Immortal Path in Hand, Secretly Plotting

Mao Ruoyu was taken aback when she heard that.

"Mister, you... weren't you surprised and delighted to have obtained such a precious treasure that fell from the sky?"

Lin Tianlu chuckled, "What's so precious about it? To me, this simple and leisurely life is more important."

Although this sword possessed profound mysteries and was priceless, it was ultimately an external possession.

Moreover, he was increasingly realizing his own extraordinariness.

The earth-shattering thunder, this treasure falling from the sky, even his experiences on Taiyi Mountain, and the several incidents he encountered after descending the mountain, all testified to his incredible 'fortune'.

It was as if he had divine assistance, with the path of immortality within his grasp.

Even seeing this divine sword, his heart remained undisturbed.

"Madam Mao, take the sword." Lin Tianlu casually drew his sword and tossed it gently to the beautiful woman beside him.

Mao Ruoyu was startled and reached out to catch it, feeling a little flustered.

The moment it landed in her hands, a tingling sensation spread from her arm throughout her body, but upon closer inspection, it felt like an illusion.

She blinked her beautiful eyes in surprise.

She had originally thought that as someone who practiced yin techniques, touching such a supremely yang object forged by thunder and fire would cause a strong rejection.

But now, looking at the faintly flowing thunder and fire patterns on the sword, she felt it was very gentle and familiar. Holding the hilt even brought a faint warmth.

And—

"This sword is truly as light as nothing."

"It's forged from Sophora wood, so it's naturally light. If Madam Mao wants to exercise, you can use this Sophora Sword to move around."

Mao Ruoyu couldn't help but chuckle twice, and still handed the Sophora Sword back. "Mister's gift is too precious; ordinary people cannot accept it. Besides, I don't understand any sword techniques or moves, so using this Sophora Sword would be a waste."

"Madam, you don't need to refuse—"

"However, this sword seems to retain remnants of thunder and fire, with abundant yang energy. It would be truly wonderful for suppressing the house and nurturing qi." Mao Ruoyu blinked her beautiful eyes and said with a smile, "If Mister has no particular interest in this sword, why not use it to suppress the house and courtyard? Wouldn't that be fitting?"

Lin Tianlu nodded thoughtfully, "That's not a bad idea. In that case, there's no need to cut down and move that bare Sophora tree; we can just leave it here together."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sophora Sword in Mao Ruoyu's hand trembled slightly, quietly levitated, and under their slightly surprised gazes, it floated gently into the trunk of the Sophora tree, as if sheathing itself.

"..."

Mao Ruoyu blinked her beautiful eyes repeatedly, appearing utterly shocked. "This sword... has actually gained sentience?"

Lin Tianlu shook his head and chuckled, gently patting the beautiful woman's shoulder beside him. "Madam Mao, since the sword has gained sentience, we don't need to worry about it. Let's go back inside and rest."

"Mister... you are absolutely right." Mao Ruoyu's pretty face flushed slightly, and she smiled charmingly. "I'll go make some pastries for you right away~"

Watching the charming silhouette of the beautiful woman slowly walk away, Lin Tianlu finally retracted his gaze and looked up at the sky.

After a moment of silence, he muttered to himself:

"Heaven, how about a little rain?"

"..."

It seemed there was no reaction?

Lin Tianlu scratched his head awkwardly.

Could it be that Heaven's signal was malfunctioning again?

Deep night arrived quietly.

Lin Tianlu finally finished cleaning the dust and debris in the courtyard.

"What a shame about this pot of flowers and plants; I wonder how long it will take for them to grow back."

He placed the broom aside, glanced at the Sophora tree beside him, and couldn't help but smile, "You'd better take good care of the flowers and plants here and take some responsibility."

He saw the Sophora Sword in the tree gently flick.

Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow.

This sword is quite obedient?

He gently patted the trunk of the Sophora tree as encouragement.

But just as he was about to go inside, a knock suddenly came from the courtyard gate behind him.

"Coming!"

He walked over and opened the main door, then looked down to see a child with a somewhat familiar face standing outside, nervously shrinking his shoulders and giving him a shy smile. "Mister Lin, good evening."

"You are..."

Lin Tianlu exclaimed softly, "The child who delivered information before?"

"It's me, Mister Lin." The child quickly bowed.

"Your change... is quite significant."

Lin Tianlu stroked his chin, observing him with interest.

The child before him had shed his long-blackened, foul-smelling rags and changed into clean cloth garments. Though still not perfectly tidy, it was clear he had thoroughly washed himself, and the smudges on his face were gone.

"He's quite good-looking."

"Th-thank you for the compliment, Mister. My face is a little red," the child said shyly. "Thanks to the money you gave me before, I could buy new clothes and eat my fill these past few days."

Lin Tianlu smiled. "That wasn't a gift, it was the payment you deserved."

"...Mm."

The child nodded with a hint of gratitude.

"So, why did you come to see me this time...?"

"To bring you information, Mister."

The child quickly put on a serious, youthful face. "I've been wandering around the county's inns and streets these past few days, keeping an eye out. The most surprising thing... was the strange thunderclouds that covered Changling County today. Many people said it looked like a demon was about to appear, while others were discussing it, saying a fully enlightened Immortal was ascending to the heavens in broad daylight."

Lin Tianlu's lips twitched, his expression odd.

The Sophora tree at his home had indeed almost ascended.

But in the child's eyes, a brilliant light seemed to flash. "But I think... those strange thunderclouds during the day were your doing, Mister!"

"Oh?" Lin Tianlu chuckled. "Why would you think it was me?"

"In my heart, Mister, you are the most capable and talented scholar in Changling County!" The child's smile was remarkably pure. "You must surely be favored by Heaven, receiving a miraculous opportunity!"

"Then I shall have to borrow your good words."

Seeing Lin Tianlu's gentle smile, the child quickly regained his composure and continued, "Besides that, there are other rumors circulating inside and outside the county. I heard the authorities are hunting a bloodthirsty madman who committed many murders in various villages outside the county.

But after several days of pursuit, they still haven't caught him, and the officials are now in a terrible rush."

Lin Tianlu was slightly surprised.

Hua Shuya had left early in the morning and hadn't returned yet. Was she helping the authorities capture that criminal?

"The rumor is that the criminal specifically targets women in the villages. Although no bodies have been found, they have all disappeared, causing quite a bit of panic," the child whispered. "Do you remember what I told you before, Mister, about the strange death of Steward Li's concubine in the county? This case might be connected to that murderer."

"This case hasn't been closed yet?"

"It shouldn't have been. I can still hear some rumors occasionally. I heard that the Taoist priests who came to help perform rituals to ward off disaster at the time seemed to have left the Li Manor overnight, in a hurry."

The child hesitated slightly and said in a low voice, "Mister, this matter seems even more peculiar than the Cheng Manor incident. If you're not sure, I can go and inquire further, especially among the people around the Li Manor. They might know something."

"You'd best not get too close to the Li Manor. Your safety is more important," Lin Tianlu said with a warm smile.

The child quickly lowered his head and pursed his lips.

"Well, um... also, for the past while, many martial arts practitioners seem to have arrived in Changling County. It's much livelier than usual. Among them are quite a few wandering Taoist priests and martial artists."

"Is a festival approaching?"

"It's just that there have been some recent disturbances in Changling County, which have reached the ears of several surrounding towns and counties. Perhaps those people have come to see the excitement. Mister, you must be careful... some people in the martial world have rough tempers. It's best not to walk alone in the night market these days, as it's easy to get into unnecessary conflicts with them."

"I will keep your advice in mind."

Lin Tianlu smiled and took out a string of copper coins from his pocket, handing them over. "This is your payment."

But the child shook his head repeatedly and took two steps back. "I can't accept this money yet."

"Why?"

"Mister, you said you wanted to collect information about strange tales. But what I've told you this time is just unverified gossip. I just wanted to make sure you were aware." The child said earnestly, "I hope to come back to you in a couple of days, after I've confirmed the truth of the information."

Lin Tianlu raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really!"

Looking at the determined expression on the child's face, he couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. "Good child. Go back and rest early. I'll wait for your news in a few days."

"Yes!"

Watching the child's retreating figure, Lin Tianlu sighed with emotion.

He hadn't expected such admirable character to grow amidst the common folk.

He really wondered why this child had fallen to become a pitiable beggar on the streets. Had he suffered some misfortune, leading to his family's decline?

Tap--

Footsteps sounded.

Lin Tianlu turned his head and saw a familiar silhouette emerging from the shadows of the night.

Hua Shuya gently smoothed her hair, her face showing surprise. "Senior, you haven't returned to your room to rest yet?"

"I just met with that diligent child. By the way, you were quite busy with your work today, returning so late. Did you encounter a particularly troublesome thief?"

Hua Shuya's expression turned ashamed upon hearing this. She said in a low voice, "I caught a few thieves today, but they weren't the main target. I don't know where the real culprit is hiding."

"It seems the other party is indeed cunning," Lin Tianlu chuckled. "Would you like to come to my room for some snacks? Madam Mao made quite a lot for you today."

The young woman's beautiful eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded.

After they entered the courtyard together, Lin Tianlu reached out to close the main gate.

But at this moment, his brow furrowed slightly, and his suspicious gaze swept towards the distance.

"Still restless even this late at night."

Behind Hua Shuya, where she was walking, a faint wisp of gray energy condensed, hiding in the shadows of a dark corner.

Upon closer inspection, a thin thread of gray energy could be seen extending from behind the mass of gray energy, all the way to the far end of the street. As his gaze sharpened, a blood-red residual light flickered around it, and the faint sound of sobbing and wailing reached his ears.

"Sneaking around in the dark to tail an unmarried woman, even for a ghost, is truly shameless."

Lin Tianlu gathered a bit of Spiritual Energy on his fingertip and flicked it.

-- Snap!

The mass of gray energy immediately exploded and dissipated, along with the thread of gray energy.

"There really are quite a few of these dirty things in Changling County... It's strange, though. Why didn't the residents within the town notice them before?"

He muttered to himself twice and closed the courtyard gate again.

Inside a luxurious brothel several miles away.

"Heh heh, Brother Li has impressive skills! To be able to manipulate that vengeful spirit to track someone from a thousand miles away, I'm far from your equal!"

A handsome young man smiled, raised his cup, and said, "I just wonder, who has Brother Li set his sights on this time?"

"Naturally, it's that little brat. Since she dared to ruin Brother Ye's good deed, how can I let her off easily?"

The middle-aged man named Li Xin said with a hearty laugh, raising his cup and drinking it all in one go.

"Brother Li is truly generous!"

"This wine is ultimately just ordinary stuff, not strong enough!" Li Xin clicked his tongue.

The handsome young man named Ye Mingshan, however, frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "However, it seems quite a few strange phenomena have occurred in Changling County recently. Like the thunderclap that struck today. Although I was still outside the town at the time and only heard about it from others. But..."

"The so-called thunderclap, while dangerous, is also an opportunity!"

Li Xin smiled faintly.

"Brother Li speaks wisely. But... I also heard that there seems to be a talented scholar with great righteousness in the county?"

"Eh! What can a mere scholar do? Are you afraid they can actually kill us?"

Li Xin sneered and shook his head.

Immediately after, under Ye Mingshan's utterly bewildered gaze, he turned into wisps of dust and vanished.

"..."

In the brothel's courtyard pavilion, an absolute silence fell.

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