"What are you doing!"
Outside the Task Hall, Lu Han watched Lin Huang charge inside and immediately grew anxious.
He had been so focused on getting revenge earlier that he had forgotten Wang Chuduan was ranked tenth in the Inner Sect. If he had known, he wouldn’t have attacked him.
Lin Huang shoved Lu Han aside with a palm strike and raised an eyebrow. "You don’t have to go down the mountain, but you have to help me accept this task!"
Seeing the serious look on Lin Huang’s face, Lu Han struggled and hesitated for a long time. Finally, he stretched out his callused palm toward Lin Huang and said awkwardly, "Pay up!
"I want one hundred thousand... no, one million taels!"
Lin Huang looked at Lu Han’s serious expression and nearly passed out from anger. "Alright, martial nephew!" he snapped.
"Two million taels!" Lu Han’s expression changed.
"Martial nephew, martial nephew, martial nephew, martial nephew, martial nephew..." Lin Huang went ballistic.
"Shut up! One million taels it is," Lu Han roared furiously, though he had no choice but to yield. He glared at Lin Huang with wide eyes, looking as though he wanted to shoot him full of holes.
A smile finally appeared on Lin Huang’s face as he re-entered the Task Hall.
"Do you have five people yet?" the Elder in the rocking chair asked slowly, glancing at Lu Han.
Lin Huang nodded. Although accepting the task required five people, it didn’t state that five were needed to complete it. He only needed to use Lu Han’s newly acquired status as the tenth in the Inner Sect to secure the mission.
"Lin Huang, Inner Sect Disciple of Qilin Peak!" Lin Huang announced his identity. He then pulled the highly reluctant Lu Han over and continued, "Lu Han, also a disciple of Qilin Peak, who just ranked tenth in the Inner Sect!
"As for the other three, they are Fatty Bai of Qilin Peak, Yann Qing’er of Piaoxue Peak, and Lin Cangxue of Piaomiao Peak!"
These were pretty much the only people Lin Huang knew.
"Kid... are you sure you’re not looking for a death wish?" The Elder in the rocking chair suddenly stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Lin Huang. His murky eyes glinted with a cold light, and a dangerous aura instantly enveloped Lin Huang.
"I’m not sure what the problem is. Please enlighten me, Elder!" Lin Huang frowned.
"Tsk, tsk, it’s a huge problem!" Before the Elder could speak, a cold, grating voice rang out from outside the Task Hall.
The crowd immediately surged, quickly parting to form a pathway. It was as if a person of great importance had arrived, prompting all the present disciples to make way.
Lin Huang instinctively furrowed his brows. He couldn’t be more familiar with this voice.
It was Yun Feifei!
"Miss Yann Qing’er is the Palace Master’s daughter. With such a noble status, can you guarantee her safety once you leave the mountain?"
A graceful and elegant figure slowly appeared outside the Task Hall. She wore a long dress with purple sleeves adorned with clear lotuses, and her hair was pinned up high. Paired with her impressive height, she seemed to stand head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd.
Her makeup was incredibly exquisite without a single flaw, and the upward tilt of her eyebrows gave her a hint of allure.
As the disciples gazed at the woman’s exaggerated figure and her gently swaying, slender waist, they couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Yun Feifei walked into the Task Hall just like that. Her eyes landed on Lin Huang, and the slight curve of her lips carried a mix of cunning and mockery. She continued, "And who exactly is Lin Cangxue? Are you oblivious? She has fallen into such a wretched state, yet you expect her to go down the mountain and complete a task? It’s utterly laughable!"
Lin Huang didn’t lose his temper. He simply raised his eyes to glance at Yun Feifei and said calmly, "What does any of this have to do with you, you bitch?"
The moment Lin Huang finished speaking, the atmosphere in the area turned somewhat subtle.
Bitch?
Before Yun Feifei met Lin Cangxue, there were indeed people who had called her that.
"So you’re nothing but a spineless coward who is all talk and no bite," Yun Feifei suddenly laughed, her tone exceptionally disdainful. However, Lin Huang still caught the flash of malice and fury across her face.
"Do you want to accept the task for the Martial King’s Tomb?" Yun Feifei pursed her lips and giggled. "You’d better watch closely, then!"
She then turned to look at the Elder in the rocking chair, her voice taking on a sweet, coaxing tone. "Elder Ge, I will be accepting the task for the Martial King’s Tomb. Traveling with me will be Inner Sect Rank 6 Ye Cheng, Inner Sect Rank 17 Hee Hanxing, Inner Sect Rank 21 Lur Yun, and Inner Sect Rank 29, Qin and Han Dynasties!"
Elder Ge, sitting in the rocking chair, glanced at Lin Huang and then at Yun Feifei. He tapped his smoking pipe, let out a helpless sigh, and tossed the Token for the Martial King’s Tomb task to Yun Feifei.
Although he didn’t particularly like Yun Feifei, she was the only one in Piaoxue Palace, besides Xie Qinghou, who was currently capable of taking on this task.
As for Lin Huang...
If Lin Huang was really going to take Yann Qing’er along, Elder Ge wouldn’t dare give him this task even if it cost him his life.
"Thank you, Elder Ge!" Yun Feifei smiled charmingly. She then turned her head to stare at Lin Huang, waving the Token in her hand. The smile on her face served as a silent mockery, piercing into Lin Huang’s heart like sharp thorns.
Inside the Task Hall, Lin Huang’s expression grew increasingly ugly. His gaze swept over Elder Ge and Yun Feifei as he clenched his fists tightly, suppressing a surge of anger deep within his heart.
However, it was destined that he wouldn’t be able to accept the trial task for the Martial King’s Tomb today.
With his current status, he was still lacking the strength to compete against Yun Feifei!
Looking at the entire Piaoxue Palace, who besides Xie Qinghou could rival her?
Beside him, Lu Han seemed to sense Lin Huang’s fury. "How about I give it another try?" he whispered. "Challenging Yun Feifei is out of the question, but there’s a chance I could take down Inner Sect Rank 6 Ye Cheng!"
"It’s meaningless!" Lin Huang shook his head. Although Lu Han was able to defeat Wang Chuduan in two moves, he would likely be stretched too thin against Ye Cheng, who was ranked sixth.
Besides, even if he defeated Ye Cheng, what would be the point?
Yun Feifei, the second in the Inner Sect, was still blocking their path.
In the end, Lin Huang folded his hands into his sleeves and walked out of the Task Hall with a smile on his face, right under everyone’s amused gazes.
Watching his retreating back, a sneer formed on Yun Feifei’s fair face. In this Inner Sect, who besides Xie Qinghou could stand against her?
A mere Lin Huang was not Lin Cangxue, after all.
"You’re just going to give up like this?" Lu Han followed closely behind Lin Huang, his wooden face also showing some indignation. Even though he didn’t want to go down the mountain, he could feel that the Martial King’s Tomb meant far more to Lin Huang than a simple task.
"Help me accept a task near Xuanyuan City!" Lin Huang broke his silence.
"Ah..." Lu Han hesitated, seemingly highly repulsed by the name ’Xuanyuan City.’ However, seeing Lin Huang’s expression grow even darker, he silently returned to the Task Hall.
Lin Huang turned around and looked at Yun Feifei inside the hall. Surrounded by a group of Inner Sect Disciples, she was treated like the moon surrounded by stars, becoming the center of everyone’s attention. The killing intent that had long been accumulating in his eyes grew a bit denser.
For the entire day, Lin Huang wore a smile on his face.
But it was a very fake smile!
It was so fake that even Fatty Bai didn’t dare approach him, and Yann Qing’er merely pouted as she watched him from a distance.
There was nothing she could do about the incident at the Task Hall. After all, if she spoke up, the matter would blow up. If it alarmed Yann Nangui, Lin Huang’s punishment would likely be far more severe than simply failing to get a task.
There was no way Yann Nangui would watch his daughter follow Lin Huang down the mountain, let alone to a place as dangerous as the Martial King’s Tomb.
Yet, at this moment, Yann Qing’er was the one who understood Lin Huang’s inner thoughts the best.
It would have been fine if someone else had snatched the task, but it just had to be Yun Feifei—the traitor who had caused Lin Cangxue to fall into such a miserable state.
Even though Lin Huang didn’t say anything, didn’t make a scene in the Task Hall, and even kept a smile on his face, the fury he was suppressing deep inside was undoubtedly terrifying.
It was just a pity...
Lin Huang was currently only at the Earth Element Third Heaven Realm. If he were to challenge Yun Feifei right now, it would undoubtedly be a humiliation of his own making. When that happened, even Lin Cangxue would be subjected to endless gossip and pointing fingers.
Thus, Lin Huang could only endure it. He had to endure it until the day he could trample Yun Feifei beneath his feet and tear off that bitch’s hypocritical mask.
Below the Celestial Waterfall Cliff, Lu Han, Yann Qing’er, and Fatty Bai watched the figure beneath the waterfall, slashing his blade over and over again. Their expressions were incredibly heavy and suppressed.
Standing behind them, Lin Cangxue’s face was filled with heartache. Though she didn’t understand why Lin Huang was so determined to enter the Martial King’s Tomb, she knew how much of a blow it was to him when Yun Feifei stole the task right in front of everyone.
If this were in the past, Yun Feifei wouldn’t have survived for more than half an hour.
Unfortunately, she, Lin Cangxue, was no longer the former East Spirit Legend. She was no longer that peerless genius who had once accomplished the feat where Earth Element Kills Celestial Element. Hence, she could only watch Lin Huang from afar.
She couldn’t let Lin Huang see her sorrow.
Nor could she let him see the indignation she felt for him!
...
"Miss Cangxue!"
Just as everyone was feeling rather down, Lu Han’s attention suddenly drifted. He secretly scurried over to Lin Cangxue’s side, revealing a bashful smile.
Lin Cangxue managed a faint, tight-lipped smile.
"Why does Xiaohuang want to enter the Martial King’s Tomb?" Lin Cangxue asked him.
"Uh, I’m not entirely sure either!" Lu Han looked embarrassed, feeling quite regretful in his heart, wondering why he hadn’t asked about it earlier.
"When you go down the mountain, please look out for Xiaohuang for me. Even though he has the Godslaying One Slash, his Realm is still a bit lacking. I know you have the strength to do it!" Lin Cangxue stared at Lu Han and spoke earnestly.
"O-Okay... Okay, okay, okay!" Lu Han agreed repeatedly. While Lin Cangxue was looking at him, he felt his face burning hot. It wasn’t until she turned her head away that he stealthily fished something out of his pocket and apprehensively offered it to her. He stammered, "M-Miss Cangxue, this... is for you!"
Hm?
Lin Cangxue turned her head back in confusion. As she looked at the jade bottle in Lu Han’s hand, she instinctively furrowed her elegant brows.
Resting in Lu Han’s callused palm was a crystalline glazed bottle that resembled fine jade. The mouth of the bottle was inlaid with a ring of gemstones, giving it an extraordinarily luxurious appearance.
Inside the glazed bottle burned a fiery-red flower, looking exceptionally hot and gorgeous. As its branches and leaves stretched out, the dancing flames flickered with the agility of a sprite.
"I bought this when I went down the mountain earlier. I heard it’s good for your health. It wasn’t expensive, just several dozen taels of silver!" Lu Han said nervously.
"I don’t want it!" Lin Cangxue replied bluntly, pushing his hand back.
Lu Han’s face darkened. After hesitating for a moment, he offered the item to her again and gritted his teeth. "Back then, Miss Cangxue saved my grandmother and me. I’ve never been able to repay you. If you refuse me again, I’ll be overwhelmed by guilt!"
"Just call me Cangxue!" Seeing his nervous demeanor, Lin Cangxue broke into a smile. "What happened back then was just a small effort on my part. There’s no need to take it to heart. Besides, I am already crippled. I have no use for this item anymore!"
"No, you have to take it!" Lu Han cried out, so flustered he didn’t know what to do.
Lin Cangxue kept a smile on her face, but she shook her head firmly.
Although she didn’t know exactly what the item in his hand was, she had been an East Spirit Legend. Let alone the flower inside, just the value of the bottle itself was probably worth tens of thousands of taels of Gold.
How could she possibly dare to accept it!