"And that's all that happened." Standing in a large hall surrounded by numerous women, Yang Ze couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
At first, he wanted to run away, but unfortunately for him, Lin Yue brought him back to the Lin family. And now, he was standing in the Main Hall, explaining to them everything that had happened.
"You mean to say that a few people showed up, captured Lin Wan and disappeared?" One of the old women spoke in a stern voice.
"Yes." Yang Ze was trying his best to appear normal, but inside, he was cursing Lin Yue and her eighteen generations in his heart. His situation was like a lamb playing with wolves in front of a group of lions. Any mistake and his fate was going to be worse than death.
The only thing he was thankful for was the mask. If he were to wear that thick cloth, there was no doubt that these people would have asked him to take it off. And then...
Thankfully, the mask was working as intended. Even though it wasn't perfect, it was enough to fool the people in front of him.
"So, are we going to do something about it or not?" It was Lin Yue who spoke this time. Her sole purpose in bringing Yang Ze here was to get help from the family. Though she appeared calm on the outside, inside, she was panicking. With every passing second, the chances of getting Lin Wan decreased.
"About that..." The elders looked at each other before one of the middle-aged women stood up.
"I went there to search for clues." Without waiting for another person to speak, she took out an exquisite black token and threw it towards Lin Yue.
"This is what I found."
"...." With a frown, Lin Yue carefully observed the token. It was palm-sized with a sun and moon on one side and the character 'Duality' on the other.
"Duality Sect?" She couldn't help but narrow her eyes as her voice trembled in disbelief. She kept on looking at the token before glancing at the elder once again, wanting to know if it was true.
"Unfortunately, Yes."
The moment the elder confirmed it, Lin Yue felt the world in front of her go dark. If not for her firm will, she would have lost consciousness.
For a while, she was in disbelief. Why would a behemoth like the Duality sect kidnap someone like Lin Wan? She wasn't even that talented and hadn't been in conflict with anyone. She basically served no purpose for the Duality sect. And nothing about her was so special that they would send a team of such powerful individuals.
Thinking about it, her mind almost stopped working.
'Damn it, if you are done with this shit, let me go.' Standing there with a blank face, Yang Ze kept on complaining in his heart. There was no need for him to stay here any longer; he just wished that one of the elders there would dismiss him, so he could finally escape this shitty place.
"Do you understand the situation now, Young Lady?" The old woman spoke with a helpless sigh.
"Even if we wanted to help, we can't." With a brief pause, she continued further. "The Lin family simply can not take the risk of offending such a behemoth."
"....." It took a while for Lin Yue to come back to her senses. She glanced at the so-called elders in disappointment for one last time before turning around and walking out of the hall. Today it is Lin Wan, tomorrow it might be her. If one day she, too, was kidnapped by someone powerful, would the family just let it go?
Thinking about her conversation with her mother, she believed it was definitely possible. Hell, some of them even wanted her to be kidnapped instead of Lin Wan.
Looking at Lin Yue's departing back, a few elders frowned in displeasure before one of them looked at Yang Ze and spoke in a stern voice.
"Go, and take care of the Young Lady. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."
'Your mother....' Yang Ze almost flew into a rage. First, it was that devil Lin Wan, and now it was this troublemaker Lin Yue. Even though he didn't want to, he gave them a polite bow before leaving the room while chasing after Lin Yue.
Even though he appeared to be chasing after her, he had already made up his mind to escape once he had escaped the line of sight of the elders.
He definitely can't live like this. He needed to find a remote place to stay and increase his realm, and silently sign in before he steps into the highest realm.
While he was silently making his plan, his footsteps paused midway when he saw the figure of Lin Yue quietly standing there.
'What the hell is she doing?' Just when Yang Ze was wondering what was going on, he saw Lin Yue turn around and speak to him in a cold voice.
"We can not stay dependent on the family. We need to do something by ourselves."
Listening to her, Yang Ze's eyes went wide with disbelief.
'No... didn't you hear what they said you stupid twat?' He was about to curse loudly. Were it two days ago, he would have definitely nodded in response. But after reading those books and understanding the gap between each realm, how could he agree?
Ignoring his exaggerated expressions, Lin Yue gritted her teeth as if she had made up her mind.
"I am going to the Duality Sect to rescue Wan'er."
Listening to her, Yang Ze was stunned for a moment before bursting out in excitement. If she were to leave, there would be nothing to worry about anymore. He could finally be free.
However, before he could speak a few words to encourage her, her next words almost made him faint.
"Let's go. The two of us have to free Wan'er."
"Eh!?" Yang Ze couldn't help but wonder if he was hearing things. Even if he were to go to the duality sect, what was he supposed to do? Fight them with his body refining realm? Any random person from that sect could pat him to death.
'No... Absolutely now.' He wasn't foolish enough to join such a doomed expedition.
"What? Not coming?" Upon seeing his hesitation, Lin Yue's gaze turned cold as she began to emit a murderous aura.
"Don't tell me, you can't even do such a simple thing for your lover?"
Lin Yue's words were like heavenly thunder in his ears.
"You..." Yang Ze raised his finger, wanting to say a few words, but nothing came out. From that sneer on Lin Yue's face to that mocking gaze... she knew about their relationship.
'It's over.' These were Yang Ze's only thoughts. He didn't dare to think about what his future was going to be. He even had an urge to turn around and run, but he knew that if he even tried it, his outcome wasn't going to be pretty.
"What? Cat got your tongue?" With a snort, Lin Yue took a step forward as she observed him from top to bottom.
"I don't know what Wan'er saw in you. You are neither a cultivator, nor are you that good-looking." She always doubted why someone like Lin Wan would be so intimate with someone so mediocre? "As for your personality... heh"
"I have already seen how courageous and decisive you are." The more she spoke, the colder her voice got. "Truly... I just can't understand."
When she started to speak, Yang Ze was already seeing his ancestors waving to him. But the more he listened, the more he felt that something was wrong.
What ordinary appearance? What mortal with no cultivation?
His mind began to work at a rapid pace before he understood that the woman in front of him didn't know the full extent of his and Lin Wan's relationship, and she hadn't seen his true appearance.
'Thankfully...' Letting out a sigh of relief, Yang Ze thanked his lucky stars. Now he just needed to act like a coward, and perhaps she would just kick him out in disappointment.
"I... I am afraid." He even pitched his voice a bit high to bring in that cowardly effect.
"You have two options to choose from." Ignoring his exaggerated voice and reaction, Lin Yue coldly spoke.
"The first one is to follow me honestly to the Duality sect, and find a way to bring back Wan'er."
"And what is the second option?" Yang Ze had already crossed out the first option. What a joke... who would willingly jump to their death?
"The second option is that I will chop off your head right here right now, and take it with me to Wan'er."
*Gulp.
Yang Ze's heart chilled as he listened to her blatant threat. Looking at her expressionless face, she didn't seem to be joking.
With a smile that was uglier than crying, he gritted his teeth and accepted the first option.
"I will follow you."
"Good." Lin Yue just turned around and walked away.
----------------
"Eh! Are you sure we are at the right place?" Looking at the dilapidated mountain temple in front of him, Yang Ze couldn't help but ask with some doubts.
After leaving the Lin Family, the two of them didn't immediately leave Yuyang City, but instead came to a broken, worn-out temple in the mountains, just behind Yuyang City.
"Quiet." Lin Yue snorted in displeasure as she waited for a while.
And just when Yang Ze was wondering what they were doing in this place, he saw a breathtakingly beautiful figure slowly coming towards them.
"This... this..." Yang Ze first looked at Lin Yue and then at the upcoming figure before rubbing his eyes in disbelief. He just couldn't understand what was going on. How could she come here?
Weren't these two enemies? Doesn't this Young Lady of the Lin family hate this person and even wishes for her death? Why are these two meeting here at this time? The more he thought the less sense it made. For a while, Yang Ze's brain almost stopped working.
And just when he was wrapping his head around what was going on, that beautiful figure had already arrived inside the temple and was now looking at Lin Yue with a blank expression.
Yang Ze looked at the other party in amazement... Those long black hair that weren't tied up and were moving with the wind... Deep red eyes which were filled with arrogance and indifference. Those perky breasts which were twice the size of Lin Yue and a figure wearing a white dress that made her look like a fairy that descended from the heavens.
The strongest prodigy of the Yuyang city and the person who defeated Lin Yue in the grand competition...
Xiao Ruolan.