Chapter Ninety-Five: Elder Lin Is a Gentle Soul

The badge was made of a peculiar material. Although hardness had not been a special concern when it was forged, breaking it still took considerable effort.

To treat it as lightly as that man had done... only someone at the Golden Core stage could manage it.

And yet, just moments ago, not a trace of spiritual energy had fluctuated around Lin Ze. That was what astonished Kong Fang most.

And after astonishment came fury.

Was the man named Lin trying to put him in his place?

While his expression shifted darkly, he heard Lin Ze’s impatient voice again. “What are you thinking about? The Southern Hall is in charge of supervision. You’re nothing but a useless attendant. I haven’t broken any sect rules, so even if I called your mother a woman nobody wanted in a brothel, what could you do about it?”

The Southern Hall held great authority, but its position was also awkward.

It seemed as though it could oversee everything, yet in truth it was not the superior of the various peaks. It held the sharp blade of sect law, but it had no real deterrent effect on disciples who followed the rules.

Much less when the title of attendant itself ranked below elder.

As for Golden Core cultivation—

Go on, try making a move.

Those who enforced sect law were, at the same time, those who feared it most.

Just like his conversation with the white fox, he had long since grasped the rules of this broken sect thoroughly.

Lin Ze considered himself a refined and courteous man, but his mood was truly irritable now, and he had no interest in entangling himself further with this fellow. Though the scene earlier had not been intentional—merely the result of his newly formed sword-body and his momentary lack of control—he had no intention of explaining himself.

“If it’s broken, replace it. How did a dog-brained fool like you become an attendant?”

“You... you...” Kong Fang’s chest rose and fell rapidly. He stared at Lin Ze in shock and anger, nearly exploding on the spot.

Wherever he went, he was treated as an honored guest. Even the elders of the two mountain gates, Hidden Dragon and Sword-Caching, spoke to him politely. True, you had not violated sect rules, but the Southern Hall decided monthly stipends according to its mood, and the one from Little Green Mountain still depended on them. How dared the man act this way?

Then Kong Fang suddenly remembered that Little Green Mountain still owed the Southern Hall more than eight hundred spirit stones, and had not received any monthly stipend for over ten years.

This... a debtor still wanted to behave like a lord?!

“Even so, I am a Golden Core cultivator. How dare you speak to me so rudely!”

Before the words had fully fallen, Lin Ze produced a jade token and slapped it against his face. “A disciple at your level? I’ve got eight hundred more like you, and I can’t even teach them fast enough.”

Kong Fang instantly caught sight of the coiling cloud and yellow dragon engraved on the token, and his pupils contracted sharply.

From the way the white fox had treated Qin Hongxiu, one could already tell that a Golden Core cultivator of the outer gate and one of the inner gate were not the same thing at all.

No need for the master himself to act; a single Eight Question Sword Formation would be enough to suppress all the peaks and keep this pack of starving wolves from setting foot on Green Mountain for months.

Once anything involving the inner gate was involved, Kong Fang had no choice but to be cautious.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he calmed down at once.

Slowly, he took out another iron token from his storage pouch. “At the hour of midnight tonight. Do not be late.”

Having said that, he turned and swept away with a flick of his sleeve.

A moment later, several disciples looked anxiously at the Daoist. It was the first time they had ever seen their master lose his temper so badly.

Still... it really was satisfying!

Lin Ze forced himself to stand, thought for a moment, then tossed the iron token in his hand toward the distance. It happened to strike the white fox on the head.

“You’re coming with me.”

Su Bailu looked surprised.

She vaguely knew that it was a demon beast. Why would Master want to bring it along? It was a fox, after all; it would surely draw attention.

As she was thinking, white mist began to rise from the distance.

An exquisitely alluring figure slowly stood up. Its two pointed ears twitched, and it rubbed its forehead in displeasure.

Then it lifted its head and glared at Lin Ze in a huff, yet it did not dare complain. It could only let out a soft, aggrieved snort.

“...” Su Bailu’s heart lurched. “A... a Golden Core great demon?!”

Only Xiao Bao had seen the white fox take human form on the mountain, and no wonder the others were horrified.

Master was planning to take a Golden Core great demon... to exorcise demons?

Lin Ze did not think there was anything wrong with that.

After speaking with Qin Hongxiu that night, he had come to a deeper understanding of the demon race.

They absolutely could not be treated like ordinary beasts. It was a vast race comparable to humankind, and it too had divisions among sect powers.

Cultivators killed cultivators as well.

As for the white fox, it belonged to the sect traitors being hunted by the Heavenly Demon Sect. It had nearly led to the deaths of both mother and daughter. He could not say for other demon races, but if only the Heavenly Demon Sect were concerned, its killing intent might well be even deeper than his own.

Looking at the remaining two iron tokens, the disciples felt somewhat uneasy.

One of them must be for Master, which meant there was only one remaining spot.

Yang Mu stole a glance at the others, then suddenly darted forward. He had missed the outer gate competition before, and now that even a great demon could go, he naturally could not suppress his excitement.

Lin Ze rolled his eyes and pressed on his forehead, pushing him back. “Quit fooling around. It’s not some good thing.”

If he wanted to temper the disciples, he could always find another opportunity.

This time was clearly not suitable. Aside from the demon disaster, Lin Ze faintly felt that the greatest danger came from within the sect.

If they wanted to drive him out and seize Little Green Mountain, now was the best chance. Those people probably would not want to miss it.

There was still one more spot...

He thought for a moment, then turned and walked toward a certain wooden cottage.

Inside, a short-haired girl sat quietly on the bed with her knees drawn up. During the days Lin Ze had been in closed cultivation, she had eaten nothing at all and never once left the room.

Of course, it had absolutely nothing to do with concern.

She simply did not trust anyone else.

“What is your name?” Lin Ze asked as he sat by the bed, though he knew the answer already.

“Yu Huan.” The girl looked up at him.

“You want my help?” Lin Ze asked again.

“Yes.” Yu Huan nodded.

“Follow me to Demon Mountain. I’ll do my best to keep you safe, but I won’t force you.” Lin Ze placed the iron token beside her feet, then rose and headed for the door.

He could not possibly leave such a dangerous person on Green Mountain, one who seemed to hide poison needles in every strand of her hair. Even if she was still young and only at the middle stage of Qi Refinement, even the weakest Yang Mu could beat her three times over with one hand.

It was precisely this seeming weakness that made Lin Ze more wary.

The children on the mountain might not be able to outplay her.

In short, he did not trust Yu Huan. The reason he had not driven her off the mountain was only that he wanted to watch a little longer.

This trip to Demon Mountain, for instance, was a rather good opportunity.

Almost as soon as Lin Ze stepped out the door, the girl followed after him.

Beneath her pitch-black short hair, her face had already returned to normal. Her features were not exquisite, but they were neat and proper enough.

Her eyelashes were very long, making it difficult to discern her expression. Her lips were pressed slightly together, giving her an inexplicably cold and thin air.

“Will you take me as your disciple?”

“No.” Lin Ze glanced back at her.

“If you survive and return, I’ll have your name recorded in the Southern Hall and make you the first attendant of Green Mountain.”

“A Qi Refinement stage attendant?” A trace of change finally appeared on Yu Huan’s small face, revealing her confusion.

“I was once only an early Foundation Establishment elder.” Lin Ze’s mouth curved slightly as he comforted her in a gentle tone.

“Don’t think too much. You may not even make it back alive.”