Mao Ruoyu was stunned when she heard this.
"Sir, you... obtained such a precious heavenly treasure, yet you weren't delighted and overjoyed?"
Lin Tianlu chuckled. "What makes it precious or not? To me, this tranquil, leisurely life is more important."
Although this sword contained profound mysteries and was worth a fortune, it was ultimately merely an external possession.
Besides, he was becoming increasingly aware of how extraordinary he was.
The earth-shaking thunder, this heavenly treasure that had descended from the skies, and even what he had experienced on Taiyi Mountain and the various incidents after descending the mountain all served as proof that he possessed an inconceivable 'destiny.'
It was as if the gods were aiding him, with the immortal path still beneath his feet.
Even when he saw this divine sword, his heart did not stir.
"Madam Mao, catch the sword." Lin Tianlu simply drew the sword and lightly tossed it to the beautiful woman beside him.
Mao Ruoyu's heart jolted. Somewhat flustered, she reached out and caught it.
The instant it entered her hand, she felt a tingling sensation spread from her arm throughout her body, yet upon closer examination, it seemed almost like an illusion.
She blinked her beautiful eyes in surprise.
She had originally thought that, as someone who practiced yin arts, touching such an extremely yang object forged from thunder and fire would provoke fierce rejection.
But now, looking at the faintly circulating thunderfire sword patterns on the blade, she instead felt a gentle familiarity. Gripping the hilt even brought a faint warmth.
And—
"This sword truly feels as light as nothing."
"After all, it was forged from sophora wood, so it is naturally light. Madam Mao, if you ever wish to exercise, you could use the Sophora Sword for a bit of practice."
Mao Ruoyu let out two soft laughs, yet still handed the Sophora Sword back. "Sir, this gift is too valuable. Ordinary people couldn't accept it. Besides, this humble woman knows nothing of swordsmanship. Using the Sophora Sword would be a terrible waste."
"Madam, you needn't refuse—"
"However, it seems that some thunderfire still remains within this sword, and its yang energy is vigorous. Using it to suppress the residence and nurture its energy would truly be marvelous." Mao Ruoyu lightly blinked her beautiful eyes and said with a smile, "If you have little interest in this sword, why not use it to suppress the residence and courtyard? Wouldn't that be perfectly suitable?"
Lin Tianlu nodded thoughtfully. "That would indeed be good. That way, this bare sophora tree needn't be chopped down and moved. We can simply leave it here as well."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Sophora Sword in Mao Ruoyu's hand trembled slightly, then quietly rose into the air. Under the pair's somewhat astonished gazes, it floated lightly into the trunk of the sophora tree, as though returning to its own scabbard.
"..."
Mao Ruoyu blinked repeatedly, seemingly utterly shocked. "This sword has truly gained sentience?"
Lin Tianlu shook his head with a laugh and lightly patted the beautiful woman's fragrant shoulder. "Madam Mao, now that the sword has gained sentience, we needn't trouble ourselves over it. Let's return indoors and rest."
"Sir... you are absolutely right." Mao Ruoyu's pretty face flushed. She smiled with a hint of seductiveness. "This humble woman will go make some lovely pastries for you~"
Watching the beautiful woman's graceful figure disappear into the distance, Lin Tianlu finally withdrew his gaze and looked up at the sky.
After a moment of silence, he muttered inwardly:
"Old Heaven, how about sending down some rain?"
"..."
It seemed there was no reaction?
Lin Tianlu awkwardly scratched his head.
Could it be that Old Heaven's signal had malfunctioned and disconnected again?
Deep night quietly arrived.
Lin Tianlu finally finished washing away the miscellaneous ash in the courtyard.
"What a pity about all these flowers and plants. I wonder how long it will take them to grow back."
He set the broom aside and glanced at the sophora tree beside him, unable to stop himself from smiling. "You'd better take good care of the flowers and plants here. Take some responsibility."
The Sophora Sword within the tree lightly sprang once.
Lin Tianlu raised his brows slightly.
This sword was quite well-behaved, wasn't it?
He lightly patted the trunk of the sophora tree in encouragement.
But just as he was about to return indoors, a knock suddenly came from the courtyard gate behind him.
"Coming!"
He stepped forward and pulled open the gate. Looking down, he saw a child with a somewhat familiar face standing outside. The child drew his shoulders in awkwardly and gave him a bashful smile. "Good evening, Mister Lin."
"You are..."
Lin Tianlu let out a soft exclamation. "That child who came to deliver information before?"
"It was me, Mister Lin." The child hurriedly bowed.
"You've changed quite a bit."
Lin Tianlu rubbed his chin and looked him over with great interest.
The child before him had already shed the ragged clothes that had long since turned black and stank, replacing them with clean cloth garments. Although he could hardly be called neat, he had clearly washed himself properly, and those pitch-black smudges were gone from his face as well.
"You're quite a handsome and refined child."
"Y-You flatter me, Mister Lin." The child's face flushed as he fidgeted. "Thanks to the reward you gave me before, I was able to put on new clothes and eat my fill these past few days."
Lin Tianlu smiled. "That wasn't a reward. It was the payment you deserved."
"...Yes."
The child nodded, looking somewhat grateful.
"Then you came to me this time because..."
"To specially deliver some information to you, Mister Lin."
The child quickly put on a serious expression with his tender features and said solemnly, "These past few days, I've been wandering around and paying attention in the various restaurants and neighborhoods throughout the county. The most astonishing thing... should be the strange thunderclouds that covered the skies above Changling County today. Quite a few people said that some demon or evil spirit had emerged. Others were talking about how an enlightened immortal had ascended in broad daylight."
Lin Tianlu's lips twitched as he listened, his expression strange.
The sophora tree in his home had indeed almost ascended.
But the child's eyes seemed to glitter. "But I think... those strange thunderclouds during the day must have been your doing, Mister Lin!"
"Oh?" Lin Tianlu laughed. "Why would you think it was me?"
"In my heart, Mister Lin, you are the most capable and talented scholar in all of Changling County!" The child revealed an exceptionally pure smile. "You must be favored by Heaven and have encountered a wondrous heavenly destiny!"
"Then I'll have to borrow your auspicious words."
Seeing Lin Tianlu's gentle smile, the child quickly came back to himself and continued, "Besides that, there have been other rumors inside and outside the county. I heard that the authorities are pursuing some bloodthirsty madman who has been roaming through many villages outside the county and committing crimes, taking quite a few lives.
"But despite several consecutive days of pursuit, they still haven't caught him. The authorities are now so busy that they are running around like headless flies."
Lin Tianlu was slightly surprised.
Hua Shuya had left first thing in the morning and still had not returned. Could she be helping the authorities capture that criminal?
"They say that criminal specifically targets women in the villages. Although no corpses have been found, they have all disappeared without a trace, and people are already growing rather terrified." The child spoke softly. "Mister Lin, do you remember the strange death of Steward Li's concubine that I told you about before? This case may be connected to that murderer."
"That case still hasn't been closed?"
"It probably hasn't. You can still occasionally hear some rumors. I heard that the Taoists who came to perform rituals and dispel calamity at the time apparently left Li Manor directly that very night, looking hurried and flustered."
The child hesitated briefly before lowering his voice. "Mister Lin, this matter seems even stranger than what happened at Cheng Manor before. If you're uncertain, I can make inquiries again, especially among the people living near Li Manor. Perhaps they know something."
"You'd better not get too close to Li Manor. Your safety is more important." Lin Tianlu smiled warmly.
The child hurriedly lowered his head and pressed his lips together:
"Th-That... there have also been quite a few wandering martial artists coming to Changling County recently. It's much livelier than usual. Among them are quite a few itinerant Taoists and martial artists."
"Is some festival approaching?"
"It's just that disturbances have been brewing in Changling County recently, and the surrounding towns and counties have heard about them. Those people may have come after hearing the news to watch the excitement. You should be careful, Mister Lin... Some people who roam the martial world have rough dispositions. It would be best not to walk alone through the night markets these next few days. You're likely to have unnecessary conflicts with them."
"I'll remember your warning."
Lin Tianlu smiled as he pulled a string of copper coins from his robes and held it out. "This is your pay."
But the child shook his head repeatedly and took two steps back. "I can't accept this money yet."
"Why not?"
"You said before that you wanted me to collect information about strange and supernatural matters. But what I reported this time is nothing more than unverified rumors. I only wanted you to be more cautious." The child spoke seriously. "I hope to wait another two days, confirm whether the information is true or false, and then come to you."
Lin Tianlu raised his brows slightly. "Really?"
"Really!"
Looking at the stubbornness on the child's face, he smiled with satisfaction. "Good boy. Go back and rest early. I'll await your news in a few days."
"Yes!"
Watching the child quietly depart, Lin Tianlu sighed deeply.
He had never expected that such an eye-catching character could grow even among the common folk.
He truly wondered how this child had ended up as a pitiful beggar on the street. Had he encountered some unexpected disaster and fallen into poverty?
Tap—
Footsteps sounded.
Lin Tianlu turned his head and happened to see a familiar graceful figure walking out of the shadows of the night.
Hua Shuya gently smoothed her hair, a look of surprise on her face. "Senior, you haven't gone inside to rest yet?"
"I happened to meet that diligent child." Lin Tianlu asked curiously, "But you were quite busy with work today, returning so late. Did you run into some especially troublesome thieves?"
Hua Shuya looked ashamed when she heard this and said softly, "This junior captured several thieves today, but they weren't the primary target. I still don't know where the other party is hiding."
"Looks like your opponent is truly cunning." Lin Tianlu laughed. "Would you like to come into my room and have some pastries? Madam Mao specially made plenty for you today."
The girl's beautiful eyes immediately lit up, and she hurriedly nodded.
After they entered the courtyard together, Lin Tianlu reached out to close the gate.
But at that moment, his brows furrowed slightly, and he cast a suspicious gaze into the distance.
"It's not peaceful even this late at night."
Behind the road Hua Shuya had walked along, a faint mass of gray aura had gathered without dispersing, hiding in a dark corner.
Looking closely, he could vaguely see a strand of gray aura behind it, stretching all the way to the far end of the street. As his gaze focused, even a lingering red remnant of light could be seen, while faint sobs and mournful cries reached his ears.
"Secretly stalking an unmarried woman from the shadows. Even if it is a ghost, that's utterly shameless."
Lin Tianlu gathered a trace of Spiritual Energy on his fingertip and flicked it with a bent finger.
—Smack!
The mass of gray aura immediately vanished in an explosive burst, and even the strand of gray aura snapped apart with it.
"There really are quite a few filthy things in Changling County... Strange, though. Why did the residents of the towns and counties never seem to notice them before?"
He muttered to himself twice before closing the courtyard gate again.
Several miles away, inside a luxurious pleasure house.
"Hehe, Brother Li, what a skill! You can actually manipulate that resentful soul to track someone for a thousand miles. I am far from your equal!"
A handsome young man rose with a smile and raised his cup. "I wonder who Brother Li has set his sights on this time?"
"Naturally, that little yellow-haired girl. Since she had the nerve to ruin Brother Ye's plans, how could I let her off so easily?"
The middle-aged man named Li Xin laughed boldly and drained his cup in one gulp.
"Brother Li is indeed forthright!"
"This wine is ultimately a mundane thing. It isn't strong enough!" Li Xin smacked his lips.
But the handsome young man named Ye Mingshan slightly furrowed his brows and said in a low voice, "However, quite a few unusual phenomena seem to have appeared in Changling County recently. Take today's thunder from the heavens. Although I was still outside the county at the time and only heard others speak of it, still..."
"Thunder from the heavens is both danger and opportunity!"
Li Xin smiled faintly.
"Brother Li is absolutely right. But... I also heard that a great scholar filled with righteous energy has appeared in the county?"
"Oh, what can a mere scholar do? Are you afraid he can truly kill us?"
Li Xin shook his head and sneered.
Then, under Ye Mingshan's utterly bewildered gaze, he transformed into wisps of dust and scattered away completely.
"..."
The pleasure house fell into dead silence in an instant.
Before you continue