READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 190: Just Because I Saw You in the Crowd
Chapter 190: Just Because I Saw You in the Crowd
Just because I saw you in the crowd, I couldn’t forget your face.
This sentiment perfectly captures the moment when Xie Yuyan of the Joyful Union Sect first saw Lin Fengmian during the recruitment in Ning City.
At that fleeting glance, Xie Yuyan mistakenly believed that Lin Fengmian had some connection to the Heavenly Grace Dynasty and brought him back.
The Joyful Union Sect was located in the Heavenly Grace Dynasty and was a member of the dynasty.
Shangguan Yuqiong was also surprised when she met Lin Fengmian for the first time, but she did not dare to act rashly.
After all, the conflicts within the dynasty’s royal family were not to be taken lightly, and one misstep could lead to a catastrophic disaster.
Therefore, she instructed Xie Yuyan to place Lin Fengmian on Green Leek Peak like the other recruits, and make sure that no one would harm him.
Later, after Shangguan Yuqiong conducted a thorough investigation, she discovered that Lin Fengmian had no connection to the Heavenly Grace Dynasty at all.
It seemed to be a mere coincidence.
This made Shangguan Yuqiong feel quite depressed.
She had thought that she could use Lin Fengmian to gain some advantage, or at least curry favor with the Heavenly Grace Dynasty.
Who knew that it would turn out to be a futile effort?
Looking at Lin Fengmian’s face, which bore a striking resemblance to Jun Wuxie, Shangguan Yuqiong was reluctant to give up so easily.
Although Jun Wuxie’s talent was average, his status within the Heavenly Grace Dynasty was quite special, and he was highly regarded.
According to rumors, he had been favored by Empress Feng Yao of the Junyan Empire, the overlord of the Heavenly Grace Dynasty, who said that he resembled someone she knew from the past.
Because of this single remark, Jun Wuxie, despite his average talent, attained an extraordinary status and was even admitted to the Heavenly Fiend Hall of the Northern Abyss.
After all, Empress Feng Yao was the Empress of the Junyan Empire and one of the Eight Sages of the Northern Abyss.
In the face of internal and external pressure, Shangguan Yuqiong and Xie Yuyan, who had brought Lin Fengmian back, both thought of replacing Jun Wuxie with Lin Fengmian.
Everything else could be handled, including the restrictions and bloodline curses placed on Jun Wuxie, but the bloodline itself could not be changed.
The Joyful Union Sect had to abandon this plan, or else the revelation might lead to the sect’s destruction.
Thus, Lin Fengmian became a useless but indispensable burden to the Joyful Union Sect, and was left to languish on Green Leek Peak.
For three years, he was forgotten by almost everyone in the Joyful Union Sect.
Especially after Xie Yuyan, who brought Lin Fengmian back, went into a life and death retreat, no one cared about Lin Fengmian anymore.
Unaware of this, Zhao Ningzhi, upon Liu Mei’s reminder, discovered Lin Fengmian, who had a special position on Green Leek Peak, and was immediately astonished by him.
Like Shangguan Yuqiong at the beginning, she had misjudged Lin Fengmian’s identity.
As a result, she instructed Liu Mei to approach Lin Fengmian and win his heart.
It wasn’t until she had an open and honest conversation with Shangguan Yuqiong that she realized it was all a misunderstanding.
At this point, Shangguan Yuqiong remembered Lin Fengmian and was surprised that the boy was still alive.
She told Zhao Ningzhi not to waste her efforts since she had already given up on Lin Fengmian.
Of course, Zhao Ningzhi couldn’t explain the intricacies to Liu Mei, and since she was determined to have Liu Mei start cultivating the Entwined Technique, she allowed the misunderstanding to continue.
Later, when Lin Fengmian decided to leave the Joyful Union Sect and travel outside, she didn’t take it too seriously.
After all, they were going to the Eastern Wilderness, where few people knew Jun Wuxie, let alone Lin Fengmian.
Besides, since he was only at the Qi Practitioner stage, how much trouble could Lin Fengmian cause under the supervision of Liu Mei and the others?
So Zhao Ningzhi allowed Liu Mei to take Lin Fengmian out. Little did she know that this young Qi Practitioner would escape from Liu Mei and the others.
Even more absurdly, after flying to Huanxi Temple, she suddenly received a message from Shangguan Yuqiong, demanding that Lin Fengmian be brought back at all costs.
Zhao Ningzhi immediately understood that Shangguan Yuqiong had made a breakthrough.
Whether Lin Fengmian was a substitute or a true member of the Heavenly Grace Dynasty royal family, his status had become significant.
As she suspected, Shangguan Yuqiong had suddenly found a way to solve the bloodline problem.
Excitedly, she went to Green Leek Peak to find Lin Fengmian, only to be shocked to learn that he had been released from the Joyful Union Sect.
Frustrated, she immediately ordered Zhao Ningzhi to bring Lin Fengmian back as soon as possible and erase all traces of his journey.
Although Lin Fengmian was unaware of the intricacies, he had a pretty good idea of the changes in the Joyful Union Sect’s attitude towards him.
Facing Shangguan Yuqiong’s inquiry, he sighed and asked, “Do I have a choice?”
Shangguan Yuqiong smiled benevolently and said, “Of course you have a choice. You can become him or die. And everyone associated with you will die as well.”
“I cannot risk exposing my plan to assassinate a dynasty prince. I must completely destroy the evidence.”
Hearing her threaten him with the people close to him, Lin Fengmian couldn’t help but frown.
“If I agree to your terms, won’t you still kill me to ensure my silence?”
Shangguan Yuqiong chuckled, “Yes, most of those who have seen you will still have to die, but a few can be spared.”
“I will erase the memory of your appearance from their minds. Then, another Lin Fengmian will appear in the Joyful Union Sect, and no one will suspect a thing.”
Lin Fengmian, who knew that the other Lin Fengmian was Jun Wuxie, was taken aback. “You’re not going to kill him?”
Shangguan Yuqiong shook her head. “We dare not. If we kill him, his life token will shatter, and he will be imprisoned in the Joyful Union Sect as Lin Fengmian for the rest of his life.”
Lin Fengmian smiled bitterly. “But so many people have seen me. Can you really kill them all?”
Shangguan Yuqiong nonchalantly replied, “Your escape from the Joyful Union Sect was indeed unexpected, but it’s not a major issue.”
“Ordinary people have a life span of no more than a hundred years. They can’t affect the cultivation world. Besides, before Sister Zhao Ningzhi left, she manipulated the memories of the people in Ning City.”
“If you leave, their memories of you will gradually fade until they completely forget you. After a hundred years, who will remember you?”
“The only trouble will be the few cultivators, but it’s quite normal for a prince of the dynasty to change his name and travel incognito.”
Only then did Lin Fengmian understand what Zhao Ningzhi had done in Ning City – she had erased the memories of the city’s residents.
He hesitated, “What about my parents and clansmen? Won’t it be a problem if Wen Xiong and the others recognize them?”
Shangguan Yuqiong sneered, “Will anyone from the Eastern Wilderness believe that they are impersonators? Who would trust them?”
“Over time, you can make some changes. People can look similar, and with bloodline verification, what can they do?”
“Of course, the safest way is to eliminate them completely to ensure that there are no future problems.”
Lin Fengmian quickly waved his hands. “That’s not necessary!”
Shangguan Yuqiong honestly admitted, “I was just joking. They have a protector, so they are not ordinary people. I can’t kill them now.”
Lin Fengmian knew that if he didn’t do as she said, he would be dead. So, he resigned himself to his fate.
“Alright, I agree! I’ll do it, but you must promise not to harm my parents, Yunxi, and the others.”