The No.1 Undercover in the Immortal World-Chapter 438 - 428 I Borrowed, Not Stolen

Lin Yun, of course, wouldn’t commit petty theft. After all, this is the Taiqing Daoist Temple, not some unscrupulous martial arts sect. For now, Lin Yun has found no faults with the Taiqing Daoist Temple.

Since that’s the case, I definitely won’t be stealing, it’s borrowing.

To borrow means to take and give back. If Lin Yun weren’t in a hurry and running out of time to gather materials suitable for forging swords, he wouldn’t have set his sights on the Taiqing Daoist Temple.

Asking directly for a loan was also out of the question; he didn’t have that much clout, and besides, the people of the Central Plains wanted him dead. Yuquan had even wanted to kill him before. Revealing himself to borrow things would be like walking into a trap.

Therefore, he had no choice but to ’borrow’ stealthily.

Lin Yun carefully hid outside the Taiqing Daoist Temple before Xiao Qing cast the State of Dragon Concealment over him.

It was Lin Yun’s first time at the Taiqing Daoist Temple, and he didn’t know where their treasure vault was. But Lin Yun was sly; the Taiqing Daoist Temple also had places for alchemy and artifact refining. As long as he followed those, he’d find the treasure vault.

Finding the place for artifact refining was easy; both alchemy and artifact refining required fire. If he paid close attention, he would find where the fire was strongest and locate the artifact refining area.

Since the State of Dragon Concealment only lasted one hour, Lin Yun needed to act quickly and make his getaway immediately afterwards, without any delay.

Extending his Divine Sense, Lin Yun was surprised to discover that the Taiqing Daoist Temple did not have any defensive formations. Perhaps this was the confidence of a major sect, assuming no one would dare cause trouble at the Taiqing Daoist Temple.

Little did they expect, there would be someone audacious enough to come to the Taiqing Daoist Temple to steal... uh, borrow something.

"The fire is in the southeast direction; the refining area must be there."

Soon, Lin Yun found the area where the Fire Spirit was the most vigorous and, after a few stealthy maneuvers, he arrived at the southeastern side. His guess was correct; there was a hall named Craftsman Heart Hall in that area, specifically used for refining artifacts. Nearby, Lin Yun also heard the sounds of hammering.

This was perfect timing for melting and forging; evidently, Lin Yun had come to the right place.

Lin Yun sneaked inside and saw a burly man, stripped to the waist and wielding a hammer, deeply engrossed in his forging. There were Ironwood and Rolling Ground Dragon Saliva placed to the side.

Lin Yun had attended lessons on artifact refining and had read some books. He knew that these were auxiliary materials.

Ironwood was almost an essential item in sword forging; when added, it could enhance the hardness. Rolling Ground Dragon was a creature that resembled a snake with four legs, living in caves. Its saliva acted like a retardant in the refining process and was equally indispensable.

Lin Yun simply helped himself and pocketed what the big man had prepared for use.

The big man, focused on his hammering, checked his supplies after finishing a sequence and was immediately stunned.

Where is my Ironwood?

Such a large piece of Ironwood, where has it gone?

Did I forget to bring it?

"Elder Yu Bing, Disciple Zhenren requests an audience."

While the big man was confounded, Zhenren’s voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

Only then did Lin Yun realize that this hammer-wielding big man was actually of the Jade generation.

Yu Bing formed Spell Gestures, suppressing the fire in the furnace slightly before calling out, "Come in."

Zhenren then entered gracefully. Yu Bing asked, "Speak quickly if there’s something you need."

Noticing Yu Bing’s impatience, Zhenren couldn’t help but feel somewhat vexed.

At this moment, another voice inside his heart began to speak.

"He looks down on you; otherwise, he wouldn’t have that attitude."

With only a single sentence, Zhenren dared not contemplate it further and quickly said, "Disciple has perfected a new sword technique and needs a Spirit Sword, so I came to ask Uncle for help."

"You should focus on your realm breakthrough first. Sword techniques and treasures are all external matters," Yu Bing lectured before handing over a Jade Token, saying, "You’ve come at the right time. Choose any Spirit Sword you like and, by the way, fetch some Ironwood and Rolling Ground Dragon Saliva for me."

"Yes."

Zhenren respectfully accepted the Jade Token, but that inner voice spoke up again.

"This guy is also obsessed with refining artifacts. Now he tells me to focus on my practice and even asks me to fetch things for him, treating me as a servant?"

"Shut up!"

Zhenren finally realized something was amiss.

With so much negative emotion today, that inner voice was undoubtedly responsible.

Zhenren knew that the greatest enemy in the Heart Guarding Realm was one’s own heart. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now it was glaringly obvious.

He had developed a Heart Demon.

But Zhenren was unaware that this Heart Demon was not self-generated.

After being scolded by Zhenren, the inner voice became even more defiant, revealing itself more openly and saying, "You’re scared, aren’t you? Actually, this is what you truly think, I’m just telling you. Why do people have to be so hypocritical?"

Zhenren’s heart was in disarray as he rushed towards the Sword Pavilion, completely unaware that he was being followed by a little tail.

"Zhenren seems a bit off."

Lin Yun trailed Zhenren and noticed his abnormal behavior.

Lin Yun immediately thought of the dream he saw involving Zhenren in the Moon God Ruins. Goodness, could he also be an insider traitor?

Almost instantly, this idea took hold in Lin Yun’s mind, and he was convinced of it.

Insider traitors seem to attract one another. Lin Yun had lost count of how many he had encountered by now - it seemed like no matter where he went, he was bound to bump into one.

Interesting. I only wanted to borrow something, yet I’ve stumbled upon such events...

In the Shenxiao Sect, he encountered Zhang Xiuya serving as an insider traitor, in the Guanghan Palace, he came across the Flower Fairy, and now, at the Taiqing Daoist Temple, had Zhenren ultimately failed to escape the same fate?

Lin Yun silently followed behind, weighing in his heart that if he discovered any secrets, he would go and inform Yuxuan—this way, it would count as repaying his debt!

No need to thank me.

The Sword Pavilion was reached quickly—this was where the Taiqing Daoist Temple stored its treasure. Of course, it only housed the ordinary treasures, such as the Spiritual Artifacts refined by the Taiqing Daoist Temple itself and some less valuable items obtained from ruins, and then there were materials.

Although the more important treasures were controlled by Yuxuan and some of the Elders, the Sword Pavilion was still one of the most crucial places. As such, the security was relatively strict. Yu Bing, the Elder in charge of the Sword Pavilion, allowed Zhenren to pass through unhindered with his Jade Token.

After all, he was a disciple of Yuxuan. If it weren’t for adhering to protocol, he could enter just by showing his face.

"What good would it do you to take an extra Spirit Sword? Even if you learn another sword technique, could you match Lin Yu? She is several realms beyond you. The Flower Fairy has already reached the Celestial Knowing Realm. Among your contemporaries, they are all so powerful, yet you are still stuck in the Heart Guarding Realm.

You might not even match up to Lin Yun, who has just defected from the Shenxiao Sect!"

"Enough!"

Zhenren suddenly shouted. Other disciples on duty in the Sword Pavilion couldn’t help but look over, causing Zhenren, feeling the gaze of so many people, to grow somewhat nervous.

"Elder Brother Zhenren, what’s the matter?"

"It’s nothing, just give me some Ironwood and Rolling Ground Dragon Saliva. Uncle Yu Bing is waiting for me."

Zhenren skipped over the topic and, in the presence of the concerned expressions of many fellow disciples, took the materials for Artifact Refining, grabbed a Spirit Sword, and hurriedly left.

Lin Yun hesitated for a moment but still chose to follow.

The materials were here, available anytime for the taking, but Zhenren’s secret, once missed, would truly be gone.

Zhenren hurriedly delivered the materials to Yu Bing, speaking very little, and then rushed off again.

Yu Bing tilted his head, puzzled, but didn’t give it much thought and continued to swing his hammer.

Elsewhere, Zhenren also hurried back to his own room, where the voice inside his mind kept speaking.

"Struggling is meaningless; I can give you great power."

"Only with power can you firmly hold the position of Sect Leader. Only the strong are worthy of beauty."

"You are nothing but trash right now; everything you desire will slip through your fingers. Listen to me, I am you, I will not harm you..."

The tempting voice echoed in his mind, and Zhenren’s willpower was gradually eroding; his aura became increasingly unsettled.

But at that moment, the shattered jade from his chest fell out.

Zhenren’s face changed, and he immediately remembered how the jade had broken.

Previously, he had been deceiving his master and ancestors in his dreams, immersed in the fantasy of being invincible; he had almost succumbed to it when the Amulet his master had given him awakened him as a trade-off, the Amulet also broke.

Zhenren had always felt guilty, so he kept the broken jade on him ever since. He had never expected that it would save him once more.

In Zhenren’s mind, Yuxuan’s figure emerged again.

Perhaps he was not outstanding, and his master indeed did not favor him much, but she had been kind to him.

Thinking of Yuxuan, he thought of Yuquan, who, although stern with him, must have been doing so for his own good.

And there were so many fellow disciples...

The previously confused and struggling look in Zhenren’s eyes grew more resolute.

"Stop deluding me with pipe dreams; I will not listen to you!"

"You will give up your position as Sect Leader?"

"If it’s mine, it is mine. At least I can still live and have a chance to pursue higher levels of the Great Dao. Once possessed by a Heart Demon, that’s when nothing will be left. Do you think I am a fool?"

"Don’t worry, no one will find out you’ve been possessed by a Heart Demon..."

The voice continued to tempt Zhenren, but he was no longer listening.

He sat cross-legged and began to recite"The Dao of Inaction".

It’s a Daoist scripture, talking about the principle of purity and non-action—more a code for living than method for cultivation.

While reciting, it also calmed his mind.

No matter what the voices in his heart said, he acted as if he hadn’t heard.

"This fellow just encountered his Heart Demon."

Lin Yun mused from the side. It was normal for Heart Demons to arise at the Heart Guarding Realm, and no one could offer assistance. Seeing that Zhenren had begun to recite scripture, he put away his Jade Talisman and quietly left.

Just now, he had been stealing Zhenren’s Jade Token.

The Jade Token, given by Yu Bing, was necessary to deactivate some of the Sword Pavilion’s defense formations.

Zhenren, his mind unsettled, had been preoccupied with delivering materials to Yu Bing and forgotten to return the Jade Token.

Yu Bing had also been careless and forgotten this, but as Lin Yun had followed and taken advantage of Zhenren’s lack of attention, he was about to steal his Jade Token.

In doing so, he inadvertently brought out two pieces of broken jade as well.

Lin Yun was also startled, not daring to move at the time.

Fortunately, Zhenren hadn’t noticed him. Time to slip away...