Chapter 67: Malfunction

“Isn’t that right? Who is this person, really? Such nerve—just look at how he battered those officers. I don’t think he wants to stay in this place any longer.”
“Oh, don’t be so sure—maybe he’s some big shot!”
Outside, the onlookers whispered among themselves, gossiping about Lin Hao.
At the bottom of the pile of “Arhats” on the ground lay the leader of the officers, now crushed beneath all the rest.
“Ow! Who the hell is on top of me? Get off, now!” he shrieked in pain.
The men above him groaned as well, but once they realized their leader was at the bottom, they scrambled to get up.
The ground was left in complete disarray.
Twisted and battered, the officer climbed to his feet, pointing at Lin Hao, eyes blazing with hatred and laced with fear.
He straightened his now crooked hat, his face blackened by the unnatural fire, nearly all his hair burned away.
He glared at Lin Hao and shouted loudly, “You—just you wait! I swear I won’t let you off today!”
As if shouting louder might bolster his courage.
Lin Hao observed this and sneered mercilessly, taking a step forward, about to speak.
Just then, he saw a large crowd approaching from the street; at the head was the innkeeper, pointing toward the inn. “Lord Xiong, over here! He’s the one who started a fight in the inn, broke the rules, and injured Lord Xiao and his men.”
“Who? Lead us there at once!” Lord Xiong, looking fierce, barked as he glanced toward the inn.
A hundred-strong crowd surged menacingly toward the inn.
Lin Hao’s expression changed instantly. He glared at the officer leading the group and scoffed, “Hmph, I’ll let you off this time. But next time you won’t be so lucky.”
With that, he tapped his toe and leaped onto the rooftop.
He summoned the Swallowing Cloud Sword.
With a whoosh, he vanished into the distance.
The officer surnamed Xiao, seeing reinforcements arrive, puffed out his chest and also leapt to the rooftop, but without a flying sword, he couldn’t catch up.
By the time he was on the roof, Lin Hao was already far away.
Soon, Lord Xiong and his men rushed over, shouting from below, “Where is he? Where did he go?”
Officer Xiao jumped down in abject defeat, mumbling, “Sorry, boss, he’s already escaped.”
“Useless!”
With a loud smack, Lord Xiong slapped Officer Xiao across the face.
Then, his expression stern, he asked, “You all remember what he looks like, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, we do. Don’t worry, boss, I swear I’ll catch him. He won’t get away,” Officer Xiao promised obsequiously.
“Good. Now, seal the city! Search every house—he must be found!” Lord Xiong commanded his men.
“Yes!” Hundreds of voices echoed up and down the street.
Afterward, Lord Xiong’s eyes glinted coldly as he looked around at the crowd.
Everyone shrank back, instinctively wanting to leave.
Lord Xiong slammed his long broadsword into the ground, sending a tremor through the earth.
People retreated further, even more fearful.
Satisfied with the effect, Lord Xiong sneered and, channeling his spiritual energy, shouted, “Hear me, citizens! The entire city is now under order: a stranger is wanted and no one is allowed to conceal him. Anyone caught will be punished as an accomplice!”
Instantly, as if his voice carried for miles, the whole city heard his words—including Lin Hao himself.
At that moment, Lin Hao was flying over a distant farmhouse atop the Swallowing Cloud Sword when Lord Xiong’s voice thundered in his ears. Lin Hao was so startled that he lost control of the sword and plummeted downward.

Fortunately, he landed on a rooftop.
No sooner had he found his footing than the voice echoed again, and Lin Hao’s eyes grew grave as he looked back the way he’d come.
He quickly retrieved the Swallowing Cloud Sword and flew toward a mountain to the south.
Once on the mountain, Lin Hao found a cave and hid inside.
Sitting in the darkness, he complained to the system, “System, you sent me to some unknown place, then immediately gave me a mission to auction off the Feather Kingdom Key, without even explaining the local rules! Now I’m wanted throughout the city. Are you trying to get me killed or what?!”
The system promptly replied, “All of this is the host’s own doing. The system bears no responsibility. Please do not attempt to shift blame.”
“What? You’re saying I’m shifting blame? All of this is my fault?” Lin Hao’s disbelief was palpable as he questioned the system.
A static noise buzzed in his mind, as if the system were malfunctioning.
The sound made Lin Hao’s head ache terribly.
Panicked, he clutched his head. “System! What’s wrong with you?”
Then, the system went silent, and Lin Hao let out a sigh of relief, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.
He was about to ask what had happened, half-wondering if the system felt guilty for putting him in this mess.
Before he could speak, the system’s voice returned.
“The host chose to use the transfer charm voluntarily. The system never guaranteed there would be no accidents.”
“Ahem! You—” Lin Hao choked on his own saliva, both exasperated and infuriated by the system’s shamelessness.
Suddenly, the system adopted the tone of a debate champion, and the two of them went back and forth, argument for argument.
“The host requested the use of the transfer charm,” said the system.
“But it was a system product,” Lin Hao retorted.
“And purchased by the host,” the system replied.
“If there was a malfunction, shouldn’t the system be responsible?” Lin Hao pressed.
“The system has already provided compensation and reached a settlement with the host,” the system replied.
…
Eventually, Lin Hao was left speechless.
He almost felt brainwashed by the system, beginning to wonder if the fault truly lay with him.
“No, that’s not right.”
Thinking of his current predicament, Lin Hao shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Then, changing tactics, he put on a woeful expression. “But system, I trusted you, that’s why I’m in this mess. Now you’ve got such a big bug, how am I supposed to trust you in the future? Maybe we should just go down together.”
After playing the victim, Lin Hao turned defiant.
This threat finally made the system fall silent.
Sensing an opening, Lin Hao’s eyes brightened, and he pressed on, “Now I’m wanted across the entire city, I don’t even know where I am or what’s going on. System, shouldn’t you give me a perfect solution? I can’t just hide on this mountain forever.”
“The host is encouraged to explore on his own,” the system replied with its usual perfunctory answer.
This time, Lin Hao’s patience snapped. “Don’t tell me to explore on my own. If you keep acting like this, we’ll never get along. I might as well go down the mountain and let them catch me—get it over with.” He sulked, threatening to give up.
The system flickered, at first ignoring him.
But Lin Hao was determined to butt heads this time.

He strode out of the cave.
“System, think carefully. I really am going,” he declared, heading down the mountain.
When he reached the foot of the mountain, just about to leave, the system finally spoke.
“The host may cultivate the Azure City Sword Manual to resolve this crisis.”
“The Azure City Sword Manual?” At the system’s concession, Lin Hao’s lips curled into a triumphant smile, and he echoed, pleased.
At that moment, numerous officers were approaching the foot of the mountain, shouting, “Hurry up!”
Lin Hao’s heart leaped; with a quick turn, he climbed into a tall tree and hid himself.
He watched as the officers carried his portrait, searching house by house.
Lin Hao marveled, “They’re fast, I’ll give them that.”
He glanced at the portrait, “It does look a lot like me. Seems I’m famous here now. Next time I go out, I’ll have to disguise myself.”
He noticed four men heading up the mountain.
As they drew closer, he heard them say, “Let’s stand guard at the mountain entrance. Lord Xiong said not to search the mountain just yet—wait until the city’s been combed. If we can’t find him, then we’ll search the mountain.”
Lin Hao watched as the four stood motionless at the mountain’s entrance.
Seeing this, he immediately turned back to the cave he’d found earlier and sat down.
He drew the Azure City Sword Manual from his storage space and began to read.
“To think this Azure City Sword Manual is a sword technique!” Lin Hao’s eyes grew brighter as he studied each move, his gaze burning with excitement.
This was exactly what he needed—a sword technique that elevated his spirit just by reading it.
Eager, he took up the Swallowing Cloud Sword and stepped outside the cave to practice.
The Azure City Sword Manual contained 108 sword techniques, each faster and more formidable than the last, flawless in their execution.
Every move was more powerful than the one before.
Moreover, Lin Hao had already grasped a hint of sword intent. Though he was just starting out and not yet skilled with the Azure City Sword Manual, the power of his swordplay was evident—leaves scattered with each stroke.
Lin Hao threw himself wholeheartedly into practice.
He trained until sunset.
From afar, it seemed that Lin Hao and the Swallowing Cloud Sword had become one—only a sword spinning between heaven and earth could be seen, his figure completely obscured.
In the martial world, speed is invincible, and so it is with the sword.
At that moment, Lin Hao felt he had entered a different realm, as if he himself was the sword and the Swallowing Cloud Sword shared his very thoughts.
It was as if with a single thought, the sword would respond instantly, needing no effort from him.
Gradually, Lin Hao lost himself in the technique. As the sun set and the moon rose, he and the Swallowing Cloud Sword moved as one, soaring into the sky.
Reaching a certain height, he suddenly dove downward.
With a resonant clang, Lin Hao and the Swallowing Cloud Sword crashed into a giant tree, thick enough for ten men to encircle.
From the treetop to the ground, the tree shattered into splinters that flew in all directions.
The commotion startled the nearby wild beasts, which scattered in alarm.