Shihu City.
Outside the inn.
The cooks, the handymen, and the numerous laborers who had just been shooed away hadn’t yet left when they saw the door being slowly pushed open again.
They stopped in their tracks, confused, then were hit by the overwhelming stench of blood.
The color drained from their faces, and they were so flustered they nearly cried out.
The handsome young man stepped out calmly, his expression indifferent. He glanced at the cooks and handymen, gave a slight nod, and said, "Clean this up. Reheat the food; it should still be edible."
"Shopkeeper Lin..."
The laborers froze, their eyes instinctively drawn toward the main hall. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale.
The Immortal Disciples, who had been swaggering about so arrogantly just moments before, were now strewn across the floor in gruesome heaps—all in the time it took to close and open a door.
Not a single one was left alive!
’Reheat the food? Still edible?’
His casual tone, set against the blood-drenched scene inside the hall, was utterly bizarre.
The cooks and handymen stood dazedly in the doorway, staring at the young man in disbelief.
As far as they knew, Shopkeeper Lin was usually found lazing behind the counter, hardly ever getting involved in anything.
Forget fighting; no one had ever even seen him lose his temper.
The laborers and handymen had all thought of him and the Little Mountain God as kind, benevolent people.
No one had ever imagined Shopkeeper Lin had such a vicious side.
"Make way!"
Soon, the stench of blood drew several Stewards to the scene.
They rushed to the inn’s entrance, and their eyes widened in shock when they saw the situation.
They turned to the young man and demanded sharply, "What is going on here?"
While a place like the Border Region wasn’t as peaceful as Yongzhou, it wasn’t a lawless land where people could be slaughtered in broad daylight.
Lin Shu stopped flipping through the booklet in his hands and tossed it to them.
His voice was not loud, and it sounded somewhat dismissive.
But the chill it carried was completely undisguised. "This group was secretly investigating my Master and tracking her movements."
"When I discovered them, they not only refused to hand over the booklet, but they also dared to attack me."
"I had no choice. I killed them all."
His few, concise sentences made the Stewards’ expressions change drastically.
Though he claimed to have had "no choice," there wasn’t a trace of helplessness in the young man’s eyes. Instead, they were filled with icy killing intent.
They lowered their heads and flipped through the booklet.
It was filled with notes about Black Water City, detailed down to a specific Old Woodshed.
"They were courting death!"
One of the Stewards was from the Yu Family, and his eyes flashed.
Everyone knew that Yu Sheng had been trapped in that city and was personally rescued from that very Old Woodshed by Elder Qiheng.
The Yu Family hadn’t even settled their score with the Lius, yet these bastards dared to come sniffing around.
On any other day, it might have been overlooked.
But today of all days, two Yu Family Immortal Descendants had just been reported missing.
Everyone was already on edge.
To stir up trouble at a time like this... they had no one to blame but themselves.
"Let me see that."
A streak of light flashed across the sky. Fan Qingyang landed outside the inn and plucked the booklet from the Steward’s hand.
He flipped through it quickly.
A flicker of anger crossed his face.
Just a few days ago, he had personally intervened, ordering these Liu Family Disciples to stay out of Black Water City’s affairs.
This booklet wasn’t just a slap in his face; it was a slap in his Master’s face.
"I will report this to my superiors."
Fan Qingyang’s hand tightened into a fist. He gave Lin Shu an apologetic nod. "You don’t need to worry too much. The Liu Family depends on the Demon-slaying Bureau for its survival. Their disciples wouldn’t dare collude with Demon Fiends."
"This group was likely investigating something else. They weren’t conspiring with the Moon-Devouring Demon General to harm your Master."
Even so, Fan Qingyang could understand the disciple’s reaction. ’Yu Qing and Yu Kui have already disappeared. This group was investigating his Master and just so happened to be staying at the same inn. He’s all alone, and he’s about to leave to guard the border. That would mean leaving Yu Sheng behind, alone, with people like them. Anyone would have snapped.’
"That would be for the best."
Lin Shu pursed his lips, his voice cold.
He didn’t act overly arrogant, but he made his displeasure clear.
He was perfectly playing the part of a disciple who had gritted his teeth and endured his Master being bullied by her own kin, only to now find her very life threatened. With her safety no longer guaranteed, he had no choice but to personally step forward and make an example of these villains.
Fan Qingyang lowered his gaze with a sigh and rubbed his brow.
If any other disciple had spoken to him that way, he would have taught them a lesson about respecting their elders. But with a glance at the corpses inside the inn, he paused. After a moment’s thought, Fan Qingyang just chuckled to ease the awkward tension.
’His anger is not only justified, but he’s actually being remarkably restrained,’ he thought. ’And in terms of strength... to be able to kill all these Liu Family Disciples proves that Lin Shu isn’t the squabbling child I took him for. He has real power, on par with us veteran disciples. If I remember correctly, his Cyan Simurgh Jade Token is due to be issued soon, too.’
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave."
"Barring any further surprises, things should start looking up soon."
Fan Qingyang glanced at Yu Sheng inside the inn, then back at Lin Shu, offering a tactful hint before he transformed back into a streak of light and vanished.
’Yu Sheng has matured, and her disciple has now proven his capabilities,’ he thought as he flew. ’They may be few in number for now, but that’s only temporary. With the other two Immortal Descendants missing, the Little Mountain God’s status is bound to rise dramatically.’

Comments

Loading...