After leaving Lin Suifeng’s residence, Li Tan neither stayed at the Lin family mansion nor went to the cultivation chamber provided by the Dan Pavilion. He clearly understood that merely immersing himself in cultivation wouldn’t enable him to break through to the Xiantian stage swiftly, and the faction of the Black-Robed figure wouldn’t grant him that time. Thus, he had to rely on external aids.
What that external aid was didn’t need much explanation. Anyone with normal intelligence could guess it was elixirs.
At this moment, Li Tan wanted to concoct a third-grade elixir called the Shattered Mirror Pill. While the process wasn’t particularly difficult for him, gathering the necessary ingredients posed a significant challenge. In Linjiang, a small city, it was rare to find individuals capable of venturing deep enough into the Fallen Immortal’s Domain where the herbs required for third-grade elixirs grew. Thus, he could only rely on luck.
Firstly, there was an auction tonight, and perhaps someone would be selling what he needed. Secondly, there was the market, where someone unaware of the value of certain items might sell something valuable or a wandering swordsman might be selling something good they picked up along the way.
In short, there wasn’t a clear objective. Compared to seeking ingredients for the Break Mirror Pill, Li Tan was more inclined to simply go out for a walk.
After being away for a thousand years, he had returned to Linjiang, yet hadn’t had a proper opportunity to engage with it.
Now was the eve of a storm, and he probably wanted to take this chance to relax.
The city was just lighting up, and the streets of Qing Song in the west were bustling with people and vendors shouting loudly.
Li Tan, mingling among them, had a skewer of candied haws in his mouth and was standing by the roadside, looking up at the half moon and muttering.
“Is it already this time?”
From the position of the moon, he could roughly tell the current time. There was about an hour until the auction began. Li Tan thought for a moment but decided not to go wait, instead continuing to stroll along the street.
This time it wasn’t him being playful or lazy. The main reason was that the young eagle in the desolate tower had become restless after being full and content.
There was no other way; although the space inside the desolate tower was vast, it was empty and monotonous. Anyone would find it unbearable after staying there too long. Li Tan had secretly taken it out and placed it on his shoulder, giving it stern instructions.
“Don’t move around. If you get lost, I won’t come looking for you.”
After he finished speaking.
“Gugu gugu!” The young eagle cried out loudly, seemingly wanting to vent its long-suppressed joy.
“Ai.”
Li Tan widened his eyes and threatened fiercely.
“If you make noise again, I’ll sell you!”
It was silent for a second, then “Gugu gugu! Gugu gugu!” Whether or not it understood Li Tan’s meaning, the young eagle cried even louder, and its cries sounded even more mournful.
Li Tan sighed helplessly, then used one hand to hold the young eagle to his chest and continued walking leisurely. However, a grown man holding a small eagle was indeed quite unusual. Some girls even turned around and said from a distance, “How cute!”
Soon, Li Tan arrived at another street in the western part of the city. Most of the shops here dealt in gemstones, so there were fewer people.
However, these were not ordinary gemstone shops, but establishments that traded in precious spirit stones. Spirit stones were special minerals that could aid in cultivation. The largest spirit stone mine in Linjiang was controlled by the Li family, which was why most of the shops on this street belonged to them.
Li Yang and his daughter lived here. Previously, Li Tan had visited and had the intention to treat Li Yang’s injured leg, but he was ashamed that it was impossible to complete this before resolving the matter with the Black Robed figure.
This time he came back also wanting to visit the little girl Li Jiaying.
However, on the way to Li Yang’s shop, an unexpected incident occurred. A well-dressed young man proudly blocked Li Tan’s path.
“What are you back for?”
He started off with a bad temper.
Li Tan glanced at him. In his memory, there was indeed someone from the clan like this, but he only vaguely remembered him. He didn’t want to waste time with him, so he directly walked around.
But the young man blocked his way again.
“Do you have something?”
Li Tan asked impatiently.
“Hmph, what are you doing coming here?”
“Is there a rule here that doesn’t allow me to come in?”
“Uh.” The young man thought for a moment. This was a commercial street, and there was nothing wrong with Li Tan coming here. But he found Li Tan’s indifferent attitude particularly annoying, feeling uncomfortable unless he did something. So he sneered.
“A good-for-nothing who has married into the Lin family coming here, probably trying to take advantage of his former identity to snoop out some secrets, right?”
Li Tan looked at the young man expressionlessly. After a while, he opened his thin lips and spoke disdainfully.
“Are you an idiot?”
“How dare you insult me! Not even my mother has ever scolded me!”
The young man’s face turned red, his voice quick and somewhat hysterical.
Li Tan, however, scorned mercilessly.
“Then I’ll scold you for your mother. What a waste of space you are, talking and acting without a trace of sense. What’s the difference between you and the dog you’re leading?”
“You’re calling me a dog?”
“That’s what you said, nothing to do with me. If you have nothing else, just move out of the way. A good dog doesn’t block the road, don’t you understand?”
Li Tan looked at the young man contemptuously and impatiently said.
The young man’s neck turned half red, furious and ready to blow up. But just as he was about to charge forward, some rumors that had recently spread within the Li family suddenly flashed through his mind. His body trembled, and he stopped his action, instead angrily shouting.
“Stop!”
Li Tan stopped and turned around.
“If you have anything to say, say it quickly.”
The young man gritted his teeth in hatred, but couldn’t spit out a retort. After struggling for a long time, he finally squeezed out some incomprehensible words.
“Dare you make a bet with me!”
“Speak.”
“Let my dog fight with the chicken you’re holding. Whoever loses must acknowledge the other as their father.”
Li Tan looked at him like he was an idiot and laughed mockingly.
“If I lose, I acknowledge you as my father?
Are you trying to sit side by side with my father?
Childish. No, I won’t do it. Goodbye.”
The young man immediately looked like a deflated eggplant, his face extremely ugly.
Li Tan was about to leave, but suddenly thought of something and changed his mind.
“Well then, give you a chance, go to the side of the road.”
“Why go to the side of the road? Are you planning to escape when I’m not looking?”
“Do you plan to stay in the middle of the road as a stepping stone for other people’s carriages?
Truly unique interests.”
As soon as Li Tan spoke, the growing crowd of onlookers burst into laughter. The young man’s embarrassment skyrocketed, his mind filled with thoughts of how to teach Li Tan a lesson later.
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