Decaying World

Chapter 72 072 Devouring Four

After the others arrived, Lin Hui explained the situation and then glanced around.

"Who is willing to go and investigate this matter?"

“Wanyao Manor is at least a five-day journey from here, and a round trip would take ten days. It might be a bit of a delay. If Baihua Sect really does act this way, and considering the time it takes for the news to arrive, it will be too late by the time we get there now,” Wang Hongshi said in a deep voice.

“That makes sense.” Lin Hui frowned. Currently, only he and Xue Meng are quite strong in the sect. The others can handle ordinary troubles, but they are not up to the task when facing a medium to large martial arts school like the Hundred Flowers Sect, which has more than one master of the inner strength realm.

"Alright, you all go down first. I'll go myself." Lin Hui felt that it wasn't safe enough for anyone else to go, so he decided to go and try it out himself and see how things went.

Of course, he wasn't going to Wanyao Manor; five days was too long. He planned to go to Baihua Sect instead.

No matter what agreement Wanyao Manor and Baihua Sect ultimately sign, if Baihua Sect simply disappears, then wouldn't any agreement be rendered useless?

After his internal energy broke through his legs, his speed increased further, and Lin Hui regained his confidence.

As long as no one can catch up with him or restrain him, he is naturally invincible against those in the Inner Force Realm.

If Baohe Daoren's speed was ten points back then, then his current speed, if fully unleashed, would be over thirty points.

The difference between these two is something that only speed-oriented experts can understand.

After a quick packing, Lin Hui left headquarters that same day and headed straight for the Hundred Flowers Sect.

The headquarters of the Hundred Flowers Sect is located in Baishan Town, about a two-day walk from Xinyu Town. But with Lin Hui's speed and agility, once he's familiar with the route, it will take him at most a few hours.

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Lin House.

Just as Lin Hui was preparing to personally deal with the Hundred Flowers Sect, this major threat, his father, Lin Shunhe, led his men out to bring his newlywed second wife, Liu Shenglan, into the mansion.

Liu Shenglan is over fifty years old. This time, she came from the inner city with her ex-husband's son and daughter to stay at the Lin residence for a while.

She and Lam Soon-ho were truly in love; to be precise, she liked Lam Soon-ho, admired him, and was willing to support him.

However, her children were somewhat disapproving, so she spent a long time persuading them in the inner city. This time, they finally agreed to come and stay for an extended period, instead of just making a cursory visit as before.

The second wife was given a two-story building similar to a courtyard house, which Lin Shunhe named Yu Liu Yuan to please Liu Shenglan.

After settling in, the three washed off the dust and took a walk together by the stream in the courtyard.

“Mother, it’s certainly more peaceful here than in the Liu family home. There’s no pressure, and no domineering uncles or elder brothers. But I still can’t understand why you chose Lin Shunhe?”

The speaker was Liu Shenglan's son, Liu Wujun. He was over twenty-five years old, with a refined and humble appearance. At this moment, he was carefully supporting his mother, who was about to give birth.

"You don't understand. In the first half of my life, I chose the wrong person. In the second half of my life, from the moment I met him, I knew I wouldn't make the same mistake." Liu Shenglan smiled slightly, a look of reminiscence appearing on his not-so-handsome face.

"Why are you so sure? Aren't prominent families like the Lin family commonplace in the outer city?" Liu Wujun asked again, puzzled.

"Because at that time, none of the people around me dared to stand up for me. I disguised myself and joined the caravan alone, encountered bandits, and almost died, but I didn't expect that only he stood up. At that time, he was very similar to your father back then, except that Ahe didn't pretend like your father. He wasn't pretending, but that's how he really is."

With a sigh, Liu Shenglan stroked his belly.

"I only regret that I didn't meet him sooner."

"It's my fault. I couldn't stay with you and protect you, Mother. You almost suffered this disaster." Liu Wujun looked ashamed.

“That’s not your fault. Your sister is sick. If you ignore her, it will be even more dangerous. In the entire Liu family, only you can help keep her in check,” Liu Shenglan said softly, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, my sister and I will treat Uncle He the same way we treat you," Liu Wujun said helplessly.

"And his only son, who's practically your brother now, so if you have time, please look after him," Liu Shenglan reminded him.

"That Lin Hui? He's a martial artist who practices external martial arts; we don't usually have contact with him," Liu Wujun said, somewhat embarrassed.

He only wanted to deal with his mother's side. In fact, if it weren't for his self-cultivation, he wouldn't have wanted to spend any time or effort on the rural people from the Lin family. He was just glad that the Lin family members didn't come around trying to curry favor with him.

Fortunately, he had met Lin Hui a few times before and remembered him as a sensible person. Among the people from the outer city, he was considered well-mannered and not insane.

"I don't care, as your older brothers and sisters, you should at least show some appreciation." Liu Shenglan shook his head.

"You wouldn't believe it, but that young Lin Hui, although he only practices external martial arts, has actually made quite a name for himself. He's been fighting with a few small martial arts schools and even became the head of that Qingfeng Temple," Liu Wujun explained simply.

"I don't know either. I've only heard that he's been practicing swordsmanship. Could it be that he's made some progress?" Liu Shenglan asked in surprise.

“He has some talent, his external martial arts are quite good, and he's also quick to learn. He's doing well in the outer city now. He doesn't need us to take care of him,” Liu Wujun said softly.

"That's good, that's good," Liu Shenglan said, finally relieved.

"As for my younger sister, she's alright when I'm around, but if I'm occasionally held up, she'll run into Lin Hui alone and it'll be a bit of a hassle," Liu Wujun said softly.

"Why can't we bring him into your sect?" Liu Shenglan asked again.

"No, that won't work. At his age, it's impossible for him to get any repairs now."

After much persuasion, Liu Wujun finally managed to get his mother to go inside and rest.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw his younger sister, Liu Xiao, standing by the courtyard gate, looking at him.

"How are you? Are you feeling better?" Liu Wujun approached and asked with concern.

"It's alright, as long as I don't get too emotionally unstable, there won't be any problems," Liu Xiao said calmly. She was a typical true disciple of an inner-city sect, following the classic path.

First, he was inspired, and then he practiced internal martial arts, combining the advantages of both paths. He began building his foundation at the age of ten and has now been practicing diligently for ten years at the age of twenty.

"How do you plan to help the Lin family?" Liu Xiao asked softly.

"I've helped Uncle He borrow a lot of funds for his business. As for Aunt Yao Shan, I had a specialist check her health, and she's fine. It's Lin Hui who's a bit difficult. He's taken the wrong path outside the city, and it's already set in stone; there's no way to reverse it."

"Can't he just stop and start over? I heard he has good comprehension and has even figured out some secret techniques on his own. He has a good reputation," Liu Xiao asked doubtfully.

“There’s no way around it. Those who enter from the outer city are actually people without the aptitude or talent, who have found another path and forged their own evil way. Unlike our righteous path of first being inspired and then cultivating power, once they go deep into it, it’s hard to turn back. Besides, I’ve checked, and he doesn’t have the aptitude either…” Liu Wujun sighed.

Since arriving at the Lin residence, he had lost count of how many times he had sighed.

“If we follow the righteous path, like you and me, we can enter the inner cultivation realm in a year, reach perfection in five years, and with our bodies as tough as copper and iron, our inner cultivation will unleash its full power and astonishing defense. Within ten years, we might even be able to complete the Heavenly Cycle. But if we follow the evil path, the highest we can reach is the Inner Strength Realm. There's no hope of completing the Heavenly Cycle; our potential is exhausted.” Liu Wujun looked his sister over. “You estimate you'll be able to stabilize your realm in another six months, right?”

“Yes, reaching the realm of summoning a divine official is indeed difficult. Trials happen all the time, making it much more troublesome than breaking through to the Zhou Tian realm.” Liu Xiao nodded, a rare hint of annoyance showing on his face.

"The key lies in the divine sound. Pay attention to distinguishing the divine sound; this is the key to a breakthrough," Liu Wujun reminded him.

"Yes, got it."

The two stood together and exchanged tips on overcoming the challenge for a while before returning to their rooms to rest.

*
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Baishan Town.

On the outskirts of the town, as soon as Lin Hui entered the town, he was dazzled by the colorful flower pots that could be seen everywhere.

Throughout the town, pots of colorful flowers were placed everywhere—between houses, along the edges of doors and windows.

Strangely, given the weather and the season, it shouldn't be the time for flowers to bloom.

Following the contact address, he searched along the town's streets and spent more than ten minutes before finally finding the secret outpost of Qingfeng Temple, which had previously been stationed there to investigate Baihua Sect.

"Buddha's Tea House?"

Standing in front of the branch office, Lin Hui was surprised to find that the place was a teahouse.

Inside, the sounds of storytelling and singing could be heard continuously.

There were also cheers from the crowd, making it seem quite lively.

He recalled the information he had gathered before leaving: the owner of this teahouse was a local resident of Baishan Town from the Black Dragon Gate, named Hu Zhen, who had been arranged to come here by Song Zhanlong a long time ago.

Pushing aside the curtain of the teahouse, Lin Hui slowly walked in.

This is a side door, reserved for waiters and tea servers; it's not an entrance for guests at all.

Once inside, the place was bustling with waiters serving tea and snacks.

As soon as he entered, a waiter quickly stepped forward.

"Sir, this is the kitchen. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm looking for Manager Hu Zhen."

"Do you have any tokens or letters?" The waiter was taken aback and quickly asked.

Lin Hui took out a black jade pendant that represented his identity and showed it to the other party.

They were then led to a private room at the very back.

Then the waiter brought him an extra pot of tea and asked him to wait a moment.

Sitting cross-legged on the futon, Lin Hui checked the progress data on the bloodstain and silently waited for the contact to appear.

To deal with the Hundred Flowers Sect, we first need to find someone who knows the sect best to guide us, and Hu Zhen is the person within the sect who knows the Hundred Flowers Sect best.

Lin Hui picked up the teacup, gently brought it to his lips, and took a sip.

It's a flower tea made by steeping certain flower petals; it tastes quite good.

"The tea looks good, and it tastes good too. What a pity."

He suddenly said softly.

"What's a pity?"

The door to the private room was silently opened, and one after another, long-haired women dressed in white outfits filed in, quickly surrounding Lin Hui.

The one who answered was a glamorous woman in a blue dress who was the last to enter.

The woman's breasts were half-exposed, swaying gracefully. Her skirt was deliberately cut to the upper part of her thighs, and it would rise and fall with the breeze as she walked, revealing glimpses of her alluring figure.

"Since the sect leader of Qingfeng Temple has come in person, why didn't you come through the main gate, but instead chose to come through these disgusting sewer tunnels? This is not the behavior of a gentleman." The newcomer's eyes flickered, her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she looked in this direction.

"I can do whatever I want? Aren't you Hundred Flowers Sect being a bit too nosy?" Lin Hui put down his tea and said casually.

(End of this chapter)