Tragic Liu Xing'er

Lin Su had returned to the West Courtyard, and Xiao Yao once again acted as a gatekeeper.

Even though this little gatekeeper was often tossed around by Lin Jialiang, she was quite effective against others.

He knew what to expect next.

Conversations, visiting cards, all for the sole purpose of expressing admiration...

These were quite showy, but Lin Su wasn't impressed. Why?

What was there to brag about being a Jieyuan?

If there was any admiration to express, it would be better to wait until next year when he became the top scholar. That way, everyone wouldn't have to run around repeatedly, and they wouldn't struggle to come up with new words.

This was a bit too much like humblebragging.

A desk, a cup of fragrant tea, a woman, and a pair of peach blossom eyes—that described Xiao Tao.

That was good enough.

Lin Su opened his book, and Xiao Tao immediately looked on with reverence, exiting the room. The Jieyuan needed to study and shouldn't be disturbed.

What she didn't know was that the young master's act of opening the book was pure affectation. His gaze drifted over the pages, aiming towards the attic...

"Hey, Dark Night, are you there?"

Dark Night's gaze shifted, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

"I'm done with the exam. Not only did I pass, but I'm also a Jieyuan!" Lin Su said. "It's time to fulfill the promise."

Dark Night's body stiffened slightly, but her fists slowly clenched. Didn't this brat seem a bit annoying?

"Once we're in the same household, we're family. Let's ease the tension. You should stop acting so distant, and I'll try my best to forget how you arrogantly branded my face. How about it?"

How about it?

Dark Night pondered. It seemed acceptable.

But what about the things you did to offend me?

You wrote smutty novels to tease me...

You wrote lewd poems to ruin my reputation...

Before she could make up her mind, someone arrived at the West Courtyard.

It was the one-armed old man, Uncle Deng.

Uncle Deng approached Xiao Yao. "Is the young master inside? I need to speak with him."

"No, the young master said no one is allowed to disturb him."

"I'll bring you fried yellow croaker tomorrow."

Xiao Yao fell silent, her expression conflicted...

"Two of them!"

Xiao Yao turned around. "I'm going to the outhouse. I didn't see anything..."

Uncle Deng's face lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum, and he quickly entered the room.

Lin Su sat at his desk, his right hand on his forehead. Xiao Yao, Xiao Yao, it's fine that you let Uncle Deng in, but why did you have to fall for his culinary bait?

With you acting like this, it's hard for me to feel at ease about you.

Uncle Deng entered the room and got straight to the point. "Young master, something has happened to the Zhang family!"

What?

Uncle Deng explained everything. The Zhang family's maid suddenly went berserk and killed all the women in the inner chambers. The entire Zhang family was wiped out...

Lin Su was slightly surprised. Where there is oppression, there is resistance. It wasn't unheard of for a maid to kill her master.

Uncle Deng stared at him. "With this incident, Zhang Wenyuan's hatred for you has reached its peak. In the future..."

Lin Su waved his hand. "Without this incident, Zhang Wenyuan wouldn't let me off the hook anyway. And I wouldn't let him off either! The enmity between us is already a matter of life and death; these events don't change anything."

He wasn't worried about his own affairs.

With the Sacred Hall taking the lead, the Confucian Temple protecting him, and that... Great Confucian of Literary Heart Perfection acting as a shield, even if he were the Minister of War, he wouldn't dare attack me openly.

Uncle Deng said, "He indeed can't attack you openly, but this person is treacherous and vicious. He will definitely try to harm you in secret."

Lin Su smiled. "In secret? Then it's a battle of wits and counter-schemes. He will surely set traps for me, but I can also set traps for him. Who's afraid of whom?"

Uncle Deng's worried expression slowly eased.

That's right. When it comes to scheming, our young master doesn't seem to be inferior to anyone.

Who could have orchestrated today's events?

Only him.

"Alright, now that you're calm," Uncle Deng said, "Young master, outside the Zhang family's gate, a woman rammed herself into a pillar and committed suicide. It was Liu Xing'er."

"The one that old beast Zhang forcibly abducted three years ago?"

"Precisely! This woman's parents and elder brother all died at the hands of that old beast Zhang. She has been plotting revenge for three years but had no opportunity. This incident in the inner chambers was also indirectly caused by her."

"What a shame!" Lin Su sighed softly.

"This woman didn't die. She was severely injured and unconscious. This old servant just settled her in the West City district. No one found her."

Lin Su was shocked and looked Lin Su up and down. You? Your hand was just broken yesterday, you're already severely injured, and you broke another leg...

"Young Master, you once said last night that in Chishui City, Dongzhou, a hundred thousand elite soldiers died on the battlefield, and only four hundred and three remained. Old servant knows the whereabouts of these four hundred people. Half of them are still in Haining. The person who saved Liu Xing'er is named Chen Si. He was originally a scout in the navy. His Qinggong is superb, he can walk on waves, and his invisibility technique is extremely advanced. He can move through crowded streets, enter houses, without a trace..."

A flicker of light flashed in Lin Su's eyes: "No need for details! This way, Uncle Deng, organize them. Currently, the Ting Rice on the Refugee Riverbank needs to be transported, and a group of experienced sailors are needed for escort. You can take on this responsibility for me. Three taels of silver per person per month."

A gleam also flashed in Uncle Deng's eyes: "Yes, this old servant understands!"

"Liu Xing'er, treat her well. After she's healed, send her to the manor."

"As you command!"

Uncle Deng left. As he left, Xiao Yao's whereabouts were unknown, but as his figure appeared by the courtyard wall, Xiao Yao appeared. Two fingers extended from under her ribs, indicating that Uncle Deng owed her two smutty novels...

Lin Su's five senses were already open, and he captured all of this, which only added a bit of a smile to his face.

In the attic, Dark Night's heart trembled.

What does he mean?

He secretly took in a group of old soldiers who fought bravely on the battlefield back then?

What does he want to do?

Suddenly, Dark Night's gaze shot towards the courtyard entrance. She felt a powerful aura, an aura belonging to a true top expert...

Zhang Yiyu stood outside the main gate, walking towards the steps. Old He, standing at the entrance, raised his gaze, seeming to suddenly feel all the flowers in the courtyard blooming.

"Please inform the Third Young Master, Zhang Yiyu, sister of Zhang Haoran from the Capital City, requests an audience!"

She didn't mention the Bishui Immortal Sect, only that she was Zhang Haoran's sister. This was because her visit today was not on behalf of a cultivation sect, but purely as a friend.

Old He immediately bowed. So it was Young Master Zhang's sister. Young Master Zhang was a close friend of my Third Young Master. Please come in, Miss.

Old He had a very good impression of this Young Master Zhang for two reasons. First, when the Lin family was so down and out, only Young Master Zhang dared to visit at that time. Second, Young Master Zhang had once given the Third Young Master a guide to the Imperial Examination taught by a famous teacher.

The Third Young Master's success in obtaining the Jieyuan today must be related to this divine book—he didn't understand the Imperial Examination himself. In fact, even Lin Jialiang, who understood the Imperial Examination, thought the same way.

Zhang Yiyu entered the gate smoothly, but entering the West Courtyard was not so smooth.

She was blocked by Xiao Yao in a domineering manner.

Zhang Yiyu was very kind-hearted and reasoned with Xiao Yao for a long time, but Xiao Yao was unmoved.

Zhang Yiyu sighed and waved her hand gently. Xiao Yao flew up into the air out of nowhere, over the courtyard wall, and landed by the kitchen door, stunned, not knowing what had happened.

Zhang Yiyu walked into the courtyard. Under the large locust tree in the courtyard, Lin Su had already picked up the teapot and poured tea: "Miss Zhang, please!"

Zhang Yiyu also stared at him blankly...

"Don't mind that little girl. Next time you come, just give her two candies, and she'll be sure to let you in."

With those words, Zhang Yiyu smiled. As her smile appeared, all the flowers in the courtyard bloomed.

She sat down, opposite Lin Su.

"How did your brother do on the exam?"

Zhang Yiyu raised her teacup: "However you do, he does."

He was also a Jieyuan?!

Lin Su burst into laughter: "He once said that he was supposed to take the Provincial Examination three years ago, but his sister dragged him to the Bishui Sect and missed the Provincial Examination. That sister..."

"You guessed correctly, it was this unreasonable me!" Zhang Yiyu smiled charmingly: "Did he mention..."

At this point, Zhang Yiyu suddenly stopped speaking.

Lin Su's gaze fell on her.

Zhang Yiyu gently placed her teacup down: "The Lin manor's defenses are quite strict. The person in the attic, what's her background?"

Lin Su stared at her and said, "Sister, I must first ask you a very serious question."

"What?"

"Can you protect me?"

What? Zhang Yiyu's beautiful eyes widened, and she slowly nodded.

"Alright, I'll be direct. The person in the attic is a real pervert. She claims to be protecting my Lin family's assets, but she's actually an unbearable father. She's too much, too outrageous. She even spies on me when I bathe and forces me to write smutty novels for her..."

Two beams of light suddenly appeared in the air, shooting directly at Lin Su's mouth...

A radiance bloomed between Zhang Yiyu's brows, covering Lin Su's entire body. Two small, ancient swords appeared at the corners of Lin Su's lips. The posture seemed as if they were about to seal his lips, but within Zhang Yiyu's Zither Domain, they remained still.

Zhang Yiyu stretched out her hand and grabbed at the two swords. The swords suddenly broke free and flew towards the attic.

Zhang Yiyu's hand followed the movement, transforming into a giant phoenix. With a soft bang from the attic, a figure broke through the air. With a twist in mid-air, she suddenly appeared in front of Lin Su. It was Dark Night.

"Five Realms Dao Flower!" Dark Night's eyes locked firmly onto Zhang Yiyu.

Zhang Yiyu also locked onto her: "Martial Way 'Peeking Human Realm' peak? Who are you?"

The Martial Way, like the Immortal Way, also has differences in realms. Martial Artist, Martial Master, Martial Sect, Martial Extreme, Peeking Human...

What is the Peeking Human Realm? It is when one cultivates their entire being to the extreme, their physical body acting at their will, their internal organs visible to their inner eye, comprehending the mysteries of the human body, and fully unleashing the body's potential.

Upon reaching the peak of the Peeking Human Realm, the next step is the Peeking Void Realm. It is in the Peeking Void Realm that one truly steps beyond the framework of a martial artist and enters the realm of immortals. This is because in the Peeking Void Realm, one can cultivate their entire body into a vessel, absorbing all things, and gradually moving towards the ultimate martial path where the physical body becomes a universe.

Dark Night is already very close to this miraculous Peeking Void Realm, as she can already cultivate her eyes into vessels capable of holding two precious swords.

Zhang Yiyu had never encountered a martial arts expert like this before.

But she was not afraid, of course, because she cultivated the Dao. Cultivators of the Dao are inherently superior to martial artists in terms of their level. Even though she was only in the early stage of the Five Realms Dao Flower, she was still comparable to the peak of the fifth realm of martial arts, the Peeking Human Realm.

In their brief exchange just now, she had even held a slight advantage.