Huai Yin looked up at the sky and said softly, "The red Heaven's Punishment is indeed impressive. Although I've successfully freed myself from its constraints, I've only managed to block it with a portion of my power. Before I die, I don't have to worry about it, but it still makes me the weakest I've been in two hundred years."
Gu Jianlin was worried, and then he heard his teacher's next words.
"You also know that the Candle Dragon Venerable has returned to Buzhou Mountain, the Vermilion Bird Venerate is said to descend again, Bai Ze Venerable is about to awaken from slumber, and the whereabouts of Xuanming Venerable are unknown, yet there's a Qilin Venerable nearby."
Huai Yin said seriously, "If a Supreme comes to kill the teacher, you must protect him well!"
Gu Jianlin was silent for a long time, beginning to question whether his choice was correct.
Huai Yin chuckled, "Don't panic, there's still some time before these guys revive, enough for you to grow. Actually, do you know? This world, it's been meticulously designed."
Gu Jianlin frowned, "Including the Extraordinary World?"
"Yes, you only need to remember this sentence, because to this day I haven't found exact evidence, it's just that the higher I search, the more I feel the sense of design. Chi and I are the only ones who discovered this because we think everything humanity has today was prepared for us in advance."
Gu Jianlin's pupils trembled. Though the old man's tone was as casual as ever, it left him exceptionally bewildered.
A chill even crept into the depths of his heart.
"Just keep it in mind; we don't have concrete evidence right now."
Huai Yin said, "Chi and I won't start a revolution over this. Although we've both discovered The Order of the Hidden's existence, what they truly intend is still unknown. We can't prove whether they're beneficial or harmful to humanity. We just intuitively feel they must be pests."
"Back then, their methods were more secretive, not keen on expanding their influence. Perhaps only people on the level of Tianzhou and Xingye had the qualifications to join them. Councilman Zhang was barely adequate, while Director Li was nowhere near qualified. As for Jing Shangxiu, he was just a disposable pawn."
Huai Yin sneered, "At that time, there wasn't an obvious mark like the Penglai Ascension Array. Even if you knew someone was a member of The Order of the Hidden, there was nothing you could do about it."
Gu Jianlin understood, "So you turned against this world because of that."
"Yes, I want to kill them because they provoked me first. Just like how you found out your father was framed because of The Order of the Hidden. I can't stand this; I refuse to live in a cocoon of information woven by others, to have my life controlled."
Huai Yin's eyes grew reminiscent, "But the more I resisted, the more I investigated, the more terrifying it became. The Order of the Hidden's infiltration is dreadful, reaching almost every corner of this world."
He paused, "It's not just a simple game of catching traitors; it's a process where you must stand alone against this world."
"Let me ask you, if one day you discover that Youzhu's father is a member of The Order of the Hidden, what would you do?"
"If, while investigating, you find that Lu Zicheng is actually a member of The Order of the Hidden, what would you do?"
"If, in the end, you find out your senior brother is the mastermind behind The Order of the Hidden, what decision would you make?"
Gu Jianlin was struck with horror.
"Don't panic. It's just a metaphor."
Huai Yin waved his hand, "But you should understand what I mean."
Gu Jianlin was silent for a long time and suddenly understood his teacher's difficulties.
With a simple sentence, he spoke of the joys and sorrows of this world, the pain and struggle of being toyed with by fate.
"If you keep investigating, there will come a day when you will face the same situation I did back then. It might not be Youzhu, but someone else; even your beloved family or brothers."
Huai Yin said, "And you are destined not to be understood, for that is the price of clarity, the burden of bearing the weight of the world. You were born different, destined to endure the gaze of others."
Gu Jianlin said softly, "I've learned."
"I know with your character, you'll never back down. I just hope you can do better than I did back then, find a different solution, and not suffer like I did," Huai Yin said self-deprecatingly.
Gu Jianlin felt inexplicably complex, and asked, "To this day, you still can't let go?"
"What are you saying? I'm human too. I have loved ones, brothers, comrades-in-arms,"
Huai Yin sighed, "But after killing so many, I can't stop anymore."
Gu Jianlin never experienced his teacher's life.
But from his eyes, one could glimpse the struggles and choices.
No wonder this old man never rushed to formally take him as an apprentice.
Previously, he only taught him some skills, using his own prestige to watch over him.
In fact, the King of Qing was also hesitating about whether to let him walk this path.
"No matter what, I will keep investigating."
Gu Jianlin said word by word, "Black is black, white is white."
Huai Yin smiled slightly, "Not bad, it wasn't in vain to hand you the Lock of Nonexistence and Soul Comforting Bell."
Gu Jianlin's footsteps halted, his eyes full of astonishment.
"Why so surprised? Didn't the Joker tell you, before he died, someone saved him?"
Huai Yin smiled faintly, "The Ether Association still has no idea how the Joker obtained the Lock of Nonexistence and the Soul Comforting Bell. Just a first-order Magician, surprisingly inept. In fact, I specifically retrieved them from the Qilin Immortal Palace and handed them to the Ether Association. At the time, these two Mythical Weapons hadn't been identified yet."
Gu Jianlin was taken aback, hurriedly asking, "Teacher, were you present at the Blood Moon Slaughter Incident?"
Huai Yin gave a sound of assent, "Yes."
Inside, Gu Jianlin's heart was a storm of emotions, choked with unspoken words.
"I can tell you very clearly, the culprit who caused the Blood Moon Slaughter Incident was exactly like your father, and also possessed the abilities of a Sixth-tier Sky Master. Even I was stunned then."
Huai Yin knew what he was thinking and said with emotion, "It was just that when I was puzzled, I suddenly felt the aura of the Vermilion Bird Clan. It was the Ancient God's Breath emanating from the Ghost Car Ancestor."
He continued, "Your senior brother and I intended to save your father."
Gu Jianlin, overwhelmed by fierce emotions, murmured, "And then?"
"In that instant, a dimensional turbulence occurred, preventing us from manipulating space-time anymore."
Huai Yin said expressionlessly, "We were just five minutes late, the battle was already over."
Gu Jianlin gradually accepted reality, taking a deep breath, "So when the Ghost Car Ancestor appeared, he had already accounted for you and your senior brother's existence. It was premeditated, wasn't it?"
Huai Yin shook his head, his eyes filled with an indescribable mix of regret and reflection.
"So, you've always been watching over me?"
"Except when Li Changzhi happened, we were dealing with other matters, otherwise we were watching."
Huai Yin gave a nod, "The Lock of Nonexistence and Soul Comforting Bell were specially prepared for you."
Gu Jianlin felt an unexpected emotional stir, realizing his teacher had planned everything.
At this moment, two shadows appeared in the grocery store ahead.
"Boss, where the hell is this? Why can't we get out?"
Butcher wasn't too flustered, rummaging through the store and even finding a bottle of beer and a bag of sausages, eating and drinking without worry, "Gu, not coming back, got caught up in something perhaps?"
Su Youzhu sat obediently on the chair, hands folded over her dress, coldly saying, "Shut up, don't mess with the store's things, are you mad? You won't even know how you die later if you do."
"What's wrong with eating something?"
Butcher, ever the nerve, "Not like I'm not paying."
Gu Jianlin wheeled himself into the store.
Huai Yin's smile broadened.
Su Youzhu, seeing the teacher and student return, slapped the sausage out of the brute's hand and stood up respectfully.
Huai Yin chuckled, "Xiao Lin, you have quite a few girls by your side, haven't you? How long has it been and you've already switched to a new one?"
Gu Jianlin felt his scalp tingle, questioning how this teacher could speak in such a manner.
What an ominous educator.
Clearly, upon hearing this, a frost spread across Su Youzhu's face, and her gaze towards him grew cold.
Butcher scratched his head and said casually, "Brother Gu, who the hell is this old man?"
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