"Randomly pick a lucky audience member." A faint smile touched Lin Yu's lips, but a trace of chill flashed through his eyes.
Lin Yu remembered that the Li Family had once discovered an Ancient Cultivator's Cave. It had later sparked a fierce fight among several Life Spring cultivators from Mist and Cloud Cave Heaven and other cave heavens. The items inside should be enough to cover Lin Yu's travel expenses to the Northern Region.
Having made up his mind, Lin Yu flashed forward, turning into a streak of light as he sped toward the Primeval Ruins.
The small town lay two thousand li from the Primeval Ruins. It was neither large nor populous, merely an ordinary little town. A few scattered shops lined the streets, making the place seem rather deserted.
By the time Lin Yu entered the town, dusk had fallen. The setting sun cast its lingering glow across the bluestone-paved streets, dyeing them gold.
"Hm? Jiang Family Inn?"
Lin Yu nodded thoughtfully.
He decided to check in at this little establishment called the Jiang Family Inn. The inn was small, its frontage somewhat old and even dilapidated. Its business clearly was not doing well. When he pushed open the door, a faint fragrance of wine washed over him, refreshing his mind.
"Welcome, honored guest! Please come in!" An elderly man with graying hair and a face deeply lined with wrinkles came forward. His smile was kind, yet a profound weariness lingered in his eyes. He was the innkeeper of this establishment, Old Man Jiang.
Lin Yu nodded and casually took a seat by the window. Old Man Jiang poured him a cup of hot tea and smiled. "This is your first time in town, isn't it, young man? You look travel-worn. You must have come from afar."
Lin Yu smiled faintly. "You have sharp eyes, sir. I did indeed come from elsewhere. I'm just passing through and stopping to rest."
Old Man Jiang nodded and was about to say more when a brisk patter of footsteps sounded from the back room. Then, from the little courtyard bathed in warm sunlight, a four- or five-year-old girl came bouncing out like a cheerful little bird.
She wore patched clothes. The fabric was plain, but spotlessly clean. Her two playful pigtails swayed merrily with her movements. Her rosy cheeks resembled ripe red apples, glowing with health and brimming with innocent purity, making one want to give them a pinch.
"Grandpa, I'll help you!" the little girl said in a crisp, childish voice, yet she sounded especially sensible.
A trace of affection flashed through Old Man Jiang's eyes. He patted her head and said, "Be good, Little Tingting. Go bring some pastries for this guest."
Little Tingting obediently nodded and ran into the kitchen. Before long, she came out trembling slightly as she carried a plate of steaming pastries. Carefully placing it before Lin Yu, she said brightly, "Big brother, please enjoy."
"Little Tingting is so well-behaved," Lin Yu praised with a smile.
At his words, Little Tingting beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. She seemed quite fond of Lin Yu and stood nearby, chattering nonstop. From amusing stories about the town to her own little secrets, she shared everything without reservation.
Lin Yu listened while secretly observing her. He had long sensed a faintly icy aura within Little Tingting's body. Though weak, it was extraordinarily unusual.
"Lunar Divine Physique..." Lin Yu's heart stirred. It was the same constitution possessed by the ancient Lunar Human Emperor.
In the ancient era, all races coexisted, while humanity was weak and suffered endless oppression. At the critical moment, the Lunar Human Emperor rose to prominence through the Lunar Divine Physique, created the Lunar Ancient Scripture, and attained the Dao, winning humanity a chance at survival. Later, the Solar Saint Emperor appeared with the Solar Divine Physique, became emperor through the Solar Ancient Scripture, and further strengthened the human race.
Taiyin and Taiyang—which was weaker, which was stronger? When yin and yang complemented one another, they ruled Within the Universe!
Those with the Lunar Divine Physique cultivated at an astonishing pace, but without a great opportunity, they would not live past twenty before the icy aura within their bodies erupted and killed them.
"But that wasn't much of a problem."
Lin Yu remembered several ways to change this little girl's fate.
The simplest was the Earth Fate Fruit. He would be heading to the Northern Region before long, and he remembered several locations where such fruits could be found.
Or he could find Jiang Taixu and explain the situation. Could he possibly tolerate seeing his descendants bullied into such a state? The Jiang Family was wealthy and powerful; surely it would not lack a single Earth Fate Fruit.
"Once the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest dungeon opens, I can find Old Man Demon and farm some gold from him. Then I'll have an ancient scripture for cultivation too."
With that thought, Lin Yu made up his mind. He glanced at Old Man Jiang and noticed that although the old man wore a broad smile, a trace of sorrow hid in his eyes.
"Sir, where are Little Tingting's parents?" Lin Yu asked casually.
At that, Old Man Jiang's smile stiffened slightly. He then sighed. "Her parents... are no longer with us."
Lin Yu nodded and did not ask further. He knew that the Li Family was responsible for Little Tingting's parents' deaths.
Night fell. Lin Yu rested briefly at the inn. When the night grew quiet and still, he silently left the Jiang Family Inn and sped toward the Li Family estate.
The Li Family residence stood on the eastern side of town. Though extensive, Lin Yu concealed his aura and easily avoided the guards, heading straight for the seventh young master's quarters.
The Li Family's seventh young master was merely in the Sea of Suffering Realm, not worth mentioning in Lin Yu's eyes. Lin Yu slipped soundlessly into the room, knocked him unconscious with a palm strike, then directly used the Soul Searching Technique to obtain the location of the Ancient Cultivator's Cave.
"Just as I thought." Lin Yu sneered, tossed the seventh young master aside, and, using the information gained through soul searching, swept through and cleaned out the Li Family before swiftly leaving their estate.
Following the information he obtained through soul searching, Lin Yu quickly found the Ancient Cultivator's Cave. It was hidden within a valley, and without good luck, it truly would have been difficult to discover.
After entering the cave, he found that it indeed contained quite a few resources. More than ten jin of source, two Sentient Weapons, and several manuals reaching the Dao Palace realm. Though not particularly abundant, they were enough to solve his immediate needs.
"Now my travel expenses are covered." Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction.
After leaving the cave, Lin Yu did not rush to leave town. Instead, he returned to the Jiang Family Inn. He told Old Man Jiang the truth about Little Tingting's parents' deaths and said that the Li Family had already been wiped out by him, so they could live well from now on.
Old Man Jiang burst into tears and repeatedly thanked him. Though Little Tingting was still young, she vaguely understood what had happened. She tightly clutched Lin Yu's sleeve, her eyes full of reluctance.
Lin Yu patted her head and smiled. "Little Tingting, live well with your grandpa. We'll meet again."
"Oh, right. If you ever meet a young man about my age who has no money for food, remember to give him one free meal.
If his name is also Ye Fan, you can tell him that I left something for him in a valley."
After saying that, he left behind a map and turned to depart. His figure soon vanished into the night.
"Next, it's time to head to the Northern Region." Lin Yu looked north, anticipation flashing through his eyes.
Before you continue