Chapter 46: The Man in Black
At noon, a mother and her cub of the Violet-Mane Thunder Tiger were frolicking leisurely by the stream. They turned their heads and saw a man and a woman approaching.
"Hello there," Chen Yin greeted them with a cheerful smile.
The tiger cub rolled playfully on the ground, while its mother let out a low growl, as if understanding that Chen Yin was about to leave.
"Yes, we're leaving," he said with a smile, crouching down to gently rub the cub's belly. "Sorry about taking your monster core."
"If I get the chance in the future, I'll bring something to make up for it and visit you two."
The cub let out a soft cry and squinted its eyes in comfort, enjoying Chen Yin's touch. Its mother, however, gave Chen Yin a worried look.
"Don't worry," Chen Yin reassured her. "I know there have been more humans around here lately."
"But it's okay; they're all here for us. Once we leave, your lives will return to peace."
Only then did the mother tiger relax. She lay down and gazed in a specific direction.
Chen Yin understood—she was pointing him to the way out.
"Well then, we'll part ways here. Until we meet again," he said, bowing politely to the tigers. Then he and Shen Shuanglian headed in the direction indicated by the mother tiger.
As they left, Shen Shuanglian couldn't help but express her concern.
"From what you said, there are already many cultivators from outside searching for our whereabouts?"
"That's right. We've been down here for days. Even if we don't leave now, they'll find us sooner or later."
"Then… what do you plan to do?" Shen Shuanglian asked, her eyes tinged with worry. "What if the elders of the Misty Spirit Sect are still determined to accuse you of harboring a demonic cultivator and try to capture you?"
"What else can I do?" Chen Yin spread his hands carelessly. "I'll scare them with the reputation of my all-powerful master."
"After all, we're fellow disciples of the Misty Spirit Sect. Now that the main cause of conflict, Miss Yin, is no longer with us, they shouldn't push things too far if they have any sense."
"Besides, who would dare provoke Immortal Yu Ling?" He chuckled.
Shen Shuanglian nodded, though she still seemed uneasy.
"I can't shake the feeling that the sect elders' handling of this matter is a bit strange."
"You felt it too?" Chen Yin asked.
"Yes," Shen Shuanglian hesitated. "Logically, Elder Mo Jie, facing pressure from the Tianluo Sect and Immortal Yu Ling, should have thought twice before taking any action against you."
"But at the time, he was clearly determined to attack Miss Yin at all costs, as if he had no choice."
"Why would he dare to do that? Before he acted, I noticed he seemed to be communicating with someone via sound transmission. Who was he speaking with?"
Chen Yin didn't know.
Though he had his suspicions, he had no evidence to support them.
"For someone to give him the courage to disregard the sect's interests and take such drastic action… it must be someone within the sect," he speculated.
Shen Shuanglian fell into contemplation as well.
"In any case, this is something I plan to investigate next," Chen Yin said seriously to Shen Shuanglian. "I can't do this alone. Will you help me?"
Shen Shuanglian nodded and asked softly, "What do you need me to do?"
"The things I mentioned last time—look into matters concerning Changli Palace within the Misty Spirit Sect," Chen Yin said in a low voice. "But be very careful. The implications of this may be bigger than we think. Do not reveal yourself."
Shen Shuanglian didn't respond immediately. Instead, she blinked at him.
"Are you worried about me?" she asked.
"Of course I am," Chen Yin said, lightly flicking her nose. "Remember, your safety is the most important thing. If there's no opportunity, just let it go."
"Don't put yourself in danger over this."
A soft look flashed in Shen Shuanglian's eyes as she whispered, "I understand."
Only then did Chen Yin feel at ease, gently ruffling her hair.
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The scenery around them grew sparse, and they seemed to walk into a faint mist.
Chen Yin knew they were nearing the edge of the Tiantu Abyss, so he gently took Shen Shuanglian's hand.
"Be careful not to get separated," he said softly.
Shen Shuanglian let him hold her hand obediently, following closely behind as they walked.
The mist was thicker than expected, severely reducing visibility. It also seemed to carry a strange power that blocked the senses of cultivators.
Walking through the mist, Chen Yin and Shen Shuanglian appeared like two ordinary mortals.
"I didn't expect such thick mist even on the edge of the Tiantu Abyss," Chen Yin muttered, frowning.
"No wonder this place has been a forbidden zone for cultivators for so many years," Shen Shuanglian remarked. "Even this eerie mist is enough to make most cultivators hesitate to enter lightly."
"Let's be careful. Who knows what we might encounter in this mist."
Chen Yin tightened his grip on her hand slightly, and Shen Shuanglian took the opportunity to move a little closer to him.
The mist was not only thick but also vast, covering an expansive area. The two of them walked in one direction for a long time and still couldn't see the end of it, making Chen Yin start to doubt himself.
"Am I going in circles? Why haven't we found the exit yet?"
Shen Shuanglian, however, replied firmly, "This is the right direction. Just keep going."
—A cultivator's senses could be blocked, but her system wouldn't fail her.
Chen Yin glanced at her, refraining from further questions, and followed her instructions to continue forward.
Sure enough, after some more walking, the mist began to thin. Realizing the exit wasn't far, Chen Yin quickened his pace and started to run.
Soon, the mist cleared enough for him to vaguely see a figure in the distance. From afar, Chen Yin could make out the silhouette of a cultivator.
He assessed the figure's attire: dressed in black, it didn't resemble the robes of the Misty Spirit Sect. Feeling relieved, he called out boldly, "Hey there! Fellow Daoist! Is this the exit of the Tiantu Abyss?"
The figure didn't respond.
Chen Yin frowned slightly. Just as he was about to approach, an instinctual reaction made him place Shen Shuanglian behind him protectively.
"Wait."
Shen Shuanglian looked puzzled, but the mist around them began to disperse.
As the mist receded, the ground gradually came into view. When they could finally see it clearly, Shen Shuanglian's face changed drastically.
Chen Yin stood frozen, staring intently at the figure ahead.
—The ground was covered with corpses of cultivators.
Their attire varied—some were from the Misty Spirit Sect, some from the Tianluo Sect, and others from the Wanxiang Pavilion.
They lay in dense clusters, transforming the narrow valley into a site of death.
The figure in black before them slowly turned around. He wore a mask, the kind used in traditional drama, exaggerated and eerie. His sinister eyes locked onto Chen Yin and Shen Shuanglian.
"This… what is this…" Shen Shuanglian's gaze darkened, and she instinctively reached for her sword. Before she could draw it, Chen Yin stopped her with one hand.
"…Great Purity Realm. Don't throw your life away," he said coldly, never taking his eyes off the man in black.
Shen Shuanglian was stunned, her eyes wide with shock as she glanced at the man.
"Heh, impressive eyes," the man in black chuckled, folding his hands behind his back. He looked at Chen Yin with a hint of arrogance. "You're the Misty Spirit Sect branch disciple who shielded the demonic woman during the Heavenly Beauty Summit, aren't you?"
"And who are you?" Chen Yin asked icily. "You've slaughtered so many cultivators from different sects. Aren't you afraid they'll come for revenge?"
"Haha. In our line of work, if you're afraid of dying, you can't survive," the man laughed heartily, completely unbothered, which only deepened Chen Yin's unease.
—He understood the meaning behind the man's words.
This was clearly a hired assassin.
An assassin at the Great Purity Realm.
Chen Yin's expression turned grave. Fixing his gaze on the man, he tried to stall for time. "Are you here to kill someone? Who?"
At the same time, he transmitted a message to Shen Shuanglian: Run. I can't guarantee your safety against a Great Purity Realm cultivator.
But Shen Shuanglian didn't move.
"You don't need to know who," the man said with a faint smile, his tone mocking. "But since you're here, neither of you will leave."
"I don't mind adding two more to my tally."
As his words fell, the atmosphere became palpably tense.
Chen Yin narrowed his eyes, his hand tightening around his sword, Changming, while he urgently transmitted to Shen Shuanglian: Don't be stubborn. If you stay, I can't fight him properly.
Shen Shuanglian shook her head silently, her gaze equally resolute. "Don't overestimate yourself. A Great Purity Realm cultivator isn't as easily fooled as Elder Mo Jie."
"Even with your Dao resonance, surviving against him isn't guaranteed."
"Then what do we do? Wait to die together?"
"I have a trump card. I can buy us some time. You run as far as you can," she said.
Chen Yin frowned. As the Misty Spirit Sect's senior disciple, it wasn't surprising Shen Shuanglian had life-saving techniques. But against a Great Purity Realm cultivator, ordinary methods wouldn't suffice. Even if she could stall him, the cost would likely be high.
Still, she wasn't wrong. His first sword strike imbued with Dao resonance could be used to fatally wound cultivators below the Great Purity Realm. But against someone truly at that level, it might not be enough.
—If worse came to worst, he'd have to resort to his second sword strike.
Chen Yin had never needed to use the second sword strike before. He wasn't sure of its power or whether it might harm Shen Shuanglian as well.
Yet Shen Shuanglian seemed determined to stay by his side, unwilling to retreat, leaving him in a dilemma.
The man in black gave them no more time to think.
"Heh. Kid, dying with your girlfriend makes you a romantic ghost," the man sneered, raising a claw-like hand shrouded in a sinister black glow.
"May you two stay this loving in hell."
As the man raised his hand, Shen Shuanglian's eyes grew cold. In her heart, she silently called out, System!
At the same moment, Chen Yin unsheathed his sword, and Changming erupted with brilliant white light.
But before anything could happen, a lazy, youthful voice echoed softly through the air:
"Oh? Which foolish old ghost dares to meddle with my people?"
"You've got a lot of nerve."
The man in black froze, his expression instantly darkening. Shen Shuanglian looked around in confusion.
Only Chen Yin, upon hearing the voice, felt his heart settle back into his chest.
He knew everything would be fine.
Because he was all too familiar with that voice—it had been with him for years.
—It was his master's voice.
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