Chapter 153: A Family Ought to Help One Another

In the backyard of the county government office, Zhang Guangqi and Li Lin sat facing each other.

Between the two men was a bluish-green stone table.

Zhang Guangqi smiled and said, "This place, Yulin County, is truly scorching; it is already mid-October, yet it feels much like the dog days of summer. Not to mention the north, but many places in the Central Plains have already begun to frost over."

"Well, the south is indeed quite hot."

Li Lin smiled.

As a Spirit Hunter cultivating Yin-method cultivation techniques, his body was naturally inclined toward coldness rather than heat, so he feared the cold slightly more than the heat.

Now that he had switched to practicing Foundation Establishment methods, the spiritual energy within him grew increasingly abundant, making him neither afraid of the heat nor particularly sensitive to the cold.

Of course, this merely meant he endured heat and cold better than an ordinary person; it did not mean he was immune to water or fire.

Moreover, recently his absorption of spiritual energy had become very slow, far less rapid than when he first began.

Watching Li Lin's fresh, clear skin, unlike his own which was slick with sweat and oil, Zhang Guangqi said enviously, "You Spirit Hunters really do have it good, fearing neither the sweltering heat nor anything else."

Li Lin disliked this roundabout style of conversation and asked, "County Lord, what matter did you summon me here to discuss?"

"Younger brother is truly straightforward," Zhang Guangqi laughed. "Actually, I simply wished to discuss something with you; since we are one family, we ought to help one another, don't you agree?"

"That is reasonable," Li Lin said quietly.

"Here is the situation: my family also enshrines a Taowu Zhenjun."

Li Lin watched him silently.

"However, my family line is not flourishing, and now he has become somewhat weak."

Li Lin nodded. "This is quite normal. Would you like me to invite several Spirit Hunters to supply some blood and qi for him?"

Li Lin himself was no longer able to provide such supplies.

Because Lady Tree Immortal required regular drafts of his blood and qi, and ever since Lady Tree Immortal took up residence in the Taowu Temple, her appetite had grown somewhat larger.

Nowadays, he could barely manage to meet the demand.

This was only possible thanks to the physical enhancement brought by spiritual energy; otherwise, he truly could not have endured it.

"I heard that the Taowu enshrined in Lady Tree Immortal's temple belongs to your family."

Li Lin already vaguely understood the other's intent and said, "Yes."

Zhang Guangqi took a deep breath and said, "I was wondering if we could allow my Taowu Zhenjun to enjoy the incense offerings in the temple for a few days; once his spiritual body stabilizes, we would then invite Lady Tree Immortal back."

The smile vanished from Li Lin's face; his gaze turned indifferent as he stared into the other man's eyes.

Then he asked, "County Lord, do you think this is possible?"

"We are one family..."

"It is impossible," Li Lin said, shaking his head. "That place is already Lady Tree Immortal's temple; I cannot make that decision."

Zhang Guangqi sighed. "I know this puts you in a difficult position, but for the sake of..."

"If you know it is difficult, then say no more, County Lord," Li Lin said in a calm tone. "If that Taowu Zhenjun is in poor health, I can ask acquainted Spirit Hunters to assist, but let us speak no more of this incense offering matter."

"Alas, we are both sons-in-law of the Huang family; why can we not advance and retreat together?" Zhang Guangqi looked at Li Lin and continued, "Regarding this matter... is there truly no room for negotiation?"

"None," Li Lin said, standing up. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

With that, Li Lin left the backyard.

Zhang Guangqi remained seated in place, his expression indifferent and calm, as if nothing had just occurred.

Li Lin returned home.

Seeing the frown on his face, Huang Qi asked what the matter was.

Li Lin then recounted the entire incident.

"Zhang Guangqi!" Huang Qi pondered for a moment before saying, "He is the son-in-law of my Third Uncle and the husband of my Seventh Sister."

"What is this person's character like?"

"I am not entirely clear," Huang Qi said. "Father arrived in Yulin County over a decade ago to serve as county magistrate and has rarely returned to Jingcheng since; I do not know much about affairs at the Huang family ancestral estate."

Li Lin nodded, indicating he understood.

Huang Qi snorted and said, "But the fact that he could utter such words shows he is greedy. He speaks of 'a few days' of incense offerings, but what if the Taowu Zhenjun he supports refuses to leave afterward? Where would Sister Tree Immortal go then?"

At this moment, Huang Qi already viewed herself completely as a member of the Li family, acting entirely from the perspective of the Li family's eldest lady.

Li Lin sat down. "I have already rejected this matter, so let us set it aside for now. Have the materials I requested been prepared?"

"They are all ready," Huang Qi said with a smile.

Li Lin then went to the eastern side room.

This room had been converted into an alchemy laboratory, and usually, only Li Lin, Huang Qi, and Hong Luan were permitted to enter.

A large bronze alchemy furnace stood in the center of the room, while piles of various materials were stacked in the corners.

Minerals, herbal medicines, and so on.

Li Lin opened the mouth of the alchemy furnace, added the materials in sequence, and then piled firewood beneath the furnace.

Before long, the alchemy furnace began to glow 'red'.

Wisps of green smoke drifted slowly out from the top of the alchemy furnace.

While controlling the heat, Li Lin sniffed the scent in the air.

This was a small trick of alchemy: one could discern the condition of the pill from the aroma emanating from the furnace at that moment.

Thereby allowing for more effective control of the heat.

This was a special ability he had gained after achieving minor success in his Alchemy Technique.

Alchemy required a very long time.

This batch of pills was refined from afternoon until deep into the night.

Then, finally, it was done.

【Alchemy Technique +1】

【Alchemy Skill +1】

Proficiency prompts flooded the screen.

Li Lin waited a while, and when the alchemy furnace was no longer so hot, he finally opened it.

Inside was piled half a furnace of blue powder.

Li Lin took it out, looked at it for a moment, even rubbed it between his fingers, and laughed: "It worked."

Next was to shape these powders into the form of bricks.

At this moment Huang Qi also walked in. She asked: "Master, did it work?"

Li Lin nodded.

Huang Qi smiled: "Then let's eat first. You haven't eaten for most of the day."

Li Lin came out of the alchemy room and went to the main hall.

The food was still on the table, untouched.

Generally speaking, when the head of household hadn't eaten, the others couldn't eat either.

Hong Luan was dozing. Hearing footsteps, she opened her eyes, saw Li Lin coming out, and rose with a smile: "I'll go reheat the dishes."

"No need, let's eat it as is." Li Lin smiled: "The weather's neither hot nor cold, so eating some cool food is fine."

"But it's not great for the body…"

Huang Qi sat down: "Hong Luan, just listen to the master."

Hong Luan ladled a bowl of plain porridge for Li Lin and asked: "Husband, what did you refine this time?"

"Protective Barrier Powder." Li Lin drank the hot porridge, and only after swallowing said: "Tomorrow I'll mix it with water and shape it into bricks. I'm calling it a Spirit-Gathering Stone."

"Shape it into bricks?" Hong Luan was taken aback: "What's the use?"

Li Lin said: "If my guess is right, once these Spirit-Gathering Stones are stacked together, they'll form a small spirit chamber."

Hong Luan's eyes were full of worship, glistening: "For cultivation?"

"It can also be used for dual cultivation." Li Lin smiled: "Once it's made, I want to try dual cultivating inside and see if the effect is better."

Both women's faces turned red, but neither objected.

By the next day, when Li Lin went to work, he saw County Magistrate Zhang Guangqi.

Although the man still nodded at Li Lin in greeting, there was a visible distance now.

Li Lin didn't mind.

He arrived at the punishment room, only to see Jiang Jili waiting for him at the door.

Seeing Li Lin, Jiang Jili stepped forward and said quietly: "I mobilized people from my family and found out something very interesting."

"What thing?"

"The County Magistrate Ma of Beiliu, do you still remember him?"

Li Lin nodded. His impression of County Magistrate Ma was very deep.

In the officialdom of Beiliu County, there had been infighting, and he had killed with a borrowed knife, wiping out all the Spirit Hunters in Beiliu County.

"He died a few days ago."

"What does that have to do with us?" Li Lin didn't really want to get mixed up in such dirty official business.

"The martial artist you killed that day was a retainer kept by County Magistrate Ma."

Li Lin said in surprise: "County Magistrate Ma is already dead, so why did that martial artist come looking for trouble with us, and even try to drive a wedge between you and me?"

"Is it possible he was taken in by someone else?"

Li Lin nodded: "That's a reasonable guess. In other words, as long as we find out who took in County Magistrate Ma's people, we can find out who's secretly trying to harm us."

"Right."

Li Lin thought for a moment, then said: "You came to find me, so it seems you need my help. Tell me, how can I help!"

"Lend me some manpower. Not too many, twenty government office Runners will do."

(End of this chapter)