Decaying World

Chapter 106

Inside the Lin Manor.

Lin Shunhe looked much the same as always: a stout figure, a smile on his face, and the air of a wealthy merchant who carried a faint but undeniable authority. However, if one looked closely, they might catch a glimpse of a faint purple pattern flashing through the depths of his eyes.

Clack, clack.

Footsteps approached from outside. The purple patterns in Lin Shunhe’s eyes rapidly faded and vanished. He looked up toward the entrance and saw a familiar figure slowly stepping into the main hall—Lin Hui, dressed in white, carrying two swords on his back.

"Why aren't you at the sect? What brings you here? Shouldn't you be training hard at the temple right now?" Lin Shunhe looked at his son with some surprise.

"It's been a while. I heard you were back, Dad, so I came to check on things. You aren't injured, are you?" Lin Hui looked at his father, a trace of doubt flashing deep in his eyes.

For some reason, he felt that his father had undergone significant changes during this trip. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was;

it was just a vague sense of difference.

"Naturally, I'm not injured. With so many bodyguards around, what could happen to me?" Lin Shunhe laughed. "On the contrary, you need to be careful. Quite a few Wanhua Sect disciples have come to my stores recently. You know, even sect disciples need to eat and shop, so the United Supermarket's intelligence network is arguably the most well-informed in town. The Wanhua Sect is a rather evil faction;

they possess high attainments in imitation and disguise. They’ve even successfully infiltrated the Three Great Powers of the Inner City. You must be cautious."

"Disguise and imitation abilities?" Lin Hui was astonished. The intelligence from his father's side was unexpectedly more effective than his own.

As expected of a supermarket boss working on the front lines."Your Clear Wind Temple holds significant assets in the surrounding area now;

it’s very easy to be targeted as a deep pocket, so watch yourself," Lin Shunhe reminded him again. "Don't provoke them if you don't have to. If you discover them inside Clear Wind Temple, just quietly drive them away. Don't use methods that are too extreme. The Wanhua Sect has massive influence;

they are a top-tier evil sect within the entire Taisu Alliance. They are not to be trifled with."

"I understand. Thanks for the reminder, Dad," Lin Hui said seriously.

Unfortunately, he had already provoked them. And the source wasn't even him, but the crippling of his cousin, Lin Hongzhen. Or rather, the root cause was still Lin Hongyu.

Mentioning Lin Hongyu, he asked in passing, "By the way, that Lin Hongyu came to my temple not long ago, trying to ask for benefits, but I kicked her out. I wonder how she is now."

"Lin Hongyu? She went out of the city to the mist zone a long time ago. She joined the Chen clan's exploration team and only returned recently," Lin Shunhe replied.

"How is she?"

"She was injured. There doesn't seem to be much activity from her since. I don't pay much attention to that side anymore."

"What about Cousin? Has her condition improved?" Lin Hui asked about Lin Hongzhen.

"I found various precious medicines, but the effects were poor. The injury damaged a vital area back then." Mentioning Lin Hongzhen, Lin Shunhe sighed.

"Have you asked Second Mother for help?"

"Naturally, I asked long ago, but it was useless. They said the injury was inside the brain."

Lin Hui carefully recalled his own resources but couldn't think of any physician or formula capable of treating brain injuries. This seemed to be an absolute difficulty, whether in his previous life or here.

After chatting a few more sentences with his father and exchanging pleasantries, he went to see his mother and Second Mother, only leaving the Lin Manor as evening approached.

Just after stepping out the gate, he saw the restaurant across the street—the very place his older sister, Liu Xiao, had arranged for his blind date last time.

At the entrance, a woman wearing a black veil stood in the shadows. Seeing him emerge, the woman suddenly became agitated and walked quickly toward him.

"Brother Hui! Brother Hui, I have a big secret to tell you! Someone is targeting you! It's a very dangerous major faction!" As the woman got close, she transmitted her voice urgently and fluently.

It was obvious she had memorized these words in advance. She spoke extremely fast yet very clearly, enunciating every syllable. Clearly, she was afraid Lin Hui would bolt before she could finish.

"Lin Hongyu?" Lin Hui recognized her immediately.

To think it was this person again. She had reportedly just returned from the mist zone, yet she had sought him out immediately.

"What secret? Let's hear it," he said casually.

"I can't say it here. We need to find a hidden place. Furthermore, I want to exchange it for a good price!" Lin Hongyu had learned her lesson this time, knowing that playing the family card with Lin Hui was useless. She might as well use her intelligence to trade for tangible benefits.

"Interesting." Lin Hui noticed the change in her. This approach actually made him much more comfortable. A normal transaction, disregarding all messy relationships—even if it was Lin Hongyu, he wouldn't treat her unfairly.

This was one of his baseline principles, regardless of who he dealt with.

It just struck him as strange: how did Lin Hongyu know who was targeting him?

Immediately, he grabbed Lin Hongyu by the back of her collar, his figure flashing.

Whoosh!

The scenery around the two blurred.

Minutes later, among dilapidated houses on the outskirts.

Lin Hui set her down.

"You can speak now. What secret do you have to trade? Let me say this first: if the so-called secret doesn't satisfy me, you know the consequences."

Lin Hongyu looked left and right. Seeing the wild grass growing all around and the broken houses that looked like they had been smashed by monsters—nothing but crumbled walls and ruins—it was a desolate scene.

She felt a spike of panic, but true to someone who had survived following an exploration team into the mist zone, she quickly adjusted her mindset and looked at Lin Hui.

"Brother Hui... No, Temple Master Lin! While in a ruin within the mist zone, I was briefly trapped in a dark chamber for two days and two nights. In the middle of it, I accidentally overheard voices conversing inside the ruins. It was an organization called the Wanhua Sect. They said an Incense Master was murdered in Xinyu Town in the Outer City, and they suspect you did it. Experts have already come to investigate you."

"Wanhua Sect?"

Lin Hui narrowed his eyes. When he killed that Incense Master last time, he knew the matter couldn't be kept hidden forever. Being able to delay it for this long was already considered good luck.

In this world, mysterious methods were numerous and impossible to predict completely, so being discovered was within his expectations. The key was what kind of experts the Wanhua Sect would send to cause trouble.

As for whether they needed evidence to prove he did it, that wasn't important. For an evil sect like that, mere suspicion was justification enough. It was very likely they had already cleared the other suspects, and now it was simply his turn.

"I know that. Is there anything else? Someone already told me this news in advance. It has little value to me," Lin Hui said calmly.

"...There—there is more!" Lin Hongyu's face went slightly pale. Last time, she had been slapped unconscious and had suffered a headache for two days. She was truly beaten into submission, terrified that Lin Hui would attack again if dissatisfied.

Of course, getting beaten was a small matter. She was afraid the person opposite her would be ruthless... Judging from the deeds of Temple Master Lin that she knew of, it was a genuine possibility. The man before her was a ruthless character who had killed over a hundred people in one breath without blinking.

"I heard the title and name of the expert they sent..." Lin Hongyu said quickly.

"Speak," Lin Hui said impatiently.

"The benefits... I want benefits!" Lin Hongyu hurriedly interjected.

"You're just a reserve who isn't even a Called One yet. Say directly what benefits you need." Lin Hui frowned.

"Money! I want money!! To survive in the mist zone, I promised someone a payment of two million qian (coins) to buy my life! As long as you give me this money, I'll speak!" Lin Hongyu said urgently.

"Two million? Are you crazy for money?" Lin Hui was speechless. "Fifty thousand. This news isn't that important to me. Take it or leave it."

"...Fine!" Lin Hongyu saw the fierce light in his eyes and immediately shivered, not daring to bargain further. She agreed. "Money first!"

This was her absolute bottom line.

Lin Hui had nothing to say. From the pouch hanging at his waist, he took out five gold notes worth ten thousand each and tossed them casually.

The breeze caught the gold notes, drifting them down in front of Lin Hongyu, who hurriedly snatched them from the air.

After verifying the funds, Lin Hongyu's eyes shone brightly.

"That person is named Zhou Fan, nicknamed 'Severing Karma Saber.' He is an Outer Sect Protector of the Wanhua Sect. I'm not clear on his specific strength, but he is definitely above the Called One level—an Internal Force martial artist!"

"You're that certain?"

"Yes, because I heard those two say that this Zhou Fan first wants to hunt down and resolve a traitorous Internal Force martial artist within the sect before coming here," Lin Hongyu said quickly.

"This news has some value." Lin Hui nodded with satisfaction. "Is there anything else to trade? You can say it all at once."

"...There—there is one more thing. I... inside that ruin, I was hit by a seal that can't be removed. After coming back, I felt my body start to change. Continuous fever, symptoms of massive blood loss, fear of light... but my recovery ability has increased a lot. I feel closer to water and mist."

Lin Hongyu described it haltingly.

"...Seal? What seal?" Lin Hui's heart tightened. He didn't know much about ruins. If his prediction wasn't wrong, the place Lin Hongyu went to should be one of the two nearby ruins.

"It's this." Lin Hongyu suddenly pulled down the front of her black dress, revealing her upper body with nothing underneath. Right in the center of her full bosom, a purple-black flower-like pattern was clearly printed, extending from her chest down to her abdomen and below.

This action was obviously premeditated. After exposing herself, she stared intently into Lin Hui's eyes.

This was the purpose of her private talk this time—she absolutely had to find a way to latch onto Lin Hui, this golden ticket! Especially after hearing Lin Hui's reputation as a "sex maniac" spreading, she knew her opportunity had come.

But what surprised her was that aside from a trace of analytical scrutiny, there was nothing else in Lin Hui's eyes. No lust whatsoever.

"Do you want... to touch it? This pattern extends all the way down to my..." Lin Hongyu felt she must have seen wrong. Lin Hui was a famous lecher who ate aphrodisiacs by the jin. How could he not be moved?

Her looks, even within the main branch of the Chen clan, could attract quite a few people.

"That's enough. Put on your clothes," Lin Hui ordered, memorizing the purple-black pattern in thought.

"But here, I have the rest of the pattern..." Lin Hongyu gently undid the rest of her dress, speaking softly.

Bang!

In the next instant, a black scabbard lashed out like a whip, striking her left cheek. The immense force sent her flying sideways, crashing into a broken wall. She spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

She didn't faint this time?

Lin Hui was slightly surprised. The force he used was about the same as last time. Not fainting meant Lin Hongyu's constitution had truly been enhanced.

"Interesting, this pattern..." He glanced at the sky and turned to leave. "Next time you have intel, you can come directly to Clear Wind Temple to trade. Of course, if the intel is worthless... you understand the consequences."

Behind him, Lin Hongyu struggled to climb up from the rubble, her face covered in blood.

Didn't they say Lin Hui is a sex maniac??

Why... am I not beautiful enough??

She fell into severe self-doubt.

On the other side, speeding back along the road, Lin Hui's brows were locked tight.

If it were just the Dragon Lady or the masked person coming to warn him, he wouldn't care too much. But now his father also said the Wanhua Sect had sent people, and Lin Hongyu had come from another channel, trading information about an incoming expert.

There's no logic in defending against a thief for a thousand days. I don't know the strength of the Wanhua Sect expert, so it seems I'll have to probe first...

Lin Hui's mind spun, and he immediately had an idea.

Since I don't have spies, don't have relevant intelligence sources, and can't find him, then I'll make him lose his spies and lose all sources of intelligence.

Xinyu Town was Lin Hui's territory. No matter who it was, if they came here, they almost inevitably had to deal with industries under the Clear Wind Temple. Even if they intentionally avoided them, they would inevitably have contact with the United Supermarket.

It could be said that in today's Xinyu Town, even if a cat or dog entered, they could be delivered to Lin Hui immediately if needed.

Returning to Clear Wind Temple, intelligence reports on outsiders were quickly delivered to Lin Hui's desk one after another. Thus, in less than an hour, all outsiders received a notice from the government office, requiring them to cooperate with Clear Wind Temple's investigation and suspend all private activities.

….

Meanwhile, on Lin Shunhe's side, all intelligence regarding the Wanhua Sect was delivered to his study.

"Why would this Wanhua Sect suddenly run over to target us? I haven't provoked them, have I?" Lin Shunhe looked at the black-clothed man in a white mask kneeling on one knee before him, puzzled.

"This subordinate does not know, but detailed movements indicate they are indeed approaching and encircling the Lin Manor," the man in black said in a deep voice.

"I just finished merging;

taking action directly isn't very safe. Would Elder Du please report this and ask for instructions on whether we can completely purge the surrounding Wanhua Sect members?" Lin Shunhe looked at Elder Du behind him.

"It shouldn't be a problem. The branch hall here was just established, and the industries and influence are growing larger. Master has also merged successfully, attracting a lot of attention. Lord Black Face will likely dispatch a Divine Officer to handle it," Elder Du answered respectfully.

"That's good. I am very afraid of death. For things like fighting and roughness, it's better to ask professionals to do it." Lin Shunhe nodded with satisfaction.

…

At the same time.

Inner City, Rain Palace, Yuanming Hall.

Inside a pure white secret chamber, a figure surrounded by countless transparent, terrifying, twisting distortions suddenly frowned and opened his eyes.

"What is it? Liu Xiao?"

The figure's face gradually became clear. It was none other than Liu Wujun, who was in secluded cultivation.

"Big Brother, the trash from the Wanhua Sect actually dared to resist after people died. They even sent Zhou Fan over, intending to move against First Mother's side," Liu Xiao's voice sounded from outside the door. "I just broke through, so I'm not certain I can perfectly keep Zhou Fan here. I need you to act personally."

"Zhou Fan? Last time, for his father's sake, I crippled one of his arms and let him off. To think he still dares to come to Tuyue..." Liu Wujun's face became ferocious.

"And he dares to move against my family??!"

Hum!

Suddenly, the entire secret chamber trembled violently, as if hit by a ten-thousand-ton boulder, generating a massive quake.

"Seeking death!"

With a loud boom, the metal door—over ten centimeters thick—instantly annihilated and vanished. Liu Wujun walked out of the secret chamber, his robes billowing, his eyes shining with blinding white light.

"Let's go!"

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