Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 450 The Situation in Zhongzhou

Shi Shi and Shi Shi hadn't arrived yet, but Yuan Tiangang had arrived first.

Lin Chen was stunned when he saw him.

Today, Yuan Tiangang did not wear the gray Taoist robe he wore all year round, but instead changed into an indigo robe.

Her hair was neatly combed, and she looked much more energetic, as if she had become a completely different person.

Lin Chen looked him up and down: "What day is it today? You're dressed so smartly."

Yuan Tiangang sat down on the stone bench next to Lin Chen, took the tea that Xiao Shuang handed him, and took a sip.

He put down his teacup and said without beating around the bush, "My lord, news has come from Zhongzhou."

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

"The Corpse Refining Sect has retreated entirely, and all its disciples who were outside have been recalled to the sect."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "Dugu Qiubai has messed with them so many times, and they're only now recalling their disciples?"

"They are, after all, a first-rate sect. Their ignominious retreat and shrinking of power inevitably makes them look down upon by other forces. However—" Yuan Tiangang chuckled lightly:

"After the sky cracked, the Corpse Refining Sect's territory was located right below the crack, and the disciples were filled with panic. Some of them had already secretly run away."

"Several demonic sects that were on good terms with them have also kept a low profile recently."

I've heard that several powerful figures in the demonic path are secretly making contact, trying to form a defensive alliance to jointly cope with the upcoming upheaval.

Lin Chen scoffed, "The demonic path forming an alliance? Isn't that like wolves and dogs agreeing to guard the house together?"

Yuan Tiangang's lips twitched slightly:

"Indeed, according to the Bad Guards, they started arguing on the very first day of their meeting, and the Netherworld Sect and the Blood Fiend Sect almost came to blows on the spot."

"What about the righteous path?"

Yuan Tiangang's expression became somewhat serious:

"The situation on the righteous path is even more chaotic. The three holy lands and the two factions are still maintaining order on the surface, but people are already in a state of panic."

After the rift in the sky, several senior elders from top-tier sects absconded with the warehouse.

Some fled to the southern wilderness, some to the northern desert, and some came here.

Lin Chen scoffed, "The righteous path? Is that all?"

"Not all sects are like that," Yuan Tiangang shook his head.

"The three holy lands are still relatively stable. Kunlun Domain has summoned its subordinate sects to reinforce the formation and maintain order."

The protective formation of Penglai Immortal Island has been activated, and several celestial ancestors have emerged from seclusion.

The Qingyun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Pavilion have reduced their forces and are holding fast to their mountain gates.

Yuan Tiangang paused, then lowered his voice:

"The abbot of Mount Sumeru said, 'Heaven and earth are ruthless, but Buddha saves those with affinity,' and then closed the mountain gates and disappeared into the void."

Lin Chen scoffed, "That's just like the behavior of those bald monks. They run away when they're in trouble, and then they give themselves some high-sounding excuse."

Yuan Tiangang nodded.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, squinted, and tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.

"The Central Plains are in such chaos, why aren't those celestial monsters saying anything?"

Yuan Tiangang paused for a moment, then lowered his voice even further and leaned forward slightly: "They must be waiting."

"What are you waiting for?"

Yuan Tiangang looked at Lin Chen without saying a word.

Lin Chen didn't ask any further questions, and continued tapping his fingers, tap, tap, tap.

At this moment, Shishi and Shishi walked in from behind the moon gate.

Both of them were wearing pink dresses today, and their hair was styled in double buns.

One person was holding a food box in one hand, and the other was carrying a food box in the other, and they walked over in an orderly manner.

They all walked up to Lin Chen and bowed in unison, saying, "Your Highness."

Lin Chen glanced at them and pointed to the stone bench beside him: "Sit."

The two sat down obediently, placed the food box on the table, opened it, and found several plates of exquisite pastries inside.

Lin Chen looked at the pastries, then at them: "Can you make tea?"

She nodded slowly: "Yes."

Shishi nodded: "Yes."

Lin Chen pointed to the tea table next to him: "Brew a pot."

The two people stood up and walked to the tea table.

One was boiling water, the other was washing cups; their movements were gentle and their teamwork seamless—clearly the work of an experienced craftsman.

Lin Chen watched for a while, then looked away and turned to Yuan Tiangang:

"Any other news?"

Yuan Tiangang thought for a moment: "There is also news about Dugu Qiubai."

Lin Chen became interested: "What's wrong with him?"

"His injuries haven't fully healed yet, so he's been wandering around Zhongzhou, specifically looking for branches of the Corpse Refining Sect, annihilating them one by one."

By now, he has almost wiped out all the branches of the Corpse Refining Sect.

Lin Chen laughed out loud: "This old man has really gone head-to-head with the Corpse Refining Sect."

Yuan Tiangang also smiled: "The new sect leader of the Corpse Refining Sect, Shi Ba, is so angry that he's jumping up and down, saying he'll tear Dugu Qiubai apart alive."

Shi Tian and another old monster from the Corpse Refining Sect joined forces to besiege him, but Dugu Qiubai escaped every time.

The old man would run away when he couldn't win, but he would come back and fight even more fiercely, making the corpse furious.

Lin Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and waved his hand:

"Let him do whatever he wants, Zhongzhou is already chaotic enough anyway."

Shi Shi came over with the brewed tea, poured a cup for Lin Chen, and then poured a cup for Yuan Tiangang.

The movement was very gentle, and the tea was poured steadily into the cup without spilling a single drop.

Lin Chen picked up the teacup, smelled it, and nodded: "Good tea."

Shi Shi's lips curved slightly as she stepped back and stood beside the tea table.

Shishi had already arranged the snacks from the food box neatly on the plate.

Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang pouted to the side, feeling their status was being threatened.

Lin Chen picked up a pastry and took a bite. Crumbs of the pastry fell all over him, but he didn't care.

Yuan Tiangang looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and said, "My lord, there is one more thing."

"explain."

"There's a rumor circulating in Zhongzhou."

"What do you mean?"

Yuan Tiangang lowered his voice even further:

"They said that the crack in the sky was a sign, the great change in the world was a prelude, and the real calamity was yet to come."

At that time, it won't be the sky falling, it will be—things from outside will come in.

Lin Chen paused for a moment as he took a bite of the pastry.

He recalled what Chen Cang had said: the extraterrestrial passage, a cleansing that occurs only once every ten thousand years.

He swallowed his pastry and dusted off the crumbs on his hands: "Who's passing it around?"

"I don't know, we can't find the source, but this rumor has already spread throughout Zhongzhou, which is why so many people are running away."

Lin Chen remained silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

Shishi immediately came over and poured him another cup.

Lin Chen looked at the steaming cup of tea and suddenly smiled.

"Never mind them, let's just focus on protecting our own little corner of the world."

Yuan Tiangang looked at Lin Chen, as if he wanted to say something, but then swallowed his words and picked up his teacup to take a sip.

Shishi and Shishi stood quietly beside the tea table, like two flowers blooming in a corner.

Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang stood behind Lin Chen, like twin lotus flowers, each gently massaging one of his shoulders.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, his fingers ceasing to tap.

He squinted as he looked at the unrealistically blue sky in the distance.