Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

Staring at the dead woman, Patriarch He froze for a moment. Then, he gritted his teeth and barked, "Kill."

At his command, the five men behind Patriarch He immediately began the slaughter. More than ten of the Chen Family’s women and children were cut down. In just a dozen breaths, only the little boy remained alive.

Staring at his dead family, the little boy shed no tears. His small hands were clenched into tight fists, his eyes filled with killing intent as he glared at Patriarch He.

Just as a He Family Guard was about to kill the boy, two Direct Disciples sent by Lin Yun rushed in. One of them scooped up the boy and immediately dashed out.

The other disciple exchanged a few token blows with the He Family Guard before making a smooth escape.

Cradling the little boy, the two Direct Disciples rushed nonstop towards the exit of Wind City. By the time they reached the city gates, they were already closed for the night.

However, since both were Direct Disciples of the Flawless Palace, the city guards didn’t give them any trouble and opened the gates to let them pass.

As they hurried toward the Flawless Palace, the little boy finally spoke. "Who are you?"

His voice was young, yet it carried a heavy weight. The Direct Disciple holding him replied, "We’re here to save you..."

Saving the little boy had also been part of Li Tian’s plan. By this time, the He Family had already returned to their estate. He Yuntian was also back from his great battle with Bai Zhicheng—which, of course, had ended in a draw.

In the He Family’s main hall, Patriarch He, now in a fresh set of clothes, gathered once more with Li Tian and He Yuntian. Li Tian glanced at Patriarch He and asked indifferently, "Are the bodies taken care of?"

"Yes," Patriarch He nodded. "I guarantee no one will find out. They’ve vanished without a trace."

"Good." Li Tian nodded lightly. ’Honestly, my heart feels heavy right now,’ he thought. ’If there had been any other way, I never would have chosen this path.’

’But there was no other choice. I can’t let Lin Yun lose, and I certainly can’t watch him be forced to cripple his own Cultivation.’

"What a detestable night," Li Tian said quietly, then slowly walked out of the main hall.

Back at the Flawless Palace, Lin Yun was also waiting for the results. Finally, the Sound Transmission Stone on his table flashed. He injected his Elemental Power into it, and Li Tian’s voice instantly came through: "Everything went smoothly."

The outcome was a success. Yet, upon hearing this, Lin Yun, much like Li Tian, felt no relief. Instead, he felt even more stifled and wretched.

A "smooth" outcome meant that the entire Chen Family had been massacred.

’Although one could argue the Chen Family brought this on themselves, what about their maids? Their servants? Those people were innocent.’

Lin Yun wasn’t a bloodthirsty person; he would never slaughter the innocent wantonly. ’But that’s just how the world works. Some things are simply beyond your control.’

’There are some things where not acting means losing. Yet, to act means dragging innocent people into the fray.’

Gazing at the distant sky, Lin Yun couldn’t quite describe his feelings. ’Do I regret it? No, I don’t. If I hadn’t done this, I would have been guaranteed to lose.’

’But do I feel the joy of victory? Not at all. With so many innocent people dragged into this, I feel awful.’

Lin Yun’s spirits were low. Just then, Luo Feng, who hadn’t shown his face for the past two days, walked in. Seeing Lin Yun’s dejected look, Luo Feng asked softly, "What’s wrong? Regretting it?"

Upon Luo Feng’s arrival, Lin Yun first bowed respectfully, then said in a low voice, "I don’t regret it."

"If you don’t regret it, then why so glum?" Luo Feng sat down across from Lin Yun. As he spoke, he took out two wine cups, pouring one for Lin Yun and one for himself.

"This is a fine vintage I’ve treasured for many years. You’re in for a treat today, kid," Luo Feng said with a smile, raising his cup.

Lin Yun took a small sip. The wine was bitter as it went down his throat. An intense bitterness, but after it passed, a sweetness followed.

It wasn’t an overpowering, fragrant sweetness, but a gentle sweetness with a long, pleasant aftertaste.

"Master, this wine..." Lin Yun had never tasted anything like it. Bitter yet sweet, bitter then sweet, with a profound aftertaste. He looked at Luo Feng, about to ask, but before he could finish, Luo Feng laughed heartily.

"Haha, good, isn’t it? This wine is called Elder Wine. It was brewed by my master—your grandmaster—in his twilight years. It contains a lifetime of his insights."

As he said this, Luo Feng seemed to recall his own master. His eyes grew deep and profound as he continued in a soft voice.

"My master once said that a person’s life holds both bitterness and sweetness. What is true for a person is also true for the world. Every chaotic era heralds the arrival of a peaceful Golden Era."

"In chaotic times, everyone fears for their own safety, and corpses litter the fields. However, it is precisely because they have experienced the cruelty of chaos that people learn to cherish the peace and tranquility of a Golden Era."

Recalling his master’s words, Luo Feng suddenly turned to Lin Yun, his expression becoming incredibly serious. He seemed like a completely different person from his usual self.

"Therefore, the Flawless Palace right now is like a time of chaos. Conflict is unavoidable, as are insidious and cruel tactics. To bring order to chaos, you must use extraordinary measures."

"Throughout history, how many of those who accomplished great things were overly compassionate? How many were timid and hesitant? A true man need only act with a clear conscience. Why should he worry about anything else?"

"If you had truly abandoned your only chance at victory just to avoid involving the innocent, then who would be left to protect your parents and friends in the future? Are they not innocent as well?"

Luo Feng spoke slowly. Hearing his words, Lin Yun felt a weight lift from his heart. ’He’s right. A true man shouldn’t be burdened by so many worries. A clear conscience is all that matters.’

"Master..."

"Enough, enough. I just want to tell you that while a man must never lose his conscience, he cannot let himself be destroyed by things that are fundamentally beyond his control."

With that said, Luo Feng downed the rest of his wine in one gulp and left without another word.

Watching Luo Feng’s departing figure, the dejection in Lin Yun’s eyes vanished. He then also downed the Elder Wine in his cup in one gulp.

After the intense bitterness came a long, lingering sweetness...

The dejection and gloom in his heart completely dissipated, and the light returned to his eyes. ’In a situation like this, the only way to bring true peace and stability to the world is to become powerful enough to overwhelm all my rivals.’

"Chang Jing... I definitely won’t disappoint you," Lin Yun muttered to himself with a faint smile.

While Lin Yun and Luo Feng were talking, Chang Jing had just received the news from Wind City. Hearing that the entire Chen Family was dead and that the men he sent had all vanished, Chang Jing roared in disbelief, "They’re all dead?"

(This is the 25th update. Please add to your library, vote with Monthly Passes, and leave recommendations and tips!)