The Holy Duke had guarded the treasure mountain that was Immortal Island for hundreds of years.
During those hundreds of years, he had shown no sign of anything unusual.
He had not even taken any special care of his own descendants.
Indeed, Lin Zhong and Du Yongquan were descendants of other Holy Envoys, while the Holy Duke Wuming himself had left no descendants.
Hundreds of years ago, he had been alone.
Hundreds of years later, he was still alone.
Moreover, through careful observation, Yang Qing discovered that apart from the urgency and agitation Wuming had shown when first demanding the Rootless Wood, he had never displayed those emotions again.
It was as though the matter of the Rootless Wood no longer held any importance for him.
This stirred a trace of doubt in Yang Qing's heart.
His first impressions of people were usually very accurate.
Yet some of Wuming's reactions now had far exceeded his expectations.
This made Yang Qing begin to question his own judgment.
Throughout the journey, Yang Qing remained silent, but his pace did not slow in the slightest.
Du Yongquan blundered around like a headless fly for quite some time before finally finding the unconscious Lin Zhong in a tiny, secluded stone chamber.
Du Yongquan examined Lin Zhong carefully. Only after discovering that he was merely unconscious and otherwise unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"He violated some of the island's rules, so he received the punishment he deserved."
Wuming's voice was soft, but everyone present heard him clearly.
"Though Eastern Splendor is no more, its laws remain strict. As a subject of Immortal Island, anyone who does wrong must still receive the punishment they deserve."
As Wuming spoke, his gaze turned toward Lin Zhong.
But Yang Qing noticed that although Wuming's eyes rested