Yin Jiuxiao didn’t care what others thought; as long as Wei Lin didn’t drag him down, that was enough.

His moves were ruthless, every strike aimed to kill, and even when he took a hit himself, he seemed unfazed, only pushing forward relentlessly. After a hundred exchanges, he finally heard the Lang Clan leader, backed into a corner, muttering curses at him.

“…Monster!” the leader spat. “You lunatic!”

Yin Jiuxiao thought he’d be better off putting that energy into fighting—maybe he’d survive a bit longer. This guy had been stuck at the Heavenly Tier for years, yet hadn’t improved since their time back at the Yin family. Probably cushioned by a comfortable life among the Lang Clan, he’d lost his edge in real combat.

In a blink, their strikes clashed again, forcing both to step back slightly. An arrow from the leader grazed Yin Jiuxiao’s arm, cutting deep, but his sword’s radiance had already slashed across his opponent’s chest.

A bloody gash bloomed on the leader’s chest, but as the blood splattered toward him, it was completely deflected by a protective aura around Yin Jiuxiao, leaving his clothes pristine. Only Lin Qinghen had ever seen him ward off blood so meticulously. Without Qinghen by his side, he wasn’t about to let himself get messy—cleaning up would be a hassle.

Then the opportunity he’d been waiting for arrived. The leader, injured from their prolonged battle, finally showed an opening. While the last strike was aimed at his chest, this time, Yin Jiuxiao targeted his throat.

Though Yin Jiuxiao’s abilities were near god-like, killing a Heavenly Tier warrior still required his full concentration; he couldn’t afford any distractions. He sensed that more Lang Clan members were approaching, all watching him intently. As his final, throat-cutting strike landed, the crowd arrived, just a little too late.

At first, they looked fired up, seemingly ready to fight alongside their leader. But seeing the situation clearly, they all froze. Right there, in front of them, their leader lay lifeless, face down in the dirt, no longer breathing. They had arrived a step too late.

Today, Yin Jiuxiao wore black, so the blood on him wasn’t immediately visible. From afar, he looked clean and pristine, his sword still unsheathed at his side, not a trace of blood on its blade. The only hint of injury was the cut on his arm, a few drops of blood trickling down. Turning around, the youthful face of this warrior silenced the crowd, even quieting their breaths.

Killing a Heavenly Tier warrior single-handedly was an indescribable feat, displaying a commanding aura that could only be called absolute mastery. The leader had fallen, leaving no one else with the courage to face him.

In truth, Yin Jiuxiao was nearly at his limit. If anyone attacked now, things might get dangerous for him. Yet, his mere presence kept everyone at bay. Those who had seen him deliver that final, merciless strike knew better than to challenge him.

This Lang Clan leader had died in a much quieter battle than Xu Yaoyang, who’d gone down with one desperate, final strike, as if hoping to take someone with him. This one, on the other hand, had been slowly worn down by Yin Jiuxiao until his remains lay there in a sorry state.

With the Heavenly Tier aura dissipating, strange fluctuations lingered in the air, making everyone hesitant to get too close. They stood in a half-circle, looking up at him in awe.

Though Yin Jiuxiao was injured, his healing abilities were strong. As long as he wasn’t dead, he’d recover soon enough. Since he’d won, these wounds hardly mattered. He felt invigorated from the fight, reassured by his skill and power, which he still held firmly after his rebirth. Feeling quite pleased, he found he had enough energy to speak to Wei Lin, though his voice was a bit hoarse.

“I’ve killed your guy,” he said. “Now, handle the rest and make them obey. That shouldn’t take too long, right?”

Wei Lin, finally snapping out of his daze, nodded slightly and replied, “I won’t disappoint you.”

He tried to keep his composure, but his back was slick with cold sweat. All of this had been his plan, with the intent to eliminate the leader tonight. But watching the battle firsthand, he felt an unexpected sense of terror. If he’d ever doubted Yin Jiuxiao before, now he was wholly convinced, with no room for second thoughts. It became even clearer to him that if this man continued to grow, the Spirit World would one day be shaken to its core.

He had to hold tight to this powerful ally.

However, not everyone immediately recognized Yin Jiuxiao. One of Wei Lin’s followers dared to whisper, “Who… is this?”

The crowd was wise enough not to question why Wei Lin had allied with an outsider to kill their leader—this “outsider” was far too powerful. With only Wei Lin left in the Heavenly Tier, they didn’t have many options. It was best to accept reality.

“This is the new master of the Lang Clan,” Wei Lin announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. “After tonight, Lei City’s sky has truly changed.”

He sighed and then bowed to Yin Jiuxiao. “Once I’ve dealt with things here in the Lang Clan, I’ll visit you in Lei City tomorrow.”

Wei Lin was tactful, avoiding direct mention of the infamous “discarded son of the Yin family” that was Yin Jiuxiao. But Yin Jiuxiao, hearing this, hesitated for a moment. He hadn’t even told Lin Qinghen about his return. This sudden visitor wasn’t exactly convenient.

Still, he wasn’t worried Wei Lin would go back on his word. The alliance oath was there, and besides, it would be hard for a mercenary group like his to escape him. If he could kill a clan leader, what chance did Wei Lin have?

“We’ll talk about that when I contact you,” he replied, sheathing his sword. Glancing up at the sky, he murmured to himself, “Qinghen shouldn’t be back yet, right?”

Since he was quite disheveled, he figured he’d clean up before going back. Plus, his injuries carried a faint scent of blood, which Qinghen didn’t like. Yin Jiuxiao quickly cleaned himself up as Wei Lin, quick on the uptake, brought him a healing pill. However, wounds inflicted by a Heavenly Tier warrior didn’t heal easily, and while the pill didn’t fully work, at least it hid the worst of the injuries.

Yin Jiuxiao thought he was well-prepared, intending to slip back unnoticed and wait for Lin Qinghen’s return. He’d planned to reveal his hidden strength in a way that wouldn’t upset Qinghen, maybe even framing his defeat of the Lang Clan as a pleasant surprise.

But as soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he sensed something was off.

Lin Qinghen had said he’d be back late, yet it wasn’t that late, and there he was, seated in the inner courtyard’s center. A single lamp illuminated him as he casually flipped through what seemed to be a map of Lei City. It looked like he was lying in wait.

Yin Jiuxiao: …

He didn’t dare enter.

His first instinct was to hide behind the wall, holding his breath, his mind racing.

Qinghen’s back!

He’d found out I wasn’t here!

I’m done for! What do I do?

His Qinghen didn’t seem anxious, just calmly waiting without sending anyone out to look for him. Yin Jiuxiao realized this was a setup, just waiting for him to walk into it.

His courtyard had an inner and outer section. The outer courtyard housed Lin Yunsi, and Yu Yinyin had rested there before. The inner courtyard, where only he and Qinghen lived, was separated enough for privacy. Ever since Lin Qinghen’s status in the Yin family had risen, the guards and servants in the courtyard had been replaced. But Lin Qinghen still wasn’t used to letting them enter, so they only stayed around the perimeter. This small courtyard was left solely for the two of them.

Meaning no one outside could hear anything unless it got really loud, and only Lin Qinghen knew he was missing. Qinghen was clearly waiting, ready to see how he would explain himself.

Yin Jiuxiao was panicking. There was no point in hiding. Just moments ago, he’d been a fearless warrior, but now he was pacing by the wall, unable to think of a perfect solution.

Finally, he decided honesty was the best policy.

Summoning his courage, he stepped forward, revealing himself, and called out in his usual pitiful tone, “Qinghen…”

Lin Qinghen recognized his voice immediately, setting the map aside and looking up unhurriedly. His expression changed instantly, his brows knitting together in concern.

Yin Jiuxiao dared not meet his gaze, fearing his anger. The words he’d prepared as an explanation dissolved as he heard Lin Qinghen’s slightly angry voice.

“What happened to your arm? You’re injured? Who did this?”

Despite Yin Jiuxiao’s attempts to hide it, his wounded arm drooped noticeably. Plus, it was his most severe injury, fresh and hard to fully conceal. Lin Qinghen’s sharp eye noticed immediately. Realizing the extent of it, he couldn’t sit still and quickly stepped forward to examine it.

As he drew near, he caught a faint scent of blood on him.

No matter what, Lin Qinghen’s worry for Yin Jiuxiao outweighed everything else.

“Who hurt you?” Lin Qinghen’s voice rose, filled with determination. “I’ll make them pay!”

All the words Yin Jiuxiao had planned vanished in the face of that concerned gaze, leaving him moved and comforted. And with Lin Qinghen reaching out toward him, an idea struck him.

“Mm, my arm’s injured, got hit,” he said, sounding as pitiful as possible. “Lost a lot of blood, and it hurts a lot.”

He knew he needed to come clean, but with Qinghen worried for him, maybe he wouldn’t be so angry.