Before that, Lin Yun needed to recover from his injuries.
Knock, knock, knock.
At that moment, a knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Lin Yun called out.
The next moment, Mo Bai pushed the door open and walked in.
“Brother Mo Bai,” Lin Yun said, sitting up on the bed and leaning against the headboard upon seeing him.
“I heard you took eighty Soul-Extinguishing Whips. Are you alright?” Mo Bai asked, approaching Lin Yun.
“I’m fine. It’s not like I’m going to die,” Lin Yun said with a smile.
Mo Bai sat on the edge of the bed. “Lin Yun, stop meddling so much in the future. When you were hunting demons at the border, I’d already carried out multiple missions. At first, I wasn’t used to it either, but since we’re bound by the Death Servant contract, we have no choice. I’ve gradually gotten used to it. I think it’s fine this way. As Death Servants, we get more resources. In the ancestral land, with no one to rely on, this is our only path.”
“Brother Mo Bai, you know what people say about the Heavenly Fire Temple. It’s notorious for its countless evil deeds!” Lin Yun looked at Mo Bai earnestly.
He had already told Mo Bai this when he first arrived.
“I know, but we’re already on this ship. We have no choice. Whether the Heavenly Fire Temple is good or evil doesn’t matter anymore. I struggled with it too, but I’ve come to terms with it,” Mo Bai said, looking up.
“So, Brother Mo Bai, you came here to convince me to accept it too, right?” Lin Yun asked, looking at him.
“I’m saying this for your own good. You’re a Death Servant now. You have no choice. It’s better to accept it,” Mo Bai said.
Lin Yun shook his head with a wry smile. “It seems you’ve changed a lot in these few hundred years at the Heavenly Fire Temple, Brother Mo Bai. You weren’t like this before. The you in my memory was full of righteousness. The way you speak and act now feels quite unfamiliar.”
“Lin Yun, I’ve been with the Heavenly Fire Temple for centuries and gone through a lot. My mindset has indeed changed because it had to. People are forced to adapt. You need to change too, or you won’t survive here!” Mo Bai said.
Lin Yun shook his head with a smile. “Palace Master Mo, many call me a stubborn donkey. The things I hold dear won’t change. At the very least, I can’t abandon my principles. If I betray the底线 I’ve always upheld, I won’t be able to go far on the path of cultivation.”
On the path of growth, one inevitably faces countless events that can change a person. Staying true to one’s original heart is incredibly difficult.
But this was what Lin Yun was desperately holding onto. If it crumbled, it could mean the difference between heaven and hell.
Mo Bai stood up. “Lin Yun, don’t be foolish. Think it over. In the future, circumstances will force you to change. If you don’t, you’ll pay with your life. That’s all I’ll say.”
With that, Mo Bai turned and left.
Watching Mo Bai leave, Lin Yun knew it would be hard for them to walk the same path anymore.
But Lin Yun wasn’t surprised. Mo Bai had his own life choices.
Not long after Mo Bai left, Old Black came to visit Lin Yun, also trying to persuade him.
After Old Black left, Lin Yun began planning his next steps.
Once his injuries healed, Lin Yun planned to go to the border. This would allow him to temporarily leave the Heavenly Fire Temple, work on improving his cultivation, and search for a way to break the Death Servant contract.
Lin Yun knew the chances were slim, but he had to try.
…
Half a month later.
After a full half-month of recovery, Lin Yun’s soul injuries had mostly healed.
The Soul-Extinguishing Whip was indeed brutal, its pain at an extreme level!
After recovering, Lin Yun first went to see Commander Guang Tiancheng.
Having only endured twenty lashes, Guang Tiancheng had also mostly recovered.
“Commander Guang, I’m truly ashamed about this time, but I’ll remember your help,” Lin Yun said.
“Lin Yun, as I said, I helped you to repay the debt I owed you. Besides, with my injuries healed, I haven’t really lost anything, have I?” Guang Tiancheng said.
He paused, then continued, “Lin Yun, I still want to advise you. We Death Servants are the Heavenly Fire Temple’s dogs. We have no choice. I’ve been a Death Servant much longer than you, so I understand.”
“Commander Guang, you seem quite resentful of the Death Servant identity,” Lin Yun said.
From previous conversations, Lin Yun had sensed this. Guang Tiancheng often referred to Death Servants as dogs.
“Who wants to be a dog? But we have no choice. I’ve seen too many Death Servants die, including some brothers in the past. The Heavenly Fire Temple only sees us as tools, not caring about our lives,” Guang Tiancheng said with a sigh.
He looked at Lin Yun and continued, “But you’re in a better position. You’re more outstanding, a higher-grade tool, so the Heavenly Fire Temple values you more. Still, the end goal is the same. Once you grow stronger, they’ll send you on even more dangerous missions.”
