Chapter Thirty-Six: Mute Lin Is Not Dead, and a Blunder (Please Subscribe)

Hou Baiyu initially regarded Wu Yue as a man of the righteous path, perhaps a bit unconventional at most. Later, he realized that Wu Yue might be a mix of righteousness, villainy, and madness, someone to be kept at a distance. Now, he considered Wu Yue an absolute bastard. However, no matter what, Wu Yue was at least human. But that other man—the mere thought of him made Hou Baiyu shudder; he was simply not human.

The primary reason Hou Baiyu refused to join any sects or gangs, and the reason he chose to betray Wu Yue, was that man. He was a demon: Lin Ya of the Evil Crow Forest. As the Fourth Chief of the Dark Cloud Stronghold, Lin Ya had no other hobbies; he lived only to kill, consume human flesh, and drink human blood. He did so openly in public without the slightest restraint, and when in a good mood, he would even invite friends and family to join in the feast. Hou Baiyu, as a representative of the underlings, had once had the misfortune of witnessing this, and upon returning, he could not bring himself to swallow a drop of water for days.

Thinking of Lin Ya’s abnormal way of thinking, Hou Baiyu did not expect to be rewarded or spared for acting as an informant. In all likelihood, he would meet a gruesome end at the hands of an enraged Lin Ya. What would that end be? Hou Baiyu subconsciously imagined those scenes—so vivid and visceral. His face turned deathly pale, whiter than lime, and his frame began to sway uncontrollably.

Wu Yue took the jade pendant, shot a look of annoyance at the little beggar Su Mu, and said with a mocking smile, "A clever trick, little one." He was not exactly angry, but he realized he needed to be more cautious in the future; there were too many extraordinary people in this world. He looked at Hou Baiyu, who had bravely caught the thief, and was about to offer praise when he noticed something wrong. "What is it?" he asked casually.

He never expected that this simple question would elicit a world-shattering piece of news. Hou Baiyu articulated each word clearly: "Lin Ya is not dead!" These four words struck Hou Baiyu’s heart like the booming of a war drum, beating again and again. He grew even more terrified.

Wu Yue’s face darkened. If Lin Ya were still alive, he would be in grave danger. For some people, one look is enough to know exactly what they are—a distorted interpretation of the saying that one’s appearance reflects their heart. As for Lin Ya, hearing him speak just once was enough to know he was a petty man who would hold a grudge for a lifetime. There was no such thing as resolving grievances; for him, a grudge only ended in death.

"How do you know?" Wu Yue could not afford to be careless. Although rumors claimed he had won their last battle, Wu Yue knew the best outcome had been mutual destruction; he had only survived because he was rescued by Yu Dangran. But this time, he did not have the ten thousand remnant souls, nor did he possess that highly condensed spirit pill. To be targeted by a Transcending Mortal cultivator who would stop at nothing to win was a truly harrowing prospect.

Seeing Wu Yue, Hou Baiyu felt a measure of calm. After all, with such a formidable enemy present, perhaps he, a mere shrimp, would be overlooked. If he released this news and the two of them fought each other to the death, that would be a foolproof plan. Thinking this, Hou Baiyu shook his head, trying to force the thought away. Foolproof plans often yielded nothing. *This time, I must bet on the winner!* Hou Baiyu stared at Wu Yue, his eyes burning. *This time, I’m throwing my lot in with you!*

Suddenly, Hou Baiyu felt a surge of courage. His feet no longer felt soft, and his legs stopped trembling. "This pill carries Lin Ya’s scent. There is no mistake," he said, pointing to the pill.

It was less a scent and more a stench. The last time Hou Baiyu had smelled it was when he had been invited to watch Lin Ya devour blood. Relying on the unique properties of his Longevity Dragon Armor Art, he had clearly captured that distinct aura belonging to Lin Ya. He never imagined he would smell it again after all this time. The thought of Lin Ya devouring blood made his whole body turn cold, and he felt his courage waning once more.

The monkey, who had been ignored, suddenly stopped his loud wailing. As a loyal fan of storytellers, he knew of Lin Ya’s notoriety and the deep-seated, life-or-death grudge between him and Wu Yue.

Forgetting his tears, he rushed toward Hou Baiyu in a fury. "Don't you dare frame me! These pills were clearly given to me by Boss Dao to control me!" As he rolled up his sleeve to prove his innocence, a crow tattoo was clearly revealed. Facts spoke louder than words; silence was more telling than sound. The monkey’s face also turned deathly pale.

The little beggar Su Mu did not care. Seeing that the three were distracted, he kicked out. But Hou Baiyu was a Golden Core cultivator; even heavily wounded, he was not someone a young boy could provoke. Annoyed and agitated, Hou Baiyu raised his hand to slap Su Mu to make him quiet down.

Before the blow landed, Su Mu, unable to break free, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Help! Help! Someone come help!" Hou Baiyu found it laughable. Did he think Black Curtain City was his home? Who would come to save him this early in the morning? He decided to make the slap even harder; the boy was too noisy.

Before the slap could land, the sound of footsteps approached. Leading the way was a little beggar, followed by five bailiffs in black tunics. In Black Curtain City, these bailiffs were called "police." They were recruited from the city, required to be nosy, committed to justice, and, ideally, fearless. This was a headache. Hou Baiyu subconsciously looked at Wu Yue.

Wu Yue was also drawn by the footsteps. Looking past the little beggar and the police, he clearly saw two familiar figures.

In the small courtyard, air-dried bacon hung from a rope, and a tiny vegetable garden lined the wall. It was not magnificent, but it looked full of life.

Su Yin’s cold had cleared, and Su Zhe’s broken leg had a chance of recovery, so Su Su would not have to leave. Upon learning this, the smile on Su Mu’s face had not faded. He was deeply respectful toward the little girl, his entire demeanor conveying one message: *I admire you.*

Seeing Zhao Qingzhi’s triumphant smile, Yu Fu would always look away with disdain, though he felt a measure of admiration in his heart. The two of them had been wandering around aimlessly when they happened to pass the small courtyard and ended up helping to call the police. They never expected that the guy they had been cursing the whole way was actually an acquaintance.