Primordial Emperor
Chapter 996: Burn Bridges After Crossing, Killed?

Chapter 996: Chapter 996: Burn Bridges After Crossing, Killed?

"Xiao Tian, remove your claws and let me have a look," Lin Chen ordered, his gaze fixed on the sharp claws of the Sky Howling Demon Wolf.

On hearing this command, a tinge of panic flickered in the heart of the Sky Howling Demon Wolf, but it dared not disobey Lin Chen’s order and promptly retracted its claws, revealing the gruesomely injured Zhou Xiaoyun underneath.

"Young Master, you finally arrived!"

Zhou Xiaoyun extricated himself from the dirt, and on beholding Lin Chen, he was nearly brought to tears.

As a Heavenly Pride of the Red Soul Hall, he had his own dignity and pride, but in front of the Sky Howling Demon Wolf, all of that had been stripped away.

The treatment he received from the Sky Howling Demon Wolf was even more agonizing than death itself.

Zhou Xiaoyun wanted to pour out his suffering to Lin Chen, but then reconsidered, reminding himself that he was just a new subordinate to Lin Chen and couldn’t be compared to the Sky Howling Demon Wolf in Lin Chen’s heart.

If he voiced his grievances, Lin Chen might become even more biased towards the Sky Howling Demon Wolf. Why invite trouble upon himself?

"What has happened?"

"Xiao Tian, this is Zhou Xiaoyun, who has now sworn allegiance to me. Why have you treated him this way? Did he not tell you that he is under my command?" Lin Chen inquired, his eyes on the Sky Howling Demon Wolf, with a slight frown on his face.

The Sky Howling Demon Wolf, upon hearing this, felt a pang of guilt.

"He seemed to have mentioned something, but the wind was too strong, I didn’t hear it clearly," it said.

"This guy turns out to be Big Brother’s subordinate, not a Demon Cultivator spy, why didn’t he tell me earlier," it reflected.

Zhou Xiaoyun, upon hearing this, was so furious he felt like his lungs might explode.

Li Ziyue and Deng Yue, standing to the side, were left speechless by the Sky Howling Demon Wolf’s barefaced shamelessness.

Zhou Xiaoyun had clearly stated multiple times that he was a subordinate to Lin Chen, but it was the Sky Howling Demon Wolf who persistently believed him to be a spy from the Red Soul Hall and had attacked him.

"You’re making up nonsense! I told you countless times that I am a follower of the Young Master, sworn to his cause; it was you who stubbornly thought I was a spy from the Red Soul Hall, and you attacked me," Zhou Xiaoyun protested.

"Young Master, if you hadn’t arrived in time, I would probably have lost my life," he said and immediately regretted it, for Lin Chen might not stand up for him.

Upon hearing Zhou Xiaoyun’s words full of anger, Lin Chen considered the matter, knowing the Sky Howling Demon Wolf’s nature—stubborn and shameless—as clear as the palm of his hand.

If he hadn’t shown up in time, the Sky Howling Demon Wolf might indeed have played Zhou Xiaoyun to death.

Yet, in Zhou Xiaoyun’s view, even if he were to be played to death by the Sky Howling Demon Wolf, Lin Chen might not even care.

"He did not listen to your explanation?" Lin Chen asked, looking over Zhou Xiaoyun with a light tone.

Although the Sky Howling Demon Wolf was more important to Lin Chen, now that Zhou Xiaoyun had followed him, he naturally could not let him suffer too much grievance.

Zhou Xiaoyun’s spirits lifted at Lin Chen’s inquiry.

That Lin Chen had actually asked about the matter was unexpected. It seemed Lin Chen did not completely disregard him and was not totally biased towards the Sky Howling Demon Wolf.

Zhou Xiaoyun then recounted all the mistreatment he had just suffered at the paws of the Sky Howling Demon Wolf.

After listening, Lin Chen couldn’t help but sigh.

"In this case, it was Xiao Tian who was wrong. Its temperament has always been like this. Tell me, how do you think it should compensate you?" Lin Chen asked, his eyes settling on Zhou Xiaoyun.

The Sky Howling Demon Wolf had already done the deed, and talking about other things now was pointless, so the only option left for Lin Chen was to compensate Zhou Xiaoyun.

As for dealing with the Sky Howling Demon Wolf, those matters would naturally need to be taken care of later, but now was not the time.

"Actually, there is no need for a real compensation—just its sincere attitude and acknowledgment that I am no longer a Demon Cultivator of the Red Soul Hall. Since I’ve decided to follow you, Master, my loyalty lies nowhere else," Zhou Xiaoyun said, looking at Lin Chen with a feeling of relief at having made the right choice to follow him, someone who would inquire about his well-being and not unconditionally side with the Sky Howling Demon Wolf.

On hearing this, Lin Chen turned his gaze towards the Sky Howling Demon Wolf.

The Sky Howling Demon Wolf, realizing what was expected, honestly approached Zhou Xiaoyun and openly acknowledged him.

Afterward, the three of them gathered and shared their own experiences in the Grey Marsh Plain.

Regarding the events deep within the plain that they all enquired about, Lin Chen recounted truthfully but did not mention anything about the Dark Qilin and Soul-Cleaving Blade’s possession of Xiao Changkong, as it involved too many implications and Lin Chen preferred to avoid unnecessary troubles.

Lin Chen informed the trio of the deaths of Xue Qing, Li Chu, and Mu Qingxue, which shocked them deeply, especially Zhou Xiaoyun who was well aware of Xue Qing’s strength—and yet he had fallen.

Zhou Xiaoyun vaguely guessed that their deaths were probably related to the massive outburst of energy from deep within the plain. But since Lin Chen did not mention it, he refrained from probing further.

Their hearts heavy, they lamented that a powerful figure like Xue Qing had met his end here.

Entering the plain, he likely never anticipated encountering such a situation.

With Xue Qing’s Talent, had he not met his demise, he surely would have become a dominant figure in the future. Alas, many Heavenly Prides often suffer premature fates.

Subsequently, the group began to share the clues they had each discovered over the past ten days and realized that Xiao Changkong, Wuyan, Gong Siyuan, and others were dead. On the side of the Red Soul Hall, aside from Zhou Xiaoyun who had sworn fealty to Lin Chen, it seemed as though the rest had been utterly decimated.

As for whether the Divine Flame Alliance had further casualties, there was still no news.

"Let’s search for each other, without wandering too far apart. Find them and then regroup immediately," Lin Chen suggested to the others before they dispersed to search for the other members of the Divine Flame Alliance.

Lin Chen had a nagging feeling that this trip into the plain was anything but straightforward. After Li Ziyue, Deng Yue, and Zhou Xiaoyun left, the Sky Howling Demon Wolf slowly approached Lin Chen and gazed at him with a mysterious look.

"Boss, what about that girl? Did you cross the river and demolish the bridge, did you get her killed?" the Sky Howling Demon Wolf inquired.