Chapter 445: The Grand Competition Begins


    “What? They want to close off the entire city?”


    “How does this concern us? We’re not part of it.”


    “The Li Family is being too domineering, aren’t they?”


    ···


    Li Kaishan’s decision to lock down the city has stirred up discontent among many of the outer city residents, causing them to raise voices of protest.


    Suddenly, several beams of light streaked across the sky above, exterminating all those who had voiced their dissatisfaction, leaving several piles of shattered flesh on the streets.


    “Is there anyone else who objects?” Li Kaishan’s cold and merciless voice echoed, as he stood above in the sky, maintaining the array and coldly watching the scene below.


    All dissenting voices disappeared. Although many were still angry, Li Kaishan was being excessively dominant. He simply killed anyone who expressed dissatisfaction, leaving them no room for negotiation.


    Everyone knew that the Li Family was furious this time, intending to find the poisoner at any cost.


    At this time, Fang Lin was indeed still in Donglin City.<div>


    He wanted to watch thest poisoned member of the Li Family die. Only then would he feel a slight relief.


    As for his current predicament, Fang Lin was not worried. He had means to protect himself, and he did not fear even if the entire Donglin City was covered under the array.


    A rigorous investigation wasunched. Be it anyone located in the city, all had to undergo the investigation.


    Anyone deemed suspicious would be dragged out into the street for Li Kaishan to interrogate personally. Any ounce of suspicion would result in immediate execution.


    This scenario stirred fear and anxiety among many, resulting in a gradual build-up of panic.


    Fang Lin too, faced questioning, but he managed to go unnoticed.


    One day, a dismal shriek came from the inner city. Hearing this noise, Li Kaishan’s face drastically changed and he immediately entered the inner city.


    Many people heard this shriek, leading to various spections.


    Fang Lin knew, at this moment, thest strongman of the Li Family in the inner city should be nearing his end.


    Just as he anticipated, when Li Kaishan arrived at the inner city, he saw thest surviving Li family’s elite warrior in Donglin City cruelly twisted in agony and death.


    Bang!


    Enraged, Li Kaishan stomped the ground, shattering the surface. He was as furious as an enraged lion.


    The Li Family’s Pill Refiners shook their heads in sigh. They had done their best, but they were just not capable enough, and deeply experienced a sense of helplessness.


    The Li Family’s branch in Donglin City was now fully exterminated, sparing only a few Li family members who were away on business.


    The corpses were lined up on the streets of the inner city, with faces distorted in pain and eyes wide open in death.


    The grandeur of the inner city was now gone, the atmosphere gloomy and lifeless.


    The source of the deadly poison, the inner city’s water supply, had also been sealed off. Everyone was afraid to approach it, fearing contagion of the dreadful poison.


    “Search! Even if there’s the slightest suspicion, arrest anyone who has ever been to the inner city. Don’t let even one get away!” Li Kaishan raged, intensifying the investigation, resolved to hold onto the principle of ‘better to arrest wrongly than to let go’.


    As such, the panic in the outer city escted severely. Many citizens had set foot into the inner city before. Would everyone be suspected then? Would everyone be arrested?<div>


    Li Kaishan returned to the sky above the outer city, his eyes brimming with a murderous aura as he watched every silhouette below. Wishing to avoid causing a wave of rm, a part of him yearned to kill every single person in the outer city to satiate his vengeance.


    Of course, if he were to act on this, the Li Family would undoubtedly be denounced by all and be themon enemy of all forces in Qian Country.


    As a new round of more severe searches began, Fang Lin had already left Donglin City quietly using the Lotus Holder.


    Just as he’d never set foot in Donglin City, after leaving he returned to Gushui Town.<div>


    Fang Yang and Elder Ge were still in Gushui Town. The Fang Family’s funeral had concluded, and the Fang Family was no more.


    Upon his return to Gushui Town, Fang Lin visited the newly erected memorials, bowing his head in respect to each of the ques.


    “Rest in peace, I have avenged your deaths”, Fang Lin silently reassured.


    Elder Ge gave Fang Lin a peculiar look from the side. With the ring situation in Donglin City and Fang Lin’s absence during this period, Elder Ge naturally connected Fang Lin to the situation in Donglin City.


    But, Elder Ge didn’t ask anything further. He knew well that with the tense situation between the Li family and Purple Mist Sect, some matters were best left untouched to rot inside one’s stomach.


    After everything was settled, Fang Lin sought to return to the Purple Mist Sect. However, Fang Yang decided to stay in Gushui Town to mourn for the Fang Family for a year before returning to the Purple Mist Sect.


    Fang Lin didn’t dissuade him. If he didn’t have other important matters to attend to and couldn’t stay, he too would have chosen to mourn for a period. After all, the cmity that befell the Fang Family originated because of him, and he always felt guilty about it.


    Fang Yang stayed inside the Fang Family’s memorial hall, not mourning for just one year, but for twenty. He spent his prime years here.


    Twenty yearster, times had changed. Fang Yang married and had a son, continuing the bloodline of the Fang Family.


    Of course, that’s another story.


    On his way back to the Purple Mist Sect with Elder Ge, Fang Lin was summoned by Han Luoyun.


    Upon meeting Han Luoyun, Fang Lin didn’t hide anything. He exined everything he did in Donglin City and took the initiative to apologize.


    Han Luoyun didn’t me Fang Lin, but just patted his shoulder.<div>


    “If you harbor resentment in your heart, naturally you need to vent. No matter what you’ve done, as long as it didn’t vite morals and principles, you’re still my disciple, Han Luoyun’s disciple, and the Purple Mist Sect will always stand by your side,” said Han Luoyun.


    Fang Lin was quite moved. After all, in this event, the Purple Mist Sect took the me for him. Everyone in Qian Country thought that the Purple Mist Sect was behind it, not knowing that it was actually Fang Lin himself.


    Upon his return to the Pill Sect, Fang Lin sequestered himself in his room for three days, avoiding everyone.


    He needed some time to calm himself down. Both the misfortune that befell the Fang Family and the extermination of the Li Family branch had left him emotionally unsettled.


    However, it only took him three days to regain hisposure.


    With the tri-nationpetition getting closer with each passing day, less than a month to go, Fang Lin devoted all his energy towards it. Even though he was only participating as a substitute, he wanted to be fully prepared. After all, Han Xiaoxing’s eyes hadn’t fully recovered and he might be needed to substitute for a match or two.


    A monthter, this spotlight-stealing tri-nationpetition was finally approaching.