Chapter 543

The Black Dragon sat at the spot where Duan Duan Changren had set up his stall, his heart prickling with irritation—he had searched for Duan Duan Changren for two days, yet received not a single clue, as if the man had vanished into the sea.

"Could this guy be deliberately hiding?" The Black Dragon picked up a wilted tomato from under the stall and crunched on it, crunch crunch.

Beside him, a young man approached and said to the Black Dragon: "Boss, same as last time."

Hearing this, the Black Dragon flung the tomato onto the table, pointing at the youth in anger: "Hey, kid, you got no manners talking to me like that? Do I look like some stall boss to you?"

Facing the furious Black Dragon, the man showed not a trace of fear; he stroked his chin, studied the Black Dragon for several seconds, then nodded firmly: "You really do look a bit like him!"

"Fine, fine, fine—what do you want to eat?"

The Black Dragon gritted his teeth, about to explode—then paused, realizing this would ruin Duan Duan Changren's business. He sighed and began preparing noodles for the man.

The man said seriously: "I want intestine noodles."

The Black Dragon glanced at the youth: "Wait and eat."

He began rummaging through the stall for ingredients to make intestine noodles, flipping through everything for minutes—found nothing. He muttered to himself: "Do I have to become that Duan Duan Changren just to make intestine noodles?"

"Boss, still not ready? Isn't it usually fast? Why so slow today?" The man, growing impatient, prodded him from the side.

"What are you yelling for? Testing my patience? How could I possibly lose to that useless Duan Duan Changren? Just wait and see!"

Seeing the man compare him to Duan Duan Changren, the Black Dragon's rage flared again; he scowled and berated the man fiercely.

As he finished, his gaze fell on the "culprit"—a strangely shaped sausage stuffer.

【387】 Duan Duan Changren vanished; the Black Dragon was forced to make noodles!

Seeing the device, his lips twitched; suddenly, he realized Duan Duan Changren wasn't entirely useless—he was uniquely skilled in cooking.

The Black Dragon forced down his frustration, examined the sausage stuffer closely: "Kid, you really want intestine noodles?"

"Yes, I'm certain," the man replied firmly.

The Black Dragon's lips twitched slightly: "Intestine noodles are hard to make!"

"Can you make them or not?" The man frowned, clearly unwilling to wait.

"Buy it, don't try to return it!" The Black Dragon cursed, clenching his fists, then turned his neck and fiddled with the sausage stuffer.

"Never mind, I don't want it anymore—boring," the man suddenly canceled his order, sighed regretfully, and left the stall.

Seeing the man cancel after ordering, the Black Dragon stared blankly at his retreating back, muttering curses: "Asshole, you just played me!"

Furious, he chased after him, shouting: "Don't go—I'm making you eat them today, no matter what!"

"Huh? Isn't that the Black Dragon?" Wang Da Dong and Lin Yu had come to eat at Duan Duan Changren's stall too; seeing the Black Dragon's retreating figure, they were baffled, unsure what was happening.

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then said: "Let's follow him—maybe we'll learn something about recent movements in the Demon Realm."

"Alright," Wang Da Dong agreed.

On the other side, the man sprinted through the streets, turned into an empty alley, and finally ran into a house. The interior was simple, entirely wooden, and looked quite old.

The Black Dragon followed him inside. His face dark, he scanned the room, then fixed his gaze on a wooden door, pushing straight through into the inner room.

The room was empty; a strange energy filled the air—peculiar, so odd that an ordinary person inhaling it would lose consciousness in moments.

The man walked in calmly, shut the door behind him, smiled at the Black Dragon, and spoke slowly: "Black Dragon… you came after all~ˇ."

"I never thought you'd seen through me—who are you?" The Black Dragon's pupils contracted; he watched the man warily, demanding sharply.

The man only smiled, revealing white teeth: "I'm Hake Lin. You may not know me, but I know you."

"Speak—who are you, and what do you want?" The Black Dragon remained calm; he'd faced everything in decades—why fear a stranger?

Hake Lin stared at the Black Dragon, still smiling, a glint of cold light in his eyes: "I came to take your life."

The Black Dragon burst into laughter, mocking: "Big talk? Leave now, or you won't see tomorrow's sun."

"Black Dragon, your reputation is well-deserved—you're remarkably calm," Hake Lin observed with interest, a wicked smile curling his lips.

The Black Dragon's rage exploded; he glared at Hake Lin and roared: "Kid, I don't care who you are—you've just made a fatal mistake!"

Before the words ended, the Black Dragon lunged, clamping his hand around Hake Lin's throat and lifting him into the air.

The Black Dragon sneered: "If you won't speak, you'll never speak again!"

Hake Lin, choked and struggling to breathe, made no resistance—only stared at the Black Dragon, his smile unchanged.

"You…" The Black Dragon's eyes widened in shock—he couldn't understand why his strength had suddenly weakened, nor why he couldn't snap Hake Lin's neck.

Hake Lin still smiled, speaking slowly: "I told you—I will kill you."

The next instant, the Black Dragon was blasted backward by an immense force, crashing into the wall, blood seeping from his lips. He tried to rise, but felt every bone in his body might shatter—he couldn't move.

"This… how? Who are you?" The Black Dragon struggled to lift his head, staring at Hake Lin in disbelief. He hadn't been this humiliated in a long time—the last time was… who knew how long ago.

Hake Lin gazed at the Black Dragon, a terrifying smile forming on his face; he spoke low: "Don't you smell anything?"

The Black Dragon's pupils shrank—he now noticed a faint scent in the room (Zhao Lizhao), so subtle he'd have missed it unless he focused entirely.

He'd been fixated on chasing Hake Lin and hadn't noticed—now, hearing Hake Lin's words, he realized the room was filled with a light fragrance that sapped his strength, leaving him limp.

The Black Dragon gritted his teeth, glaring at Hake Lin: "Who's behind you?"

"Guess," Hake Lin stepped closer, murmuring softly: "You ask too many questions."

Enraged again, the Black Dragon leapt, hurling a punch at Hake Lin—Hake Lin flicked his left hand; several flashes of cold light streaked through the air—the Black Dragon screamed, collapsing to the ground.

【388】 Lin Yu intervenes, saving the Black Dragon—his power is unbelievable!

The Black Dragon lay on the ground, pale as death, a gaping wound bleeding profusely—his condition horrifying.

Hake Lin looked down at him coldly: "Black Dragon, my master sends his regards."

"Master? Who is your master? A member of the Wu Lin Alliance?" The Black Dragon's face twisted with fear—the Wu Lin Alliance's power structure was once tangled; had the former Alliance leader not died, he'd never have dared to found Judgment by Force.

"The Wu Lin Alliance? Not worthy to be my master. Just know this: my master sent me to kill you. Now, die." Hake Lin's face was blank; he slowly raised his hand, red energy gathering in his palm.

"Wait!" The Black Dragon flinched, shouting desperately.

"What? Don't want to die?" Hake Lin paused, sneering: "Too late!"

The moment he spoke, the red energy ball shot toward the Black Dragon, spinning rapidly, accelerating through the air.

Seeing the red ball, the Black Dragon's face paled; thick black mist surged around him, coalescing instantly into a solid barrier before his body.

"Boom!"

Just as the Black Dragon thought he was certain to die, a long-absent figure appeared before him—Lin Yu blocked Hakerin's attack with a single hand.

"Lin Yu?" Hakerin glared at Lin Yu, who had appeared out of nowhere, his eyes filled with suspicion—he simply couldn't fathom how the man had returned so quickly.

Lin Yu casually extinguished the red energy sphere and said without surprise: "You know me? Seems you've specifically gathered intelligence on me?"

"Hmph, Black Dragon, you're lucky—until we meet again!" Hakerin glanced at the Black Dragon and turned to leave, but Wang Da Dong gripped him, immobilizing him.

Wang Da Dong held Hakerin tightly and asked coldly: "You're leaving?"

"Wang Da Dong!" The Black Dragon froze—he hadn't expected Wang Da Dong to intervene at all. After all, their grudge remained unresolved; for Wang Da Dong to even spare him was rare, let alone come to his aid.

Seeing escape was impossible, Hakerin began to panic. Neither Lin Yu nor Wang Da Dong was someone he could defeat now. His only option was to delay death as long as possible, hoping someone would arrive soon to help him.

Thinking this, Hakerin calmed his nerves and spoke calmly: "It's strange—you, Wang Da Dong, coming to save the Black Dragon."

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes and glanced at Wang Da Dong beside him. Wang Da Dong gave him a look, signaling he wouldn't be fooled so easily. Lin Yu then turned his gaze back to Hakerin.

"Still trying to sow discord between Wang Da Dong? Clearly, you've investigated us both. I'm growing more curious about who you really are!"

To be honest, he had a rough idea of who the man might be, but couldn't be certain. After all, the Twelve Timelines had become utterly chaotic lately—the Golden Timeline even harbored hidden organizations like the Heresy Tribunal. He needed to extract more information from Hakerin.

After hearing Lin Yu's words, Hakerin thought for a moment: "No need to guess—I serve the Wu Lin Alliance leader."

"Lies! You just denied being part of the Wu Lin Alliance!" The Black Dragon shouted loudly.

"Don't treat me as if I'm not here."

At the mention of the Wu Lin Alliance, Lin Yu's eyes flickered. If the Golden Timeline had been infiltrated by the Wu Lin Alliance, it must be operating in the shadows. This man clearly realized that, which was why he offered this excuse—to confuse the issue.

Thinking this, Lin Yu turned to Wang Da Dong and asked: "Da Dong, do you believe him?"

Wang Da Dong shook his head: "Brother Yu, I never doubt you. As for him? I don't believe a word."

After hearing this, Lin Yu turned back to Hakerin: "You wanted to kill the Black Dragon—his past enemies. Black Dragon, do you remember anything?"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the Black Dragon, who waved his hand. His mind was a tangled mess—he had too many enemies to recall them all.

"Stop hiding—I know you're watching." Lin Yu's pupils contracted. Since gaining spatial power from the Xia family, he could keenly sense any anomalous energy fluctuations around him.

A man in black stepped through the door, his voice smiling but insincere: "So you're the one who repelled the Demon Realm invasion. I made not a single sound—and still, you sensed me."

The man in black's voice was deep and hollow, unsettling to hear.

Wang Da Dong's face darkened as he stared at the man's clothing and asked sharply: "You appear to be a member of the Demon Realm?"

"Da Dong, don't be foolish. I've already repelled the Demon Realm temporarily—he clearly can't belong to them, or he'd still be standing here?"

Lin Yu stared coldly at the man in black, already forming a technique in his hand. The terrifying power made the entire room tense with impending conflict.

Especially for the man in black—the pressure was overwhelming. His body was frozen by the force, and Lin Yu's spatial power instilled deep fear within him.

The man in black stared directly at Lin Yu and said: "Lin Yu, release Hakerin. Let's call this matter even."