Chapter 48: Do You Think I

Perhaps due to the stealth technique’s effect, the spiritual energy drawn by yin energy was heavily concealed; only when the lightning was about to form did a faint fluctuation occur.

The two men walking ahead suddenly sensed something was wrong, but by the time they reacted, a crimson-and-azure lightning chain had already split down from the sky.

The man standing on the far right had his clothes blasted into tatters, even one arm severed and flung away; he collapsed without a sound.

Li Lin exhaled softly.

For ordinary martial artists, thunder arts were too brutal; the man’s blood qi had been decent, yet a single lightning strike had taken his life.

The other man spun around instantly, his gaze locking onto Li Lin in the forest.

His face twisted with fury; he drew his waist saber and charged forward without a word.

His movement was extremely swift—he closed half the distance between them in just three steps.

Li Lin was already forming the second thunder incantation seal, but it was too late.

Indeed, his spellcasting speed was still too slow.

Li Lin broke the seal, drew the red-plumed spear beside him, shook its shaft, and thrust forward.

The thrust was the fastest attack among all weapons, and the red-plumed spear was over half a zhang long (over two meters); the man instinctively halted and raised his blade to block!

Yet this was precisely the essence of spear technique: if the opponent cannot close the distance, the longer weapon dominates the shorter.

Li Lin thrust three times—at throat, heart, and chest—each blocked by the man’s blade; clearly, the man’s saber skill was excellent.

Li Lin shook the spear shaft again, executing a rising thrust.

Many believed a rising thrust meant only upward motion, but downward strikes were also rising thrusts.

The spear shaft, made of white elm, was highly elastic; the man thought the tip aimed for his head, but as it rose, it instantly reversed into a downward strike.

The tip bent the shaft into a half-arc and pierced straight into the man’s thigh.

Aah!

The man grunted and collapsed to his knees.

Not everyone is a berserker who can keep fighting wildly despite grievous wounds.

Moreover, the spear tip still remained embedded in his thigh muscle.

He propped himself up with his saber, glaring at Li Lin with hatred: “Friend, we’re strangers, no kin, no grudge—why ambush us?”

“I’m a spirit hunter from Shangtikou Village,” Li Lin smiled.

His words were cut off; the man fell silent.

Li Lin continued smiling: “Who sent you to cause trouble in Shangtikou Village?”

The man said nothing.

Li Lin shrugged: “Fine, I can investigate slowly. But when I trace your nine clans, I can’t guarantee what’ll happen.”

“You dare!” The man’s eyes bulged with rage.

Li Lin glanced at the charred corpse ahead: “Do you think I’d dare?”

The man fell silent for a moment, then said: “Feirong County, the Qin family.”

It's definitely them.

Li Lin nodded, acknowledging he understood, then said: “Close your eyes.”

The man understood. He drew a deep breath, his face filled with longing, then slowly shut his eyes.

The next instant, the spear pierced his heart; his body shuddered once, then slumped lifelessly, without much pain.

Li Lin wiped the blood from the spear tip and began looting the corpses.

These two were poor—besides a few silver notes, they had nothing else of value.

Li Lin then used the spear to fling both bodies into the grass beside the country road.

He wasn’t worried about the corpses rotting and stinking; by nightfall, wild ghosts would come to devour their flesh.

He headed toward the village, pondering—he needed to strike back.

Letting Feirong County keep sending people to harass him wasn’t sustainable.

No one can defend forever.

Half an hour later, he returned to the village entrance and saw the Tree Immortal Lady.

Her silver dangling hairpin swayed slightly, complemented by the three-petaled red forehead adornment—she looked exquisitely beautiful.

Seeing Li Lin, she turned and walked away, moving swiftly, vanishing back into the altar.

The village was unusually quiet; the atmosphere felt strange—many looked at him with relief after tension.

What happened?

Li Lin didn’t ask. He decided to eat first—everything could wait until his belly was full.

He had barely returned to his courtyard, still outside the door, when Zhao Xiaohu rushed up, panting.

“Brother Lin, you’re finally back! We were terrified.”

“What happened?”

Li Lin was puzzled. He’d often stayed overnight in the county town before—never had they been this anxious.

“Last night, while we slept, we suddenly heard strange noises—so loud,” Xiao Hu’s face still showed fear: “Father said they were wild ghost sounds, but thankfully, they vanished just as suddenly.”

Li Lin suddenly remembered: last night, the Tree Immortal Lady had come to him—likely then, without the True Lord present, the wild ghosts had begun approaching the village.

Fortunately, the Tree Immortal Lady returned early.

“Did anyone get hurt?”

Zhao Xiaohu shook his head: “The noises lasted only a short time; we checked everyone this morning—no one was harmed. Brother Lin, is something wrong here? Or is it… the Tree Immortal Lady…?”

Li Lin gently tapped Zhao Xiaohu’s head: “Don’t imagine nonsense. Everything’s fine.”

“Good. Also…” Zhao Xiaohu rubbed his head, cautiously asking: “Is the Tree Immortal Lady a huge snake? I’ve seen a massive snake tail swaying around the village these past few days.”

Oh—he can see the Tree Immortal Lady!

He thought for a moment, then said: “Go get your father. Tell him I have something important to discuss with him.”

Xiao Hu guessed what was coming and ran off excitedly.

Li Lin prepared two cups of tea.

Not long after, Uncle Zhao arrived, carrying a bamboo basket.

Inside were homemade liquor and two small dishes of snacks.

“Uncle Zhao, it seems you already guessed what I want to say.”

Uncle Zhao nodded: “Yesterday, Xiao Hu kept telling me he saw a giant snake—I knew he’d finally entered the path.”

“Indeed,” Li Lin said calmly. “Though Xiao Hu seems average in talent, he has something special—perhaps because his mother was a ghost. His growth has outpaced my expectations.”

Uncle Zhao’s lips trembled slightly; he drank some liquor and said: “So now he must register at the county office?”

“Yes,” Li Lin nodded. “Then he’ll be assigned to a nearby village as a patrol hunter.”

And Xiao Hu would have to stand on his own—but he’s only thirteen, not yet fourteen after the New Year.

Uncle Zhao fell silent for a moment, then asked: “Could he stay with you longer? Skip registration for now?”

Li Lin shook his head: “Spirit hunters need blood rice. Without it, their growth is severely limited. The blood rice I receive from the county office won’t sustain two hunters long-term.”

Technically, he could manage—he still had Life-Sustaining Pills—but they were too “sensitive.” He didn’t want anyone to know.

Even Uncle Zhao, his savior, couldn’t know.

Uncle Zhao said nothing more, drinking silently until dusk, when Xiao Hu came and helped his father away.

Li Lin closed the door and asked beside him: “Lady, I want to learn talisman arts—do you know any way?”

The Tree Immortal Lady had already been there for a while—she’d simply remained silent.

And Uncle Zhao couldn’t see her.

“Yes!”

Her voice remained cold as ever.

(End of Chapter)