Yan Tianhen heard this but didn’t quite understand. “Wait, what does Immortal Blessing Pavilion have to do with you?”
Bai Yanqiu looked at him and answered calmly, “My mother’s surname is Bai. I am the real successor of Immortal Blessing Pavilion. My family has been practicing medicine for generations, but now it has fallen into the hands of others.”
Yan Tianhen opened his mouth wide to exclaim, “So it’s like that.”
Who would have thought that the average-looking Boss Shan, who seemed a bit slow-witted but actually had a black heart, could give birth to such a refined son? Bai Yanqiu probably resembled his mother much more.
Yan Tianhen was somewhat apologetic as he spoke, “Bai Shixiong, I didn’t mean to meddle in your family’s affairs. When I took the mission, I saw that the task involved local ruffians bullying the shopkeeper, so I thought about accepting the mission. However, after I knew about the situation, I risked mission failure and completely ignored the owner.”
Bai Yanqiu smiled slightly. “I know. Shidi, thank you for your trust. In fact, a few years ago, I also thought about taking Immortal Blessing Pavilion away from them. However, I was still young back then, my ability was insufficient, and I spent many years training outside, so I didn’t have the time and energy to manage the huge Immortal Blessing Pavilion. Therefore, I placed Immortal Blessing Pavilion in that couple’s hands for the time being. I was waiting for a good time to sound the drum and sue them in order to snatch it back.”
Bai Yanqiu’s move was pretty poisonous. Instead of letting passion dictate his fights, he temporarily retreated. Firstly, he needed to grow stronger. Secondly, in order to manage Immortal Blessing Pavilion, human capital and financial resources were both indispensable. Since Boss Shan and the three-tailed fox wanted to look after the store for him, why would Bai Yanqiu be dissatisfied?
In any case, these two would certainly manage Immortal Blessing Pavilion properly. After all, these people thought of Immortal Blessing Pavilion as their own property.
Bai Yanqiu, on the other hand, finally felt that the time was right after many years, so he returned to snatch back the Immortal Blessing Pavilion his mother left him. Not only did this plan save him energy, but it also preserved his mother’s business, so what could he have against it?
After thinking about this, Yan Tianhen admired Bai Yanqiu very much. He said with a smile, “Bai Shixiong is thoughtful and far-sighted. When does Bai Shixiong plan to take back the business?”
Bai Yanqiu originally wanted to wait a few more years, but since Yin Nian and Yan Tianhen were worried about this matter and had done so many things for him, he naturally had to reciprocate and let these two younger martial brothers see a satisfying result.
Bai Yanqiu replied, “I returned this time precisely to take back Immortal Blessing Pavilion and get justice for my mother and me.”
Yan Tianhen was immediately overjoyed. In this world, what normal person didn’t like to see satisfying things that upheld virtue and condemned evil, redressing wrongs and clearing people’s hearts?
Yan Tianhen immediately said, “Bai Shixiong, when do you plan to sound the drum and state your grievances? I’ll go with you to boost your confidence!”
Bai Yanqiu naturally had no reason to disagree.
Bai Yanqiu still needed to go back and prepare some more evidence, so he left first after the discussion.
After Bai Yanqiu left, Yan Tianhen couldn’t restrain his curiosity and asked, “Yin Nian, how did you meet this person?”
“In that year, first there was a flood in the North Land, followed by three years of great drought. Countless people died. The demon clans secretly poisoned the river water, spreading plague. One person infected ten, and ten people infected a hundred. Within two months, several cities in a row had become graves for the living dead, and I was also infected. I almost died in that pile of corpses, but Lord Fuxing arrived in time and treated me with medicine, saving my life. At that time, his face was covered by a piece of white gauze, which was used to keep out the poison in the air. When he treated me, I accidentally rubbed off his white gauze and saw his appearance.”
Yan Tianhen suddenly understood. “It turns out that Lord Fuxing saved your life before.”
Yin Nian touched his chin and mused, “If Master and Dad didn’t arrive in time back then, I think I would’ve followed Lord Fuxing and learned the art of medicine instead, helping the world.”
Lin Xuanzhi swept a light glance over him. “Why, do you regret it?”
Yin Nian quickly showed his loyalty and spoke with justice, “Of course, my temper is not suited for learning medicine at all. If I had followed him, there would be one less genius swordsman in the world today.”
Yan Tianhen, “…”
Back then, Lord Fuxing saved Yin Nian and didn’t really care that Yin Nian saw his true appearance. After all, his reputation was not so prominent back then.
After that, Yin Nian happened to meet Lin Xuanzhi and Yin Chongyue, who were passing by. Lin Xuanzhi saw that the child in shabby clothing was very pitiful. His appearance also didn’t look like someone from the North Land. Only after asking the locals did he learn that this child had been abducted and sold, but he had fled here and was now drifting about. Not even the child himself remembered where his hometown was.
Lin Xuanzhi felt compassion. When he touched the child’s origin bone, he found out that this child was born with an innate sword bone, so he accepted him as an apprentice and brought him from the North Land to the south. Lin Xuanzhi personally taught him how to hold the sword, regulate his breathing, strike, and kill.
It could be said that he’d done his best.
What Yin Nian didn’t tell Yan Tianhen was that back then, Lord Fuxing also asked whether he wanted to follow him. Yin Nian thought about it and refused. He didn’t want to be a good person who always helped the world. He was a selfish person; he just wanted to survive.
Because they were going to join in the fun in the afternoon, Yan Tianhen and Yin Nian muttered for half a day before bidding farewell to Lin Xuanzhi and going off to find Bai Yanqiu.
After the two left, there was only one person left here — Lin Xuanzhi.
He lowered his eyes slightly, made a hand seal, and then flicked out a drop of blood from his fingertip. In a short time, two more teenagers appeared on the originally empty ground. They looked similar yet different.
One was very unrestrained and casual, carrying a white umbrella over his shoulder. His expression was sloppy.
The other had a gentle smile and politely held a black umbrella. He looked like a kind young master. “Master,” Yang Umbrella let out a cry, “long time no see. How have you been?”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded slightly. “Not bad. What did you two find?”
Yang Umbrella answered, “I went to the Tomb of Youshan with Little Yin, but we only stayed at the periphery for a moment and didn’t dare to go in further. I suspect that there will be extremely powerful demons or evil spirit arrays at the core of the Tomb of Youshan capable of making people feel fear.”
Yin Umbrella also looked unhappy and frowned. “This kind of sunken-in place, especially a place that used to house an entire mountain range, had definitely become a land of death a long time ago. The killing intent and ghost Qi inside are particularly heavy and dense. One cannot easily set foot into it. Master, do you really have to visit this place?”
Lin Xuanzhi nodded. “It’s a must. This pertains to a very important matter. Let’s talk about what you guys found first.”
Yin Umbrella sat down on the stone mound beside him and said, “Even those on the periphery have Profound Realm cultivation, and they also like to come out in groups of three or five. The majority of them are beasts that grew up eating the corpses of humans and other animals. They’re extremely fierce. There is also a bug that can chew a few tons of demonic beast into bones when it climbs over. Gege and I have seen it three times and dared not disturb it. However, this kind of bug likes damp and moist places, so we can just take a detour around it.”
Yang Umbrella went on to say, “Perhaps because this Tomb of Youshan has a special Qi field, many monsters have mutated. The poisonous mosquito alone is as big as Ah Bai, and it can suck out all the blood of a person in one breath.”
Yin Umbrella seems to have thought of something bad. He frowned especially and said, “It’s quite disgusting.”
Lin Xuanzhi began to form a plan.
It was just the outside layer, yet such a high-grade mutated demonic beast had already appeared. Not even Yin Umbrella and Yang Umbrella, these two weapon spirits, dared to set foot into the depths. One could only imagine what it would be like if they ventured deeper inside.
Lin Xuanzhi pondered for a moment before saying, “Prepare more magic treasures and pills capable of breaking through obstructions, as well as talisman paper and cinnabar.”
“Do you want the compass?” Yang Umbrella asked.
“Even if I prepare it, it won’t get used. That place is full of ghosts and can’t be measured by the laws of the outside world.”
Yang Umbrella nodded. “I’ll go buy them right now.”
Lin Xuanzhi told him, “Take my leaf card and directly buy from inside the sect. By the way, you can buy whatever you feel will be necessary. We can always keep it here. All in all, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”
Yang Umbrella was very happy. He took Lin Xuanzhi’s leaf card and laughed. “Thank you, Master.”
Ever since they started following Lin Xuanzhi, they never lacked the medicinal pills or magic treasures needed for their cultivation. Although this master was sometimes very scary, he had never been harsh on them. Thus, Yin Umbrella and Yang Umbrella wholeheartedly accepted him as their master.
Before they left, Lin Xuanzhi said specially, “The Tomb of Youshan is full of difficulties and unpredictable danger. If you guys don’t want to go, I won’t insist.”
Yin Umbrella blinked. “Forget it. Not even you are afraid of death, so how can I be afraid? After raising soldiers for a thousand days, it’s finally time to use the soldiers. I am not trash that escapes just before the battle starts.” After saying that, Yin Umbrella dragged Yang Umbrella and went away.
Lin Xuanzhi smiled lightly.
Over the years, Yin Umbrella had matured a lot. It seems that it was the right decision to let him do more good deeds instead of killing his soul.
Before long, the soul plate space was in turmoil, and Lin Xuanzhi, who was meditating, opened his eyes slightly and saw Yin Chongyue landing in front of him.
“You came out from secluded cultivation.”
Yin Chongyue was still dressed in all red, with bright red lips and a sword in his hand. The ghost Qi surrounding him seemed to be denser than before.
Yin Chongyue had already become a ghost back when he died a wrongful death in the City of Twin Moons. Although he later possessed a demon venerable and traveled around the world as a demon venerable, he was still a ghost in essence.
Over the years, he had long since shed the demon venerable’s shell and had evolved to become a ghost cultivator. Although his Dao attainments were very high and he had long been able to condense into a tangible form, he still didn’t like light. After this closed-door cultivator, Yin Chongyue disliked light even more.
He frowned and raised a hand, covering his face using wide sleeves. “The light in your soul plate seems to be stronger than before.”
“It’s just because you have more ghost Qi now.” Lin Xuanzhi said. He waved his hand and turned day into night. The bright color of the sky dimmed, leaving a round white moon hanging in the sky.
“I’ll be fine after a while.” Yin Chongyue put down his arm and indifferently said, “I just made a breakthrough, and my realm isn’t very stable yet, so I can’t help it either.”
Lin Xuanzhi said, “I thought it would take you ten years to come out of this secluded cultivation.”
Yin Chongyue gave a carefree smile. “No, I just broke through a small realm. One year is enough.”
Lin Xuanzhi asked, “What are your plans for the future?”