Chapter 79: Qin Wan
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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More than half a month ago, Lin Xiu could only last fifteen minutes on the Profound Ice Bed.
Now, only half a month later, he could last for more than thirty minutes. This cultivation speed was astonishing. It had taken Zhao Lingyin three months to increase her endurance on the Profound Ice Bed from fifteen to thirty minutes.
This wasn’t the normal progress for someone who had just awakened their ability a second time.
Lin Xiu opened his eyes, looked at her puzzled expression, and asked, “Isn’t lasting a good thing?”
Zhao Lingyin thought for a moment. “Were you secretly cultivating behind my back?”
Lin Xiu retorted, “You exhaust me every day. Do you think I still have time to cultivate on my own?”
Zhao Lingyin was puzzled. “Then how is your Yuan Power increasing so fast?”
Lin Xiu replied, “In the past half month, I’ve used more than two hundred second-rank Origin Crystals. How could it not be fast?”
Zhao Lingyin was slightly startled, then even more puzzled. “Where did you get so much money?”
She knew the Lin family’s situation very well. If it weren’t for Lin Xiu making ice for Zhaiyue Pavilion, the family would have struggled to make ends meet. After he made some money from making ice, their situation improved, but not to this extent.
More than two hundred second-rank Origin Crystals meant over twenty thousand taels of silver.
Spending over twenty thousand taels to buy Origin Crystals for cultivation, even today’s Zhao family couldn’t afford such extravagance.
Lin Xiu explained, “I started a business with a friend. This is what I’ve earned in the past half month.”
Zhao Lingyin’s expression immediately became tense. “What kind of business can earn so much money in half a month? Did you do something illegal?”
They were about to become family. If Lin Xiu went astray, she had the responsibility and obligation to guide him back to the right path.
Lin Xiu said helplessly, “What kind of person do you think I am…? Do you know the newly opened Red Mud House by the palace gate?”
Zhao Lingyin nodded. “Yes, isn’t it a tavern? I heard the wine they sell is very good. Father has been wanting to buy some, but every time he goes, they’re sold out. He’s been quite upset about it…”
Lin Xiu was surprised. “Does Father-in-law like wine?”
Although this title felt strange to Zhao Lingyin, his marriage to her sister was inevitable, so the title wasn’t wrong. She nodded. “Not exactly fond of it, but he likes a small drink before bed. He heard about the tavern’s popularity among the nobles from others.”
Lin Xiu shook his head. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? Come with me to the Lin residence later, and take two jars back with you.”
Zhao Lingyin finally realized something, looking at Lin Xiu in surprise. “You opened that tavern?”
Lin Xiu said, “I opened it with a friend.”
Zhao Lingyin was even more puzzled. “But isn’t that Prince Qin’s property?”
She usually didn’t pay attention to these things, but her father had mentioned it several times during meals these past few days, so she remembered it. However, she only knew that this newly opened tavern was Prince Qin’s property, and the wine sold there was extremely expensive, ranging from tens to hundreds of taels of silver per jar, an exorbitant price. Yet, the nobles in the capital were scrambling to buy it. Some even sent their servants to queue overnight. Otherwise, the Zhao family, a first-rank Marquis household, wouldn’t have been unable to buy even a single jar.
Everyone knew that Red Mud House was making a fortune, but since it was Prince Qin’s property, no one dared to have any crooked ideas. Zhao Lingyin didn’t know that this shop had anything to do with Lin Xiu.
Lin Xiu looked at Zhao Lingyin and explained, “My friend is Prince Qin.”
Zhao Lingyin was taken aback. “When did you meet Prince Qin?”
Lin Xiu replied, “You know him too. On the opening day of the academy, at Chongwen Hall, the one standing next to me was him.”
Although Zhao Lingyin had heard of Prince Qin, she had never met him. She was slightly surprised that Lin Xiu could befriend him, but she finally understood where he got the money to buy Origin Crystals.
Since Lin Xiu wasn’t making money through illegal means, she couldn’t say anything. After their cultivation, she first went to the Lin residence with him, took two jars of wine, and then returned to the Zhao residence.
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Zhao Residence.
Marquis Wu’an looked at the two jars of fine wine in surprise. “This wine is called Immortal’s Drunkenness. They only sell one hundred jars a month, and it’s always sold out. Duke Zheng offered double the price for a jar a few days ago, but he couldn’t get any. Lingyin, where did you get these two jars…?”
Zhao Lingyin replied, “Lin Xiu gave them to me.”
Before her father could ask, she explained, “That tavern by the palace gate is a shop jointly opened by Lin Xiu and Prince Qin. He heard you couldn’t buy any, so he asked me to bring two jars back.”
Marquis Wu’an was surprised for a long time after hearing this news.
Prince Qin was the most low-key of the princes, always secluded and not involved in court affairs. How could Lin Xiu befriend him and even open a tavern together? This relationship didn’t seem like an ordinary friendship.
He asked his daughter, “Is Lin Xiu’s relationship with Prince Qin very good?”
Zhao Lingyin wanted to say that they were birds of a feather but reconsidered, given that she was in front of her father. “Prince Qin concealed his identity and entered the Otherworldly Practitioner’s courtyard. They met there and have a pretty good relationship.”
Marquis Wu’an said, “He seems different from before. He used to be solitary, rarely even stepping out of his house, let alone making friends. Now he’s actually become close friends with Prince Qin. And Baron Ping’an’s promotion from third-rank to second-rank Baron also seems to be because of him. How can a person change so much in such a short time? Was he hiding his true self before?”
Recalling Lin Xiu’s actions during this period, Zhao Lingyin’s gaze drifted. The change in him was indeed significant, sometimes even beyond her comprehension.
She mainly couldn’t understand whether he was lecherous or not.
To say he wasn’t, he was surrounded by beauties. Not to mention frequently visiting the theatre to see that actress, she had also caught him flirting with that beautiful female imperial physician. The most outrageous thing was that he was always making eyes at Xue Ning’er…
But to say he was… Zhao Lingyin could see that Lin Xiu was very resistant to the marriage with the Zhao family, and not because of the two assassination attempts. He had already expressed his intention to cancel the engagement before those incidents.
Countless people in the capital wanted to marry Zhao Lingjun, but the one betrothed to her was the most dismissive. This was quite ironic.
Lin Residence.
Not long after Lingyin left, thunder rumbled in the sky, dark clouds gathered, and it looked like it was about to rain.
Pedestrians on the street hurried along, obviously wanting to get home quickly. Lin Xiu, however, went out with Sun Dali. After the identities of the two secret agents were revealed, they stopped hiding, following Lin Xiu closely for his protection.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Pear Blossom Garden.
Lin Xiu said to Sun Dali, “You go back first. Come pick me up in an hour.”
Sun Dali replied, “I’ll just listen to the opera downstairs. Call me when you’re ready, Young Master.”
The old beggar leaned against the wall of the theatre, and the middle-aged man selling tea set up his stall there. They were very dedicated to protecting Lin Xiu’s safety.
Entering Pear Blossom Garden, Lin Xiu went directly to Caiyi’s room on the second floor.
Caiyi was surprised to see him. “It’s about to rain, why did you come, Young Master?”
Lin Xiu closed the door and whispered, “I need you to do me a favor. Do you have any men’s clothes here?”
Caiyi nodded. “I have one. It’s the costume I wear when I play a male role in the opera. Do you need it, Young Master?”
“Great!” Lin Xiu immediately said, “Lend me your clothes…”
Caiyi opened the wardrobe and took out the men’s clothing. The clothes still carried a feminine fragrance. Lin Xiu took them behind the screen to change. Coming out, he saw Caiyi’s puzzled look and explained, “I have something to do, but I don’t want anyone to know. Don’t tell anyone I’m not in your room.”
After speaking, he walked to the window, opened it, and jumped down, landing steadily in the backyard.
Caiyi hurried to the window and whispered, “Be careful, Young Master…”
When the green figure walked out of the back door of Pear Blossom Garden, he had transformed into an ordinary-looking young man. The young man walked through a nearby alley to the main street. The old beggar and the peddler chatting at the alley’s entrance didn’t notice anything unusual.
The Capital.
Dark clouds filled the sky, lightning danced among them, a prelude to a heavy downpour. Pedestrians hurried home, and the streets quickly became empty.
In the East City, within a certain grand residence, thunder occasionally struck. The surrounding nobles were accustomed to this.
It was Prince Qin’s residence, and his awakened otherworldly ability was lightning. Therefore, whenever there was a thunderstorm, this spectacle would appear at Prince Qin’s residence. The neighbors had seen it so often that they were no longer surprised.
In the deepest part of Prince Qin’s residence, in that quiet courtyard.
Li Bozhang sat cross-legged in the courtyard, bolts of lightning striking him from the sky, one after another.
If an ordinary person were struck by such lightning, they would probably die instantly. But Li Bozhang’s expression remained calm, and even his clothes were unaffected.
At the same time, in a mountain outside the city.
A figure sat naked under a tree, silver light flowing around his body. He opened his eyes, and even within them, electric light flickered.
Lin Xiu had never imagined that being struck by lightning could be so comfortable. Every bolt that hit him transformed into pure Yuan Power, merging into his body. This short period was equivalent to more than half a month of his usual cultivation.
Not only that, he could clearly feel that after each lightning strike, his body became stronger. This wasn’t muscle growth, but the power that each muscle fiber could unleash was gradually increasing.
Lin Xiu could already convert Yuan Power into strength. If his body was constantly strengthened, his martial arts prowess might grow even faster. In close combat, he could easily defeat Otherworldly Practitioners with far deeper Yuan Power than him.
Moreover, coupled with his unpredictable otherworldly abilities, he had a chance to kill any Otherworldly Practitioner or Martial Artist below the Earth Rank.
Of course, in a fair, head-on fight, Lin Xiu still had no chance.
Both Lingyin and Princess Minghe were at the Upper Profound Rank and possessed considerable martial arts skills. Lin Xiu could clearly see the gap between them.
Thunderstorms never lasted long. After a while, the thunder stopped. Lin Xiu changed his clothes and ran down the mountain. By the time he entered the city, the rain was heavy.
At his running speed, he naturally couldn’t use an umbrella. His clothes were soon soaked.
Pear Blossom Garden.
Caiyi sat by the bed, looking at the rain outside the window, silently worried about Lin Xiu.
She wondered what he was doing, needing to conceal his identity. The rain outside was so heavy, and he hadn’t taken an umbrella when he went out. What if he got soaked…?
Just as she was feeling anxious, a figure climbed in through the window.
Lin Xiu was drenched. He apologized to Caiyi. “Sorry, I got your clothes wet.”
Caiyi hurried forward, taking off his soaked outer garment. “Change your clothes quickly, Young Master. You’ll catch a cold…”
Caiyi took out his clothes. The outer garment could be changed, but the clothes underneath were also soaked. If he put them on like this, the outer robe would soon be wet again.
Fortunately, Caiyi was an actress. She had plenty of costumes. She quickly found an inner garment in the wardrobe, handed it to Lin Xiu, and said, “I’ve worn this before. You can wear it back for now. Leave your clothes here, I’ll wash and dry them. You can pick them up next time.”
Lin Xiu had no choice but to change into her clothes. Caiyi blushed slightly. Although this inner garment was in a masculine style, she had worn it close to her skin, and she felt shy.
Lin Xiu didn’t think much of it. Dry clothes were more comfortable. After changing behind the screen, he came out and instructed Caiyi, “Don’t tell anyone about today.”
Caiyi nodded immediately. “Don’t worry, Young Master. I won’t tell anyone.”
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When Lin Xiu went downstairs, he found Sun Dali asleep. He patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Sun Dali rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked out of Pear Blossom Garden with Lin Xiu. Because he couldn’t stray too far from the two secret agents, he rarely used the carriage anymore.
Sun Dali had prepared two umbrellas. The rain was still heavy. Lin Xiu walked back holding an umbrella and saw many people sheltering from the rain under the eaves of buildings. This sudden downpour had caught many people off guard.
When they reached a street corner, Lin Xiu paused, his gaze fixed ahead.
Under the eaves of a house by the street stood a woman, presumably sheltering from the rain.
She had a slender figure and was extremely beautiful, with delicate eyebrows and a jade-like nose. Most striking were her captivating peach blossom eyes and a small tear mole at the outer corner of her right eye.
Her clothes were partially soaked, clinging tightly to her body, accentuating her exquisite figure. Because of the cold, she stood with her arms wrapped tightly around her chest, making her already stunning figure even more alluring.
Lin Xiu recognized this woman.
Specifically, he had seen her once.
This woman was Qin Wan.
As one of the four beauties of the Otherworldly Practitioner’s courtyard, Lin Xiu, Li Bozhang, and even Yang Xuan had praised her highly. Although Lingyin was his sister-in-law, and the most important woman in his heart besides his mother in this world, Lin Xiu had to admit, Qin Wan deserved the title of the most beautiful woman in the courtyard.
This woman’s beauty wasn’t just skin deep.
She exuded an innate charm that easily stirred a man’s primal desires and impulses.
At this moment, with her wet clothes clinging to her, shivering under the eaves, she looked particularly pitiful. Even Lin Xiu, whose heart had been tempered through countless trials, felt a momentary urge to hold her in his arms.
Of course, this impulse was fleeting. After all, he was a man who had experienced many things and had great self-control in this regard.
He walked over slowly, closed his umbrella, and offered the handle to Qin Wan. “Did you forget your umbrella, Miss Wan’er? I’m almost home. You can borrow this one.”
Qin Wan looked at Lin Xiu, and after a moment, nodded slightly, taking the umbrella. “Thank you, Young Master Lin.”
Lin Xiu was surprised. “You know me, Miss Wan’er?”
Qin Wan smiled faintly. “How could I not know Miss Zhao’s fiancé? Besides, you may not know, Young Master Lin, but you’re quite famous at the academy, especially among the female students…”
Lin Xiu just smiled. “It’s cold outside. You should go home quickly, Miss Wan’er. I’ll be heading back as well.”
Without another word, Lin Xiu turned and left.
If it were his previous self, encountering such a beauty, he would definitely stay. It was common sense to offer his clothes to a girl shivering in the rain under the eaves, and even more so to escort her home…
But Lingyin had said that Qin Wan was dangerous and told him to stay away. So, Lin Xiu only politely offered an umbrella.
He listened to Lingyin quite obediently.
Lin Xiu’s actions surprised Qin Wan.
She had thought he would stay and try to get close to her. She was even prepared to refuse his offer of his clothes. She didn’t expect him to simply give her an umbrella and leave without saying another word.
After a moment of hesitation, Qin Wan called out, “Young Master Lin.”
Lin Xiu turned back. “Is there anything else, Miss Wan’er?”
Qin Wan said apologetically, “Young Master Lin, could you lend me some silver? I’ll return it to you tomorrow at the academy.”
Without hesitation, Lin Xiu took out a banknote from his sleeve and handed it to her. “Is one hundred taels enough?”
Qin Wan shook her head. “I don’t need that much, just a few qian of loose silver will do.”
Lin Xiu said awkwardly, “I’m sorry, this is the smallest banknote I have…”
He wasn’t showing off. Banknotes were much more convenient than silver. Lin Xiu used to keep loose silver in his belt or sleeve pockets, but it would always dig into him. And he mostly went out to buy Origin Crystals, which were transactions of thousands of taels each time, so he couldn’t use loose silver. Therefore, all he carried now were large-denomination banknotes.
He had some smaller denominations of ten or twenty taels before, but he happened to have used them all up today.
He had to scrounge two taels of silver from Sun Dali to lend to Qin Wan.
Afterward, Lin Xiu parted ways with Qin Wan. Passing by a small noodle shop by the roadside, he was attracted by the aroma and couldn’t resist going in. “A bowl of noodles, please.”
The food at large restaurants was delicious, but some small roadside eateries were also good. Any shop that could open and stay open for a long time in a place like the capital must have some real skills.
This wasn’t the core area of the East City. Most of the people living here were commoners. The tables and chairs in the small shop were old, and the walls weren’t freshly painted. At a glance, it had been open for many years.
This was enough to judge that the noodles here were delicious.
Born and raised in the north, Lin Xiu had a deep-rooted love for noodles.
The shop owner quickly brought a steaming bowl of noodle soup. The aroma made Lin Xiu’s appetite soar. He impatiently picked up his chopsticks and tasted it. The noodles were thin yet resilient, and the soup was a flavorful mushroom broth, clearly carefully simmered. Lin Xiu looked up and asked the owner, “Shopkeeper, this soup must have taken a lot of effort, right?”
The shopkeeper chuckled. “You’re a connoisseur, sir. This soup is made by simmering eighteen kinds of mushrooms. Each pot takes at least three hours to simmer, quite a bit of work…”
As Lin Xiu chatted with the owner, a figure walked into the shop. “Shopkeeper, a bowl of noodles, please.”
Lin Xiu turned his head and met Qin Wan’s gaze. Both of them were surprised.
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