Passing By

After thinking it over, Lin Xiao planned to go and talk to Liu Yunan about his upcoming arrangements.

However, as he passed by a shady spot, he saw his older cousin, Lin Yan, sitting next to Aunt Yang, intently watching what Aunt Yang was holding.

So Lin Xiao went up to them and greeted them:

"Aunt Yang, Sister Yan'er, what are you doing here?"

Upon seeing him, Yang Jinshu and Lin Yan smiled slightly:

"Brother Xiao is here."

"Sanlang, I'm learning embroidery from Aunt Yang."

Yang Jinshu then replied:

"Yes, Brother Xiao, you don't know, Yan'er is extremely talented in embroidery. She grasps things very quickly. In a few years, her embroidery skills will probably far surpass mine."

Before her family suffered misfortune, Yang Jinshu was considered a well-bred young lady. She was skilled in various arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, though not necessarily an expert.

As for her embroidery skills, her mother hired a very famous master at great expense to teach her.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao was quite surprised.

He felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the small piece of silk cloth stretched tightly across the embroidery hoop in Aunt Yang's hand, the incredibly fine embroidery needles woven into it, and the budding flower already taking shape on the hoop.

It's amazing that Aunt Yang and my cousin like this kind of thing.

He felt tired just watching.

Look at how tired the fine needles must be, look at how tired the embroidery threads are, even finer than a strand of hair.

After nodding to Aunt Yang, he asked Lin Yan with some doubt:

"Sister Yan'er, is this fun?"

Seeing his terrified look, Lin Yan smiled and said:

"It's so much fun! Watching yourself meticulously embroider a pattern onto the fabric from scratch is so interesting. Brother Xiao, do you want to try it with me?"

"Oh no, no, no, that won't be necessary. Sister Yan'er, I just hope you have fun. I have something to do, so I'll be going now! See you later, Aunt Yang Sister Yan'er-- "

Lin Xiao immediately made his escape, disappearing from the spot in the blink of an eye.

Watching his departing figure, Yang Jinshu and Lin Yan were overjoyed under the shade of the trees.

Only after escaping the two women who actually wanted him to learn embroidery did Lin Xiao slow down.

He happened to arrive near the Artifact Refining Hall and heard the clanging sound of blacksmithing coming from inside.

Lin Xiao walked over and saw that the person forging iron was Tietou.

He was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through, and his strong arms were still vigorously swinging the Dachui in his hand, constantly striking the Mystic Iron plate on the platform.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao walked in and stood next to Tietou, saying:

"Tietou, you like blacksmithing... no, weapon forging?"

Upon hearing this, Tietou didn't stop what he was doing, but slowed down a little, and smiled sheepishly at Lin Xiao:

"It's Brother Xiao, hehe. I've noticed that apart from the time you used this Artifact Refining Hall half a year ago, only Yigao and Yuanjiao have come here a few times recently. I thought, since you worked so hard to build this Artifact Refining Hall, we can't let it go to waste. Since no one else is interested in this, I'll come and practice myself."

I thought to myself, even though I'm not very bright, if I just put in extra effort every day, maybe I'll master it someday. If I really can't, I'll just consider it adding some popularity to the place; who knows, maybe someone will come to learn it in the future, hehe."

Hearing his words, Lin Xiao didn't say anything, but instead looked intently at the Mystic Iron on the stage that Tietou was repeatedly hammering.

He then discovered that the originally chaotic patterns on the Mystic Iron gradually formed a stable structure.

However, it was very faint, and if he hadn't reached the Golden Core Stage of cultivation, he wouldn't have been able to see it at all.

For some reason, Lin Xiao felt that Tietou might actually achieve something in the art of weapon forging.

He turned his head, about to pat Tietou on the shoulder and say something, when he saw Tietou's arm, which was bulging with muscles and veins, as he was forging iron, looking like a muscular hunk.

Lin Xiao felt a pang of envy.

Then he placed his hand on Tietou's shoulder and patted him gently, saying:

"Hey Tietou, keep it up! I think you have a bright future in blacksmithing—no, weapon forging!"

Upon hearing Lin Xiao's words, Tietou was extremely excited and immediately turned to look at him with shining eyes:

"Really, Brother Xiao?! Great! I'll do my best!"

As he spoke, he excitedly swung the Dachui in his hand, smashing it down with all his might.

Then Lin Xiao saw that the patterns he had just witnessed gradually forming had vanished completely under the heavy blows.

He fell silent, patted Tietou's shoulder again, and sighed deeply.

"Good luck, I have something to do, I have to go now."

After saying that, he turned around and left the Artifact Refining Hall without looking back.

All that could be heard from the Artifact Refining Hall behind them was the increasingly deafening sound of hammering.

Lin Xiao wandered over to the edge of the cold pond in the small garden at the entrance of the secret realm with a rather melancholy air. There he saw a round, orange Fang Tuantuan sticking its butt out, its head craning downwards, one paw gripping the bank, the other constantly reaching for the Silver-Tailed Fish in the cold pond.

Its orange tail wafted back and forth from time to time.

In Lin Xiao's eyes, it seemed as if it was saying to him:

Come and kick me.

So he followed his heart and lifted his foot, just as he was about to kick that little bottom.

Fang Tuantuan, who had been teasing the fish, seemed to sense the ill intent coming from behind. Instantly, its fur stood on end, and it quickly turned around, revealing its shiny claws.

"Meow!"

Upon being discovered, Lin Xiao immediately pulled back his foot, which was about to kick out, and began to draw circles on the ground with his toes.

While smiling, he waved to the Fang Tuantuan.

"What a coincidence, Tuantuan! Why aren't you with Yigao today?"

Upon seeing that it was Lin Xiao, Fang Tuantuan retracted her cat paws, looked around, and then glanced behind Lin Xiao.

How strange, there are no enemies.

But why did it feel a chill just now?

Meow~

Fang Tuantuan gave Lin Xiao a few perfunctory words, then turned around and continued to thrash around in the cold pool, scaring the Silver-Tailed Fish inside into scattering everywhere.

Having failed in his attempt to commit evil, Lin Xiao had no choice but to bid farewell to Fang Tuantuan and continue walking towards the Affairs Hall.

For some reason, he suddenly felt like he had some free time.

For example, right now, all I need to do is go to the Affairs Hall and tell the Tuzi about the upcoming arrangements, and he will gather everyone to get things sorted out.

And then I had nothing else to do.

At most, I'll check it myself after it's done.

But the Tuzi was very serious and meticulous in his work, and I was just going through the motions.

It seems everyone in the sect has their own things to do.

He, who used to be extremely busy, seems to have suddenly become idle.

Does this mean that, as the head of a sect, all I can do now is focus on cultivating, improving my cultivation level, and becoming the sect's mascot?

As he made his way to the Affairs Hall at a snail's pace, he looked up at the sky, wondering if there was anything else he could do that was interesting besides cultivation.

When his gaze inadvertently swept down the mountain, Lin Xiao suddenly thought of the private school at the foot of the mountain.