Return of the King, Dominating the City

He handed the Black Sword back to Song Yun, and said seriously, "Such a precious item, Brother, you hand it over to me so easily. It seems you greatly trust me, Lin Jun. However, I must remind you, with such a significant treasure, Brother should not show it easily, otherwise it will certainly invite misfortune."

"Thank you, Brother Lin, for the reminder."

Song Yun put away the Black Sword and clasped his hands in gratitude.

Lin Jun said, "By the way, you two just lent a helping hand, but I haven’t had the chance to ask your esteemed names. May I know Brother’s full name?"

Song Yun said, "My name is Song Yun."

"So, it’s Brother Song. Thank you for your assistance just now."

Lin Jun smiled, turning his head to Dongfang Yun, and said, "And this lady hero?"

Dongfang Yun said, "Dongfang Yun."

Upon hearing this name, Lin Jun’s eyes lit up with surprise and delight, "I’ve heard of your famous name, it turns out to be Miss Dongfang from the Changshan Sect, no wonder you have such a heroic spirit, truly living up to your reputation."

Dongfang Yun modestly said, "Brother Lin overpraises; it is Brother Lin who truly deserves the title of a hero for punishing evil and eradicating evil-doers."

Lin Jun displayed an upright expression and said solemnly, "There are too many villains in the world, endless to eradicate. Alas, my strength is insufficient. If it were not for your help just now, I might have been killed by Weng Ying, hardly fitting of the title hero."

Seeing Lin Jun’s serious demeanor, Song Yun laughed, "You are at mid ss-level; if your strength is insufficient, how can others survive?"

Lin Jun said, "I suppose Brother Song is not from the Hermit Realm. You must know, in this world, there are still many more powerful than us. We must strive to cultivate, at least reaching sss-level to be considered an expert."

Hearing Lin Jun mention the sss-level, Song Yun took the opportunity to ask, "Speaking of which, how many sss-level experts are there in the entire Hermit Realm?"

Lin Jun thought for a moment and said, "About a few dozen."

"So many."

Song Yun was somewhat surprised.

Dongfang Yun explained, "The people of the Hermit Realm do not involve themselves with mundane matters, so they remain hidden, and it’s understandable that you don’t know. Some Hermits, in fact, have been in seclusion for years; even we in the Hermit Realm sometimes never see them. So, the number of sss-level experts might not be just a few dozen; there could be over a hundred."

Song Yun shrugged, "It’s a good thing Hermits don’t meddle with worldly affairs; otherwise, with so many sss-level experts, wouldn’t the world be in chaos?"

Lin Jun laughed, "There are stringent rules in the Hermit Realm, ensuring they don’t disrupt worldly stability."

Dongfang Yun frowned slightly, "That’s true, but in recent years, the Shen Family has been involved in worldly affairs quite a bit. Last time, they even created the Holy Mansion, trying to replace the Huaxia Yanhuang Hall and interfere in national matters."

Lin Jun said, "Their plot will not succeed. It’s said that Shi Cheng, the Hall Master of Yanhuang Hall, has appeared. With Shi Cheng stabilizing the situation, the Shen Family doesn’t dare to act recklessly. Moreover, with their plans exposed, the Shen Family has already lost quite a bit of benefit, which has appeased the anger of other forces."

Dongfang Yun said, "The Shen Family is scheming and deceitful. It’s wise to be cautious when encountering them."

"Miss Dongfang is right."

Lin Jun nodded, looking at Song Yun, "Brother Song, although you are not a Hermit, I still remind you to be wary of the Shen Family. They are not only powerful but also particularly cunning."

Upon hearing this, Song Yun and Dongfang Yun both laughed.

Song Yun indeed wanted to be cautious of the Shen Family, but given his long-standing enmity with them, being cautious might not be an option anymore.

Seeing them laugh, Lin Jun seemed puzzled.

However, with matters involving Taoyuan, Song Yun and Dongfang Yun did not elaborate further.

The three chatted a bit longer, and Song Yun learned a little about the Hermit Realm through Dongfang Yun’s conversation with Lin Jun.

As the sun began to set in the west, Lin Jun seemed to recall something, and he clasped his hands, saying, "Brother Song, Miss Dongfang, I have matters to attend to and cannot accompany you any longer. Today’s events, thank you two for your help. I, Lin Jun, owe you a favor. Farewell."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Jun swiftly disappeared into the forest.

Once Lin Jun left, Song Yun laughed, "He is indeed a fascinating person."

Dongfang Yun nodded, "Lin Jun is upright indeed; he is someone worth befriending."

Song Yun turned to Dongfang Yun, "By the way, what’s Lin Jun’s background?"

Dongfang Yun said, "His identity is not ordinary; he is the son of the current head of the Lin Family, the eldest young master of the Lin Family. As long as he remains alive, with his current condition, he will undoubtedly progress to sss-level in the future, and by then, he is destined to inherit the position of Lin Family Master."

Unfamiliar with the Hermit Realm situation, Song Yun asked in confusion, "The Lin Family? Are they very powerful?"

"Of course, they are powerful."

Dongfang Yun glanced at Song Yun and, while walking ahead, said, "The Lin Family is extremely large, being the most powerful family in the Hermit Realm. Though the Lin Family has faced certain events, causing a decline in their overall strength, they are still one of the top Hermit Families. Moreover, the Lin Family has recently stabilized, and they will certainly spare no effort to return to the peak."

Song Yun laughed, "From the way you speak, it seems you hold the Lin Family in high esteem?"

Dongfang Yun didn’t hide her thoughts, frankly saying, "The Lin Family has strict family teachings, and its members are extremely upright and kind, holding a very good reputation in the Hermit Realm. Moreover, they maintain friendly relations with the Changshan Sect, so as a disciple of the Changshan Sect, I naturally admire them."

Song Yun said, "You despise the Shen Family and favor the Lin Family. Does this indicate the attitude of the Changshan Sect? It seems the Hermit Realm is also a complex situation."

The two continued walking back along the road they came from, eventually returning to where they had parked.

The Jeep Cherokee and the other three cars belonging to the Shen Family were still there.

Song Yun got into the Jeep Cherokee, and the two returned to the Green Dragon Mountain Hotel.

Upon checking into the hotel, they booked a room.