Lin Xuanzhi’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he thought to himself, Ah Hen has been away from me for many years, and his gaze has become sharper and sharper, which is quite different from that of the former teenager who didn’t think and was clueless about what was happening.
However, there was a price to pay for growing up. At this moment, Lin Xuanzhi didn’t know whether his mood was more pained or proud. In any case, it was almost like this youth had been completely reborn after leaving his shelter, becoming more and more dazzling.
Lin Xuanzhi looked at Yan Tianhen’s face, which did not hide his worries at all, and answered very lightly, “It’s just some residual injuries left in earlier years. Once my spiritual Qi is consumed excessively and reaches a critical value, I will temporarily lose my cultivation, but it won’t hinder anything, and I will soon recover. It’s just that this time I was unlucky, and I was poisoned when my cultivation was gone, so I recovered slowly.” Speaking of this, Lin Xuanzhi added, “And then I met you.”
Yan Tianhen shook his head. “Huarong Gege, don’t fool me. If it was just this, then you wouldn’t have had to disguise yourself as a woman.”
Lin Xuanzhi smiled. “I can’t hide anything from you. In fact, after my cultivation was completely lost, I happened to meet several former enemies. I was originally hiding in an inn to avoid them. I didn’t expect them to go door-to-door to find an injured man. I borrowed a set of women’s clothing from the female innkeeper, avoided their pursuit, and took advantage of my last energy to return to Ethereal City.”
Yan Tianhen gasped. “Who are your enemies?”
Lin Xuanzhi raised his hand and rubbed Yan Tianhen’s head. “I really can’t tell you this, because you are no match for them. It’s useless to say it.”
Yan Tianhen felt the tenderness and warmth from Lin Xuznhi’s palm, as if he had returned to the time when he was hugged and taken out of danger by this person during that life-threatening moment many years ago.
“Okay, I won’t ask this anymore.” Yan Tianhen said, “But why did you tell me your name was Lin Zhizhi when you saw me? If you had told me that you’re Huarong Gege, I definitely wouldn’t have treated you so badly.”
He remembered when he cut into flesh with his bare hands. Back then, Lin Xuanzhi was sweating profusely, and Yan Tianhen couldn’t stop feeling unhappy in his heart whenever he thought of that.
Although he called himself playful and flirty, in reality, Yan Tianhen was a person who had no tender feelings for the fairer sex. It was already enough that he saved Lin Zhizhi’s life — after all, they were strangers who met by chance and happened to be brought together by fate — but how could he actually give her life-saving medicinal pills? However, Lin Xuanzhi was different.
“I originally meant to tell you my identity.” Lin Xuanzhi curled his lips, and his smile was shallow yet profound. “But you just had to tell me that your name is Gu Tiantian, so I changed my words and omitted a character.”
Yan Tianhen, “…”
How I grieve and lament this.
“Besides, I thought that if you heard the name Lin Zhizhi, you’d be able to guess who I am. Who could’ve expected that you didn’t even know my name.” Lin Xuanzhi sighed imperceptibly.
Yan Tianhen felt very guilty. “I thought your name was Huarong Sword Immortal.”
Lin Xuanzhi, “…”
Who gave him the title?
Yan Tianhen said, “I’m sorry.”
Lin Xuanzhi paused for a moment and didn’t speak.
The pear blossoms were dotted with white. The moonlight dissolved, floating and falling.
“He had other things to do and went to other places.” Lin Xuanzhi said faintly, “He’s already left me for a long time.”
Lin Xuanzhi’s tone was calm, insipid, and flat, but Yan Tianhen somehow recognized some sadness in his voice.
Who knows whether it was because he was feeling sorry for Lin Xuanzhi or whether Lin Xuanzhi was truly sad.
Yan Tianhen said, “He was actually willing to leave you.”
“He couldn’t bear to, and I also couldn’t bear to either. It’s just that there are some things that we can’t help but do according to the heavens.”
Yan Tianhen said, “If I don’t want to leave someone, even if I have to oppose the heavens, I still won’t be willing to leave him.”
Lin Xuanzhi resisted the urge to rub Yan Tianhen’s head. “Childish thoughts.”
Yan Tianhen said, “I am serious.”
Lin Xuanzhi smiled. “It is precisely because you are serious that I call you childish.”
Just when Yan Tianhen wanted to refute, he heard a distant crane’s cry in the mountain forest, which was empty and distant, and it was very beautiful.
Lin Xuanzhi glanced towards the east. “Let’s stop here for today. I still have some things to deal with. Go back and have a good rest.”
Although Yan Tianhen still wanted to learn more, being able to see Lin Xuanzhi again had already given him an unexpected but pleasant surprise.
So Yan Tianhen nodded. “Can I see you again?”
“Naturally, you can. After you enter the academy, I will give you a token. You can meet me on Penglai Island whenever you want.”
Yan Tianhen’s heart jumped uncontrollably, as if about to break through his chest.
“As for these two tiger cubs, I’ll take them away for now.” Lin Xuanzhi smiled at him as if he was giving him bewitching drugs. “Since you want to hide your identity for the time being, don’t let anyone see the tiger cub, or you will be easily seen through.”
At this time, even if Lin Xuanzhi wanted his little life, Yan Tianhen would probably just giggle like a fool and say “Oh, that? If you want it, then just take it.”
So Hu Po had been sold clean by his own master without even knowing it, and Lin Xuanzhi was already flying towards the east on his sword while holding two tiger cubs.
That night, Yan Tianhen kept burning the midnight oil as took out the book from Gu Ruyu, and picked out the titles he had already read before, and recited them silently from beginning to end.
He had originally had nothing to fear, but right now he was in a nervous mood for fear of being eliminated in the written portion.
Over there, Lin Xuanzhi flew straight to a peak clearing.
There was a Bifang standing on one foot, leaning against a gorgeous man dressed in a red robe. The man had bare feet and a string of silver bells hanging on his ankles, which looked very demonic.
“Did you go see your lover?” Yin Chongyue curled his lips and asked.
Lin Xuanzhi glanced at him. “It’s so late. What did you call me back for?”
Yin Chongyue yawned. “Twenty of the candidates in this batch of examinees have killed people in the evil spirit array.”
Lin Xuanzhi waited for the rest.
“Those who killed one or two will be fine. That’s not worth worrying about. However, one person killed everyone else in the array except for himself, and the other killed everyone in the array except for another examinee.” Yin Chongyue curled his lips and spoke bewitchingly, “In my opinion, if they killed, then they killed, but some people just don’t want to let the killers go so easily.”
Lin Xuanzhi glanced at him. “After the assessment, someone will naturally check the leaf tickets.”
“It can’t wait.” Yin Chongyue said, “Just now, the deans of the East, West, North, and South Courtyards have gathered to discuss this matter. Among the group with only two survivors left, the other nine people who were killed were disciples from several Divine Clans, and people are unwilling to let this go.”
Lin Xuanzhi truly didn’t know about this matter. After all, he didn’t usually care much about the assessment.
But since Yin Chongyue came to him specifically for this matter, Lin Xuanzhi could only take care of it.
“Which families?”
“The voodoo Ying family, the musician Wan family, and there’s also East Land’s Xuan family.” Yin Zhongyue clicked his tongue twice. “Don’t you think I treat you well? I even told you specifically whenever there is something to do with the Xuan clan.”
Lin Xuanzhi glanced at him. “No wonder it’s a difficult situation. It won’t be easy to handle if these three families exert pressure at the same time.”
Yin Zhongyue nodded. “Originally, if they die, then they die. It’s not like nobody ever died before. But the Ying family member who died just happened to be from the main branch, so the Ying family refuses to cooperate no matter what.”
“I’ll go back and investigate.”
This year, all the leaf tickets were made by Lin Xuanzhi. If they wanted to investigate those red leaf tickets, it was natural that he would be the fastest and most accurate person for this job.
After Yin Chongyue finished discussing official matters, his mind began to wander.
“You’ve been restraining yourself for seven years, and finally you can’t hold back any longer?” Yin Chongyue teased.
Lin Xuanzhi said, “It’s not as bad as that. Don’t talk about me like I’m you.”
Yin Chongyue laughed. “What about me? I wasn’t the one who stubbornly insisted on seeing my sweetheart despite being seriously injured. I heard that you even crossdressed. Lin Xuanzhi ah Lin Xuanzhi, since when did you become so shameless? Well, how about it? Are you happy or not to see that your family’s Ah Hen is so attentive to you when you’re in women’s clothes?”
Lin Xuanzhi said coldly, “If you have nothing else to say, I will leave first.”
Yin Chongyue lifted his foot and followed. They walked towards Penglai Island together.
Yin Chongyue asked, “Have you decided to live on Penglai Island for several years?”
“A tentative arrangement.”
“Then I’d better return to Reincarnation Palace and watch it. In the past few years, Reincarnation Palace has been too popular. In these years, we might as well vanish temporarily and take on fewer tasks and earn less money.”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “That’s also my intention. Since Ah Hen is here, I naturally won’t put my mind too much on the outside. Moreover, Little Nian is also going to pass the entrance exam and study here. He’s so naughty and mischievous; I always have to keep an eye on him.”
“How is my son naughty? He’s so obedient.” Yin Chongyue was dissatisfied and went on to ask, “So is it really okay for Little Nian to swagger into the sect, just like that?”
“Myriad Dao Academy provides education for everyone, irrespective of background. It doesn’t ask about worldly matters and has even accepted demonic cultivators. What’s a Young Palace Master of a cult to that?”
“…I understand all the reasons, but why do you say that the Reincarnation Palace you personally built is a cult?”
Lin Xuanzhi, “…”
I’m sorry, my bad.
In the early morning of the second day, they heard the distant and vigorous early bell ringing.
The bell was located at the peak of the mountain, but it could resound through the entire academy. It was said that even in Ethereal City, which was outside the academy, the sound of the morning bell and the evening drum could still be heard, which had become symbols of Ethereal City.
However, today’s bells seemed to be somewhat different.
In a short time, Steward Ruan took several disciples to the accommodations of the 64th ship’s examinees. She always had some kindness on her face before, but now she showed a rare grave expression.
She looked at the candidates who had run out after hearing the movement. “Where is Shen Congrong?”
Shen Congrong, who was dressed neatly, straightened his sleeves. “I’m here.”