Martial Arts Secret Realm: Only I Can Know the Plot?

This is the effect of the Divine Illumination Sutra.

It seems that Ding Dian's internal energy is not far from reaching the point where he is immune to heat and cold and free from all diseases. In terms of the plot, the timeline should be close to when he secretly goes out to find Lin Shuanghua.

This also coincides with the time when Di Yun was imprisoned.

After Di Yun was imprisoned in the book, Ding Dian finally mastered the Divine Illumination Scripture. He secretly met with Lin Shuanghua, only to find that she had disfigured herself to prove her resolve.

Only then did they willingly continue to stay in prison.

What Ling Tuisi used as torture methods would be cruel to ordinary people, but to Ding Dian it was nothing more than physical pain.

"One last question," Sun Fan said, "Did that scholar Chu Di have any contact with the person inside?"

Old Liu shook his head: "No. The one surnamed Chu is locked outside, and the one inside is locked inside the very back. There are four or five doors in between, so they can't contact each other at all."

It seems that Ling Tuisi was indeed very careful. If he hadn't deliberately let Di Yun in, no one would have been able to get in touch with Ding Dian.

Sun Fan nodded and took out another silver ingot and placed it on the table.

"Thank you, Uncle Liu. As for today..."

"I didn't say anything." Old Liu stuffed the silver into his pocket, picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. "Young Master Sun didn't ask anything either."

Back at the Shen family home, Sun Fan sat in the study for a long time without moving.

He was thinking about something.

How do I get into jail?

Ling Tuisi guarded the prison like an iron fortress; no one could enter without his token. And Ling Tuisi never gave his token to outsiders.

Forcing their way through is impossible. Even if the whole class attacked together, they couldn't defeat those guards, let alone him alone. Besides, Ling Tuisi himself is a master—although it's not explicitly stated in the original work, judging from his position as the leader of the Lianghu Longsha Gang, he can't possibly be an ordinary person.

Sun Fan estimated that even if they were not as good as Luo Hua Liu Shui, Feng Hu Yun Long, etc., they might not be too far behind. Perhaps they were in the same tier as Yan Da Wan Zhen Shan and others, or slightly weaker.

Then we have no choice but to outsmart them.

They need an identity—an identity that would make Ling Tuisi willingly open the prison door.

This identity must meet two conditions: First, Ling Tuisi needs this identity.

Second, this identity allows for a legitimate request to visit.

Clearly, the scholar surnamed Chu was a good excuse.

However, he needed to ask someone to deliver a message to the man surnamed Chu first, so that he wouldn't be exposed.

Fortunately, all of this is now very easy for him to accomplish.

Two days later, Sun Fan received another invitation from the old butler.

The meeting took place in the study.

Compared to the living room, the study is more secluded and private, making it easier for people to relax their vigilance.

Ling Tuisi's study was half the size of the Shen family's study.

Ling Tuisi sat behind his desk, holding a book in his hand. When he saw Sun Fan enter, he put down the book and stood up to greet him.

"Young Master Sun has arrived, please have a seat."

His smile remained as warm as ever, and his eyes as deep as ever. He couldn't possibly be unaware of Sun Fan's activities at the Shen family these past few days. But he asked nothing, mentioned nothing, just as he had when Sun Fan first came to the Ling residence—warm, attentive, and impeccably attentive.

Sun Fan bowed and sat down in the guest seat.

The butler served tea and then left. Only the two of them remained in the study.

"Is Young Master Sun settling in well in Jingzhou?" Ling Tuisi picked up his teacup and slowly blew on it.

"Thank you for your kind thought, Lord Ling. Everything is fine." Sun Fan took a sip of tea. "Jingzhou is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. I have benefited greatly from traveling around here these past few days."

"That's good." Ling Tuisi nodded. "I heard that Young Master Sun recently moved into the Shen residence?"

coming.

Sun Fan put down his teacup, his expression unchanged: "Young Master Shen is so hospitable, I couldn't refuse his kind invitation. I originally planned to leave in a few days, but Young Master Shen insisted that I stay a few more days. I couldn't refuse, so I had no choice but to trouble you."

"Shen Zhaoyuan is indeed a very enthusiastic boy." Ling Tuisi smiled, his tone casual as if he were chatting about family matters. "He came in third in the prefectural examination last year, and he's been quite unhappy about it ever since. Young Master Sun is very learned; it would be a good thing if he could give him some guidance."

These words were spoken casually, but Sun Fan sensed their weight.

Ling Tuisi knew what he was doing at the Shen family's house.

Ling Tuisi didn't care what he did at the Shen family.

Ling Tuisi was even pleased to see it happen.

The more Shen Zhaoyuan relied on Sun Fan, the higher Sun Fan's value became in Jingzhou. And a valuable scholar would ultimately fall into Ling Tuisi's hands. All the Shen family could offer Sun Fan was good food, drink, and hospitality. What Ling Tuisi could offer Sun Fan was a promising future.

"I am but a junior scholar with limited knowledge and experience; how could I dare to offer any guidance to Young Master Shen?" Sun Fan smiled modestly. "I am merely accompanying him in reading and writing."

"Young Master Sun is too modest." Ling Tuisi put down his teacup, looked at Sun Fan, and his eyes became more serious. "I copied down the poem you recited at the literary gathering that day and read it several times. 'If life were only as beautiful as our first meeting, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan?' Such lines cannot be written by simply reading books."

"It requires insights into life."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Young Master Sun has a profound understanding of the world; his experience far surpasses that of his peers."

Sun Fan lowered his eyes and didn't reply.

Ling Tuisi wasn't in a hurry. He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and then slowly said, "Young Master Sun, is there nothing else you have to do in Jingzhou this time besides studying?"

Sun Fan's heart stirred.

This was the exact same question Shen Zhaoyuan had asked. But when Shen Zhaoyuan asked, it was out of curiosity and a desire to test him. When Ling Tuisi asked, he already knew the answer and was waiting for him to speak.

"To be honest, Lord Ling," Sun Fan hesitated for a moment, a troubled expression on his face, "I do have a personal matter to discuss with you in Jingzhou this time."

"Oh?" Ling Tuisi raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it."

Sun Fan remained silent for a while, as if he had made a great decision, before speaking: "When I was young, I had a classmate named Chu Huai'an, who was from Jiangnan. Last year, he went on a study tour, saying he wanted to visit the Jingzhou area, but he never returned. His family has been searching for him for months, but there's been no news. I'm passing through Jingzhou this time, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to inquire about his whereabouts."

Ling Tuisi stopped holding the teacup.

"Chu Huai'an?" He repeated the name, his brow furrowing slightly. "This name..."

"Have you heard of Lord Ling?" Sun Fan's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly, revealing the eagerness of a scholar who was "eager to find someone."

Ling Tuisi did not answer immediately.

He put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest a few times.

"Young Master Sun," his voice was a few decibels lower than before, "isn't your classmate short, round-faced, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking quite honest and simple?"

Sun Fan gripped the teacup tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Lord Ling, you've seen him?!" His voice trembled slightly, his expression shifting between surprise and anxiety. "Where...where is he? Is he alright?"

Ling Tuisi looked at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and then sighed.

"Young Master Sun, please don't rush to hear what I'm about to say."

Sun Fan nodded, but his fingers still gripped the teacup tightly.

Your classmate is in jail now.