Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Xilun walked back along the corridor at a leisurely pace.

My mind was racing.

Parasites are one thing, poisoning is another.

Were they done by the same person, or by different people?

He thought of what David had said last night—

"My mother has always taken care of my father's daily life."

Risa.

The noblewoman who once publicly humiliated him in a boxing match.

If it were her...

Xilun shook his head, suppressing the thought for the time being.

Speculation without evidence is meaningless.

What he needs is time and more information.

And now-

He's going to cultivate himself.

Siren crossed the lawn on the south wing and walked east along a path lined with yew trees.

The morning light had fully spread, bathing the manor in a warm golden hue.

Several gardeners were pruning the bushes when they saw Xilun pass by. They instinctively stopped what they were doing and followed his back with their eyes.

The news of the Elders' Decree spread even faster than Xilun had anticipated.

He could sense that, starting this morning, the way people in the manor looked at him had changed.

It was no longer just simple curiosity and observation—it carried a hint of awe, or rather, apprehension.

Those who have lived in the manor for most of their lives know better than anyone what an Elder's Token means to the Link family.

After rounding a bend, a row of arched stone buildings came into view.

This is the manor's training area.

David mentioned last night that there are special training rooms in the manor prepared for extraordinary individuals, with complete facilities, and they are open to holders of the token free of charge.

Xilun pushed open the door to one of the rooms.

The room wasn't large, about twenty square meters, but it was decorated quite tastefully.

The floor was covered with a thick soundproof carpet, and the four walls were inlaid with light blue patterns—a kind of rune array to prevent the aura from leaking out.

In the center of the room was a stone platform with a smooth, mirror-like surface, upon which sat two bronze incense burners that had already been filled with lamp oil.

What surprised Xilun the most was the transparent glass cabinet against the north wall.

The cabinet displayed a dozen or so fist-sized crystal spheres, each with a pale blue halo flowing inside and emitting a chilling aura.

He walked over and placed his hand on the glass surface.

A refreshing coolness penetrated my palm and spread throughout my body along my meridians.

"Items for cold storage..."

"Silen said in a low voice."

He had seen such a thing recorded in the Tusol family's documents.

It contains special cold minerals that can create a temperature field that is close to the natural extreme cold environment in a closed space.

For extraordinary individuals who cultivate the Profound Yin Breathing Technique, this is almost the most ideal auxiliary tool.

Even the Tusol family didn't have such sophisticated cold room equipment.

Such a wonderful thing exists in the cultivation room of a viscount family.

Siron secretly made a note of this discovery.

He closed the door and sat cross-legged on the stone platform.

First, practice the Moon Memory Meditation Method.

The spiritual world slowly unfolded in consciousness—the sacred bud of prayer quietly floated at the edge of the spiritual core, its tender green light soft and pure, with occasional glimmers of white among the branches and leaves, flickering like fireflies.

My mental strength has recovered to about 80%.

enough.

He ended his meditation and began practicing the Xuan Yin Breathing Technique.

call--

With the first exhale, a thin layer of frost condensed on the stone platform.

After breaking through to the expert level, the cold breath is no longer as scattered and violent as before, but condenses into a restrained and long glacier, flowing slowly along the meridians.

With each breath, the glacier expands a little more.

With each expansion, the bones and flesh are cleansed by the cold breath.

There was pain—a dull ache that came from deep within the bone marrow, like countless tiny needles piercing in at once.

But Xilun was already used to it.

He endured pain ten times more intense than this beneath the waterfall in the back hills of the North District.

Those days and nights, the icy water washed over his body, the chill colliding, splitting, and reforming in his bone marrow—each breakthrough was a long period of self-torture.

In comparison, the environment in this training room can be described as extremely comfortable.

The low-temperature field created by the cold room equipment resonated subtly with the cold energy within his body, greatly reducing the rejection reaction during cultivation and increasing the circulation speed of the cold energy by at least 20%.

He had never cultivated under such favorable conditions before.

Time passed in silence.

Xilun had no idea how long he had been cultivating.

When he opened his eyes, the front of his shirt was soaked with sweat, a thick layer of frost covered the stone surface, and a cold and crisp atmosphere filled the air.

He moved his stiff fingers and exhaled a long breath of white air.

The cultivation effect is excellent.

It's at least 30% better than being under the waterfall.

If one can continue practicing in this environment for five to seven days, the progress of the Profound Yin Breathing Technique can be pushed forward another step.

But the most important thing right now is not cultivation.

It is for treating illness.

He stood up and pushed open the door to the training room.

The sunlight outside made him involuntarily squint.

Then he saw someone.

Daisy Link leaned against a stone pillar opposite the training room, holding a thick, hardcover book in her hands, reading quietly.

She wore a long white dress with gold antler patterns embroidered on the hem, and a thin belt of the same color around her waist.

The sunlight shone on her, making her light golden hair almost transparent.

She looked up when she heard the door open.

"You're out."

Her tone was flat, as if she were stating something perfectly natural.

But the slight upturn at the corners of his mouth betrayed a kind of deliberately concealed joy.

"How long have you been waiting here?" Siren asked.

"soon."

Daisy closed the book. "About an hour and a half."

More than an hour.

Xilun glanced at her but said nothing.

Among the people he knows, those who are willing to wait for someone for more than an hour without doing anything can be counted on one hand.

How did you know I was here?

"I asked the maid at the door," Daisy said matter-of-factly. "She said you went to the training area, so I came over."

She walked to Xilun's side, and the two walked back along the yew path.

The midday sun at the manor was lovely, warm and comforting, and felt wonderful on my skin.

Intermittent clanging of metal and shouts could be heard from the training ground in the distance—it was the guards of the armed forces conducting their routine training.

Daisy walked to Xiren's right, taking small steps, her boots making a soft rustling sound on the gravel.

Her skirt swayed gently with her steps, the white fabric shimmering softly in the sunlight.

"have not seen you for a long time."

She suddenly said.

The sound was soft, as if it were being spoken to the wind.

Xilun turned his head to look at her.

Daisy's eyes showed a hint of happiness, but that happiness was weighed down by something heavier, like an undercurrent beneath the surface of water, giving her expression a touch of gloom.

"Are you alright?" Xilun asked.

"It's alright." Daisy lowered her head, looking at her shadow on the ground. "It's just... with Father like this, the atmosphere at home has never been very good."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "How is my father...?"

"We're still observing," Xiren said carefully, "The situation is rather complicated; it's not just simple contamination. It will take a few days to determine a specific treatment plan."

Daisy remained silent for a moment.

The skirt fluttered gently in the wind.

"Thank you for coming," she said.

The voice was soft, but very earnest.

Xilun did not respond.

The two walked silently for a while, passing a patch of low shrubs trimmed into geometric shapes.

"How did you and my brother meet?" Daisy suddenly asked.

"At a party," Siren thought for a moment, "he asked me to come and check on your father's condition."

"A party?" Daisy blinked, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just gave a soft "hmm".

She glanced at Xilun again.

"You seem really impressive now," she said. "I've heard about you in quite a few newspapers. Like, 'Golden Knight'..."

Xilun shook his head. "Just an empty reputation."

"That's what you typed yourself."

Daisy's tone carried a subtle sense of感慨, as if she were talking about something she once thought would never happen.

"But you," Siren looked at her, "are actually the legitimate daughter of a viscount's family. You didn't mention it once back in the North District."

Daisy lowered her head slightly and gave a wry smile.

"What's there to mention?"

There was a subtle weariness in her voice.

"The house is quite deserted. If it weren't for my brother holding things together, it wouldn't look like a viscount family at all."

Xilun was silent for a moment.

"After Father fell ill, your brother has been managing the family business?"

Daisy nodded.

A thought silently crossed Xilun's mind.

If Chief Link dies—

For David, becoming the new patriarch will be virtually effortless.

A second-tier extraordinary being in his prime has been in charge of family affairs for many years, and his connections, prestige, and abilities are all readily available.

Was there a motive?

Of course there are.

Having a motive does not necessarily mean being a murderer.

Xilun shook his head, putting the idea aside for the time being.

"Is Susie your sister?" He changed the subject.

"Hmm." Daisy's expression softened a bit. "An adopted daughter, not related by blood, but I've always treated her like a younger sister."

"She seems to really enjoy eating."

"Maybe she doesn't have any other friends," Daisy said with a hint of helplessness. "She doesn't interact with others. Her happiest moment each day is eating."

Xilun frowned.

As an adopted daughter of a viscount family, Susie's status, though not as high as that of the legitimate daughter Daisy, was still quite noble.

They lived a life of luxury, surrounded by servants, and never worried about food or clothing.

Growing up in such an environment resulted in a withdrawn and isolated personality; the child rarely spoke or interacted with others.

This was very unusual, but he didn't ask any further questions.

It's best to stay out of other people's business as little as possible.

"What are you going to do next?" Daisy asked.

"Cultivation."

"You're still the same." She smiled slightly, but the smile was quickly replaced by a hesitant expression.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end, he didn't say it.

After a few seconds of silence, she changed the subject.

"Let's have lunch together. I'll go call Susie."

-

canteen.

The midday sun streamed through the high windows, casting bright spots of light on the long wooden table.

Susie has arrived.

She sat in her usual corner spot, with a plate full of food in front of her—fried fish fillets, baked potatoes, vegetable salad, a bowl of mushroom soup, and a dish of dried fish.

She was eating in small bites, her head down.

When she saw Daisy and Celen walk in side by side, her gaze paused for a moment.

blinked.

Then he lowered his head and continued eating.

Celen sat down opposite her, while Daisy sat next to Susie.

The three of them ate quietly for a while.

Susie ate with great focus.

It seems that her world consists only of the plate in front of her, and everything outside is irrelevant to her.

After finishing the last piece of fried fish fillet, she put down her fork, looked up at Xilen.

When are you leaving?

Xilun was slightly taken aback.

This is the second time I've been asked this question today.

She asked the same question at breakfast.

"About five days," he said. "I'll leave once Chief Link's condition stabilizes."

Susie stared at him for two or three seconds.

Then he lowered his head.

"oh."

One word, devoid of any emotional color.

She lowered her head and started eating the dried fish again.

Daisy watched from the side, sighed softly, and reached out to help Susie tuck the hair that had fallen over her shoulders behind her ears.

Susie didn't dodge or react, and just let her sister do as she pleased.

Xiren picked up the cup and took a sip of water.

What does that mean?

He always felt that everything that happened after he entered the manor was strange.

Susie was indifferent to her father's illness—or rather, her reaction was abnormally slow.

He never even asked, "Is Father alright?"

Even when Xilen clearly told her that she was there to treat her father, her first reaction was not to care about his condition, but to ask, "When are you leaving?"

This isn't about being carefree.

People with a big heart will at least show some basic concern.

But Susie didn't.

Her reaction was more like that of a bystander who had absolutely nothing to do with the matter.

No, not a bystander.

Xiren carefully recalled her expression—when she heard "I've come to cure your father's illness," something did indeed flash in her gray eyes.

What does it mean exactly...?

Xilun did not show any unusual behavior.

He quietly finished the food on his plate, then put down his utensils and stood up.

"I'll go check on the chieftain first," he said to Daisy.

Daisy nodded, her gaze gently following his departing figure.

Xilun walked out of the dining hall and headed east along the corridor.

Two things were on my mind at the same time.

The first thing—what exactly is that residue on Chief Link's stomach wall?

The second thing—why was Susie's reaction so strange?

These two things seem to have nothing to do with each other on the surface.

But his intuition told him that something was deliberately hidden in this magnificent manor.

He didn't know what was hidden, nor did he know who was hiding it.

But he will find it.

If it's related to him.

The east wing corridor was dark and quiet.

Two gas wall lamps emitted a faint orange glow, casting flickering shadows on the wall.

Xilun stood in front of the patriarch's bedroom door.

David has arrived.

He was wearing a dark gray coat, his face was thin, and his eyes were sunken, making him look like he hadn't slept well all night.

"Sir, you've arrived."

His voice was filled with barely suppressed anxiety.

“I thought about it for a long time last night,” David said. “Father’s condition can’t be delayed any longer. Since you’ve agreed to stay, I’d like to know—is it possible to start treatment?”

Xilun looked at him.

David's eyes were grayish-blue, somewhat resembling Daisy's, but lacked that gentleness, instead displaying a weariness and gloom from long hours of toil.

Deep within those eyes, Xiren sensed the immense burden of being the eldest son—his father was bedridden, his mother was domineering but indifferent, and he had to shoulder all the responsibilities of the family.

This burden has been weighing on me for who knows how long.