Chapter Thirty-Nine: If There Is an Afterlife, I Shall Seek the Way Again

"Do not trust him; he is definitely trying to deceive us! Look at his face—covered in scars. Does that look like the face of a good person? It’s clear he has some hidden scheme; he’s trying to sow discord among us. Besides, the location he mentioned might not even be correct; it could be a death trap he’s luring you into. We all know it’s somewhere in Skeleton Mountain, so why don’t we just take our time and search? Boss Wu, rest assured, as long as I’m alive, I will definitely find it for you..."

Monkey prattled on incessantly, his face a mask of earnest sincerity. "We are companions, aren't we? We agreed never to abandon or forsake one another." Monkey was truly desperate; after all, if he listened to Lin Ya’s words, what chance of survival would he have?

The people present were stunned. Monkey had always been an invisible background character, merely going through the motions. His sudden outburst was quite surprising, and his arguments were logical and persuasive enough that many found them plausible.

Lin Ya, however, suddenly smiled, leaving Wu Yue bewildered. "You may rest easy. You are the last person I met before my death, and I will not kill you. You may interpret this as a dying man’s desire to cultivate a final karmic connection."

Monkey was just about to retort—"Believe your ghost!"—but Lin Ya continued, "I can give you the key and the exact location, and I am willing to swear an oath. But you must guarantee that the people from Wuyun Stronghold will not receive even the slightest bit of it. To betray me and still covet my legacy is nothing but a delusional fantasy, utterly ridiculous."

Wu Yue admired Lin Ya to a certain extent. Few people could conceive of such a philosophy—that the world must not betray them—and spend an entire lifetime putting it into practice. As far as Wu Yue knew, even this "technological dungeon" had been discovered by one of Lin Ya’s subordinates, who had only handed it over to the collective with great reluctance.

Wu Yue remained silent as Lin Ya continued his impassioned speech. "But as for you, I can spare your life. I have lived my whole life without ties, family, or friends, so I require you to keep vigil at my wake for one hundred days after I die. Otherwise, regardless of whether you die now or later, I can guarantee that once those pills you took take effect, you will surely perish. You are welcome to test that."

"Now, do you accept my terms?" Lin Ya looked at Wu Yue with a heavy gaze, and the crow on his shoulder seemed to look at Wu Yue with the same uncanny synchronization. As for Monkey, no one cared about him. Or perhaps, if anyone did, they dared not show it.

"Why should I agree to your terms?" Wu Yue scoffed. "I think Hou Baiyu makes a lot of sense. Don't tell me that just because you are on the verge of death, your words have suddenly become those of a virtuous man?"

"Just as I expected. You do not care about his life, then what about this child?" Lin Ya had a sharp eye and had noticed the uniqueness of Yu Fu at a glance. But before he could finish, he added, "And what about the little girl three miles away? Do you care about them?!"

Wu Yue took a slow breath. When things are abnormal, there is bound to be a demon.

*Mind focused, Soul-Column Technique, Chang'an!*

In the first second, a frenzied aura surged, and an overwhelming pressure descended! All the grey mist in the room dissipated instantly. Lin Ya’s expression changed, and the crow on his shoulder took flight.

In the second second, Wu Yue felt a wave of intense dizziness. Chang'an pulled upon the spiritual energy, causing the small room to turn upside down as the wind roared; eighty percent of the red mist vanished. The crow collapsed.

In the third second, Chang'an vanished. Wu Yue opened his eyes slowly to find the room in shambles. Hou Baiyu and Monkey were pale; the aura was so powerful that even without being the targets, they could barely withstand it. Yet, Yu Fu remained completely indifferent. On Lin Ya’s face, the scars began to writhe incessantly, looking terrifying. Simultaneously, a cold and violent aura surged forth.

"Now, do you still wish to threaten me?" Wu Yue asked indifferently. "Can we speak properly now?"

Lin Ya wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and took a deep, sharp breath, inhaling all the remaining red mist in the room. "Is this your trump card? A mere soul? Had I encountered you back in my day, I would have refined you into a vengeful spirit. Even just now, had I not held back under the Ghost Crow Formation, I could have left you trapped between life and death! I can only say you are very lucky."

Wu Yue smiled lightly and said coldly, "If you speak of the past, had I been in my prime, why would it have taken so much effort to kill you? You should say that you are the one who is very lucky."

Lin Ya paused. Upon reflection, Wu Yue’s words were not without merit. After all, in the great battle a year ago, Wu Yue had been severely wounded. Though they had fought to a standstill, had both been at their peak, the outcome would have been uncertain. While Lin Ya was confident he would have won, history is always at the mercy of the survivors. Thus, he did not continue this war of words.

"So, do you agree or not?" Lin Ya asked again, his robes billowing. His eyes were sharp; if Wu Yue refused again, it would be a fight to the death.

"Agree, I agree, why wouldn't I?" Hou Baiyu suddenly jumped out and shouted. Was he a fool to refuse? Since this guy was about to die, wouldn't it be better to take the items and leave happily? Then wait peacefully for him to kick the bucket—how perfect would that be?

Unexpectedly, Wu Yue nodded as well. "Agreeing is fine, but I want you to die now." His voice was flat, yet brooked no argument.

Hearing this, Hou Baiyu wanted to point to the heavens and curse. *Big brother, what is your hurry? He already said he only has seven days left, and that will pass in the blink of an eye. As for whether Monkey keeps the vigil or not, what does that have to do with us? Can you not speak reasonably?*

To Hou Baiyu’s surprise, Lin Ya fell silent for a moment and then actually agreed. "Dying early or dying late is just torture for me anyway." Lin Ya sighed, his aura of a setting sun now undisguised.

"Remember what you promised me. And," Lin Ya looked at Monkey, his gaze profound, "you remember what I said, or the outcome will be miserable." Hearing this, Monkey subconsciously backed away several steps.

"Let my funeral hall be set up right here. Keep the vigil for one hundred days, not a single day less. In the future, every anniversary of my death, if you have the heart, you may come and light an incense stick."

Monkey found himself nodding as if under a spell.

Lin Ya let out a long howl. "I was born without kin or friends, and I never met my master. My first thirty years were wretched, but the following one hundred and ninety-six years were lived as I pleased; I have no regrets. I only hope that in the next life, I can be a cultivator again and continue to seek the Dao!"

At that moment, Wu Yue felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart. Yet, his internal alarm bells were ringing—three hundred ghosts were ready to explode at any moment. One must always be wary of others.

"Seek the Dao!" Lin Ya shouted. His voice transformed into specks of red light, accompanied by black mist. His physical body dissipated. Next was his soul. As a Transcending Mortal cultivator, his soul should have been immensely powerful, but Lin Ya’s soul was unusually transparent, like a candle flame in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Finally, Lin Ya’s soul cast a deep look at everyone before dissipating into the void, heading toward that legendary, unknown destination.