Chapter 107. Lin Nuo’s Exemplary Conduct

Chapter 107. Lin Nuo’s Exemplary Conduct

“Th-this…”

Mu Yiting felt flustered as she listened.

“I’ve already sent a message back to warn my family.”

“The letter might be intercepted.”

“Did you roast my pigeons again?”

“…Not me… Forget it, figure it out yourself.”

Lin Nuo decided not to indulge her further; some things shouldn’t be divulged, and he had already said too much.

Mu Yiting’s fate was already fraught with hurdles; the underworld thrived on deceit, fighting tooth and nail for profit. If someone was out to kill you, would they let you act as a whistleblower?

If I were a member of the underworld, wouldn’t I have captured your pigeons already?

Oh, wait, it seems I am somewhat capturing your pigeons too, so that’s no issue.

No, the purpose is different. When I, Lin Nuo, catch your pigeons, it’s for my own satisfaction; others in the underworld catch your pigeons to intercept information.

Lin Nuo instinctively picked up the water bottle, but it was empty. The black potion inside was just a tiny bit, and it didn’t feel refreshing to drink.

“Next time, prepare more.”

Lin Nuo shook the empty bottle at Mu Yiting.

“Alright, if you want to drink, I’ll mix some for you. Compared to the life-saving grace you’ve shown me, this is nothing.”

The Mu Yiting who regained her original demeanor was no longer the delicate, dainty girl from before. She was straightforward, speaking her mind without any hesitation.

Lin Nuo appreciated talking to this kind of Mu Yiting. When speaking honestly, they could skip the usual formalities.

Lin Nuo had to admit he was growing fond of this black potion. Although his saving her had been unintentional, the result was that he did indeed save her, so asking her to make more of it was not unreasonable.

Leaning against a large tree for a moment of respite, Lin Nuo thought to himself that the only way to ease his worries was with this black potion. A string of recent failures had left him feeling agitated, but drinking the potion brought a refreshing wave that calmed his mind.

Hah~

He sighed, feeling considerably more relaxed.

“You’re very strange.”

Mu Yiting looked at Lin Nuo, who suddenly appeared lazy, seeming quite puzzled.

“You are a person of great strength and ought to be self-disciplined, yet you now act like a sloth. Or are you putting on an act in front of me? It seems I’ve underestimated you; I’m honest with you, yet you still conceal your true self.”

“Don’t misunderstand; this is indeed my true self,” Lin Nuo replied lazily. “This world is just that bizarre—hypocrisy is believed while authenticity is questioned.”

“So last time during the Heart Realm Trial…”

“That was indeed my true illusion.”

“And the heart demon?”

“That thing doesn’t exist.”

“But now it’s rumored that both you and Master Cong were killed by a heart demon. In illusions, only the heart demons, born of deep-seated obsessions, have such formidable power,” Mu Yiting continued to express her beliefs.

“You’re just shortsighted.”

Lin Nuo chuckled coldly.

“If you can create a fake illusion to deceive those old geezers, isn’t it entirely normal for Master Cong to die in my illusion?”

“You can tell my illusion is fake?!”

Mu Yiting was once again taken aback; she had used secret techniques to create a false illusion that even the elders hadn’t seen through. What’s more, at that time Lin Nuo had still been in the Heart Realm Trial; he hadn’t even detected her illusion, so how could he possibly know she made a fake one?

“How do you know?”

“Just consider it a guess.”

Lin Nuo continued to sneer.

“I advise you to focus on yourself; the Black Scale Stone explosion is just the beginning. Good luck.”

Lin Nuo slightly stood up, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away slowly.

【Who exactly is this person?】

Mu Yiting felt a weight of mysteries in her heart. This Lin Nuo seemed enigmatic, as if he understood everything, yet his odd personality left others puzzled.

Clearly a disciple of a prestigious sect, everything he did proclaimed justice.

But why did it feel like he was a devious person?

Was it just her delusion? Or was she entranced by his ever-changing persona?

Mu Yiting had thought she was close to understanding him, but now, all her previous observations had to be overturned. What was real and what was fake? She had no idea.

Perhaps he was right; she should refocus on herself. Her situation was indeed perilous.

…

Tianling Mountain, Zhi Shu Ge.

A graceful silver-haired girl quietly sat at her desk, her delicate hands turning the pages of a book. The warm sunlight outside spilled onto her silvery hair, every movement radiating an air of nobility and elegance.

She was currently revisiting that bitterly difficult book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” flipping to the page with a few written words.

The note contained the handwriting of only two people, representing their first heartfelt exchange.

In just a few words, it began with her writing, “I once possessed the blue sea and sky, my heart towards the deep abyss,” followed by “Knowing fate but refusing fate.” She still clearly recognized the guidance given to her by that phrase.

It guided her to seek a balance between the blue sea, the sky, and the deep abyss, while firmly maintaining her righteous stance, deftly navigating the depths of the abyss.

She had been attempting to comprehend this truth, but was unclear on how to practice it until the incident with the Black Scale Stone in the alchemy room occurred, giving her a deeper understanding.

Lin Nuo was guiding her with practical actions on what it meant to uphold a righteous stance while navigating the abyss.

The Black Scale Stone was a forbidden item, and the Black Market was also off-limits; however, Lin Nuo acquired the Black Scale Stone from the Black Market. The explosive power of the Black Scale Stone was immense, and typically, those with ulterior motives who obtained the stone intended to commit heinous acts, such as using it in war for profit to destroy the innocent or to settle scores, much like the conflict between the underworld forces and the Xuanyun Sect, where differing sects and organizations used banned, destructive items for retaliation.

Often, the righteous sects were somewhat powerless against the underworld. While open attacks were easy to confront, underhanded tactics were hard to defend against. The righteous sects faced too many restrictions; they had to operate within moral bounds, unable to use prohibited items at will, being in the light. But the underworld could act freely without moral guidelines, allowing them to use forbidden items at will, hidden in the shadows. For years, the righteous sects and the underworld had struggled, paying a heavy price. The righteous sects often became the prey, exposed in the light yet suffering clandestine attacks.

But Lin Nuo calmly outsmarted Yu Zheng, saving everyone and breaking this deadlock.

He used the methods of the underworld, going to the Black Market to buy the Black Scale Stone, shattering the constraints yet still upholding the righteous stance. Using black against black, he limited the Black Scale Stone with the Black Scale Stone itself, and when subduing Yu Zheng, he used the Soul Numbing Needle, an underhanded weapon typically shunned by the Xuanyun Sect’s disciples. Yet, Yu Zheng was vicious, forcing Lin Nuo to use similar ruthless measures to subdue him.

Though the process involved dirty tactics and the use of forbidden items, in the end, he acted to save everyone, embodying the principles of a heroic figure.

Is this not a demonstration of a righteous stance, deftly maneuvering through the depths of the abyss?