Having made up his mind, Li Tan strode directly out through the alley. The courtyard at night was quite cool and unusually serene because of the absence of people nearby. Standing there in silence, he could only hear the gentle breeze and the continuous chorus of chirping insects.
Li Tan really liked this place, as it allowed him to forget the scheming and deceit of the cultivation world. Once, under such moonlight, he had earnestly promised Tang Leyin that if he ever succeeded in becoming the Human Emperor, he would retire with her to the mountains.
That promise had nearly come true when, unfortunately, everything changed overnight due to a betrayal by someone he trusted the most.
You Kuang! The cold, emotionless face of that person involuntarily surfaced in his mind, igniting a surge of anger in Li Tan, which he quickly suppressed.
To give in to rage, bang one’s head on the ground, or scream loudly—that was the behavior of a fool. He preferred to be a smart person, quietly enjoying this rare tranquility.
Li Tan simply cleared away the overgrown weeds and wildflowers and lay beneath the parasol tree. Looking up from there, the moon had just emerged from the clouds, making for a breathtaking sight.
Such days of emptying his mind would become fewer as his cultivation advanced, while one huge crisis after another silently approached the human race.
But these matters of crisis could wait; for now, Li Tan only wanted to quietly enjoy the peace.
However, fate always seemed annoying, as the old saying goes: Heaven seldom grants people what they wish for. Indeed, just as Li Tan had not yet entered a relaxed state, an unexpected incident occurred.
“Li Tan!”
A sharp, feminine shout rang out. Footsteps echoed outside the courtyard, and shortly after, Xiaoxue, a petite girl, entered through the gate.
His peace disturbed, Li Tan unhappily sat up.
“Do you have something to say?”
Xiaoxue casually glanced around and pursed her lips. “Pack your things. Come with me right away to see the young mistress.”
Frowning, Li Tan asked, “Why?”
Without answering, Xiaoxue continued, “After all, you are the Lin family’s son-in-law. It’s inappropriate for you to live in a place like this. The butler went too far. Hurry up; if the young mistress comes first, you’ll be in trouble.”
Li Tan’s tone turned slightly cold. “What’s this all about anyway?”
Xiaoxue paused before finally getting to the point. “Well, actually, the young mistress wants to know how you defeated Lin Jingwu.”
“Good question, but I won’t tell you.”
Li Tan replied without hesitation.
Lin Cui immediately grew annoyed. “Why won’t you tell me? But you must tell the young mistress. Otherwise—”
“Otherwise what?”
Li Tan countered.
Xiaoxue paused for a moment before going on. “You should be aware that Young Master Linyuan is keeping a close eye on you, and the butler doesn’t get along with you either.”
“So what?”
Li Tan asked again, suddenly finding it somewhat amusing that he had let this servant provoke his temper. If word of this got out to his old companions-in-arms, they would surely mock him for centuries.
A faint smile appeared on Li Tan’s icy face.
Seeing this, Xiaoxue mistakenly thought he was afraid and, slightly smugly, said, “If you don’t cooperate, who knows what they might do to you. Don’t expect me to beg the young mistress to save you.”
Li Tan let out a couple of soft laughs.
Frowning, Xiaoxue asked, “Why are you laughing?”
Li Tan lay back down indifferently. “Do whatever you want. Just don’t bother me now.”
“Hmph, pretending to be so calm and composed, thinking it makes you look impressive, huh?”
Xiaoxue began, but her words were cut off by Li Tan.
“If you want to stay, find a quiet spot to sit. If you’re looking for trouble, come back tomorrow. I’m busy with you right now.”
“You still—” Xiaoxue started again, only to be interrupted once more.
“Xiaoxue! What are you doing here?”
A somewhat stern voice suddenly rang out. Xiaoxue turned in alarm and saw Lin Cui had entered the courtyard.
“Here comes someone even more troublesome,” Li Tan sighed helplessly.
“Miss, I was just—” Xiaoxue tried to explain but was cut off again.
Lin Cui’s eyes narrowed coldly. “Your audacity is growing bolder. How dare you ignore my orders!”
Xiaoxue quickly lowered her head. “I… I was only trying to do what’s best for you, Miss.”
Lin Cui gave a cold snort. “How exactly was this for my benefit?”
“Coming here to yell at the young master-in-law—how was that for my benefit?”
Xiaoxue lowered her head even further, hardly daring to breathe.
Lin Cui pointed toward the gate. “Go punish yourself.”
Xiaoxue’s body trembled. With a tearful voice, she managed to utter a “Yes” before leaving in a daze.
Lin Cui looked at Xiaoxue’s retreating figure with concern but could only stammer inarticulately.
Li Tan glanced at the two and said, “If you feel pity for her, why do this? If it’s just to avoid offending me, there’s no need.”
Lin Cui shot Li Tan a glare. “Don’t flatter yourself. Xiaoxue and I grew up together. I don’t want her to become someone as despicable as that butler.”
If she allowed Xiaoxue to continue acting recklessly under her authority, she feared Xiaoxue would eventually become another housekeeper. Lin Cui was absolutely determined not to let that happen.
Li Tan understood her thoughts but said nothing further, merely yawning lazily and asking, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Lin Cui sat down on a stone chair nearby. “I want to know how you defeated Lin Jingwu.”
He knew it was about that matter all along.
Li Tan naturally couldn’t tell the truth. Even if he did, Lin Cui probably wouldn’t believe him. So he simply brushed her off: “Good question, but I won’t tell you.”
Lin Cui gritted her teeth. “You’re sure you won’t say?”
Li Tan countered, “What will you do if I don’t?”
Lin Cui paused briefly before replying, “I won’t do anything to you, but my father will surely suspect you. Rest assured, our Lin family won’t stoop to killing someone to seize their treasures.”
This sentence subtly revealed Lin Cui’s assumption—that Li Tan must have possessed some extraordinary treasure to defeat Lin Jingwu.
Firstly, Li Tan indeed had no cultivation at all, and secondly, Lin Jingwu had no wound on his body but was simply unconscious.
Believing Li Tan defeated him purely through his own abilities was simply beyond their imagination.
“Seizing treasures?”
Upon hearing Lin Cui’s words, Li Tan immediately guessed their thoughts. After a brief consideration, he said, “You know my father only has me as his son, so he gave me some protective items.”
Lin Cui’s expression confirmed her suspicions, her mood shifting slightly. Eventually, she didn’t press further about Lin Jingwu, just like Xiaoxue had done, asking if he wanted to move to another place to live. After being refused, she gave Li Tan a strange look, left him with a warning to be careful and to come to her if anything happened, and then departed.
“Finally quiet.”
After Lin Cui left, Li Tan flipped over and leaped directly onto a branch of the parasol tree, leaning against it. He muttered worriedly, “Before my rebirth, Lin Cui had always been very cold toward me, but now she actually cares about me. It seems the incident with Lin Jingwu has significantly altered the course of events. As I mentioned last time, the more changes I make, the more things will deviate from their original path. This means there’s a high probability of things spiraling out of control in the future. Strength—it all comes down to strength.”
Li Tan sighed helplessly and turned his focus inward, observing the faint traces of qi still swirling in his dantian, with the Desolate Pagoda silently suspended there.
Li Tan attempted to explore the desolate tower with his spiritual sense, but it was akin to entering a black hole—instantly being sucked in. Had he not withdrawn swiftly, he might have been reduced to a vegetative state.
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