.

She did not interrupt, merely standing quietly to one side and watching.

After reading the deed, Ning Lin did not immediately deliver a verdict.

He raised his head, his gaze settling on the noble.

"You said you bought this land from his father ten years ago, and this is the deed?"

"That's right!"

The noble answered with his head held high.

"I paid a full three hundred Gold Soul Coins! Plenty of people can testify to it!"

A faint smile appeared on Ning Lin's face.

"Is that so?"

He gently placed the deed on the table, extended a finger, and lightly touched the red seal impression in its lower-right corner.

"This seal paste is top-quality 'fire spider' paste. Bright red, and it won't fade for ten years, correct?"

A hint of smugness flashed in the noble's eyes.

"You have a keen eye, my lord! That's precisely the seal paste my family uses exclusively!"

"Yes, it certainly is good stuff."

Ning Lin nodded.

"Unfortunately, you've forgotten something."

His voice abruptly grew stern.

"Heaven Dou City's legal records state that 'fire spider' seal paste was only developed and introduced by the Treasure Script Studio in the south of the city eight years ago."

"I'm curious. How did you use something that's only been available for eight years to sign a land deed ten years ago?"

At those words, the entire courtroom fell silent.

The noble's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead.

"I... I..."

He stammered, unable to form a single sentence.

The truth was already self-evident.

"Guards!"

Ning Lin slammed down the courtroom block.

"For forging a land deed and forcibly seizing a commoner's farmland, imperial law prescribes fifty strokes of the rod and the confiscation of all family assets into the city treasury!"

"As for these thirty mu of fertile farmland, return them to their rightful owner!"