The man waved his hand, signaling for the harem to move back. He walked alone to the sled, untied the ropes securing the dogs, drove away the three foolish Samoyeds, and drew a blade from behind him.
Gu Jianlin maintained the rhythm of his breathing technique, feeling his spirituality gradually filling up. He became alert.
Although the Charming Ladies were often sweet and naive, their husbands had to be human.
After the man briefly understood the situation, he stared at the boy on the sled and asked in a deep voice, "I know you might not be able to speak right now, but you must answer my question. Are you from the Ether Association or the You Ying Group, or some other third-party faction? If you're with the Ether Association, blink once. If you're with the You Ying Group, blink twice. If you're from another faction, blink three times."
Gu Jianlin decisively blinked three times.
Only an idiot would admit to being from the Ether Association or the You Ying Group.
Those two factions were constantly battling openly and in secret.
And with the melodramatic feud between Qing and Chi, exposing your identity was asking for trouble.
"You're lying."
The man suddenly noticed his breathing and his expression changed sharply: "Breathing Technique!"
It was as if he had suddenly sobered up. His gaze revealed a terrifying killing intent. He drew a tachi from his waist, its blade flashing with a chilling light, and without hesitation, slashed down!
At the critical moment, the shadow behind Gu Jianlin quivered, and the spirituality stored within him suddenly evaporated!
The shadow condensed out of thin air, abruptly pulling a dagger from the boy's waist to block the strike!
Clang!
The clash of blades sent sparks flying.
Ripples spread through the void.
Crack!
The dagger held by the shadow was broken by the slash, leaving a pitch-black mark as the void was torn apart!
The opponent was also on the Ghost Slayer path, and his rank far surpassed Gu Jianlin's!
"Two people? No, that's not right!"
The man was stunned. Just as he was about to swing his blade again, the ripples in space spread once more.
The shadow used space jump to reach the boy, picked him up, and prepared to escape.
In an internal battle between Ghost Slayers, the stronger party typically dominates.
If their rank is higher than yours, it's almost impossible to turn the tables.
Both sides using Dimension Slash won't cancel each other out. The stronger will naturally tear through the weaker.
The shadow was at Third Rank.
The opponent was of a higher rank and certainly capable of using Space Freeze.
Once that technique was unleashed, death would be inevitable.
After just one strike, the man looked down at the broken dagger that had fallen to the ground and was shocked.
"Wait, don't run!"
Gu Jianlin ignored him. Controlling the shadow, he pulled a bottle of Blue Blood from his bag and poured it down his throat.
Spirituality immediately surged back.
Unfortunately, there were no living beings nearby, preventing him from using Divine Sacrificial Fire to heal.
"What is your relationship with Mr. Gu? Why do you have his dagger? How is he?"
The man space-jumped abruptly. In an instant, he landed in front of Gu Jianlin.
Too fast!
Both sides had used Divine Speed Force and space jump.
But the disparity between them was massive.
Gu Jianlin was startled; this rank had to be at least Fifth Rank, maybe even Sixth Rank!
Just because the man could recognize Old Gu's dagger didn't mean he was an ally.
Without hesitation, Gu Jianlin adjusted his breathing rhythm. A cold moonlight poured out like a flood: Realm of Freedom!
Boom!
Unexpectedly, the man's reaction was incredibly swift. He abruptly jumped above Gu Jianlin, avoiding the domain of the Realm of Freedom. His breathing rhythm changed as well, seemingly preparing something, shouting: "Calm down! If you're one of Old Gu's people, then I'm not your enemy. I am a member of the Night Watchers!"
As he spoke, he recited a series of cryptic codes.
What the hell!
Of course, Gu Jianlin didn't understand. The Old Gu he had imagined was just as confused.
Because the knowledge didn't match.
Gu Jianlin still didn't believe him. If not for the fear of drawing the Kui Dragon Ancestor, he would have already initiated the Ancient God Transformation.
At that moment, the man scrutinized his face and suddenly seemed to realize something. He yelled: "Night Watchers, Serial Number S25487, Codename Crimson! My name is Lin Lan!"
Lin Lan!
Gu Jianlin controlled the shadow and forcefully stopped his retreat. He looked back at the man, his expression stoic, and said: "Tell me, where did Gu Ci'an hide his stash of private money?"
Lin Lan was visibly stunned: "How the hell should I know? Old Gu actually had private money? That scoundrel always said he deposited everything in the Swiss Bank for his son's wedding and housing costs!"
This was real.
Gu Jianlin let out a relieved sigh. He retracted the shadow.
"Finally found you."
He plopped down in the icy snow and softly said: "Lin Lan, a direct descendant of the Lin Family, former Night Watchers member, teammate of Gu Ci'an and Mu Feng. Hah, you're really something. Your sister risked her life searching for you, and here you are, hiding out with your harem of Charming Ladies."
The Charming Ladies exchanged bewildered glances, frozen in place.
Lin Lan's expression changed completely when he heard his sister's name. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the boy's shoulders, anxiously asking: "What did you just say? You said my sister? Who are you?"
Gu Jianlin smiled faintly: "My name is Gu Jianlin. Your sister is Lin Wanqiu, isn't she? She's currently my Guardian. She should be in Balensa City or on her way to the Sea of Eternal Life."
Lin Lan froze completely.
"How could she possibly find me? Damn it, before the mission, I stored secret files with her. She must have deciphered the Night Watchers' encrypted data and tracked down the symbols I left behind."