Chapter 298: Sikong Zhen's Prestige Is Still Rising

Hours later, Lin Canyang successfully boarded the plane. He sat in his seat, gripped by paranoia, pretending to read a newspaper while constantly scanning his surroundings from the corner of his eye.

His behavior was entirely justified, because no one would believe what he had experienced on his way here.

Our people! Our people are everywhere!

He truly felt the immense power and pervasive reach of the Seven Deadly Sins. From the stray dogs on the side of the road to the fake ID forgers, the law enforcers, the checkpoint directors, and even the airport managers—every single one of them was one of their own!

As a wanted criminal, he had swaggered around with more prestige than a noble. He was given a green light the entire way, walking straight into the plane's first-class cabin.

Now, even the flight attendant bringing him a drink looked like one of their own. He was terrified that after setting down his beverage, she would suddenly declare, "Long live the Seven Deadly Sins!"

"Ma'am, are you heading to the Blood Moon Empire as well?" Lin Canyang asked the woman in the next seat in a low voice.

The woman wore a luxurious long dress and was dripping with jewels. At a glance, she was clearly either wealthy or a noble.

She rolled her eyes at Lin Canyang. "Sir, your method of hitting on someone is truly unique. Do you think we could possibly be heading to two different destinations while sitting on the exact same plane?"

"I didn't mean anything by it. The journey is just a bit boring, so I wanted to make some casual conversation. By the way, your brooch is quite unique. It has exactly seven diamonds set in it, no more and no less. Does that hold any special meaning?"

"You'd have to ask the jewelry designers at Yavanji why they chose to use only seven."

"Alright."

Lin Canyang pulled his head back with an unreadable expression and said nothing more. It seemed this woman wasn't a member of the organization.

Since the mission explicitly stated I must arrive in the Blood Moon Empire within three days to rendezvous with the organization's members, he thought, could there be members on this very flight?

...

...

Meanwhile, Sikong Zhen felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He was attending a meeting of the Royal Family, but for some unknown reason, his formerly familiar colleagues kept looking at him with strange expressions.

He sat near the front of the room. His sharp perception as a Gold expert allowed him to notice quite a few colleagues pointing and whispering behind his back. Even some people in the front row occasionally turned to look at him.

Whenever he met their gazes, they would offer a friendly smile—even political rivals who had never gotten along with him.

Why are they all looking at me?

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, Sikong Zhen glanced down at his crotch. His zipper was pulled up perfectly fine.

He was a Gold powerhouse, true, but that didn't mean a Gold powerhouse couldn't occasionally forget to zip his pants.

"Lord Sikong, you and I have had much friction in the past due to our differing political views. I hope you can forgive me," a smiling middle-aged man said as he walked over and sat down beside Sikong Zhen.

Sikong Zhen frowned slightly. This man was also a Gold expert, though he belonged to a different political faction. For him to take the initiative to yield today... was he plotting some sort of scheme?

Upholding the principle that reaching out does not strike a smiling face, he returned the smile. "Lord Zuoqiu, you exaggerate. We both do it for the Empire."

Zuoqiu gave a warm smile and nodded. "I will have to ask Lord Sikong to look after me in the future."

"Lord Zuoqiu still needs me to look after him?"

"Lord Sikong, please don't be modest. Who doesn't know of your strength now? Many people are even spreading the word that you are the true First God of War of Chiyan. Dongfang Yuan is already old."

Sikong Zhen was speechless.

Crap, he's trying to destroy me with praise!

He considered himself outstanding among the ranks of Gold experts, but he certainly couldn't compare to a veteran powerhouse like Dongfang Yuan. If this kind of rumor wasn't stopped, it would only escalate. Soon they would start spreading nonsense like, "Dongfang is past his prime, Sikong should take the throne."

So, he used the excuse of going to the restroom to secretly summon his trusted aide.

"Quick, go check! That sly old fox Zuoqiu is trying to destroy me with praise. He actually compared me to Dongfang Yuan to provoke a conflict between us. Find out exactly how far these rumors have spread!" Sikong Zhen said grimly.

His aide gave him an odd look. "My lord, it's one thing to fool outsiders, but I'm one of your own. Your strength is known throughout the world. How could that old fossil Dongfang Yuan compare to you?"

"What!?" Sikong Zhen's eyes went wide. He looked at his aide as if seeing him for the first time. In that moment, he even suspected the man had betrayed him.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting!"

"My lord, how am I spouting nonsense? I know you've always kept a low profile, but your true strength has been completely exposed now. You don't need to hide it anymore."

"My true strength?" Sikong Zhen grew more bewildered the longer he listened. What in the world was going on?

"My lord, you are one of only two people to ever survive an encounter with the Seven Deadly Sins! Every time the Seven Deadly Sins appear, it is accompanied by the fall of an important figure. Only you and King Chi have managed to escape unscathed to this day. Such power truly fills this subordinate with awe."

Sikong Zhen fell completely silent.

He found the whole situation utterly absurd. To think his strength had been proven merely by the fact that he survived the Seven Deadly Sins.

This was an absolute humiliation! Since when did he, Sikong Zhen, have to prove his strength in such a shameful manner?

Besides, how could he be compared to King Chi? King Chi had faced Pride, while he had faced Envy. And during that encounter, Gluttony and Lust hadn't even attacked him seriously!

Sikong Zhen returned to the conference room completely expressionless. Along the way, the other ministers who were gradually arriving treated him with unusual respect, running over from a distance just to greet him.

He gave cold nods in response. By all logic, this kind of aloof attitude should have drawn the others' displeasure. But now, not only did it cause no offense, it made the crowd fawn over him even more.

After he returned to his seat, Zuoqiu continued his smiling pleasantries, placing himself in a very submissive position with his words. He even extended an invitation, hoping Sikong Zhen would do him the honor of attending a gathering.

Sikong Zhen watched it all, feeling a secret joy bloom in his chest. There was nothing more satisfying than seeing a former political rival groveling before him.

He suddenly felt that things being this way... wasn't so bad after all.

The rumors aren't wrong at all, he thought. I did escape from the Seven Deadly Sins. If you lot think you're so capable, why don't you try escaping from them? Do you think you could?

After the meeting concluded, King Chi singled Sikong Zhen out to stay behind.

The crowd watched with a wave of envy. He had truly won the sovereign's favor! As expected of an expert who could survive the Seven Deadly Sins.

"Your Majesty, why have you asked this minister to stay?"

King Chi cast a bored glance at Sikong Zhen, then turned to Gongsun Quan. "You tell him."

Gongsun Quan nodded. He reached into his robes, pulled something out, and placed it right before Sikong Zhen's eyes.

When Sikong Zhen saw the object, his pupils shrank violently. "This... this is..."

It was none other than a Silver-White Mask, and the Greedy Smiling Face etched upon it pierced straight into his vision.

"Lord Sikong should be quite familiar with this mask."

Familiar! It was far too familiar. Back then, he had worn this exact mask while being hunted down by the Seven Deadly Sins, nearly losing his life in the process.