"Perhaps that's the case. The big shots haven't spoken yet. If it's not possible, then it should be possible."
"Your Great Xia is so hypocritical. When our Sakura Country's mercenaries died, your big shots didn't even spare a glance. Why do you need to save people now?"
"Exactly, it's truly disheartening."
"Nonsense, were your mercenaries protecting your country or ours? You were fighting for yourselves. If your own people are incompetent, who can you blame?"
"Ultimately, it's a matter of skill. This applies to both your Sakura Country and your Anbei family."
...
Inside the tomb.
"Alright, I can only say I'll try, but I can't guarantee I can bring them back successfully, so..."
Zhou Lin said with some difficulty.
"Okay, thank you."
Captain Zhao couldn't bear to see his brother disappear just like that. Now, with even a sliver of hope, he wouldn't give up easily.
Zhou Lin looked at the queen in the portrait, his eyes widening even more than before. Finally, he took out a lighter from his pocket.
"Step back, don't come near me."
After speaking, Zhou Lin set the portrait ablaze.
Everyone watched as Zhou Lin burned the portrait, and they were stunned. Would this work?
"Hand over the people."
Zhou Lin, seeing the portrait burn, shouted in anger.
He remembered that those two mercenaries hadn't given up on notifying them until the very end. People like them shouldn't be in trouble.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
However, the empty palace only echoed Zhou Lin's response, with no other sounds emerging.
"You won't hand them over?"
Seeing that the portrait was almost completely burned and still no one spoke, Zhou Lin walked to another portrait on the side and set it alight again.
"This is my last bit of patience. If you don't release my people, I'll burn down this Jiaofang Palace."
Zhou Lin's lips curled into a cold smile as he watched the flames on the portrait falter.
"Heh..."
Zhou Lin sneered, muttering incantations.
"Sea of Fire Funeral."
A wall of fire appeared before Zhou Lin, its heat terrifying as it began to push towards the portrait opposite.
"Stop..."
Suddenly, an enraged roar echoed from above.
"You dare... you dare to touch my life's work?"
The woman in the portrait suddenly spoke, but it was a man's voice.
"Your life's work? Then what about my people? Release our people immediately, or else..."
Zhou Lin's voice was filled with threat, and the wall of fire beside him advanced another step.
"You dare..."
The man's voice was furious.
Huo Qi and the Professor of Metaphysics beside him felt that the world was truly terrifying. Could one actually threaten ghosts? They had always seen ghosts threatening others.
Had the roles reversed this time?
"Old man, I think strength is very important. Your school's principal is truly far-sighted, having recruited him early."
Huo Qi truly felt that the principal of this academy was amazing. If he hadn't acted so early, he would never have allowed Zhou Lin to join their academy.
"Hmph, that's called discerning talent. You are not fated for him."
The Professor of Metaphysics felt a surge of pride. This was destiny.
It couldn't be forced.
Meanwhile, the mercenaries and students watching Zhou Lin felt that Professor Zhou Lin was incredibly dashing.
Zhou Lin's angry roar left the man on the other side speechless, and he finally softened his tone slightly.
"You should know what the Queen's eyes are for, you..."
Before the man in the portrait could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Zhou Lin's scoff.
"The Queen's eyes are the eyes that lead to hell, but that's the Queen. What are your eyes? Do you really think your eyes are like the Queen's?"
"What are you? Hand over my people immediately, or else..."
Zhou Lin's wall of fire pressed closer.
"You... you're pushing too hard! Believe it or not, I'll kill you all."
The Queen on the other side opened and closed her mouth, a hint of gritted teeth in her voice.
"You can try. Do you think you can compare to us, having come this far?"
After speaking, Zhou Lin pushed the wall of fire closer. The portrait that was speaking was already scorched, as if flames would erupt at any moment.
"You... stop."
Just then—
Another portrait angrily roared again.
Zhou Lin showed no mercy, continuing to push the wall of fire and setting the portrait ablaze.
Zhou Lin's expression darkened. Those who saw the aura behind him felt a sense of dread.
The mercenaries and students behind him watched Zhou Lin's back and couldn't help but swallow. Professor Zhou Lin was truly terrifying at this moment.
In the livestream.
"Holy crap, Zhou Lin is so handsome and awesome at this moment."
"The big boss has a different demeanor when he's greedy, but I truly love this look of his."
"Ah... my idol, my man. This is the man I should marry. Responsible, secure, and with extraordinary skills. Damn, this is the man I want most."
"Oh, I can't say more. This is exactly what I want."
"That's a person, not a thing. And that man is mine."
"Pah, he's mine."
"Are you Great Xia people crazy?"
"Shut up, you have no right to speak here."
...
In the dean's conference room.
"Can Zhou Lin really do this?"
Professor Wen also hoped that Zhou Lin could rescue the people, but was it possible?
"I think he can. Zhou Lin is right about one thing: the Queen's eyes lead to hell, but these things might not. If anyone could have eyes like the Queen's, wouldn't it be chaos?"
The dean said slowly, sitting to the side.
"I agree. Professor Zhou Lin might be planning this, to threaten the painter. For a painter, these paintings are the most precious."
"I agree too."
"Me too."
The professors and experts on the side echoed these sentiments after hearing them.
Inside the tomb.
Zhou Lin was about to set another painting ablaze when he heard the painter's furious roar.
"Stop! If you dare to proceed, I'll kill you."
The painter was hopping mad.
Zhou Lin seemed not to hear him, continuing to attack the portrait with his flames.
"I am informing you, not negotiating with you. Release the people immediately, or else... your paintings will suffer the same fate."
Zhou Lin said slowly after hearing the painter's voice.
His tone was unreadable, but Zhou Lin was already on the verge of exploding with rage.
"I'll release them, I'll release them."
The painter finally said through gritted teeth.
He then watched as a portrait began to emit a white light, spitting out two people from within.