Chapter 579: Death of the Hermit (Two in One)

Seeing Xiao Xin's expression of facing death unflinchingly, Yan Jing offered a helpless smile. He lightly patted Xiao Xin's arm a few times, considering the punishment dealt.

Seeing how lightly Yan Jing struck, Xiao Xin's mouth puckered. The little creature threw itself into Yan Jing's arms. "Zhu Leng, Xiao Xin will never cause trouble again—"

Yan Jing patted the little creature's back. Looking helpless but amused, he chuckled, "Alright, alright. I'm not mad at you, Xiao Xin. Just remember for next time."

"Mhm." Seeing that Yan Jing wasn't angry, Xiao Xin wiped its eyes and broke into a happy smile.

Yan Jing smiled, holding Xiao Xin as his gaze gradually settled back into calmness.

Although Xiao Xin's actions this time had been highly dangerous, the information brought back was crucial.

Comparing the photos Xiao Xin had snapped before fleeing, the opponent was almost certainly Yin Tianhuang.

At that time, Zhoulin's reputation in Yueyin had been no lower than his during the Sin Live Broadcast in the Heavenly Kingdom; finding photos was effortless.

According to Xiao Xin's description, the opponent excelled in spatial powers. Furthermore, the fleshy tentacle between their brows was likely an ability provided by a God's Candidate Ticket.

Based on past intelligence, Yin Tianhuang most likely hadn't possessed a God's Candidate Ticket while in Yueyin. Therefore, it must have been an ability acquired after reaching the Central Region.

Initially, he had planned to have Xiao Xin memorize the opponent's aura and track them down at any time, just like before. Now, however, that approach wouldn't work.

The risk was too great.

It wasn't worth it just for one Yin Tianhuang.

Or perhaps he should charge straight into the Central Region and cut them down—

The uncertainty was too high.

"No rush. I won't be the first one to lose patience."

Yan Jing's gaze remained flat.

The opponent had come looking for trouble first, only to be completely outmaneuvered several times. It was entirely predictable that they wouldn't let the matter drop.

"Go on. Go play with your big sister Mantou."

Yan Jing released Xiao Xin, then handed over a few paintings and seeds. "Take these to your big sister Mantou as well."

"Mhm!" Hearing Yan Jing tell it to find Mantou, Xiao Xin spun in a happy circle.

"Bye-bye, Zhu Leng!"

Carrying the items Yan Jing had given, Xiao Xin waved and dove into a hole in midair.

The surroundings fell quiet once more. Yan Jing's gaze deepened as his thoughts spun rapidly.

He was definitely going to be busy in the coming days.

With him absent, Yueyin needed someone capable of holding down the fort—

But who could it be?

Rabbit—upon learning that Wang Yu and Long Quezhou had consumed his blood, Rabbit had explicitly refused.

The injuries it suffered inside the Great Curtain were far too severe, and it was simply far too old.

It only wanted to quietly wait for the Day of Godhood to arrive.

Yet Yan Jing could sense its vital signs growing weaker by the day.

In three years at most, it would fall into eternal slumber.

He had heard from others that every afternoon, Rabbit would sit alone by the fountain, quietly watching the sunset, lost in unknown thoughts.

And aside from Rabbit, the rest were a bit too weak.

Just then, Yan Jing felt his heart give a violent jolt.

It wasn't a palpitation. He glanced down at his chest, then almost immediately shook his head. "No, Xiao Yu, you aren't suitable."

"Why not?" Fei Yu phased out from Yan Jing's chest. Today she had her hair up in a bun and wore a green qipao. Hearing his words, she blinked demurely. "Do you not trust Xiao Yu, Young Master?"

"That's not the reason." Yan Jing's gaze drifted evasively.

"Xiao Yu doesn't believe that." Fei Yu suddenly pressed close against his chest. They had never been this close before. "With Xiao Yu conveniently out of the picture, wouldn't you be able to go find Eldest Miss Wen, Young Master? Then the two of you could press close together, just like this—"

Yan Jing tilted his head up, staring at the ceiling. "The weather is nice today."

It was a lethal trap of a question, better left unanswered.

But Xiao Yu, clinging to his chest, curled her lips into a sly smile. "Or perhaps you're afraid I might bump into the Shen Young Madam?"

Yan Jing sighed. Ever since Xiao Yu had witnessed Sister Wen He's actions, the girl's behavior had only grown bolder.

More than once, he had sensed this girl sneaking into his covers in the dead of night, quietly engaging in behavior that crossed the line.

And at the end of the day, he was a man.

This girl was quite different from the others; she was the type who didn't care about propriety. Yan Jing's mind spun as he changed tack. "Alright then. You can stay, Xiao Yu."

His tone was casual, leaving Fei Yu briefly stunned.

"Actually, I think you've been getting a bit too close to me lately, Xiao Yu..."

Yan Jing sighed. "It's been my negligence as your Young Master. It's high time I found you a suitable match—mmph!"

Yan Jing couldn't finish his sentence. Hearing his first words, the Xiao Yu in his arms teared up in anger. She viciously bit his chest through her tears before phasing back inside him.

Yan Jing didn't actually feel much, but back inside his body, Fei Yu was rolling around clutching her jaw in agony.

His flesh was too tough.

It was nothing like in the storybooks.

Storybooks were full of lies! What a jerk of a Young Master!

Having dealt with Fei Yu, Yan Jing's heart suddenly stirred as he realized the solution to his earlier problem.

Inner World.

The Gods' Association stronghold.

Everyone was dining in the cafeteria.

Morale had been incredibly low the past few days. Faced with the food before them, they all listlessly pushed their cutlery around, lacking any appetite.

The root cause lay in the Hermit's utterly cowardly performance at the Gods' Association council. By extension, their entire stronghold had suffered a massive blow to its reputation.

If the boss was such a wimp, could his subordinates be any better? The outside world was rife with skepticism.

Bang!!!

A green-shirted man slammed his teacup onto the dining table.

"I can't take this anymore! I'm going to see Lord Hermit! With things as they are, we have to do something to turn public opinion around! That Wen Xu is bullying us too far!"

"Give it a rest."

Liu Han, wearing her uniform, read the newspaper with a calm expression. "The Lord is probably in an even worse mood than we are right now."

Click, clack—

The Rubik's Cube boy spun the puzzle in his hands, not saying a word.

The rapid clacking of the Rubik's Cube seemed to grate on the green-shirted man's nerves with every passing second.

He wasn't naturally hot-tempered, but he hailed from the Immortal Anomaly, one of the five Great Domains—a place that valued reputation above all else. Over the past few days, countless old rivals had mocked him both openly and covertly, and he simply couldn't endure it anymore.

He looked to his left at the placid Liu Han, and to his right at the boy twisting the Rubik's Cube. The undershirt-wearing man, Mo Yinling, and Tang Zai were all gone. Finally, he had no choice but to look toward Luo Zheng, Yi Ji, and Wuhe in the corner.

"Luo Zheng, you be the judge. Isn't your Luo Family the best at waging wars of public opinion?"

His relationship with Luo Zheng was actually quite average, but with absolutely no one else to turn to, he sought him out.

Yet Luo Zheng kept a dark expression and completely ignored him.

He merely continued to shovel food from his plate.

Ever since the Hermit had returned injured from his last outing, Luo Zheng's relationship with him had hit rock bottom.

The Luo Family was already planning to transfer him away and send a replacement to the Gods' Association.

Right now, he wished the Hermit would just die. That way, a new Divine Envoy might be sent, offering a chance to turn things around.

Of course, he knew that was impossible.

A Divine Envoy didn't die so easily.

At the very least, they couldn't die without making a sound.

If the Hermit truly died, they would undoubtedly be faced with a storm of blood and carnage.

Left with no other options after being ignored again, the green-shirted man turned to the last two remaining: Yi Ji and Wuhe. "Mr. Yi, Mr. Wu, could the two of you speak on this? Lord Hermit is preparing to send you both back, after all. How about the two of you return and have a word with your families..."

"I don't have much of a voice back home."

Wuhe waved his hand dismissively.

He and Yi Ji had already received word that someone would come to pick them up this afternoon. Naturally, he had no desire to get involved in this mess.

But beside him, Yi Ji suddenly spoke up. "We should definitely have a word."

"Xiao Yi!"

Anxious, Wuhe violently poked Yi Ji in the ribs.

Opposite them, the green-shirted man looked as if he had found a kindred spirit. He quickly strode over to where Yan Jing sat. "You're a reasonable man."

Yan Jing's expression was placid. "But not with our families. We should have a word with Lord Hermit."

"...That... works too."

The green-shirted man frowned. He had originally wanted to speak with the Hermit anyway.

"And it won't just be me. If you're set on going, we can go together."

Yan Jing smiled.

"...Alright. No problem."

The green-shirted man thought about it and agreed.

"You can go wait at the Lord's door. I'll head upstairs to change my clothes."

Yan Jing headed toward his staircase, then, as if suddenly remembering, glanced at the staircase in the corner. "I recall Lord Hermit's quarters are right up there, yes?"

"Yes."

Hearing that Yan Jing was going to change, the green-shirted man looked down at himself and felt it made sense.

He also went into his room and changed into a more presentable outfit, before arriving at Yan Jing's door. "Mr. Yi, are you ready?"

"Almost. Go wait by the door; I'll be right there." Yan Jing's voice filtered through the wood.

"...Alright."

Not suspecting anything, the green-shirted man nodded.

But if he had opened Yan Jing's door right then, he would have found the room completely empty.

Only a single painting leaned quietly against the wall.

Furthermore, at this very moment, the Hermit wasn't in his own room either.

Within a pitch-black space, the Hermit stared in disbelief at the figure opposite him. "How could it be you—"

His voice abruptly cut off.

The Fear Stance Third Layer State, paired with a Deity Transformation physical body, utilizing the Old Man's punch at the cost of shattered ice.

Coupled with Faster Time to guarantee the hit.

One punch. That was all it took.

A suicidal strike possessing invincible physical might beneath the Demigod Realm.

The Hermit's body shattered like a pane of glass. In the final moments of his life, he stared in utter despair as Yan Jing blew past him.

But Yan Jing didn't even spare him a glance.

Silk threads danced from his hands, stitching the scattered chunks back together. He had held back just enough to ensure the Hermit's corpse remained usable.

Once a brand-new Hermit stood before him, he forced his own blood down the Hermit's throat.

Just like that, a Hermit far stronger than before was born.

"Not bad."

Yan Jing observed his handiwork with satisfaction, then phased back into his own room.

He opened the door and found the green-shirted man.

Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!

Prompted by a look from the green-shirted man, Yan Jing took the initiative to knock on the door.

Click!

The door opened.

Under the dim lighting, the tall Hermit stood draped in a black robe, his silhouette shifting. "What is it?"

"Well—" The green-shirted man swallowed hard.

For some reason, he had the distinct feeling that the Hermit standing before him was even stronger than before.

Significantly stronger, in fact.

Crushed by that overwhelming pressure, every word he had prepared died in his throat.

It was Yan Jing who stepped forward and explained the situation.

"Hmm."

Having listened to the explanation, the Hermit nodded. "Wu Xuan, you've done well."

Hearing the Hermit's praise, the green-shirted man nearly couldn't suppress his grin.

"And you—not bad. I will explain everything to your mother. You must have suffered out there all these years..."

The Hermit looked at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your recognition and encouragement."

"...Mm. I will consider it. However, I am going into seclusion for the time being. We will discuss this later. I have already found the secret to stepping into the next level. The next time I see that person—"

The Hermit suddenly unleashed a wave of murderous intent, leaving Wu Xuan gasping for air.

Then, the Hermit turned around. "I will be entering a long seclusion. From now on, unless it is a matter of utmost importance, Wu Xuan will handle everything in the stronghold."

"Yes, absolutely. Please rest assured."

Wu Xuan secretly clenched his fists in excitement.

The door shut once more.

As the two walked downstairs, Wu Xuan looked at Yan Jing. "Young Master Yi, we really hit the jackpot this time. You truly had the foresight. As for the rest of them... heh heh..."

He let out a few cold sneers, his mind already plotting how to purge his dissidents.

Yan Jing smiled and nodded. "Indeed. You are truly worthy of being personally chosen by Lord Hermit."

That flattering remark struck right at Wu Xuan's heart. He laughed heartily. "From now on, we'll watch each other's backs."

From now on—

From now on, there wouldn't be a Hermit.

Yan Jing kept his smile, already foreseeing the predicament Wu Xuan would soon face.

The Hermit would vanish.

As the last two people to have seen the Hermit, he and Wu Xuan would definitely draw intense scrutiny.

But he was about to leave this stronghold.

So when the Hermit supposedly issued tasks later on, who would be the primary point of contact?

Only this smug, triumphant man standing right in front of him.

"As for that Wen Xu, we must send people to dig up dirt on him. Don't think public opinion is useless; an unjust cause finds scant support. There's truth to that saying. Once his reputation is in ruins, he's bound to slip up eventually. And when that time comes, heh heh..."

"You are nothing short of a genius."

Yan Jing smiled.

In the afternoon, the people sent to pick up Yi Ji and Wuhe finally arrived.

No one came out to see them off. Liu Han and Wu Xuan were locked in a cold war because the Hermit had put Wu Xuan in charge.

Before this, whenever the Hermit was absent, Liu Han had always been the one in charge.

And the Rubik's Cube boy—

He seemed to care only about the puzzle in his hands.

"We're going home. Finally, we're going home."

Wuhe sat in the backseat of the car, looking deeply moved.

He had been away from home for so long that he'd forgotten what it felt like. Thinking about it now, he felt a bit nostalgic.

Through all this bumpy journey, he had managed to reach the Summit and had even found Yi Ji.

Life finally had something to look forward to again.

"That's right, Young Master Yi, Fifth Young Master. Now that you're going home, you have nothing left to fear."

From the driver's seat, the old butler turned his head and gave the two a faint smile.

Yan Jing smiled and nodded. "You're absolutely right."