Chapter 69: You Should Be Grateful

Do not speak—absolutely do not speak!

At a time like this, the more you say, the more mistakes you make...

Zhang Chulan clenched his teeth in silence, gazing at Lin Yu and the blurred figure behind him.

Lin Yu glanced at the road behind him and smiled lightly: “You don’t have to admit it. As long as I hold this painting, when your companions catch up, someone else will speak for me...”

Hearing this, Zhang Chulan could no longer hold back.

“What do you want?”

“Hmm, let me think...”

Lin Yu feigned thought, then suddenly brightened: “Got it—exchange your Golden Light Spell and Yang Five Thunder for this painting, how about it?”

Zhang Chulan frowned slightly but replied calmly, without anger: “These two arts are the direct lineage of Longhu Mountain’s Celestial Master Sect. Even if I truly had them, would you dare accept them?”

“...Trying to use the Celestial Master to pressure me?”

Lin Yu chuckled softly, then shook his head: “Even if you don’t tell me, I’ll eventually go to see Zhang Zhiwei myself.”

Even the Private Secretary’s name couldn’t suppress this mysterious man?

Zhang Chulan’s heart sank; after a moment’s thought, he shook his head again: “Just now, I was flustered and nearly fooled by you.”

“Brother, do you take me for a fool? I do want this painting—but not for the painting itself. I want to prevent others from seeing it.”

“But now, the information on the painting has already leaked. If I can’t take you two down, this painting loses all meaning—even if all my so-called companions arrive, it’s merely one more or one less.”

Hearing Zhang Chulan’s words, Lin Yu showed no anger; instead, he nodded in admiration.

“Good. Calm enough. You’re the kind I respect.”

With a flick of his fingers, roaring flames erupted, reducing the entire painting to ash.

Watching the ashes scatter in the wind, Zhang Chulan’s eyes widened—he was utterly bewildered by Lin Yu’s contradictory, unpredictable actions, unable to fathom his intentions at all.

“Now you owe me one.”

Lin Yu smiled at Zhang Chulan, then turned his gaze behind him: “No—two now...”

Zhang Chulan snapped back to reality, turned his head—and saw Wang Zhen running toward them, followed by Feng Baobao, Xia Liuqing, and others, all looking confused.

Seeing Lin Yu on the platform, Wang Zhen froze, then immediately halted.

Everyone stopped, standing beside Wang Zhen, watching the three figures on the platform with varied expressions.

Lin Yu smiled slightly: “Zhang Chulan, consider this one forgiven. When I have time, I’ll come to your door and treat you to wine.”

He turned to the crowd below the platform and added lightly: “I’m quite interested in young Zhang, so I invited him for a chat. Now the talk is over—I’m returning him to you.”

With that, he stepped forward, passed by Zhang Chulan, and descended the platform with He Jing.

“You—”

Xia Liuqing erupted in fury, about to speak—but Ba Lun clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Xia, don’t speak. You’ll die.”

Ba Lun warned in a low, grave tone.

Xia Liuqing froze, then his expression shifted between fear and anger.

Wang Zhen stared at Lin Yu as he descended the stone steps.

When Lin Yu reached his side, Wang Zhen spoke: “Brother, if you’re leaving, at least leave your name.”

Lin Yu stopped, glancing at him: “Leave it for you?”

Wang Zhen smiled: “Of course for the Company—I don’t have that kind of face.”

Lin Yu paused, then continued walking, his voice drifting softly:

“Above, the Jade Capital of Heaven, twelve towers, five cities. Immortals stroke my crown, tie my hair, grant me eternal life...”

“My name is Lin Yu. I come from the Jade Capital. Remember it well.”

Before his words faded, their figures vanished instantly, leaving only a faint echo lingering in the cave.

Wang Zhen adjusted his glasses and murmured: “Li Bai’s ‘After the Chaos’...”

“Big talk!” Xia Liuqing snorted. “The old man’s lived this long—he’s seen plenty of hidden sects. Never heard of a Jade Capital. Probably a fake name!”

Wang Zhen glanced at him: “And are their abilities fake too?”

“Forget the rest—just that strange ability to vanish into thin air is already unbelievable. And he didn’t even need to strike us—he imposed pressure like a mountain just by standing there...”

Xia Liuqing frowned: “Is it really that extreme?”

“It’s the Qi pattern,” Zhang Chulan said calmly as he descended the platform. “If I’m right, he’s already seized control of this Qi pattern.”

“As the old lady said, this Qi pattern affects orthodox Qi cultivators most deeply. Xia Lao’s methods are unusual—his self-cultivation doesn’t start from the Ren and Du meridians, so he doesn’t feel it like we do.”

Jin Feng and Ba Lun nodded, agreeing.

Wang Zhen turned to Zhang Chulan: “So you were taken by them just now?”

“Yes.”

“What did they ask you?”

“Nothing important—just some topics related to the Private Secretary.”

Wang Zhen frowned: “The Celestial Master?”

Zhang Chulan nodded seriously: “He even said that if he ever gets the chance, he’ll come to Longhu Mountain to meet the Private Secretary.”

At this, everyone gasped—some shocked, others smirking.

“So bold? He wants to meet the Celestial Master?”

Xia Liuqing smirked: “Ha! Now Longhu Mountain’s got something to look forward to...”

Seeing the crowd no longer focused on him, Zhang Chulan exhaled in relief.

But at the same time, his wariness toward these two mysterious figures deepened.

Especially Lin Yu’s words to him...

“Come visit for wine”? That was a reminder—he owed a favor!

On the other side, at the entrance to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sky Valley, Lin Yu and He Jing suddenly appeared.

The monkeys, who had been chattering noisily, fell silent the moment they saw Lin Yu, watching him with reverence and anticipation.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

Lin Yu smiled: “For now, stay in my sleeves. When we return to the Dao Hall, I’ll let you out.”

With a sweep of his sleeve, a suction force arose, drawing all the monkeys in the valley into his sleeves.

Among them, besides the earliest monkeys he’d met, were two larger, upright apes.

These were the monkeys who had crossed the valley and reached the cave—more advanced in cultivation, more human-like in appearance.

Before entering the cave, Lin Yu had already subdued these two apes and ordered them to wait at the valley entrance.

Once back in his inner universe, he would place the two upright apes in his hall as servants; the other monkeys would be released into the wild, and when they eventually evolved to an upright state, they’d receive the same treatment.

Soon, nearly all the monkeys were taken—except one, deliberately spared by Lin Yu.

Gazing at the nervous golden monkey, Lin Yu smiled, stepped forward, knelt down, and studied the metal ring on its foot with interest.

According to the original plot, this device should be a magical artifact left by Qu Tong, capable of remote eavesdropping.

Thinking of this, Lin Yu tapped the metal ring and asked with a smile:

“Hey, this is Earth. Can you hear me?”

“...”

Unfortunately, the metal ring gave no response.

Lin Yu’s smile faded; he coldly spoke: “Qu Tong, right?”

“You should be grateful—I have no interest in your Dual Hands technique. Otherwise...”

He extended a finger and lightly tapped the metal ring.

Instantly, the hard metal ring shattered. An invisible force, traveling along some unseen connection, crossed thousands of miles to a cluttered warehouse far away.

In the warehouse stood a young woman.

She had soft pink short hair, wore a simple white dress, and on her clean forehead rested a metal device, standing silently before mountains of goods.

“Boom!”

The next instant, the metal device on her forehead exploded.

Shattered metal shards flew outward, piercing through her forehead, carving deep, grotesque wounds and blood holes across her face and cheeks.

Blood streamed down her face.

She frowned; red light flared on her forehead, and the wounds and holes began healing rapidly.

Soon, her forehead was restored to normal—only faint, horrifying bloodstains remained on her cheeks, proof that what had happened was no illusion.

“He managed to hurt me from this distance...”

Qu Tong picked up the bloodied metal fragments, murmuring to herself: “This Jade Capital that appeared out of nowhere... isn’t an easy opponent.”

(End of Chapter)