Chapter 70: Elder Li's Old Flame?

Back in his courtyard, Lin Yun activated the restrictive ward. With it in place, no one—not even an elder—could enter without his permission. Furthermore, no fluctuations of vital energy or sound could pass through it.

After confirming that everything was secure, Lin Yun returned to his room. The space had already been cleaned, the bedding fresh and tidy. It was a large room, equipped with everything he could possibly need.

First, Lin Yun washed himself thoroughly, changing into the uniform of the Beast Taming Sect—a simple, unadorned green robe that was much more modest than the attire of the Flowing Cloud Sect.

Once the door was shut, Lin Yun eagerly laid out all of his treasures. He had been on the run for so long that he hadn't dared to take proper stock of his gains.

Though he hadn't managed to open the seal at Weiyang Lake, the Demonic Flood Dragon itself was a mountain of treasure, and Lin Yun had harvested it bountifully. Its scales could be fashioned into protective armor. Its horns could be taken to a skilled blacksmith and forged into a sword. Materials like these were rare in the cultivation world; while not quite divine weapons, they would be nigh indestructible.

Beyond that, there were the dragon's sinews, bones, claws, and teeth—all priceless materials. Of course, Lin Yun hadn't even let the dragon's flesh go to waste, feeding a good portion of it to Xiao Bai on their journey. Lin Yun had tried a few bites himself, but the meat was incredibly tough and offered no benefit to his cultivation. Xiao Bai, on the other hand, adored the taste of the roasted flesh.

Then there was the change in the Yuqili. When he had first obtained it from Chen Nanfeng, the item had been a lamp. But after Xiao Bai had emerged from it at birth, the Yuqili had mysteriously transformed into a bracelet. What's more, wearing the bracelet had the effect of focusing his mind and calming his spirit. Most magically, the Yuqili seemed to have some kind of cloaking ward on it, rendering it invisible to most people. Unfortunately, Lin Yun still had no way of exploring the secrets of the Yuqili, or seeing just how large the space within it was.

When Lin Yun took out Li Hong's Spirit Taming Pouch, a wave of sadness washed over him. Though they were neither kin nor old friends, Li Hong had treated him with absolute sincerity, even entrusting him with his life's savings in the end. It was a shame that Fang Chengqian had run off. Lin Yun scoffed. That coward probably wouldn't dare to return to the Beast Taming Sect now, would he?

He opened the pouch. The contents were substantial. There were tens of thousands of high-grade spirit stones, a few unidentified treasures, and a large quantity of materials for feeding spirit beasts. There was also a copy of the Beast Taming Sect's core cultivation manual.

Tucked away inside, Lin Yun also discovered a piece of a broken sword. It had no energy fluctuations and looked as if it had been snapped by brute force. He had no idea why Li Hong would keep such a thing.

Beyond that were the notes Li Hong had written during his travels, which recorded the frequent haunts of many exotic beasts, as well as their preferences and weaknesses. While Lin Yun already knew much of it, there were details not found in the Compendium of Mountains and Seas, which served as a welcome supplement to his knowledge.

Just then, however, Lin Yun found a letter.

"For Xu Miaoyun, to be opened personally."

Written by Elder Li? Lin Yun's curiosity about this Xu Miaoyun grew.

After organizing all his belongings, Lin Yun prepared to rest. These past few days had been a blur of constant travel and hiding. He hadn't had a single night of proper sleep. Now, finally, he could close his eyes and rest.

Or so he thought.

Just as he was about to drift off, the ward around his courtyard was triggered.

Who could it be?

When Lin Yun went outside, he saw a graceful, mature woman standing at his gate.

[Name]: Xu Miaoyun

[Realm]: Spirit Cauldron - Stage 9

[Destiny Template]: Master Smith (Purple)

[Attributes]: Divine Weapon Creator (Gold), Pining Lover (Blue), Path of Heartlessness (Purple) [Master Smith]: A natural genius in forging treasures, with an increased success rate for high-quality items.

[Divine Weapon Creator]: Has personally forged a divine weapon renowned throughout the Nine Provinces.

[Pining Lover]: Trapped by the bonds of love.

[Path of Heartlessness]: To sever the threads of love; only through heartlessness can one become invincible.

[Fate]: Imprisons herself because of love, trapped in the Beast Taming Sect for her entire life, and dies of melancholy.

[Recent Turning Point]: Is heartbroken after learning of Li Hong's death.

"Senior, may I ask what business you have here?" Lin Yun asked calmly, suppressing the surge of surprise within him.

Xu Miaoyun was appraising him as well. "You are Lin Yun?"

"I am."

She said nothing more, simply staring at him with an unnervingly direct gaze. Lin Yun didn't dare to meet her eyes, but he could feel the intensity of her stare fixed upon him.

Xu Miaoyun's emotions were in turmoil. She didn't know who to believe. Could the boy standing before her really be the one who killed Li Hong?

Just then, Lin Yun asked, "Senior, did you come to ask about Elder Li?"

"How did you know?" Xu Miaoyun immediately felt foolish for asking. It was the only logical reason for her to seek him out.

This is a great chance to get on her good side, Lin Yun thought. Elder Li, let me do you one last favor.

Seeing her like this, it was clear the two had secretly developed feelings for each other. But if that was the case, why hadn't Li Hong delivered this letter? It was most likely a love letter, Lin Yun mused.

Without further hesitation, he took out the letter and offered it to her.

"Senior, before Elder Li passed, he asked me to give this to you."

Xu Miaoyun looked at the letter in his hand. She recognized the handwriting on the envelope; it was unquestionably Li Hong's. She took it without a word.

Gazing at the young disciple before her, she simply said, "I see."

With that, she turned and walked away without a backward glance.

Lin Yun watched her receding figure and waved a little. What a loss. The letter was delivered, but the person was gone. He had hoped to use the opportunity to get closer to her; she was a Master Smith, after all. She might have been able to forge a few decent treasures for him.

He sighed as her shadow disappeared from view. He would just have to wait for the next opportunity. For now, it was time to get some sleep.

Cloud Pavilion

Gu Xiande, having just learned that Lin Yun had joined the Beast Taming Sect, flew into a rage. The entire Cloud Pavilion was utterly wrecked, a testament to his fury. Below him, Xiao Pingtian and Liao Changping stood with grim expressions, not daring to speak.

Green Dawn Peak

After ensuring Qin Xiyan's condition was stable, Hong Xiu finally emerged from her seclusion. She found Shangguan Wan waiting for her outside.

"You silly girl, what are you doing here?"

Shangguan Wan looked at her master and recounted the events of the past few days.

Hong Xiu listened without any visible emotion. In her eyes, Lin Yun was simply a passing figure in her life, someone with whom her path was not destined to cross for long. All her thoughts were now focused on Qin Xiyan. Why should she care about that boy?

"Since he has left the Flowing Cloud Sect, let him be," she said flatly.

Shangguan Wan lowered her voice. "Master, news just arrived a short while ago. Lin Yun has officially joined the Beast Taming Sect… as Li Hong's personal disciple."