Lin Chen always had many questions in his heart, one of them being why, within the Jade Cauldron Sect and aside from the Sect Leader Xu Ma’an and the Twelve Peak Masters, was Yang Yuemin the only person poisoned by the Black Cloud Sect’s potent poison.
If Yang Yuemin was often out and about and was poisoned during a confrontation with Black Cloud Sect’s experts while investigating them, and if there were no conspiracies involved, that would be one thing.
But these were things Lin Chen wasn’t clear about; he was only speculating. What if the poisoning of Yang Yuemin within the Jade Cauldron Sect wasn’t an accident but premeditated?
Otherwise, why, out of the Twelve Peaks, were only their Jade Bird Peak and the Ninth Peak’s Crimson Dawn Peak assigning True Disciples? This inevitably led Lin Chen to harbor suspicions.
Besides the five True Disciples from their Twelfth Peak including Lin Chen, every other peak had at least several dozen True Disciples, yet none were dispatched.
The poisoning of a Peak Master was a matter of great concern, yet aside from Xu Ma’an and Zhao Rushi, who had shown concern for Yang Yuemin, not a single other Peak Master had even sent their regards.
Since the Sect obviously wasn’t taking Yang Yuemin’s poisoning seriously, and instead was ordering everyone to fight to the death if necessary to stop Black Cloud Sect from gathering Yin Sha Qi, which would affect the future of the Sect, it was nothing short of a great joke.
If this mission was so critical, the Sect should have dispatched more True Disciples, rather than letting these Inner Sect Disciples and even Outer Sect Disciples come in like lambs to the slaughter.
Could it be that True Disciples’ lives are precious, but those of Inner and Outer Sect Disciples are not?
Lin Chen could only silently criticize the Sect’s decisions in his heart, as he wouldn’t openly confront them, but he refused to blindly devote himself to a senseless struggle.
The initial purpose of Lin Chen’s venture into the secret realm was to gather Dragon Whisker Polygonum, and now that he had accomplished that, he naturally had no more interest in staying. Although there were many opportunities within the secret realm, Lin Chen had lost the desire to explore them, preferring to securely retain the Dragon Whisker Polygonum he had acquired.
Because in the recent skirmish, he had clearly noticed that Li Chu still had methods he hadn’t used, coupled with potential conspiracies within the Jade Cauldron Sect, Lin Chen decided it was best to remain calm and cautious for now. Moreover, he had already gathered a substantial amount of herbal materials, so he was quite satisfied with this venture.
Seeing that Lin Chen seemed determined not to clash with the Black Cloud Sect, Gong Xinghui and Bi Futian also refrained from insisting further, instead turning their attention to Xu Lianyu and Wang Yilin.
"Sisters, what are your plans moving forward? We must stop the schemes of those Black Cloud Sect villains. If they manage to gather the Yin Sha Qi, the consequences will be dire."
Bi Futian repeated the same rationale to invite Wang Yilin and Xu Lianyu; after all, both women were powerful and True Disciples, with Xu Lianyu being the Sect Leader’s granddaughter, and he believed she would surely agree for the benefit of the Sect.
If Xu Lianyu, a fellow disciple of the Twelfth Peak, were to go, then Lin Chen certainly wouldn’t stand by idly.
"Junior Brother Bi, you should listen to Lin Chen. This task is beyond our capacity. You’ve seen the strength of those Black Cloud Sect Disciples; we’re simply no match for them,"
"The True Disciples who entered this secret realm, sigh..."
Xu Lianyu shook her head; her astute mind clearly understood what was on Lin Chen’s mind. Even though she was the granddaughter of the Sect Master of the Jade Cauldron Sect, she wasn’t bound by the reputation of the Sect. Instead, she advised Bi Futian and the others to know their limits and not to rush to their deaths needlessly.
Bi Futian had never expected Xu Lianyu to take such a stance and consequently turned his final hopeful gaze towards Wang Yilin.
Given Wang Yilin’s fiery spirit and her predisposition to fight Black Cloud Sect members on sight, they thought she would certainly agree.
However, Wang Yilin simply crossed her arms and looked at them, puzzled.
"Why are you all looking at me? Didn’t you hear my man say no? Naturally, I will stand by my man’s decision,"
Wang Yilin said to Bi Futian and his companion.
Upon hearing this, Bi Futian and the other disciple were stunned on the spot, turning back incredulously to look at Lin Chen.
Their heads spun with dizziness: when had Lin Chen become Wang Yilin’s man?
Although Wang Yilin was more physically developed, she was still a year younger than Xu Lianyu. Lin Chen, this beast, had Xu Lianyu, and yet, he still made a move on Wang Yilin.
These were the two goddesses of the Jade Cauldron Sect; once this news spread back to the sect, Lin Chen would surely be viewed as an enemy by all the disciples.
Faced with Wang Yilin calling him her man, he instantly felt a tremendous headache, not wanting at all to become the target of the entire Jade Cauldron Sect.
"Senior Sister, you can’t just say anything you want,"
Lin Chen looked towards Bi Futian and Gong Xinghui with an embarrassed face, trying to get Wang Yilin to explain the current situation.
However, Wang Yilin’s face tensed, and she glared defiantly at Bi Futian and Gong Xinghui.
"What are you afraid of? Since you have become my man, none will dare to slander you, or else they’ll answer to my fists. I’ll protect you; let’s see who dares to bully you,"
Wang Yilin spoke, and in one move clung to Lin Chen’s arm, instantly filling him with a soft sensation that made him shy away, not daring to look at Wang Yilin.
Seeing Lin Chen’s evidently pleased expression, Xu Lianyu’s lips puckered slightly before she lowered her head to examine her own modest curves. She immediately turned her head away, refusing to look at the duo.
In the distance, Li Caixia and Zheng Yulan felt a surge of jealousy upon witnessing the close interactions between Lin Chen and Wang Yilin, but knowing their own status and strength compared to Wang Yilin’s, they dared not voice any complaints.
Seeing that both women stood with Lin Chen, Gong Xinghui and Bi Futian didn’t say more, realizing it was futile to try to persuade the three.
In fact, Gong Xinghui and Bi Futian didn’t understand that the people of Jade Bird Peak acted so arrogantly and domineering within the sect because they were aware of the covetous thoughts from the other peaks; if Jade Bird Peak didn’t assert some dominance, others would have long targeted it. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveI(F)ire.net
When Gong Xinghui and Bi Futian heard that the three had no intention of stopping Black Cloud Sect’s conspiracy anymore, a look of dejection, along with a greater sense of confusion, appeared on their faces—they didn’t know how they could possibly stop the people of Black Cloud Sect.
Looking at their disheartened expressions, Xu Lianyu, as the granddaughter of the Sect Master of the Jade Cauldron Sect, remembered that the two were ultimately concerned for the safety of the sect. She began to wonder if she was being too heartless.
Lin Chen, seeing Xu Lianyu also appearing troubled, finally decided to lend a hand to Gong Xinghui and the rest.
"Alright, protecting our sect is the shared responsibility of us all. There is no need for you two elder brothers to shoulder it alone. Let’s go together,"