Chapter Six: Years Will Pass, Yet Beautiful Moments Seem in Vain

Watching the torrential rain, she pursed her lips and murmured, “Junior brother, it’s raining. Are you alright? From now on, you are free—finally. It’s good; you no longer have to endure their torment.”

The rain intensified, soon blurring her vision. She sat down inside Lin Chen’s dwelling.

There was nothing inside but a simple stone bed and a small wooden table beside it.

On the table sat seven vividly crafted wooden puppets, each representing a member of their sect.

From the youngest junior brother to the master, even including the late ancestral founder.

Only her own was missing. Mei Xiulan took out her puppet and gently placed it in the palm of her hand.

Her eyes glistened with moisture, as if she had lost something deeply precious.

At this moment, it was no exaggeration to say her heart felt as if it were being painfully torn apart.

Finally, she could no longer hold back and burst into tears. The heavy rain outside kindly masked her sobs.

“Junior brother… it’s your senior sister who has failed you, who was useless and couldn’t protect you,” Mei Xiulan choked out, her tears caught in her throat.

Deep within the forest, Lin Chen’s voice rang coldly, “Impudent demon! How dare you beguile a Daoist! Prepare to meet your end.”

Lin Chen was not one to make empty threats, but this demon had him completely entangled, stirring a whirlpool of complex emotions within him.

“Oh dear, young master! My sole intention is to serve you faithfully. How can you be so unappreciative?” The demoness’s icy form pressed close to him.

Cold sweat poured down Lin Chen’s face, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

Yet his body was utterly immobile. Then, the sound of iron chains snapping echoed through the air.

With that sound, Lin Chen’s cultivation surged upward, climbing rapidly.

It seemed to slow down only upon reaching the third realm. Lin Chen was both startled and elated.

Whatever the cause, this sudden ascent in his cultivation was undeniably good news.

“Young master, your life was bound by chains. I have broken them for you. How will you repay me?” The demoness’s expression darkened as she spoke.

It was clear she had sustained serious injuries. Seeing this, Lin Chen stopped struggling.

With sincere gratitude, he said, “Thank you, senior. If there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask.”

He did not understand what “life-binding” meant, but given the circumstances, she had indeed been a tremendous help.

“I need to stay with you until your physical body fully recovers. How about that?” The demoness reverted to her human form and pleaded earnestly.

“Follow me if you wish, but please release me first,” Lin Chen replied indifferently.

The moment he finished speaking, his body regained full mobility.

He stretched and then turned to check on the unconscious Xiao Yunshao. Then he continued, “Senior, is my friend alright?”

The woman replied irritably, “How boring! After all I’ve done to help you, your first concern is for her? I’m the one who’s most injured here.”

Lin Chen scratched his head. “You misunderstand. If she were harmed, all this effort would have been for nothing. I’d lose a lot of real gold and silver.”

“Are you that short of money?” The woman considered for a moment before saying, “I can give you some. Isn’t it all just gold and silver?”

“No reward without merit. Thank you for your kindness,” he said, squatting to try to wake Xiao Yunshao. “Hey, wake up, we’ve arrived.”

When she showed no response, he had no choice but to lift her onto the donkey’s back, laying her across it.

The woman’s name was Hu Meier, a fragment of the soul of a nine-tailed fox who had sensed the great fortune within Lin Chen.

She intended to follow him, but upon approaching, discovered he was bound by a life-lock. To gain her place as his companion, she helped break the chains.

When Xiao Yunshao awakened, she was already in Nanyang City. Her eyes full of confusion, she asked, “Daoist, what about that demoness? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Chen glanced sideways and continued, “She is kind-hearted and spared us.”

He wanted to boast to Xiao Yunshao but noticed Hu Meier’s hostile gaze nearby and decided against it.

“That’s good. Take me to the prince’s mansion. I’ll pay you when we arrive,” Xiao Yunshao said with a faint smile, a strange glint in her eyes.

At the mention of payment, Lin Chen’s eyes lit up, visions of gold and silver filling his mind.

He quickened his pace toward the prince’s mansion. Before long, the three of them arrived.

At the gate, a young man and a middle-aged man were waiting, as if they had long expected their arrival.

Xiao Yunshao hurriedly jumped down from the donkey and ran into the young man’s arms.

Tears streaming, she said, “Brother, you’re still alive! That’s wonderful. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I was lucky to escape. I’ve been searching everywhere for news of you. Seeing you safe and sound now, it’s truly a relief.” The young man smiled calmly.

Hearing this, an uneasy thought flickered in Lin Chen’s mind.

That voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Daoist, come in and have a seat. We owe you our thanks for all your trouble along the way,” they said.

Lin Chen shook his head repeatedly. “No need. I have pressing matters. Just give me my reward.”

“Hahaha… of course! Of course!” The prince laughed heartily and gestured to the steward.

Soon, the steward brought a small wooden box gleaming with gold and handed it to Lin Chen.

Lin Chen opened it and showed Hu Meier, who nodded in approval. The box contained ten taels of gold.

With a smiling face, Lin Chen said, “The task is complete. I won’t disturb your reunion any longer.”

“Hahaha… well said! Indeed, a hero emerges from youth. Until we meet again!”

“Until we meet again!”

Lin Chen had walked only a few steps when Xiao Yunshao caught up to him, lowering her head and pouting, “Are you just going to leave like that?”

“Yeah! Take care. And be careful around your brother,” Lin Chen whispered, warning her.

Xiao Yunshao paused, then nodded. “Alright, safe travels. Here’s your reward.”

She produced a golden bracelet and placed it in Lin Chen’s hand. Before he could refuse, she had already run off.

She knew this day would come, though she hadn’t expected it to arrive so soon.

She had rehearsed her farewell words countless times but couldn’t say them now.

After running a short distance, she looked back at his frail figure, which slowly blurred and disappeared from sight.

With reluctance, she entered the prince’s mansion. The prince was her second uncle, and she knew the massacre of her family could not have been without reason.

She had suspected her eldest brother but, after a series of events, had become increasingly certain.

For now, she had no evidence, and telling her uncle without proof would be unwise. He would not believe empty accusations.

In Nanyang City, Lin Chen changed into a new set of clothes—a rough linen garment. Though far from the silky finery of the nobility, it was vastly superior to his tattered Daoist robes.

To facilitate begging in the future, he kept his old robes as well.