A Venomous Hand in the Shadows

"All right, my business here is done. I won't disturb you two any longer."

With that, Dean Zhou used a movement Mystic Technique and fled at an astonishing speed!

"Hmph, that shameless old man!"

Xia Nuoyi spat in annoyance, but the blush on her face lingered for a long time.

Bu Wuchen merely snickered beside her.

"Still laughing? You're still laughing?!"

"Believe it or not, I'll tie you up and throw you to the Lin Lineage right now!"

"Uh, I bet you couldn't bear to."

"You!!"

"Ah, why are you kicking my butt now? Have you no shame?!"

"Hmph, I'll kick you to death, you little bastard!"

"Hey, hey, hey! You were kissing me so tenderly just a moment ago. How did you turn around and... this isn't how the script goes, is it?"

"You dare bring that up again!!"

"Ow! Spare my life, heroine..."

While the two of them laughed and scuffled merrily, gloom hung over the Lin Lineage!

"Patriarch, I want revenge! I want to slice that brat surnamed Bu into a thousand pieces!!"

As he spoke, Lin Taoshu's old teeth ground together with an audible crunch.

"As the chief Attendant of our Lin Lineage's Pill Hall, what kind of conduct is this shouting and screaming?"

Lin Yunba rebuked him coldly, "You're well past the age of knowing heaven's mandate. What storms haven't you weathered?"

"Are you truly willing to let some greenhorn plant a heart demon in you, leaving you unable to make another breakthrough in the Dao of Alchemy?"

Lin Yunba knew full well that the alchemy duel just now had left an indelible shadow over Lin Taoshu!

That was precisely what he had feared when he had done his utmost to defend Lin Taoshu in full view of everyone.

After all, Lin Taoshu was only fifty-six or fifty-seven. With his seventh-level Qi Control Realm cultivation, he could live another twenty or thirty years in good health at the very least.

And decline came much later on the path of alchemy than on the path of martial arts;

in fact, many alchemists grew increasingly skilled with age, becoming more badass the older they got!

Thus, Lin Yunba had wholeheartedly hoped that Lin Taoshu would one day break beyond the Mortal Realm and advance into the Mystic Realm, becoming Blood Dragon City's second Mystic Realm master alchemist in all these years!

If that truly happened, his Lin Lineage would surely rise above the three great Lineages, and might even be able to arm-wrestle with the lofty city lord's line!

Alas, plans could not keep pace with change. An unexpected alchemy duel had planted a heart demon in the utterly defeated Lin Taoshu.

Unless that heart demon was removed, Lin Taoshu could forget about making even the slightest progress in his alchemy cultivation for the rest of his life!

"Of course I understand your painstaking efforts, Patriarch, but... but I just can't help myself!"

Seated in his chair, Lin Taoshu lowered his head and grabbed his hair with both hands, rubbing it wildly. "Only by tearing that little bastard into ten thousand pieces can I vent the hatred in my heart."

"When that happens, the heart demon will naturally be dispersed completely!"

With that, the old man abruptly raised his head and looked at his patriarch, his eyes brimming with hope.

But Lin Yunba frowned and snorted coldly. "Given that brat's performance on the martial arena today, Zhou Wan'en will surely do everything he can to keep him safe."

"How could killing him be so easy?"

At those words, Lin Taoshu's face darkened.

"Elder Lin, why be so dejected?"

As those words rang out, a young man of seventeen or eighteen strolled gracefully inside, waving a fan.

Lin Taoshu lifted his eyelids. Once he saw who had come, he said icily, "Young Master, why ask what you already know and rub salt into my wounds?"

This young man was none other than Lin Yunba's only son, the young master of the Lin Lineage: Lin Liang.

"Hehe, what are you saying, Elder Lin?"

"The moment I heard what happened to you, I rushed here without stopping. I'm hardly so bored that I'd come just to rub salt into your wounds!"

Lin Liang was already a handsome, dignified young man;

coupled with his calm, unhurried manner of speaking, he seemed to possess a leader's bearing from birth!

At Blood Dragon City Academy, aside from Bu Wuchen, the Pill Hall's newly appointed First-Class Special-Talent Student, Lin Liang was the strongest of the other three regular special-talent students!

He spoke with easy confidence. "That fellow now has both the dean and that Demoness surnamed Xia protecting him;"

"whether inside the city or outside it, killing him would be extremely difficult!"

"However, I happen to know a good way to get rid of him."

"All we need to do is this..."

As he listened, light began to shine in Lin Taoshu's formerly dejected eyes. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

Lin Yunba also stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction. "Mm, it's a good plan."

"Go ahead and do it. Your father will give you every support you need."

"Yes..."

At that moment, Bu Wuchen had no idea that a venomous hand was already reaching toward him from the shadows.

Now, as he gazed at the courtyard residence he had moved into barely two days earlier, he suddenly felt as though a lifetime had passed.

A few days ago, when he had first transmigrated here, he had been a penniless boy confined to a sickbed, nearly murdered by a villain's scheme;

now, he was a "young genius" with a fortune of two hundred and twenty thousand gold, exceptionally promoted to a First-Class Special-Talent Student of the academy!

The God-Level Choice System, which had long since become one with him, undoubtedly deserved immense credit for this earth-shaking transformation;

apart from that, the person Bu Wuchen most needed to thank was probably the "fairy big sister" beside him.

The young man took a deep breath and said with utmost sincerity, "What happened today..."

"And two days ago, when you specially arranged for people to give me a residence and provide protection."

"I remember every kindness!"

"Talking about repaying favors would make us sound too distant, wouldn't it?"

"After all, our relationship, ahem... I mean, right now, I really don't have anything you'd think much of."

"How about this? For every day I remain in Blood Dragon City, I'll refine Mystic Pills for you free of charge!"

Xia Nuoyi arched her delicate brows, her face blossoming into a smile. "Ha, really? Then I won't stand on ceremony~"

"Mm, but you'll have to supply the ingredients."

Xia Nuoyi's newly blossomed smile instantly froze. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she rolled her eyes. "Uh, you really have the nerve to say that."

Bu Wuchen rubbed the tip of his nose. "Hehe, my pockets are pretty shallow right now. You understand!"

"Once I strike it rich someday, never mind refining a few mortal-tier pills for you;"

"even mystic-tier or spirit-tier ones, I'll refine them all for you without batting an eyelid. That's generous enough, right?"

Xia Nuoyi gave a couple of snorts. "That's more like it."

"Well... so I can grow stronger as quickly as possible and refine higher-grade Mystic Pills for you sooner, I might need one more little favor from you."

The girl in green gauze glared at him irritably. "Oh, so this was where you were lying in wait for me?"

Bu Wuchen blushed. "Although I'm asking for your help, I won't shortchange you a single coin."

"Hmph, do you think I'd care about your measly handful of coppers?"

"What is it? Let me hear it first..."