FI CH98: Legendary Disguise!

As the voice faded, the entire venue was stunned!

All eyes shifted between Lin Su and the display case behind him. It was common knowledge that the new authentication system automatically matched a Tianshi certificate with its owner.

So, a successful authentication meant—

“President Lin is… that legendary master?”

Someone was the first to speak, and the silent hall instantly erupted.

“What the hell! What’s going on?”

“President Lin matched with that Tianshi certificate? He’s Mr. ‘Lin Juexiao’ himself!?”

“Lin Su… Lin Juexiao, holy crap…!”

Amid the shocked discussions, everyone’s gaze shifted to the front row. They saw that the Bai family father and son, along with President He, only looked momentarily startled, showing no surprise. “It seems President Bai and the others already knew.”

“No wonder the four great families treated President Lin so differently—”

“So is it true? Is President Lin really that legendary master?”

In the midst of the commotion, all eyes returned to the stage.

They saw the person at the center of the topic turning his head, silently looking at the display case behind him without a word.

On the central stage, Lin Su’s prepared speech had been interrupted by the identity authentication sound. His gaze fixed on the Tianshi certificate in the case, and he fell silent.

Xuenima also froze. […Your disguise has been blown.]

Lin Su took a shallow breath and sighed softly. It really was very intelligent.

The string of words Pei Jin had said—”gene… record… engineering… digital”—flashed through his mind. After a moment, he shook his head. He had suffered from his lack of tech knowledge. It seemed he would have to find time to brush up on it later.

But that was a matter for later.

For now, all eyes were still on him, as if waiting for an answer.

Lin Su paused for only a moment before walking straight towards the display case behind him, meeting the gazes of the entire hall. His long, jade-like fingers pressed on the glass cover, and with a gentle lift, he opened it—

He picked up the Tianshi certificate with one hand.

The familiar certificate was back in his hand after a long time.

Lin Su looked at it nostalgically and hung the certificate back on his chest.

This action seemed to be a direct admission of his identity.

The audience held their breath, watching without blinking as Lin Su, wearing the certificate, returned to the front of the stage.

Lin Su stood firm at the front of the stage, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

Then, as if to confirm everyone’s suspicions, he smiled and said, “My old Tianshi certificate. I didn’t expect to be able to use it again.” A few gasps were heard from below. He placed a hand on the gleaming gold certificate and continued:

“Then, allow me to reintroduce myself. My former name is Lin Juexiao.”

His words struck like a clap of thunder, and the whole place burst into an uproar.

“Ahhh, it’s real! It’s actually real!”

“I’ve seen the legendary master with my own eyes! So he didn’t disappear, he just changed his identity!!”

“I knew there couldn’t be that many all-S rank masters, it was the same person all along—”

In the midst of the fervent discussion, Hao Niubai nearly jumped up.

She clutched her head, going wild on her own, letting out all the frustration she had been holding in. “Ahhh!! Awesome! Awesome! I knew he wasn’t simple… Lin Su never said he wasn’t Lin Juexiao, it’s terrifying to think about…!!”

In the clamorous hall, some people were still hesitant. “But President Lin looks so young…”

The person next to them immediately said, “What do you mean, young? Didn’t you hear President Bai always call him ‘Teacher’? His actual age must be much older than he looks.”

“He’s a legendary master, isn’t it natural for him to have age-defying techniques?”

“Shh! Don’t ask about the affairs of great masters!”

In the back rows of the hall, the atmosphere was just as heated.

“More than a decade has passed, and he’s still at an all-S level!”

“That previous string of ‘S’ ranks couldn’t have been awarded by the current four great families, right? With a master like this in charge, I’d like to see who still dares to be dissatisfied.”

The few men in blue jackets next to them felt their faces burn.

They had been holding their breath ever since the authentication sound echoed through the hall. Now, hearing the voices around them, it felt like they were being slapped repeatedly!

The gazes from the surrounding people glanced at them subtly.

The men felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles, wishing they could crawl into a hole in the ground.

…

On stage, Lin Su paid no mind to the undercurrents below.

After the initial explosion of noise.

He waited only a moment before lightly tapping the microphone in front of him. A soft “thump” drew everyone’s attention back. The previously noisy hall fell silent in an instant.

Dazzling gazes, filled with admiration, looked over.

Lin Su smiled slightly and spoke with calm composure, “The establishment of the Tianshi Alliance is to cultivate more outstanding successors, to carry on the legacy, and to maintain fairness and order.”

The special-class Tianshi certificate glittered under the lights.

He stood tall and straight, his shoulders level with the Alliance banner hanging high on the wall behind him. “As the initiator of the Alliance and its first president, I hereby guarantee—the Tianshi Alliance will uphold justice and morality, passed on like a spark of fire, eternally bright.”

His clear and resonant voice filled the hall.

Lin Su’s features were relaxed, gathering a brilliant light.

Just by standing there, he was like an unshakeable scale. His transcendent level of power was more persuasive than any words.

The hall was silent for a breath, then thunderous applause erupted.

…

The opening ceremony and inauguration speech concluded.

Lin Su walked off the stage amidst a tide of applause.

He Zhenling and the four great families were standing in the front row.

Lin Su first walked up to He Zhenling and looked at him. “How did I do?”

He Zhenling’s lips twitched, his mouth forming the first two words silently. “Kun Kun… President, your grace has not diminished.”

Lin Su pursed his lips with a slight blush. “Of course.”

Beside them, Bai Jiang and the others also came over.

Bai Jiang looked as radiant as a spring flower. “Brother Teacher is as dazzling and distinguished as ever~ Although there was a small, unexpected interruption at the start—”

He paused as he said this, and Lin Su also paused. “…”

Right, his super windproof disguise.

Bai Jiang’s gaze then shifted, accurately piercing through the crowd to land on a certain spot, and he announced loudly, “But it’s just as well. It shut up some of the gossip coming from certain mouths.”

Everyone in the hall turned their heads in unison with him.

The crowd seemed to part, revealing the men in blue jackets standing at the back.

The people next to them also moved aside, creating a vacuum around them and exposing them completely.

Lin Su raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What gossip?”

Bai Jiang repeated with a smile, “Probably something about how Teacher’s S-ranks are too few and inflated, that he achieved what he has today entirely by being propped up by his connections, and that they don’t know what’s so, great, about, him~”

The crowd was silent.

Lin Su was silent.

Not many people had heard their gossip initially, but now that Bai Jiang had said it, everyone knew. All sorts of indescribable, contemptuous gazes fell upon them—

Lin Su kindly tried to smooth things over. “Don’t blame them. They didn’t know I was ‘Lin Juexiao’ before. It’s understandable they didn’t think a Triple-S was presentable.”

Everyone: ………

Not far away, Hao Niubai thought, ‘…As expected, he has a sharp tongue!’

The faces of the men in blue jackets burned with a fiery pain.

They couldn’t stay any longer and turned to flee. Just as they slipped out of the hall’s main door, they heard the authentication system outside announce their names one after another: “Beep! B-rank Tianshi, Jin Fang. Beep! B-rank Tianshi, Liu Yifan…”

Xuenima looked into the distance. [So they’re just 2B…]

Lin Su pressed a hand over its little mouth.

As the disgraced figures disappeared through the door, he was about to retract his gaze when he heard someone call him from behind:

“By the way, there’s one more thing we haven’t said.”

Lin Su turned his head to see Bai Xinwen, Lu Yanzhou, Qi Wang, and Yi Daiming holding Yi Shui’s hand, all gathered around him. He Zhenling stood by his side, a slight curve to his lips as if he had sensed something.

Bai Jiang stood before them and clapped his hands together brightly:

“Teacher, welcome back!”

With the end of the opening ceremony, the Alliance was officially on track.

The students personally selected by Fang Shuyu had been handed over to the Yi family for cultivation and teaching.

Most of the Tianshis who had participated in the “Supernatural Tour” event had joined the Alliance. These powerful freelance masters officially became the first veteran members of the Alliance.

The member list was handed to Lin Su the next day.

He glanced through it and was shocked. “…Holy horse, so Hao Niubai is her real name!”

Xuenima was also shocked. [Tang Yin’s real name is Tang Leng! It seems both his real name and alias have an accent.]

“…”

The man and the spirit put down the list that was too full of things to roast.

Lin Su was currently curled up on the sofa.

It was now deep into autumn. The leaves outside the window were tinged with a reddish-gold, and the faint sunlight fell on a corner of the sofa, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

He was gazing outside when he heard the bathroom door open with a “clang.”

He Zhenling walked out, his slightly damp fringe falling over his brow. Although the scenery under his collar had already been seen, he still maintained the habit of wearing high-collared shirts, his body wrapped up tightly.

He walked over and sat down beside Lin Su. “Have you looked at the wedding plans? Which one do you like?”

Lin Su picked up the thick stack of plans beside him. “I’ve seen them. These few are quite good.” He flipped through them again. “Modern style and Chinese style, which one do you think we should choose?”

The person beside him was silent for a moment. He Zhenling seemed to think of something. “The Chinese style suits you.”

Lin Su looked down at himself. “Because this has always been my style?”

As he finished speaking, his hand was suddenly taken.

He Zhenling lowered his head to press his lips against it, looking directly into his eyes. “No, you look good in red.”

Lin Su’s face suddenly reddened, and he sighed. “…Sigh, my precious body, what wouldn’t look good on me?”

He Zhenling smiled. “That’s true.”

Lin Su stared at him, startled. “…”

A non-argumentative He Zhenling, a limited pre-wedding edition.

The two settled on a Chinese-style wedding.

Lin Su looked at the wedding plans and then remembered, “But don’t people wear rings now? Should we get a pair?” He thought for a moment. “Or do you prefer jade?”

As he spoke, he started to get up to search again. “I have a pile of them over there…”

“…”

He Zhenling’s brow twitched, and he pulled the man back. “No need.”

Lin Su turned his head. “?”

He Zhenling looked at him and said slowly, “What do you think I gave you?”

“…What?”

A hand caressed his earlobe.

With a press of his fingertip, He Zhenling removed the silver hoop and fastened it again. Then he took Lin Su’s hand and slipped it onto his ring finger—

It was a perfect fit.

On his well-proportioned fingers, the crane feather looked lifelike, as if it were about to take flight.

Lin Su was stunned for a moment. “You…”

He swallowed. “Was this intentional, or an accident?”

He Zhenling chuckled, squeezing his finger. “What do you think?”

Lin Su’s gaze fell on it. “But isn’t this your backup artifact? You…” He suddenly paused, his fingertip tracing the pattern on it. “…You attached your spiritual consciousness to it.”

The man in front of him hummed in agreement. “So, its size can be adjusted.”

Most divine officials chose to attach their spiritual consciousness to their own artifacts. Only Lin Su had made his consciousness into a comedic sidekick, Xuenima. He Zhenling, on the other hand, had split his consciousness in two, attaching them to two separate artifacts.

Now, he had given one to Lin Su.

As a protective gate, and as a token of their bond.

Lin Su looked at the ring on his finger, his heart warming. A moment later, he cupped He Zhenling’s handsome face in reciprocation and said shyly, “In the future, you can shape Xuenima to be eighty percent in your image.”

Shared Xuenima: [?]

He Zhenling’s throat moved as he suppressed a smile. “Mhm.”

The wedding date and style were set.

Lin Su let go of He Zhenling and sat back down, flipping through the plans and thinking. “Invitations for the mortal realm are easy to send. But there are too many gods and ghosts from ‘above’ and ‘below,’ especially the divine officials—”

Most divine officials presided over their own territories, each with their own duties.

He focused, trying to recall. “I can’t even remember all the divine officials…”

“It’s fine, I’ve already handled it.”

Lin Su was confused. “?”

So efficient?

He Zhenling’s face was calm, as if it were natural. “Yesterday, while you were fast asleep, I already notified the Black and White Impermanence.” He looked over steadily. “Don’t worry, not a single one will be missed.”

“…”

Author’s Note:

Kun: I feel like things are being stolen from me.
Big Bird He: To announce a wedding, one must use the loudest trumpet.
Also, Big Bird’s divine post is Inspector General; the president of the Inspection Association is his human world position. There’s still a tiny bit more to Kun Bird’s identity, which will be in the next chapter.

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