CHAPTER 573: CHAPTER 552 SECOND UPDATE

Yin He heard the words and rubbed his hands together nervously, his tone casual. It was one thing to say he would firmly hold on, but given a bunch of grown men, with not a single woman in sight in Ghoul Ravine, it was hard for him to believe such words.

However, Elder Can’s words weren’t without reason, and in fact, the advice had proven to be quite useful these past days, especially when he was around Zheng Nianru.

The truth was, when he saw Zheng Nianru no longer wanting to live while in Zheng Capital, he panicked. He admitted that his mind went blank in that moment, even forgetting to stop her. An unprecedented fear paralyzed him, as if the world was crashing down around him and spinning out of control, making everything seem meaningless.

Therefore, as long as Ju Nanyi saved Zheng Nianru, no matter what the condition, he would agree to it—as long as she was alive.

Since she had agreed, the young Yin He understood that this was mostly because he had saved Zheng Congyuan’s life and agreed that she would still be the Empress of Nanzheng State. Her traditionally haughty gaze and every move seemed to demand submission from all her subjects, making the young man subconsciously feel that she must care about her status.

So, when Elder Su urgently reported a problem with the disciples of Ghoul Ravine, Yin He felt as if he was given a breath of fresh air, finally having a valid reason to leave. He didn’t have to stay uncomfortably within the Imperial Palace because he truly didn’t know how to face Zheng Nianru.

"Stop talking nonsense. As long as she is willing to come—" the young man frowned; he didn’t like Elder Can’s tone when talking about Zheng Nianru, subconsciously thinking that Nian Ru wouldn’t appreciate it, and glanced towards Elder Can.

Elder Can immediately felt a shiver run down his back, as if someone was brushing his skin with a feather. Under any other circumstances, this would have felt quite pleasing to Elder Can, but the look in the Young Master’s eyes, unclear yet more frightening than a glaring scowl, was disturbing because one couldn’t predict what the Young Master would do next.

Had he said something wrong?

Elder Can meticulously reviewed what he had said, finding no fault in his own words, yet surely something was amiss.

"Young Master, every word I speak is for your benefit..."

"From now on, you will show her the same respect as you do the Ravine Master," Yin He didn’t feel like listening to his declarations of loyalty and directly addressed the matter at hand; saying it openly left no room for implicit guessing, naturally expecting that everyone in Ghoul Ravine would do the same.

Although she seemed indifferent on the surface, and the maids who followed her were chatterboxes, the young man had firsthand experience that staying by her side was also due to his difference from others.

Elder Can was stunned for a moment. Ravine Master? But he didn’t dare to think further and promptly bowed his head in agreement.

"Let’s go—" Yin He retracted his gaze with satisfaction and walked ahead.

Elder Can paused, confused about their destination. Had the Young Master mentioned where they were going? But Elder Can didn’t dare to ask and simply followed.

After turning the corner door at the great hall, Elder Can finally understood where they were heading. The look on his face grew much more solemn, and he signaled to a disciple at the door to call a few more people.

Upon seeing the Young Master and Elder Can, the disciple immediately unlocked the heavy Black Iron Chain, and the stone stairs leading downward, covered with green-black moss from years of disuse and now messy with recent footprints, was revealed.

The young man’s gaze bore straight into the darkness below where the mid-afternoon light, though not bright, still failed to penetrate the first dozen steps, which seemed to have stolen the daylight, shrouded in pitch blackness.

Elder Can involuntarily took a sharp breath to suppress the discomfort he felt every time he got near this Dungeon, which seemed to affect him even from its vicinity.

Moving swiftly with characteristic decisiveness, the young man walked into the darkness. Faint sounds of the iron chains scraping the ground could be heard before silence fell again.

Turning around, he stopped at a spot where, after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could barely make out a space enclosed by iron bars as thick as arms; the gaps between the bars were even narrower than those of ordinary cells. The interior of the Dungeon was not the dampness one might expect, but rather there was a faint breeze of unknown origin sweeping past his ears.

Without any hurry, Yin He’s gaze rested on the shadowy figure within the Dungeon. Thick black miasma rapidly drained the prisoner’s strength, rendering him immobile, yet it seemed to empower Yin He, who was in his element within the darkness.

The person in the Dungeon seemed to sense the arrival of others, but they too showed no urgency to speak. Instead, from the neighboring cell, the sound of chains being agitated grew louder.

"Yin He, your repayment of kindness with enmity is appalling. If it weren’t for my master, you’d have died in the wilderness long ago," Master Yu Sheng’s voice boomed, even though he could only barely discern the young man’s silhouette.

"Yu Sheng, save your breath," said Master Huo Yi from inside the Dungeon, his tone surprisingly calm.

The young man scoffed disdainfully; he knew much more. He had stormed the stronghold of Qiandao Temple with lightning speed, uncovering some of its secrets; now, the mention of the debt of salvation seemed utterly laughable.

"So, Master Huo Yi, did you truly save me by chance, or did you specifically seek me out?" the young man asked. Master Yu Sheng was startled, not quite understanding the implication behind the question.

Master Huo Yi remained silent, the tense atmosphere thickening palpably, and Elder Can too looked at his own Young Master with some bewilderment.

"Master Huo Yi, if I’m not mistaken, you divined that the chosen one was me, correct?" Yin He slowly began, "That’s why you sent so many to stop me at the Northern Border."

Elder Can suddenly felt excited. The chosen one? Bah, they in Ghoul Ravine didn’t believe in such things, thankfully neither did the Young Master.

Then, Master Huo Yi finally looked up. Although he couldn’t see the Young Master’s face clearly, he could discern the unbridled arrogance in his voice.

"Originally, I believed I could gradually change you, to at least provide the world with a reliable person," Master Huo Yi said with regret. Unfortunately, when he found the person, he realized his mistake; the young man’s obstinacy and malevolence were innate. That intrinsic power, which connected directly to the supernatural, had eroded all his conscience. In his eyes, human life was never regarded as more than insect life—easily crushed and dismissed.

Therefore, Master Huo Yi made a decisive move, hoping to use the young man’s remaining conscience to alter the course of events.

But as it turned out, human plans couldn’t match the fates. When Master Huo Yi’s forces from the North Border Qiandao Temple couldn’t stop Yin He and countless young lives failed to change destiny, he knew the situation was beyond redemption.

Yet, Master Huo Yi wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

"Yin He, we have, after all, the bond of master and disciple, and even though I had my purposes, my conscience is clear. Now I also have a word of clear conscience to advise you: the Spells you cultivate must not continue, or it will bring disaster upon the people of the world."