Watching the Second Elder take her pulse, Dongfang Liyin tentatively asked:
"Second Elder, there's nothing wrong with me, right?"
The Second Elder didn't answer. Instead, she used Spiritual Energy to examine Dongfang Liyin again.
Only then did she nod and say:
"There's nothing wrong, but you can't leave the Lu Family for now. Wait until the Pollution has been completely dealt with before going out."
"I'd like to go out, but just look outside. I can't even get out of the Lu Family Main Gate, let alone leave the Lu Family. Lu Gu has me locked up tight." Dongfang Liyin propped her chin on her hand, voicing her displeasure.
"Stop pretending." The Second Elder withdrew her hand. "Your mastery of formations is leagues above that brat Lu Gu's. You're only locked up because you're willing to be. Forget a grand formation—even a Spirit Gathering Formation could keep you here."
Dongfang Liyin smiled without a word. How awkward.
"But you were really lucky this time. If we hadn't discovered it early, your body definitely wouldn't have been able to withstand this illness. This Pollution, which resembles Evil Energy, doesn't seem simple at all." The Second Elder sounded relieved.
Dongfang Liyin also felt a little shaken:
"If Qiuyun Town hadn't asked for help in time, Lu Gu and I would've gone downstairs to get some fresh air.
Then I really would've been bedridden for a long time.
Lu Gu was so scared he couldn't close his eyes at night.
When I asked him what was wrong, he stubbornly insisted he couldn't sleep because our son was being a handful."
By the end, Dongfang Liyin was grinning.
The Second Elder looked at Dongfang Liyin and said:
"Remember, you must stay away from this kind of Pollution. Your body hasn't recovered yet and can't resist it.
This isn't just a matter of being bedridden for a long time. It could keep your injuries from healing.
If you recover properly, having a second child will still be easy. But if you fall ill by accident, you might never have another chance in this lifetime."
Dongfang Liyin turned her head at that.
"I don't want a second child."
Smack!
The Second Elder slapped the table and said sternly:
"Is this about whether you want one?"
Dongfang Liyin jumped, then picked up a pastry and held it to the Second Elder's mouth.
"Yes, yes, Second Elder, don't be angry. Here, have a pastry.
Getting angry too often makes you age faster."
The Second Elder took a bite of the pastry and said:
"You'll grow old before I do."
Dongfang Liyin: "..."
"But I heard Lu Shui discovered the illness this time. He was also the one who had someone inform Qiuyun Town to ask the Lu Family for help. Otherwise, something serious really would've happened," the Second Elder said.
That serious matter naturally concerned Dongfang Liyin. The Second Elder didn't care much about anything else.
Then the Second Elder asked:
"What do you think Lu Shui based his discovery on?"
Dongfang Liyin thought about it and said:
"Most likely, he based it on acting cool.
Or, as some of the young people in town call it, Chuunibyou."
The Second Elder: "..."
That made sense.
At last, the Second Elder took the pastry from Dongfang Liyin's hand and said:
"Stay in your room and don't go out much. Your body might recover in another year or two. After that, whether you have a child is up to you two."
After a pause, the Second Elder continued:
"By the way, where's Lu Gu? Have him come in."
Dongfang Liyin was puzzled, but she still asked her husband to come back from outside.
Soon, a commotion came from the courtyard. Then Lu Gu appeared at the doorway, looking anxious.
But when he saw the Second Elder there, he wasn't as worried anymore.
If something had happened, his wife wouldn't have been the one to contact him.
When Lu Gu returned, the Second Elder stood up.
She walked over to him and said:
"Are you a dwarf? Repeat that."
Lu Gu was a little confused, but he still repeated the question:
"Are you a dwarf?"
The instant Lu Gu asked that, the Second Elder grabbed his hand and twisted it.
Crack.
It was the sound of a bone breaking.
Then the Second Elder flung out her hand, and Lu Gu instantly felt Heaven and Earth Reversal.
With a thud, Lu Gu crashed to the ground, making a three-foot-deep crater.
The fall twisted his whole body out of shape.
It looked as though half his bones had shattered.
Only then did the Second Elder speak:
"That question just now came from Lu Shui. I thought he was too young to handle the answer, so I can only have you, his father, pass it on: no.
"Oh, and keep an eye on Liyin."
With that, the Second Elder put the rest of the pastry in her mouth, then took a single step and vanished.
Lu Gu: "..."
That little brat Lu Shui was always getting his father in trouble.
As Lu Shui walked along, he kept feeling a chill down his back.
He looked up at the sky, but it didn't seem to have gotten any colder.
In the end, he shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
Lu Shui soon returned to the Lu Family. He headed straight for the main hall; Zhen Wu was no longer following him.
When Lu Shui reached the hall, he didn't see anyone else this time.
Without stopping, he stepped inside.
Once in the hall, Lu Shui saw the Third Elder seated at the very top.
The Third Elder wore a look that said, "You owe me fifty million."
Just seeing that face made Lu Shui feel awful. It was hard to say what punishment he'd be given this time.
"Greetings, Third Elder." Lu Shui bowed respectfully.
"Know what you did wrong?" The Third Elder's voice was a little low.
This time, Lu Shui didn't argue. He simply lowered his head and said:
"I know."
The Third Elder looked at Lu Shui, a trace of disappointment in his eyes. Then he asked:
"Then why did you do it?"
Lu Shui didn't answer. Actually, he really wanted to ask: Third Elder, do you understand love?
But he didn't dare ask, because the Third Elder didn't understand love.
Seeing that Lu Shui wasn't speaking, the Third Elder didn't bother asking. He had already heard the gist from the Second Elder.
"I heard you foresaw the illness in Qiuyun Town?" The Third Elder changed the subject.
Lu Shui showed not the slightest modesty. He nodded and said:
"That's right."
He really wasn't modest at all. The Third Elder looked at Lu Shui, unsure what to say about him.
"Then, as your punishment, you'll investigate the source of this matter a week from now. Any objections?" the Third Elder asked.
That was it?
Lu Shui was a little surprised. Wasn't that too light? Then he said:
"No objections."
The Third Elder nodded.
"Good. Then you'll spend the first five days of this week reflecting at Wind Frost River."
Lu Shui: "..."
Was Wind Frost River even a place for people?
With his Second Tier cultivation, five days there would leave him half-dead, if not dead outright. Of course, with his current strength, he wasn't afraid.
The main problem was that Wind Frost River was a mysterious place. With his luck, he might trigger a fortuitous encounter within a couple of days of entering.
Triggering a fortuitous encounter inside the Lu Family, with enough commotion, would be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?
And getting into trouble could very well cost him his freedom.
This concerned the Second Break Off Engagement.
So he couldn't go in.
"Third Elder, could we maybe choose a different punishment? I might be badly injured after five days in there, and then I won't have time to go out and investigate the source." Lu Shui tried to negotiate.
"Won't the two days you have left be enough to recover?" the Third Elder replied mercilessly.
Lu Shui was about to say something else, but before he could open his mouth, the Third Elder said:
"If you don't want to, that's fine too. Then there's the matter of updating the modern-world equipment..."
Before the Third Elder could finish, Lu Shui immediately said:
"Third Elder, I'll go."
Lu Shui had wondered why the Third Elder would say he could refuse. So that was it—he was threatening him.
How despicable.
"Since that's settled, leave your Storage Magic Treasure behind, then let your parents know you're safe. You're going today." The Third Elder's tone left no room for argument.
Before you continue