Lin Rui's face sank when he saw that Huang Xiaolong neither knelt down nor bowed in salute, but merely cupped his fists in greeting.
With his identity and status as the Creed Patriarch of Blue Lotus Creed, only young patriarchs from top creeds such as the Dragon Fish Creed, Divination Creed, and Red Fox Creed could be exempted from kneeling and bowing in salute. Obviously, Huang Xiaolong was not a young patriarch from any of these top creeds!
Zhu Hui smiled when he saw this. "Brat, which creed's young patriarch are you? You neither knelt down nor bowed in salute after seeing Brother Lin Rui."
However, his smile was thinly veiled malice.
As expected, having Huang Xiaolong's action pointed out by Zhu Hui, the way Lin Rui looked at Huang Xiaolong turned slightly hostile.
Just as Long Jianfei rushed to explain, Huang Xiaolong was one step ahead of him. "There is yet to be a person in the Divine Tuo Holy World who can make me salute him on my knees."
With his identity as the Son of Creation, there really wasn't a person who qualified to accept such a big salute from Huang Xiaolong in the entire Divine Tuo Holy World.
Before breaking through to Primal Ancestor Realm, Huang Xiaolong had doubted the origin of his bloodline. However, the moment he had stepped into the Primal Ancestor Realm and survived rebirth from the Light of Nirvana, the power of his Huang Long Bloodline had improved greatly. Huang Xiaolong was absolutely certain that his bloodline was indeed the God of Creation's Huang Long Bloodline.
No one in the Divine Tuo Holy World, or even in other holy worlds was worthy of Huang Xiaolong's kneeling salute.
Both Lin Rui and Zhu Hui were taken aback, and so were Yang Jia and Li Zhentong, who were standing at the side.
A second later, Zhu Hui's chuckle rang in the hall, "There is yet to be a person in the entire Divine Tuo Holy World who can make you salute on your knees? What a big tone you have?!"
Lin Rui's brows were tightly scrunched together in dislike, and his dislike towards Huang Xiaolong was growing stronger by the second.
"Long Jianfei, why did you want to see me?" Lin Rui suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and questioned Long Jianfei.
Long Jianfei was a little apprehensive, but he clarified that he was in the process of restoring his identity, and revealed that he needed Lin Rui's assistance.
Lin Rui's first response was to shake his head and then, he said, "You're a Dragon Fish Creed's inner disciple, and as the Blue Lotus Creed Patriarch, it is inappropriate for me to interfere in the Dragon Fish Creed's internal matters. You should be looking for the Dragon Fish Creed's Foreign Affairs Hall's elder to restore your identity."
Clearly, Lin Rui refused to help!
Long Jianfei froze.
On the way here, it had never occurred to Long Jianfei that Lin Rui would refuse him. After all, based on the amount of help his master Chen Xi had given to Lin Rui, Lin Rui owed Chen Xi a lot.
Not to mention, helping him recover his identity was of little effort to Lin Rui. Lin Rui merely needed to send a message through a communication symbol to the Dragon Fish Creed's Foreign Affairs Hall Master, and he could regain his inner disciple identity in the shortest time without any issue.
But now, Lin Rui actually refused him!
"That, Creed Patriarch Lin Rui!"
Long Jianfei wanted to try again.
"Enough, this matter ends here!" Lin Rui snapped with a frosty expression.
If Long Jianfei's master was still around, Lin Rui would have considered extending a helping hand to Long Jianfei. However, today the situation was different than in the past. Chen Xi had been missing for many years. Not to mention that Chen Xi wasn't on good terms with Zhu Hui, and Zhu Hui was right beside him at this moment. He naturally wouldn't offend Zhu Hui just to help Long Jianfei.
Huang Xiaolong watched the whole thing with cold eyes, without saying a word.
Lin Rui sent them away with a simple, "Alright, leave now." Then he looked at Huang Xiaolong and added, "Looking at Chen Xi's grace in the past, I won't pursue your crime of disrespecting me today, but if there's a next time, you'll be cut without mercy!"
Cut without mercy!
As the words echoed in the hall, the might of a Dao Venerable expert from Lin Rui's body rushed towards Huang Xiaolong.
"We're leaving!" Huang Xiaolong said as he stared back coldly at Lin Rui and Zhu Hui, ready to leave with Long Jianfei and Duan Feng.
However, just as the three were about to leave, Zhu Hui spoke again, "Long Jianfei, it's not difficult if you want to restore your Dragon Fish Creed's inner disciple identity."
The words caught Long Jianfei by surprise.
"You just need to kneel to me, beg me, kowtow ten thousand times, and every time you kowtow, you have to shout, my master Chen Xi is an idiot. If you do that, I'll tell the Foreign Affairs Hall to restore your identity!" Zhu Hui smiled. "What do you think? Ten thousand kowtows while proclaiming your master is an idiot, then you would be able to restore your inner disciple identity. This condition is worth it, isn't it?!"
"It's only ten thousand kowtows. Moreover, your master has been missing for many years, and even if you scold him to be an idiot, he won't know about it." Zhu Hui was full of smiles.
Lin Rui watched this transpiring incident from his seat. There was no reaction whatsoever on his face despite hearing that Zhu Hui wanted Long Jianfei to kowtow ten thousand times while scolding Chen Xi to be an idiot.
Long Jianfei looked at the stoic-faced Lin Rui and then at Zhu Hui, and he suddenly laughed loudly.
"Zhu Hui, you want me to kowtow and scold my master?! Dream on!" Long Jianfei scoffed coldly when he stopped laughing.
Huang Xiaolong's icy gaze swept over Lin Rui and Zhu Hui before he left the hall with Long Jianfei and Duan Feng without another word.
Zhu Hui's smiling face darkened like the cloudy sky. He glared at Huang Xiaolong and Long Jianfei, sneering in disdain, "Long Jianfei, you'd better think it through carefully. If you take a step out of this hall, you'll never regain your Dragon Fish Creed inner disciple's identity!"
With Zhu Hui's status and identity, he only needed to breathe a word to the Foreign Affairs Hall Master to stop Long Jianfei from ever returning to the Dragon Fish Creed.
Therefore, his words were not purely a bluff.
Which was why Long Jianfei's footsteps faltered for a beat.
Zhu Hui chuckled, "How about it? Think it through clearly before making a decision. Kowtow ten thousand times and scold ten thousand times, or just turn and leave like this, never to regain your Dragon Fish Creed's inner disciple identity ever again!"
Huang Xiaolong suddenly turned around and looked icily at Zhu Hui. "It's merely the identity of a Dragon Fish Creed inner disciple. In that case, it doesn't matter if Long Jianfei loses it, but on the other hand, it's you guys. Don't regret the decision you made today!"
You guys? Lin Rui blanked for a second, then anger rose to his face, Huang Xiaolong was pointing at him and Zhu Hui?
"Let's go!"
Huang Xiaolong, Long Jianfei, and Duan Feng left the hall.
A cold light gleamed across Zhu Hui's eyes, but he held off from attacking. Had it been Long Jianfei alone, he would have killed Long Jianfei on the spot, but there was still Duan Feng present, a Divination Creed's inner disciple, and at the moment, he wasn't sure of Huang Xiaolong's identity yet. This held him off.
"You two go out first!" After seeing that his disciples Yang Jia and Li Zhentong were still standing in the hall, Lin Rui frowned and ordered, "Also, if Long Jianfei wants to see me in the future, blast him away!"
Yang Jia and Li Zhentong respectfully complied and stepped out from the hall.
The three of them were 'escorted' out from the Blue Lotus Creed headquarters by Yang Jia and Li Zhentong.
"Your Highness, we…" Long Jianfei's mood wasn't very good.
"Let's go to the trading market and stroll around." Huang Xiaolong said, "It's human nature, and not surprising that Lin Rui acted so. Therefore, you don't need to feel bad about it. Just take it that your master was blinded in the past, and as for your Dragon Fish Creed inner disciple identity, we'll figure out a way in the future."
Long Jianfei nodded.
"We'll find a time to enter the Bright Lightning Abyss to help you find your master," Huang Xiaolong reassured Long Jianfei.
Long Jianfei was stunned.
"Your Highness, I…" Long Jianfei looked at Hung Xiaolong gratefully, and he didn't know what to say.
Huang Xiaolong shook his head. "Not everything needs to be spoken out."
The three went to the Blue Lotus Creed's trading market on the Qilin Chariot.