In the Land of Exile.
“Someone’s here again? Two people this time?”
Lin Yun looked up, wondering if Emperor Xingwu had come.
But what he saw was the imperial guard commander and Jin Yao’er.
The commander stood at a distance, letting Jin Yao’er approach Lin Yun alone.
“Brother Lin Yun, I’m here to take you out!” Jin Yao’er’s excited voice rang out as she hurried to his side.
“Why’s a little girl like you here?” Lin Yun said, exasperated.
“Father said he’s willing to release you and sent me to personally fetch you. Brother Lin Yun, you can finally leave this awful place!” Jin Yao’er beamed with joy.
Hearing this, Lin Yun understood immediately.
“Brother Lin Yun, let’s go!” Jin Yao’er said, smiling.
“Jin Yao’er, your father’s using you as a pawn,” Lin Yun said helplessly.
“Brother Lin Yun, what do you mean?” Jin Yao’er looked confused.
“Right now, he’s desperate for me to leave, or he’ll be in trouble. He’s already sent this commander to beg me twice, to no avail. Now he’s sent you, hoping to exploit our friendship,” Lin Yun said with a wry smile.
Jin Yao’er was stunned, “So that’s how it is! No wonder Father’s attitude towards me changed so suddenly. He’s actually using me!”
She then looked at Lin Yun, “Brother Lin Yun, leaving this place is still a good thing. Why don’t you go? It’s too harsh here.”
She wasn’t saying this to help her father; she was genuinely worried about Lin Yun suffering in this place.
“Look at me—I’m perfectly fine. Go back and tell your father that even if I leave, I plan to stay here for another year or two. I’m doing great, so he can send someone to fetch me in a couple of years,” Lin Yun said with a faint smile.
“Alright then,” Jin Yao’er nodded.
“Jin Yao’er, when you get back, say you did your best but I refused to leave. That should help ease things between you and your father,” Lin Yun advised.
After all, Jin Yao’er lived in the palace, and Lin Yun didn’t want her relationship with Emperor Xingwu to sour too much because of him, as it could affect her.
Jin Yao’er nodded, “Brother Lin Yun, I’ll head back then.”
Seeing that Lin Yun was indeed fine, she felt reassured.
She turned and walked back to the commander.
“Princess Yao’er, how did it go?” the commander asked.
“Brother Lin Yun said he plans to stay here for a year or two and asked me to tell Father,” Jin Yao’er replied.
“Damn that bastard!” The commander’s face darkened.
“Forget it. Let’s head back,” he said, leading Jin Yao’er away.
After they left.
The old man said excitedly, “Lin Yun, you’re incredible! You’ve got Emperor Xingwu sending people to *invite* you out, even dispatching the princess. How did you pull this off? What kind of background do you have?”
He was filled with questions. Why was Emperor Xingwu so desperate to *invite* Lin Yun out?
Did Lin Yun have some powerful backing that even Emperor Xingwu feared?
Lin Yun seemed even more mysterious to him now.
“Just watch, Senior Yan. Emperor Xingwu will come to beg me himself. I’m certain of it!” Lin Yun said with a confident smile.
He then looked into the air, “This barren energy is immensely helpful for cultivating *Withered Silence*. I need to find a way to take some with me.”
After a moment’s thought, Lin Yun flipped his hand, revealing a jade pendant.
This was a treasure he’d obtained on Earth from the ruins of the Mysterious Underworld Sword Sovereign. Its unique ability was to absorb and store spiritual energy.
In the cultivation continent, with ample spiritual crystals for cultivation, this function had become less useful, and Lin Yun had mostly used it for storage.
Now, he planned to try using it to hold barren energy.
After all, he’d need it to advance *Withered Silence* once he left.
Lin Yun focused his mind, opened the pendant, and began absorbing the barren energy.
Boom!
The energy surged into the pendant.
“It works!” Lin Yun exclaimed, delighted.
Rumble!
The surrounding winds were already fierce, but as the pendant began absorbing, the disturbance grew, like a tornado raging around them.
A massive vortex formed above the pendant, swallowing the barren energy.
Seeing it was working, Lin Yun increased the absorption, and the commotion grew louder, with barren energy flooding into the pendant like a torrent.
“Haha, excellent!” Lin Yun grinned, satisfied.
…
The imperial palace.
“I hope Yao’er’s trip works,” Emperor Xingwu paced the hall, his heart uneasy.
At that moment, Jin Yao’er and the commander entered.
“Your Majesty, the guy still won’t come out,” the commander reported.
Emperor Xingwu’s heart sank…
His hopes were dashed once again!
“Father, Lin Yun said even if he leaves, he plans to stay there for a year or two,” Jin Yao’er said.
“A year or two?” Emperor Xingwu’s face turned green.
Deputy Palace Master Yao had given him only five days!
“Fine, Yao’er, you may leave. Thank you for your efforts,” Emperor Xingwu waved her off.
“I take my leave,” Jin Yao’er said, bowing before exiting the hall.
As she stepped outside, she couldn’t help but giggle, picturing her father’s anxious expression. He was now the one fretting over Lin Yun’s refusal to leave.
She thought to herself, *Father, I told you to release Lin Yun, but you didn’t listen. Now you’re the one panicking.*
In the hall.
“Your Majesty, we’ve tried everything, and he’s still set on staying,” the commander said.
“If he doesn’t come out, I’m the one in trouble!” Emperor Xingwu’s face was grim.
After a moment’s thought, he closed his eyes and said, “Fine. I’ll go myself.”
Despite his immense reluctance, he had no choice.
…
In the Land of Exile.
Lin Yun spent two hours filling the jade pendant with barren energy.
“Enough to cultivate for a while,” he said, stowing the pendant with a satisfied smile.
He then took out a Tribulation Pill to advance his realm, waiting for Emperor Xingwu’s arrival.
Lin Yun was certain he would come.
Not long after.
“Lin Yun, as you wished, I am here!” a voice rang out.
Lin Yun opened his eyes and looked towards the sound.
There, standing before him, was Emperor Xingwu.
“He’s here, as expected,” Lin Yun said with a faint smile.
