Lin Haoming watched Ling Shengjie's boiling rage and knew he was standing at a crossroads. One wrong word and he would be separated from his head.
Glancing at Zhou Zhiye's sinister expression, Lin Haoming steeled his heart. He suddenly pointed an accusing finger at Zhou Zhiye and roared, "Zhou! What kind of benefits did Kong Yuanliang give you that you'd dare to come here and deliberately sabotage the relationship between Senior Brother Ling and Senior Sister Xie?"
Zhou Zhiye was blindsided. He didn't expect Lin Haoming, who was seconds away from death, to point at his nose and curse. He stood there, speechless.
Ling Shengjie was also startled. Zhou Zhiye is a plant sent by Kong Yuanliang to ruin my chances with Ruolan?
Among the many pursuers of Xie Ruolan, Ling Shengjie's greatest rival was indeed Kong Yuanliang. Kong was already preparing for Foundation Establishment; if he succeeded first, Ling would be at a massive disadvantage.
Ling Shengjie turned his gaze to Lin Haoming, his tone serious. "What do you mean by that?"
Seeing Ling Shengjie actually listening, the heart that was in Lin Haoming's throat dropped halfway back down, though he remained on high alert. "Isn't it obvious? Senior Sister Xie clearly has feelings for you, Senior Brother. Kong Yuanliang saw his hopes dwindling and, knowing of my existence, intentionally tripped you up! He wanted you to kill me so Senior Sister Xie would hate you forever!"
Lin continued with a pained expression, "Senior Brother Ling, Senior Sister Xie actually cares about you deeply. You know my Ancestor was the one who set her on the path to immortality. After he died, she saw how pitiful I was and gave me this job to settle a karmic debt. She was worried you'd be upset if you knew about me, so she wanted to wait until you both reached Foundation Establishment before explaining. Who knew it would lead to such a misunderstanding? If she knew her kindness toward me caused you to get in trouble, how do you think she'd feel?"
"Is that true?" Ling Shengjie mused. It did seem to make a strange kind of sense.
Lin Haoming pressed his advantage. "Of course! Senior Brother, you don't actually think someone like me—an outer disciple with the messiest spiritual roots—could have anything going on with Senior Sister Xie? Without my Ancestor, I'd barely have reached the late stages of Qi Refining."
Ling Shengjie believed him a bit more. Looking at this guy with zero hope of Foundation Establishment, how could Ruolan ever choose him? He became more convinced that Zhou Zhiye was a pawn sent by Kong Yuanliang.
The way Ling Shengjie looked at Zhou Zhiye changed instantly.
"Senior Brother Ling, he's talking nonsense! I have no relationship with Senior Brother Kong!" Zhou Zhiye shrieked.
"Is that so? Then tell me, why did you tell me Lin Haoming was here? Don't tell me it was just because you have a grudge and wanted to use me as your personal executioner!" Ling Shengjie questioned.
Zhou Zhiye had intended exactly that. Caught in the act, he stammered, "Senior Brother Ling... this... it's true, this kid did offend me, so I... I wanted to find trouble for him!"
"To hell with you! You think Young Master Ling is someone a piece of trash like you can manipulate?" Seeing him admit to the scheme, Ling Shengjie delivered a powerful kick, sending Zhou Zhiye flying out of the cave.
Lin Haoming winced. That kick was devastating; without a Vajra Talisman, he'd be crippled or dead. Zhou Zhiye managed to scramble up—the resilience of a Great Perfection cultivator—but he didn't dare return and fled in disgrace.
---
Becoming an "Eye"
After kicking Zhou out, Ling Shengjie turned back to Lin. "Kid, was what you said about Ruolan true? Does she... really like me?"
Lin Haoming widened his eyes in shock. "Senior Brother Ling! You mean you haven't felt it?"
"Felt what?" Ling asked curiously.
"Like, doesn't she treat you differently than others? For instance, isn't she especially close when she's with you?"
Ling Shengjie thought about it. Xie Ruolan was usually ice-cold to everyone—except Kong Yuanliang. But Lin's words were like honey to his ears. His mood brightened instantly. He patted Lin's shoulder.
"Junior Brother Lin, you're not bad! If you notice anything going on with Ruolan, tell me immediately. I won't mistreat you!"
Lin Haoming knew he was being recruited as a spy. He nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, Senior Brother! If Kong Yuanliang makes a move, I'll let you know!"
"Good. Take this jade plate. If anything happens—especially if Kong Yuanliang comes looking for her—crush it. Within a thousand miles, I'll be here instantly!"
"Rest assured! With me here, I will never let Senior Sister Ruolan fall into Kong Yuanliang's arms!" Lin promised, thumping his chest.
Ling Shengjie was overjoyed. "Good! If you run into trouble, just use my name!"
As Ling Shengjie left, Lin Haoming chuckled inwardly. I promised she wouldn't end up with Kong, but I didn't say she'd end up with you. Dream on.
Lin was drenched in cold sweat. He had survived through pure wit. In this world, only the strongest fist matters, and he needed to get back to his cultivation. However, the very next day, Xie Ruolan appeared.