Chapter 96 - 95: Meeting Zhao Wuhen Again
The collision of Nascent Soul domains within the grand main hall was a terrifying spectacle that threatened to completely level the master pavilion. The air screamed as Lin Yuan violently pushed back against Zhao Wuhen.
But as quickly as the terrifying storm had erupted, it was suddenly, deliberately extinguished.
Standing amidst the shattered grand double doors, Envoy Zhao Wuhen entirely withdrew his Middle Stage Nascent Soul aura. The heavy pressure that had been suffocating the room rapidly retracted back into his body. Then, the Envoy raised both of his hands in a non-hostile gesture.
"Peace, Daoist Lin," Zhao Wuhen announced, his voice devoid of the arrogance he had displayed at the Wang Clan estate. "Withdraw your aura. I have absolutely no desire to fight you today. I only came here because I just want to talk."
Lin Yuan removed his aura, but kept the barrier firmly wrapped around Bai Qingyue and her cousin, shielding his family from even the ambient dust of the shattered doors. His eyes remained locked onto the Envoy, glowing with a lethal coldness.
Thinking that his withdrawal of hostility was enough to secure a diplomatic parley, Zhao Wuhen lowered his hands and confidently attempted to take another step into the grand main hall.
"If you dare take another step over that threshold," Lin Yuan’s voice echoed, dropping to an abyssal tone that made the very air temperature plummet, "I will kill you where you stand."
Zhao Wuhen’s foot froze entirely mid-air.
"Days ago, at the Wang Clan estate, I did not wish to attempt that," Lin Yuan continued, his words striking like physical blows. "I held back, considering that erasing you would be explicitly crossing the Cultivation Council and inviting unnecessary karma. But now? You have utterly disrespected the absolute sanctuary of my home. You have violently broken my doors and put my wife and her cousin—my family—in mortal danger. If I erase your soul right now, absolutely no one in the Heavens or Earth should blame me for ending your life."
At first, Zhao Wuhen did not immediately retreat his foot. His pragmatic mind scoffed at the threat.
Arrogant youth, Zhao Wuhen sneered internally, keeping his face perfectly calm. How in the heavens will an Early Stage Nascent Soul expert be fundamentally capable of killing me? Yes, I have witnessed his physical might. Yes, Lin Yuan possesses such a peerless soul foundation that he can easily match my blows. But to kill a Middle Stage expert? Surely, that is just empty noise and bravado born of his rage.
But as Zhao Wuhen slowly raised his gaze to confidently challenge the young immortal, he locked eyes with Lin Yuan.
The very moment their gazes met, an unfathomable terror violently seized Zhao Wuhen’s entire being. The Envoy’s breath physically caught in his throat. It was not a fear born of logic; it was a primal dread that completely bypassed his conscious mind. Deep within his dantian, his Middle Stage Nascent Soul began to violently, and uncontrollably tremble.
At that exact moment, staring into those crackling purple pupils, Zhao Wuhen knew without a single shadow of a doubt that Lin Yuan could kill him. It wouldn’t require a drawn-out battle. It wouldn’t require him drawing his sword.
Lin Yuan could eradicate him with a mere thought.
What heaven-defying spell does this man possess to kill me with a single thought?! Zhao Wuhen’s mind screamed in absolute panic. He could feel the invisible, cold blade of the Death Gaze resting directly against the fragile neck of his soul. If he took that step, his life would simply cease to exist.
Zhao Wuhen did not dare step forward. Yes, he was an Envoy of the Cultivation Council. Yes, Lin Yuan killing him would undoubtedly bring the full force of the Council down upon this estate. But then again, a dead Envoy cared nothing for vengeance. Zhao Wuhen simply did not want to die, and his instincts were totally correct. With the terrifying Death Gaze spell nestled in his arsenal, Lin Yuan could easily sever the Envoy’s life force with a single pulse of his will!
Slowly, carefully, Zhao Wuhen retracted his foot, placing it back on the outside of the threshold.
"My apologies," Zhao Wuhen said, his voice entirely stripped of its former confidence, bearing the slight, undeniable tremor of a man who had just looked into the abyss. "I overstepped."
Without another word, Envoy Zhao Wuhen immediately channeled his spatial authority and teleported outside, vanishing from the ruined doorway to put distance between himself and Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan dropped the defensive barrier around Bai Qingyue and Bai Chen. Giving his wife a brief, reassuring nod, he stepped into the spatial void, seamlessly teleporting outside to follow the Envoy.
Lin Yuan materialized beside the koi pond in the sunlit central courtyard.
With a swift flick of his arm, Zhao Wuhen materialized two seats directly near the edge of the koi pond. The Envoy sat down on one, intentionally keeping his hands visible and unthreatening, and gestured politely for Lin Yuan to take the other seat.
Lin Yuan walked over and sat down, his posture rigid, his eyes never leaving the Envoy’s face.
Attempting to diffuse the lethal tension that still hung thickly in the air, Zhao Wuhen forced a cultured smile.
"I see that you have received such a magnificent gift from the Wang Clan," Zhao Wuhen began, gesturing to the sprawling, beautiful pavilions of the estate. "Such incredible generosity from Wang Tangzie. They usually guard this specific property with their very lives. You have truly established a supreme domain for yourself, Daoist Lin."
"Get straight to the point," Lin Yuan interrupted, his voice a flat blade that completely severed the Envoy’s pleasantries.
Zhao Wuhen chuckled nervously, the sound hollow against the rushing of the nearby waterfall.
"You are truly a busy man, Daoist Lin," Zhao Wuhen noted, leaning back slightly in the chair. He nodded his head toward the master pavilion. "I can see the magnificent crimson wedding dress in that peerless beauty’s arms. It seems there is a grand wedding happening very soon. And you dare not invite me? I would have gladly brought a supreme congratulatory gift."
"Zhao Wuhen!" Lin Yuan snapped, the ambient spiritual qi around them violently cracking with lightning. "Do not test my patience!!"
The Envoy raised his hands in immediate surrender, his smile vanishing entirely. He finally abandoned all pretense and went straight to the point of his intrusion.
"Very well," Zhao Wuhen said, his expression hardening into serious focus. "I came here to personally deliver a message regarding your future. Despite our... friction... I have formally recommended you to the ruler of this region, the Lord of the Zhao Province. I have urged the Lord to put your name forward to the high echelons to officially become a newly ordained Envoy of the Cultivation Council."
Zhao Wuhen leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "This is not a trial, Lin Yuan. This is a direct appointment. The backing of the Lord of the Province guarantees you a seat at the highest table. You will wield authority that rivals kings!"
Lin Yuan did not even blink. He slowly stood up from the chair, looking down at the scheming, opportunistic Envoy.
"My answer remains exactly the same as it was the time you offered that," Lin Yuan declared with absolute finality. "And it will always be the same. I have no interest in being a lapdog for your Council. I reject the offer."
Zhao Wuhen stared at the young immortal for a long moment, reading the unyielding conviction in his posture. The Envoy slowly stood up, brushing an invisible speck of dust from his robes.
"So be it," Zhao Wuhen sighed, shaking his head. "I cannot force a dragon into a harness. But let us call this visit the true beginning of our relationship, Daoist Lin. A mutual understanding between peers."
"The relationship?" Lin Yuan sneered, his voice dripping with absolute contempt. "The exact same relationship that made you secretly hire and send three shadow-scouts from Sky Jade City to infiltrate my home in the dead of night? Go pick up your pathetic lackeys from my underground cell and leave my home."
Zhao Wuhen’s expression remained perfectly calm. He did not look surprised that Lin Yuan had captured his trackers.
"Do not worry about them, Daoist Lin," Zhao Wuhen replied, his voice entirely devoid of basic empathy. "They are already dead."
Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had left them sealed, but very much alive, in the spirit-sealing array.
"I placed a highly lethal soul-rune on their soul foundations entirely unknowingly to them," Zhao Wuhen revealed with a cold, pragmatic shrug. "The condition of the rune were absolute: if they did not successfully return to my designated point within twelve hours, their souls would completely collapse upon themselves. The time limit expired shortly before I arrived at your gates."
The Envoy looked at Lin Yuan, offering a ruthless justification. "I simply didn’t want the Cultivation Council knowing that, as an esteemed Envoy, I did dirty, off-the-books business with such black-market operatives. Loose ends must be severed, especially when dealing with a variable as dangerous as you."
Realizing there was absolutely nothing more to be said to a man whose Dao was built entirely on betrayal and political preservation, Lin Yuan simply turned his back on the Envoy.
"Take your leave," Lin Yuan commanded.
Zhao Wuhen offered a deep, formal martial bow to Lin Yuan’s back, entirely unfazed by the dismissal.
"Farewell, Fellow Daoist Lin. May your wedding be a joyous one," Zhao Wuhen said smoothly.
With that, the Envoy of the Cultivation Council stepped into the void and completely teleported from the estate, leaving Lin Yuan alone by the koi pond to prepare for the true beginning of his new life.