The Decaying World

Lin Mansion.

The family held a banquet once a week, as was tradition.

Lin Xiaoliu, who had just returned from the academy, was getting a scolding from her mother.

"How could you be so reckless? In a situation like that, even if your senses are sharp, you should have found an academy instructor immediately! You shouldn’t have decided what to do on your own. What if that person had gotten angry and lashed out at you? What would you have done then? Do you even care about your own safety?" Liu Shenglan’s face was stern. She made her youngest daughter stand perfectly still as she lectured her, her sharp words deliberate and clear.

"I... I just saw that Song Yunhui was my classmate..." Lin Xiaoliu stole a glance at her father not far away before quickly lowering her head again.

"Classmate or not, you’ve just gotten arrogant!" Liu Shenglan said irritably. "You think that our family is a big shot in Black Cloud now, that we have some clout. But didn’t your third brother fight tooth and nail for all of this, struggling day in and day out? What does that have to do with you? Are you and your third brother that close? If you were in real danger, could he get there in time to save you?" Liu Shenglan was so angry she was starting to ramble.

Not far away, Lin Hui, who had been chatting with Liu Xiao, felt his expression stiffen slightly.

His days consisted of either Cultivation or zoning out in contemplation, relaxing with Liu Xiao, and enjoying the private pleasures of a married couple.

’Fighting tooth and nail...’

Seeing his second mother’s emotional state, he decided it was best not to get involved in Lin Xiaoliu’s education.

"Alright, alright, Mother. Little Sister knows she was wrong, so let’s leave it at that. I’ll have some people follow her for a while; it won’t be a big deal. Once we find out who that person in purple was, the problem will be easier to handle." At another table nearby, Liu Wu Jun chimed in, trying to smooth things over while snacking on fried peanuts.

"By the way, First Mother, has your Bai Tong cult made any moves recently? Anything you can share?" After a few words, he turned the conversation toward Lin Hui’s mother, Yao Shan.

"There are no moves to speak of. My Bai Tong cult has always been law-abiding, and our proselytizing has never once violated Black Cloud’s laws. Why are you always keeping such a close eye on me?" Yao Shan retorted, annoyed.

"It’s just a case I’m in charge of. There have been a lot of incidents involving children recently. The sixth one has already gone missing, all of them seven-year-old boys..." Liu Wu Jun sighed. He now worked for Black Cloud’s Security Department, specializing in major criminal cases like these that spanned the Inner and Outer Cities.

"The Bai Tong cult is not some low-class evil sect that trafficks children. You’re looking in the wrong direction," Yao Shan said, exasperated.

"Well... what about you, Sis?" Liu Wu Jun then looked to his sister, Liu Xiao.

"All I do every day is comfort the faithful, burn some incense, and make wishes. What kind of news would I have?" Liu Xiao replied, just as exasperated.

"I won’t even bother asking Third Brother," Liu Wu Jun sighed.

Lin Hui spent all his time on Cultivation. The rest of the time, he was either with Liu Xiao, teaching his apprentice, or at home. You could say he was the one who spent the most time with his parents these days.

His sources of information were probably even more limited.

Even though he was the Deputy City Lord, everyone knew it was just a title he held in name only.

"Actually, I do have a bit of news," their father, Lin Shunhe, said with a smile, offering a clue. "It’s not from my merchant alliance, but from the Good Heart Sect..."

Lin Hui shook his head, speechless.

’Look at this family.’

The Bai Tong cult, the Good Heart Sect, his own Qingfeng Path, the Rain Palace, Black Cloud’s official departments, and his eldest brother’s Blood Tide Association...

Just among the few people present, they represented a full six different organizations...

Their weekly family gathering was essentially a major intelligence exchange.

But this harmonious atmosphere was exactly the kind of life he had always wanted.

People lived in this world in pursuit of one thing: feeling.

In his past life, striving in his career was a feeling, playing games was a feeling, eating and drinking well was a feeling, and even relaxing was for the sake of a feeling.

The feeling he wanted now was right in front of him. All he needed to do in the future was maintain it...

’If only life could go on like this forever...’

As Lin Hui thought this, an increasingly gentle expression involuntarily appeared on his face.

"By the way, I have some internal news from the cult," his mother, Yao Shan, suddenly spoke up. "You all should probably pay attention to this."

As the primary matriarch of the family, her status had always been high. With her son Lin Hui’s power and influence skyrocketing, the moment she spoke, all eyes immediately turned to her.

"Go ahead, Shanshan," Lin Shunhe said, unconsciously sitting up straight. After so many years of marriage, he could tell when his wife was being serious and when she was relaxed.

"Mm. Recently, my cult has been mobilizing masters from various departments on a large scale, gathering them at a place south of Black Cloud called Mistcold Island. According to reports from the informants I’ve placed, a mysterious treasure is suspected to have appeared there. And this treasure is very likely a legendary Evil Soldier!" Yao Shan said softly.

"!?"

"!!"

In an instant, everyone at the banquet grew serious.

The Evil Soldier Insect Scripture! That was the foundation of the Fog People! If someone successfully merged with it, a new Fog Person would be born into the world!

"Come to think of it, I’ve seen something on my end, too. The Hundred Seas Merchant Alliance has indeed mobilized many fleets to Mistcold Island," Lin Shunhe recalled, prompted by her words.

"It must be because of the successive deaths of Fog People, which has caused a new Evil Soldier Insect Scripture to choose a new master," Liu Wu Jun said grimly. "But this has nothing to do with us. Mistcold Island is far away, and even if there are repercussions, they’re unlikely to affect Black Cloud. After all, we have three City Lords presiding here. This is the fourth-largest city in the Federation."

Everyone nodded slightly at his words.

After the meal, Lin Hui and Liu Xiao returned to the Qingfeng Path Academy together.

"Actually... a couple of days ago, I attended a friend’s funeral..." Liu Xiao said softly.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Hui squeezed her hand, feeling it tremble slightly.

"She succumbed to corruption first, and then her colleagues had to join forces to kill her..." Liu Xiao looked up at the misty afternoon sky.

"I was just thinking, my aptitude is limited. What if one day, I also succumb to corruption before you do...?"

"Don’t let your imagination run wild. It’s far, far too early for that. Not to mention your own lifespan and all the life-extending treasures out there, we can both live for several hundred years without any problem," Lin Hui comforted her.

There wasn’t really a set limit for one’s lifespan. For those at the Priest realm, living two or three hundred years was commonplace. They had only been together for a few years; thinking about things so far in the future was indeed being overly anxious.

"You’re right..." Liu Xiao relaxed, gently leaning against Lin Hui’s arm.

Just then, Lin Hui’s gaze suddenly swept over an alley between some houses not far away.

In the alley, a slender woman in a purple robe was floating silently in mid-air, slowly passing through the lane and disappearing into the street on the other side.

The purple-robed woman’s aura was a bit strange, which caught his attention for a moment, but that was all.

Within Black Cloud City, hundreds of thousands of merchants and travelers came and went every day. All sorts of strange races could be seen, and it wasn’t rare to encounter those who were a little unusual.

Lin Hui glanced over and then looked away, paying it no more mind.

As he chatted with Liu Xiao, his mind was also contemplating the core of the Annihilation Sacred Form.

Recently, he had faintly begun to grasp a method for comprehending the Annihilation Sacred Form.

The inspiration had actually come from the strange, infinite power he had observed in his apprentice, Xia Si.

That power could reduce anything to ash, and from it, Lin Hui faintly perceived the concept of annihilation.

In essence, his indulgence of Xia Si was partly driven by the hope that she would bring him new inspiration.

At his level, at his height, simple infinite power was just the foundation. What truly distinguished him from others of the same realm was the instantaneous intensity of his burst output and the fundamental nature of his power.

*

*

*

On another street.

The slender, purple-robed woman floated slowly onward. She passed a barbecue shop run by a Tiger Person and stopped outside a liquor store next to it, as if she were tired and needed a rest.

Soon, a faint male voice transmitted into her ear.

"How is he?"

"I’ve observed him. No issues. His strength can be calculated as that of a standard Fog Person. The impact will be negligible," the woman replied via voice transmission.

"Based on his previous battle record, we can raise his assessment by half a level. He still falls within the response parameters of the Master’s plan. A strength like that is indeed not a major problem," the male voice said.

"Understood." The woman cut off the voice transmission and continued to wander about like an ordinary passerby.

*

*

*

More than ten days passed after the incident with Lin Xiaoliu.

The public holiday for the Rain Palace arrived, and Lin Hui and Liu Xiao set out for an island to soak in the geothermal hot springs. They hadn’t even arrived yet—still on the boat halfway there—when they heard that there was trouble at the Martial Academy again.

Atop the Jade Sea, on a large, silver-black ship.

"That’s the situation. This is a special express letter for you."

The Sparrow Person in charge of urgent deliveries, carrying a gray cloth backpack, flapped his wings and pulled a palm-length scroll of parchment from his bag.

"Thank you." Lin Hui nodded, accepted the letter, and watched as the messenger, who was only as tall as his calf, turned, flew over the ship’s railing, and disappeared into the distance.

He sighed, picked up the letter, and gave a wry smile to a curious Liu Xiao.

"Looks like our honeymoon is ruined."

"It’s okay. Business comes first," Liu Xiao comforted him instead. Her energy had been low lately, and her temper had softened considerably. She came closer, gently resting her ample bosom against Lin Hui’s arm, and watched with him as he unrolled the parchment.

Lin Hui glanced at the cover. It was an urgent, confidential letter sent specifically from Lin Xiaoliu’s Class Leader.

At the thought of Lin Xiaoliu, his brow unconsciously tightened.

He unrolled the letter, and its contents were gradually revealed.

After just a few glances, before Lin Hui could even react, Liu Xiao’s expression grew serious.

"How did Xiaoliu get dragged into this kind of mess again?" Liu Xiao whispered.

"It’s a good thing she came out of it unscathed, but for that Song Yunhui to withstand a second attack, there must be something more to him. It’s unlikely that Xiaoliu was targeted directly; she was probably just dragged into it again. No... not necessarily. It’s also possible Song Yunhui deliberately used Xiaoliu to save his own skin, actively seeking her help," Lin Hui said.

"It could also be that Xiaoliu is just too kind-hearted and couldn’t stand by and watch, so she proactively helped Song Yunhui. But either way, it means Xiaoliu was being far too reckless," Liu Xiao said grimly.

Lin Hui nodded.

The Lin Family was indeed large and influential now, but that was only in comparison to ordinary factions. When compared to some of the major powers within Black Cloud, they were still lacking.

To say nothing of others, the Three Great Original Blood families of Black Cloud were the biggest local powers. Next were the branches of the Royal City and other major cities stationed here. These factions might not seem strong on the surface, but they had powerful backing—pulling one string could move the whole network. There were even several that the Great City Lord himself didn’t dare to underestimate. After all, though he was strong, he wasn’t invincible.

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