chapter 8
8. Taking Care
“There’s more?” White Zhiqing was also very puzzled. “Who is it?”
A motley-colored cat leaped out.
“You?” Lin Dongming was a bit surprised. “How did you follow all the way here?”
“Is this your cat? With the bloodline of the nine-tailed cat demon?” Before White Zhiqing could react, the little cat had already jumped into her arms. She instinctively caught it, and the little cat was already nuzzling against her full bosom.
“Um… sort of,” Lin Dongming couldn’t be bothered to explain. “But it seems to really like you.”
“But it’s not my cat either? Please take it away quickly,” White Zhiqing looked both troubled and somewhat pleased.
—I knew from my previous life that most girls like cats. It seems that even in a different world, it’s still the same.
Lin Dongming suddenly realized this was an opportunity, though not in his original plan.
So Lin Dongming reached over to pick it up, but the little cat indeed clung tightly to White Zhiqing and wouldn’t let go.
White Zhiqing looked half enjoying it and half troubled: “This child really is…”
“But it seems to really like you,” Lin Dongming thought for a moment and said: “Could I trouble you to help look after it for a few days? In return, I can help you with a small favor.”
“Hmm… alright,” White Zhiqing said reluctantly. “Remember to come pick it up soon. My cave dwelling is on the waist of Sky Sword Peak; you can ask anyone and they’ll tell you where it is.”
“Thank you, Junior Sister White,” Lin Dongming smiled discreetly. “I have a feeling the people from Crossing Far Peak won’t let this go so easily. Do you want to find Elder Tuoba to pressure them? Or should we teach the main culprit a harsh lesson?”
White Zhiqing looked at Lin Dongming while holding the cat: “Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother Lin. But Hong Xing isn’t just a personal disciple of Crossing Far Peak; he’s also Elder Hong’s own son. His brother Hong Tu is the head disciple of Crossing Far Peak. If we go cause trouble for him, we’ll only invite more trouble. As for Elder Tuoba… she probably wouldn’t want to get involved in this mess.”
Lin Dongming paused, quickly understanding: it seemed Elder Tuoba and White Zhiqing weren’t that close.
—I originally thought she was just a pampered young lady, but it seems that’s not the case.
Now it appeared that Elder Tuoba’s support for White Zhiqing was likely limited. At the very least, she wasn’t willing to cause trouble with other factions in the sect for her sake.
—So White Zhiqing’s swordsmanship is much fiercer than Han Xiangjun’s. Because she knows she has to rely more on herself. Those are thorns she’s grown to protect herself.
“I understand,” Lin Dongming nodded. “I’ll handle it properly, don’t worry.”
“Though I don’t know what Senior Brother Lin is thinking, I believe Senior Brother isn’t a rash person,” White Zhiqing nodded in thanks, then flew away on her sword, becoming a streak of light and disappearing.
“Rare for the little fox to reveal a clue,” Lin Dongming thought for a moment and decided to make another trip to the Forging Peak.
So he mounted his sword and flew over the layers of tree shade.
The sky was growing dark, with pale ink color gradually spreading from one corner across the entire firmament. Stars gradually brightened, like scattered lanterns. In this cultivation world without light pollution, one could often see a sky full of stars.
“What a beautiful sky,” Lin Dongming couldn’t help but sigh. In the decades since transmigrating to this world, he’d had few days to properly appreciate the night sky, more often rushing about frantically.
“I wonder if reaching the Integration Stage means one can finally enjoy life?” Lin Dongming wasn’t sure; he only knew that the Integration Stage must be better than now? But how many people in the cultivation world could cultivate to the Integration Stage?
A familiar streak of light flashed past the corner of his eye.
“Not good,” Lin Dongming instantly concealed himself, accelerating toward Forging Peak.
But this seemed useless; he had already been discovered. Lin Dongming had just gotten off his flying sword and hadn’t even had time to rush forward when a young woman blocked his path.
“…What? See me and want to run?” A dazzling lightning flash landed before Lin Dongming, the slender figure of a young woman emerging from it. The rippling lightning gradually converged on the long sword on her back, clearly a valuable spiritual weapon.
The girl before him was none other than the Lightning Sword Fairy Han Xiangjun, whom Lin Dongming had previously been ordered to stay away from.
“Not at all, I’m just rushing to Forging Peak to buy something,” Lin Dongming evaded the question. After all, he could hardly say your father gave me ten thousand spirit stones to leave you, could he?
“If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable,” Han Xiangjun was somewhat unhappy. “You were injured badly taking that hit for me before, but didn’t I give you medicinal herbs?”
That day, Han Xiangjun was harassed by a suitor, and Lin Dongming intervened and was injured, so it was caused by her. In truth, this young lady being able to send medicinal herbs over showed she wasn’t ill-intentioned; otherwise, she wouldn’t have so many suitors. But… this constant need to show herself superior to others, expecting those around her to naturally be good to her, really made Lin Dongming unable to like her.
Lin Dongming glanced at Han Xiangjun somewhat speechlessly. If this were his previous life, he wouldn’t have bothered with such a spoiled young lady at all.
So he smiled lightly and said: “Thank you for the medicinal herbs, Young Lady Han. I just thought spending some time alone would be good for the young lady’s growth.”
Han Xiangjun was furious: “You know I hate that patronizing tone the most!”
She drew her sword: “You were simply lured away by other vixens, weren’t you?”
—Well, it’s not like there’s much chance of doing business with her in the future anyway.
Lin Dongming just smiled lightly: “Let’s just say that’s what happened.”
He stepped into the barrier of Forging Peak. A dazzling lightning strike slashed toward his back but was blocked by the mountain-protecting barrier of Forging Peak.
Lin Dongming glanced sideways at the exploding lightning behind him and sighed helplessly: “Still such a bad temper. If I had truly been defenseless against that sword strike, I’d probably be injured and resting again.”
“Young lady, oh young lady, where in this world is there so much goodness without reason, taken for granted?” Lin Dongming shook his head, whispering very softly.
With Han Xiangjun’s talent and aptitude, she actually had the opportunity to become an even more dazzling genius at her age.
Lin Dongming no longer paid attention to Han Xiangjun and walked toward the forging room at the top of the mountain.
Passing through that resting place of ancient spiritual weapons and ancient swords, Lin Dongming knocked on the door of the forging room: “Elder Tuoba, disciple Lin Dongming presumes to visit.”
“Come in,” Elder Tuoba’s voice remained calm and unruffled.
Elder Tuoba was still forging spiritual weapons, only turning sideways toward Lin Dongming. The latter didn’t mind and simply told her about what happened that day.
But clearly, Elder Tuoba didn’t care about this matter: “Squabbles among the younger generation are harmless, as long as they don’t cause serious injury, just let it be.”
“Even if Hong Xing finds more people to take revenge later?” Lin Dongming asked.
“Isn’t that what you exist for?” Elder Tuoba said indifferently.