After a moment of thought, Lin Yun said, “Alright, Huo Zhen, go quietly, move quickly, and stay safe.”
He took out a map, marked the location of the battle, and handed it to Huo Zhen to aid his search.
“Don’t worry, Big Brother, I’ve got this,” Huo Zhen said, patting his chest confidently.
“By the way, Lin Yun, the teleportation array will be completed in a few days. You’ll soon be able to connect with your hometown,” Du Yuanzi said.
“Really? That’s great!” A spark of joy lit up Lin Yun’s face.
“Lin Yun, since you’re awake, I need to work overtime on the array. I’ll get to it,” Du Yuanzi said.
“Big Brother, I’m heading to East Yuan Prefecture now,” Huo Zhen said, taking his leave.
“Uh… Big Brother, we’ll get back to work too,” Yang Wan and the others said with a wink, clearly wanting to give Lin Yun space to be with Yu Ying and his daughter.
After they left, Lin Yun gazed at the courtyard, where the rain continued to pour.
“Ying’er, the news of my coma has probably spread, hasn’t it?” Lin Yun turned to ask.
“Yes, not just in East Yuan Prefecture—it’s spread across the entire Fire Cloud Empire, and likely to other empires as well,” Yu Ying replied.
“There must be plenty of people hoping I’d die or become a laughingstock. This time, they’ll get their wish…” Lin Yun murmured.
Now a cripple, facing these realities, Lin Yun felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
“Brother Yun, ignore them. From now on, we’ll live our lives well,” Yu Ying comforted.
“When the rain stops, let’s take a walk in the city,” Lin Yun said, looking at the sky.
“Brother Yun, if you go out and people learn you can’t use internal energy, what then?” Yu Ying asked, worried.
“I’m going out to let people know I, Lin Yun, am still alive—especially the demon clan. I want them to see I’m standing strong, that they couldn’t break me!” A fierce glint flashed in Lin Yun’s eyes.
…
Meanwhile.
As Emperor Fire Cloud and Vice Palace Master Yao flew away, they chatted.
“What a twist of fate. Yao, you know how much I believed in Lin Yun? He was exceptional. I thought he had a great chance of reaching immortality, with a bright future beyond that. But now, the demon clan’s soul-severing poison has ruined him. What a pity, a tragedy, a shame!” Emperor Fire Cloud sighed deeply.
He had always worried about Lin Yun’s third tribulation, giving him a protective pendant and repeatedly urging caution. Yet, Lin Yun still fell to it.
Such an outstanding disciple, a rising star, carried so many hopes!
But now, this star had fallen in such a way…
“Lin Yun’s fate is indeed regrettable, a loss for our human race,” Yao sighed.
Then, turning to Fire Cloud, he said, “Fire Cloud, Lin Yun’s fate as a cripple is set. You shouldn’t waste more time on him. Even if you wanted to, it’s pointless—he can’t cultivate, and his eighty years are but a fleeting moment to us.”
To immortals like them, who lived tens of thousands of years, Lin Yun’s remaining decades were a mere blink. Their deep retreats often lasted centuries.
Yao’s words urged Emperor Fire Cloud to face reality and treat Lin Yun as a lost cause.
Emperor Fire Cloud closed his eyes, his heart heavy with grief…
…
East Yuan Prefecture.
The rain continued until evening, finally stopping.
As the skies cleared, the evening glow bathed the land.
Lin Yun, with Yu Ying and his daughter, left the Prefecture Lord’s Palace to stroll through the city, much like a casual walk in an Earth metropolis.
If Lin Yun hadn’t been crippled, unable to cultivate, he wouldn’t have been out leisurely strolling like this.
On the street, Lin Ke Xin, holding Lin Yun’s hand, stopped at a small accessory stall.
“Daddy, I want this,” she said, picking up a pretty pink hairpin.
“Alright, let Daddy put it on for you,” Lin Yun said with a smile, pinning it in her hair.
“Daddy, am I pretty?” Ke Xin struck a cute pose, showing her white baby teeth.
“Of course, our Ke Xin is the prettiest,” Lin Yun said, his face glowing with happiness.
“Vendor, how much for the hairpin?” Lin Yun asked.
“Seven gold coins,” the vendor replied.
“Here’s a spirit crystal. Keep the change.”
Lin Yun handed over a spirit crystal.
“Brother Yun, let’s go to the clothing shop. I’ll pick out some clothes for you,” Yu Ying said, her face radiant with a beautiful smile.
“Ying’er, it’s all up to you,” Lin Yun replied, smiling.
At that moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man stopped in front of Lin Yun, studying him closely before exclaiming in shock.
“You… you’re Prefecture Lord Lin?”
“That’s right, it’s me,” Lin Yun answered with a smile.
“Prefecture Lord Lin, everyone’s saying you were poisoned by the demon clan, comatose, and doomed to die. I never thought… you’d be alive and here!” The man was visibly excited.
“I, Lin Yun, don’t die so easily. Those are just rumors. Look, I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I?” Lin Yun said with a warm smile.
“Greetings, Prefecture Lord Lin!” The man shouted, kneeling in salute.
“That’s our Prefecture Lord?”
“Quick, quick, pay respects to the Prefecture Lord!”
The surrounding passersby and vendors knelt in salute.
The shouts and salutes quickly spread down the entire street.
“Greetings, Prefecture Lord!”
“Greetings, Prefecture Lord!”
In an instant, everyone on the street knelt to Lin Yun.
“I never thought our Prefecture Lord would be fine. This is wonderful!”
“I knew he’d be alright. Heaven has eyes, letting our Prefecture Lord live!”
The kneeling crowd buzzed with excitement.
Lin Yun’s efforts in pacifying the demon beasts in East Yuan Prefecture had brought peace and stability, earning him immense respect and unwavering support from the people.
When rumors spread of Lin Yun being poisoned and near death, the people worried deeply, many praying silently for him.
Now, seeing him alive, they were overjoyed and thrilled.
Of course, they didn’t know he was now a cripple with only decades left to live…
“Everyone, please rise,” Lin Yun waved to the crowd.
“Thank you, Prefecture Lord!” They stood.
…
After Lin Yun was spotted in the city, the people spread the news, passing it from one to ten, ten to a hundred…
The word that Lin Yun was alive quickly spread throughout the city, beyond East Yuan Prefecture, and across the entire Fire Cloud Empire…
