Chapter Forty: Affairs in Miaojiang

No one paid any attention to the matter of the middle-aged woman. After finishing the cake, Lin Yi took Dou Dou and Xiao Nan to head back. They had just reached the entrance to the residential complex when suddenly a black Santana sped toward them like a wild, uncontrollable horse.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Yi’s eyes. Before Dou Dou and Xiao Nan could react, he wrapped his arms around their waists—one on the left, one on the right—and swiftly dodged aside.

The Santana roared past, its side nearly brushing Lin Yi’s back. After he set the two women down, Lin Yi’s expression grew icy; it was obvious that the car had meant to run him down.

Lin Dou Dou, shaken, quickly threw her arms around Lin Yi’s neck. “Lin Yi, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Lin Yi said, gently ruffling her hair.

“That really scared me,” Dou Dou whispered, clinging to him.

“Dou Dou, take Xiao Nan home first. I have something to take care of,” Lin Yi said with a smile.

Dou Dou nodded, understanding what he meant, and quietly reminded him, “Be careful, Lin Yi.”

With that, she took Xiao Nan’s hand and headed home. Once Dou Dou was out of sight, the smile on Lin Yi’s face instantly froze, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness. His gaze was indifferent as he looked in the direction the Santana had fled. “Found you,” he murmured.

…

At that moment, in a narrow alley, a young man in his mid-twenties opened a bottle of beer, took a fierce swig, and cursed, “Damn it, he dodged that too!”

His phone rang. He answered, and a hoarse voice came from the other end. “Well? Is it done?”

“Not yet,” the man replied. “That bastard got lucky and dodged it. Next time, I’ll run him down for sure.”

“Hurry up. They’re pressuring me from the other side,” the voice ordered.

“No problem, I’ll—” The man hadn’t finished his sentence when a cold voice sounded behind him: “You won’t get another chance.”

“Who’s there?” The man spun around in panic, but a hand was already gripping his throat.

“Tell me. Who sent you?” Lin Yi asked, expressionless.

The man’s face flushed as he struggled, realizing it was useless. In desperation, he pulled a butterfly knife from his pocket.

“Go to hell, you bastard!” he snarled, stabbing the knife at Lin Yi’s chest.

Lin Yi didn’t move. The blade struck his chest with a metallic clang.

The man’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stabbed again, but the result was the same.

“You… you…” Terror flooded his face.

“Who sent you?” Lin Yi asked again.

The knife clattered to the ground as the man frantically begged for mercy. “No one—no one sent me, I swear! It was just me, I was careless. Please, let me go!”

Lin Yi’s gaze remained cold. He tightened his grip. There was a sickening crack, and the light faded from the man’s eyes.

To his dying breath, the man could not believe how decisively Lin Yi acted, killing without hesitation or mercy.

Lin Yi picked up the phone from the ground, found the recent call, and dialed back, but no one answered.

“Already run?” Lin Yi muttered. Most likely, his arrival had startled whoever was on the other end.

Since it was useless, Lin Yi crushed the phone in his hand. Numbers like this were usually unregistered, nearly impossible to trace.

Next, Lin Yi called Angel to have her deal with the situation.

Back at his place, Lin Yi called Li Xiao Nan outside.

“How are you related to Miao Cai Feng?” he asked, fixing her with a steady gaze.

Li Xiao Nan didn’t reply, her body immediately tensing, ready for action.

“I mean no harm,” Lin Yi said calmly. “You practice the Transformation Art, don’t you?”

“Who exactly are you?” Li Xiao Nan asked coldly.

Lin Yi smiled. “Years ago, I traveled to Miaojiang in search of medicinal herbs and became acquainted with Miao Cai Feng.”

The first time he met Miao Cai Feng was fifty years ago.

At that time, Miao Cai Feng was hideous, rarely leaving her home. The Transformation Art she practiced was deeply flawed, leaving her face severely disfigured.

Lin Yi had come to Miaojiang in search of a Fire Ganoderma, which happened to be in Miao Cai Feng’s possession. She relied on its medicinal power to ease the decay on her face.

Through several encounters, Lin Yi and Miao Cai Feng became friends. She was not yet eighteen then—though she was a cultivator, she was quiet and reserved. If Lin Yi didn’t speak, neither did she; if he told a story, she would listen silently.

When Lin Yi asked for the Fire Ganoderma, Miao Cai Feng willingly gave him her last one. He asked why, and she told him the Transformation Art had been passed down from her ancestors, but no woman had ever lived past thirty after practicing it. The Fire Ganoderma could only relieve her facial decay, not halt the deeper corruption of her body. Rather than watch herself waste away, she preferred to give the herb to someone fated to meet her.

Of course, Lin Yi would not accept such a gift without repayment. He helped her repair the flaws in the Transformation Art and, with the aid of the Fire Ganoderma, refined a Beauty Retention Pill for her.

No one would have guessed that the grotesque Miao Cai Feng would become so beautiful upon regaining her looks.

Li Xiao Nan stared at Lin Yi and asked, “You knew my master?”

“Your master? Is she well?” Lin Yi, out of old affection, softened his tone toward Li Xiao Nan.

Her eyes dimmed, and her voice choked. “Master… she’s dead.”

“Dead?” Lin Yi sighed, and the image of that innocent, shy girl rose before his eyes. He remembered, before leaving, Miao Cai Feng had whispered, “I will wait for you, always.”

He hadn’t thought her words would become so tragically true.

Then Li Xiao Nan added, “She was murdered.”

Lin Yi’s eyes sharpened. “Murdered?”

“Yes. I have three senior sisters, but Master saw early on that the eldest and second sisters harbored ill intentions. She was too kind to drive them away.”

“Who would have thought those two would join outsiders, torturing Master for the complete Transformation Art and her secret to eternal youth? Though nearly seventy, Master still looked young and beautiful. When she refused, they killed her. I was Master’s favorite little disciple, so they set their sights on me next. If not for my third senior sister’s help, I wouldn’t have survived…” Li Xiao Nan’s voice was filled with grief.

Lin Yi’s face remained impassive, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

To betray one’s master and ancestors is always despised, no matter the era.

He hadn’t imagined that his casual kindness all those years ago would plant such a fatal seed.

“Ah, foolish girl,” Lin Yi sighed inwardly. She’d known her disciples were treacherous, yet remained so soft-hearted.

“What are your two senior sisters’ names? If I come across them, I’ll avenge your master,” Lin Yi said, his manner calm again.

Li Xiao Nan shook her head, hatred burning in her eyes. “Lin Yi, Master never married, and treated us as her own children. I owe her everything. I must avenge her myself.”

She had spent this time fleeing her two senior sisters, wandering far and wide, until fate brought her to Lan City.

Lin Yi nodded and said no more.

After ten more minutes, there was a knock at the door.

When Lin Yi opened it, he saw a woman of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with plain features and simple clothing.

“Is Xiao Nan here?” she asked.

Lin Yi guessed she must be Xiao Nan’s third senior sister. Her inner energy was substantial—at the seventh level of innate power, a top expert by Lan City’s standards.

Before Lin Yi could answer, Xiao Nan came bounding out. “Third sister, you’re here! Everything’s taken care of.”

“Good. Let’s go,” the woman said, ruffling Xiao Nan’s hair and nodding at Lin Yi. “Thank you for looking after Xiao Nan.”

With that, she led Xiao Nan away. Though their pace was unhurried, each step was measured and even.

Dou Dou clung to Lin Yi’s arm, her tone tinged with jealousy. “Lin Yi, what were you and Xiao Nan talking about outside for so long?”

“Nothing much. I was just curious how our Dou Dou brought a friend home,” Lin Yi replied with a smile.

Dou Dou pouted. “What do you mean by that? Are you saying I don’t have any friends?”

Lin Yi only smiled, saying nothing more. After teasing her for a while, he called Angel again.

“Hello, have you found out who that man was?” he asked.

Angel’s voice was slightly cold. “Mr. Lin, the man’s name is Dong Zhuang. He’s a loafer and a gambler—owed millions in gambling debts recently. As for the mastermind, that may take a bit longer to uncover.”

“I see,” Lin Yi replied, then asked, “How many precious stones have you collected so far?”

“Three pieces of natural emerald, each over a hundred grams. Fifteen pieces of mutton-fat jade, each over one hundred fifty grams. Fifty pieces of bloodstone…” Angel began listing off a host of precious gems, over a thousand in total.

The value of this batch of stones was at least a billion.

Lin Yi hadn’t expected Angel to be so capable, gathering such a fortune so quickly.

“Bring all these stones to me,” Lin Yi ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Angel replied.