Chapter 76

Lin Xiao pressed his lips together and hesitantly reached out to open the door.

He was eager to see the outside world.

Standing in the doorway, Lin Xiao squinted his eyes against the dazzling sunlight. He saw beautiful scenery, green trees and bright-colored flowers. No one else was around…He couldn’t even see any neighboring houses.

His body still weak, Lin Xiao gripped onto the door frame, taking the first step out.

He didn’t know where he was, and he didn’t know why Ling Luo had taken him out of the qiling. Perhaps he was the lamb being led to the slaughter. Even if Ling Luo wanted to kill him right now, Lin Xiao wouldn’t be able to lift a hand to stop him.

Strolling in the garden, Lin Xiao let the sky-less days spent in the stone cave wash away from him. The sun was shining down on him as he smelled the fragrant flowers, and his gloominess lifted.

But his elation didn’t last.

Ambling around for a little, Lin Xiao saw Ling Luo standing at a distance, watching him.

Lin Xiao couldn’t read Ling Luo’s expression. But he could feel the iciness emanating from Ling Luo’s body…

Fear of Ling Luo swelled up in Lin Xiao.

Because Lin Xiao had lost his cultivation.

Now, if he stood by Ling Luo, Lin Xiao would always feel oppressed by Ling Luo’s power.

Lin Xiao couldn’t help but retreat, gripped with instinctual fright. But in the next instant Ling Luo was directly in front of Lin Xiao.

“I…” Lin Xiao bit his lips. Ling Luo had left, and permitted Lin Xiao to stay there inside the house. And…Lin Xiao went outside. Ling Luo’s face was very cold, and there was no discernable emotion in his eyes.

Ling Luo’s originally beautiful face held an implacable determination. He didn’t look like a teenager anymore…He was truly a man.

Ling Luo was not the same as before.

Lin Xiao opened his mouth, but finally, said nothing.

Ling Luo didn’t question Lin Xiao, only saying with a detached tone: “Follow me.”

Lin Xiao was stunned. Follow Ling Luo where? Lin Xiao wanted to ask, but Ling Luo was already striding away. So Lin Xiao, unable to guess what Ling Luo wanted, could only feebly trail after. Lin Xiao, without his cultivation…and in his current weak health, thought that if Ling Luo walked too quickly, he wouldn’t be able to keep up.

Ling Luo’s footsteps were leisurely.

At first, they had been fast, and Lin Xiao had had difficulty obeying. Perhaps Ling Luo had noticed though, for his speed changed. Ling Luo adjusted his pace to keep Lin Xiao at a short distance.

Lin Xiao shadowed Ling Luo through a corridor, realizing that the garden where he had been was the backyard of this place.

Ling Luo kept going silently, and Lin Xiao naturally stayed quiet too. Eventually, they came to a hall. To Lin Xiao’s surprise, there were many people there who were familiar to him.

Murong Xue…Cheng Yan…Yu Weiwei…Huangfu Ling…Yu Zheng…

Lin Xiao’s mind snapped back to the old plot, and one thing became clear to him. He must have been in the stone cave for a long time. Ling Luo was now a powerful man, subduing younger brothers…And starting his harem?

Thinking of Ling Luo’s harem, Lin Xiao suddenly felt a hint of bitterness in his heart. And then immediately asked himself what was wrong with him? He had killed Ling Luo’s parents, that Ling Luo had not killed him in return was good enough.

He had already altered his fate, hadn’t he? At least in this life…his family was still safe.

Lin Xiao stood still, hesitating. Ling Luo glanced back at him and said: “Come and sit.”

Lin Xiao sat down in the seat beside Ling Luo.

“Lin Xiao? It’s been a long time.” Murong Xue was the first to speak to him.

She still looked so amiable and beautiful. Lin Xiao gave a little laugh and replied, “Yes, it’s been a long time.” Wondering, had she become a member of Ling Luo’s harem?

Lin Xiao dropped his head. Missing Ling Luo’s frown.

Next, it was time for the people underneath Ling Luo to report to him. Passively listening, Lin Xiao learned that Ling Luo was now considered a member of Xuan Huang’s Ling family. So he had returned to the Ling family…and held a very important position.

Although Lin Xiao couldn’t clearly remember later plot points, he knew that Ling Luo joining the Ling family had happened towards the end.

After the discussion had been going for a while, Huangfu Ling suddenly said, “Huangfu Jiquan is here.”

Ling Luo nodded. “I know.” And Huangfu Jiquan stepped into the hall.

Huangfu Jiquan had matured from a teenager to a man, too. When he saw Lin Xiao, his eyes sparked with surprise, then excitement. He winked at Lin Xiao, but said to Ling Luo: “The matter you asked me to investigate, I have some results.”

“Oh?” Ling Luo’s expression revealed nothing, but he waved for people to go out. Lin Xiao left the hall with everyone else.

There was a gleam in Ling Luo’s gaze, but he didn’t stop Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao was happy to see Huangfu Jiquan. He appeared to have grown in strength, but he clearly had had something important to talk about with Ling Luo. Lin Xiao didn’t dare bother him. Outside the hall, Murong Xue asked Lin Xiao, “You disappeared for so many years, where were you? Your family has been saying Ling Luo murdered you, and they’ve been chasing him around, trying to kill him.”

“Then my family…” Lin Xiao started.

“But even when Ling Luo was forced into desperate situations by your family, he still didn’t fight back,” Murong Xue continued. “I asked Ling Luo a long time ago, what happened to you, but he refused to tell me anything.”

Lin Xiao lowered his eyes. He didn’t know what to say to Murong Xue. Murong Xue, reading his reluctance, smiled and changed the subject.

Murong Xue could tell there was something strange about Lin Xiao’s cultivation. But she thought he must have exceeded her cultivation, and that was why she couldn’t sense his. She didn’t imagine for a moment that his dantian was destroyed.

Chatting with Murong Xue, Lin Xiao felt a burst of chilliness hit his body. He frowned, thinking that without his cultivation, he must be more susceptible to cold?

Not long after, Ling Luo and Huangfu Jiquan came out of the hall. Murong Xue pounced on Ling Luo, chattering away. Ling Luo just responded disinterestedly…

Seeing Murong Xue coiled around Ling Luo, Huangfu Jiquan went over to Lin Xiao. “Let’s go for a walk in the garden?”

“Yes, good.” Lin Xiao replied.

Wandering around the garden, Huangfu Jiquan asked the same question as Murong Xue. “Where have you been all these years? I’ve been looking for you for a long time, and I couldn’t find you. I tried asking Ling Luo, but he was just silent.”

Huangfu Jiquan inquired of Ling Luo, Ling Luo said nothing. Asked Lin Xiao, and Lin Xiao didn’t even know how to open his mouth. Lin Xiao just forced himself to smile…

Huangfu Jiquan’s perception was more acute than Murong Xue’s. And at first, he had figured the same, Lin Xiao’s cultivation had surpassed his, so naturally he wouldn’t feel it. But seeing Lin Xiao’s obvious weakness, Huangfu Jiquan realized something was deeply wrong. Scowling, Huangfu Jiquan said, “Your cultivation…”

“My dantian is gone,” said Lin Xiao frankly.

“How could your dantain be gone?! Who did this to you?!” Huangfu Jiquan grabbed Lin Xiao’s wrist, feeling the emptiness of his body. His hand clenched tighter around Lin Xiao…

“I did it myself.” Lin Xiao calmly replied.

Huangfu Jiquan didn’t trust Lin Xiao’s gloomy demeanor. “Impossible! Lin Xiao, tell me who did this to you. I will help you get revenge!”

“I……I am waste.”

Ling Luo appeared, a little ways off.

“You?” Huangfu Jiquan, taken aback by Ling Luo’s arrival. Then his eyes narrowed, “Is this why you asked me to help find dantian-restoring medicine?”

Ling Luo didn’t answer. He was looking at Lin Xiao’s wrist, being held by Huangfu Jiquan, and a dark glint was in his eyes.

Ling Luo was looking for a cure for dantian? Hearing Huangfu Jiquan’s words, Lin Xiao couldn’t help feeling surprised. But then he shook his head. It probably had nothing to do with him, he was thinking too much of himself again…

Faced with both Ling Luo’s and Lin Xiao’s reticence, Huangfu Jiquan kept insisting to Ling Luo. “Why would you take Lin Xiao’s dantian? Isn’t the most important thing to a cultivator his dantian?”

“What business is it of yours?” Ling Luo cocked an eyebrow, came close, and yanked Lin Xiao away from Huangfu Jiquan.

“Because Lin Xiao is my good brother!” Huangfu Jiquan said, now clearly angry, “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but no matter what, how could you take Lin Xiao’s dantian?”

“It’s none of your business.” Ling Luo stated again.

Huangfu Jiquan glowered, taking in how Ling Luo dragged Lin Xiao away from him, and pulled out a qi. “I know I can’t beat you, but I should help Lin Xiao. And I may not know what happened, but Lin Xiao is my good brother. If you destroyed his dantian, I can’t sit idly by!”

Huangfu Jiquan positioned himself, ready to battle with Ling Luo.