Decaying World

Chapter 136

"Big Brother." Lin Hui took a deep breath.

He played out the scenario in his mind: without Han Xiaoyue’s warning, Liu Wujun likely would have fallen this time. If that had happened, Liu Xiao would definitely not have been able to continue her station outside; in a fit of rage, she would likely have returned immediately. Given Eldest Sister Liu Xiao's temper, she would probably be ambushed even more easily.

If that happened, and both of them fell… Liu's main branch might survive, but the associated Lin family would likely be implicated and destroyed.

"Since you're here and you've seen me, go give Uncle, Aunt, and Mother a report of my safety. Afterward, I will maintain the appearance of being lightly injured and make public appearances to suppress the thoughts of certain crooked paths," Liu Wujun instructed. "You should also take care of the family while you're in the Outer City. Although Uncle Lin has some backing of his own, they ultimately rely on external power. If any sudden incident occurs, remember to take the family and leave the city immediately. Go to another district; don't stay here."

"Is the situation that serious?" Lin Hui asked in a low voice.

"As long as I'm here, it's fine. But if one day you discover the sphere I gave you has shattered, do not hesitate—flee immediately! Take Mother, Aunt, Uncle Lin, and the others, and run!" Liu Wujun said seriously.

"Okay!"

Lin Hui nodded heavily.

He could tell that Liu Wujun's situation was not good, and he felt somewhat responsible. After all, the conflict with the Wanhua Sect had started when he struck out against them. Later, his Big Brother had stepped forward to take on the trouble. He hadn't expected…

"Don't let your imagination run wild. This has nothing to do with you. There are simply people in the Liu main branch who can't stand me. This isn't the first time they've colluded with the Wanhua Sect, and even without your incident, they would have colluded with other forces. Besides, it’s not like I haven't encountered such situations before. It's no big deal." Liu Wujun patted Lin Hui's shoulder, comforting him."En." Lin Hui nodded firmly.

Leaving the Rain Palace, he was heavy-hearted, but he didn't go back directly. Instead, he found a carriage agency to inquire about directions, confirming the location of the Moon Tower in the Core Zone, intending to take a look before returning.

"The Moon Tower District?? No, brother, do you have any idea how far the Moon Tower is from here?" The counter clerk at the carriage agency couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing the inquiry.

"How so? Is a two-day run enough?" Lin Hui asked in surprise.

"Two days? Riding a galloping horse non-stop from here would take at least six days and six nights!" The clerk gestured with six fingers and shook his head.

"Even if you were a great noble patron riding a moth carriage, you'd still have to fly for a whole day to get there. What are you thinking, brother?" The clerk laughed.

"Besides, why run to the Moon Tower if you have no business there? That place is full of lords and ladies. The lords have terrible memories; if one isn't paying attention and doesn't recognize you, they might crush you to death with a single slap, and you'd have nowhere to complain," a clerk moving boxes nearby took a moment to grumble.

"You speak as if you've been there?" The counter clerk scolded laughingly.

"Didn't I hear the large merchant caravans talking about it when they returned?" The box-moving clerk retorted.

"Terrible memories?" Lin Hui narrowed his eyes. "Isn't it said that the people in the Core Zone's Moon Tower are either top-tier martial artists, High-Tier Called Ones, or Trueblood Nobles? How could strongmen of that level have bad memories?"

"I wouldn't know about that. Anyway, the passing merchant caravans often mention it. That place, they say, is a land of pure enjoyment. You can find anything you want there. Delicious food, fun things, good drinks, beautiful music—everything one could wish for." The moving clerk revealed a look of yearning.

Lin Hui asked for details about the Core Zone, but the clerks knew very little. He could only leave the carriage agency and head toward his second target—the New Martial Alliance.

He had another plan for this trip that he intended to carry out simultaneously: to understand what the subsequent realms and strengths of martial artists looked like.

Cultivating up to this point, he had long since broken away from the inherent system of Internal Force martial artists, embarking on a path of Blood Seal evolutionary martial arts that balanced both Body Tempering and Internal Force.

But between Blood Seal evolutionary martial arts and the inherent martial artist system, which was stronger? What tier did his current strength fall into within the New Martial Alliance? These things needed verification; he needed a suitable reference.

Therefore, this trip to the New Martial Alliance was essential.

Actually, the best reference subjects would be the Three Sects and Six Associations, but their power was too great and deep. The New Martial Alliance was easier to gauge.

Referencing the lesson from last time, Lin Hui bought a set of full-body nightclothes on the street. He then bought four masks, wearing them on all four sides of his head. Finally, he brought the newly evolved steel sword; no one had ever seen this sword, so it was the perfect time to test its power.

After asking around, he quickly obtained the location of the New Martial Alliance headquarters. It was in a mountain forest in the Middle Ring, very far from here. Abandoning the idea of going to the headquarters, Lin Hui switched to the nearest branch.

Two hours later.

In front of a mountain fortress in the Outer Ring, guided by a man he had hired, Lin Hui finally found the signpost marking the New Martial Alliance branch.

On the signpost, the "New Martial Alliance Yuanshan Branch" and "Yuanshan Fortress" both pointed in the same direction.

"Friend, do you know the situation of the New Martial Alliance? Do you want me to tell you about it? This organization was established and rose to prominence only in the last few years. This branch is considered quite a large organization near the South Ninth Gate."

The guide was also a martial practitioner, a bearded man. Seeing Lin Hui's attire—wrapped up tight from head to toe with four masks on his head—mysterious and bizarre, he knew at a glance that this guy was likely here to cause trouble.

"I know a little. Why don't you tell me?" Lin Hui casually tossed out a small piece of gold, immediately causing the man's face to light up with a smile.

Catching the gold, he weighed it in his hand.

"The structure of the entire New Martial Alliance is actually quite simple. There are two Alliance Leaders, a primary and a deputy, and nine Elders who are all Hall Masters of major martial halls. Below them are dozens of formal members. Outside of formal members, there are peripheral members, and their numbers are large. As for this Yuanshan Branch, it is presided over by one of the nine Elders, the 'Butterfly Shadow Sword,' Mu Shanqing. Below him are two deputy ministers, more than ten deacons, and hundreds of peripheral members. The deacons are all formal members. The deputy ministers are 'Bright Moon Saber' Ding Chengying and 'Ghost Hand' Zhao Dong."

"What is the strength of this Elder, 'Butterfly Shadow Sword' Mu Shanqing?" Lin Hui hadn't expected this guy to know so well, so he asked an extra question.

"That isn't clear. Strength depends entirely on battle records. Mu Shanqing hasn't made a move in many years. His most recent action should have been ten years ago during the encirclement of a Mist Zone monster, the Golden-Crowned Centipede. With the cooperation of eight Circulation Realm experts, he killed a High-Threat level monster, establishing the renown of the Butterfly Shadow Sword."

He paused.

"As for anything earlier, I haven't heard of it. Perhaps those older martial artists would know more clearly. After all, this Butterfly Shadow Sword is not from our generation."

"Many thanks, brother." Lin Hui cupped his fists. Although the Butterfly Shadow Sword's strength was still unclear, it was obviously higher than the average top-tier Circulation Realm expert. And that was his strength from ten years ago; he would surely be stronger now.

After clarifying this, Lin Hui raised his eyebrows and gazed toward the direction of the Yuanshan Branch in the mountains, a trace of caution added to his heart.

"What is there to thank? I have no other things to do; I just love watching the excitement. If there is anything else you want to know, just ask!" The bearded man said cheerfully.

He glanced at Lin Hui's attire, hesitated for a moment, and said, "However, with this getup, are you going to the New Martial Alliance to pick a fight?"

"Not really. Mainly, I have been bitterly cultivating for many years and am unclear about exactly how my strength stands. I plan to find a place to measure it and see which tier I belong to," Lin Hui told the truth.

"That's easy. Go to the New Martial Alliance, explain your purpose, and there will be a trial arena directly available. It is specifically prepared for martial artists like you. At the same time, they use this method to train their own disciples." The bearded man clearly knew the details well.

"You know this much, brother?" Lin Hui was surprised. Being able to test his strength peacefully was naturally better.

"Yes, because I went to fight in that arena before." The bearded man's eyes revealed a look of nostalgia.

Bidding farewell to the bearded man, he followed the direction of the signpost. Before long, the road ahead became increasingly open.

The ground beneath his feet also gradually became steeper as he climbed upward. After passing through a withered, yellow forest, an expanse of sheer, pale white cliffs came into view.

On the cliffs, round white stone platforms had been carved out one by one. Looking from a distance, one could vaguely see people sparring on these platforms.

Further away, a large complex of pale green buildings faintly blended into the mountain forest, interspersed with dense woodland. From time to time, figures could be seen speeding in and out of them.

These people all traveled high above the ground, avoiding the usual paths as they flashed over treetops and rooftops. It was as if setting foot on the steps below would be an insult to their boots.

Only then did Lin Hui notice that on the tree forks more than ten meters above his head to the right, there were anti-slip footboards tied specifically for these high-flying individuals. A round wooden sign hung on the side of the board, indicating the direction of the next anti-slip footboard.

Shua.

Just then, two figures flashed past overhead, and fluctuations of Internal Force similarly flashed by in an instant. Internal Force martial artists, rare in the Outer City, seemed extremely common here.

And just as Lin Hui was heading to the Yuanshan Branch.

Inside the branch, Minister "Butterfly Shadow Sword" Mu Shanqing was stroking his beard, sitting cross-legged on a terrace, gazing at the rolling mountains in the distance.

Behind him, the two deputy ministers had arrived together. Both looked solemn, sitting cross-legged as if waiting for him to answer something.

"No matter what happens, you must endure it for now," Mu Shanqing said calmly.

“But if this goes on, almost no one will be paying the annual fees from the various places! If we don't make a statement soon, I'm afraid in the future…” Deputy Minister Ding Chengying was already over fifty. Her once exquisite face now bore faint crow’s feet. This woman, who looked every bit the noble lady, already had children and grandchildren. The former ‘Bright Moon Saber’ was no longer as indomitable and pure as the moon she was named for.

The heavy financial demands of her family had gradually turned her into the sort of person she had once despised.

"That Liu Wujun has now gone quiet. Even if he isn't heavily injured, he can't come out and suppress us again in the short term. Now is a good opportunity for revenge!" The other deputy minister, Zhao Dong, said in a deep voice.

"How do you know if his injury is real or fake? Have you forgotten that time three years ago?" Mu Shanqing said indifferently. "If we really make a move, we will be the ones striking first. Liu Wujun would have every reason to directly target us. At that time, even if the Alliance Leader steps in, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire."

"Then let's not directly target Liu Wujun's direct assets. Doesn't he have a younger sister stationed outside?" Ding Chengying suggested.

"Liu Xiao has just broken through to become a Divine Officer. You want to go?" Mu Shanqing said.

"..." Ding Chengying instantly fell silent.

"Can't we notify the sect to deploy an envoy?" Zhao Dong frowned on the side.

"Watch your words!" Mu Shanqing frowned, looking sharply at Zhao Dong. "Last time the envoy died, the other branches suffered heavy losses, which has already caused extreme dissatisfaction among the surrounding envoys. Who would be willing to come here and take risks now?"

"Then we can only go back to the outermost periphery and probe whether Liu Wujun is truly injured or faking it," Zhao Dong said.

"You mean his mother, and that so-called younger brother of his?" Mu Shanqing seemed thoughtful.

"Exactly. That stepbrother with no blood relation is unimportant; he runs fast, and even if we caught him, it would be useless—he holds no leverage. Only by catching his mother, Liu Shenglan..."

"No, the Lin Manor's defenses are too strict." Ding Chengying shook her head.

"Alright, say no more." Mu Shanqing suddenly stood up. "A guest has arrived."

He stood on the terrace, his gaze looking down from the heights, instantly focusing on a black-clothed swordsman slowly approaching the mountain gate.

At the foot of the mountain, Lin Hui also gazed into the distance at the same time, his eyes falling on Mu Shanqing.

The inexplicable aura of powerful martial artists allowed them to sense each other at this moment.

“This feeling…? To be so far apart and still sense his aura locked onto me…” Lin Hui extended his hand, opening and clenching his fingers as he carefully savored this sensation he had never experienced before.

The opponent's gaze was like a solid substance, like a knife slowly sliding across his body. This was something he had never encountered when facing Wang Yueheng or other opponents.

Novelty, anticipation, and a trace of longing to test his sword made Lin Hui involuntarily quicken his pace, walking forward with a smile.

Pa.

Suddenly, his footsteps paused. The smile on his face vanished abruptly.

Red flashed in his eyes, and the writing of the Blood Seal emerged.

[Notice: You have received the Mist God's Gaze. Speed is being impaired.]

"Interesting..."

Lin Hui grinned.

"Truly interesting. A branch of the New Martial Alliance is actually hiding this kind of thing??"

Hiss...

He slowly drew his sword. The silver steel sword, Ruyi, 1.6 meters long, was pulled from his back and held level at his side.

The wind suddenly rose, spiraling and rotating. It swept through the surroundings.

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