Chapter 100: A Useless Man, What’s the Point of Killing Him?
Chapter 100: Chapter 100: A Useless Man, What’s the Point of Killing Him?
The atmosphere in the office grew incredibly tense.
The old Hall Master let out a long sigh after he finished reading all the documents.
He turned and looked at the painting hanging on the wall, lost in thought.
For a moment, he seemed very calm.
All his anger and killing intent had vanished.
In their place were only heartache and helplessness.
After a long while, the man in black wearing a conical hat spoke softly, "Teacher, should I go kill Lin Dazhi and his entire family?"
The old Hall Master waved his hand dismissively.
"He’s just a useless cripple. What’s the point in killing him?"
"Then... then I’ll drag him here for you to deal with as you please..."
"Enough!"
The old man slowly turned around, his eyes shot through with blood.
Tear tracks, still wet, stained his cheeks.
He let out a soft sigh. "Xiaoqing was his wife once. Now that she’s gone, I have no desire to see him. Let’s just leave it at that... Besides, Lin Yi has already moved out!"
"From this day forward, let him cut all ties with Lin Dazhi. A clean break!"
"Right, how long until the Martial Arts exam?"
"Um... The Martial Arts exam is in a little over a month!" the man in black quickly answered.
The old man nodded.
"Before the Martial Arts exam, don’t let anyone disturb Lin Yi. He needs to focus all his energy on preparing for it.
Not even Lin Dazhi!"
"Everything else can wait until after the Martial Arts exam."
Hearing this, the man in black didn’t object, simply nodding in obedience.
"Yes, Teacher!"
"Go. And don’t mention this to anyone, especially not Lin Yi."
"Understood!"
After acknowledging the order, the man in black’s body quietly vanished from the office.
But just a moment later...
The old man’s rage flared, and an immense pressure flooded the room.
"Use the damn door!"
WHOOSH! The man in black instantly reappeared.
Dripping with cold sweat, he scrambled to open the door and walk out of the office.
After a while, the old man managed to calm himself slightly.
He took out Lin Yi’s file again, his eyes filled with heartache as he read it over and over.
...
「That afternoon.」
The day’s training was over.
Lin Yi changed his clothes and headed out.
Just as he stepped into the elevator, he heard someone running over in a hurry.
"Wait a second..."
Then, Shen Mengyi appeared at the elevator door.
She smiled softly when she saw Lin Yi inside.
"Senior Brother Lin..."
In response, Lin Yi gave her a small smile and a nod.
After Shen Mengyi stepped into the elevator,
a few other students all started smirking.
"Have some tact, will you? Give them some space!"
"Yeah, no awareness at all. Turn around, don’t be a third wheel..."
Instantly, Shen Mengyi’s face flushed bright red.
Lin Yi’s expression soured, and he shot a look back at them.
"You guys looking for a beating?"
"Hahaha..."
The elevator filled with laughter.
Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the elevator reached the first-floor lobby.
With a soft DING, the elevator doors slid open.
Lin Yi and Shen Mengyi had just stepped out of the elevator.
The students behind them all said with wicked grins, "Senior Brother Lin, we’ll be leaving first!"
"Senior Brother Lin, training ended early today. Why don’t you two go for a walk?"
"Yeah, it’s not safe at night. Don’t forget to walk her home..."
"Are you guys looking for a beating or what?"
Lin Yi pretended to give chase, and the students scattered, bolting outside.
Even after they’d left the first-floor lobby, their boisterous laughter could still be heard.
Only then did Lin Yi turn back to look at Shen Mengyi.
"Don’t mind them. They just love to joke around," Lin Yi explained with a small laugh.
By then, Shen Mengyi had already composed herself.
The blush on her cheeks was no longer as deep as it had been in the elevator.
She smiled and nodded. "If I really did want to go for a walk, would Senior Brother Lin go with me?"
Lin Yi: "..."
As they spoke, the two of them walked out of the lobby.
Just as Shen Mengyi was about to press him for an answer...
someone walked over from a short distance away. "Mengyi!"
"Brother? W-what are you doing back?"
Shen Mengyi glanced back to see a handsome man with a bright, sunny disposition.
He was walking toward them.
But when his gaze fell on Lin Yi, it was tinged with faint anger and hostility.
Lin Yi didn’t think much of it and simply gave him a small, polite nod.
Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the bus stop.
After Lin Yi had left, Shen Yuzhe asked, "Who was that kid just now?"
"Oh, he’s a senior brother from our Martial Arts Hall," Shen Mengyi quickly replied.
Shen Yuzhe’s brow furrowed. "Senior brother? He looks about the same age as you. You’re both high school students, right? How is he a ’senior brother’?"
"Hee hee... Our Martial Arts Hall has a rule. Whoever has the best talent and the highest cultivation is the senior brother. It’s not based on age!"
"You have no idea. That Senior Brother Lin of ours is the most talented person at our hall. Every time he goes to the Quenching Room, he can stay in there for ages!"
"He holds all the current records..."
Shen Mengyi chattered on, listing some of Lin Yi’s accomplishments.
She failed to notice, however, that Shen Yuzhe’s gaze was gradually turning ice-cold.
"By the way, Brother, why are you back all of a sudden? It’s not a holiday, is it? You didn’t skip school, did you?" Shen Mengyi asked curiously.
Shen Yuzhe glanced at her. "I’m an intern with the First Demon Hunting Team now. Our squad has a mission in the Old District, so naturally, I came back with them."
"Oh, I see!" Shen Mengyi nodded.
She didn’t have much of a reaction to the news that her brother was an intern with a Demon Hunting Team.
This was mainly because she didn’t know much about the New District’s Demon Hunting Bureau or its Demon Hunting Teams.
Nor was she particularly interested.
Seeing his sister had nothing more to say, Shen Yuzhe continued, "Mengyi, I’ve told you before, the Martial Arts exam is coming up. You need to focus completely on your Martial Arts and raising your Cultivation Realm!"
"Once you get into a Martial Arts University and come to the New District, you can find any boyfriend you want. I absolutely won’t stop you then. But not now!"
"The people here... they aren’t worthy of you. Got it?"
At that, Shen Mengyi looked up at him.
She knew exactly who Shen Yuzhe was talking about and wanted to argue.
But after a moment’s thought, she suppressed the urge.
No matter how she tried to explain, Shen Yuzhe would never listen. It had always been this way.
Saying anything more would be like talking to a brick wall.
"Let’s go. I’ll take you home and say hi to Aunt and Uncle while I’m at it."
"Okay," Shen Mengyi nodded softly.
She followed Shen Yuzhe toward the side of the road.
...
「Late that night.」
Having finished dinner, Lin Yi prepared to head out.
Before he left, he said goodbye to Tang Qinru.
Then he hurried out the door.
The night sky was bright, with a radiant moon casting a soft, gentle glow.
It blanketed all of Xinghai City in a silvery dust.
The countless stars were like crystalline pearls scattered across an ink-black tray.
Lin Yi moved like a phantom in the night.
Wearing a clown mask, he flitted through the streets and alleys.
After more than an hour, he came to a stop on the rooftop of a building.
He gazed down at Xinghai City.
Everything below was plunged into darkness.
It was likely an aftereffect of the demons that had entered the city the day before.
In the past, while Xinghai City was never crowded at night,
at least the neon lights had been bright and dazzling.
Some places in the city center would even stay open.
Daredevil bikers who feared nothing would race down the empty streets.
But tonight... there was none of that.
And it wasn’t just that.
He hadn’t found a single demon, either.
Lin Yi’s brow furrowed. Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
He took it out and saw a message from the [Demon Hunting] group chat.
Lao Gao: Don’t bother going out tonight. There isn’t a single demon in the city.
The message had been sent less than a minute ago.
Lao Yao: That’s normal. After all those demons flooded the city last night, the whole place reeks of blood. It’s not surprising they’re laying low tonight.
Shengun: I have a question. Did anyone from our group participate in yesterday’s events? Anyone go missing? Let’s do a roll call.
Lao Gao: 1
Lao Yao: 1
Shengun: 1
Little Shrimp: 1
Ranger: 1
Lin Yi: 1
...
...