"Boy, I advise you to be sensible. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you died!"
Beneath the waterfall, the man in black barked sharply upon seeing Lin Huang trying to change the terms of their deal.
Lin Huang smiled faintly. "You know this is Piaoxue Palace. Shouting won’t do you any good!"
With a flip of his palm, a tower-like figure appeared beside him. Pitch-black as ink and exuding explosive power, it was Lin Huang’s Array Puppet.
Then, Lin Huang took out two Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers. He looked at the man in black and smiled.
"These are the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers. You can choose to first tell me who crippled my sister’s Martial Soul. As for the deal, we’ll talk about it after you give me the name!"
The moment the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers appeared, the man’s gaze instantly changed. He stared fixedly at the golden light flowing from the scrolls in Lin Huang’s hands, his eyes gleaming.
The Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers!
The very item the Blood Spirit Hall had been scheming to obtain for so long.
The man in black clenched his fists, his heart surging with excitement. As long as he brought these Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers back to the Blood Spirit Hall, he would become their greatest contributor. Then, his status within the hall would undoubtedly take another step forward, making him the highest-ranking figure just below the Four Great Blood Marquis.
At this moment, a strong urge to snatch the scrolls arose within him.
Noticing the man’s flickering gaze, Lin Huang tucked the scrolls away. "I advise you not to think about snatching them. After all, my Array Puppet isn’t to be trifled with. Furthermore, I’m confident that with just one shout, Palace Master Yann Nangui could arrive here in a matter of breaths."
"Boy, don’t push your luck!" the man in black said hoarsely. "Give me the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers, and I will tell you the name!"
"I said, the deal has changed!" Lin Huang sneered and shook his head. "First, tell me the person’s name, and then we’ll discuss the transaction. You should know that you have no room to bargain.
"Besides, is it really that difficult to tell me a name? For the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers, wouldn’t the Blood Spirit Hall sacrifice anyone?"
Lin Huang’s words seemed to remind the man in black, causing his expression to relax. He thought, "This boy isn’t wrong. As long as I get the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers, who can’t be sold out, other than the Four Great Blood Marquis?"
"His name is..." The man in black spoke slowly, his voice still tinged with hesitation, but he ultimately revealed the name. "Hann Qingtian!"
BUZZ!
Lin Huang felt his mind buzz, clearly shocked by the man’s words. No matter how composed he usually was, a look of astonishment couldn’t help but appear on his face.
Hann Qingtian!?
Hann Qingtian?!
Eight-Direction Thunder Strike Hann Qingtian!
The Sect Master of the Celestial Thunder Sect, one of the Four Great Sects in the East Spirit Realm.
Hann Qingtian!
Lin Huang never expected it to be this man—a person who wielded monstrous authority in the East Spirit Realm.
The master of a sect!
A Half-Step Martial Marquis.
A figure standing at the pinnacle of power in the East Spirit Realm.
It was actually him who had come to the tiny Great Xia Dynasty to cripple Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul?
"That’s impossible!" Lin Huang said instinctively.
After a moment of silence, the man in black explained, "Hann Qingtian was born with a deformity. His left arm is as thin as a baby’s; only his right arm is normal."
"I’ve heard about that!" Lin Huang said.
"However, the truly terrifying thing about Hann Qingtian is that infant-like left hand. Although deformed, it possesses innate Divine Power, capable of moving mountains and lifting cauldrons. Did you know that?" the man in black sneered. "Do you also know how many people have died under Hann Qingtian’s left-handed Sword Technique in recent years?"
Lin Huang’s expression changed slightly. He still remembered Crown Prince Lingyun mentioning that the masked man in black who crippled Lin Cangxue’s Martial Soul had indeed used his left hand.
"And did you know that when Hann Qingtian was twenty-eight, he severed his own left arm and then practiced the Cultivation Technique of my Blood Spirit Hall to regenerate it? Since then, his arm has been no different from an ordinary person’s, yet it still retains its Divine Power," the man in black spoke hoarsely. "He simply continues to show people the infant-like arm in his daily life."
"Regenerated his severed arm?" Lin Huang frowned, a guess already forming in his mind.
Before a Martial Artist succeeded in Entering the Saint Realm, regenerating a severed limb was an utter impossibility. For Hann Qingtian to achieve this by practicing the Blood Spirit Hall’s Cultivation Technique, he must have cultivated some kind of wicked art.
"Perhaps you don’t know this, but in the previous joint tournament of the Four Sects and Ten Dynasties, Lin Cangxue slaughtered almost all the geniuses of the Celestial Thunder Sect. Among them was a disciple named Hann Liusheng," the man in black continued.
"Is there a problem with Hann Liusheng?" Lin Huang asked.
The man in black chuckled, his expression rather bizarre. "This Hann Liusheng is Hann Qingyun’s son, and Hann Qingyun is Hann Qingtian’s older brother. What do you think their relationship is?"
Lin Huang’s brows furrowed slightly. "Even if it was for revenge, it should have been Hann Qingyun who took action. It wasn’t Hann Qingtian’s place, let alone the fact that he’s the Sect Master of the Celestial Thunder Sect!"
"But what if Hann Liusheng is actually Hann Qingtian’s son?" the man in black cackled, appearing particularly thrilled to be revealing someone else’s secret.
"This..." Lin Huang was left speechless. He never expected this to be the case. Hann Qingtian had actually cuckolded his own older brother?!
"Even now, Hann Qingyun still doesn’t know about this!" the man in black laughed drily, seemingly quite disdainful of this Hann Qingyun.
Lin Huang nodded. Based on the man’s explanation, it made perfect sense why Hann Qingtian would attack Lin Cangxue.
Besides, even if the man in black wanted to deceive him, there was no need to use Hann Qingtian’s name.
"Boy, I’ve already given you Hann Qingtian’s name. It’s time for you to hand over the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers." The man in black suddenly changed the subject, glaring menacingly at Lin Huang.
Hearing this, Lin Huang merely smiled and shook his head.
"What, are you trying to go back on your word!?" the man in black’s voice suddenly sharpened. Murderous intent surged on his face as a terrifying aura crashed toward Lin Huang like a tidal wave.
Lin Huang smiled calmly. "I just said that you must first tell me who that person is, and then we will discuss the deal. Since you were willing to say Hann Qingtian’s name, it means you’ve already agreed to my terms!"
"You really are pushing your luck!" The murderous intent around the man in black retracted. He stared gloomily at Lin Huang, his withered fingers cracking as he clenched them tightly. Then, he said, "Speak. How do you want to make this deal?"
"It’s very simple. Exchange them for Hann Qingtian’s head!" Lin Huang smiled faintly.
"You’re courting death!" the man in black rebuked angrily. "Given Hann Qingtian’s status, do you think he can be killed just like that? And given the kind of place the Celestial Thunder Sect is, do you think anyone can just waltz right in?"
"Isn’t he a member of your Blood Spirit Hall? Is killing him really that difficult?" Lin Huang asked with a smile.
"That is absolutely impossible! Boy, you’re deliberately playing tricks on me!" The man in black pointed angrily at Lin Huang. His entire demeanor turned sinister, making him look even more terrifying in the pitch-black night. It caused a sense of extreme danger to rise in Lin Huang’s heart.
CLANK CLANK CLANK!
Lin Huang tapped his fingers against the Array Puppet, producing a metallic clanking sound. He revealed a calm smile and said, "Since this matter is too difficult, let’s change the deal."
Lin Huang smiled to himself. He had never actually hoped that the Blood Spirit Hall would exchange Hann Qingtian’s head for the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers.
Even if they could, the man in black before him likely didn’t have the authority to make such a decision.
Lin Huang was merely testing Hann Qingtian’s status within the Blood Spirit Hall. From the looks of it, Hann Qingtian’s position was significantly higher than that of this man in black.
"I hope you say something realistic this time!" the man in black snorted coldly.
"Answer three of my questions truthfully, and you can take the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers," Lin Huang said.
The man in black nodded silently. "As long as it doesn’t involve the Four Great Blood Marquis, I will definitely tell you what I know."
"The Four Great Blood Marquis?" Lin Huang was startled, secretly committing these words to memory. Then, he asked, "What exactly is in the Yin Yang Valley that makes it worth so much trouble for you, scheming and laying out plans for over hundreds of years without ever giving up?"
The first question plunged the man in black into silence. It seemed he was also wondering what exactly was in the Yin Yang Valley. After a long pause, he finally replied, "We respectfully call it the Evil King!
"However, this ’Evil King’ is just a code name. Even I don’t know what it truly is. It could be a person, it could be a Demon Beast, or it might be a treasure possessing a Mysterious Power."
"The Evil King?!"
Lin Huang frowned inwardly. The existence of this Evil King had likely spanned a millennium. The Blood Spirit Hall’s goal was to break the seal in the Yin Yang Valley and release the Evil King.
The Evil King...
What on earth was it?
Perhaps only the "Four Great Blood Marquis" the man in black mentioned truly knew.
"Second question. What exactly is the use of the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers?" Lin Huang continued.
"Use? Don’t you already know the use of the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers?" the man in black sneered in response. "Although bizarre power leaks from beneath the seal every time the Yin Yang Valley appears, one must break the seal to find or release the Evil King!
"And there are only two ways to break the seal. The first is to forcefully shatter it with strength surpassing the Martial Emperor Realm.
"The second is to obtain the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers, which contain the Sealing Array. Only by knowing how the seal is constructed can one figure out a way to break it. Moreover, the Yin Yang Valley’s trajectory of movement is also recorded in the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers."
Lin Huang frowned. According to what the man in black said, as long as the Blood Spirit Hall obtained the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers, they could find the Yin Yang Valley at any time, eliminating the need to wait decades for it to naturally appear.
"Is that all?" Lin Huang raised an eyebrow.
"What else could there be?" the man in black retorted with a mocking smile.
"Two hundred and fifty years ago, the fact that the great master of Geomancy, Cao Yangming, could find the Dragon-Locking Land proves that he had the capability to deduce the Yin Yang Valley’s movement trajectory. Furthermore, he also had the ability to breach the Dragon-Locking Land. Given enough time, he likely could have broken the seal as well. If that’s the case, the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers are completely meaningless to you!" Lin Huang countered.
The man in black suddenly fell silent. After a long while, he said with hidden murderous intent, "You certainly know quite a lot, boy!"
"Perhaps even more than you think." Lin Huang smiled faintly, his expression calm and composed. He continued, "I advise you to tell the truth. What is the true purpose of the Ancient Scrolls of Mountains and Rivers?"