Chapter 130: Please, Mr. Lin—So That Was It…

"What do you think? Everyone must pay the price for their own actions." Lin Yi’s gaze remained fixed on Xia Yumo.

Lin Yi had never intended to hold a grudge against Xia Yumo. In his eyes, she was nothing more than an immature child, and a small lesson would have sufficed. However, she had sought out people to break his legs. If it had been anyone else, she would have succeeded. It seemed the lesson he gave her earlier was too light, failing to make some people learn their place.

Feeling uneasy under Lin Yi’s stare, Xia Yumo grew angry and embarrassed. "You aren't welcome here! Leave at once, or I’m calling the police."

Lin Yi’s expression remained unchanged as he walked toward her step by step. Xia Yumo hurriedly backed away; the man before her clearly lacked any sense of gallantry. No matter how much of a beauty she was—a girl whom countless young masters chased after with starry eyes—Lin Yi simply disregarded her background and beauty, which left her both furious and deflated.

"What do you think you're doing? This is private property!" Chen Mo stepped in front of Xia Yumo.

"Nothing much. Just giving her a little lesson."

Lin Yi stopped, flicked his finger, and a beam of white light suddenly shot into Xia Yumo’s body.

In an instant, the beautiful and striking Xia Yumo began to age rapidly. Her hair turned white, her smooth skin wrinkled, and her posture became hunched. Everyone present stared in disbelief, unable to fathom what they were witnessing. How could a vibrant young woman suddenly turn into this?

"Miss... Miss Xia?" Chen Mo called out in terror. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the old woman before him was Xia Yumo.

Ma Feng’s legs went weak with fear. Lin Yi was practically a god. It was one thing to keep a magically gifted fox, but to possess such power? If he had done that to him earlier, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"What happened to my body?" Xia Yumo’s voice was raspy, and her hunched back made it impossible for her to stand straight. She tried to reach for her phone, but her body now felt like that of an eighty-year-old; a simple movement was now an agonizing struggle.

Chen Mo said hoarsely, "Miss Xia, your appearance..." He couldn't finish the sentence. He took out his phone, opened the camera, and held it up for her to see.

"Ah! My face... how could my body become like this?" Xia Yumo cried out in a breakdown. She looked at Lin Yi, "It’s you, isn’t it? Hurry up and restore my beauty!"

"Enjoy your last six months."

With that, Lin Yi turned and walked away. Ma Feng followed him like a loyal lackey, wishing he could worship Lin Yi like an ancestor.

Seeing Lin Yi leave, Xia Yumo desperately shouted, "Quick! Someone stop him!" But no one dared to move. If Lin Yi were an ordinary person, it would be one thing, but this ability to age someone with a mere flick of a finger surpassed their comprehension.

"Miss Xia, I think we should tell Master Xia about this," Chen Mo said with a grave expression. It was only then that Xia Yumo remembered why her father had warned her not to offend Lin Yi.

"Yes... I’ll call my father right now." Xia Yumo nodded repeatedly, her hands trembling as she pulled out her phone.

She dialed a number, and soon a refined voice came from the other end. "Yumo, what’s wrong?"

"Dad, I want to ask, who exactly is the owner of Villa No. 8 at Longhu Bay in Lancheng?" Xia Yumo asked with a raspy voice.

"Your voice?" Xia Deshou sounded puzzled; it didn't sound like his daughter at all.

"It’s nothing, I just caught a cold recently," she hurried to say.

Xia Deshou was silent for a moment before saying, "You didn't offend the owner of Villa No. 8, did you?"

"I..." Xia Yumo hesitated, but eventually told him the truth. She wouldn't be able to hide her appearance for long, so it was better to confess.

When Xia Deshou heard that his daughter had offended Lin Yi, he was so angry he nearly disowned her. But when he heard that Lin Yi had turned her into an old woman with a single gesture, cold sweat broke out across his back.

"I told you to stop causing trouble, but you never listen! Do you have any idea that he is someone even I cannot afford to offend?" the usually calm and refined Xia Deshou roared in fury.

Lin Yi was a formidable figure who had slain a Spirit Venerable. While the Xia family was a prominent clan in Deep Province, their influence was primarily in business, and they were far weaker in the martial arts world. No matter how much money you have, it is useless against a powerful martial artist.

"Dad, I know I was wrong. Can you ask him to restore me? I don't want to be this old for the rest of my life," Xia Yumo pleaded.

"Hmph, I’ve heard those words until my ears have calluses," Xia Deshou snapped. However, she was his only precious daughter, and he had spoiled her all her life—he couldn't just watch her grow old and die like this. After a brief pause, he said, "I am heading to Lancheng immediately. In the meantime, go and apologize to Mr. Lin."

"I have to apologize?" Xia Yumo was clearly reluctant; it was Lin Yi who had turned her into this monstrosity.

"You just said you knew you were wrong, and now you’ve forgotten?" Xia Deshou raised his voice.

"I understand," she said, unwilling.

Lin Yi had just reached his villa when Xia Yumo arrived.

"What? Was the lesson not enough?" Lin Yi asked without turning around.

A flash of resentment crossed Xia Yumo's eyes, but she quickly hid it. She said slowly, "Cough... Mr. Lin, I am here to seek your forgiveness. I was wrong, and I hope you can restore me."

Lin Yi ignored her completely. He raised his hand, and a flash of golden light pierced the ground at her feet, leaving a deep hole. "Do not pester me again, or that hole will be your fate."

With that, Lin Yi walked into the villa. Ma Feng looked at the hole in the ground and gulped. He had wanted to follow him in, but decided against it. Instead, he stood honestly at the gate, acting as a guard.

...

Back in his room, Lin Yi saw a new WeChat friend request. The avatar was Die Nishang. Since he had created the account, he had barely used it. Die Nishang sent a smiley face. Lin Yi thought for a moment and typed, "Is something the matter?"

Die Nishang replied almost instantly: "Mr. Lin, can’t I chat with you if there isn't?"

Lin Yi replied: "That’s not it."

Die Nishang: "Actually, there is something I would like your help with."

Lin Yi: "What is it?"

Die Nishang: "My master recently discovered an ancient pill recipe, but it is heavily damaged. Since you understand alchemy, my master was hoping you could take a look and see if you could complete it."

Lin Yi showed a hint of interest and replied: "Send it over."

Die Nishang soon sent a photo. Lin Yi opened the high-resolution image; it was a yellowed, ancient scroll. It was densely packed with records of a hundred different herbs, but two-thirds of the content was blurred.

"The Nine-Turn Golden Pill!"

Lin Yi’s eyes lit up slightly. The Nine-Turn Golden Pill was a Grade 9 pill with infinite applications—it could solidify one’s foundation, strengthen the physical body, expand one’s Golden Core capacity, enhance spiritual sense, and even bring the dead back to life. He had traveled extensively in the past but had never found this recipe. He hadn't expected Die Nishang’s master to be so lucky.

Lin Yi replied: "Have your master bring the scroll to me."

Die Nishang: "No problem."

After a few more exchanges, Lin Yi ended the conversation. It was a pity the photo was too blurry; he wasn't omnipotent, and he couldn't discern everything from a picture. Furthermore, even if he completed the recipe, it would be useless without the corresponding spiritual herbs.

At six in the evening, two figures appeared at the villa gate. One was an eighty-year-old woman dressed in incredibly trendy clothes, and the other was a middle-aged man in gold-rimmed glasses, wearing a tailored suit and appearing very refined. They were Xia Deshou and Xia Yumo.

As soon as they arrived, they were blocked by Ma Feng. "Stop right there. You dare to come back? Aren't you afraid of offending Mr. Lin again?"

"You!" Xia Yumo glared at Ma Feng. She was a daughter of the Xia family, yet she was being stopped by a minor underground boss in Lancheng.

"I am Mr. Lin’s guard now. Without his permission, I won't let you take another step," Ma Feng said, crossing his arms. Since witnessing Lin Yi’s powers, he had decided to cling to this powerful figure at all costs.

Xia Deshou coughed lightly, signaling Xia Yumo to behave. He then offered a bank card with a sticky note attached, on which a large "10 million" was written.

"Brother, could you please inform Mr. Lin that Xia Deshou from Deep Province is here to pay his respects?" Xia Deshou said.

Ma Feng shook his head and pushed the card back. "Keep the money. I’ll see what I can do." As a local underground boss, he had hundreds of millions to his name. He didn't want to leave a bad impression on Lin Yi by accepting this bribe.

He spoke toward the villa entrance in a low voice: "Mr. Lin, that... Xia Deshou is here."

"Hey, you’re speaking so quietly, how could he possibly hear you?" Xia Yumo snapped.

"Tch, what kind of person do you think Mr. Lin is? He’ll definitely hear me," Ma Feng said with a roll of his eyes. She really thought she was still some high-and-mighty young lady, but in front of Mr. Lin, she had been tamed easily enough.

Xia Yumo was so angry at Ma Feng’s attitude she wanted to kick him to the ground. Lin Yi naturally heard Ma Feng, but he ignored him.

Seeing that Lin Yi didn't emerge, Ma Feng shrugged and said awkwardly, "Well, Mr. Lin says he isn't seeing guests."

"Dad, he’s clearly doing this on purpose to avoid seeing us," Xia Yumo said, dissatisfied.

Xia Deshou scolded her, "Get down on your knees."

"Why?" she asked, confused.

*Slap.*

Xia Deshou slapped Xia Yumo across the face, then knelt down himself. He said in a deep, solemn voice, "It is my fault for failing to raise my daughter properly. I beg Mr. Lin for his forgiveness."