Chapter 11: You Possess Bearing and Presence
Spring Residence Tower.
Inside a private room.
Although fine dishes and good wine covered the table, no one was in the mood to eat.
Wang Tianyou’s face remained gloomy, and Su Huafang sighed from time to time.
After quite a while, one of the men accompanying Wang Tianyou, a cold-faced middle-aged man, said, “Young Master, don’t blame yourself too much. This matter has little to do with you.”
Actually, the atmosphere had been fairly decent earlier.
But then a servant came to report that the clay statue inside the Earth God temple had disappeared, and that a skeleton had been found there.
Wang Tianyou immediately realized that the most important mission of this trip had failed.
“The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.” Wang Tianyou muttered.
Su Huafang said nothing.
Li Lin certainly was not going to say anything either.
Then Wang Tianyou said, “Brother Li, among saber, spear, fist, sword, and spirit-controlling cultivation methods, choose any two.”
“Two?” Li Lin asked curiously. “Wasn’t I only allowed to choose one?”
“I said I’d compensate you double.”
“Then a spear manual and a spirit-controlling cultivation method, is that acceptable?”
“No problem!”
After taking a drink, Wang Tianyou stood up and said, “I’ll be returning to Dian City first.”
“I still need to go apologize to the Ding family.”
“As for the promised items, someone will deliver them in a few days.”
With that, Wang Tianyou departed first with his attendants.
Su Huafang let out a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Li Lin asked, “Were you very nervous, Senior Su?”
“A little, indeed.” Su Huafang took a sip of wine and said, “Your strength isn’t high enough yet, so you couldn’t tell.”
“Every one of the men beside Young Master Wang could defeat this old man within three moves.”
Li Lin knew those men were formidable, but he had not expected them to be that formidable.
“But they aren’t Spirit Hunters, are they?”
“Those are genuine martial warriors!”
Spirit Hunters eliminate gui.
Martial warriors kill people.
Each had their own duties.
However, once one reached a certain level of strength, Spirit Hunters were generally stronger.
“Tell me more about these matters,” Li Lin said as he poured Su Huafang another cup of wine.
“That way I won’t offend someone in the future without even realizing it.”
“Then let me tell you about the powerful local families around Jin City.”
Thus the two chatted and drank while eating.
After all, someone had already paid for this table of delicacies.
It would be a waste not to enjoy them.
They ate from morning until noon before finally leaving the restaurant.
Before departing, Li Lin asked Su Huafang for Zhan Shijun’s home address.
Then he headed there.
It was a very ordinary single-courtyard house.
The walls were not high.
Inside, an elderly woman sat embroidering, while a young boy nearby played with mud on the ground.
“Is this the home of Zhan Shijun, Brother Zhan?”
The elderly woman stood up and gave a slight bow.
“Yes. May I ask what brings you here, Young Master?”
“This is the silver I owed Brother Zhan. Please accept it.”
Li Lin handed over two banknotes.
The total was forty taels of silver, ten more than they had originally agreed upon.
Strictly speaking, he should have delivered Blood Rice.
But ordinary people gained no benefit from Blood Rice.
On the contrary, it could be harmful.
Silver was more practical.
“My son never told this old woman that anyone owed him silver.” The elderly woman’s expression became flustered. “Why aren’t you giving it directly to my son...”
She seemed to have guessed something.
She stood motionless and refused to accept it.
As though accepting it would confirm some terrible event.
Li Lin placed the banknotes atop the low wall and turned away.
The elderly woman looked at the banknotes on the wall, then at Li Lin’s departing back.
Her body swayed.
She nearly collapsed.
Then muffled sobbing drifted over.
Li Lin quickened his pace.
He wandered around the marketplace, buying necessities such as salt and cooking oil.
Just as he was preparing to return to the village, a scholarly young man approached him head-on.
“Brother Kunge, we meet again.”
Huang Qi cupped his fists and smiled.
“Brother Zijing.”
Li Lin returned the greeting.
“Have you considered the matter I mentioned a few days ago?”
Looking at him, Li Lin asked curiously, “Brother Zijing, there is something I don’t understand. Could you enlighten me?”
“Please ask.”
“I’ve only been a Spirit Hunter for a little over half a year.”
“My strength ranks near the bottom among all the Spirit Hunters in this county.”
“Why are you so determined to recruit me?”
“Wouldn’t the others be better choices?”
Fwap.
Huang Qi opened his folding fan.
He looked every bit the elegant scholar.
“Among Spirit Hunters, none are truly poor prospects.”
“Even if someone is weak now, they may eventually stand on their own.”
“Of course, that isn’t the reason I think highly of you.”
“In you, I see bearing and presence similar to that possessed by a certain noble and virtuous gentleman.”
“Me, virtuous?”
Li Lin laughed himself.
“I’m greedy for money and lustful for women.”
“I certainly don’t deserve the word virtuous.”
Huang Qi narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Brother Kunge, you underestimate yourself.”
“Let’s leave it at that. I need to return to the village first.”
Li Lin cupped his fists.
“If I don’t head back now, it’ll be dark soon.”
“Very well. Travel safely, Brother Kunge.”
Huang Qi returned the salute.
“If you change your mind, you may come find me at any time.”
Before darkness fell, Li Lin returned to the village.
Most of the villagers had already shut their doors and gone to rest.
The village was completely quiet.
Out of habit, Li Lin stopped by the altar to take a look at the Tree Immortal Lady.
She seemed to be resting and did not appear.
Afterward, Li Lin returned home, shut the door, and cooked dinner.
After consuming an entire pot of Red Rice, he finally felt much better.
Although he had not been injured during last night’s close encounter with the female gui, the erosion from resentment and yin energy had still depleted quite a bit of his qi and blood.
He did not immediately begin refining the Blood Rice.
Instead, he opened his cloth pouch and took out the book and medicinal bottles from inside.
All of them had been taken from the masked man.
The book was not thick.
Its cover was blue.
Written on the front were several large characters:
Secret Rite of Wraith Womb Gestation.
Li Lin’s expression turned grave.
Subconsciously, he glanced around.
Then he shut both the door and the windows.
Only then did he return to the table and begin reading the book.
After spending more than half a shichen reading it, he finally finished.
[Dark Womb Mystic Repository +1]
[Dark Womb Mystic Repository +1]
“What a vicious technique.”
After sighing, Li Lin placed the book over the candle flame to ignite it.
Then he tossed it aside.
Only after watching it burn completely into ashes did he relax.
Next, his gaze shifted toward the two small bottles.
There were no labels on them.
After shaking them, he heard sounds from inside.
There should be something stored within.
Ordinarily, they should contain pills.
But who could guarantee they did not contain poison?
Therefore, he dared not smell them recklessly.
Much less eat them.
“I’ll keep them for now. In a few days, I’ll buy some chickens and use them to test the medicine.”
Li Lin placed the two small porcelain bottles into his wardrobe for storage.
If they were not poisonous, he could later visit a physician in the county seat and have the medicine identified.
After finishing all this, he carried two buckets of well water into the courtyard and washed himself.
After changing into clean clothes, he was just about to extinguish the lamp and rest when he heard a woman’s crying from outside.
“Xiaohu, Zhao Xiaohu, where are you?”
“Come out quickly.”
“Your Xiuniang is waiting to reunite with you.”
The voice repeated over and over.
It sounded filled with resentment.
Li Lin’s expression turned cold.
Pushing open the window and looking down from above, he saw that familiar woman in white wandering outside the village.
Beside her was another female figure.
It looked familiar.
Who else could it be but Xiuniang?
After watching the two female gui wandering outside for a while, Li Lin shut the window and returned to sit cross-legged on the bed.
[Qi and Blood +1]
[Qi and Blood +1]
When dawn arrived the next day, Li Lin went directly to Uncle Zhao’s house and knocked on the door.
The one who opened it was Aunt Hua.
Her face was filled with fear.
Upon seeing Li Lin, joy appeared in her expression.
“Young Li, we were just about to look for you.”
“There’s something very wrong with Xiaohu.”
“You absolutely must save him.”