Chapter 46: Chasing to the Door

Two male retainers seemed about to step in and separate the two sides, but upon recognizing Li Lin, they retreated to the side again.

After all, Li Lin had visited the Huang residence at least three times, and most people inside already knew him.

"Greetings, Li Shixiong," Huang Qi said, bowing slightly, a flush spreading across her face.

She was even somewhat nervous, her voice trembling slightly.

By Huang Qi's side was not her younger sister, but a girl dressed as a maid, looking to be around sixteen or seventeen, curiously sizing up Li Lin.

Li Lin smiled and said, "Please, sit."

"Thank you, Shixiong," Huang Qi said, sitting down as instructed, yet still keeping her head bowed, daring not to look at the man opposite her.

That maid, however, boldly scanned Li Lin, but after staring for a while, a blush also appeared on her face.

"Do you usually enjoy going out for spring outings?" Li Lin asked, trying to find a topic.

"No, I rarely go out," Huang Qi glanced at Li Lin, then quickly lowered her head again: "It was just that today the weather was unusually fine, so I came out for a stroll, but I didn't expect..."

... to end up with rain.

"Then what do you usually like to do at home?"

"Embroidery and reading!"

"The Four Books and Five Classics?"

"No... it's storybooks!"

Upon saying this, Huang Qi became even more embarrassed.

After all, things like storybooks in Great Qi... were actually quite criticized by scholars.

The so-called storybooks were, in fact, novels.

Li Lin laughed and said, "I love reading storybooks too. I remember reading a supernatural storybook once that told the tale of how an ordinary person gradually cultivated immortality!"

Huang Qi looked up, her eyes wide, and asked, "Was it exciting?"

"It was quite good," Li Lin nodded: "After finishing it, I felt I could cultivate immortality too. I recklessly learned a technique that wasn't even a proper cultivation method, thinking I could fly, then jumped off a wall, only to twist my leg and lie in bed for over half a month."

Huang Qi let out a "pfft" and burst into laughter, while the maid beside her laughed even louder.

As for the two male retainers, they were also holding back their laughter.

Shortly after, Huang Qi realized she had been somewhat rude, immediately stifled her laughter, and asked again: "Besides that, are there any other particularly strange storybooks?"

"There are many. One that left a deep impression on me tells of a monkey that sprang from the stone of the Goddess Nuwa mending the sky..."

Li Lin blended stories, science fiction, and fairy tales he had read into one very winding and bizarre tale.

In fact, he had only just begun the opening, yet the four people in the pavilion were left utterly stunned.

The heavy rain came quickly and left just as fast.

"That Black Mermaid, fitted with wind-and-thunder prosthetic limbs, flew up from the sea to Mount Hua to find Yang Erlang, preparing to go together to rescue Wukong, who was pinned beneath the Five Fingers Mountain. But Yang Erlang didn't recognize her, mistook her for a catfish demon, and directly swept her into minced meat with his halberd, boiled her into soup to drink, and fed all the meat scraps to the Howling Heaven Dog."

Ah!

Huang Qi's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.

Mainly because Li Lin's story was simply too erratic, full of plots and concepts she had never heard of, or even could not comprehend.

Li Lin looked up at the sky, smiled, and said, "The rain has stopped, and it's getting late. Huang Damei, you should head home."

"Ah... oh!" Huang Qi stood up, her face flushed, and said, "Won't Shixiong come to my family's home as a guest? My eldest brother is surely waiting for Shixiong to arrive to chat about romance and discuss state affairs."

"In another couple of days," Li Lin said with a smile.

Huang Qi lightly bit her full red lips: "Then this younger sister awaits Shixiong's grand arrival."

Having said this, she and her maid hurriedly left, somewhat like fleeing in panic.

The two male retainers followed and left as well.

Li Lin looked toward the center of the lake in the distance. Since the rain began, a surge of resentful energy had risen from the lake's center, growing ever denser, as if something were about to leap out of the water.

However, now that the rain had stopped, that resentful energy gradually subsided.

"Truly, ghosts are everywhere."

Li Lin helplessly shook his head, then slowly walked away from the pavilion.

He returned to his newly purchased house, where it was currently bustling with activity.

A group of people were coming and going, carrying furniture and various items inside.

"Be careful with those things; they are very expensive."

The agent stood nearby giving orders, shouting loudly.

He turned his head, spotted Li Lin, and hurriedly ran over: "Master, you're back."

Li Lin nodded: "How did it go?"

"Rest assured, Master, I will have everything settled for you before nightfall." Then the agent shouted to those nearby: "Old man, and you four, come over here."

Shortly after, an old man and four dark, thin women, who appeared to be underage, came from the side.

"Master, these are the servants purchased for you. The contracts are placed together with the property deed in a black sandalwood box, kept in the study..."

"You've been thoughtful," Li Lin smiled.

The agent bowed: "I am glad Master is satisfied."

The five 'servants' looked at Li Lin somewhat timidly.

There was no choice; as servants, their lives and deaths were entirely in Li Lin's hands. The master's character determined the quality of their future lives.

"Have you all eaten?" Li Lin asked.

The five dared not answer, so the agent said, "Probably not; they just arrived from the agency."

The agent knew what kind of environment his location was.

Li Lin took a silver note from his satchel and handed it to the old man: "While it is still not dark, go to the market to buy some food, then prepare meals for six people. Do you understand?"

The old man nodded and accepted the silver note.

"By the way, what are all your names?"

"This old servant is Zhang Afu."

"This slave girl is Xiao Qing."

"This slave girl is Hehua."

"This slave girl is Xiaoyuque."

"This slave girl is Xinger."

Li Lin sized up the five of them and memorized their names.

Then he entered the courtyard and began to inspect his new home.

It must be said that under the assault of silver, the efficiency of the agency was very high; every room had furniture, and even the various bedrooms had clean bedding.

Although none were anything special, they were practical, and the decoration style leaned mainly toward steadiness.

It was clear that these people had truly put their hearts into their service attitude.

And in the study, Li Lin also saw that sandalwood box; after opening it, he found the property deed and the sale contract inside.

Li Lin was very satisfied with this, took out a small silver note, and placed it in the agent's hand: "You have done well, so I will reward you a bit more."

Holding the silver note, the agent grinned so widely his mouth wouldn't close: "Thank you, Master, thank you, Master."

Not long after, the agency people finished all the work; after thanking him profusely, the agent led everyone away.

Looking at the three-courtyard mansion that had been swept clean, Li Lin felt a sense of satisfaction.

This was the first time he had lived in such a large house, so it was natural to feel somewhat emotional.

The four girls began to busy themselves in the kitchen; soon Zhang Afu returned too, carrying some meat and green vegetables into the kitchen.

By evening, the meals were all cooked.

Li Lin sat in the main seat of the main hall... in front of him were two meat dishes and a small plate of green vegetables.

The five servants sat in the side hall, where there were no tables, only small stools.

All five held bowls of rice topped with a few strips of green vegetables and a little bit of minced meat.

It looked meager, but for them, this was already a very abundant meal.

At least they could eat their fill, and there was a bit of oil and meat.

Only after seeing Li Lin pick up his chopsticks did they dare to start eating.

After dinner ended, Li Lin took a bath and then went to bed to sit cross-legged and practice his cultivation.

As for Zhang Afu and the others, they had already distributed the rooms among themselves; such a small matter, they could solve it themselves and would not trouble the master's household.

While practicing until midnight, Li Lin was suddenly startled awake; he felt a 'person' ahead, so he snapped his eyes open, formed his hands into claws, and was about to strike, but then stopped.

Because he saw that the 'person' before him was precisely the Tree Immortal Lady.

"Lady, how did you come!" Li Lin asked in surprise.

(End of this chapter)