The hemp-clothed youthâs provocation immediately triggered the supreme Saint-King. However, he was stopped by Hua Dian before he could take action.
Hua Dian icily said, âYoung man, this old man will ask you again. Are you the oneâ¦who killed the Primordial Dao Court experts?â
âIâ¦â
Just as the hemp-clothed youth was about to reply, a terrifying pressure spread from Hua Dian, causing the former to suddenly stiffen as if he was being crushed by a hundred thousand mountains.
Meanwhile, Hua Dian indifferently said, âRemember, you only have one chance. If you speak without thinking again, it might be difficult to preserve your life.â
In the courtyard, the old woman soundlessly appeared.
Veins popped on the hemp-clothed youthâs forehead as his originally cheeky expression was replaced by a rarely-seen calm and sharpness.
At the same time, faint madness began to gather deep in his eyes.
In the end, however, he took a deep breath, suppressed his killing intent, and yelled, âBrother, can you bear to watch me take the blame? They seem to be intent on committing murder.â
His words made Hua Dian and the others shift their gazes to Lin Xun, who was standing outside his courtyard.
âYu Xuan?â
One of them identified Lin Xun and immediately became displeased. âHow can that trash be the culprit who killed the Primordial Dao Court experts?â
The others sneered and withdrew their gazes.
Yu Xuan was a Saint-King from the Imperial Yu Clan whose background had already been thoroughly researched by them. From the information they gathered, they were certain that he wasnât capable of such crimes.
âYou little thing, why donât you dare to admit it?â
âDonât randomly try to shift the blame to others!â
âWe already know the extent of Yu Xuanâs abilities. Donât you feel itâs absurd to claim that heâs the culprit?â
Their gazes grew increasingly hostile.
Lin Xun frowned. It naturally didnât feel good to be called trash. However, he couldnât help but feel happy at the sight of the hemp-clothed youthâs expression.
The hemp-clothed youth looked as if he had eaten a fly. He covered his forehead with a hand and bitterly said, âThis Young Master is so unlucky. Iâve not only taken the blame for someone else but am also being accused by a group of blind fools. Granny, I donât feel like living anymore.â
Hua Dianâs expression darkened at the youngsterâs hoodlum-like behavior. Does he not know the meaning of death?
Just as he was about to say something, his pupils suddenly shrank as he trembled. His expression drastically changed as he looked into the courtyard behind the hemp-clothed youth.
In the courtyard, an old woman with a kindly expression slowly approached. âYoung Master, itâs better to live without purpose than die a good death. Your life is far more precious than theirs.â
Her voice was filled with tenderness and affection.
Several people frowned upon noticing the old woman.
One of the Saint-Kings angrily said, âOld woman, youâ¦â
Bang!
Before he could finish, he exploded, causing flesh and blood to splatter onto the ground as the pungent stench of blood spread.
The Heavenly Sound Pavilion bigwigs were horrified. Only then did they realize that this seemingly unremarkable old woman was a terrifying hidden expert.
Lin Xunâs pupils also shrank. The old womanâ¦was no ordinary person!
Among those present, only the hemp-clothed youth looked as if he was tired of living as he sighed and said, âYou agreed that you wouldnât start eating meat.â
The old woman replied, âTheyâre merely ants who wonât even be appetizers.â
The hemp-clothed youth arrogantly laughed.
âHua Dian of the Heavenly Sound Pavilion greets Elder.â
The originally murderous and stormy-faced Hua Dian suddenly bowed deeply and respectfully said, âPlease forgive us if we have offended you in any way earlier.â
His back was drenched in cold sweat.
Everyone was in shock, causing the entire place to be silent.
Hua Dian was a quasi-Emperor old monster, yet, he was currently lowering his head, apologizing, and respectfully calling the other party Elder!
It felt as if they had been struck by lightning, leaving the entire group of Heavenly Sound Pavilion experts stupefied.
Could the old woman beâ¦an Emperor?
At this thought, everyoneâs scalps turned numb.
The old woman walked over and stood behind the hemp-clothed youth. She ignored Hua Dian and affectionately asked the hemp-clothed youth, âYoung Master, what shall be done? If you feel aggrieved, then let them all die.â
Everyone grew increasingly terrified as horrified expressions emerged on their faces.
If the old woman was already so terrifying, wouldnât her Young Masterâs identity be even more frightening?
âElder!â
Hua Dian fell to his knees. âWe were blind fools. I hope that you can be generous and forgive us this once!â
A mighty quasi-Emperor was putting aside his dignity and kneeling in public.
The secretly watching experts couldnât help but gasp. Hua Dian was the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Sound Pavilion and a quasi-Emperor that countless people looked up to. Yet, he was now on his knees and begging.
It was difficult to describe how shocking such a scene was.
Lin Xun inwardly shivered. He had roughly guessed what kind of terrifying existence the old woman was.
The entire place was silent.
Meanwhile, the old woman continued to ignore the kneeling Hua Dian, her gaze fixed only on the hemp-clothed youth.
The hemp-clothed youthâs expression fluctuated indeterminately. Despite having the old womanâs support, he no longer acted arrogantly and bossy like before and instead looked as if he had encountered a difficult problem.
After a long time, he sighed and said, âGranny, didnât you forbid me from causing trouble on this trip?â
The old woman earnestly answered, âTrying not to cause trouble doesnât mean weâre afraid of trouble. Moreover, it wasnât Young Masterâs fault that this happened.â
The hemp-clothed youth took a deep breath and said, âWe went on this trip because my father wishes me to correct my frisky-monkey-like nature, and Iâm only allowed to return once Iâve conquered my own heart. However, Iâm beginning to realize that it wonât be so easy.â
He self-mockingly laughed before he continued, âIf it were before, I would have killed them all long ago. However, having to consider conquering my own heart makes this feel very unbearable.â
A look of tenderness arose in the old womanâs eyes. âWeâve only just started. Thereâs no need to rush.â
The hemp-clothed youth softly grunted in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, Hua Dian and the others were inwardly nervous and terrified like prisoners who were awaiting their sentence.
The hemp-clothed youth suddenly kicked Hua Dian, causing him to fall over and tumble on the ground.
He didnât dare to resist and had even dissipated his protective aura, afraid to inconvenience the hemp-clothed youth.
The hemp-clothed youth felt disgusted by this. He pointed at Hua Dian and scolded, âHow can a mighty quasi-Emperor have no dignity or a backbone? No wonder youâve yet to become an Emperor even at that age. The likes of you will never achieve that realm in your lifetime!â
Unsatisfied, he rushed forward and viciously kicked Hua Dian several more times. One of the kicks landed on Hua Dianâs face, causing it to swell. Despite this, he kept his head lowered and maintained a smile from start to end.
âUseless old trash!â
The hemp-clothed youth cursed, feeling sad that even a quasi-Emperor would throw away his dignity for the sake of survival.
He waved his hand. âGet lost.â
Hua Dian gratefully kowtowed as if he had been pardoned but looked toward the old woman.
The old woman said, âWhat? Do you want to stay and be a kowtow bug?â
Hua Dian nervously rose to his feet and hurried left with the Heavenly Sound Pavilion group. He didnât wish to spend a second longer of his life here.
âWait.â
The hemp-clothed youthâs voice caused Hua Dian to stiffen as his heart rose to his throat. Was the Young Master going back on his word?
The hemp-clothed youth calmly said, âDidnât someone say he would skin me and pull out my tendons?â
His words rang out amidst the silence like a clap of thunder. The supreme Saint-King beside Hua Dian nearly felt his soul leave his body as he fell to his knees and sobbingly begged for mercy.
The old woman made a grabbing motion. The supreme Saint-Kingâs skin was immediately peeled off and his tendons were extracted inch by inch, causing him to contort in pain and terror as he miserably shrieked.
However, it was a futile struggle.
The bloody and cruel scene caused Hua Dian and the others to turn deathly pale and their lips to tremble. However, no one dared to ask for mercy on his behalf.
Although the supreme Saint-King survived in the end, he was gravely injured and was hurriedly carried away by Hua Dian and the others.
Next, the old woman softly snorted.
The secretly watching experts suddenly felt as if a hammer had struck their spirits, causing their vision to darken as they nearly coughed blood. They didnât dare to take another glance at the scene of the commotion.
After which, the old woman nonchalantly glanced at Lin Xun, causing him to tense as if he were an ant being watched by a god.
Although it only lasted for a split second, Lin Xun knew that it was a warning!
Meanwhile, the hemp-clothed youth suddenly jumped onto the wall and fiercely said, âBrother, Iâve taken the blame for you this once. This is a huge debt that you must repay in the future.â
Lin Xun smiled faintly. âAlthough I very much wish to thank you, at the end of the day, I never asked you to take the blame for me. Hence, I donât owe you any favors.â
âYou!â
The hemp-clothed youth glared at him. âGranny, should we also let him have a taste of what itâs like to be skinned and have his tendons extracted?â
The old woman smilingly said, âSure.â
Surprisingly, it was the hemp-clothed youth who seemed frightened as he hurriedly said, âForget it, forget it. We shouldnât lower ourselves to his level.â
Lin Xun chuckled and returned to his courtyard.
After watching him leave, the hemp-clothed youth remarked, âGranny, I was beginning to doubt the value of dignity earlier, but I now realize that I was wrong to do so. At the very least, that brother is different and has just the tiniest bit of dignity.â
The old woman silently listened with a gentle expression.
âRight, right. No wonder I felt he was different when I first saw him.â
The hemp-clothed youth revealed a bright smile.
The old lady continued to listen with a kindly smile.
She didnât tell the youth that while his âbrotherâ might have a sense of dignity, he also had a source of confidence that was different from others!
From start to end, he was as calm as a rock and wasnât the slightest bit afraid.
This only proved that he wasnât afraid of her.
It did make sense when one thought about it. How could someone who dared to annihilate the Primordial Dao Court experts possibly be an ordinary person?
In comparison, although the Young Master was born with brains and talent, he was still lacking in worldly experience.
However, the old woman believed that once the Young Master conquered his heart, his future achievements were destined to surpass his âbrotherâ!