Chapter 500: A Grand Cultivation God Cannot Encounter a Harem Scene

Blue Star (7500 words) Blue Star (7500 words)

"Let me be clear—this is the first and last time."

Su Lin told his mother flatly, uninterested—he'd rather sleep than waste time on such a boring task.

At least for now.

"Alright, alright, I won't find you a match anymore—you're grown up, you decide for yourself, but isn't this all for your own good?"

Su Lin's mother, Liu Yumei, muttered under her breath, as if trying to justify her arrangement.

In the past, Su Lin would have argued with her, talking about personal independence, rejecting patriarchal control, and such things.

But since he began cultivation, many things had become distant to him.

When you can escape the constraints of rules and possess an endless lifespan, you observe everything from the outside, no longer swept along.

This blind date was merely an uninteresting experience.

Eat a meal? Fine, eat it.

Go on a date? Fine, go.

No one said he had to accept it—just go through the motions and slip away like completing a task.

The mindset of the older generation, shaped over decades, couldn't be changed with a few words; parents like Su's mother were far from rare. Often, due to ideological differences and long-standing control, arguments achieved little.

But Su Lin's mother was somewhat better.

Some truths could be explained to her; she understood her thinking was still stuck in the past, and her words were merely saving face.

Taking a taxi to the restaurant, Su Lin paid via scan, then gave the driver a glance before stepping out.

Seeing the middle-aged couple at the entrance, already chatting with his mother, vaguely familiar, Su Lin sighed, then relaxed his brow and slightly lifted the corners of his mouth into a polite, restrained smile.

"Uncle Liu, long time no see."

"Oh! Xiao Su, you've changed so much—you've gotten this handsome?!"

Liu Rulong was genuinely surprised; he wasn't flattering—the young man before him radiated a unique aura and appearance.

Though he and Su Lin's parents merely felt the families were well-matched and wanted to try arranging a meeting, never expecting it to actually work, seeing Su Lin now, he felt satisfied with the boy who had seemed so immature just five or six years ago.

"Happy New Year! I moved to the city years ago and rarely came back—I'm making up for it this year." Liu Rulong pulled out a red envelope and walked cheerfully toward Su Lin.

Amid his mother's protests—"He's grown now!" "Don't take it!"—Su Lin opened his pocket, grasped Liu Rulong's hand, and guided the envelope inside: "Uncle Liu, I can't accept this! Ah—thank you, Uncle Liu."

His practiced gesture left Liu Rulong and the others stunned.

This kid's quite outgoing.

"Hahaha!" Liu Rulong laughed, clapping Su Lin's shoulder twice: "Come on, let's go inside—Ruyan will be here soon."

Su's mother glanced helplessly at Su Lin and said: "Your father and I will join Uncle Liu and his wife in the private room next door—we won't intrude on your young people's conversation."

Originally, Su's mother thought the restaurant was too expensive and only planned to reserve a table for Su Lin and Liu Ruyan, but when the server said the lottery ticket they'd drawn could be used twice—with the second table at half price!

And most crucially, the head chef was flying in from abroad to cook personally tonight.

So Su's mother decided to dine here too, enjoying a nice meal with her husband.

Su Lin silently sensed the sixteen hundred-yuan bills inside the envelope and set himself a limit: no more than 160 minutes of keeping her company over food and drinks tonight.

"After you, Uncle Liu," Su Lin smiled politely. "This restaurant's ambiance is quite nice."

It was true—the elegant European-style architecture, spacious grounds, paired with traditional Chinese lanterns and decorations, even featuring a specially built artificial courtyard for viewing—the owner really spared no expense.

"So polite! My Ruyan isn't like that," Liu Rulong offered the usual compliment,

walking with Su's mother and father into the restaurant.

The restaurant's waiter stood at the entrance, wearing white gloves, politely asking if guests had driven, whether they'd ordered wine, and confirming the reservation with the backstage via earpiece.

His professionalism surprised Su Lin—he instinctively glanced at the restaurant's sign: "CJR."

Like an acronym.

When had such a high-end restaurant opened in his hometown?

But before his rebirth, Su Lin hadn't been in his hometown at this time; moreover, his rebirth had triggered a cascade of changes—the economic downturn that would've occurred then had been averted due to structural shifts in society and development, and the global attention on transcendent powers.

Under these circumstances, Su Lin didn't dwell on it.

Some differences were only natural.

"Pianist is in position."

"Lighting crew is in position."

"Kitchen is ready, Weigong Shilang—tonight's dishes should deviate from your usual style."

"The Michelin-starred waitstaff can continue as normal."

"All other atmosphere crew guests are fine—ignore them."

Listening to the encrypted call relayed by Meng Qi's Zhuo Guo Zhi Yin, Kleen nodded in satisfaction: "Good. My observation was correct—Su Lin has no habit of relaxing his perception in daily life; when with family, he deliberately suppresses it."

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan stared at the rebroadcast footage, dumbfounded: "Is that really Su Lin? Did we pick the wrong person?"

A gentle smile, bright eyes, sitting politely at the table chatting with his parents and the other middle-aged couple, humbly accepting compliments, even blushing slightly.

So ordinary! So plain! So normal!

"Don't be fooled by appearances—that face hides a demon!" came Lu Mingfei's serious voice.

Weigong Shilang tried to correct: "That's God."

"Li Huowang, how's your prepared second female lead?" Meng Qi asked.

"Will Brother Su get angry if he finds out?" Li Huowang's voice trembled noticeably, yet held a trace of excitement: "Brother Su's family having dinner—this kind of joke…"

"Mr. Li Huowang, I must remind you—this is not a joke," Kleen said solemnly.

"Just as I must constantly maintain my necessary humanity to truly be Zhou Mingrui, don't you think Su Lin needs to reclaim some of his true self? The hymn of humanity is a hymn of courage—tenacity, sacrifice, legacy, and love—these emotions are indispensable."

"A good match is predestined; a perfect partner is heaven-sent. Mr. Li Huowang, Su Lin once helped us—now it's our turn to help him!"

Li Huowang fell silent for a moment, then opened his mouth and said: "Zhou Ge, has anyone ever told you you'd make a perfect Zuo Wang Dao?"

"Just think you were tricked by the Forgotten Dao," Kleine said with a smile, looking at Yi Leina, who tightly gripped her lace skirt hem, dressed in a pure white evening gown: "Young Lady Yi, are you ready?"

"I regret this," Yi Leina's eyelids twitched violently: "Must I dress like this?"

"Don't fidget," Penglai Mountain Kaguya's eyes sparkled as she fastened a luxurious ribbon around Yi Leina: "Perfect! Even I'm moved by it! Trouble—what if Su Lin actually gets attracted? What will you do?"

What to do?

Yi Leina cried in panic: "I'll go find the Parallel World's Yi Leina!"

"That's enough," Kleine picked up the camera wrapped in gray mist and said: "Positions! Kitchen, serve the dishes!"

Without giving Yi Leina a chance to retreat, Kleine decisively lifted the curtain on tonight's performance.

"Wait—who's that woman?" Lu Mingfei interrupted: "Why have Su Lin's parents and relatives all left?!"

On screen, Su Lin's parents and the middle-aged couple were led by a waiter into a nearby area separated by a screen, while Su Lin sat across from a young woman wearing a blue dress.

Kleine's pupils contracted; he pulled out his phone and dialed: "Xing, what's going on?"

【Liu Ying treated me to an oak cake.】 Xing's voice came through.

"Who's Liu Ying?" Kleine froze: "What are you talking about?"

"What's happening over there with Su Lin? Why did they book two tables?"

【Oh, his mother first booked a two-person candlelight dinner, then called today to add a four-person gathering, so two tables.】 Xing's voice remained flat: 【If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up.】

Beep—

Is he on a blind date?

As Kleine and the others stood stunned, Ye Fan and the others walked over from nearby and asked: "What show were you saying you'd watch?"

"Su Lin?"

"Hello, Young Lady Liu."

Su Lin looked at the girl who sat down with a handbag; since the room was warm, she had taken off her coat and handed it to a staff member, her movements relaxed and natural, showing no trace of awkwardness.

Her fluffy blunt bangs ended in soft, natural curls, perfectly complementing her delicate features; her dark eyes brightened as they met Su Lin's, then paused slightly.

She recovered from her brief daze, an unconscious smile rising on her lips: "Just call me Liu Ruyan. I've heard about you from my parents for a long time, but I've only met Aunt Liu and Uncle Su—I've never seen you before."

"You're much prettier than in the photos," Su Lin smiled faintly and minimized the game on his phone screen.

"Genshin Impact?" Liu Ruyan raised an eyebrow: "I play that too, but my level's low—I can't even form a team."

"No problem, you can Google it." Su Lin called over a waiter: "What would you like to drink?"

Liu Ruyan smiled: "Wine."

At that moment, soft music filled the hall; a blond man in a tailcoat began playing the piano, followed by the slow cello notes.

"You say I'm prettier than in the photos, but I'm not wearing makeup today," Liu Ruyan smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear: "You're good at making girls happy—I don't believe Auntie when she says you've never dated."

Su Lin kept smiling: "In college, I preferred gaming and anime—I didn't join many social activities."

"Same here," Liu Ruyan nodded: "I was in the anime club in college—most of my allowance went to buying S gear."

"I occasionally play S too," Su Lin mentioned casually.

Liu Ruyan's eyes lit up: "What kind of S do you usually play?"

What S?

Faced with this question, Su Lin fell into thought.

There's plenty to choose from.

In Joel Lubson's courtyard, several long tables were scattered across the grounds, the fountain rising and falling with the music.

"She's already seized the initiative," Luo Shengying slammed an ancient mirror onto the table: "She's guiding you by controlling the conversation!"

Su Tuoni bared his teeth, turned his head away, and silently placed a slice of smoked sturgeon into his mouth.

"She had an ex-boyfriend who was the anime club president—those are all their kinky toys!"

The food here tasted surprisingly delicious.

"Aren't you just following her rhythm from start to finish?! Don't get tricked by this bad woman!"

The pairing is absolutely perfect!

"Eat, eat, all you ever think about is eating!" Luo Shengying slapped Luo Xiaoying on the head: "When I was young, I wasn't this greedy!"

Luo Xiaoying stared blankly, hugging her head: "I'm still in high school—I'm still growing!"

Why did I turn into such a harsh, menopausal old hag after growing up?

"And you!" Luo Shengying glared coldly at Su Tuoni, who was eating: "Her level is way higher than your old self—look, you've already added her on WeChat!"

"Past is past, present is present—don't use the past as the present," Su Tuoni weakly replied.

"Eat your food—the dishes are getting cold."

Luo Xiaoying nodded: "The food here is really delicious."

No sooner had she spoken than the stern Luo Shengying locked her arm around her and dragged her toward the restaurant's main hall.

"I haven't finished eating—what are you doing?!"

"Shut up! Do you want to be a loser?!"

"I don't even know him well, sob sob sob…"

Despite the commotion, the surrounding customers showed no reaction; waiters continued pushing carts, delivering dish after dish.

Su Tuoni finished the last course—roasted lamb with eggplant sauce—and slowly rose after wiping his mouth with a napkin: "If Fala were here, it'd be better."

With just Xiaoying, it doesn't even count as a harem scene.

"I'm a very traditional girl—if my boyfriend does anything inappropriate during dating, I'll say it outright. So I hope my future boyfriend is traditional too—is that weird?"

"Hmm, that's fine."

Su Lin agreed.

He cut a piece of braised morel mushroom, put it in his mouth, and savored the rich, savory flavor spreading through his tongue.

"With the revival of spiritual energy, life has changed beyond recognition. I heard from an upperclassman that only those who start cultivating first can rise to the upper echelons of society—I'm not sure if that's true," Liu Ruyan said with a light smile after finishing her glass of red wine.

"Still, it's surprising, isn't it? We who never would've crossed paths are now sitting together talking about the future."

"Indeed," Su Lin nodded, swallowing the food in his mouth.

So surprising.

Without spiritual energy to nourish it, how could mere ordinary ingredients produce such flavor? Clearly, there are hidden talents everywhere.

Liu Ruyan nodded in satisfaction.

Though Su Lin's appearance was indeed quite decent, he clearly seemed dull-witted—exactly the kind of "honest" person her other uncles and aunts had described.

Honesty isn't really an advantage; quite the opposite. It's precisely because these good kids have no standout qualities that people who know Aunt Liu say things like, "That boy is so honest," "He's so obedient," "He's so filial"—meaningless compliments.

What a waste of that face. He looks like someone obsessed with anime and games, inwardly timid yet craving a perfect, flawless romance with no regrets.

So all I need to do is set myself up as his fantasy ideal girl.

Just slap on labels like "traditional," "never dated," "shared interests," "gentle and considerate"—the rest of the dream-girl image will complete itself in his mind.

"Su Lin, what are you planning to do after dinner?" Liu Ruyan tried making eye contact with him.

During conversation, maintaining eye contact with a boy expresses a girl's sincerity and attention, making him feel valued and attracted.

Su Lin didn't look away. Out of respect, he preferred to look directly into someone's eyes when speaking. "Probably play games, or go home and watch a movie."

Liu Ruyan watched his eyes light up as he ate, and a faint smile curled at her lips:

"Then let me take you to the movies? I haven't seen any of the Spring Festival releases. It's rare to meet someone with the same taste. Though I don't have many thoughts about dating yet, I think we could be movie buddies."

"You'll pay?" Su Lin looked at her.

Liu Ruyan lifted her crossbody bag, striking an adorable pose. "Mm-hmm, I'll pay."

"Fine," Su Lin didn't care either way.

"I have a friend nearby. Could I call him over to join us?" Liu Ruyan hesitated, testing the waters. "He's also a provisional student from the same batch as us entering the Jixia Academy. We could chat, then go see a movie together afterward."

"No problem," Su Lin nodded.

After that, Liu Ruyan would occasionally bring up topics and chat with Su Lin, who, to avoid awkward silence, would occasionally chime in with trivial matters.

After a while, a tall young man wearing a baseball cap entered and, guided by a waiter, approached Su Lin and Liu Ruyan's table.

He glanced at Su Lin with a blank expression, narrowed his eyes slightly from above, then quickly looked away toward Liu Ruyan. "Ruyan, it's been years."

"Lu Chen, we haven't seen each other since high school graduation," Liu Ruyan smiled warmly and introduced Su Lin.

But whenever this young man named Lu Chen looked at Su Lin, there was always a faint air of superiority and hostility in his eyes.

Su Lin regarded him with mild interest.

Lu Chen frowned and said, "I'm Lu Chen. I went to middle and high school with Ruyan. This time, my cultivation aptitude is average."

Lu Chen frowned and said, "I'm Lu Chen; I went to middle and high school with Ru Yan. This time, I entered the Jixia Academy with a medium qualification."

Su Lin nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

Nothing unusual. When transcendent power began spreading, among the gifted, there were always people like this.

"I heard your acceptance letter listed your cultivation aptitude as below average. Not the worst, but still far behind Ruyan," Lu Chen said.

"I heard your admission notice listed your cultivation qualification as low-medium, which isn't the worst, but it's still quite a bit worse than Ru Yan's," Lu Chen said.

Su Lin hadn't even looked at his acceptance letter to see what it said.

"I hope this isn't some love triangle drama," Su Lin prayed silently.

He had no interest in plots where men fought over a woman they'd just met—not even enough to pretend to be a fool. If this guy insulted him, he'd just make him suffer a little after they left the restaurant.

"Don't say that," Liu Ruyan frowned. "None of us have started cultivating yet. Aptitude doesn't mean everything."

Liu Ruyan called over a waiter and handed the menu to Lu Chen, then turned to Su Lin. "Su Lin, I heard that after entering the Jixia Academy, everyone receives monthly cultivation resources—but only those who pass the test can truly begin cultivating."

"Really? I never heard that," Su Lin admitted—he knew little about the Jixia Academy.

"Don't worry, Ruyan," Lu Chen smiled confidently. "I told you before—I'll lend you my resources until you pass the test, then you can return them."

Liu Ruyan shook her head. "According to last year's students on the forum, everyone's monthly allocation is fixed. And Lu Chen, I won't hold you back from your cultivation."

"Then what if Lu Chen and I each lend you a little?" Lu Chen said, turning to Su Lin.

"Then that's settled," Lu Chen looked at Su Lin and said, "Why don't you just borrow a little from each of us?"

"The most talented among our county's batch is you, Ruyan. Your early cultivation will bring honor to our hometown," Lu Chen went on smoothly.

Liu Ruyan frowned and shook her head, verbally refusing.

The two argued for a while. Finally, Liu Ruyan spoke softly: "Su Lin, could you help me?"

With ordinary relations, repayment would be expected. But if something developed between them, would he still dare ask her to repay?

Liu Ruyan looked at Su Lin, her eyes slightly timid, projecting a vulnerable, fear-of-rejection aura.

Su Lin finally understood. All this talk was just about resources.

Su Lin finally understood—it was all along about resources.

Su Lin stood up helplessly and spoke bluntly: "I think your dad is a decent guy. Does he know how much you're playing games?"

Now I get why this blind date was such a disaster. Fuck, this is so depressing.

Su Lin put away his phone and headed to the front desk to settle the bill—only his own and his elders' table.

Liu Ruyan quickly said, "Su Lin, you misunderstood me."

She resented Lu Chen—this shouldn't have been rushed. And Su Lin had seemed so easy to persuade during their earlier chat.

Su Lin shook his head. "Don't treat people like fools. Put your energy into cultivation—it's worth more than anything."

Hearing this, Liu Ruyan's eyes instantly welled up. She sniffled, "What do you mean?"

Lu Chen slammed his fist on the table and stood up, pointing at Su Lin and shouting: "Su Lin, what the hell are you—"

What does that mean?

Lu Chen slammed his fist on the table and sprang to his feet, pointing at Su Lin and roaring, "Su Lin, what the hell are you?"

Su Lin glanced at the other person; in the brief moment their gazes met, Lu Chen's next curse choked in his throat, and then, for no reason at all, his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground, his pants instantly soaked.

"Do you even deserve to cultivate?" Su Lin tossed out a remark and turned to leave; as he passed Liu Ruyan, he said, "Take care of yourself."

At that moment, the commotion in the restaurant drew a crowd of diners and servers, and even Su Lin's parents and Liu Rulong and his wife emerged from another private room—they had just heard someone calling Su Lin's name.

When Liu Ruyan saw her parents, she was stunned, and as if seeing a savior, she ran over with a face streaked with tears like pear blossoms in the rain.

"Dad! Mom!" Liu Ruyan cried.

Liu Rulong said anxiously, "Daughter, what's wrong? Don't be afraid—tell Dad, no one will dare to bully you with me here."

"I just invited a friend—a friend I haven't seen in a long time," Liu Ruyan sniffled, stealing a timid glance at Su Lin: "Su Lin, you've misunderstood me."

Upon hearing this, Liu Rulong's face flushed red. He grabbed Su Lin's shirt cuff and, controlling his emotions, whispered a sharp question: "Su Lin, you're a grown man—are you here to go on a blind date or to bully a girl?!"

"Old Liu!" Su's mother moved to pull Liu Rulong away.

At that moment, Su Lin seized Liu Rulong's wrist and applied light pressure, forcing him to release his grip helplessly.

He pulled the red envelope containing one thousand six hundred yuan from his pocket and placed it in Liu Rulong's hand, patting it gently: "Uncle Liu, educating your children is an essential part of family life. A friend of mine once said: a child can be mischievous, can be wild—but they must know right from wrong. Take this money."

Liu Rulong stood frozen in place.

"Su Lin, who are you calling ignorant of right and wrong?" Liu Ruyan hid behind her father, regaining her composure; her eyes now brimmed with malice, utterly unlike her earlier sweet and generous demeanor: "What's wrong with rejecting you? I just don't like you! Your possessiveness is too strong—you're completely unsuitable for having a girlfriend!"

Absolute trash.

The worst kind of trash.

Su Lin took a deep breath; for an instant, he wondered if he'd accidentally tuned into the wrong channel.

Glancing at the petal mark on his hand that had vanished, Su Lin sighed again—today's Mr. Su was utterly cursed. But the good news was, nothing worse could possibly happen.

Around him, murmurs swelled. Su Lin pulled his parents over and said to Liu Ruyan: "Did I ever pursue you? Don't spread rumors—this matter ends here."

"What rumors?!" Liu Ruyan burst into tears, but immediately wiped them away, forcing a cold, defiant expression:

"Even if you have cultivation talent, with your personality, even if you go to Jixia Academy, you'll just live in fantasies from games and anime—you'll never find a girlfriend, and no girl will ever like you!"

"You piece of trash—"

Her voice rang out loudly, as if she wanted everyone to know Su Lin had cultivation talent and was going to Jixia Academy.

Swish—

Slap—

"Ahh!!!"

The crisp sound of a slap merged with Liu Ruyan's scream.

A stream of water fell from above, drenching Liu Ruyan completely.

"Shut up," Yi Leina stepped out from behind the screen behind Su Lin and the others, holding an empty mineral water bottle. She tossed it aside and glared at Su Lin impatiently: "Didn't you just message me that you'd finished rejecting this clingy woman and would take me shopping?"

"Big Brother Su Lin, you said today you'd take me to the amusement park," Luo Shengying walked in from the corridor ahead, covering her hand, head bowed, as if forced to recite some humiliating line.

When she raised her head after finishing, she found a girl in a white evening gown staring at her.

Su Lin, who had been staring at his own hand, wondering why he hadn't controlled himself, lifted his head and stood in the center, eyes wide as he looked back and forth between the two sides.

The air suddenly fell silent. Just as Su Lin's mind hadn't yet switched from the urban channel, the elevator in the lobby arrived at the first floor.

The doors opened, and a woman with frost-white hair and ancient-style robes stepped out. Her gaze swept the room before settling on Su Lin. She frowned: "Doctor Su, weren't you supposed to take me out today?"

The door had just opened when a woman with frost-white hair dressed in an ancient-style robe stepped out; her gaze swept the room and settled on Su Lin, who asked in confusion, "Doctor Su, weren't you supposed to go out with me today?"

Swish-swish—

Someone tugged lightly at his sleeve. He turned and saw Hui Liye holding up a small notebook.

She stood quietly, saying nothing, continuing to write on her notepad: "Hello, Uncle and Auntie. I'm Hui Liye of Penglai Mountain."

"" Kleen pressed his hat down, covering the upper half of his face, and picked up his cane, walking out of the restaurant.

Lu Mingfei stared blankly, scribbling on a sheet of paper.

Along the way, they passed Tony, the teacher who looked exactly like Su Lin but was kneeling on a bench, mouth agape, staring at the scene.

Moments later, Song Shuhang arrived beside Ye Fan with a girl sporting pink hair—the "Anything You Want Fairy"—and asked: "Master Ye Fan, have you seen Master Su Lin? His bedsheet has arrived."

A few seconds later, Song Shuhang arrived with the pink-haired "Immortal Who Has Everything" beside Ye Fan and asked, "Master Ye Fan, have you seen Master Su Lin? His bedsheet has arrived."

"Thank you, Master Ye Fan," Song Shuhang bowed and led the "Anything You Want Fairy" over.

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and clicked his tongue: "Send it."

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and clicked his tongue: "Rent."