Chapter 206

"Yan Nanshan?" Lin Yu blurted out, his throat tight, his whole body struck by lightning.

That voice urged again: "Don't dawdle, come over immediately!"

Lin Yu grabbed Xuanyuan Qing's wrist, his heart beating like a drum. "Is it a trap?" Xuanyuan Qing asked nervously.

Lin Yu shook his head: "Whoever it is, at least they're better than the group of killers behind us." Noisy footsteps were already coming from the jungle behind them; the two had no choice but to follow the voice's guidance and drill into a bush.

There was actually a hidden cave entrance hidden behind the bushes. The cave was pitch black, with only a faint, eerie light a few meters ahead. Lin Yu pulled Xuanyuan Qing and groped his way forward, his heart full of defense.

"You're quite capable, following me for so long." The faint light ahead suddenly flickered, and a tall figure turned around slowly. In the dim light, that face gradually became clear—a square face with distinct angles, deep eye sockets, and a pair of piercing eyes under thick eyebrows.

"You... are you really Yan Nanshan?" Lin Yu swallowed, his voice changing pitch.

The man sneered: "What Yan Nanshan, my surname is Wang, given name Jiu, nickname 'Iron Hand'."

Lin Yu's face was full of disappointment. Xuanyuan Qing, however, frowned and whispered: "Lin Shu, he's lying. I feel a very familiar aura on him, just like the one you emit when practicing."

Wang Jiu turned and paced in the narrow cave: "The Tongtian Pavilion has already discovered your whereabouts and is conducting a full-scale encirclement. We can't stay here long."

"How do you know about the Tongtian Pavilion?" Lin Yu asked vigilantly.

"I know much more than you do." Wang Jiu said coldly, "Those lunatics from the Tongtian Pavilion not only want to open the Heavenly Ladder but also want to use the power of the otherworldly space to rule the world."

"Who are you? Why help us?" Lin Yu asked straight to the point.

Wang Jiu didn't answer, but asked instead: "Can you let me see the jade pendant you have?"

Lin Yu subconsciously protected his pocket: "How do you know I have a jade pendant?"

"Because it's glowing right now, idiot." Wang Jiu pointed to Lin Yu's pocket, and indeed, a faint light was shining through.

Lin Yu took out the two pieced-together jade pendants, and the light immediately illuminated the entire cave. Wang Jiu stared at the jade pendant, his pupils shrinking: "Sure enough, it's the 'Nine Cauldrons Order'."

"Nine Cauldrons Order?"

"The nine tokens are collectively called the 'Nine Cauldrons Order', and together they can open the Heavenly Ladder." Wang Jiu explained, "The one in your hand is one of them, and it has already been activated."

Lin Yu put the jade pendant back in his pocket: "You still haven't answered my question, who exactly are you? Why help us?"

Wang Jiu suddenly raised his hand, and a burst of energy struck the stone wall behind Lin Yu, grazing his ear, sending stone chips flying. At the same time, a muffled sound came from outside the cave, and a man in black fell at the cave entrance with a flying knife stuck in his chest.

"Why ask so much? The situation is, either come with me or wait for death." Wang Jiu said impatiently.

Lin Yu calculated in his heart; although this person's background was unknown, he had indeed saved them. Weighing the pros and cons, he could only choose to trust him for the time being.

The three left from the other side of the cave, crossed the dense mountain forest, and arrived at a hidden path. Wang Jiu moved agilely, Lin Yu and Xuanyuan Qing followed closely, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

"Lin Shu, do you really think he can be trusted?" Xuanyuan Qing asked in a low voice, seizing the opportunity.

"Not sure, but if he wanted to harm us, he would have done it just now." Lin Yu answered.

Wang Jiu ahead suddenly stood still: "Stop whispering, speak up if you have something to say."

Lin Yu walked forward: "Where exactly are you taking us?"

"A safe place." Wang Jiu answered briefly, then turned to Xuanyuan Qing, "Little girl, that silver bell is very special, where did it come from?"

Xuanyuan Qing gripped the silver bell tightly, vigilantly: "Passed down from my ancestors."

Wang Jiu nodded, thinking thoughtfully: "Soul-Absorbing Bell, the treasure of the Tianshan Sect. Is your ancestor related to the Tianshan Sect?"

Xuanyuan Qing widened her eyes in surprise: "How do you know?"

"All martial arts under heaven come from Shaolin, all mysterious gates come from Tianshan." Wang Jiu said lightly, "This bell is a unique Dharma artifact of the Tianshan Sect, capable of disrupting an enemy's mind."

The three continued forward, crossing a wasteland overgrown with weeds, and arrived in front of an abandoned farmhouse. Wang Jiu pushed the door and entered; it was unexpectedly tidy inside, and even stocked with food and medical supplies.

"You were prepared?" Lin Yu scanned the surroundings.

"Always leave a way out when doing things." Wang Jiu lit an oil lamp, "Rest for a while, we'll set off early tomorrow morning."

"Where to?"

"Kunlun Mountain." Wang Jiu answered briefly, "The nine stars align in three days, aren't you also going to stop the Tongtian Pavilion?"

Lin Yu and Xuanyuan Qing looked at each other, having to admit this was indeed their plan.

Late at night, Xuanyuan Qing was already asleep, but Lin Yu couldn't sleep. He got up and went into the yard, finding Wang Jiu sitting on the roof looking at the stars.

"Can't sleep?" Wang Jiu asked without looking back.

Lin Yu leaped onto the roof: "Who exactly are you?"

"I said, Wang Jiu."

"You're not Yan Nanshan, so do you know him?"

Wang Jiu was silent for a moment: "I know him."

Lin Yu's heart beat faster: "Where is he now?"

"Dead." Wang Jiu's tone was flat, "At least that's what the world thinks."

This ambiguous answer made Lin Yu even more confused: "What do you mean?"

Wang Jiu turned his face: "Kid, some things are better left unknown. Focus on dealing with the Tongtian Pavilion, don't be distracted by other things."

"Why does the Tongtian Pavilion want to catch me? Just because I got the jade pendant?"

Wang Jiu sneered: "Who do you think you are? The Tongtian Pavilion Pavilion Master has lived for over a hundred years and seen countless heroes. You, a mere martial artist, why would he go to such lengths for you?"

Lin Yu was speechless.

"Because you have something he needs." Wang Jiu stared at Lin Yu's left arm, "That mark."

Lin Yu covered his left arm abruptly: "How do you know?"

"Because I have one too." Wang Jiu rolled up his sleeve, revealing a mysterious mark on his arm identical to Lin Yu's, "This mark is the sign of 'Destiny'."

"Destiny?"

"An organization even older than the Tongtian Pavilion." Wang Jiu's eyes flashed with complex emotions, "Dedicated to opposing those who attempt to open Tianyuan."

Lin Yu felt it difficult to breathe: "Are you saying I'm related to Destiny?"

"Not just related." Wang Jiu said meaningfully, "You are the person chosen by Destiny."

The night wind blew, and Lin Yu felt a chill. Then, Wang Jiu took out a broken jade pendant from his bosom: "Take yours out."

Lin Yu hesitated for a moment, then took out the pieced-together jade pendant. Wang Jiu brought his jade pendant close, and the three jade pendants actually attracted each other, fitting together perfectly to form a more complete pattern.

"Three pieces now." Wang Jiu put away the jade pendant, "Six more to go."

"How do you have the Nine Cauldrons Order?"

"Destiny has been collecting these tokens to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Tongtian Pavilion." Wang Jiu stood up, "Rest well, there's a hard battle to fight tomorrow."

Lin Yu looked at Wang Jiu's back, countless questions rising in his heart. Is this mysterious man an enemy or a friend? What kind of connection does he have with Yan Nanshan and himself?

And the bigger mystery is—what do the Destiny organization and the mark on his body mean?

As the night deepened, Lin Yu vaguely felt that a storm concerning his own fate was approaching.