Chapter 38: The Strange Aftermath of Lin Ya's Death

There was no grand formation of ten directions as imagined, nor was there a killing intent scattered everywhere as expected. Only a scar-faced man stared coldly at the uninvited guests, his gaze openly hostile. Hou Baiyu instinctively shrank back slightly. Wu Yue smiled faintly; etiquette dictated a greeting first, though probing the enemy was understandable.

“Lin Ya.” Wu Yue said the name calmly, not as a question.

Lin Ya glanced at Wu Yue, his eyes brimming with murderous intent, yet he ignored him. Instead, his gaze fixed coldly on the timid and evasive Hou Baiyu. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re from the fourth division of my Black Cloud Stronghold, aren’t you? You came from overseas, accompanied by someone skilled in bloodline techniques. Today, are you here to betray the gang? Do you know the fate of traitors?” His voice trembled sharply on the last sentence.

Monkey stole a glance at the scar-faced man. For some reason, Monkey felt that Lin Ya had grown old and weak.

Suddenly, Hou Baiyu laughed aloud. Lin Ya frowned. From his perspective, this man should have been as timid as a mouse; a sudden scare like this, even if he didn’t outright defect, should at least weaken the enemy’s strength.

“What are you laughing at? Did I say something wrong?” Lin Ya’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unchanged as he raised his hands, seemingly ready to strike.

Hou Baiyu struggled to steady his trembling legs but no longer cowered in the back. His voice hoarse, he shouted, “Lin Ya, stop bluffing! You probably don’t have much cultivation left!” As if to boost his courage, he raised his voice further, “When you wanted to kill, when did you ever explain yourself to me? When did you waste words like these?”

“Good, good, good.” Lin Ya chuckled wickedly, then turned to Yu Fu. “You, this kid, are you here to die too?”

Yu Fu rolled his eyes silently, saying more without a word. Only then did Lin Ya turn his gaze to Monkey, his tone softening somewhat. “You brought them here?”

Monkey gritted his teeth. “You’re a devil that deserves to be exterminated. I have no grievance with you, yet you fed me those poisons?”

“When have I ever given you poison?”

“Do you dare say those pills weren’t?” Thinking of those pills, Monkey’s anger flared, and his fear of Lin Ya lessened considerably.

Lin Ya paused briefly, then smiled faintly. “Indeed. Those pills are called ‘Nine Death Crow Pills.’ But if you call them poison, you overestimate yourself.”

Monkey’s face paled intermittently but knew Lin Ya spoke the truth. He snapped sharply, “What exactly are those pills?”

“Some trinkets I casually concocted. If taken continuously for eighty-one days, you remain unharmed. But miss a day, and I believe you’ve already felt the consequences.” Lin Ya’s smile was inscrutable.

“Master Wu, quickly have him hand over the pills. He definitely didn’t give me eighty-one.”

Wu Yue shook his head calmly. “No need for further debate. Today, you will die.”

“So confident?” Lin Ya sneered.

“Then I will die here.” Wu Yue lifted his head, staring intently at Lin Ya.

Black mist and red blood aura intertwined, finally forming a crow that perched on Lin Ya’s shoulder, its demonic presence unmistakably palpable. Wu Yue’s heart sank; he had once relied on Chang’an with fifty percent confidence, but now it was down to thirty. Still, he could only fight to the death.

Yet Lin Ya did not attack. He twirled the crow’s beak with one finger while producing a tiny jar the size of a baby’s fist, saying faintly, “Isn’t this the key you want?”

The four’s eyes snapped wide at the sight of the key. Wu Yue recalled the bloody history the key had brought, feeling a pang of emotion. Yu Fu thought Lin Ya was about to reveal a powerful artifact. As for Hou Baiyu, facing a former target stirred deep feelings. Monkey, however, was puzzled: why did the key look like that?

“Take it or not. To be honest, I’m not very interested in the so-called Celestial Secret Realm of White Bone Mountain. It’s good if you want to see it, but if not, it’s no loss.” Wu Yue spoke candidly, testing Lin Ya and verifying the information Zhou Yihu had given him.

“Looks like the fourth division has been completely divided.” Lin Ya’s tone was calm, then suddenly shifted: “I can give you the key now, and tell you where the secret realm lies. White Bone Mountain isn’t that big, nor that small. Finding it will be troublesome. And I guarantee, none of the other Black Cloud Stronghold divisions know the exact location.”

“Why should I trust you? What reason do I have?”

“You’re free not to.”

Words failed to find common ground, and almost simultaneously, they both struck. Wu Yue’s brow flashed as three hundred ghost souls trembled and howled with piercing cries. Already weakened, the ghosts grew feebler, as if dying once more.

The crow on Lin Ya’s shoulder let out a sharp, ear-piercing scream that sent chills down spines. Both sides suffered injuries, but surprisingly Yu Fu, with no cultivation, remained unscathed. Wu Yue hadn’t noticed, but even if he had, it wouldn’t have surprised him.

The crow spread its wings, trailing streaks of gray and blood-colored mist. Hou Baiyu shouted, “This is the Ghost Crow Formation! Lin Ya’s signature divine technique.” Wu Yue’s heart sank; the last time they clashed was swift and ruthless, and he had never witnessed this technique.

But regret was useless now. This was a matter of life and death, a gamble. Wu Yue summoned his spirit, ready to call forth Chang’an, but his soul was exhausted. How long could he last—one breath, two? He had no choice.

Yet Lin Ya suddenly spoke, “Honestly, my days are numbered—no more than seven left. And I’m not confident I can kill you.”

“Then what do you propose?” Wu Yue clenched his fists, his tension mounting. Naturally, Wu Yue needed more experience. Beside him, Hou Baiyu’s face darkened as he prepared his own divine technique.

“I can give you the key, and tell you where the secret realm is!” The crows landed as Lin Ya’s sincerity was clear.

“But I, Lin Ya, have betrayed countless people in my life without ever being betrayed. Black Cloud Stronghold swallowed my fourth division and joined forces with you to usurp my things—that is heartless and unfeeling.”

Lin Ya spoke with overwhelming force, the crows echoing his words with hoarse cries.

“I was already planning to kill Hou Baiyu; today I don’t blame him for attacking me. But,” Lin Ya turned his head, the crow following, both pairs of blood-red eyes flashing fiercely, “this kid here is the only one who betrayed me and still lives.”