"You killed Marquis Red Blood and his son in Celestial Jade City?" the old man asked again, his voice even.

And yet, as he spoke, an untold number of surrounding buildings were ravaged.

"Who are you?" Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed as he asked in a deep voice.

"He is the Cangnan Empire’s only king with a different surname, the Golden Eagle Saint King." The old man didn’t speak; instead, someone from behind announced his title.

Lin Hao’s eyes twitched.

’So the assassins from Netherworld Hall haven’t shown up, but a king has.’

"That’s right, I’m Lin Hao. I never knew my life was in such high demand. Netherworld Hall wants it, and so do you," Lin Hao said with a smirk.

To his surprise, Xu Jiaying nodded. "To remain so calm and composed at a time like this... you truly have some skill. However, if you think you can use Netherworld Hall to intimidate me, you are sorely mistaken."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Lin Hao’s eyes.

He had said that to remind Xu Jiaying that Netherworld Hall was after his life—killing him would be an offense to them.

But he hadn’t expected Xu Jiaying to be completely unafraid.

This made Lin Hao’s heart sink.

But he soon discovered the situation wasn’t quite so dire.

Xu Jiaying continued, "I will break your limbs and cripple your cultivation. Then I will leave your life for Netherworld Hall."

"Haha! And here I thought you were some formidable figure. Turns out you’re just a piece of shit. If you’re afraid of Netherworld Hall, just say so," Lin Hao roared with laughter, mercilessly mocking Xu Jiaying.

As soon as he said this, every single person who had come with Xu Jiaying had a look of shock on their face.

Lin Hao was likely the first person to ever dare speak to the Saint King that way.

The boy’s audacity was astonishing.

"How dare you!" Startled, the men with Xu Jiaying all shouted in unison and took a step forward.

"That Saint King is at least at the Seventh Layer of the Soul Gathering Realm, and the others are all Soul Gathering Realm experts too. When the time comes, I’ll hold them off. You need to run." Just as Lin Hao was about to speak, Meng Jian’s voice sounded in his ear.

Lin Hao took a step forward, but shook his head.

He couldn’t just abandon a woman and run away by himself. It wasn’t something he could do.

Besides, Lin Hao knew that if he ran, they would undoubtedly take their anger out on Meng Jian. Her chances of survival would be slim.

A peculiar light flickered in Meng Jian’s beautiful eyes. She then turned to Xu Jiaying and said, "Some ’Saint King’ you are. Are all you experts really planning to bully a boy who is only at the Blood Coagulation Realm?"

"And who might you be?" Xu Jiaying asked in a low voice.

He was extremely wary of Meng Jian, as he could tell her cultivation was no weaker than his—it might even be greater.

A Martial Artist with that level of cultivation was definitely not some unknown.

"Who I am isn’t important. What I do know is that if you use your strength to bully the weak and go after Lin Hao, then even with the Cangnan Empire backing you, you are walking a path to certain death."

Xu Jiaying frowned.

"Are you threatening us?" one of his followers demanded.

Meng Jian shook her head. "It’s not a threat. At the Danling Sect, even people from the Jinglian Saint Institute didn’t dare act presumptuously around him. You are not worthy."

"The Jinglian Saint Institute? What the hell is that!"

"Shut your mouth!" Xu Jiaying suddenly roared, startling the man behind him into a stunned silence.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Without a shred of falsehood," Meng Jian nodded.

Xu Jiaying’s expression shifted constantly, a clear sign of his indecision.

As the only king in the Cangnan Empire not of the imperial line, he was one of the men at the apex of power. Of course he knew of the Jinglian Saint Institute’s fearsome reputation.

If Lin Hao was truly connected to the Jinglian Saint Institute, then forget him—even the Monarch of the Cangnan Empire wouldn’t dare touch the boy.

However, the thought of the tragic deaths of his kin made a savage light flare in Xu Jiaying’s eyes.

"Jinglian Saint Institute? Forgive my ignorance, but I’ve never heard of it. All I know is him," Xu Jiaying said, pointing a finger at Lin Hao. "And today, I will cripple him!"

The atmosphere instantly grew taut, ready to snap.

Lin Hao scanned his surroundings, looking for a way to break through.

Suddenly, Lin Hao’s eyes lit up. He saw a familiar face.

A smirk played on his lips. Lin Hao turned to Xu Jiaying and said, "I don’t think it’s that you don’t know what the Jinglian Saint Institute is. I think you just don’t respect it."

"And so what if I don’t? Even if the Institute Head of the Jinglian Saint Institute himself were here today, I still wouldn’t give him any face," Xu Jiaying snarled, a vicious gleam in his eyes.

’This is just some remote backwater,’ he thought. ’It’s impossible for anyone from the Jinglian Saint Institute to be here. No one will ever know I said that.’

The smile on Lin Hao’s face widened, and he began to clap.

"You heard him! This old fellow has no respect for your Jinglian Saint Institute," Lin Hao shouted toward a specific spot, still clapping.

Meng Jian turned her head and saw a youth clad in beast skins, followed by a middle-aged man.

Seeing this youth, the corners of Meng Jian’s lips lifted slightly.

The beast-skin-clad youth was none other than the man from the Jinglian Saint Institute.

As it turned out, this youth from the Jinglian Saint Institute had slipped away from the Danling Sect overnight.

Instead of staying in Cyan Forest Town at the foot of the Danling Sect, he had gone to the nearest city.

He had been resting soundly until a series of rumbles outside startled him awake.

When he went out to look, he saw Lin Hao.

Though wary of Lin Hao’s status, he noticed that the newcomers were there to cause trouble for him, so he quickly hid.

After being utterly humiliated by Lin Hao back at the Danling Sect, he was more than happy to watch Lin Hao suffer.

’As long as Lin Hao doesn’t spot me, everything will be fine.’

That was why, even when he heard someone ask what the hell the Jinglian Saint Institute was, he didn’t reveal himself.

He had been about to find a better hiding spot when, the moment he moved, Lin Hao spotted him.

And on top of that, that old man had dared to insult the Institute Head.

Now, he had no choice but to come out.

Hearing Lin Hao’s words, Xu Jiaying was startled. Then he saw the beast-skin-clad youth appear, and his face fell.

Taking a few steps forward, Xu Jiaying hurriedly bowed with his fists clasped, his expression one of utmost reverence.

Even a king like him could not afford to offend someone from the Jinglian Saint Institute.

SLAP!

Without a word, the beast-skin-clad youth had delivered a resounding slap across Xu Jiaying’s face.

"You’ve got some nerve, old man. To not even respect our Institute Head." The youth’s face was a mask of arrogance.

This slap left all of Xu Jiaying’s followers stunned.

Who was Xu Jiaying? He was the empire’s only king not of the imperial line. It was always him slapping others, not the other way around. And now, someone actually dared to strike him?!

Most importantly, the Saint King didn’t even dare to utter a word in response after being slapped.

’What on earth is this Jinglian Saint Institute?’

’How could it be this powerful?’

Before they could find an answer, the youth’s voice rang out again. "And you lot. Is the Jinglian Saint Institute a name you’re qualified to sully?"

As the youth spoke, his voice was laced with killing intent.

BOOM!

The youth didn’t need to act. Xu Jiaying had already moved.

He struck without hesitation. With a simultaneous movement of both hands, the heads of two of his followers were instantly crushed.

The others were completely dumbfounded.

In that moment of hesitation, Xu Jiaying struck again, killing two more.

"We are all regional marquises, how could you—" one of them began to protest, but was silenced forever before he could finish.

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone.

These were his own vassal lords, yet Xu Jiaying killed them without a second thought. His ruthlessness was appalling.

"They were disrespectful to the Jinglian Saint Institute, so I’ve taken care of them for you." In the blink of an eye, Xu Jiaying had slaughtered every single person who had come with him. He then turned back and said this to the beast-skin-clad youth.

"Good, good." Looking into the king’s calm eyes, the beast-skin-clad youth felt a chill run down his spine and involuntarily took two steps back.

"Is the young master satisfied?" Xu Jiaying asked with a smile, even as one of his cheeks remained bright red from the slap.

Before the youth could speak, another voice cut in. "If we’re talking about disrespect for the Jinglian Saint Institute, your crime is far more serious than theirs. Why don’t you just go die?"

At a time like this, there was only one person who would dare say such a thing: Lin Hao.

Lin Hao saw right through Xu Jiaying’s scheme.

’After being slapped in the face in front of so many people, he would have killed those regional marquises eventually, even if they hadn’t said anything bad about the Jinglian Saint Institute.’

A moment ago, Lin Hao might have been wary of him. But now, Xu Jiaying was all alone, and Meng Jian’s cultivation was no weaker than his. Lin Hao naturally had nothing left to fear.

Hearing Lin Hao’s words, Xu Jiaying’s face froze.

The beast-skin-clad youth, however, was startled. He retreated a few more steps, right to Lin Hao’s side.

Xu Jiaying’s earlier ruthlessness had terrified him. If the king decided to kill him too, he would die with a grievance he couldn’t even voice.

"Young Master, to show my sincerity, I will accompany you to the Jinglian Saint Institute and apologize to the Institute Head in person," Xu Jiaying said, his voice ringing with sincerity.

"There’s no need! The Institute Head wouldn’t trouble himself with a minor figure like you. I’m sure he’ll forgive you," the beast-skin-clad youth said hastily.

’Are you kidding me? If I let him follow, I won’t even know what hit me when I die.’

"You might as well agree to it. No matter how arrogant he is, he wouldn’t dare touch you. With so many people here, do you think he can kill everyone who knows what happened?" Lin Hao shook his head inwardly but patted the youth’s shoulder with a wide grin.

"Huh?" The beast-skin-clad youth paused, his gaze sweeping over Xu Jiaying.

Xu Jiaying immediately lowered his head and clasped his fists.

He had, in fact, considered slaughtering everyone here just a moment ago. But with Meng Jian’s cultivation being no weaker than his own, he knew it was impossible.

Therefore, his earlier offer had been completely sincere.

He could, of course, kill this youth right now, but the Jinglian Saint Institute was simply too powerful. If he did, he feared his entire clan would be slaughtered to the last man by the Saint Institute.

"But, you see, he can’t go with you to the Jinglian Saint Institute anymore."

"Why not?" the youth asked.

"Because he’s about to die," Lin Hao said with a smile.

Before the words had even left his mouth, Xu Jiaying’s figure shot into motion, fleeing toward the city outskirts.

A second figure immediately gave chase—it was Meng Jian.

Strike while the enemy is down.

Now that Xu Jiaying was alone, if Lin Hao didn’t seize this opportunity, he wouldn’t be Lin Hao.

"Excellent idea, Young Master Lin." The beast-skin-clad youth let out a huge sigh of relief and gave Lin Hao a thumbs-up, his expression now full of reverence.

Not far away, many people began to peek out from their hiding places.

When Xu Jiaying had first appeared, they had been so overwhelmed by his aura that they could only hide far away.

But many of them had seen the recent scene with perfect clarity.

A king had been slapped by a youth in beast skins and hadn’t dared to retaliate.

And that same youth was, in turn, incredibly respectful to another young man.

In an instant, everyone’s gaze shifted to secretly glance at Lin Hao.