Chapter Seventy-Nine: A Jade Mine

Baosha glared at Lin Yi’s departing figure with eyes filled with resentment, snarling, “That bastard actually dared to hit me!”

She then turned her head and asked, “Brother Long, why didn’t you let me just run them over with the car?”

Sun Wenlong replied, “Are you stupid? Right now, Yang Junqi has the backing of the Ten Great Families. If something happens to her daughter, neither of us will be able to get out of it unscathed.”

Though he wielded some influence, he was still far from being on par with the Ten Great Families.

Baosha bit her lip in frustration, silent and unwilling to accept it.

Seeing this, Sun Wenlong wrapped his arm around her slender waist and comforted her, “Don’t worry. Once I get in touch with the Blood Pact Society, even if that kid had ten lives, it wouldn’t be enough to save him.”

…

Prosperity Lane Residential Complex.

Lin Yi returned with Yang Yujia and saw that same chubby boss pacing anxiously at the entrance to the complex. Several underlings stood beside him.

“Brother, you’re finally back. So, um, can I have my motorcycle back?” the chubby boss asked cautiously.

He had no choice; Lin Yi had picked his Harley 833 Iron, worth more than a hundred thousand. He was no big shot, didn’t have millions or billions, and had a crew to feed. Giving away a Harley for nothing was not his style.

“Here you go.”

Lin Yi said nothing more, tossing the keys back to the chubby boss.

Just then, a phone call came in. Lin Yi answered—it was Feng Yuling, telling him her grandfather had woken up and that there was something important he wanted to convey to Mr. Lin in person.

Acknowledging, Lin Yi hung up.

“Something important? Could it be related to the brain parasite?” Lin Yi mused.

At six in the evening, just as Lin Yi returned to his own complex, a young man reeking of alcohol staggered into him from behind.

With an unkempt beard and messy hair, the youth looked thoroughly disheveled.

“Hic, sorry, brother, I didn’t do it on purpose,” the young man said.

“It’s nothing,” Lin Yi replied calmly.

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, the man spoke with unwarranted familiarity, “Brother, my name’s An Jing. Do you live here too?”

“Mm.” Lin Yi nodded.

An Jing patted Lin Yi on the shoulder, hiccupping, “Hic, what luck! Come, brother, join me for a drink at my place.”

“No need,” Lin Yi shook his head.

An Jing chuckled, “No need to be so polite.”

But just as he finished, his demeanor turned vicious. In a flash, he drew a black dagger and thrust it toward Lin Yi’s chest.

Without any expression, Lin Yi glanced at him, then kicked out, his foot connecting with An Jing’s abdomen.

Bang.

Even without using full force, the kick sent An Jing flying five meters, where he landed, clutching his stomach and writhing on the ground.

Lin Yi walked over unhurriedly.

Suddenly, An Jing rolled abruptly, flicking his arm to send two throwing knives aimed at Lin Yi’s eyes.

Lin Yi snatched them from the air with a swift motion.

An Jing’s pupils contracted in shock.

“Who are you?” Lin Yi asked.

Though An Jing’s strength was only at the stage of Internal Force, his will was firm and he remained calm. Even after being kicked flying, he feigned defeat, hoping to seize an opportunity for a counterattack.

“No comment,” An Jing replied coldly, his eyes darting about in search of an escape.

“Who sent you?” Lin Yi pressed.

“I don’t know,” An Jing maintained stubbornly.

Inwardly, he cursed the client—what did they mean by saying the target was just an ordinary man with some strength? He, a practitioner of Internal Force, had been instantly defeated. That meant the man before him was at least at the Innate level.

Lin Yi fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. “Fine, I’ll just have to find out myself.”

A sense of imminent danger surged within An Jing. He quickly asked, “What are you going to do?”

“Nothing.”

Lin Yi took a step forward and was instantly by An Jing’s side. With a surge of powerful spiritual sense, he scanned An Jing’s memory.

His real name was An Cheng, a bronze-ranked assassin of the Jiang Province Blood Pact Society. Just this afternoon at four, someone had offered a million for Lin Yi’s head. An Cheng had assumed it would be an easy job and immediately took the contract, waiting until after six, when Lin Yi returned, to make his move.

“I never thought someone would put a price on my head one day.”

Lin Yi tossed aside the now-unconscious An Cheng, having more or less guessed who was behind the contract.

“Sun Wenlong, is it?” Lin Yi murmured.

He pulled out his phone and called Wang Yang.

“Hello, help me investigate Sun Wenlong.”

“Understood, teacher.”

The next day at noon, Lin Yi boarded a Linda Group helicopter and arrived at the Feng family estate in Shan Province.

“Mr. Lin, you’re here,” Feng Yuling greeted him.

“Yes. How is your grandfather now?” Lin Yi asked.

“Thanks to you, Mr. Lin, he’s doing much better,” she replied gratefully.

Deng Chang, standing by, interjected, “Mr. Lin, do you happen to have any more Heart-Clearing Pills?”

Heart-Clearing Pills were precious. Not only could they aid in cultivation, but they also improved a pill maker’s success rate and the quality of their elixirs. Refining pills was a tedious process; sometimes a single batch took days. If a pill maker took a Heart-Clearing Pill, they could remain clear-headed throughout and perhaps even create pills with spiritual patterns.

“I do,” Lin Yi nodded.

Deng Chang rubbed his hands excitedly. “Mr. Lin, I’d like to exchange three spirit herbs for one Heart-Clearing Pill. Would that be acceptable?”

“That’s fine.” Lin Yi agreed readily—he still had over twenty of those pills left.

Chatting as they walked, they soon reached Old Master Feng’s room.

“Mr. Lin, we won’t go in with you. Grandfather said he needs to speak with you alone,” Feng Yuling explained.

Lin Yi said nothing and entered.

Feng Gaozhuo lay in bed, his complexion ruddy and his spirit bright—he was clearly recovering well.

“You must be Mr. Lin?” Feng Gaozhuo sounded slightly surprised.

He’d heard many times from Feng Yuling that Mr. Lin was a grandmaster in his early twenties, but seeing him in person, Lin Yi was even younger than he’d imagined.

A grandmaster so young!

This was not just a title—it was an honor. Feng Gaozhuo himself had been stuck at the peak of Innate, half a step from grandmaster, for years without breaking through. But Lin Yi was already a grandmaster at twenty. Feng Gaozhuo couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—the younger generation truly surpasses the old.

“Mm.” Lin Yi glanced at him impassively. “What did you want to discuss?”

“Yes, Mr. Lin, I have an address for a jade mine. That’s why someone planted the brain parasite on me,” Feng Gaozhuo said gravely.

“A jade mine.” Lin Yi’s interest was piqued.

Where there’s a jade mine, there’s likely to be jade marrow.

Jade marrow was somewhat similar to spirit stones, both containing abundant spiritual energy.

“Mr. Lin, are you interested in a partnership? When the jade is mined, you’ll get half the profits,” said Feng Gaozhuo.

“How would we cooperate?” Lin Yi asked coolly.

“It’s simple. All I want is your promise, Mr. Lin, that if our Feng family ever faces danger, you’ll lend a hand.”

Feng Gaozhuo stared intently at Lin Yi. He couldn’t believe Lin Yi would not be tempted. A jade mine was worth at least ten billion, and a large one could be worth hundreds of billions. Even veteran grandmasters would be tempted by such wealth. All Lin Yi needed to do was make a promise, and all this could be his.

But Lin Yi shook his head. “At most, I’ll help your Feng family three times.”

Feng Gaozhuo was shrewd—he’d deliberately emphasized a promise, glossing over the number of times he’d expect Lin Yi to act. According to his terms, whenever the Feng family was in trouble, Lin Yi would be obligated to help. To try and hire Lin Yi as a permanent guardian for just a jade mine—Feng Gaozhuo’s clever scheme was all too obvious.

Sure enough, when Feng Gaozhuo heard Lin Yi’s reply, his expression changed slightly. With some difficulty, he said, “Mr. Lin, isn’t three times too few?”

“It’s enough.” Lin Yi glanced at him sidelong.

Feng Gaozhuo lowered his head in silence.

Lin Yi said nothing, closing his eyes to rest. The room fell into silence.

After ten minutes, Feng Gaozhuo finally spoke. “Fine—three times it is.”

Lin Yi was a young grandmaster now, with the potential to reach Spirit Lord in the future. When that time came, even three chances for him to act would be deadly weapons.

Feng Gaozhuo continued, “Mr. Lin, when shall we sign the contract?”

“As you see fit.” Lin Yi then asked, “Do you know Wu Fangling and Jia Yueru?”

Feng Gaozhuo’s expression became odd. He shook his head, looking a little guilty. “I don’t.”

“Do you know who implanted the brain parasite in you?” Lin Yi pressed.

Feng Gaozhuo quickly regained his composure. “I have no recollection.”

Lin Yi smiled faintly. “If you can’t remember, so be it. If the person who did it comes again, I may not have time to help.”

Since Feng Gaozhuo was unwilling to tell the truth, Lin Yi saw no reason to press him.

Feng Gaozhuo grew anxious at these words. “Mr. Lin, what do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Lin Yi turned to go.

Feng Gaozhuo hurriedly called him back. “Please wait, Mr. Lin. I’ll tell you.”

Lin Yi turned around.

“A few years ago, I traveled to Miaojiang and happened to meet Jia Yueru. She was very charming, and I was tempted. In a moment of carelessness, I mentioned the jade mine to her,” Feng Gaozhuo admitted awkwardly.

He was the Feng family’s third uncle, already a grandfather himself, and yet he’d gone looking for a mistress. If his granddaughter found out, she’d never let him live it down.

Lin Yi shook his head slightly—indeed, lust is a blade that cuts deep. Martial artists were robust and having desires was normal, but it was likely because of the jade mine that Jia Yueru planted the brain parasite on him.

“Do you know where the two of them are living now?” Lin Yi pressed.

“I don’t,” Feng Gaozhuo replied with a bitter smile.

He’d been unconscious for years. Since Jia Yueru had tried to harm him, there was no chance she’d still be in the same place.