Decaying World

Early the next morning at Clear Wind Temple, Lin Hui sat with a reply letter from the Hundred Flowers Sect, his brow furrowed as he studied the text.

‘Recently, great changes have occurred in the Xingdao District. A large number of Called Ones and martial artists have fled one after another, with some arriving in Tuyue. It is not just Clear Wind Temple; even my Hundred Flowers Sect has seen quite a few old acquaintances from Xingdao seeking refuge.

‘Among these people, there is no lack of those unwilling to live under others. They establish their own forces and absorb experts. The trouble in Fu'an Town is likely caused by this type of force deliberately provoking conflict.’

Ou Tianrong had written in great detail. Her Hundred Flowers Sect had gained two more Internal Force Realm Elders in the past few days—both old acquaintances from Xingdao—which could be considered a significant boost in strength.

While this influx was an opportunity for some, for the local forces of Tuyue, it was troublesome.

The aggression encountered by Clear Wind Temple was reportedly the work of a faction called the Flying Stone Sect. However, details regarding this sect were scarce; the distance was significant, and the opposing party hadn't revealed enough in battle to properly gauge their strength.

Ou Tianrong had shared everything she knew, and her sincerity was palpable in the letter.

Crackle.

Lin Hui crumpled the paper and stood up after a moment of silence. He tossed the paper ball into the brazier, watching it burn into black ash. To make a decision, he still needed to see what Xue Meng’s report said.

Lin Hui grasped his sword hilt and slowly drew the blade. Over the past two days, he had been constantly contemplating sword techniques and studying the notes of his predecessors, gaining a deeper understanding of his sect's arts. He had successfully shortened the Blood Seal’s required time by a tiny margin.

Though the reduction was minimal, it was encouraging. At least it proved he had other channels to assist the Blood Seal and accelerate his strength improvement.

It’s a pity that the difficulty of cultivating the Wild Wind Sword Technique is too high; I’m still stuck at the First Rank. The third stage of Body Tempering was more difficult than Lin Hui had imagined. Progress was so slow that he couldn't feel any changes after tempering his body.

Just as he was pondering this, Wang Hongshi's reporting voice came from outside the door.

"Temple Master, Young Master Wang from the Inner City is here."

"Wang Yueheng? What is he here for?" Lin Hui was stunned, but he quickly opened the door and walked out.

He saw a person standing silently behind Wang Hongshi. With exquisite features, magnificent attire, and the exotic fragrance of a sachet—who else could it be but Wang Yueheng?

"Brother Wang." Lin Hui cupped his fists. "What brings you here this time?"

"There are some matters I need to remind Brother Lin about." Wang Yueheng's face was grim, lacking his usual calm and ease.

"Please, to the study." Lin Hui gestured.

The two entered the study. After a servant served fragrant tea and closed the door, Wang Yueheng finally exhaled and spoke.

"I came to warn Brother Lin about the trouble in Fu'an Town. The force causing trouble over there is called the Flying Stone Sect. Its origin is not simple; it was established by a Circulation Realm martial artist from Xingdao named Li Chi. He has gathered quite a few Internal Force Realm martial artists from Xingdao and is provoking surrounding forces everywhere. Furthermore, they have countless ties with the New Martial Alliance in the Inner City. To be precise, we suspect that members of the New Martial Alliance from the Xingdao side actively invited them here."

He paused, his brows furrowed tightly, and continued.

"You also know that after the previous struggles within the New Martial Alliance, many seats were compromised and given to martial artists from the Xingdao side. Now that they are pulling this stunt, I fear a storm is coming."

"Flying Stone Sect... a Circulation Realm martial artist!?" Lin Hui's heart sank. Recalling Xue Meng, who had gone to handle this incident, he thought, This is bad.

"Is this news reliable?" he asked to confirm.

"Absolutely reliable! The New Martial Alliance is already actively absorbing Li Chi into the Inner City. The movements are fast; it doesn't look like a sudden situation at all. On the contrary, they seem well-prepared," Wang Yueheng said in a deep voice.

"Then the current situation..." Lin Hui said gravely.

"The changes are unsettled. Clear Wind Temple should watch quietly and not act rashly," Wang Yueheng suggested.

"It's already too late. The Flying Stone Sect seriously injured two of my disciples; the trouble has already come to my door," Lin Hui replied.

"Find an excuse to delay for a moment. It's just two disciples; giving some compensation for their injuries will suffice." Wang Yueheng didn't think disciples being injured was a big deal; his attitude was casual.

This seemed to be the habit of many Inner City experts—they didn't treat the lower class as human.

Lin Hui rubbed his teacup, closed his eyes, and thought quietly. He considered many things, the most important of which was how to stand firm under this impact from the Xingdao martial artists.

"Brother Wang, do you think I should focus on endurance and tolerance first?"

"Correct." Wang Yueheng nodded. "We don't know how many experts have come over from Xingdao this time, nor do you know how many eyes are staring from the shadows. If you act rashly and misjudge the opponent's strength, you might be pounced on and torn apart by a pack of wild dogs. The loss would outweigh the gain."

"Makes sense..." Lin Hui understood.

It wasn't about not taking revenge, but rather waiting until the situation became clear and the opponent's foundation was determined. It would be better to retaliate after sorting out the situation within the sect. As for the other seriously injured disciples... as long as they were settled properly, it should—

"Report!!"

Suddenly, a loud shout interrupted his train of thought.

A disciple rushed to the study door, stumbling and crawling. Stopped by the gatekeeper, and he simply knelt on the ground.

"Temple Master! Save my master! Save him!!"

The person wailed, his voice shrill and miserable.

Lin Hui and Wang Yueheng exchanged a glance, then quickly opened the door and walked out.

Kneeling at the entrance, covered in blood, was Xue Meng's fourth disciple, a man named Ding Shu.

"Temple Master! Hurry! Hurry... my master, he..." Ding Shu looked wretched, his clothes soaked in blood. Clearly, he had fought his way back just to escape.

"Where is your master?!" Lin Hui's expression instantly turned cold.

"Fu'an Town, right over there. Experts from the Flying Stone Sect sent people to ambush and besiege us. My master stayed behind to bring up the rear so we could leave. He blocked two experts of the same level alone... he, the old man... sob..." Ding Shu couldn't continue speaking and broke down in tears.