No Mother-in-Law, No Mother and Daughter

Lin Shu closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

As his palm fell, several Evil Coins had already appeared in his hand.

He had originally intended to take things slowly.

But the situation was different now.

The information Black Charcoal had gathered was not comprehensive enough.

He only thought the young widow's child was gravely ill and she lacked the money for treatment.

Thus, he had set his sights on Crazy Old Woman, intending to seize her property after her death.

But Lin Shu knew that this dilapidated Firewood Courtyard still concealed many traces of immortal aura.

If Chang Yi's speculation was correct, then Old Woman Chen had already been picked clean, and the young widow had no reason to stay any longer.

Relying on washing clothes for the neighbors would never earn enough for her child's medicine.

Moreover... Lin Shu had never once smelled the scent of medicinal herbs within the courtyard.

Tsk, tsk.

This immortal aura was perhaps being enjoyed by more than just himself.

You spent that one Evil Coin quite indignantly.

Lin Shu muttered to himself in his heart.

The old woman had originally used one Evil Coin to trade for the lives of that orphan and widow.

Logically speaking, the debt was settled.

But if this orphan and widow were themselves one of the reasons for the old woman's death, then that was a different story entirely.

But you will have to wait a little longer.

Lin Shu's gaze turned cold. He did not have the habit of reneging on debts, but he was no mindless brute either.

His ruthless actions back in Green Willow Alley, which seemed to disregard all consequences, were only because the White Wolf mist was rapidly dissipating over time.

When one's life was on the line, there was no room to consider anything else.

Besides, the identities of those people were all out in the open.

Not to mention the others, even Old Yang knew that Zhang Zhongping was a Great Martial Master.

To them, Lin Shu was the one hiding in the shadows.

Unfortunately, the situation had reversed.

If the young widow was truly enjoying the immortal aura of the Firewood Courtyard...

Yet, Lin Shu could not sense any traces of cultivation on her at all.

The lack of traces did not mean safety; the unknown was the most dangerous thing of all.

She was in the dark, while he was in the light!

"Hoo."

Thinking of this, Lin Shu made his decision.

He would seize the time to collect more wisps of blue qi to avoid the awkwardness of having nowhere to spend his Virtue Coins should he fail to encounter other immortal relics in the future.

Then, he would leave the Firewood Courtyard and return to Green Willow Alley first.

The courtyard wasn't going anywhere, after all.

Whether it was to compete for this immortal relic or to finish the old woman's business properly, he had to use his status in the Blackwater Gang to get to the bottom of things first.

As for the remaining seven Evil Coins.

Lin Shu gritted his teeth, a ferocious expression appearing at the corners of his lips as he pulled open his collar again and pressed them against his chest.

The last bit of security was gone, so to hell with taking it slow!

The Ghost Moon Bone-Splitting Hand had cost thirteen Evil Coins just to break through from the Subordinate Sixth Rank to the Fifth Rank.

Since it was already at the perfection stage, this amount of Evil Coins would certainly not be enough to elevate it further.

Therefore, the black light transformed from the Evil Coins surged rapidly into the Wolf Tooth representing the Bright Moon Eye Technique.

[Consumed seven Evil Coins; Evil Immortal not yet formed; technique undergoing transformation]

In the face of the Evil Coins, this low-grade immortal technique had no power to resist and was torn apart and reorganized by the black light.

The Lone Wolf Howling at the Moon Painting appeared once again in Lin Shu's mind.

Only this time, what rose with a rumble from beneath the cliff was a scarlet, blinding blood moon!

"Hah!"

Lin Shu held his breath and rapidly circulated the Blue Bird Qi-Guiding Art to stabilize his mind.

His clear, pitch-black pupils gradually rippled with radiance, like a pool of clear spring water reflecting the moonlight.

In an instant, it was as if a drop of ink had fallen into the clear pool, transforming into surging red mist.

His glowing pupils were rapidly engulfed and shrouded by the red mist!

[Qi Refining Grade 6. Red Moon Dharma Eye: Minor Achievement]

This observational technique, which possessed no lethality, had quietly gained a hint of Sha Qi.

Although the Blue Bird Qi-Guiding Art had a suppressive effect on the agitation, its grade was too low, especially since he had used it twice in such a short time.

Lin Shu's breathing became scorching and heavy.

Yet, he did not rest as he usually would.

Even while being eroded by the Evil Coin, this ocular technique still functioned to observe Qi.

At this moment, the green Qi drifting throughout the Firewood Courtyard became much clearer; it resembled a blurred web, shrouding the entire yard.

Unfortunately, it remained like duckweed without roots, and he could not find its specific source.

Driven by the agitation, Lin Shu began to capture these immortal auras with even more brutal methods.

He did not want to stay in this wretched place for even another moment.

Night gradually descended.

In the room on the other side of the Firewood Courtyard, Yun Niang sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes drifting toward the candlelight on the table.

She gripped the packed bundle in her hands tightly.

It was only by relying on an innate alertness that she had managed to survive until now in a place like Blackwater City.

Just like the time Liu the Third came knocking, Yun Niang had prepared to flee in advance.

She had only hesitated because she felt indebted to this family, which was why she had been cornered in the yard.

Ever since her benefactor returned, he had clearly shown nothing unusual, but the mere glance he cast her way had caused that sense of panic to surge once more.

This was the reaction one had when sensing danger.

Yun Niang roughly knew that it was time for her to leave.

The reason she had not yet moved was...

She pursed her lips, her fair face flickering in the candlelight.

Echoing in her mind were the words Lin Shu had spoken offhandedly when he drove those two foxes away.

For the first time in a long while, Yun Niang experienced a sense of security from being protected.

She had thought... that her luck was truly beginning to improve.

"Sigh."

Yun Niang rubbed her slightly chubby cheeks, trying her best to smile.

The only thing she was conflicted about now was whether or not she should warn her benefactor before leaving that the old woman's granddaughter was somewhat abnormal.

Thinking this, Yun Niang glanced toward the bed.

Wrapped in thick bedding was a small, delicate face; the child's eyes were closed, and her eyelashes trembled gently with her breathing.

She looked to be only three or four years old.

When they first met, Yun Niang had felt a strong protective instinct toward the child.

Until... it had been two full years, and the child had never opened her eyes, nor had she eaten or drunk anything.

The medicinal soups the old woman brought back had never truly been fed into the child's mouth, yet she remained alive and slept soundly.

Consequently, Yun Niang's protective instinct had become tinged with fear.

"Wait..."

Just then, she suddenly sensed something was wrong and hurriedly grabbed her bundle to check the doorway.

She saw that in the sky above the dilapidated Firewood Courtyard, there were clearly no foreign objects, yet it inexplicably gave off a sense of flickering fragmentation.

At the same time, a faint whimpering sound reached her ears.

It sounded like a child crying, yet it carried a hint of rage.

"Hiss!"

Yun Niang turned her head, her eyes widening as if she were witnessing something unbelievable.

She saw a small, fair hand gently push back the quilt.

The child still kept her eyes tightly shut, as if deep in slumber, but her body slowly climbed out of bed.

As her toes lightly touched the ground, emerald-green feathers sprouted from her ankles, weaving themselves into long boots.

By the time she stood still, her body had grown into that of a young maiden, and she was now wearing a set of emerald-green feathered short robes.

Yun Niang watched with her own eyes as those feathers emerged from the girl's skin, even from her temples and cheeks.

The Green Feather Maiden passed her by with eyes closed, stepped out the door, and headed toward the opposite side room.

"Nn—"

Yun Niang jolted awake from her shock, an instinctive sound escaping her throat as she sought to warn the young man in the room across from her.

But before the sound could fully leave her lips, the inexplicable protective urge she had felt toward this child surged back into her heart, magnified tenfold!

Her eyes glazed over, her expression momentarily slack.

At the same time.

The young girl had already walked silently to the door of the side room.

She kept her eyes closed and lifted her head.

The dilapidated Firewood Courtyard was deathly still, yet a murderous intent began to spread through the air.

The wooden door swung open without a breeze.

Inside, the young man in the long robe stood with his hands hanging at his sides.

He quietly withdrew the wisps of azure energy from his palms and looked toward the outside with a complex expression.

The next moment, as the girl's shoulders trembled slightly.

A scream, clearly as infantile as a baby's yet piercingly sharp and laden with violent rage, resounded throughout the courtyard.

"Ah!!!!"