The Eternal Sin-Chapter 46: Justice?
At the same time, far from the cliff, the formation surrounding Black Iron Village had already dispersed.
Three figures stood amid the ruins, wearing the Enforcement Hall robes of the Heavenly Tiger Sect. The smell of dried blood lingered in the air.
Mu Han glanced at the woman before him with open admiration. "Senior Sister Lin’s methods are truly as vast as the four continents. Haha, no one is more worthy of leading our team than you. If those other team leaders were to witness your prowess today, they would surely kill themselves from shame. You are like a golden phoenix soaring through the clouds, while they are merely chickens hopping in the yard, trying to imitate your steps."
Lin Ruoxue chuckled softly, the sound dangerously melodious. Her brown hair fell in silken waves over her shoulders, framing a face of porcelain perfection. Her eyes were bright and playful, yet carried a depth like autumn water. She was tall and voluptuous, her curves graceful beneath the tailored robes. The rise and fall of her ample chest as she laughed drew Mu Han’s gaze and made him shift his legs awkwardly.
"Little Brother Mu, you make your Senior Sister very happy with your sweet words. But you overpraise me. I am merely doing my duty for the Sect."
"It is the truth, Senior Sister!" Mu Han insisted. "Among the outer sect, who can match your investigative methods? With your Karmic Child Physique and the Seeking Truth Technique, you discerned that this village was not destroyed by demonic beasts but by a cultivator. Not only that, you even pinpointed his direction!"
In the Boundless Genesis World, most were born ordinary. But some were born with special physiques, rare gifts granted at birth by Heaven and Earth. They were divided into three ranks. These were categorized into the 108 Heavenly Lord Physiques. Above them were the 36 Heavenly King Physiques. Finally, there were the 9 True Immortal Physiques, which were spoken of only in legends.
Lin Ruoxue possessed one of the Heavenly Lord Physiques, the Karmic Child Physique. It allowed her to wield karmic path methods with twice the strength of ordinary cultivators and granted her exceptional comprehension in the Dao of Karma.
"And to top it off," Mu Han continued, "you used that Rank One peak grade treasure, the Karma Hunting Arrow, to draw upon the resentment of the dead here to curse this person with such concentrated bad luck. If you are not number one in the outer sect, then the title has no meaning!"
Lu Yanshi, standing to the side, rolled his eyes inwardly at the display. Lin Ruoxue, however, seemed to enjoy the attention. She reached out and lightly pinched Mu Han’s cheek, her eyes twinkling.
"Junior Brother is such a sweet talker. If you were four years older, I might have found myself tempted to bring you into my household as a husband."
Mu Han’s face turned red like a ripe tomato. He began to stammer like a flustered child, his mind turning to mush under her playful gaze.
Lin Ruoxue opened her mouth to tease him further when the Karma Hunting Arrow at her waist trembled violently. Only she could perceive the intricate karmic threads within it twisting in chaos. Her playful expression vanished, replaced by a look of grave concern.
"Senior Sister? What is it?" Lu Yanshi asked, his hand drifting to his saber as he scanned the perimeter for threats. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
Lin Ruoxue bit her fingertip lightly, as if calculating unseen threads. A cold light appeared in her eyes as she stared toward the distant peaks. "Unbelievable. This person... he has actually escaped the karmic backlash. The amount of resentment gathered from this village was enough to kill a fifteenth layer Qi Condensation cultivator through sheer misfortune. My calculations showed he was only at the eighth layer. Yet he managed to survive."
Lu Yanshi’s face clouded with shock.
Mu Han, finally finding his voice, frowned. "But Senior Sister, even if he survived a bit of bad luck, we still have his position, do we not? We can just hunt him down and grind his bones to powder. An eighth layer disciple. How strong could he possibly be?"
Lu Yanshi grunted. "Weak? Mu Han, use your head. He slaughtered everyone in this village, including the overseer at the fifteenth layer of Qi Condensation. Even if the old man was past his prime, such strength is not to be underestimated. Furthermore, look at where he is. He is traveling in the wilderness. From our Heavenly Tiger Sect, he made his way toward Earthly Spirit Bamboo Mountain. How many dangerous beasts live in these mountains? That alone speaks of his capability. You focus too much on cultivation realm. This person, if you ask me, is terrifyingly strong."
Mu Han blinked, the weight of Lu Yanshi’s words sinking into his mind. He lowered his head in shame, staring at his own feet.
Seeing his dejected state, Lin Ruoxue turned to Lu Yanshi with a faint, reproachful tilt of her head. "Now, Junior Brother Lu, do not be so hard on our dear Junior Brother," she said softly.
Mu Han immediately looked up at her with shimmering, puppy like eyes. In his eyes, this capable Senior Sister became even more beautiful. Lin Ruoxue smiled at him lovingly, the sort of smile that could melt the resolve of a monk.
Then her expression gradually turned serious once more. "However, the situation has indeed taken an unfavorable turn. Since the other party was able to endure the effects of the Karma Hunting Arrow, it is safe to assume that he possesses strength at least comparable to the fifteenth layer of Qi Condensation. I currently have an appointment with an inner disciple regarding high level divinations and cannot leave the sect premises anytime soon. Furthermore, the other fifteenth layer cultivators under my leadership are scattered on missions and will not return soon."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the two men before her. "I do not dare send the two of you alone. You simply would not survive. It is not just because this culprit possesses great strength, but also because of the laws of Karma themselves. The heavens seek balance. Now that he has survived the effects of the Hunting Arrow’s curse, his luck will undergo a reversal. For a period, he will enjoy a surge of good fortune equivalent to the misery he just endured. If you were to chase him now, you would likely suffer a calamity before you even laid eyes on him. Plus, he is constantly on the move. Without my continuous divinations, how would you track him?"
"Given the circumstances, we can only abandon this target for now. Sigh... Junior Brother Lu, write this off in the records as a beast horde attack by the Copper Bone Wolves. Also, take a few people to clear out their nests in the surrounding mountains," Lin Ruoxue ordered with a light wave of her hand.
Lu Yanshi bowed deeply. "I understand, Senior Sister. It shall be done."
Mu Han was still inexperienced. With confusion plainly visible on his face, he stammered, "Um, I understand we cannot capture him ourselves, but Senior Sister... why are we reporting it as a beast attack? Can we not report that it was a demonic cultivator and hand the case to other teams for pursuit? This person is a butcher! How can we simply wash our hands of him and allow him to go unpunished?"
The air around Lin Ruoxue seemed to drop several degrees in an instant. She chuckled softly at his words, yet the playfulness in her eyes was replaced by an icy coldness. It was a look that reminded them that she was not just a beautiful woman, but the leader of the Enforcement Hall’s most efficient outer sect team.
"Junior Brother Mu, are you suggesting that this place was not attacked by beasts? Do you believe my judgment was wrong?"
Mu Han froze in disbelief. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The gentle Senior Sister before him now seemed like an entirely different person.
Lu Yanshi looked at his junior brother, then lowered his gaze, thinking to himself, ’Oh, Junior Brother, what do you know of the viciousness of women? How could you expect the number one outer Enforcement Hall disciple to admit she is incapable of closing a case? To hand it over to a rival team would be to slap her own face and tarnish her hard earned reputation. Especially with the yearly assessment approaching in three months, she would never allow a stain on her record. In the end, you are still too green. You think this is about justice? The sect indeed preaches righteousness, but how many people within truly uphold it in their hearts? In this world, one’s face and one’s future are far more precious than the lives of a few village dogs.’
Aloud, Lu Yanshi simply said, "Junior Brother, the Senior Sister is wise. A beast horde is the most logical explanation for this situation. Stop talking nonsense and accept reality."
Mu Han swallowed hard, finally sensing the invisible walls closing in around him. He lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly. "I... I was mistaken. Senior Sister’s wisdom is profound. It was indeed a beast horde."
Lin Ruoxue’s coldness vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She patted Mu Han’s cheek once more. "Good. Junior Brother is much cuter when he listens to his Senior Sister."
