Chapter 406: The Sucker

Lin Ke did not turn back again.

He did not go to bid farewell to Mo Li, but went to bid farewell to Pa Luo, Se Lin, and Ke Di; Lin Ke directly boarded the star-space vessel that Mo Li had brought back and that Luo Te Si Nuo had not taken away.

At the Four-Clan United Army Corps camp, in the medical room of Se Lin the Sage, Mo Li gazed blankly at the star-space vessel carrying Lin Ke away, lost in thought.

Her eyes held an extremely complex emotion.

There was reluctance, worry, anticipation, and a bit of self-reproach...

If she could, she would definitely stand beside Lin Ke, shoulder to shoulder with him, facing all storms and hardships.

However, the reality is that from the moment Lin Ke made his decision, many things could only be faced by Lin Ke himself.

Mo Li insisted on following, which would not help much and would instead distract Lin Ke.

This is not a matter of ability level, but of growth speed.

"The allotted destiny" gave Lin Ke too little time to grow, and gave Mo Li even less time.

After all, Mo Li's aptitude, talent, and opportunities actually fall short of Lin Ke's.

After a moment, Mo Li composed her emotions and no longer gazed out.

Things being as they are, self-reproach is useless.

Lin Ke went off to attend to his affairs; as his wife, Mo Li must guard the rear for him.

Just as before.

Inside the star-space vessel, Lin Ke watched Mo Li's figure disappear on the screen, and felt a pang of loss for a while.

If possible, who would want to always be parting?

Who wouldn't want to stay together forever, always happy, always at ease?

Unfortunately, many things do not shift according to human will.

Lin Ke did not want to hide himself anymore, nor to be hidden; he did not want to flee destiny, but to bravely resist it—first and foremost, that meant parting.

Parting from his wife Mo Li, from his daughter Mei Li Ya, from allies and companions Pa Luo, Se Lin, and Ke Di, from Dean Fu Li Si Te, from the Four-Clan United Army Corps, from the Rui Wo Suo Si Academy…

"What are you thinking about? So deeply affectionate."

Luo Te Si Nuo's voice suddenly came from behind Lin Ke.

Lin Ke turned his head, looking at the suddenly appearing light-shadow, and did not answer.

"You're still keeping it secret? Forget it, I won't ask."

Luo Te Si Nuo's light-shadow gave Lin Ke a meaningful look, then shifted tone and said, "This star-space vessel can be lent to you for use, but don't damage it for me. Even if you scratch the paint, you must compensate me."

Lin Ke remained silent, keeping his mouth shut.

Seeing this, Luo Te Si Nuo's light-shadow said nothing more and vanished with a pop.

It seemed he used the owner's authorization of the star-space vessel, bypassed the operator's permission, and directly connected the video call just to remind Lin Ke not to damage the vessel.

But Lin Ke knew it wasn't that simple.

Luo Te Si Nuo probably wanted to confirm whether his will was steadfast.

"Flies scurrying, dogs crawling."

After the call ended, Lin Ke remained silent for a while, then coldly spat out the word Luo Te Si Nuo used to describe Zu Tian Shi's state.

A saying from his previous life also surged into Lin Ke's mind at this moment.

The world bustles, all coming for profit; the world throngs, all going for profit.

Profit, that is everything.

Where is there any affection?

Everything is profit!

"Hah..."

With a cold snort, Lin Ke cleared his mind of miscellaneous thoughts, focused on piloting the star-space vessel, and headed toward his destination.

Elsewhere.

Luo Te Si Nuo looked at Zu Tian Shi sitting opposite, leisurely sipping tea, and asked indifferently, "Thus, are you satisfied?"

"Hmm."

Zu Tian Shi nodded calmly, "Everyone is happy, of course satisfied."

"Everyone happy?"

Luo Te Si Nuo snorted, "Do you have the nerve to say that?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Zu Tian Shi matter-of-factly said, "The Heavenly Court's will has been fulfilled, the Heavenly Master's Manor's interests are preserved, the cooperation between Immortal-Deity Civilization and Wizard Civilization has entered the next stage, the Supreme Council's prestige and substance have suffered no loss, the obstacles to your return to Sage's Standing have been cleared away—such a fine situation, what do I have to be embarrassed about saying 'Everyone is happy'?"

"What about Mi Xie Er? The vanguard detachment of the Rui Wo Suo Si Academy? Lin Ke? Are they also all happy?"

Luo Te Si Nuo countered.

"As the Buddhists say, you reap what you sow."

Zu Tian Shi said solemnly, "Whether it's Mi Xie Er or the vanguard detachment of the Rui Wo Suo Si Academy, they are merely reaping what they deserve. As for Linke Grand the Wizard, the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Master's Manor have never borne him ill will. On the contrary, it is the Supreme Council that has continually suppressed him."

"Hah..."

Luo Te Si Nuo snorted, offering no verbal rebuttal.

Because it is the fact of Zu Tian Shi.

It has been pressing down on Lin Ke, preventing him from prematurely arriving in the parallel universe—truly the doing of the Wizard Civilization's Supreme Council.

Rather than the Immortal-Deity Civilization's Heavenly Court and Heavenly Master's Manor.

But the fact of Zu Tian Shi is only part of the truth.

In fact, the Immortal-Deity Civilization's Heavenly Court and Heavenly Master's Manor are quite pleased to see Lin Ke's growth suppressed.

One could even say that the Supreme Council's suppression was actually orchestrated by the Heavenly Court and Heavenly Master's Manor.

As for the reason why the Heavenly Court and the Celestial Master's Mansion did this, Luotesinuo did not want to guess.

After a scoff, Luotesinuo changed the subject and asked, "That beam of light—is it truly the true master, or not? Do you have a definite answer?"

The beam of light Luotesinuo referred to is the one that, after Michelle successfully cultivated and ascended to Heavenly Venerable, suddenly appeared, binding Michelle's fate with a light cone, leaving the newly ascended Heavenly Venerable Michelle unable to resist, forced to follow the route jointly devised by several Heavenly Immortals and Heavenly Venerables of the Immortal God Civilization Universe and five Saints of the Wizard Civilization, becoming a special existence between the Immortal God Civilization and the Wizard Civilization.

The so-called true master, as the Ancestral Celestial Master said, comes from the source of the time river of another universe, and among the two beams of light passing through the Immortal God Civilization Universe, it is the one whose destination is unknown.

As a reincarnated Saint, Luotesinuo can learn many secrets and participate in many matters.

But he is not yet a Saint, and in some matters he cannot interfere too much.

If there really is some special secret he wants to know, he must take the initiative to ask.

For example, now.

The Ancestral Celestial Master smiled and remained silent.

Everything was conveyed in silence; Luotesinuo understood tacitly.

It seems the Heavenly Court and the Supreme Council have both confirmed that the beam of light enveloping Heavenly Venerable Michelle is precisely the one whose whereabouts were unknown, and also the one the will of the Wizard World had Luotesinuo seek.

Moreover, through this matter, Luotesinuo understands that either both the Heavenly Court and the Supreme Council, or just one of them, has already grasped that beam of light.

At the very least, they have mastered a method to control that beam of light.

"By the way, I have a question I want to ask you; if it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer."

After laughing, the Ancestral Celestial Master suddenly posed a question, changing the subject.

"Go ahead. According to your saying, everything can be spoken of; there's nothing inconvenient or not."

Luotesinuo chuckled, his attitude very friendly, not at all as overbearing as before.

"Then I'll ask?"

The Ancestral Celestial Master confirmed it again.

Some words, the speaker can say casually, but the listener cannot take them completely seriously.

Who knows whether this is sincere or just polite talk?

If someone happens to be speaking politely but you take it seriously, causing embarrassment, whose fault is it?

It can only be blamed on you for being clueless and not understanding worldly affairs.

The Ancestral Celestial Master actually didn't deliberately pay attention to this; it's just that many habits, such as modesty and respect, have become ingrained.

In daily life, in conduct, in dealing with people and things, he naturally does so.

If the Ancestral Celestial Master's demeanor reflects the typical introverted nature of the Immortal God Civilization, then Luotesinuo exemplifies the typical extroverted nature of the Wizard Civilization.

Thus, facing the Ancestral Celestial Master's confirmation, Luotesinuo casually nodded and said, "Go ahead."

The Ancestral Celestial Master set down his tea cup, straightened his posture, locked eyes with Luotesinuo, and asked seriously, "I want to know, if Linke Grand encounters a life-threatening danger, will you help him?"

Luotesinuo didn't even think about it, about to blurt out an immediate answer.

"Not rushed, not rushed."

The Ancestral Celestial Master seemed to have long anticipated Luotesinuo's reaction; before Luotesinuo could speak, he raised his right palm and softly said, "Think it over carefully, don't rush to answer my question."

"Does this still need careful thought?"

Luotesinuo frowned slightly, not quite understanding the Ancestral Celestial Master's meaning.

This is quite interesting.

In terms of status and experience, strictly speaking, Luotesinuo and the Ancestral Celestial Master are of the same generation.

Their wisdom, methods, and scheming should be roughly equal.

There's no reason that whatever the Ancestral Celestial Master alludes to, Luotesinuo should fail to understand.

Unless…

The Ancestral Celestial Master gave a faint smile, offered no answer, and, just as before, calmly but solemnly gazed at Luotesinuo.

"You…"

Luotesinuo let out a long sigh, looking somewhat helpless.

After sighing, Luotesinuo dropped the pretense and replied honestly, "If the life-threatening danger my brother-in-law faces does not come from the Supreme Council, I will certainly help him without hesitation. If it comes from the Supreme Council, even if I want to help, I must weigh the consequences."

As he spoke, a gleam flashed in Luotesinuo's eyes, and he suddenly retorted, "You and Xu Jing have been emphasizing that the Heavenly Court and the Celestial Master's Mansion, especially the Celestial Master's Mansion, never intended to harm or scheme against my brother-in-law. So, Ancestral Celestial Master, if my brother-in-law faces a life-threatening danger that comes from the Supreme Council, what would the Heavenly Court and the Celestial Master's Mansion do?"

"We won't do anything."

The Ancestral Celestial Master gave his answer without the slightest hesitation, his tone decisive and his attitude extremely resolute.

Most importantly, the Ancestral Celestial Master's answer, though not unexpected to Luotesinuo, lacked any human warmth.

What about the promised special regard, the promised lack of any intent to harm or scheme?

Could it be that it's just lip service, with no actual action at all?

Luotesinuo's gaze laid out all his doubts.

The Ancestral Celestial Master read Luotesinuo's gaze and naturally understood these questions.

Yet the Ancestral Celestial Master answered none of them, merely insisting that Luotesinuo drink tea, wait a bit more, and see what happens.

While Luotesinuo was accompanying the Ancestral Celestial Master in drinking tea, chatting, waiting a bit more, and seeing what happened, Lin Ke had already piloted the Star Void Vessel back to the Advance Base set up by the Supreme Council near the star region close to the passage between the two universes.

This Star Void Vessel belongs to Luotesinuo, the reincarnated Saint.

Entering the Advance Base went very smoothly.

Arriving at the stronghold established by Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke at the Ruwo Suosi Academy also encountered no obstruction.

Upon disembarking the Star Void Vessel, Lin Ke first saw Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke coming to greet him.

"Lin Ke."

Ai Rui Si waved her arms from afar and ran over quickly.

If not for the fact that Lin Ke is married, given Ai Rui Si's current vigor, she might have flung herself into his arms like a swallow darting into the forest.

"Ai Rui Si."

Lin Ke responded, but his gaze fell on Ai Rui Si's chest.

It was shriveled, oozing bloodstains, showing no trace of its former righteous vigor.

"What's going on?"

Lin Ke's face immediately darkened.

Ke Di was severely injured, Pa Luo fell unconscious, Se Lin was disfigured, the Four Families United Legion suffered over forty percent casualties, the Rui Wo Si Si Academy Vanguard was utterly crippled, and whatever they did they were restrained, already causing Lin Ke to accumulate an unknown amount of anger in his heart.

Ai Rui Si's injury was like a spark falling into a powder keg, completely igniting this pent-up anger.

"Nothing much, I fought a battle, neither lost nor won."

Casually waving her hand, Ai Rui Si showed an air of utter indifference, "It's fine, it'll heal in a few days, this is just everyday fare."

Lin Ke fell silent upon hearing that.

A simple sentence actually explains many things.

For example, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke truly did not receive much attention from the Immortal God Civilization Heavenly Court or the Celestial Master's Mansion.

For example, Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke was able to become a fourth-level sage and then rise to a fifth-level sage in such a short time not because the Supreme Council or Heavenly Court "granted" it, but because she herself strove, sweating and bleeding to earn it.

Heaven's movement is vigorous; opportunity is left only for the prepared.

Likewise, when the Rui Wo Si Si Academy Vanguard suffered an impact, all the Rui Wo Si Si Academy's outposts or institutions in the parallel universe likewise suffered the impact.

However, Lin Ke did not believe that Ai Rui Si's injury was related to Michel's Great Sage Tower.

The Supreme Council could stand by and watch the Rui Wo Si Si Academy Vanguard be utterly annihilated, but it would absolutely not stand by and watch Ai Rui Si. Ke La Ke die at the hands of "one's own people."

This is not only a matter of principle, but also the bottom line of people's hearts uniting.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Ke said solemnly, "Ai Rui Si, if you still consider me a friend, just tell me."

Ai Rui Si shook her head, although she felt moved, she did not do so.

Seeing that, Lin Ke also gave up questioning, deciding to find another way to uncover the full story.

Once found out, everything can be easily discussed.

Anyway, there are already plenty of blood feuds; one more doesn't matter.

"By the way, Lin Ke, you suddenly want to go back—is there something urgent?"

At this point, Ai Rui Si changed the topic, speaking solemnly, "These past few days, wanting to use the passage will be very troublesome."

"Indeed there is something, not urgent, but very important."

Lin Ke was not convenient to lay everything out, so he gave a vague reply, then said, "No matter how troublesome it gets, that's not my trouble."

After saying that, Lin Ke took out his communicator, sent a message to someone he had long stored but never contacted, and then waited calmly.

While waiting, he chatted idly with Ai Rui Si.

When Xu Jing Tian Shi received Lin Ke's message, he was full of question marks.

"You want to go back, what do you want from me?"