The Decaying World-Chapter 132 - 123: Test 1

He closed the door and walked into the courtyard. Lin Hui took the cloak from Ding Ning, draped it over his shoulders, and looked up at the hazy sky as dusk approached.

From Han Xiaoyue’s words, he suspected that the Lin Sha she mentioned was likely herself.

But judging from the subtle nuances in her tone, that didn’t seem to be the case either.

’Forget it, I won’t overthink it. We’re just in a cooperative relationship, anyway.’ He cast the thoughts aside. He hadn’t even sorted out his own affairs. ’Is my Body Tempering with Gale Swordsmanship finished? Do I really have the time to worry about someone else’s private matters?’

Clutching the edge of his cloak, Lin Hui walked toward his bedroom.

"The fog is coming. Ding Ning, you should get back to your room."

"Don’t worry, Young Master. My room is right next to yours, connected by an enclosed corridor, so I’m not afraid of the fog seeping in. The Master just had the Sealing Workshop come by to inspect it a few days ago, so there are absolutely no cracks or leaks. Whether you come to my room or I come over at night, we won’t make a sound," Ding Ning said with a smile. Her words seemed to carry a hidden implication.

Lin Hui glanced at her. The young woman’s eyes held a hint of worry, mixed with a trace of flirtatiousness.

Clearly, Han Xiaoyue’s arrival had given her a sense of crisis.

"Stop letting your imagination run wild all day. Just do your job," Lin Hui said calmly.

"Yes..." Ding Ning could only lower her head, resigned.

The next morning, Han Xiaoyue was dragged off by Second Mother Liu Shenglan to go boating on Lushan Lake.

Lushan Lake was the largest lake in the Outer City’s vicinity, boasting abundant fish and numerous pleasure boats. Since part of it was located in the No-Fog Zone, many people had set up lantern boats there, allowing them to spend the night in floating cabins.

Meanwhile, Lin Hui finished his Swordsmanship practice and Body Tempering, then spent the afternoon playing with Lin Xiaoliu and his family.

Toward evening, his father secretly called Lin Hui into the study for a talk.

"This girl, I think she’s quite good. When are you two getting married? Can you do it within a month? I’ve looked into it, and she has quite a few suitors," Lin Shunhe asked in a low voice.

"Uh... about that, we haven’t discussed it yet." Lin Hui was a bit stunned. He hadn’t expected things to move so quickly.

"Then hurry up and discuss it with her! If you don’t have children now, what will you do when she’s older? Miss Han is strong, and her bloodline concentration is high. If you’re lucky, the children you have will secure our family for at least three generations without having to worry about the Feather Blood concentration! We’d become a true Inner City family then! This is a quantum leap for us!" His father was clearly excited, seeing a beautiful future ahead.

"Well... I’ll ask her, I’ll ask," Lin Hui said helplessly. He needed to discuss a real strategy with Han Xiaoyue.

"You brat, has all that martial arts practice made you stupid? Go on, hurry!" his father urged, pushing Lin Hui along.

Speechless, Lin Hui had no choice but to go find Han Xiaoyue.

In the courtyard, Han Xiaoyue sat cross-legged under a tree, cultivating with her eyes closed. A faint, cold aura swirled around her.

Lin Hui waited for a moment before he saw her stir and open her eyes.

"What do we do about being pressured to get married?" he asked directly.

"Then let’s get married. Or not, if you mind," Han Xiaoyue replied, her expression calm.

"...Are you really this casual about it?" Lin Hui was a little dumbfounded.

"This was always about mutual cooperation to reduce trouble. What more is there to it?" Han Xiaoyue asked, puzzled.

"Then... what if we get married and they pressure us to have kids?" Lin Hui asked again.

"Can’t we just stall for a while?" Han Xiaoyue replied. "If it really comes to it, we’ll just pretend we can’t conceive."

"..." Lin Hui was influenced by her indifferent attitude and calmed down as well.

"I have to leave tomorrow morning. There are some things I need to take care of," Han Xiaoyue said.

"Alright. If you need anything on your end, I’ll cooperate fully. Thanks for your help this time," Lin Hui nodded.

"It’s nothing... It’s also been a long time... since I’ve been this close to someone..." Han Xiaoyue said lightly.

’A long time...’

Lin Hui looked at her and suddenly felt a strange, unsettling aura emanating from her.

But the aura vanished in a flash, as if the sensation had just been his imagination.

*

*

*

Inner City, Wang Family territory.

Gray-black fortresses of various sizes were scattered across a vast, gray plain.

Inside the largest fortress, located at the very center.

A black metal gate slowly lifted, revealing a gap.

WHOOSH.

Figures flashed through the gap, exiting the fortress to stand on the plain’s roadway, waiting quietly.

The one leading them was none other than Wang Yueheng.

His gaze was fixed on a dark brown carriage approaching in the distance.

The horses pulling the carriage were incredibly fast, their four hooves at least twice the size of a normal steed’s.

Before long, the four horses arrived before the group like the wind, coming to an abrupt halt.

An invisible, transparent force instantly enveloped the area, completely dissipating the carriage’s momentum.

CLANG! The carriage door was suddenly pulled open, and a tall woman in pale gold skirt armor stepped out.

The woman had black hair draped over her shoulders and wore a golden coronet. On her back was a dense row of short, golden spears.

Her features were strikingly similar to Wang Yueheng’s, only slightly more delicate, and her brow was adorned with a mysterious, dark gold crystal.

"Little brother, how is my best friend whom I asked you to look after for me? You didn’t cause any trouble, did you?" The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she scanned her surroundings, her pale gold pupils holding a predator’s chill as they landed on her younger brother.

"Sister, you personally asked me, so of course I did my utmost to solve Sister Han’s problem! No matter what it was, as long as I could do it, I’d get it done!" Wang Yueheng said, a little smugly.

"Good. You’re the most reliable one at home. Among all our younger siblings, you’re the one who gives me the least trouble." The woman walked up to Wang Yueheng. A full head taller than him, she reached out and gently patted his head.

"Sister, where did you go this time?" Wang Yueheng was like a contented kitten being petted, squinting his eyes in comfort.

"To the north. The night fog’s corrosion allowed a lot of troublesome monster clans to get in. On top of that, corruption within two of the strongholds led to the seals collapsing," the woman said nonchalantly.

"What about your Sister Han?"

"She went to the Outer City," Wang Yueheng said.

"To the Outer City? Why?" the woman asked, confused.

"Isn’t it because after you left a while ago, a lot of people heard about her situation and came to act as matchmakers for her?"

"What? Matchmaking?! For her!?" The woman froze, her pupils contracting.

SHHIIING!

In an instant, everything within a hundred-meter radius around her froze, coming to a dead standstill.

Only she and her brother, Wang Yueheng, remained unaffected.

"Explain yourself... Who exactly is trying to set her up for marriage? Are these people insane!?" the woman demanded, grabbing Wang Yueheng’s shoulders.

"Well, quite a few... After all, a woman like Sister Han, alone and with such a high-concentration bloodline, is a coveted target for many..." Seeing her reaction, Wang Yueheng felt a sense of dread, as if he had done something wrong.

He knew his sister’s personality well. She killed as easily as breathing and had an explosive temper. Even within the family, she would kill someone over a single disagreement. But her strength was immense and her talent terrifying, so the family elders were partial to her.

’Even though my sister is fond of me... what if she has one of her episodes...’

At this thought, his heart trembled, and he hastily blurted out the whole story in one breath.

"I didn’t do anything reckless! Sister Han couldn’t stand the harassment and asked me to find a solution, and I’ve already solved the problem! Sister Han herself is quite satisfied with the outcome!"

"Her situation..." The woman took a deep breath, not finishing her sentence. "Alright, tell me how you solved it. I knew I didn’t pick the wrong person. Out of all the juniors, you’re the most dependable!"

"I saw Sister Han was very annoyed, so I came up with a plan for her: find someone to pretend to marry. And now... no one is bothering her anymore," Wang Yueheng said quickly.

"Those people just gave up that easily?"

"Of course not. At first, some people were still unwilling to give up. So after discussing it with Sister Han, we announced that she and the man were... already intimate. That the bloodline inheritance had begun, so there was no turning back. After that, everyone quieted down," Wang Yueheng said hurriedly.

"..." The woman narrowed her eyes, the pale gold in them flickering slightly as she stared at Wang Yueheng.

After several breaths, she finally spoke again.

"She... really didn’t have a problem with it?"

"Nope. Sister Han even praised me for a job well done." Wang Yueheng let out a sigh of relief, seeing that he wasn’t going to be hit.

"Good... That’s good... So who did you find to fake the marriage with her?" the woman continued to ask.

"A business partner of mine, an Inner Strength Martial Artist from the Outer City. Though he’s only an Inner Strength Martial Artist, his personality is very similar to Sister Han’s. They both like peace and quiet and were both facing the trouble of matchmaking. It was a perfect fit," Wang Yueheng explained everything in one go.

"You two... are certainly bold..." The woman shook her head slightly, released the lockdown on the surroundings, and headed straight for the family fortress.

"Sister, wait for me! I haven’t told you about the Liu Wu Jun siblings yet...! That guy has been clashing with the Wanhua Sect recently, and both sides are fighting relentlessly..." Wang Yueheng hurriedly followed.

But suddenly, he saw his sister’s figure blur and vanish completely.

Frustrated, he stomped his foot hard.

"Why does she always do this!? This is too much!"

The top floor of the Royal Fortress.

Inside a pure white, circular hall.

The floor suddenly split open, and a black stone platform rose from within.

Standing on the platform was none other than Wang Yueheng’s sister. She had already changed into casual clothes: a floor-length white skirt, a simple white bandeau top, and a gold, beast-headed leather belt wrapped around her waist.

As the platform rose, she entered the hall and immediately looked toward a muscular man sitting cross-legged in the center.

The man was levitating in mid-air, cross-legged, with golden metallic patterns embedded in the skin of his arms. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Grandfather. I have returned," the woman said, bowing her head.

"Yue Ting? It is good that you are back..." The man remained with his eyes closed, making no movement, his voice the only thing echoing in the hall.

"About Han Xiaoyue... What are your thoughts on the matter? Why didn’t you stop my little brother from his reckless scheme?" Wang Yuetting asked urgently.

"Why should I have stopped him? Since ’that person’ didn’t object, it’s best to let nature take its course. Just treat her as if she were an ordinary, marginal Original Blood, wouldn’t that be fine?" the man said placidly.

"But... what if... what if she has an episode..."

"Then that is our fate. Destiny is fickle... fortune and misfortune are intertwined. There is no need to force things..." the man replied.

"I want to know why our Outer Ring must be the one to take them in. The Inner Ring and the Moon Tower clearly have enough power, so why us?" Wang Yuetting said through gritted teeth.

"Because no one wants a ticking time bomb near them. Not the Moon Tower, and not the Central District. We were in no position to refuse," the man answered calmly.

"Besides, we are nominally required to cooperate with them unconditionally and satisfy all their needs. Don’t worry, this won’t last long. They are only staying temporarily, waiting for the appointed time."

Wang Yuetting wanted to say more, but her vision blurred, and she found herself standing on the open ground outside the hall.

She understood that if her grandfather did not wish to speak further, she would not be able to see him, no matter what she tried.