The Vicious Beauty Faked His Death Three Times [Transmigration] - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Acquaintance

The smiling peach-blossom eyes revealed a familiar malice, yet it was mixed with something else—something belonging to Shen Biewan.

A clumsy imitation, yet Ling Yanhe’s eyes darkened, a flash of murderous intent crossing them.

Lin Qinghan looked down at the youth below the terrace; those familiar dark eyes were grim and sharp, filled with a contempt that viewed him as a dead object.

He truly didn’t recognize him.

Stupid dog.

Current Hatred Value: 40

“Biewan…” He Yuzhi knit his brows slightly, looking at the person beside him with concern.

Lin Qinghan had already withdrawn his gaze, reaching out his hand with a pleasant expression; a single strand of hair lay in his palm—it went without saying who the owner was.

With a wave of Lin Qinghan’s hand, the hair turned into powder, which he sprinkled over the Reflection Pearl.

Suddenly, a hand seized his wrist, warm and powerful.

“Biewan, you mustn’t.” He Yuzhi frowned, his gentle eyes carrying a firm refusal.

Lin Qinghan merely shifted his wrist to break free from the grip, looking at He Yuzhi with a calm face: “Brother He can act as if he saw nothing.”

This was a blatant statement that he would not stop.

He Yuzhi continued to look at him, asking stubbornly and with confusion: “If he has offended you somewhere, simply ignore him; why do things that taint yourself?”

Lin Qinghan played with the Reflection Pearl in his hand; the small orb passed through his fingers like a fish in water, yet no matter how it moved, it could not escape the hand pressing down on it.

“I have a grudge against him. If this grudge is not avenged, the hatred in my heart will not be resolved.”

Hearing the casual and straightforward words, He Yuzhi’s brow remained furrowed, but he also breathed a silent sigh of relief.

It was best that the other didn’t hide it from him.

Lin Qinghan had no intention of explaining further: “If Brother He cannot stand to watch, you are free to inform him; it would count as a good deed.”

“Biewan, you know I won’t,” He Yuzhi said softly.

“In that case, Brother He need not advise me further; my mind is made up.”

Lin Qinghan leaned against the railing of the hanging terrace, looking down at the Reflection Pearl in his hand. He wasn’t surprised to hear the footsteps drifting away.

In Shen Biewan’s memories, He Yuzhi knew all of his dark sides, yet the man was truly upright; he didn’t know why He Yuzhi insisted on being best friends with someone like Shen Biewan.

He had truly wandered into a wolf’s den.

Fortunately, Shen Biewan thought the same as he did neither wanted such a person meddling in their affairs.

It wasn’t necessary, and it was too troublesome.

Lin Qinghan laughed softly and was about to put the Reflection Pearl away when suddenly a hand reached across and took the pearl from him.

He looked up sharply to see He Yuzhi, who had long since left, standing before him.

The other was panting slightly, fine sweat on his brow—clearly he had just run back up. He didn’t even have time to catch his breath before looking down at him.

Those gentle eyes held a determination that didn’t match his outward appearance.

“I will do it for you.”

“What?” Lin Qinghan looked over blankly.

He Yuzhi steadied his breathing and looked at him resolutely, his tone firm and brooks no refusal.

“I will do this kind of dirty-handed work for you. You must not be tainted.”

Only when Ling Yuan returned to his room did he remove the mask from his face, revealing an obviously wretched and despondent appearance.

Leaning against the door, he felt as if he could still hear the whispers of those people.

“Someone defeated by a rogue cultivator has the nerve to attend the trial assembly?”

“Is this the conduct of someone the Ling family has raised for years? I think he can’t compare to his deceased elder brother.”

“He barely made it to the final stage; who knows what underhanded methods he used.”

“Get out! Everyone get out!”

Ling Yuan roared, his bloodshot eyes wide, a trace of madness vaguely showing.

“Is this my fault? If Mother and the Family Head hadn’t insisted I attend this trial assembly, why would I suffer such humiliation?! Furthermore, that damned Lin Yan actually became a member of the Lingxiao Sect! If not for him, why would I be subject to such criticism? And my meridians wouldn’t be damaged, making it hard to progress henceforth!”

Ling Yuan’s face was ruthless, his head hung low, suppressed hatred gathering in his eyes.

After Sihai Hall, he had indeed survived, but it was worse than dying on the martial stage. Ghost energy had invaded his body and damaged his meridians, making it hard to advance; only by using spiritual medicine was he kept from regressing in cultivation.

His path of cultivation was completely finished!

Even his favorite woman had died in Tianhai Pavilion, and the person who destroyed Tianhai Pavilion was also Lin Yan.

How laughable—even a family like the Qi clan could do nothing to Lin Yan, and could only watch as Perfected Yunyin protected him.

The Qi family had backed off, but he wouldn’t!

He wanted to kill Lin Yan—no, he couldn’t kill that man. He needed a helper.

Ling Yuan gnawed on his fingers, pacing anxiously in the room, his heavy and hurried footsteps echoing.

Suddenly the footsteps stopped. Ling Yuan lifted his head, a strange light erupting in his eyes as a figure flashed through his mind.

Shen Biewan. He would team up with Shen Biewan. Didn’t that man hate Lin Yan quite a bit? The other surely wanted to eliminate him. He could help—even if he had to be Shen Biewan’s dog, he would eliminate the person who brought him to this state.

Ling Yuan suddenly burst into loud laughter, joy and murderous intent interweaving on his face, making his whole person look hideous.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

An urgent knocking sounded.

Ling Yuan froze, scrambled to pick up the mask on the floor and put it on, wanting to hide his face—completely forgetting that rooms on the Immortal Boat were assigned by person.

Only after confirming that no one could recognize him did Ling Yuan take a deep breath and open the door. A cold wind blew past; it was early spring but still a bit chilly, making him shiver.

There was no one outside.

Ling Yuan frowned, his eyes darting around, his gaze cold like a ghost that hadn’t seen the sun for a long time. After a moment, he reacted and slowly looked down.

A silver-white orb lay at the door.

The object seemed to sense his gaze; the runes engraved upon it slowly emitted a silver light, and then the orb shot out a beam of light. A massive four-sided projection unfolded before Ling Yuan’s eyes.

With just one look, Ling Yuan’s expression changed.

The previous ruthlessness was gradually replaced by terror as the scene played. The silent recording acted like a giant cage, pinning him completely to the spot, unable to move. Only when the recording ended did he look at the object on the ground with a deathly pale face.

Ling Yuan looked at the orb as if seeing a fierce beast, the panic in his eyes overflowing.

“No, impossible… how could anyone know about this? Mother said she had cleaned it up… yes, cleaned it up.”

Ling Yuan was pale-faced, staring at the object and muttering vacantly.

After a long time, the sound of faint conversation reached him, and Ling Yuan snapped back to his senses. He bent over sharply to pick up the Reflection Pearl and slammed the door shut.

Only when the conversation outside drifted away did Ling Yuan breathe a sigh of relief, reaching out a trembling hand to look at the object in his palm.

“Smash—”

He threw the Reflection Pearl away violently, and it hit the floor with a heavy thud. The orb rolled on the floor and, by pure coincidence, stopped right at Ling Yuan’s feet.

It forced Ling Yuan to retreat, leaning completely against the door.

If the door hadn’t been closed, he might have retreated ten thousand miles away right then.

Who? Who had placed it at his door? Mother said she helped him settle it; why would anyone still see it?!

No, this footage cannot be seen by anyone, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to join the Lingxiao Sect. If that happened, the Family Head and his mother would surely be disappointed in him.

At this thought, Ling Yuan shivered. He looked down at the Reflection Pearl, the panic in his eyes gradually replaced by ferocity. He took a wooden box from his myriad-treasure pouch. The box opened, and a blackish-purple insect flew out.

The insect flew in a circle and, following Ling Yuan’s command, circled over the Reflection Pearl for a moment before flying toward the wooden door. Seeing it couldn’t fly out, the Gu parasite persistently flew back, as if wanting to pursue something.

Ling Yuan understood. He put away the wooden box and the Reflection Pearl, threw a cloak over himself, and after completely hiding his figure, he opened the door and walked out with his head hung low.

He would find the owner of this pearl and silence them. Anyone who knew of his wretched state deserved to die!

The Immortal Boat gradually descended.

The venue for the final stage was in the Demon Realm. The Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm were far apart; even with the Immortal Boat traveling at top speed, it would take three days to arrive.

The cultivators participating in the trial were all youths, lacking patience. After staying on the Immortal Boat for half a day, they found it dull and tasteless. The elders traveling with them couldn’t bear to see the children so listless, so they found a vacant, unpopulated area and let the Immortal Boat descend.

First, the Immortal Boat needed maintenance and inspection; second, it gave the youths a chance to get some air.

Almost as soon as the Immortal Boat came to a steady stop, the people on board couldn’t wait to run outside. In no time, the massive Immortal Boat became an empty shell.

The boat had stopped next to a dense forest. Upon seeing the forest, many people clamored to go take a look. Not for any other reason, but because they felt the probability of encountering special opportunities in such a profound outdoor place was very high.

Ling Yanhe also entered the dense forest.

He wasn’t there for some opportunity, but simply because staying in a crowded place for too long made him irritable.

The youth walked into the depths alone with a long sword, neither fast nor slow.

Early spring had arrived, and dry trees were growing new shoots. Dots of green hung on the branches; a light breeze blew them, making them sway and appear incredibly fragile.

Suddenly, Ling Yanhe stopped his steps. He looked ahead at the person who had seemingly been waiting for a long time.

That person wore a cloak that hid their figure and a mask, making their appearance unclear only their eyes were visible, with a mad and vicious gaze like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, staring at him intently.

Naked malice.

Ling Yanhe was no stranger to such a look. He looked at the person coldly, the long sword at his waist slightly unsheathed.

“Lin Yan, I want your life!”

As the vicious voice fell, Ling Yuan soared into the air. A long sword erupted with thunderous sword intent, accompanied by a swarm of densely packed, highly toxic Gu parasites lunging toward the person before him.

An invisible shield instantly appeared before Ling Yanhe. But it wasn’t just defense; the moment the Gu parasites hit it, they were sliced in half. The movement was so fast that Ling Yuan didn’t even see what the object was.

In an instant, before Ling Yuan could react, an intense stinging pain came from his shoulder. He looked over blankly and saw that his right arm had already fallen to the ground.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A pained scream rang out. Ling Yuan curled up on the ground, clutching his severed right arm tightly as blood flowed from between his fingers.

Ling Yanhe stood in place, his expression as usual. He merely swept a glance at the person on the ground before withdrawing his gaze without interest. The long sword that had been unsheathed was already back in its place.

He hadn’t even moved, yet Ling Yuan had already fallen.

Ling Yuan slumped completely onto the ground, the intense pain making his features twist. Yet he still lifted his head, staring fixedly at the person before him, the hatred in his eyes reaching a state of frenzy.

“Trash.”

Ling Yanhe looked down at the person on the ground, his tone flat, lacking even the hint of disdain or mockery—merely stating a fact.

“Lin Yan, I will definitely kill you!!!”

The other’s harsh words didn’t stir a single ripple in those dark eyes. The dead stillness of the pool water choked Ling Yuan’s breath, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

An invisible fine thread hung over Ling Yuan’s head. A breeze blew, and the thread moved with the wind.

Suddenly, a pinkish-white petal appeared abruptly behind Ling Yanhe.

A long sword erupted, cold light flashing, yet the sharp blade was lightly caught by slender fingers.

“Quite alert.”

Ling Yanhe turned sharply and met those eyes, both strange and familiar. The brows quirked, revealing a peerless mischief.

The familiar feeling made Ling Yanhe frown slightly. In just the span of a daze, his finger was lightly touched.

The Bone Ring has been stored in the Storage Space. The Host can view it at any time.

Those eyes, deep as ink, instantly became sharp. A somber, murderous aura arose. The moment a fierce sword intent attacked, Lin Qinghan let go and retreated two steps like a cloud.

“Scan it. Give me the appraisal file immediately.”

Looking at Ling Yanhe’s darkened face, Lin Qinghan’s lips curled slightly: “I want to see what this item’s origin is—to think that just a touch would make someone flip out.”

Ling Yanhe held his long sword and slowly turned to look at him. His expression was somber, his eyes pure black and carrying an overwhelming murderous aura, looking at him as if at a dead object.

“Give it back.”

The freezing voice arrived along with a wild wind. Lin Qinghan merely laughed softly. A pure white long sword fell into his hand; the moment it was unsheathed, it cut through the strong wind. The tree branches were pressed into a chaotic sway by the two powerful surges of spiritual energy, as if they would break at any second.

“What falls into my hands is mine,” Lin Qinghan said with a casual tone, lifting his eyes to look at Ling Yanhe.

Current Hatred Value: 85

Lin Qinghan raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a rare surprise.

“Seeking death,” Ling Yanhe said coldly, slowly uttering the words.

A sharp sword intent suddenly manifested into a thousand strikes, rushing straight at Lin Qinghan.

The thousand sword intents, wrapped in fierce wind, crashed down. The spiritual energy within them was so great that even the vault of heaven couldn’t help but send down thunder.

Lightning exploded, the dazzling light hitting Lin Qinghan’s face. The cataclysmic offensive failed to stir even a fraction of fear; instead, it sparked a dazzling light in those beautiful eyes.

As the thousand swords fell, the silver-white long sword moved like a swimming dragon through the overwhelming offensive. Sword qi was swung out with fierce fire; the moment it collided with the hurricane, the heavens shook and the earth trembled.

Thunder struck the ground again. The light, as blinding as daylight, had not yet faded when it was forcibly torn apart by two powerful surges of spiritual energy.

With a “clang,” the two swords collided. Spiritual energy exploded suddenly, instantly severing the tall trees nearby.

Amidst the crashing sound of the fall, the blades reflected the eyes of the opponents: one indignant and ruthless, the other decisive and idle.

After a brief clash, the two quickly pulled apart, and in the next moment, their long swords collided again.

The vibrating numbness from his wrist made Lin Qinghan’s mood increasingly pleasant. The sword intent he swung out grew denser; in an instant, it was a hundred, then a thousand. Thunder rumbled continuously in the sky, vaguely carrying the intent of tribulation lightning for a breakthrough.

Offense and defense swapped; the Mystic Iron sword unsheathed and quickly blocked the fierce offensive.

Ling Yanhe looked at the person before him. Shen Biewan’s arrogance and jealousy had all faded, leaving only a natural flamboyance.

Such powerful spiritual cultivation and sword intent were worthy of the man’s confidence and ambition.

No one would not be moved by such a person. Even Ling Yuan, lying on the ground, stared blankly at the sword-swinging Lin Qinghan, the hatred in his eyes vanishing and being replaced by respect and admiration.

Only Ling Yanhe would not.

His dark eyes did not look at the person before him, but roved over the body. His focus was not on the person Shen Biewan, but on the item upon him.

Lin Qinghan also noticed the opponent’s lack of focus. His offensive became even more heartless.

Ling Yanhe wouldn’t be able to find it anyway. Since that was the case, he’d use the other for practice—it would also let him test the feeling of swinging a sword.

A resonant hum sounded; the sword intent wrapped in fire actually emitted a faint phoenix cry, earth-shaking and unstoppable.

When a stinging pain came from his neck, Ling Yanhe abruptly withdrew his gaze.

Blood flowed slowly down, but he didn’t care. Instead, he looked at Lin Qinghan calmly, as if he had already decided on the final outcome for the man.

Since he couldn’t find it, he’d kill him and then search.

The Mystic Iron sword lunged out rapidly, mixed with freezing, murderous black mist, heading straight for Lin Qinghan’s face. In a place invisible, countless invisible fine threads were wrapped around the sword’s body.

If the opponent used his long sword to block, the fine threads on the Mystic Iron sword would instantly sever the other’s body.

If the opponent sensed the presence of the fine threads and dodged, he would be run through the heart by the sword.

The person before him was doomed.

Ling Yanhe finally lifted his eyelids to look squarely at the person before him, as if wanting to record his wretched death.

“Tsk.”

A dissatisfied sound fell, and the eyes like a dead-still pool were stirred into waves by the scene before them.

The pure white long sword swung out, drawing a crescent moon of white light in the air. In an instant, it severed all the fine threads Ling Yanhe had deployed, then with a light twist, it knocked the Mystic Iron sword flying.

The sword left his hand, and the suddenly empty hand curled for a moment. Ling Yanhe lifted his eyes sharply, those dark eyes pinning themselves firmly onto the person before him.

The sword-wind brushing past his face, the continuous rumbling of thunder—all of it vanished from Ling Yanhe’s world. He looked up, and there was only one person in his eyes. Just by looking at the man’s features and figure, he couldn’t help but hold his breath.

In the next moment, the long sword was heartlessly placed across his neck. The sharp blade pressed tightly against the beating vessel, as if it could directly slice it open and put him to death in the next second—such a move was terrifying to the extreme.

But what was more heart-stopping than this was the person holding the sword.

Lin Qinghan looked over, a face of unforgettable beauty now mixed with a faint murderous intent. His idle gaze fell upon Ling Yanhe, making one’s breath stall, and lit a fire in those dead-still eyes.

“You lost.”

“The winner is king, and the loser beneath the sword has only one path: death.” The idle voice fell, and Lin Qinghan’s lips curled slightly, looking at the person before him with malice. “But I do not wish to kill you, so you need to pay something else.”

Seeing the churning emotions in Ling Yanhe’s eyes, as if wanting to devour someone, Lin Qinghan’s mood became even more pleasant. Even the long sword pressing on the neck moved closer.

The blade sliced the skin, crimson blood staining the pure white sword body. Matching Ling Yanhe’s angry expression, those beautiful eyes curved.

“Junior Brother, be my dog.”

Support