Ch126 – Secret Hint
Duan Yuyang scoffed and smiled as he said to Duan Yufei, “Since your mother doesn’t allow me to take you out, then I can’t help it. I don’t want my ears to suffer later, so just play by yourself at home ba. I have other things to do, so I’ll leave first.”
Duan Yuyang pinched Duan Yufei’s cheek before he left.
Duan Yufei looked at Duan Yuyang’s receding figure, who didn’t bother persisting for very long, and instantly felt like he had been abandoned by everyone.
He cried again, and whipped the cultivator while crying and shouted sadly, “It’s all your fault, your fault! I’ll beat you to death, I’ll beat you to death! Wuwuwu……you baddie, baddie!”
The cultivator’s face turned green because of getting beaten though he was just doing his job. But, when he thought of how Madam Duan would have treated him if he had allowed Duan Yuyang to take Duan Yufei out of the Duan residence, the cultivator felt a lot more comforted.
The Lin residence.
Lin Xuanzhi came out of the cultivation room and went straight back to his courtyard.
In the courtyard, Lin Xuanzhi saw Duan Yuyang, who was about to leave, and Yan Tianhen, who had come out to send him off.
“Dage, Yuyang Gege gave me an introductory manual to the alchemist path.” Yan Tianhen blinked, “And it’s a profound-level high grade cultivation method!”
Lin Xuanzhi’s eyebrows raised slightly and he couldn’t help but feel surprised, “Profound-level high grade? Did you get it from the auction house or the Duan family?”
Duan Yuyang waved his hand and said, “Neither. This is part of the dowry that my mother left behind. Although my mother didn’t have much of a background, but she was at least a disciple of a celestial-level sect, so it’s not impossible to get a profound-level high grade cultivation method.”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded, “Since we’re so familiar with each other now, let’s spare ourselves words of gratitude. In the future, if you have any needs for crafting equipment, feel free to look for me.”
Duan Yuyang grinned, “As long as I need your help, I definitely won’t think twice about making a request.”
Lin Xuanzhi smiled and thought to himself, if she didn’t have much of a background, then it wouldn’t be a simple matter to have gotten this kind of profound-level high grade cultivation method… Whether or not that was a profound-level high grade method was one thing, but don’t just look at Duan Yuyang’s usual carefree demeanour. In actuality, as the Young Master of the Duan family, he definitely wouldn’t be so simple a person.
But, Lin Xuanzi didn’t make any inquiries.
Duan Yuyang stared at Lin Xuanzhi with a scorching gaze, “What kind of treasure did you craft this time?”
Lin Xuanzhi’s powerhouse aura seemed even stronger than the last time he saw him, and clearly belonged to that of a Hardened Body cultivator. That was definitely not Lin Xuanzhi’s own aura, which meant that there was only one possibility left — he now had a magic treasure on him that could disguise his cultivation level!
Lin Xuanzhi took out a magic treasure with the shape of a copper coin. With one flick of his thumb, the magic treasure landed in Duan Yuyang’s hand.
“I’ve only ever heard of such a thing and have never seen it with my own eyes before. It should be quite difficult to craft ba?” Duan Yuyang fiddled around with the Cultivation Level Ring and thought that this item should be something that could save his life in the future, so he was immediately very fond of it.
Duan Yuyang uttered two tsks and said meaningfully, “Xuanzhi, I realise that the magic treasures that you craft don’t travel through routes that ordinary people can see.”
Lin Xuanzhi had no mentor, nor had anyone ever seen him develop a good relationship with any craftsman before. But now, aside from the Blasting Bamboo and wine cups, all the magic treasures that Lin Xuanzhi crafted were treasures that Duan Yuyang had never seen or heard of.
So that required some special attention.
Yet Lin Xuanzhi just smiled lightly and said, unconcerned, “I just had some chance encounters where I managed to obtain a few special recipes and cultivation methods.”
Duan Yuyang nodded and didn’t inquire any further, “That was what I had guessed. But, you could be considered to have received the Heavens’ pity.”
Yan Tianhen stroked his chin and said pensively, “Why do I feel like my Dage can practically be called the darling of the Heavens? Although he fell once, he managed to get back up again very quickly, and would always chance upon even better encounters! It’s so amazing!”
Duan Yuyang felt the same way and said, “Don’t talk about it anymore, or else I’m going to be jealous of him.”
After he said this, the three of them laughed.
However, Lin Xuanzhi felt extremely rueful.
He had always been pitied by the Tao of Heaven, but likewise, some of the favours bestowed upon him by the Tao of Heaven will have to be returned eventually. Just like how he had completely lost Yan Tianhen in his past life, which is now an indelible scar in his heart.
But in this lifetime, he must grasp the gift of the Heavens firmly and let Yan Tianhen and him have a good ending this time.
Duan Yuyang said, “The Hundred Families Gathering is about to begin. The three major families of Qing city — the Duan family, Lin family and Han family — all attach great importance to it. Our family will be going to the mountains and forests for intensive training in a few days, and I need to follow along too. I’m afraid that you won’t be able to see me around during this period.”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded, “Likewise. The Lin family will be entering seclusion in the cultivation room.”
Duan Yuyang clicked his tongue and said with great admiration, “Now that you mention the cultivation room, only your Lin family was built on the dragon head of the leyline. I really envy you to death.”
Lin Xuanzhi said lightly, “If you want to go in there to cultivate, I can help you pay the family points required.”
Duan Yuyang waved his hand, “Never mind. The relationships in your Lin family are even more complicated than in our Duan family, I can’t be bothered to be involved in that.”
Lin Xuanzhi thought of the pill poison in Duan Yuyang’s body, so he said furtively, “I’m afraid the internal section of your Duan family isn’t as peaceful as it seems.”
Duan Yuyang didn’t miss Lin Xuanzhi’s gaze. He couldn’t help but laugh, “What kind of rumours did you catch wind of this time?”
Lin Xuanzhi said lightly, “Speaking of rumours, I really did hear one recently.”
“What is it?” Duan Yuyang’s interest was piqued.
“When I was in Profound Sky Sect, I heard someone say before that your mother now actually knew your father long before your mother passed away, and that your second brother is actually older than you.” Lin Xuanzhi said.
Duan Yuyang was stunned in an instant, “Who would slander our Duan family like that?”
Although his stepmother has always been rather cold to him, but she had only entered the Duan family after his mother died. Also, Duan Yuhao was definitely his father’s biological son. But being born before or after him was a different matter altogether. Just as Duan Yuyang was berating the guy who was spreading rumours in his heart and was about to inquire about him in-depth to go beat him up, Lin Xuanzhi continued.
“Why not test the food you consume daily at home after your return?” Lin Xuanzhi said furtively, “Also, find someone reliable to check it, and don’t tell anyone who seems suspicious.”
Duan Yuyang frowned and stared at Lin Xuanzhi, puzzled. “Why do I feel like your words seem to insinuate something? Do you know anything?”
Lin Xuanzhi just shook his head and said no more. “Whatever I say now have no basis and won’t be of much use. All your doubts should be raised after you personally take a test and see the results ba.”
Duan Yuyang left with a heavy heart.
After Duan Yuyang left, Yan Tianhen asked, puzzled, “Dage, why did you tell Yuyang Ge all that? Don’t tell me someone in the Duan family wants to harm him?”
Lin Xuanzhi said lightly, “That’s hard to say.”
Yan Tianhen looked worried and asked, “Who is it? In any case, Yuyang Ge is the Young Master of the Duan family after all. Aren’t they afraid that after they get exposed, they would be severely punished?”
Lin Xuanzhi looked at Yan Tianhen’s little face and said, “I know, but I can’t say anything.”
Yan Tianhen was stunned, then continued to asking, “Why can’t you say anything?”
Lin Xuanzhi rubbed Yan Tianhen’s head, “In this world, there are a lot of things that cannot be said.”
For example, how he violated the Tao of Heaven by trying to change Duan Yuyang’s fate. But he can only offer some assistance because he can’t speak frankly about the truth. Otherwise, once the Tao perceives it, it would burst into anger and an unpredictable punishment would fall upon him.
Yan Tianhen looked pensive, but he still nodded although he was somewhat confused.
After he entered Yan Tianhen’s room, Lin Xuanzhi felt the gloomy aura that assaulted his face.
Past the screen, Lin Xuanzhi saw the naked, handsome male corpse sitting in the bathtub filled with rolling blood-coloured liquid.
The male corpse was already beginning to emit a slight pressure.
Lin Xuanzhi frowned slightly, “What was his original cultivation level?”
Yan Tianhen said, “Primary-level Condensed Blood stage.”
A strange glint flashed through Lin Xuanzhi’s eyes.
“A cultivation at the Primary-level Condensed Pulse stage before the age of 30?” Lin Xuanzhi looked at Yan Tianhen, frowning slightly, “Are you sure you can control him, and not receive a backlash from him instead?”
Yan Tianhen rubbed his nose, “His cultivation level had already dropped by a whole level when he died, and is now only at the Hardened Body stage. Now, after he’s been dead for so long, his cultivation level can only be lower than before. When the time comes, as long as I can find a suitable Gu bug, there shouldn’t be a problem in controlling him.”
Lin Xuanzhi felt a little relieved.
“How long would it take for him to wake up?” Lin Xuanzhi asked.
“At the present rate, it’s estimated that he’ll wake up in less than a month.” Yan Tianhen looked excited as he said this.
Lin Xuanzhi nodded, “In the future, go to the cultivation room to cultivate your alchemy arts in the day and come back here at night to refine this Yin corpse.”
Yan Tianhen nodded, “That’s what I’m planning to do.”
Lin Xuanzhi said, “Now, let’s go to our family’s commercial street to select some materials for refining pills.”
After Yan Tianhen touched the alchemy manual that Duan Yuyang gave him, it had immediately surfaced in his mind.
The Lin family’s commercial street was within the Lin residence. Though it wasn’t comparable to the bazaar outside, there were a lot of things in it, especially basic materials required for refining pills. Spiritual plants here were grown from spiritual seeds collected from all over the continent, so there were quite a few spiritual plants here that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.
The most important thing was, for a pupil of the Lin family, the prices were considerably just — it was only slightly more expensive than its cost price.
When they arrived at the commercial street, Lin Xuanzhi and Yan Tianhen went to the spiritual plants shop first to buy some of the most basic low grade spiritual plants to practice with. They bought a hundred of each kind before the two of them went to the material shop and bought quite a few materials required for crafting. Of course, they didn’t buy a lot that were just used for practice, most of them were bought by Lin Xuanzhi for important purposes.
After they finished depleting all the family points that Yan Tianhen had, the two of them went to the cultivation room together.
The rules of the cultivation room required one person to take a room each to avoid disturbing one another while cultivating.
When they arrived at the entrance of the stone house, Lin Xuanzhi said, “Ah Hen, I don’t have a lot of experience with the path of an alchemist, so you’ll have to work hard and figure it out by yourself.”
Yan Tianhen nodded and said, unconcerned, “I can do it even without Dage’s help.”
Lin Xuanzhi smiled, “Where did this confidence come from?”
Yan Tianhen scratched his head and said, slightly embarrassed, “Actually, I’ve always comprehended the alchemy stories that Daddy used to tell me very well. It’s just that my cultivation level at the time was too low, and couldn’t even refine the most basic pill. But the situation now is completely different, after all, I’m a Refining Qi stage fifth layer cultivator now.”