“What Father said makes sense. If viewed this way, the Mingde that Li Tan met in the Zhuixian Domain should be you. But where did he go and for what purpose?”
Gu Lin frowned with confusion.
“That day, Li Tan returned in the evening with empty hands, bringing nothing with him. He didn’t seem like he had entered the Zhuixian Domain at all; rather, he looked like he had just returned from a casual stroll,” Lin Cui also expressed her confusion, slightly furrowing her elegant brows.
“Regardless of what he did during the day yesterday, at least one thing is certain: Li Tan is hiding an extraordinary secret. Why would the Li family willingly allow him to marry into our family?”
Lin Long sensed a hint of eeriness.
“He’s clearly an ordinary person, yet he has done so many extraordinary things. Besides possessing that miraculous item that allowed him to defeat Lin Yuan, this young man also displays exceptional composure and mental fortitude when faced with numerous adversaries,” Gu Lin analyzed.
“If his dantian issue can be resolved, it would actually be quite acceptable for Cui’er to marry him,” Lin Long sighed slightly, feeling a sense of regret.
Upon hearing this, Lin Cui’s face slightly flushed red. She glared at Lin Long and said, “I absolutely don’t want to marry him. I’m only doing this for the sake of our family.”
“Fine, fine. Whatever you say is correct,” Lin Long replied somewhat dismissively.
“Brother Li, it was inconvenient to speak earlier when there were so many people around. May I ask you one thing?”
Mingde walked side by side with Li Tan, turning his head to look at him.
“What is it?” Li Tan, in a good mood after having successfully avoided the worst choice, had his hands clasped behind his back.
“Why would your father allow you to marry into the Lin family?” Mingde asked curiously.
Li Tan gave a vague reply. “Because I really am a good-for-nothing without cultivation abilities.”
“How could that be possible? You even killed a monster barehanded, and…” Mingde stammered in his disbelief.
“Hehe, who says only cultivators can kill monsters? Let’s talk about this another time. Why did you come looking for me today?” Li Tan ended the topic. Mingde, understanding immediately, quickly complied.
“It’s nothing particularly important. I just wanted to thank you properly, otherwise I would feel uneasy.
Thinking back to his earlier speculations about Li Tan’s various identities, Mingde realized that the actual truth had still exceeded his expectations: this Li Tan was indeed the one from the Li family.
However, Mingde was not narrow-minded, and his attitude toward Li Tan remained unchanged despite this revelation.
“Forget it. You helping me deal with Lin Suifeng and his group was already the best form of gratitude,” Li Tan said as he walked ahead along the waterside boardwalk, his steps as light and relaxed as his mood.
“How can that be acceptable? That was merely a small favor. Hmm, how about this? Brother Li, aren’t you in urgent need of some medicinal herbs? Why don’t you tell me their names, and I’ll find them for you. Don’t mind that I had such a hard time finding the Shuiyun Bamboo earlier; that was just because none of the factions along the river happened to have it.”
Mingde, walking behind, spoke quickly, almost as if he feared Li Tan might leave him behind.
“If that’s the case, then I’ll trouble you. Hmm, are you still looking for the Shuiyun Bamboo and the Chaihu Beast Core?” Li Tan, not bothering with formalities, accepted the offer after a brief moment of contemplation.
He had done Mingde a great favor, so he felt worthy of this small repayment.
“Oh, I’ve given up on looking for them. If only I had met Brother Li sooner, Uncle Zhou and the others wouldn’t have met such misfortune.” Mingde sighed. Li Tan casually asked, “Where did Zhou Tong go?”
“He disbanded his mercenary team, distributed the remaining money to the families of the victims, and then left with his family to another place.”
“He’s left Linjiang already? That’s probably for the best, so he won’t be reminded of painful memories in the future.” As they spoke, Li Tan and Mingde arrived at a secluded, desolate courtyard. The parasol trees were lush, and the dry well remained muddy as usual.
“The Lin family is too harsh, actually ostracizing you to a place like this,” Mingde looked around, somewhat angry. Li Tan, however, was very calm. “I requested this place myself. It’s quiet here. Come inside.”
Li Tan entered the house first, with Mingde following. The unlucky spirit tablet stood out prominently, and Mingde glanced at it curiously, puzzled.
“This spirit tablet’s deceased owner was a woman, right? Do you know her, Brother Li?”
“I know of her.”
As Li Tan spoke, he entered the bedroom, with Mingde following. Seeing the painting on the wall, Mingde was surprised once again.
“The woman in the hall earlier must be the talented Lin Cui, the one everyone talks about, right?”
Li Tan nodded. Mingde sighed, “I often hear the servants say that she’s not only exceptionally gifted but also stunningly beautiful. Yet, the woman in the painting seems even more beautiful.”
Thinking about Li Tan’s earlier words, “I know of her,” Mingde couldn’t help but feel curious. He probably wanted to use this to pry out more information. However, Li Tan merely gave a few casual responses, and Mingde, not wanting to press too hard, stopped asking about Jiang Xin.
After staying for a short while, Mingde took the handwritten pill formula from Li Tan and left, agreeing to meet again in three days, just like before at the auction house.
“Before my rebirth, I had no contact with Mingde at all. I wonder what impact this might have. Anyway, for now, it doesn’t seem to be a bad thing. Once I refine the Jiuzhuan Qingling Pill, I can go to the city lord’s mansion to investigate.”
Alone in the room, Li Tan muttered to himself, planning for the future. He noticed the desolate tower: the box of spirit stones on the second floor had tipped over, scattering spirit stones all over the floor. The young eagle was sleeping after a full meal, and the vast sea of books on the first floor remained unchanged. He wondered if there was anything there that could be useful for cultivation.
Before solving the issue with his dantian, the desolate tower would probably remain inaccessible. Li Tan withdrew his spiritual awareness and held the Hun Jade in his hand, rubbing it thoughtfully.
“Now that I know so little about Jiang Xin, there are still many questions. Was her suicide real? If so, why did she do it?”
The treasures given by Cui Hao included the Hun Jade and the Jiuzhuan Panlong Quan, which had fallen into the hands of the Lin family. There should be a third treasure, although its location was unknown.
Li Tan pinched his chin, deep in thought.
“The third treasure left behind should be related to the unusually low temperature in this house. Once my spiritual power increases, it should not be difficult to find. Compared to that, the martial art in the Lin family’s possession is also somewhat strange. If they had forcibly taken it, why would they leave Jiang Xin’s room untouched?”
The matters of Jiang Xin, cultivation, and the toxin inside his body, as well as the affairs in Linjiang—all these were the three main issues troubling Li Tan, each appearing extremely complicated.
Li Tan lay on the bed with a slight headache, gazing at the ceiling for a long time. He mumbled softly, “The matter of the medicinal herbs has to wait until the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow’s cultivation won’t help much. Maybe I should go back to the clan and visit Father and Second Uncle.”
“If possible, after solving the issue with my dantian, I should help Second Uncle cure his leg.”
Li Tan’s thoughts raced. In a daze, he recalled the tragedy that had occurred in Linjiang before his rebirth. Judging by the current timeline, in five days, the toxin inside him would erupt. Two weeks later, all the factions in Linjiang would be reshuffled, causing upheaval.
The time remaining was truly not much.
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