Chapter Thirty-Eight: Beyond Regret

"Awooo!"
Inside the ancient fortress.

The Wolf King growled softly at Qin Feiyang, as if asking whether he intended to rescue Luo Qingzhu.

"Don't be hasty," Qin Feiyang whispered.

Luo Qingzhu was no ordinary woman; her background was far from simple. The people of the Lin family, most likely, were only trying to intimidate her. If he were to rush out now, he might drag Luo Qingzhu into trouble as well.

Outside.

Luo Qingzhu remained calm despite the threat from the man in black. She smiled gracefully and replied, "Senior, I truly do not know where Qin Feiyang is. He knocked me unconscious at the time, and by the time I woke, he was already gone."

"If you don't believe me, you can ask the Lin family master, or the third palace lord and the others. Besides, I still have a score to settle with him myself—why would I cover for him?" she added.

The man in black scrutinized her for a moment. Finding no trace of a lie, he did not press her further and said, "If you discover Qin Feiyang's whereabouts, you must inform us immediately."

"Of course," Luo Qingzhu nodded.

With a wave of his hand, the man in black signaled his iron eagle, which spread its wings and soared into the sky, vanishing swiftly from sight.

"Ah!" Luo Qingzhu breathed a sigh of relief once he was gone.

"How did that fellow manage to escape?" she muttered, glancing around in puzzlement before heading back towards Iron Ox Town.

"The mother and daughter of the Luo family are not bad at all," Qin Feiyang murmured to himself.

Whatever their initial actions, once they learned the truth, their first thought was to apologize. In contrast, the third palace lord and the Martial Temple lord had done nothing. Such is the difference between people.

Likewise, Qin Feiyang now saw Luo Qingzhu in a new light. Though he could not see what was happening outside, she had managed to send the man in black away with just a few words, a testament to her remarkable wit.

He took out his spatial pouch, a beaming smile spreading across his face. He had been at a loss for Qi-Gathering Pills, and Luo Qingzhu had delivered just what he needed. In his current predicament, it was truly a timely gift.

"These pills should be enough for me to inscribe the first stroke of the character 'Return'."

The first stroke was a horizontal line.

Without further ado, he moved to the iron box, preparing to bite his finger.

But just then, the Wolf King began to growl anxiously at him, its eyes filled with urgency.

"What's wrong?" Qin Feiyang looked down at the Wolf King in confusion.

The Wolf King barked several times. Seeing that Qin Feiyang still did not understand, it grabbed his trouser leg in its jaws and tugged hard.

At last, Qin Feiyang understood—the Wolf King wanted to go outside.

But for what? The Lin family was still scouring the mountains. What if they ran into trouble?

The Wolf King's tugging grew more frantic, even tearing his pants.

Qin Feiyang had no choice but to set aside his plan to inscribe the character and, together with the Wolf King, appeared in an open clearing.

"Awooo!"
The Wolf King let out a low howl and darted into the forest to the left.

"Wait for me!" Qin Feiyang called, hurrying after him.

The forest was a scene of devastation!

Beast corpses lay everywhere, the stench of blood thick in the air.

"The Lin family of Swallow City has gone too far!" Qin Feiyang clenched his fists, his face dark as water.

He had always considered himself ruthless, yet compared to these people, he was not even a fraction as cruel.

Awooo!

Suddenly, the Wolf King stopped beside a pile of rocks, howling mournfully.

With a crash, Qin Feiyang struck the rocks, sending them flying.

When the rocks were gone, Qin Feiyang was left in stunned silence.

There, beneath the rubble, was the body of a white wolf, its fur soaked in blood, long since dead.

At last, Qin Feiyang understood the Wolf King's purpose—the Wolf King was searching for its pack.

The Wolf King approached the white wolf, lifting a forepaw to nudge its lifeless companion, whimpering softly.

It was as if calling to kin, a lament, a wail of grief...

"Bastards! Lin family of Swallow City, one day I will erase you from the empire!" Qin Feiyang's eyes reddened, his face twisted in rage.

"Awooo..."
The Wolf King suddenly threw back its head and howled at the sky, its sorrow soaring to the heavens.

At the corner of its eye, Qin Feiyang saw two crystalline tears.

He trembled, hurrying to the Wolf King's side and stroked its head, blaming himself. "Brother Wolf, I'm sorry, this is all my fault. If you hadn't gone to look for Uncle Yuan for me, your companion would still be alive..."

The Wolf King growled softly, shaking its head, eyes flashing with murderous intent.

In that instant, Qin Feiyang understood—the Wolf King was saying that it was not his fault, that all blame lay with the Lin family, and that it sought vengeance.

"Brother Wolf, don't act rashly. With our current strength, seeking revenge would be suicide. Let's wait until we find Uncle Yuan," Qin Feiyang urged.

Suddenly, he grabbed the Wolf King, and with a thought, retreated into the fortress.

Barely three breaths later, an iron eagle swept overhead, circling in the sky.

On its back, the man in black scanned the area below, his brows tightly knit.

"Strange, I clearly heard a wolf's howl just now, but all that's here is a dead white wolf?"

He carefully searched the area, and finding nothing amiss, rode his iron eagle away.

Moments later, Qin Feiyang and the Wolf King reappeared.

After burying the white wolf, the Wolf King raced off again, searching for other survivors of its pack.

Qin Feiyang trailed behind, words caught in his throat.

They had run so long without encountering a single living beast. Clearly, the other white wolves had met with disaster as well.

But he could not bear to say it.

"This won't do. The Lin family is everywhere—we can't keep searching like this," Qin Feiyang said, blocking the Wolf King's path. "Let's stop and listen. If they're still alive, they'll return to the den to look for us. If they don't come, then that means..."

He could not finish the sentence.

The Wolf King stared at him for a long time, then silently turned and ran toward the den.

Man and wolf returned to the den, waiting until sunset, but not a single white wolf returned.

The Wolf King refused to give up, insisting on waiting longer.

Qin Feiyang could not persuade him otherwise, so he stayed by his side.

At dawn the next day, Qin Feiyang rose and gazed at the endless mountains, sighing deeply. "Brother Wolf, I know this is cruel, but I have to say it: they're all gone."

The Wolf King's massive body trembled violently.

"Awooo..."
Suddenly, it rose and howled madly at the sky, a murderous rage shooting to the heavens.

"Brother Wolf, I promise you, one day we will storm Swallow City and raze the Lin family to the ground!" Qin Feiyang declared, staring at the rising sun, each word resolute.

In that moment, he was like an unsheathed blade, radiating a stunning brilliance.

The Wolf King gazed at him through tear-filled eyes.

"Come, let's return to the fortress. When I killed Cao Lang last time, I got three hundred Body-Tempering Pills. I'll let you absorb them all," Qin Feiyang said.

Once inside the fortress, Qin Feiyang took out all the pills.

The Wolf King's eyes lit up.

"Brother Wolf, we're comrades in hardship now, sworn brothers. Don't stand on ceremony with me, or I'll be angry," Qin Feiyang said.

The Wolf King grinned and began refining the pills.

Qin Feiyang also swallowed a Qi-Gathering Pill and continued inscribing the character "Return" in the iron-bound book.

Perhaps the loss of the wolf pack had spurred them on, for both man and beast were now filled with renewed determination.

The Lin family searched the mountains for three days and nights before finally withdrawing.

For hundreds of miles around, the land was flattened, not a living creature to be found—a land of death, steeped in tragedy.

Iron Ox Town.

The Lin residence.

"You are all War Kings, yet you couldn't find a mere Martial Master? What am I feeding you for? How did I end up with such useless trash!" Lin Han cursed furiously, pointing at the noses of the fourteen men before him.

The fourteen hung their heads, not daring to breathe.

The Lin family master and a crowd of servants nearby were all terrified out of their wits.

One man mustered the courage to speak. "Master, I believe Qin Feiyang has likely fled."

"Fled?" Lin Han frowned, took a deep breath, and returned to his seat. After a moment's thought, he looked at the family master. "I'm returning to the royal capital soon. Go summon Yiyi for me."

The Lin family master looked to a nearby servant and barked, "What are you waiting for? Go now!"

The servant shuddered and fled the hall as if for his life.

Lin Han said, "Lin Wei, Lin De, the two of you will stay here in Iron Ox Town. If Qin Feiyang returns, kill him on sight!"

"Yes, sir!"
Two men in black stepped forward and bowed.

Lin Han continued, "The rest of you will return to the capital with me."

"Yes, sir!"
The others answered in unison.

"Lin Chang!"

Lin Han suddenly called out a name.

The Lin family master trembled, dropping to his knees before Lin Han, cold sweat pouring down his body.

His name was Lin Chang.

"Lin Chang, originally, only your death could atone for this failure. But for Yiyi's sake, I'll spare your life. From this day forward, Yiyi will be my adopted daughter, and you will have nothing more to do with her," Lin Han pronounced.

"What?"
Lin Chang stared at Lin Han in disbelief.

"What, do you have an objection?" Lin Han looked down on him, his gaze contemptuous, as if regarding an insect.

Lin Chang pleaded, "Master, I raised Yiyi with great hardship. You can't take away my right as a father!"

"Hmph!"
Lin Han snorted. "I know exactly what you're thinking. You just want to use Yiyi to climb the royal ladder and make your fortune. But some things are not for the likes of you to enjoy."

Lin Chang's face turned ashen.

It was true. That was precisely his plan.

But now, Lin Han's condition was as good as severing his bond with Lin Yiyi. Whether or not she married into the royal family, he would have nothing to gain.

How could he possibly accept this?

"Master..."

He tried to protest.

"Silence!"

"You have only two choices."

"First, write the contract and sever your paternal ties with Yiyi!"

"Second, I will kill you here and now!"

"You have three breaths to decide."

Lin Han made his meaning clear, then glanced at a man in black beside him.

The man understood, drew a dagger from his belt, and pressed it to Lin Chang's throat.

Lin Chang trembled violently, head bowed, his eyes full of unwillingness.

Suddenly, he recalled Qin Feiyang's words by the lake that night:

"Master Lin, don't think that climbing up to the Swallow City clan will bring you prosperity. Take it from me—keep a low profile, or you'll end up with nothing at all."

Those words had come true.

At this moment, Lin Chang was filled with regret.

If only he had known, he would have acted differently.

[Author's note: Many thanks to Alliance Leader Liangxin for the generous reward of 100 coins! If any readers have spare credits, please support 'Undying War God'—Old Meng bows in gratitude.]