The Decaying World-Chapter 85 - 80: Gale 4

"Rain Palace?" Lin Hui stood up and set down the medicine. An idea had just occurred to him. If his Swordsmanship could be evolved with the Blood Seal, what about medicine?

After gaining a basic proficiency, could he also use the Blood Seal to improve it?

Just as the inspiration struck, he was about to get up and eagerly try it out, but a visitor arrived.

"I’ll go take a look. For you to come and report it, the other party must have shown some of their strength, right?"

He opened the door and saw a hint of embarrassment on Wang Hongshi’s face.

"Yes. We tested each other. I lost," Wang Hongshi said in a low, helpless voice.

"Very strong?"

"Very strong! He’s probably a Summoner, but since I’m not in the Inner Power Realm, I don’t know his level. Elder Xue of the Intention Blade Vein is with him now," Wang Hongshi replied.

After merging into Qingfeng Temple, Xue Meng was living a rather comfortable life. On a typical day, no one from the Inner Power Realm dared to cause trouble.

Ever since Lin Hui’s trip to the Baihua Sect, the name of the Qingfeng Sword had truly been established.

Although the Baihua Sect did everything it could to suppress the news, the story of how Lin Hui had charged all the way into their headquarters and ultimately reached an agreement with Baihua Sect Leader Ou Tianrong was still leaked.

No one knew how the agreement had been reached, but judging by the outcome, the Baihua Sect had undoubtedly gotten the short end of the stick. After all, their size and status were well-known. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Any power that could take a bite out of them was no simple character.

And so, in just a few days, some of the more well-informed powers had started to place Lin Hui’s strength on the same level as Ou Tianrong—among the top experts of the Outer City.

As for whether he had broken through to the Inner Strength realm, no one believed that he hadn’t, no matter how much he claimed to only be at the Body Tempering stage.

Leaving the study, Lin Hui glanced down at his white robes. From practicing his sword, the edges of the cuffs were already frayed. When he drew his sword, the sleeves were too wide, which hindered his movements and could easily get in his own way.

"We’ll have to redesign a set of close-fitting sect uniforms later. These won’t do. We practice fast swordsmanship; speed is the number one priority, aesthetics are secondary. We must reduce wind resistance as much as possible," Lin Hui said casually to Wang Hongshi, patting his robes.

"Should we redesign them just for the main Qingfeng branch? After all, the circumstances for the Intention Blade and Black Dragon branches are different," Wang Hongshi asked.

"Hmm... Just the Qingfeng branch. The other two branches can just use the same symbol; they can choose their own attire. As for the symbol, let’s use..." Lin Hui was walking through a corridor when he happened to see fine snowflakes fluttering down outside.

"Look at the snow, scattering as it falls, covering the earth. All things will fall silent in its wake. Let’s use the character for ’wind.’ A neat, proper-looking one."

"...Um, excuse me for asking, but what does the character for ’wind’ have to do with snow?" Wang Hongshi couldn’t figure out what he meant.

"Huh? Connection? There’s no connection. I just saw the snow and felt inspired," Lin Hui replied after a moment’s pause.

Wang Hongshi was speechless, feeling like he couldn’t quite keep up with the Observatory Master’s train of thought.

He was an honest, straightforward man; it was normal that his thinking wasn’t as unconventional.

Soon, the two arrived at the reception hall.

It was the same place where the envoy from the New Martial Alliance had been received. Now, standing in front of the same mural on the wall, was a handsome man who looked no older than thirty.

The man had waist-length black hair and wore a white robe with silver trim. The collar and corners of his robe were embroidered with exquisite patterns of flowers and branches. His face was meticulously groomed, and a strong scent of incense could be smelled from over ten meters away.

Seeing Lin Hui approach, the man smiled faintly, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned sideways. "The Qingfeng Sword, Lin Hui?"

"That’s me. And you are?" Lin Hui stopped three meters away from him and waved for Wang Hongshi and the others nearby to back away.

Xue Meng, who was sitting to the side, didn’t leave. He remained in the reception hall, watching the two meet.

He gave Lin Hui a subtle look, signaling him to be careful—this newcomer was trouble.

Lin Hui returned the look, indicating he understood, before focusing his attention on the young man.

"An Inner City Summoner? From the Rain Palace? I wonder if you know Lord You Ying?"

"Of course I know of her. You Ying is a genius from the Vice Palace Master’s faction. Her mastery of the Ruyi Divine Skill has reached a considerably high level; she’s one of the best even among Upper-Tier Summoners." The man smiled. "My name is Wang Yueheng, from the Inner City’s Wang Family. Although I also hail from the Rain Palace, the Rain Palace is an extremely large collective with numerous internal factions. The You Family is one major power bloc, and my Wang Family is certainly no less."

"Wang Yueheng... what is the purpose of your visit?" Lin Hui gestured for him to sit and talk, taking a seat himself on the opposite side. The atmosphere was still relatively amicable.

"Qingfeng Temple has now grown to such a scale, with considerable business interests and high profits. I wonder, Observatory Master Lin, if you have any thoughts of taking things a step further?" Wang Yueheng said with a smile as he sat down.

"Are you here representing the Wang Family? Or the Rain Palace?"

"The Wang Family, of course. In fact, the Baihua Sect also sends a portion of its profits to my Wang Family in the Inner City. After receiving the news, I immediately put aside all my affairs to come and visit. I wanted to see for myself what kind of magnificent talent a nineteen-year-old who could defeat Ou Tianrong possesses."

"Well, now you’ve seen me. Are you very disappointed?" Lin Hui’s expression softened even more. Being piled with compliments still felt pretty good.

This was the other party’s show of goodwill.

"Not at all. After all, we Martial Artists don’t care about appearances, only strength," Wang Yueheng chuckled. "Alright, let’s get down to business. With Qingfeng Temple at its current scale, you must understand the rules by now, right? You were too small before for anyone in the Inner City to care, but it’s different now. You’ve taken a cut from the Baihua Sect and formed a United Sect with the Black Dragon Sect and the Intention Blade Sect. Your influence and martial power are no longer weak in the Outer City. Therefore, it’s time to put the choice of who to pledge allegiance to on the table."

"Why must we pledge allegiance to anyone?" Lin Hui asked.

"The Observatory Master is still thinking like a minor sect. The Outer City may be dark, backward, and dangerous, but it can still produce some resources. Most Inner City People look down on these resources, but a small few are willing to spend some time to intervene and carve them up. My Wang Family, the Liu Family, and the Chen Family are all like this. If you don’t choose a side, your associated businesses will suffer an immediate blow. It’s far easier for the Inner City to crush a power than you can imagine."

"What benefits would I receive?" Lin Hui naturally knew all this; he was just asking to gather more information.

"Send half of your monthly profits to my account. In exchange, I’ll grant you three spots per year. Regardless of their aptitude, you can send children into the city. If they fail at Summoning, they can be trained from a young age until they succeed," Wang Yueheng answered.

’Three spots...’ Lin Hui’s heart stirred. This meant a stable supply of three disciples could enter the Inner City every year. Although they might not become Summoners, the resources and Cultivation Techniques of a great Inner City family were far beyond anything the Outer City could compare to.

"Oh, and even if they fail at Summoning, children who practice Heart Spirit Techniques and Body Tempering Techniques from a young age have a high chance of breaking through to the Inner Power Realm when they grow up. Of course, this is a long-term deal, so you should think it over carefully," Wang Yueheng added with a smile.

Lin Hui nodded slowly.

This was indeed a long-term investment whose returns would only be seen after many years, as raising and training children took time measured in years.

Conveniently, his Blood Seal’s evolution also required a long time, so he could train some assistants in the meantime.

"So, other powers, like the Baihua Sect, have similar deals?"

"Naturally. But they’ve only sent four people to my Wang Family so far. It’s still early in the process; they won’t see any returns for at least five or six years," Wang Yueheng chuckled. "In fact, people exchanged between the Inner and Outer Cities like this will eventually become Manager Shopkeepers in various places within our Wang Family, thus forming a large network of power that integrates both inside and out. This is how some Inner City families operate. Otherwise, relying solely on their own clan members, the number of talented individuals is just too small. For a family’s power to grow, it must bring in outside forces."

"That makes sense." Lin Hui nodded. Such a union, with shared interests, could undoubtedly bind numerous forces to their war chariot.

"Can I have a few days to consider it?" he asked, looking at the other man.

"Of course. But a word of warning: Qingfeng Temple has already drawn the attention of many. The ones you’ll have to deal with next won’t be these ordinary Martial Artists from the Outer City, but the Summoners of the Inner City." Wang Yueheng paused. "Of course, Observatory Master Lin, your Qingfeng Sword is extraordinarily powerful. Perhaps you feel unconvinced. If it’s convenient, you and I could also spar a bit to test the difference between the Martial Daos of the Inner and Outer Cities. I wonder, would Brother Lin dare?"

As he spoke the last words, his form of address had changed. A faint metallic sheen inexplicably appeared on his body.

"Why wouldn’t I dare!?" Lin Hui had just broken through and his hands were itching for a fight. An opponent showing up on his doorstep was a godsent opportunity.

He had been wanting to test the strength of a Summoner for a long time.

Now was the perfect time.

Standing up, Lin Hui looked at Xue Meng.

"Elder Xue, please bear witness for us."

"It would be my honor!" Xue Meng also stood up, smiling.

"Lead the way. Let’s find a more spacious place. It would be a shame to destroy this hall," Wang Yueheng said with a slight smile.

"Follow me." The first place Lin Hui thought of was the Gale Plain.

He immediately darted out of the reception hall, crossed the training grounds, and shot out of the main gate in the blink of an eye.

He didn’t use his top speed, simply sprinting with his physical body alone, without using Inner Strength.

Without any ’Special Effects,’ this speed was fast, but only slightly faster than Daoist Baohe.

If his opponent couldn’t even keep up with this, it would mean his strength was nothing special.

Lin Hui led the way. After running a few hundred meters, he glanced back.

He saw Wang Yueheng following closely behind him, looking as calm as a summer breeze. He wore a smile and, at some unknown point, had even plucked a small purple flower.

Despite their high speed, the small purple flower in his hand wasn’t disturbed in the slightest by the wind, as if it were in a windless environment.

This strange sight made Lin Hui’s heart skip a beat.

"Since Brother Wang can keep up, then I won’t hold back any longer."

He immediately circulated his Inner Strength, channeling it into his legs.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, his speed exploded, becoming twenty to thirty percent faster than before.

This speed made Wang Yueheng’s eyelids twitch. He hurriedly accelerated to catch up, no longer looking as composed as before.

He tossed the small flower aside and followed closely, not daring to be careless.

The two chased each other, one in front of the other, and had long since left Xue Meng far behind.

The advantage that speed-type experts had in travel and escape was now infinitely magnified.

Before long, the two arrived at the Gale Plain.

Rolling hills were scattered all around.

Lin Hui slowed down and stopped at the spot where he usually practiced his sword, then turned to face Wang Yueheng.

"Brother Wang truly did not disappoint me."

"..." The smile on Wang Yueheng’s face felt a bit stiff. He had investigated before coming and knew that Lin Hui’s specialty was speed. He himself also cultivated a speed-type Inner Power Martial Art, and with his status as an Upper-Tier Summoner on top of that, he had thought there was no way he would be left behind.

But now it seemed... ’This guy is a little off...’

He had originally thought this trip would be like all the others: he would make a casual move, easily defeat his opponent, and then use his gentle, spring-breeze-like attitude to persuade him with reason and move him with emotion. By humbling himself to befriend a subordinate, he could quickly win the man over and turn him into a good brother (read: loyal servant). But he hadn’t expected that right from the start, his opponent would use his Body Technique to put him in his place.

"Brother Lin’s Body Technique is so fast it has truly been an eye-opener. In a real fight, however, while Body Technique is important, offense and defense are the core," he said, glancing around as his calm, unhurried smile returned to his face.

As payback for the slight humiliation, he decided that after defeating this Lin Hui, he would just directly use a Mind-Control Worm to control him.

Before, he might have been interested in playing with his opponent slowly. Playing psychological games of push-and-pull with proud, genius Martial Artists like this was the most interesting part.

But now, he was out of time. If both of those siblings from the Liu Family broke through to the Priest realm, the pressure on his older sister’s side would be too great.

Controlling Lin Hui was all about secretly planting a time bomb for the Liu Wu Jun siblings to deal with later.

’Or maybe I should just cripple him... I wonder, if that Liu Xiao finds out Lin Hui has been crippled, will she still be able to pass the Divine Sound stage? It would be even better if she suffered a cultivation deviation and crippled herself.’

Wang Yueheng’s pride had only been slightly bruised, yet his mood immediately took a nosedive, and he could barely suppress the venomous chill in his eyes.