After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

Lin Chu first used official techniques in a mountain forest in Yuexi County, west of Yunzhou.

That place is called Qingshiling, and there is no one around for dozens of miles.

In recent months, ferocious beasts have been appearing in the mountains, injuring more than a dozen hunters.

When the local magistrate reported it, Lin Chu had just finished reviewing a stack of official documents.

Zhou Caiwei wanted to come along, but he refused.

"I'll give it a try," Lin Chu said casually, as if she were just saying she was going to test the new pen and ink to see if they were any good.

When they arrived at Qingshi Ridge, the ferocious beast was squatting by the stream drinking water.

It has the shape of a wolf and is more than two zhang tall. What is noteworthy is that it has two heads, with fangs sticking out from its lower jaw. One of its heads is holding half a deer in its mouth.

Lin Chu estimated that the fluctuation of this aura was around the Core Formation stage of the demon race.

He took a step forward.

The ferocious beast raised its head and let out a low growl.

Lin Chu did not retreat, but instead took another step forward.

Over the years, the offerings of the people have accumulated a profound fortune within him, but he has never had the opportunity to put it into practice.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Chu wanted to give it a try.

He raised his right hand, bringing his middle and index fingers together, and an invisible force surged from his fingertips.

He began to speak.

"When will you open your eyes and join the Avengers?"

As soon as the first word was uttered, the beast's front paws moved back half an inch.

A chess piece floated in mid-air.

"We must eventually kill all the enemies on the border."

In the second sentence, the beast's limbs began to tremble, and it emitted a low, whimpering sound.

The chess piece fell towards the ferocious beast.

"Surrounded by mountains on all sides, it conceals the vast wilderness—"

As soon as the third sentence was finished, the ferocious beast felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on it, and its limbs could not support it, so it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

His body split open piece by piece, blood seeping from the cracks. He twitched twice and then remained still.

Lin Chu stood still and looked down at her fingers.

He felt that only a thin layer of the immense power within him had been drawn away, less than one percent.

He turned to look at the lifeless beast and murmured to himself.

"It's actually quite useful."

……

Time flies.

Before she knew it, the end of the year was approaching. Lin Chu handed over the affairs of the manor to Yu Qian and Zhou Caiwei, and quietly left Yunzhou City.

He has never made a big fuss when he returns to Qinghe Village over the years.

Given his current status, if he were notified in advance, officials along the route from Yunzhou to Qinghe Village could form a welcoming procession stretching for ten miles.

He doesn't want to get involved in those things.

An old horse, a worn-out blue robe, just like an ordinary person returning home to visit relatives every year.

When Lin first arrived, several children were squatting under a tree at the village entrance, playing in the mud. When they saw a person riding a horse enter the village, they looked up curiously for a couple of seconds, then lowered their heads and continued playing.

They didn't know Lin Chu, and Lin Chu didn't know them either; they must be children who had been born in the village in recent years.

Back home, Lin Chu pushed open the courtyard gate and saw Mr. Chen sitting in the old rattan chair under the eaves.

When Mr. Chen saw Lin Chu come in, he didn't stand up. He simply put down the book in his hand and looked Lin Chu up and down.

"You've lost weight."

Lin Chu smiled. "You said the same thing last time."

"Because you were thinner last time too."

Mr. Chen stood up and walked to Lin Chu.

He looked older than he had a few years ago; his hair was completely white, and he had several more wrinkles on his face, but his eyes were still bright, and he had more energy than many young people in the village.

Over the years, he has taken in many students, and people from all around know that he was the mentor of Marquis Anji, so they send their children to him.

He charged very little tuition, and most of the time he didn't charge any tuition at all, saying that he was idle anyway, and the money Lin Chu sent back every year was enough for him to live on for several lifetimes.

Lin Chu sat down on the veranda and told him about the events of the past year.

Mr. Chen listened, nodding occasionally.

Upon hearing the word "living shrine," he frowned and said, "It shortens one's lifespan."

Lin Chu laughed, indicating that he had already tried to persuade the people, but they wouldn't listen.

At the end of his speech, Mr. Chen fell silent for a moment.

"I've read all those storybooks outside too."

Lin Chu paused for a moment while holding the teacup.

"It's all a mess." Mr. Chen's tone was indifferent, but Lin Chu could tell what he was thinking.

He looked at Lin Chu, his gaze somewhat cloudy under the light, carrying a hint of unspoken worry.

"Still no news about Cang Yao?"

"No." Lin Chu's voice was flat.

Mr. Chen did not speak.

He sighed after a long while.

In the evening, Lin Chu went to the stream alone.

The crooked willow tree is still there, and the four lines of poetry he carved on its trunk are still there.

The handwriting has been exposed to wind and rain for ten years, the strokes are a bit lighter and the edges are a bit blurred, but every stroke is still legible.

Lin Chu's fingers slowly traced across the tree.

After a while, he sat down on the rock and took out a talisman from his pocket.

When Xiaoxiao emerged from the woods, Lin Chu looked up at her and then smiled. "Why are you still so short?"

Her small steps faltered, and her face immediately hardened. "Brother Lin Chu, is this the first thing you say when we meet?"

"truth."

Xiao snorted and sat down on the rock next to him.

She hadn't grown much taller; she still looked like a girl in her early teens. Her features had matured considerably, but her round face and big eyes remained the same as before.

The growth of demons is inherently slow, and as a turtle demon, it's even slower.

"I've seen Mr. Chen. He's taken on so many students that the courtyard is almost overflowing." Xiao said this with a smirk. "He said there are a few who are even dumber than you, and they can't memorize them even after being taught several times."

"I was very smart when I was a child."

"No way, Mr. Chen said you spent three days memorizing the Thousand Character Classic before you got to 'autumn harvest and winter storage'."

"He's mistaken, that's your sister."

"He's not mistaken." Her small eyes crinkled into a smile.

The two exchanged a few words, then fell silent at the same time.

"My sister is still in seclusion," Xiao Xiao spoke first, her voice softer than before. "I checked on her; the fluctuations are stable, and her spiritual energy is steadily increasing, but this stability won't last anytime soon."

"Um."

"What I mean is—" Xiaoxiao bit her lip, "Brother Lin Chu, it's been ten years already, and you know that this time could be twenty years, thirty years, or even longer."

Lin Chu looked at the stream without saying a word.

"If your sister were here, she definitely wouldn't want you to be alone forever." The small voice trailed off, "If you meet the right person, marry him. I think your sister would also want you to be happy."

Lin Chu turned her head and ruffled her hair. "You little brat, you're starting to meddle in my business now."

"I'm serious!" Xiaoxiao slapped his hand away, glaring at him, but there was no fierceness in her eyes; instead, they were filled with a thin layer of tears. "My sister isn't here. If I don't speak for her, who will?"

Lin Chu looked at her without saying a word.

Xiao Xiao glared at him for a while, but in the end she gave up first, turned her face away, and muttered, "Anyway, I've already tried to persuade him."

Lin Chu chuckled.

"I'm too busy with official duties to think about those things."

He stood up, brushed the bits of grass off his clothes, and said, "Let's go back. Mr. Chen must be getting impatient."

Xiao Xiao stood up and followed behind him.

The two walked back, one after the other.

Xiao Xiao suddenly remembered that many years ago, she had followed behind her older sister in the same way, urging her not to run to the shore.

My sister wouldn't listen at all.

Now it was her turn to persuade Lin Chu, but Lin Chu wouldn't listen.

These two people are exactly alike.

When he got home, Mr. Chen had already put the food on the table.

The three people sat around the table.

The lights were dim, and the dishes were steaming hot.

Xiao Xiao talked the most during the meal, and Lin Chu listened, occasionally putting a piece of food on her plate.

Mr. Chen held his bowl, watching the two bicker, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he remained silent.

After finishing his meal, Mr. Chen sat for a while longer before standing up, leaning on his bamboo cane.

"I'm getting old, I can't stay up all night anymore." He looked at Lin Chu, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Get some rest."

Lin Chu responded.

Mr. Chen walked to the door and looked back one last time.

Xiao Xiao was leaning over the table picking out the last piece of braised pork knuckle, while Lin Chu was clearing away the dishes.

He suddenly remembered that many years ago, in this same room, at this same table, four people sat together eating New Year's Eve dinner.

Cang Yao sat opposite Lin Chu, and Xiao Xiao sat next to Cang Yao, chattering as she recited the Thousand Character Classic.

At that moment, he felt he had lived enough, and even when he closed his eyes, he passed away with a smile.

Of course, he is still very content now, but there is always a corner in his heart that worries about Lin Chu.

He sighed and slowly walked into his room, leaning on his bamboo cane.

Only Lin Chu and Xiao Xiao remained in the courtyard.

"Brother Lin Chu," Xiao Xiao suddenly spoke, her tone much more serious than when she was by the stream, "I'm also going into seclusion soon."

Lin Chu turned to look at her.

"I follow the Four Symbols Black Tortoise route." The little finger drew circles on the stone table. "It's a bit different from my sister's Leaping the Dragon Gate. Although I'm much weaker than a true dragon innately, it's enough for me."

"Is it close to a breakthrough?"

She nodded slightly.

My teacher said that although my bloodline is not as good as that of a true dragon, it is still a rare talent.

She paused, her tone a mix of pride and embarrassment, "So I'm pretty much there too."

Lin Chu reached out and ruffled her hair.

This time, Xiaoxiao didn't slap him away and obediently let him rub her.

She lowered her head, her voice muffled: "I don't know how long this seclusion will last, so please take care of yourself."

"Go into seclusion without worry." Lin Chu's voice was very soft. "I have luck protecting me now, so I won't die so easily. Don't worry about me."

Xiao Xiao looked up at him.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

She stood up, patted her skirt, and turned her face away.

"Then I'll be going. I told the sir this before I went into seclusion."

"Um."

"Next time you come back, you can try calling me."

"it is good."

Xiao Xiao turned around and took a few steps, then stopped and said with her back to him, "Brother Lin Chu, don't die."

"it is good."

Xiao Xiao then took a step and ran out of the yard in a flash, disappearing into the night.