Chapter 92: Far-Fetched Reasoning
The figure in pale jade robes walked farther along the long bridge. Jiang Zhenfeng’s movements seemed light and unhurried, yet in the blink of an eye, she had already disappeared.
Lin Jin glanced back once more, then looked at the dejected Hua Nanzhi beside him.
He sighed inwardly and raised his eyes to Xiao Yunkong. “Senior Brother, I heard you went to investigate a case with Sect Master Yu. Did it go smoothly? When did you arrive at Piaomiao Pavilion?”
Xiao Yunkong understood that he was trying to ease the tension, and his expression softened slightly. “It went fine. We just arrived. Elder Liu Xun saw that you hadn’t shown up for a long time, so he asked me to come find you.”
Then he looked at Hua Nanzhi, who had her head lowered, clearly frustrated. “You little girl—when are you ever going to grow up?”
“I…” Hua Nanzhi felt wronged after being scolded. “They insulted Lin Jin—and me too! You didn’t hear what they said, Senior Brother. It was awful!”
“I remember Lin Jin explaining this to you before, and you clearly didn’t take it to heart. When dealing with people, you must avoid acting on impulse. Let them talk—talking back achieves nothing. Private fights are the worst option, harming both sides. Why not endure it for now and defeat them openly at the Sword Trial Assembly?”
Xiao Yunkong sighed lightly. “I won’t report what happened just now to the elders—but only this once. If something like this happens again, I won’t cover for you.”
Hua Nanzhi nodded vigorously. “Thank you, Senior Brother!”
Only then did she finally relax. She glanced at Lin Jin and saw that he was looking at her too, so she stuck out her tongue at him.
Lin Jin smiled helplessly and looked away.
After that little incident, it was already completely dark by the time they arrived at Chunshui Ravine.
The elders’ quarters were far better than the disciples’—a spacious courtyard, large rooms, and even a small hall for meetings.
When the younger disciples arrived, Liu Xun, Mo Yuzi, San Zongyu, and Jiang Lou were already there, along with Jiang Lou’s three other disciples.
Liu Xun sat to one side, fanning herself impatiently. When she saw them, she frowned. “Is your lodging really that far? Why are you so late? And we even had to send your senior brother to fetch you?”
Lin Jin smiled and quickly covered for them. “Sorry, Master. The scenery at Piaomiao Pavilion is just too beautiful—we got distracted and lost track of time.”
“What’s there to see at night?” Liu Xun didn’t quite understand, but didn’t press further. She pointed at a few empty seats. “No need to be formal. Sit—anywhere.”
Lin Jin sat down beside Mo Yuzi with Han Ao and Hua Nanzhi. Qi Xiaolang hesitated, about to follow, when someone called out from the other side:
“Xiaolang! Come over here to your senior sister!”
It was a neatly dressed young female cultivator—Luo Miaomiao, Jiang Lou’s eldest disciple and the senior sister of Beikun Sect.
Two senior brothers stood beside her, clearly fond of Qi Xiaolang. As soon as he went over, they pulled him in, chatting and laughing. The shy and reserved boy looked much more relaxed with them than he did with Lin Jin’s group.
“Today, I called you here mainly to go over matters regarding the Sword Trial Assembly. I don’t know why Jiang Lou insisted on lumping you artifact refiners together with us fighters, but since you’re here, you might as well listen.”
As she spoke, Liu Xun shot Jiang Lou an annoyed glare.
Jiang Lou didn’t mind at all and just smiled. “Hey now, don’t be so stingy. At least give me some face in front of the kids.”
“If you cared about face, you wouldn’t be shamelessly sitting here right now,” Liu Xun shot back, then waved her fan and continued.
“The rules were already explained this morning, so I won’t repeat them. For the artifact refinement side, it’s simple—same materials, same prompt, and you compete to see whose artifact is higher grade and more effective. As for our side, remember this: these matches are not friendly sparring. Once the fight begins, no one can interfere. A match ends only if one side concedes, or if one is beaten to the brink of death and rescued by the supervising elders.”
“I don’t care about the others, but Lin Jin—my requirement for you is this: you can lose, but you must not get injured. If you realize you can’t win, don’t be stubborn. Admit defeat when you need to. If you insist on risking your life for pride, I’ll make sure you pay for it when we get back to Yanyu Mountain.”
Her tone was harsh, but Lin Jin felt a warmth in his chest.
He nodded. “I understand.”
After Liu Xun finished, San Zongyu added, “My expectations are the same. Winning or losing doesn’t matter—protecting yourself does. Also, even if you have the advantage, don’t go too far. You are fellow cultivators, not enemies. Always leave room for mercy.”
“One more thing—the matchups are randomized across all participants. The differences in cultivation levels can be vast, so your opponents are unpredictable. Yun Kong aside, if any of you younger ones encounter Jiang Zhenfeng of Piaomiao Pavilion—or the others I’m about to name—just concede. There’s no shame in it.”
He listed several names. Lin Jin mentally noted them, but halfway through, a sound suddenly rang in his ear:
Ding—
It wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear.
It was the notification of a message talisman.
Everyone looked at him, making Lin Jin feel awkward. He forced a smile and quietly checked the message.
Xiao Lanqi’s voice sounded in his ear:
“You’ve been gone this long? How much is there to talk about?”
Lin Jin obviously couldn’t respond during a meeting, so he ignored it and kept listening.
But soon—
Ding—
“What time are you coming back?”
Ding—
“Answer.”
Ding—
“Did something happen? Did you get lost? Get eaten by a spirit beast?”
Ding—
“Did you die out there?!”
Ding—
“What exactly happened? Why aren’t you back yet? Why aren’t you replying?! If you can’t reply, what’s the point of leaving these useless talismans?!”
Ding—
“Answer!”
“…”
Regret.
Lin Jin truly regretted it.
He never should’ve left so many message talismans for the big guy.
Are you messing with me?!
“Oh? Lin Jin, quite the busy man,” Liu Xun teased, fanning herself. “Chatting with a young lady? She’s sent you so many messages and you don’t dare reply—why leave her hanging? Don’t act like a scumbag.”
Seeing his awkward expression, she chuckled. “What’s so urgent that you can’t reply? Don’t tell me you’ve hidden a beauty in Piaomiao Pavilion and are afraid we’ll find out?”
No hidden beauty.
Just a demon hidden in a cabin.
But Lin Jin didn’t dare say that. He forced a dry laugh. “Master, you’re joking. What beauty could I possibly hide?”
Mo Yuzi chuckled, stroking his beard. “Alright, if it’s something urgent, go ahead. If there’s anything important, I’ll summarize it for you tomorrow.”
Liu Xun rolled her eyes. “You old man, always spoiling him.”
Lin Jin hesitated. “It’s fine, it’s nothing urgent, I—”
Before he could finish, another string of ding sounds cut him off.
“…I think I should go. Sorry, Master. Sorry, elders.”
The elders weren’t difficult people. After a few jokes, they let him go.
But Lin Jin felt guilty. By the time he stepped outside, he was drenched in sweat and hurried back as fast as he could.
What kind of life-or-death situation was this guy creating?!
What could be so urgent to burn through talismans like that?!
Was he discovered? Did the house explode?!
Lin Jin ran without stopping. When he finally reached the door, he pushed it open—
No enemies. No destruction.
Just Xiao Lanqi lounging on the bed, casually burning message talismans.
He had changed clothes—his long hair loosely braided, most of his silver ornaments removed, leaving only a few in his hair and ear. He wore a simple black robe.
Holding a half-burned talisman, he was shouting into it:
“Explain!!!”
Lin Jin resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
He forced a smile. “What… did you need me for?”
“Nothing.”
Seeing him back, Xiao Lanqi tossed the talisman aside and sat up, looking almost innocent. “Just wanted to ask when you’d be back.”
Lin Jin’s smile stiffened. “Wasn’t asking once enough?”
“You didn’t reply, so I asked again. What if you died out there?”
“…Big guy, I was in a meeting.”
“What’s a meeting?”
“A discussion.”
“You can’t reply during a discussion?”
“You can—but it’s rude.”
“Oh.”
Xiao Lanqi tilted his head, thinking, then lay back down. “Got it. I won’t send more. You can go back.”
“….”
Lin Jin had been annoyed, but now he felt both amused and helpless.
He looked smart, but right now he seemed… kind of dumb. Like a big dog.
“Forget it. I’m already back, no point going again. I didn’t give you those talismans so you could waste them like this. If I don’t reply right away, it just means I’m busy. I’ll respond later. As long as I get the message, I will reply.”
“How do I know you got it?”
“I modified my talismans. As long as you send one, I’ll definitely receive it.”
“Oh.”
Lin Jin closed the door and looked at Xiao Lanqi, who was playing with his braid. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked:
“Do demons… eat?”
“We can. It’s just unnecessary.”
“…Then do you eat? I was thinking of getting something to eat—should I prepare some for you?”
Xiao Lanqi’s fingers paused.
He answered casually, “If you insist, I suppose I can eat a little.”
Yeah, it must be really hard for you.
Lin Jin muttered internally, then asked, “What do you like? I’ll see what I can get.”
Xiao Lanqi thought for a long time, then answered seriously:
“Instant noodles.”
“…?”
For some reason, Lin Jin’s expression turned strange.
Xiao Lanqi frowned. “What?”
“…Nothing.” Lin Jin tested cautiously, “Odd or even stays the same?”
“Huh?”
“Big hammer, eighty?”
“What?”
“KFC Crazy Thursday?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Xiao Lanqi sat up, completely confused.
What’s wrong with instant noodles? Didn’t Lin Jin himself say he’d been living on them for a month?
“…Guess not,” Lin Jin muttered.
After a moment, he asked carefully, “When you say ‘instant noodles,’ you mean…?”
Wait—you said it first, and now you’re asking me?!
Annoying human!
Xiao Lanqi was internally furious, but had no idea what instant noodles actually were. He had no choice but to bluff:
“Instant noodles! A traditional demon food. Instant noodles… well, as the name suggests, they’re noodles like firecrackers.”
Maintaining a straight face, he continued confidently:
“Like firecrackers! You eat them and they crackle and pop—hot and fragrant. Haven’t you had them?”
Lin Jin’s expression grew even more complicated.
Instant noodles.
Figures.
Demons really do celebrate New Year’s in their mouths every day.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152