Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

Having successfully located Ning Shuang and Imprisoned Dragon in Wood City, Li Tian joined them as they found an inn to stay at for the time being. Their plan was to contact Lin Yun first and see what he had to say.

The Death Row Shelter’s control over its disciples was not very strict. In fact, one could say the disciples felt no sense of belonging whatsoever, as none of them even knew the location of the organization’s headquarters.

After all, for an assassin organization, being discovered would likely spell its end. For this reason, not even the number one disciple, Imprisoned Dragon, knew the location of the headquarters.

The Death Row Shelter had a very clear rule: only those whose cultivation had broken through to the Celestial Spirit Realm, and who had passed a series of background checks, were qualified to learn the headquarters’ location.

As for missions, dedicated personnel from the headquarters would contact each disciple individually.

Therefore, there was no question of Imprisoned Dragon and Ning Shuang being unable to leave Wood City. When not on a mission, the Death Row Shelter’s disciples were scattered everywhere. A tavern’s shopkeeper in some small town might very well be one of their disciples.

Li Tian used a Communication Token to contact Lin Yun. Back in Fire City, Lin Yun was very happy to receive the message and learn that Li Tian had already found Ning Shuang and Imprisoned Dragon.

Lin Yun immediately told Li Tian that the three of them should head to Fire City to meet up with him. However, they were to travel with one in the open and two in the shadows—Li Tian would be visible, while Imprisoned Dragon and Ning Shuang were to remain hidden. Lin Yun did not want to reveal their presence just yet.

When Ning Shuang heard Lin Yun’s instructions, she became a little upset. She was already missing Lin Yun dearly and had thought she would get to see him soon. But now, he wanted her to hide in the shadows again. ’Doesn’t this mean I still won’t be able to see him?’

After much persuasion from Li Tian, Ning Shuang finally, and very reluctantly, agreed.

With their orders from Lin Yun, the trio left Wood City that very day. Back in Fire City, Lin Yun toyed with the Communication Token in his hand, a sagacious glint in his eyes.

’The situation in the Eastern Domain has changed completely. The era of the Six Great Forces’ rule is over. Now, the Qing Zhu Association alone could obliterate any one of them with ease. That’s why I had to recall Imprisoned Dragon and Ning Shuang so quickly. Letting them stay in the Death Row Shelter is no longer the best option. Besides, after all these years, there’s likely nothing new for them to learn there.’

"Chaotic times forge heroes. I wonder who will have the last laugh in the turmoil of the Eastern Domain," Lin Yun murmured to himself. It was late at night, and he was alone in the small courtyard. But just as the words left his mouth, Lan Xi’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

"Of course, it will be you. Is our man not the great hero who will stand triumphant in these chaotic times?" Lan Xi said with a light laugh as she came and sat beside Lin Yun.

Holding Lan Xi, Lin Yun laughed heartily. "Only the three of you have such faith in me. I doubt anyone else would bet on my success right now. Compared to the Qing Zhu Association, I’m probably nothing more than an ant."

"The present doesn’t dictate the future. I believe in you," Lan Xi said with conviction.

Since Lan Xi had come to find him alone late at night, Lin Yun naturally guessed she had something she wanted to talk about. At his prompting, Lan Xi finally voiced her concerns—concerns that were also shared by Lu Bingning and Mo Qingliu.

It turned out that after leaving on this trip and experiencing such major turmoil, all three women felt as if they were unable to help Lin Yun at all. This feeling left them quite dejected.

Hearing this from Lan Xi, Lin Yun looked at her and said gently, "You three silly girls. Does a man need his women to protect him?"

"But... Bingning, Qingliu, and I all feel like we’re just decorative vases, completely unable to help you with anything," Lan Xi said.

At her words, Lin Yun reached out and lovingly caressed Lan Xi’s cheek. He asked with a soft laugh, "Do you know why men’s shoulders are broader than women’s?"

She shook her head, not understanding. Seeing this, Lin Yun continued.

"Because a man is meant to shelter his woman from the storms of life. A woman needs a man’s embrace, just as a man needs a woman’s tenderness. Besides, if it weren’t for you and Bingning, how could we ever have escaped from Taiqing Academy? So don’t let these random thoughts trouble you anymore."

After a long while of consolation, Lan Xi’s tears finally gave way to a smile. It seemed the burden on her heart had been lifted. Lin Yun walked her back to the women’s room and chatted with all three for a while longer. It was nearly dawn when Chairman Qian called for him.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Yun asked as he entered the courtyard and saw a frantic Chairman Qian.

"Young Master Lin, something terrible has happened! Something huge! Last night, the Wei Family made a sudden move and annihilated over a hundred families in Fire City, both large and small," Chairman Qian exclaimed.

Lin Yun, however, was quite calm upon hearing this. ’I already expected this,’ he thought. ’With the Wei Family’s power, wiping out a hundred-odd families in Fire City isn’t difficult. After all, many of the smaller families don’t even have a single Celestial Spirit Realm expert.’

Urging Chairman Qian not to panic, Lin Yun led him to a seat in the courtyard pavilion. He poured the chairman a cup of water and said with a faint smile, "It seems Fire City is truly about to descend into chaos."

Chairman Qian gulped down the entire cup of tea in one go, finally catching his breath. He then asked Lin Yun, "Young Master Lin, what do you think we should do now?"

"We do nothing. Business at the Celestial Spirit Auction House will proceed as usual. Hold auctions as scheduled. As long as no one comes looking for trouble, you are to ignore the conflicts between these families," Lin Yun stated.

’It’s only been a few days since Taiqing Academy was destroyed, and in a single night, the Wei Family has already wiped out over a hundred families in Fire City. They must have seized a considerable amount of resources overnight.’

’Judging by the speed of their attack, the Wei Family must have gotten word in advance. And as for who tipped them off... who else could it be but Wei Yunhang?’

’The Qing Zhu Association has really hammered a big nail into Fire City.’ He mused, ’Since Wei Yunhang has already sided with the Qing Zhu Association, the Wei Family can probably be considered a quasi-vassal family.’

’With the Wei Family in place, the Qing Zhu Association now has a base of operations in Fire City that can be mobilized at any moment.’

’As for the Wei Family, I will definitely have to pull this nail out. But now is not the time. Fire City is already descending into chaos; it’s best to let its major families tear each other apart for a while.’

’When the time is right, I will naturally remove this nail that is the Wei Family.’

Lin Yun instructed Chairman Qian to ignore all the happenings in Fire City. As long as these families didn’t cause trouble for the Celestial Spirit Auction House, the Chairman was to pay them no mind.

Additionally, Lin Yun asked Chairman Qian to closely monitor the movements of the other major powers, to see if any of them would be unable to resist taking the first bite of the juicy prize that was Taiqing Academy.

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