Chapter 542: An Unexpected Guest

The rapid sound of horse hooves made Lin Dong glance over instinctively. At that sight, he was instantly stunned.
On three tall steeds, the one at the front was an old man with gray-white beard and a kind face, who immediately seemed amiable. The rhythmic movement on his horse made it clear he was an experienced warrior. With Lin Dong’s own strength at the eighth level of the Reverse Heart Phase, he could tell that this old man’s rhythm was exceptionally strong and smooth—his strength was undoubtedly formidable.
On the steed two horseheads behind, there was a young man on the left, around twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a strikingly handsome appearance. On the right was a woman in red, with bright teeth and a stunning figure, extremely beautiful.
Lin Dong recognized all three of them.
It was Liang Liren, the second elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Mo Jianchen, whom he had met twice before, and Xue Qinghong, whom he had met once.
The first was the most respected elder in the Heavenly Sword Sect, known for his surprisingly good temper. The latter two were very close to Yun Lan and had long accepted him.
Lin Dong frowned slightly. He couldn’t figure out why it was these three who came. As far as he knew, Qin Mengtai had no reason to make peace with him. Even if Yun Cangqiong returned to the Heavenly Sword Sect and declared that no one should condemn Yun Lan, Qin Mengtai should have brought his disciples to attack him instead. Condemning Yun Lan wasn’t necessary—they could just hold Lin Dong accountable.
“Hey, Manager Lin!”
Liang Liren clearly noticed Lin Dong at the entrance and showed some surprise.
“It really is my brother-in-law!”
Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong were delighted. They never expected Lin Dong to greet them at the city gate—this was quite an honor.
“Strange, why isn’t my sister here?”
Xue Qinghong grew puzzled. They had no idea that Lin Dong wasn’t there to greet them at all.
At the city gate, Lin Dong sighed. Since he couldn’t figure it out, he decided not to overthink it. Liang Liren had a good temper, and Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong wouldn’t be enemies of his. Whatever the reason, it was a good thing.
They quickened their pace, and the three of them rushed to the city gate, pulling back on the reins abruptly. Their steeds stopped with a neigh, showing no signs of hesitation—clearly, they were all top-tier horses.
“Second Elder, Jianchen, Qinghong, what brings you here?” Lin Dong stepped forward, bowing with a smile.
“Weren’t you here to pick us up?” Xue Qinghong asked in surprise.
Lin Dong froze for a moment before forcing a wry smile. “I can’t predict the future. How would I know when you’d arrive? Besides, from what I guessed, it shouldn’t be you who came.”

Xue Qinghong’s face burned with heat as she dismounted from the horse, muttering, “From the way you speak, it seems you’re not welcoming us.”
“Just joking. With Sister Xue here, who would dare not welcome her?” Lin Dong laughed and gave orders behind him, “Ma Chun, go back and get everything ready. The food and drinks should be beautifying—make sure there are plenty of Qinglan Fruits.”
“Sure, I’ll go arrange it right away!” Ma Chun knew well the relationship between these three, especially Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong, and the Lin Family Inn, so he agreed immediately.
“That’s much better!” Xue Qinghong touched her cheek. After riding at full speed for over a month, she felt rather disheveled.
“Qinglan Fruits?” Liang Liren frowned in thought before exclaiming.
“Uncle, are Qinglan Fruits really that special?” Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong turned to look at Liang Liren together.
“Not just special—Owner Lin, do you really have Qinglan Fruits?” Liang Liren suddenly stared at Lin Dong.
“If the Second Elder calls me by name, then yes, I do,” Lin Dong replied with a smile.
“Th-These are auxiliary cultivation materials comparable to those of the ninth rank!” Liang Liren was stunned. He hadn’t expected the Lin Family Inn to possess such treasures. Nor had he expected Lin Dong to plan to use them to entertain them right from the start.
“If the Second Elder comes in person, wouldn’t it be rude not to offer something good?” Lin Dong smiled warmly. Since they were friends, it was only right to treat them well. If Qin Mengtai had come, he wouldn’t even have bothered preparing guest rooms.
“If they want to stay, they can find an inn on their own. The Lin Family Inn doesn’t welcome them.”
“How much do you have?” Liang Liren asked. Qinglan Fruits were extraordinary, and he didn’t plan to consume them himself. Nor did he intend for Xue Qinghong to take any. Although Xue Qinghong was also an exceptionally talented elite disciple, she suffered from blood fainting, so her strength wouldn’t help much.
Good resources should be used where they’re most needed. With such scarce quantities of Qinglan Fruits, and if not one pair per person, Liang Liren even considered rushing back to the Tianjian Sect immediately to give them to other elite disciples.
Qinglan Fruits were extremely prone to wilting and weren’t suitable for long-term storage.
“Auxiliary cultivation materials of the ninth rank?” Mo Jianchen and Xue Qinghong jumped up excitedly. In their lives, they had seen auxiliary cultivation materials of the ninth rank, but they had never consumed them before. Such materials were usually reserved for the sect’s heirs, and even in battles against other sects, they were only given to powerful elders to help them break through and enhance their strength.

“Not much. I guarantee it won’t disappoint you three.” Lin Dong didn’t give a clear answer. Xue Qinghong and Mo Jianchen were fine—with Yun Lan around, it was impossible for them to oppose him. But Liang Liren was different. No matter how good his temper, he was still the second eldest in the Tianjian Sect after Qin Mengtai, and everything had to prioritize the sect’s interests. If too much was revealed, there was a risk that Liang Liren might harbor ill intentions toward Lin’s Inn and bring people to seize it upon returning.

Carrying treasure brought guilt—Lin’s Inn’s apparent strength paled in comparison to that of the Tianjian Sect. Moreover, Lin Dong didn’t want to provoke too much conflict with the Tianjian Sect now. With Lin’s Inn’s current strength, though not afraid of them, it still didn’t have a decisive advantage. Given the sect’s rules, there was no risk of destruction, so compromise was out of the question. If a major conflict did break out, someone would surely die, and it would be difficult to explain to Yun Lan. The Tianjian Sect was still her home, and its junior disciples, though varying in closeness, were all her relatives.

“Great! I’m glad I insisted on coming this time. I knew we’d gain a lot.” Xue Qinghong was overjoyed, dancing with happiness. Last time at Lin’s Inn, she had obtained many mutated Grade 7 Spirit Snake Inner Pills that greatly enhanced her cultivation strength. This time, Qin Mengtai had originally arranged for only Liang Liren and Mo Jianchen to come, but she pleaded with her fifth elder master, who interceded to include her as well.

Even before entering the city, such great benefits had appeared—how could she not admire her own wisdom and brilliance?

Mo Jianchen was equally ecstatic. He valued strength more than Xue Qinghong. Though lacking her prescient wisdom, his excitement wasn’t much less than hers. His composure, however, was far better than hers, so he didn’t dance around.

“I’m not sure…” Liang Liren hesitated. He didn’t want to ruin Xue Qinghong’s good mood, but he also had to put the Tianjian Sect’s interests first.

“The Blue-Green Tree was discovered by accident. There aren’t many fruits, and since the eldest elder and Lord Feng seem dissatisfied with me, I…” Lin Dong showed slight regret, making it clear that due to varying degrees of closeness and the limited supply of Blue-Green Fruits, he couldn’t possibly give them to other Tianjian Sect disciples, as that would strengthen their enemies.

Liang Liren nodded slightly. Though disappointed, he also felt somewhat relieved. Although Xue Qinghong wasn’t his disciple, her weakness of fainting at the sight of blood meant she had always stayed out of conflicts in the Tianjian Sect. Plus, being pretty and lively, he had always doted on her. There was no need, nor did he want, to disappoint her.

“Brother-in-law, your luck really isn’t just talk!” Xue Qinghong gave Lin Dong a thumbs up. Last time, she had heard Lin Dong bragging loudly about his good luck, with Yun Lan’s rapid improvement in strength as proof, so she had always believed it without doubt and remembered it vividly.
“Of course! Otherwise, how would I be able to meet you guys just by going out?” Lin Dong said modestly. “You won’t believe it if I tell you, but if I wander around the mountains and forests, I’m sure I’ll find treasures every time.”
“I believe it! Of course I believe it!” Xue Qinghong nodded eagerly, somewhat envious. If he could even come across auxiliary cultivation materials of the ninth rank, his luck was definitely extraordinary.
Even Liang Liren and Mo Jianchen began to believe it; otherwise, it couldn’t be explained. If auxiliary cultivation materials of the ninth rank were that easy to find, Yun Cangqiong wouldn’t have nearly lost his life over a Dream Wisdom Tree.
“Second Elder, Jianchen, Qinghong, come in!” Lin Dong said. “Yun Lan will be very happy to see you.”
“Mm-hmm!” Xue Qinghong nodded eagerly. “I haven’t seen Sister Yun in a long time either.”
Liang Liren nodded slightly and walked slowly toward the doorway. He wasn’t here to cause trouble for Lin Dong, so he felt no pressure.
“Get ready, it’s time to wrap up for today,” Lin Dong instructed the workers before leading the three of them inside.
Wang Chengyi had sharp eyes and immediately realized that Lin Dong had a close relationship with these three, who also possessed extraordinary strength. With a command, the guards immediately stepped aside, conveniently skipping the city entry inspection.
In fact, even without Lin Dong’s influence, the guards would never have stopped them for inspection. Warriors, whether registered in the Great Han Kingdom or not, had the right to enter the city without inspection, as the guards simply couldn’t stop them—doing so might even lead to conflicts.
Martial artists tend to have strong tempers. If city guards tried to inspect them, there would surely be bloodshed and even deaths at the city gates within days. Such people were under the responsibility of the Tianwei Pavilion and the Martial Assessment Institute.
Upon arriving at Lin’s Inn, Lin Dong didn’t go through any formalities for guests and directly led the three of them to the back yard.
“Yun Lan, we have guests.”
Closing the back door, Lin Dong called out loudly.
The door creaked open, and Yun Lan stepped out, her face filled with joy.
“Second Elder, why are you all here?”

Liang Liren found it difficult to answer. Lin Dong had asked before, and he had deliberately ignored the question, not wanting Lin Dong to know to avoid complications. Now that Lin Dong was still there, it was naturally hard for him to speak openly.