The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

By the riverside, Ye Lin stood in front of Lin Qian, her head lowered and her heart filled with anxiety.

In the Ye family, Ye Lin was closest to her cousin, Ye Xin. Every year when Ye Xin returned to the Ye family, she would bring Ye Lin interesting gifts.

One such gift was the Concealment Talisman, a talisman that, when used, could effectively hide the presence of a Soul Martialist. This was how Ye Lin had managed to follow Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian without being detected.

Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian had been tasked by Lin Qian to intercept Bai Ren before he reached the city and to relay instructions to him. However, Ye Lin had overheard their conversation as she passed by the courtyard gate!

When Ye Lin heard the two Myriad Image Sect disciples talking about intercepting Bai Ren, her curiosity got the better of her. Thinking that the Concealment Talisman would keep her hidden, she decided to follow them in secret.

At just fourteen years old, Ye Lin was still a young girl, bold and fearless like a newborn calf. Armed with the Concealment Talisman, she had the courage to follow the Myriad Image Sect disciples.

This was something Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian hadn't expected—someone in Bashan City bold enough to trail Myriad Image Sect disciples!

They had been cautious of the Li family's movements but never imagined that a young girl from the Ye family would be tailing them, equipped with a treasure like the Concealment Talisman.

Ye Lin had hidden herself perfectly and overheard many shocking revelations.

For instance, she learned that the Li family had allied with the Overlord Blade Sect, intending to seize the relic in Bashan and wipe out the Ye and Bai families as a show of loyalty to the Overlord Blade Sect!

Even such astonishing news hadn't caused Ye Lin to lose her composure and reveal herself.

But then, to her utter disbelief, the person she regarded as a useless fiancé without a martial soul—Lin Qian—appeared at the scene.

What shocked her even more was seeing the two Myriad Image Sect disciples and Bai Ren, the pride of Bashan City, bowing to this "useless" person and addressing him as Senior Brother!

This revelation sent waves of shock through Ye Lin's heart, causing her to step back in disbelief, accidentally making a noise by stepping on a branch.

In an instant, a palm imprint flew toward her, and in her panic, she fell from the tree.

"A Concealment Talisman… No wonder Ye Lin managed to evade you two," Bai Ren remarked as he walked over from under the tree, holding a yellow talisman, which he handed to Lin Qian.

Lin Qian took the talisman, noticing the runes on it still glowing with soul energy, and sighed helplessly. "Xin'er, you give her anything, and it had to be a Concealment Talisman."

"Senior Brother, what should we do? She seems to have heard everything…" Zhao Qiang, standing beside Lin Qian, asked, looking at him uncertainly.

"What should we do? How should I know? Kill her to keep her quiet? Besides, she'll be calling me brother-in-law soon enough!" Lin Qian turned to glare at Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian. "This girl is only at the ninth level of the Entry Realm. Even with the Concealment Talisman, if you two were more cautious, you could have spotted her!"

"And yet? I've told you repeatedly to be careful in everything you do. Can't you give me a break for once?"

"If we succeed, the sect will reward us generously. I fought to get you two this opportunity, and this is how you repay me?"

"What if the person following you wasn't Ye Lin but someone from the Li family? What then, huh? Tell me!"

Lin Qian's outburst echoed along the riverside, and Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian, heads hung low, didn't dare meet his eyes.

"Ah, you two!" Bai Ren shook his head and sighed. "Senior Brother Lin is scolding you for your own good. If it had been someone from the Li family, you might not be standing here now."

Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian nodded repeatedly, their faces full of guilt. Despite being reprimanded so harshly, they bore no resentment, knowing that Lin Qian was doing it for their own good.

Meanwhile, Ye Lin stood nearby, completely stunned. In her eyes, these Myriad Image Sect disciples were figures even the family head treated with respect.

At the Ye Mansion, Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian had always carried themselves with an air of arrogance, and that had never changed.

But now, the Lin Qian she once thought of as a useless person was berating them mercilessly, and they didn't dare utter a single word of protest. The stark contrast left Ye Lin dumbfounded, unable to move.

After finishing his lecture, Lin Qian walked over to Ye Lin and sighed helplessly after a moment. "Ye Lin, why are you so curious?"

"Lin Qian, I swear I'll keep quiet. I promise I won't tell anyone," Ye Lin quickly raised her hand and pleaded with a tearful expression. "Please, don't kill me."

"Do I look like a murderer? Why would I kill you?" Lin Qian replied, knocking her hand down with mild irritation.

"I've kept my identity hidden to make things easier," he explained, pointing at Zhao Qiang and Zhao Jian. "The Li family's attention is focused on these two. I'm just a so-called useless person without a martial soul. Who would pay attention to me?"

"Tomorrow is the Bashan Trial. The Li family's plan will target Bai Ren, Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Jian. But I, hidden in plain sight, will completely thwart their plans." Lin Qian then turned to Ye Lin. "All you need to do is stay put until the trial starts tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" Ye Lin asked, still in a daze.

"The Li family wants to eliminate both the Ye and Bai families to show their loyalty to the Overlord Blade Sect. The Bashan Trial, where the most influential forces in Bashan City will gather, is the perfect opportunity," Lin Qian explained, a cold smile on his face.

"The Overlord Blade Sect will likely send reinforcements too. After all, the Li family alone isn't strong enough to take on both the Ye and Bai families," Bai Ren added, snapping his folding fan open with a charming smile. "If the Overlord Blade Sect knew that Senior Brother Lin was in Bashan City, they would likely send at least five Nirvana Realm experts to assassinate him."

"Enough. You don't need to investigate the relic. Your job now is to make sure Ye Lin stays put at your Bai family's residence for the night," Lin Qian instructed, pointing at Ye Lin.

Bai Ren closed his fan and nodded, cupping his hands in acknowledgment. "Understood. My younger sister has been wanting to see Ye Lin. I'll invite her to stay at our place tonight. That excuse should suffice."

"But…" Ye Lin hesitated as if she wanted to say something but then swallowed her words.

She knew they wouldn't fully trust her, and if she leaked the information, all their plans would be ruined.

She also understood that resistance was futile—she was only at the ninth level of the Entry Realm.

Yet when Lin Qian had just unleashed his soul power to form that palm imprint, she realized he was at the Formation Realm, the same realm as her revered cousin Ye Xin!

Against someone of Lin Qian's level, she stood no chance.

"Xin'er must have given you some sort of pill that you planned to use tonight to break through to the Condensation Realm, right?" Lin Qian suddenly asked, catching Ye Lin off guard.

Ye Lin looked up at the face she had once disliked so much, now smiling down at her.

"If I go to the Bai family tonight, I won't be able to use the pill to break through," Ye Lin admitted reluctantly. "That pill is sealed by Sister Xin'er. It can't be taken outside my room."

Lin Qian understood. It was likely a seal similar to the Bloodline Seal on his parents' letter, a special seal that only the rightful owner could break.

He hadn't realized how much Ye Xin cared for this young girl.

"Don't worry. There's a special slot in this Bashan Trial that doesn't require any examination—you'll be directly admitted to the Myriad Image Sect," Lin Qian said, noticing Ye Lin's disappointment. "As long as you stay put at the Bai family's residence tonight and let Bai Ren watch over you, that slot is yours."

Ye Lin looked up in surprise. "Really?"

"Of course. I'm the inspector for this Bashan Trial. The sect has given me full authority. If I say the slot is yours, it's yours," Lin Qian replied with firm certainty.

Ye Lin stared at Lin Qian, her eyes welling up with tears as she remembered the harsh words she had spoken to him outside the council hall yesterday. "Lin Qian, I'm sorry."

"Hmm?" Lin Qian was momentarily taken aback by her apology, then reached out to ruffle her hair. "In my eyes, you were just a child who didn't know any better. It's fine. Just remember not to look down on others so easily in the future. At the very least, show them the basic respect they deserve."

Ye Lin looked up in surprise, then wiped away her tears and nodded solemnly. "I understand, Brother Lin Qian."

Hearing Ye Lin call him "Brother Lin Qian," Lin Qian felt a moment of nostalgia.

Years ago, when they were still children, Ye Lin used to follow him around, calling him Brother Lin Qian.

"You're still that mischievous little sister from back then," Lin Qian said with a chuckle.

Ye Lin couldn't help but laugh at the memory.

Finally, Lin Qian left the riverside, heading deeper into Bashan.

By the river, Bai Ren, Ye Lin, and the Zhao brothers prepared to return to Bashan City the way they had come.

"Brother Bai Ren, is Lin Qian really that powerful in the Myriad Image Sect, being an inspector?" Ye Lin asked as they walked, still in disbelief over what had just happened.

Even now, Ye Lin found it hard to believe.

"Yes, Senior Brother Lin is incredibly powerful. He hid his identity to prevent the Overlord Blade Sect from finding out and preparing a response," Bai Ren replied, flashing his charming smile and twirling his fan. "If the Overlord Blade Sect knew Senior Brother was here, they would send at least five Nirvana Realm experts to assassinate him."

Ye Lin's face turned red at Bai Ren's smile.

Bai Ren was the dream of every young woman in Bashan City, and Ye Lin was no exception.

Aside from her youthful crush, she was also shaken by Bai Ren's words.

To her, a Nirvana Realm martial artist was like a mythical figure, rarely seen. Bashan City had produced only one such expert in the past hundred years.

And now, after another century, the two people most likely to reach the Nirvana Realm were her cousin Ye Xin and Bai Ren.

If Lin Qian's identity were exposed, the Overlord Blade Sect would send at least five Nirvana Realm experts to assassinate him?

"Brother Lin Qian, just how strong are you? Tomorrow, I fear you'll shake all of Bashan City," Ye Lin thought silently as she followed Bai Ren.