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Tap! Tap! Tap!
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed in the streets.
Two figures supporting each other strolled slowly under the moonlight.
Due to his frail body, Liang Hui halted every ten or so meters to catch his breath, then he would set off again.
"Big Brother, so many people are watching us,"
Liang Si said, feeling somewhat intimidated by the gazes pouring out from the houses lining the street.
The slivers of candlelight cast from within those houses conveyed disbelief, bewilderment, and disarray.
However, these gazes cast upon him failed to have much impact on Liang Hui.
What truly concerned him were the scrutinizing eyes lurking in the shadows, each emitting a pressing presence, be it chilling or ostensibly mild.
Liang Hui knew these onlookers were the extraordinaries of this world (martial artists, Taoists), and it seemed his guess was correct—the memories resembling the future had indeed spread far and wide.
"Xiao Si, whatever happens, just keep moving forward,"
Liang Hui instructed in a low voice as he stumbled forward.
Liang Si nodded and continued supporting the young man as they advanced.
Before long, Liang Hui and Liang Si arrived at the temple smoothly.
Withered yellow grass, peeling red paint, and the decrepit half-open door all contributed to the dilapidated temple.
In front of such a scene, the young man did not hesitate. With Liang Si's support, he pushed open the doors of the temple and entered the main hall.
Calling it a main hall was generous—it was merely a room of a little over thirty square meters.
The hall was filled with thick dust, cobwebs, and traces left by various small animals, even the Buddhist statues were missing their heads and parts of their bodies, and the roof was riddled with holes.
Liang Hui staggered to the site where the Buddha's head should have been. Without minding the dust, he sat down.
Whew~
He exhaled a breath of stagnant air and wiped the sweat from his cheeks with his sleeve.
This body was still too weak, not to mention compared to the extraordinaries of this world, even his body from his previous life was superior.
It seems after getting through this crisis, he would have to start the process of cultivation.
"Sit,"
Liang Hui instructed Liang Si, who looked a bit lost while pointing to the floor beside him.
Upon hearing this, Liang Si also obediently sat down on the ground.
No sooner had they settled than a cacophony of footsteps arose from outside the temple.
Since the temple doors remained ajar, Liang Hui saw clearly a dozen or so robust Great Han men, led by a lean, middle-aged man, arriving at the doorway.
Each man bore the insignia of a wolf's head on their clothing, but the one leading them wore a wolf's head embroidered with golden thread.
Without a doubt, these men were members of the Wild Wolf Gang, and only one person in the gang could adorn their clothing with a golden wolf's head.
Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang—Tian Xiang!
Under the moonlight, Tian Xiang caught sight of the frail young man seated atop the Buddha's head, his eyes flashing with complexity.
Those sudden memories told him just how formidable the young man's future achievements could be.
Even if it was all untrue, as long as the young man lived, he could never be ordinary—not with so many having shared the same memories. Those mighty figures desiring transcendence would inevitably push the youth forward.
In any case, the young man would become an entity far above his own humble stature.
As for the memories about the Wild Wolf Gang getting destroyed due to someone named Hong Er, he had already seen Hong Er's dead body in the young man's residence, hence there was no irreconcilable hostility between them.
While he contemplated, his complex expression solidified into one of resolve.
Glancing around, he nodded to the Great Han men beside him.
Afterward, he crossed the threshold and walked towards the young man.
At the same time, outside the temple, metallic clashes, the sounds of strife, and furious cursing intermittently reached them.
"Wild Wolf Gang, have you lost your minds!"
"Damn it, dreaming of monopolizing the benefits, can you really swallow what you're after?"
...
"Divine Emperor Your Majesty, I shall take it upon myself to rid you of those lurking in the shadows,"
Tian Xiang paused five steps away from the young man, bending slightly, his expression one of reverence.
After a brief pause, he continued:
"And as for the offense by Hong Er, I assure you all those intimately connected with him have been taken care of."
Liang Hui gazed steadily at the middle-aged man standing before him with a respectful demeanor, replying slowly:
"Leader Tian Xiang, I am no Divine Emperor, just an ordinary farmer's son,"
"Those memories that appeared out of nowhere were but a jest by the gods. How could someone like me achieve such grand feats?"
His words were feeble yet sincere.
The corners of Tian Xiang's mouth twitched slightly upon hearing this. If you don't believe you'll achieve such feats, what are you doing here? Aren't you just waiting for your beloved?
Of course, Tian Xiang merely let these thoughts pass through his mind without daring to speak them aloud.
Rather, he retrieved a rectangular object wrapped in parchment paper from his bosom and placed it on the ground.
Then, with a kick, he sent the object skidding to the young man's feet.
Under Liang Hui's inquisitive gaze, he explained, "This item is the most precious possession of the Wild Wolf Gang. Consider it an apology for my lack of discipline."
Liang Hui bent down, gently pulling back a corner of the parchment paper. Upon seeing the words "Green Wolf," ripples stirred deep within his eyes.
In this world of transcendent beings beneath a feudal system, knowledge was always the most precious treasure—not gold or silver, and especially knowledge of the extraordinary.
"I've accepted your sentiment. Let bygones be bygones,"
Liang Hui said, picking up the parchment paper from the ground, making his promise.
"Yes, Divine Emperor Your Majesty,"
A glimpse of joy flashed through Tian Xiang's eyes, knowing his courtesy had been delivered.
At this moment, the sounds of shouting and killing outside the temple waned. Several blood-stained figures stood outside the temple, waiting quietly.
Tian Xiang, feeling the loss keenly in his heart, knew that the men he brought were his loyal followers. He couldn't bear it even if one were to die, let alone the majority.
"Divine Emperor Your Majesty, I must now lead my brothers back to heal our wounds,"
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The most important thing about this visit was to resolve conflicts and, by the way, to extend a favor. Now that the purpose had been achieved,
he didn't plan to get involved in the subsequent matters nor was it something his minor role could partake in.
Liang Hui clearly understood some of Xiao Si's thoughts and waved his hand to signal that Xiao Si could leave.
Xiao Si didn't hesitate.
Turning around,
he walked towards the outside of the temple, and soon led his gang out of the young man's sight.
.Cough... Cough.
"Big Brother!"
Concern filled Liang Si's eyes as he watched his elder brother begin to cough violently.
Liang Hui gestured with his hand to stop Liang Si's following words, whispering softly, "It's nothing."
"The internal organs are severely damaged, and the body is extremely weak. Combined with the recent grueling journey, barring any surprises, I won't live through the night."
Amidst the sounds of laughter, a young girl dressed in a black dress leisurely walked in from outside the temple.
The girl was not old, but she was slender and graceful, her jet-black hair dancing in the wind. Her eyes sparkled with life, and her slightly pointed chin gave her the appearance of a fairy beneath the moonlight, with a beauty that transcended the mortal realm.
"Sister-in-law, you're finally here. Please, save my big brother."
As Liang Si saw the girl's appearance, his expression became excited.
Such words, even for a girl as composed as her, caused a momentary stiffness to spread across her beautiful face. However, it quickly turned into a smile.
"Hui, let me take a look at you. I happen to have brought some healing medicine with me this trip."
As she spoke, the girl quickened her pace, her black dress fluttering, making her pale, crystalline body look as pure as a high-mountain snow lotus.
"Su Yao, if you take one more step forward, you will die!"
The weak and calm words echoed in the temple.
Although devoid of any strength, those words stopped the girl in her tracks.
"Hui, what are you doing? You are the Divine Emperor, and I am the Empress."
The girl, named Su Yao, was on the verge of tears, with eyes full of sorrow as if she had been betrayed by the person she deemed most important.
Liang Si also cast a puzzled look; wasn't the sister-in-law the person his big brother was waiting for all this time?
Seeing the girl's splendid acting, Liang Hui felt a bit helpless in his heart.
He remembered how they faced various issues together, only to end up together in the end. And now? They were merely strangers meeting for the first time, with those feelings from memory never having trespassed into reality.
That segment of memory was like a movie from a past life, and not even a particularly clear one at that, with many key details blurred.
In other words, the current Su Yao was a complete stranger to him, a saintess from a major sect of the Demonic Path faced with someone of immense value. Anyone would know what choice to make under such circumstances.
Stripping the skin, extracting the marrow, and squeezing out all value was a qualified strategy of the Demonic Path.
Moreover, in the likely future memories, he never established an 'Empress' of the Divine Court.
"Hui, it's truly heartbreaking. After seeing those memories, I rushed here immediately, but what I was met with was your indifference," said Su Yao, her delicate face a picture of sadness.
Liang Hui simply watched as the girl moved her feet once again, whispering softly,
"Do you think I have no means to bury you?"
In an instant, the steps the girl was taking came to an abrupt halt. She had checked the young man's home before coming here and, of course, had seen the several lifeless bodies.
The sadness and disappointment on her face vanished completely, leaving only a sly look as she murmured softly, "It seems you didn't come here waiting for me. So, who might it be?"
Unconsciously, the image of a beauty in white appeared in her mind.
Tap! Tap! Tap!.....
The orderly footsteps and the clashing of armor disturbed Su Yao's thoughts and shattered the temple's silence.
"Big Brother, it's the army from the Imperial Court!"
Liang Si looked at the approaching figures and torches outside the temple, his voice filled with fear.
The strongest force in Huaiyuan Town was never the gangs, the powerful families, or the Loose Cultivators, but the Great Zhou Official Residence that suppressed the entire Nine Provinces.
Stop!
At the command, all soldiers halted in their tracks, and clusters of torchlight made the surroundings of the temple as bright as day.
"Mister Liang, please come with us. Martial arts, Daoist techniques, treasures—whatever you wish for, His Majesty will grant you..."
Amid the words, a big, bearded man in iron armor and a scholar-like figure both made their way to the entrance of the temple.
"Hui, if you wish, I can help you fight your way out. After all, in the future, it was you who crushed that Empress's dream of eternal life."
"And there has never been a generous ruler since ancient times."
Su Yao chuckled lightly. As a prodigy of the young generation of the Holy Sect, she was confident in their chance to break free.
Liang Hui shook his head and looked toward the iron-armored man and the scholar at the gate, saying, "You two, please leave. I have no interest in joining Great Zhou."
"Kid, it's a royal command personally issued by His Majesty. Don't think that just because of those questionable memories, you can defy it," rebuked the burly man in iron armor.
"Mister Liang, please come with us. Wealth and honor are waiting for you; don't make this difficult for us," said the scholar gently, trying to persuade him.
Watching one play the good cop and the other the bad cop, a slight sneer appeared on Liang Hui's lips.
"What if I say no?"
"Prefect Liu, I said there was no need for so much talk. Just send in the army; he can't resist right now," said the man in iron armor with a ferocious look, raising his fist in readiness, preparing to have his soldiers try their luck first.
The scholar at this moment also fell silent, his previously amiable eyes turning cold as he stared intently at the young man.
Inside the temple, Su Yao wore a smile as her figure slowly faded from sight. She, too, was curious about the young man's coping strategy.
..Cough!.. Cough!..
"Apart from waiting for that person, what I came here for was the seclusion of this place, suitable for burying some fools."
"Isn't living a good thing, gentlemen?"
Amidst his weak speech, Liang Hui had already extended his palm, holding a fist-sized brass bell levitating there, covered in calluses and scars.
The brass bell was damaged yet sacred, marked with fist prints, knife cuts, and scratches; at the same time, one could faintly hear the worship and prayers of living beings.
As the brass bell appeared, the iron-armored man and the scholar first looked bewildered, then their expressions turned to utter despair and fear.
"The Flowing Light Bell!!!"