Cultivating Immortality Through a Hundred Lifetimes: I Possess the Heavenly Book of Merit

Zhou Yan nodded: "I saw him once when I accepted the mission, but he was always behind a screen, so I didn't get a clear look at his face."

"So, what do you think of Lin Jiu as a person?"

Zhou Yan thought for a moment, then slowly said:

"He's a very steady person, unlike Lin Shi who's always smiling, but he's very honest in his words and deeds. Unlike Lin Shi, he doesn't make empty promises. Although he made me do the job of killing, he gave me three thousand low-grade spirit stones right from the start, which was very generous."

He paused, then added:

"However, in my opinion, Lin Jiu doesn't seem like the kind of person who would kill his own people just to fight for the position of young clan leader."

Yu Yan smiled.

"You've never even met him, how do you know he's not that kind of person?"

"It's just a feeling, I'm not entirely sure, but the people around him genuinely respect him, like that page at the door before."

"If it were a tyrant, this wouldn't happen, would it?"

"I think it's those three thousand spirit stones that made you feel that way."

After listening, Yu Yan seemed to be deep in thought.

Although Lin Jiu's character is uncertain, he seemed to be someone willing to spend a lot of money in a transaction.

It seems that if the two of them want to break the deadlock, they need to start with Lin Jiu.

Yu Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Brother Zhou, after you accepted the mission, did Lin Jiu give you any credentials to prove your identity?"

"Yes, I always thought it was useless, so I didn't pay attention to it. Now that you mention it, I remember."

Zhou Yan nodded, took out a jade slip from his pocket, and handed it to Yu Yan.

"This is it."

Yu Yan took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

The contents of the jade slip were much simpler than he had imagined, consisting of only one sentence:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, by the time you read this letter, I may already be in trouble."

"Lin Xiao is acting on someone's orders to kill me, so you'd better bring him back and find out who's behind him."

"This person is very likely right next to me. I don't know who it is, but I can feel the danger drawing ever closer. If something happens to me, please go up to the third floor, find my fourth brother Lin Shi, and give him this letter. Tell him that I trust him."

After reading it, Yu Yan remained silent for a long time.

The contents of Lin Jiuxin's letter were actually asking Zhou Yan to seek Lin Shi's help?

Does he believe Lin Shi?

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Yu Yan's heart.

Lin Jiu trusted Lin Shi, but Lin Shi stabbed him in the back.

These brothers...

He returned the jade slip to Zhou Yan and asked, "Brother Zhou, have you read this letter?"

Zhou Yan shook his head: "No. I didn't even notice it. I just put it in my storage bag and let it gather dust. What's wrong?"

Yu Yan remained silent for a moment, then handed the jade slip to Zhou Yan, letting him read it himself.

Zhou Yan was stunned after reading it.

"This...how is this possible? Lin Jiu believes Lin Shi? But Lin Shi clearly..."

He was so surprised that he couldn't even finish his sentence.

Lin Jiu considered Lin Shi a trustworthy person, but Lin Shi wanted him dead.

What is this?

Yu Yan did not answer, but stared at the jade slip in his hand, lost in thought.

From this perspective, Lin Jiu was the one who was completely fooled by Lin Shi.

Perhaps Lin Xiao was also one of the people Lin Shi sent to assassinate Lin Jiu.

Everything was designed to trap Lin Jiu, causing her to lose her qualification to become the young clan leader, and even make her pay the price with her life.

"The infighting within the family is such a hassle."

Yu Yan took a deep breath, put the jade slip away, and looked at Zhou Yan.

"Brother Zhou, I have an idea."

Zhou Yan's eyes lit up: "What's your idea?"

Yu Yan lowered his voice and slowly revealed his plan.

Zhou Yan's eyes widened in surprise after hearing this.

"Will this... will this work?"

Yu Yan looked at him and said slowly, "Whether it works or not, we'll only know after we try. It's better than sitting here waiting to die."

Zhou Yan was silent for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

"Okay! Let's do it!"

…………

The next morning, Lin Shi arrived as promised.

When Yu Yan and Zhou Yan were asked to leave the room, it was just getting light.

Lin Shi was already standing at the courtyard gate, still wearing that light blue robe, still squinting his eyes, and still wearing that perfectly timed smile.

Seeing the two of them come out, he cupped his hands and smiled:

"Fellow Daoists, did you rest well last night?"

Zhou Yan yawned, rubbed his eyes, and looked like he hadn't woken up yet: "It's alright, thank you for your hospitality, Young Master Lin Shi."

Yu Yan simply nodded without saying a word.

Lin Shi didn't mind and stepped aside in a gesture of invitation: "Then let's set off now. The elders are already waiting."

An old man stood outside the courtyard gate.

He was wearing a gray robe, his hair was gray, his face was thin, and his expression was blank.

But the moment Yu Yan saw him, his heart skipped a beat.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator, and not even in the early stages.

It can't be wrong.

This unfathomable feeling was something only the previous generation's Yuanfu Peak Patriarch could possess.

The old man's gaze swept over the three of them, lingering for a moment on Lin Shi's face before landing on Yu Yan and Zhou Yan.

That gaze was calm and indifferent, yet it gave Yu Yan the feeling that he had been seen through.

Lin Shi stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting to the old man: "Elder Lin, thank you for making this trip in person."

The old man nodded without saying a word.

Lin Shi turned around and introduced to Yu Yan and Zhou Yan, "This is Elder Lin of the family's Enforcement Hall, who is in charge of guarding the ancestral hall. He will lead us there today."

Elders of the Enforcement Hall?

Yu Yan's heart stirred.

Lin Shi mentioned yesterday that Lin Jiu was being held captive in the family ancestral hall, guarded by people sent by the elders. It seems that this Elder Lin is one of the guards.

only……

Elder Lin's attitude towards Lin Shi was hardly polite.

He didn't say a single word to Lin Shiduo from beginning to end.

This doesn't seem like the attitude one would have towards someone who is about to become a candidate for chieftain.

Lin Shi didn't seem to care and continued to smile.

Elder Lin took out three black robes from his robes and handed them to the three men.

"Put them on."

His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time, brief but powerful.

Yu Yan took the black robe and examined it carefully.

The black robe was entirely black, its material unknown. Faint runes flowed across its surface, emanating a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy.

It is a ritual implement.

Moreover, it is a very powerful magical artifact.

Lin Shi took the black robe and skillfully draped it over his shoulders.

Yu Yan and Zhou Yan exchanged a glance and then put it on as well.

The black robe was very large, covering the person from head to toe. The moment he put it on, Yu Yan felt a strange force surging from all directions, like countless invisible threads, tightly binding his entire body.

Then, everything went black.

My vision has disappeared.

At the same time, hearing, smell, touch... all senses were rapidly fading away. The sound of the wind disappeared, the scent of bamboo disappeared, and even the tactile sensation of the ground beneath my feet disappeared.

Yu Yan was startled and subconsciously activated his divine sense.

The spirit is still there.

But it was also severely suppressed.

His divine sense, which could originally extend dozens of feet, could now only barely reach about one foot around him. Beyond that one foot, there was only chaos, and he could not sense anything.

Is this how you get to the Lin family dungeon?

With their five senses stripped away and their consciousness suppressed, they were like fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others.

If anyone else has malicious intentions, they won't even have a chance to fight back.

But it's too late to resist now that things have come to this.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and pushed his divine sense to its limit to carefully observe the surrounding situation.

Although it can only sense things within a ten-foot radius, at least it can still sense some things.

He "saw" Zhou Yan right beside him, also shrouded in black robes, motionless.

He "saw" Lin Shi standing a little distance away, his breathing steady, without the slightest sign of panic.

"It seems this is the normal procedure."

Thinking of this, Yu Yan felt a little relieved.