“Don’t even mention it,” Lin Zhan said in a gloomy voice. “Who knows what got into your father — he’s determined to believe that I have an affair with you. Earlier, he even questioned what kind of relationship you and I have. I could only take advantage of when he’s out visiting friends to come talk to you for a while.”
Lin Xuanzhi was somewhat speechless. “Isn’t he keeping too tight of a leash on you?”
Lin Zhan sighed. “It can’t be helped ah. Who let me have a criminal record of running away after an argument? Think about it — your father also has it hard.”
Yan Tianhen just happened to swallow the last wisp of spiritual Qi. He finished his sword technique and ran towards them. “Daddy, I heard that you went to the library some time ago, and you even copied the divine scripts that ordinary people can’t even read. You’re amazing ah!” Yan Tianhen was full of worship.
Lin Zhan was somewhat proud. “This is nothing. It’s much easier to copy than to understand the meaning.”
Lin Xuanzhi said, “But it’s also not easy. Those divine script characters automatically come with their own magical energy attacks. Copying them consumes a lot of vital essence, Qi, and spirit. I never knew that Dad also had this ability.”
Yan Tianhen also nodded. “Right now, everyone in the sect is asking what kind of sacred person the East Empress is. I’m afraid that in a few days, the entire Nine Lands will probably know about Daddy’s unique skill.”
“Alright, let’s make a long story short.” Lin Zhan was afraid that Xuan Wushe would sense something, so he quickly took out a stack of papers from his storage ring. “These are the talisman and sealing techniques that I pulled out from those copies. They’re extremely effective in dealing with Fiends and monsters. My translation and their usage methods are written on the side. You two can study them by yourselves. They will certainly be useful in the future.”
Lin Xuanzhi took this precious stack of paper and asked, “I heard that Dad copied seven divine script books in total. Is it to find a method to deal with the Fiends?”
“Not only that; it’s also to find the Fiends’ origins.” Of course, he had other uses for them, but that didn’t have much to do with matters pertaining to the Nine Lands anymore.
Lin Xuanzhi asked, “Did you find it?”
Lin Zhan shook his head. “There are a lot of key characters in the divine script that I can’t understand yet. I have to go back and look up the ancient records to see if I can infer and deduce their meanings. When I make some progress with this, I will tell you two the results directly.”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “Then I’ll have to trouble Dad for this.”
Lin Zhan didn’t stay for long. After explaining some matters about cultivation, he left quietly in the dark.
From when he first left his living quarters till now, only an hour had passed at most. Moreover, the person that Xuan Wushe was looking for lived in the city lord’s residence outside of the sect, so naturally, he wouldn’t return for a few hours. However, Lin Zhan had only just left Little Penglai when he suddenly saw Xuan Wushe standing on the shore with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at him with ice-cold eyes.
Lin Zhan, “…”
It’s over.
In Little Penglai.
Yan Tianhen was startled and looked warily at a silver crack in the western part of the sky. “What happened?”
Lin Xuanzhi, however, raised a corner of his lips. He already had the Zhige sword in hand, which was buzzing with excitement, almost jumping out of its sheath.
“Ah Hen, hide here. I will go out to meet that person.”
After saying that, he didn’t wait for Yan Tianhen to stop him. Lin Xuanzhi then rushed out of Little Penglai with his sword.
It was Teal Lotus Nine Styles, and moreover, it was pressure from the pure Teal Lotus Nine Styles.
Without a doubt, the attacker was the East Sovereign, Xuan Wushe.
Lin Xuanzhi’s sword strike broke through the clouds and met Xuan Wushe’s less than full power attack. With a Bang, two teal lotuses collided in midair, and the pale blue sword Qi created vigorous shockwaves that broke through the air, hissing and rumbling. The shocks blasted apart the surrounding seawater.
Xuan Wushe was dressed in black. His mask had already been taken off, and a handsome and peerless face was exposed to the air. The dark, one-meter long sword in his hand was leveled at Little Penglai. He stood in midair. The fierce gales around him made his clothes flutter, but the long hair on the sideburns hanging in front of his chest was still, which showed his high cultivation. Xuan Wushe was full of killing intent as he coldly stared at Lin Xuanzhi.
“Xuan Wushe, fucking come down right now!” Lin Zhan was tied with a golden rope. He didn’t know what kind of magic tool it was, but he couldn’t break free.
Xuan Wushe’s eyes became slightly colder. “《Teal Lotus Nine Styles》?”
Lin Xuanzhi also stopped in midair, and the Zhige sword in his hand was leveled at Xuan Wushe’s chest. “You have a good eye.”
Over the years, Xuan Wushe had become more and more restrained, so he rarely allowed people to see through his mood. However, at this very moment, an indescribable anger was burning in his chest –《Teal Lotus Nine Styles》was a unique technique that only the Xuan clan’s main branch could cultivate. Because it was a bloodline inheritance, it wouldn’t be easily obtained by outsiders.
However, as early as when he and Lin Zhan became Dao companions and entered into a life-and-death contract, the 《Teal Lotus Nine Styles》 in his sea of knowledge all entered Lin Zhan’s sea of knowledge. There was no way Lin Xuanzhi would know this technique, not unless Lin Zhan told him…
Xuan Wushe’s grip on his sword tightened, and the murderous sword hummed in anticipation, full of fighting spirit. It looked like it would jump out of its sheath and drink blood.
The sword was like its master. There was an absolute master-servant contract between Xuan Wushe and his sword. This sword had been the treasure of the Xuan clan ever since the beginning, and only the clan heads could get its absolute obedience. This Nameless sword was the undisputed first place in the Divine Weapons Ranking. Nameless unsheathed itself and rushed out. A bright light illuminated the entire Little Penglai, which was shrouded by a barrier. Several lotus petals hit the same target from all directions. Sword light flashed, clamoring with killing intent. The strike was first akin to a landslide, then looked like it was cutting the sea.
Lin Xuanzhi originally thought that he could block one strike from Xuan Wushe. However, when he truly exchanged blows with an expert at the Sword Saint or even the Sword Emperor level, he suddenly discovered that their gap was just like the stars and the blazing sun, which could only be described as the difference between heaven and earth.
Lin Xuanzhi didn’t force himself. He just wanted to see the power of the 《Teal Lotus Nine Styles》when one cultivated it above the sixth layer. He also knew that he was no match for Xuan Wushe, so he immediately sacrificed a bell canopy magic treasure to block this fatal blow.
With a loud Bang, the golden bell-shaped barrier shattered into tens of thousands of pieces. Lin Xuanzhi pressed a hand to his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood, which had been forced out by the pressure from the spiritual Qi. He fell to the ground.
A Sword Emperor’s wrath was bound to destroy mountains and seas, leaving behind millions of corpses.
If it weren’t for his scruples about Lin Zhan, Xuan Wushe would have long since buried this person who opposed him every step together with this Penglai Island, in this dark night when both heaven and earth shared the same color.
But now, even though he was so angry that his hands almost shook, he still needed to think about Lin Zhan’s feelings. He merely let Lin Xuanzhi off with a warning for the time being but didn’t kill him. He would wait until he was slightly calmer and then make a careful decision.
Yan Tianhen immediately rushed over to hold Lin Xuanzhi. He stared at Xuan Wushe, whose expression was full of murderous intent as he stood nearby with his sword.
Yan Tianhen swallowed and spoke, “Adoptive father, it’s not what you think. Dage…Huarong Gege, he doesn’t have that kind of relationship with Daddy.”
Xuan Wushe leveled his sword at Lin Xuanzhi’s neck and spoke from the air, “Guangling is soft-hearted and easy to deceive. The matter today is only a slight warning. If it happens again, I will take your life!”
“Xuan Wushe!” Lin Zhan had broken free from the golden rope. His right hand shook as it gripped the rope tightly. He rushed over and suddenly threw the rope at Xuan Wushe’s side, trembling with anger. “Are you fucking going to break up?”
Hearing this, Xuan Wushe turned his eyes and swept a cold glance across Lin Zhan’s face. “Did I spoil you too much, so much so that you constantly want to challenge my bottom line? I will deal with you when we return!”
Lin Zhan glared at him fiercely. He was just about to lift his foot to check Lin Xuanzhi’s injury when he heard Lin Xuanzhi say, “This humble one will naturally engrave the matters East Sovereign mentioned today into his heart. It’s getting late. Gentlemen, please go ahead.”
Lin Zhan was stunned. “Xuanzhi.”
Lin Xuanzhi gave Lin Zhan a slight expression with his eyes. “Many thanks to East Empress for his concern. Huarong is fine.”
Yan Tianhen sighed and looked at Lin Xuanzhi with some sadness. Then he looked at Xuan Wushe, who had already turned to leave.
If neither Lin Zhan nor Lin Xuanzhi planned to talk about their identities, there must be multiple other concerns holding them back, and Yan Tianhen naturally wouldn’t take the initiative to mention it either, for fear of breaking their discretion.
Lin Zhan, however, was immersed in inexplicable sadness, unable to extricate himself. His fists were clenched tightly, and the veins were bulging; his teeth were gritted, gnashing hatefully.
Why should my son have a home but not be allowed to return to it? Why should he live alone in this unfamiliar Little Penglai for so many years?
Why should I have to sneakily come in secret just to see my own son, and even be misunderstood by the child’s other father?
Lin Zhan had a kind of urge. He wanted to tell the entire story and reveal everything. He was really fed up with such jittery days!
“East Sovereign.” Lin Zhan turned his head and called Xuan Wushe, who was standing at the same place and stood with his back to him, waiting for him to follow on his own. Lin Zhan’s voice was slightly hoarse as he revealed, “Lin Xuanzhi, he is my child.”
Xuan Wushe’s body froze, then suddenly turned around and fixed his stare on Lin Xuanzhi’s calm face.
“What do you mean?” Xuan Wushe’s pupil almost condensed into a thin line.
“The literal meaning,” Lin Zhan said calmly.
Xuan Wushe’s body swayed, and he looked like he was deeply hit. His chest heaved. “You…you, you…who is that adulterer of yours? I’ll kill him!”
Lin Zhan, “…”
“The adulterer is right in front of me. You dare to say cruel words to me — if you have the ability, then why don’t you kill yourself ah?” Lin Zhan sneered coldly.
Xuan Wushe’s thoughts became a complete mess.
Lin Zhan took a deep breath and looked him in the eye without compromise. “If East Sovereign wants to hear it, then I will tell you the story from beginning to end, but if East Sovereign hears it and, like before, forgets it the next day and throws my words behind him, I will get angry.”
Xuan Wushe slowly hid the shock in his eyes. His fingers slightly fiddled with the ornamental thumb ring, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by a sudden noise.
With a Whoosh, the whistle ripped through the silent night sky and rushed upwards, like a meteor streaking across the sky. It passed through the sky above Ethereal City and fell towards the Eastern sea.
