Chapter 474 – Falling Into a Dilemma

　　Lin Runru felt the unbearable pressure on his life and moved back half a step. He asked in a daze, “Wh-what’s the matter?”

　　Lin Xuanzhi couldn’t stop himself from saying, “Family Head, it’d be best if you stopped talking.”

　　Lin Runru, “…”

　　However, Lin Runru really didn’t know that there was a person who could control corpses in the Lin family.

　　In fact, in the Nine Lands, the Imperial Corpse Technique could be regarded as a cultivation method that was both good and bad. People who cultivated it could be from the righteous path or demonic path– and they could also be a human or a demon. It simply depended on what it was used for. However, in a small place like the Five Continents, their views were more close-minded and restrained. They distinguished good and evil from the style of the cultivation method alone.

　　Lin Xuanzhi asked, “Are you certain it’s a corpse puppet?”

　　You Ming didn’t even think about it. “No.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi, “…”

　　Several pairs of eyes landed on You Ming simultaneously.

　　Feeling those sharp eyes, You Ming coughed and explained, “If a corpse puppet could reach the level of invisibility and frame people, I’m afraid it won’t be far from a level, but it’s almost impossible for a Corpse Devil to appear in such a low-level small world like the Five Continents.”

　　Lin Runru felt he had to save some face for this “low-level small world” and suggested, “Maybe it’s truly a coincidence of fate that it appeared?”

　　“If it is…” You Ming smiled. He didn’t understand why Lin Runru wanted to argue with him over this matter. “Then I’m afraid the Lin family will become a mass graveyard in a few days, and there’s no use saving them. After all, the only way a Corpse Devil can be born is through live sacrifice.”

　　Lin Runru’s expressions changed rapidly, and he finally asked awkwardly, “What other possibilities are there?”

　　You Ming squinted and touched his chin. “I don’t know.”

　　Lin Runru, “…”

　　He always had a feeling that he was being teased by You Ming from beginning to end.

　　Yan Zhonghua glanced at You Ming. “There is nothing strange in such a vast world. The possibility of the culprit being a corpse puppet is the greatest, but it cannot be concluded that it was a corpse puppet just by one nail.”

　　You Ming nodded and smiled. “My darling knows me the best.”

　　Darling?

　　After leaving the cold storage room, Yan Tianhen took a deep breath of fresh air outside, and felt that he was almost choked to death by the thick stench of blood. Who said that demons liked to eat people? He just smelled the scent of human flesh, and he was about to suffocate.

　　This was more or less all the harvest they had today. If they wanted to get more useful information, they would have to wait until that thing made another move.

　　After Lin Xuanzhi returned to the Lin family, there were still many things to do. For example, as a young master, and also as someone very famous outside, he naturally attracted many people’s worship.

　　The Lin family disciples were astonished to find that Lin Xuanzhi, who was just at the Foundation Stage before he left, had already become a master at the Profound Realm when he returned after a few years.

　　This left the disciples of the same generation in the dust, and they were more convinced of Lin Xuanzhi’s authority. Speaking of those magic treasures, although they had caused a lot of troubles, it was true that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The saying “when one achieves immortality, their dogs and fowls will ascend along with them” was not without reason. Moreover, the cultivation world was also very particular about blood relations. The better Lin Xuanzhi mixed in society, the higher the Lin family’s status would be.

　　After meeting several elders and disciples of the Lin family, Lin Xuanzhi left early with the excuse that he needed to rest after the long journey. The Lin disciples, who had stayed at the dinner banquet, became blabbermouths and started gossiping — “Young Master went out for a few years, and his aura became more and more frightening.”

　　“Just now, when I was looking at him, I always felt that I was blaspheming. I didn’t dare look him in the eye. Young Master’s appearance is getting more and more beautiful. I can support and protect him all my life just by looking at his face.”

　　“……”

　　Lin Xuanzhi knew nothing of these remarks, but he could more or less guess the same thing. At the banquet, he did not deliberately restrain the pressure he gave off. The aura of a Profound Realm master was enough to make the disciples feel the difference in cultivation realms, which would not only give them confidence, but also make some people dispel thoughts they shouldn’t think about.

　　Early the next morning, Duan Yuyang and Yuan Tianwen, who received the news of Lin Xuanzhi’s return, came back. Duan Yuyang’s bulging belly was already flat.

　　When Yan Tianhen saw him, he was pleasantly surprised. “My eldest nephew has been born?”

　　Duan Yuyang said with a smile, “He was born shortly after you left. Before I came to Qing City, I left him with the Yuan family. Now my father is looking after him. I will take you to see him another day.”

　　Yan Tianhen naturally nodded again and again, but he was quite dissatisfied. “When you gave birth, you didn’t even tell me. How mean.”

　　Duan Yuyang responded, “You have the nerve to criticize me. If you hadn’t followed your Dage and disappeared quietly, would I be in this situation now? I didn’t even know where to send the news to.”

　　Yan Tianhen laughed a bit. “I sent you the transmission array by bird. Did you receive it?”

　　Duan Yuyang nodded. “Naturally, I received it. I went to the Heavenly Swamp Mysterious Land with Tianwen and several disciples from Profound Sky Sect. Originally, I thought I could meet you all. However, Heavenly Swamp Mysterious Land was unexpectedly too big. We went to other areas and didn’t meet each other in the end.”

　　Yan Tianhen saw that Duan Yuyang looked radiant and had a ruddy complexion, and he knew that Duan Yuyang had benefited a lot.

　　On the other side, Su Mo met Yan Zhonghua, and the two men looked at each other in the eye coldly.

　　“You Majesty King Ye, I didn’t expect to see you again in my lifetime,” Su Mo said as he smiled at Yan Zhonghua.

　　Yan Zhonghua also looked at Su Mo and nodded slightly. “I also didn’t expect that Mr. Mo, who is famous throughout the Nine Lands, was actually hiding in the Five Continents.”

　　Yuan Tianwen stood next to Su Mo and was slightly surprised. “Dad, what did he mean by ‘famous throughout the Nine Lands’?”

　　Su Mo smiled and said, “It’s not worth mentioning.”

　　“That’s modest.” Feng Jingyu raised his narrow eyes. “When Mr. Mo was in the Nine Lands back then, he surprised countless people. In just five years, he had started business all over the Nine Lands, especially the Myriad Manifestations Auction House. Even when I left the Nine Lands, your businesses still operated freely, which could be called an iron wall.”

　　Su Mo shook his head. “For this Myriad Manifestations Auction House, I just paid for the initial investments and developed the network, but it was Lin Zhan– Lin Guangling — who really designed everything behind the scenes.”

　　Yan Zhonghua said faintly, “Initially, I thought you two never knew each other.”

　　“Everyone thought we didn’t know each other.” Su Mo said with profound meaning, “We should always keep some reservations to the outside world, so that it can save our lives at a critical moment.”

　　For example, Lin Zhan had successfully escaped from the East Lands and returned to the Five Continents by Su Mo’s machinations. Xuan Wushe was wary of many people at the beginning, but failed to guard against Su Mo, who seemed to be strangers with Lin Zhan.

　　Another example, Su Mo gave Yan Tianhen to Lin Zhan to raise, which easily deceived many people.

　　After a few people exchanged greetings, the topic then led back to the Five Continent’s barrier.

　　Lin Xuanzhi already had four magic treasures in his hand, and only one more was needed to put them together to unlock the Five Continents’ barrier, so the position of the fifth magic treasure was particularly important.

　　However, a problem arose. No matter how Esteemed Lan Yue and Yin Xingli tried deducing, the position of the fifth magic weapon couldn’t be determined, and even the Great Demon-Sealing Array couldn’t be found, but it must be in Qing City. They also let Xia Xiaochan go out to look for it.

　　But as soon as Xia Xiaochan came out, he said in a disgruntled manner that the entire Qing City smelled too horrible and was too complicated. He couldn’t smell the entrance and even got sick. Lin Xuanzhi and the others were afraid to force him any more.

　　“The matter of searching for the magic treasure cannot be hurried.” Esteemed Lan Yue said, “The opening of the Great Demon-Sealing Array depends on chance. It may not open until ten and a half years later, or the entrance may be found tomorrow.”

　　Yin Xingli’s thoughts were similar. After all, sometimes luck was very important for divination, and some matters couldn’t be forced. A magic treasure related to the Five Continents’ seal was one of them.

　　Another important purpose of Su Mo’s return was to solve the problem of the mummified and bloody corpses. The Yuan family was an elite family in the East Continent, so no matter which main city in the East Continent was having a serious issue, they would have to lend a hand. Since it had even reached Su Mo’s ears, it showed that the matter was very serious.

　　“It was the Han family who sought for my help.” Su Mo lightly said, “The Han family tattled and told me that someone in the Lin family was keeping dirty things in private, causing many disciples to die in their family.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “They don’t have evidence either to prove that someone from the Lin family did it.”

　　Su Mo replied, “There is indeed no evidence, but there will always be people who talk nonsense. Before I came, I heard a lot of rumors, saying that the Lin family was colluding with the demon clan, and those who died were also caused by demons.”

　　“Bullshit.” You Ming remarked disdainfully, “The rumors must’ve been spread by Yue Suhua and her group of bastards who only know how to play dirty tricks behind the scenes. When the Lin family was facing troubles, we were in the South Continent. Yet, people will still talk nonsense.”

　　Su Mo sighed. “We still need to find out the real murderer as soon as possible. Otherwise, this can be used as an excuse to exterminate the demons.”

　　You Ming sneered, “Exterminate the demons? After Yue Suhua and Lord Chuibi were defeated that day, they fled back to Sky Peak Sect, but they hadn’t come out to prove they existed for a long time now. However, everyone knows that they will never give up, and we don’t know what kind of evil schemes they’re making in secret.”

　　Su Mo suddenly remembered something and said to Lin Xuanzhi, “Some time ago, the young master of the Bai family came to see me. He said that since you were not interested in the Craftsman Alliance, he would be the leader of the alliance for the time being.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “As it should be.”

　　If Bai Yichen was the Crafting Monarch, then there was no other person with deeper attainments than him on the crafting path.

　　Su Mo went on and said, “Young Master Bai also said that you are one of the elders of the Craftsman Alliance, so whenever you need protection, the Bai family and the alliance will cover for you. As a result, many families who originally planned on publicly denouncing you are beginning to reconsider where to stand.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi was a little surprised, but then he understood. “I wondered why there weren’t too many people bothering me along the way. It turned out that he was restraining them behind the scenes. If I see him next time, I will definitely thank him personally.”

　　Yan Tianhen said with a bit of bite, “Young Master Bai is really kind to you. It seems that one night of being husband and wife will lead to a hundred days of good graces.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Only you and I can be regarded as ‘one night of being husband and wife will lead to a hundred days of good graces’.”

　　—