Chapter 99: Seeking Scolding
It’s best to keep the relationship between Gu Huanzong and Lin’s Inn as hidden as possible. After all, it’s puzzling why a sect would stand up for an inn. If someone were to investigate the reason—whether it’s Tianhao’s talent or the inn’s cultivation benefits—it would be troublesome. To successfully reduce the rent rate below the legal limit, it’s best to resolve things peacefully with the Liu family.
In an instant, Lin Dong wore a friendly smile and bowed again, saying, “I’m here to register my cultivation level. I never expected to meet Young Master Liu. If it’s not fate, I definitely won’t believe it.”
“Exactly, fate—it’s fate,” Liu Qingling nodded repeatedly, feeling extremely frustrated. Why was this shopkeeper, Lin, always so polite?
“Young Master Liu, Lin’s Inn has recently introduced a signature dish. How about we meet by chance and try it later?” Lin Dong said with a smile.
Liu Qingling was stunned. Could it be that all the warriors from Lin’s Inn had left, and this shopkeeper wanted to build a good relationship with him out of fear of the Liu family’s retaliation?
“If Young Master Liu remains silent, shall I assume you’ve agreed?” Lin Dong asked with a smile.
“Of course not! How dare I disturb Shopkeeper Lin,” Liu Qingling quickly waved his hands, looking shy. “I’ll go when I have the chance.”
Lin Dong smiled and didn’t insist. Glancing at the spirit-testing stone on the counter, he asked, “Young Master Liu, you haven’t tested yet, have you?”
“Yes, I haven’t,” Liu Qingling stepped back slightly from the counter, fumblingly saying, “Shopkeeper Lin, please go first.”
“That won’t do. Since Young Master Liu came first, it’s only right that he tests first,” Lin Dong shook his head.
“Shopkeeper Lin is busy. How can we let you wait? Please go first,” Liu Qingling stepped back a few more steps. Today, he must yield—even if he couldn’t return the internal injuries he’d suffered, at least he wouldn’t make things worse.
As Lin Dong still insisted on yielding, Yang Laiting glared at Liu Qingling and said unhappily, “Enough! It’s just a strength test. You’re not even a peak expert. It’ll be over in no time. Hurry up!”
“Sorry, sorry!” Liu Qingling was secretly glad. Since he couldn’t return the internal injuries to Lin Dong, giving them to this old man who failed to recognize his true strength wasn’t bad either.
“Then why are you still standing there?”
Yang Laiting couldn’t help but glance sideways at Liu Qingling. If this kid really was Lin Dong’s friend, no matter how eager he was to see if Lin Dong had truly reached the fifth level of the Lingdong Phase, he wouldn’t act in such a manner. It was all because the two of them had acted excessively earlier—to onlookers, they looked like enemies meeting, both with reasons not to use force, forcing them to exchange polite words. That hypocrisy made anyone’s skin prickle.
“Sorry, sorry, it’s all my fault,” Liu Qingling said hurriedly, nodding frantically as he stepped forward. His right hand, pressed on the spirit-testing stone, trembled slightly due to nervousness, causing the stone to fall with a snap.
“Can you be more careful? This is a spirit-testing stone. If it gets broken, will the Military Testing Institute still be able to conduct tests and keep records?” Yang Laiting snapped angrily.
“I’ll be careful, I really will,” Liu Qingling replied, his heart trembling with joy. His hands, trying to lift the stone, shook uncontrollably, and it took him a long time to get it upright. Undoubtedly, his carelessness drew another round of complaints from Yang Laiting.
Liu Qingling no longer cared about Lin Dong. As the eldest son of the Liu family, he naturally knew Yang Laiting’s status—he was an administrator at the Military Testing Institute, having arrived in Xilan City forty years ago with its director. Since both of them had no wives or children, provoking Yang Laiting would be the same as provoking the institute’s director, Ren Qingsong.
The director was a fifth-rank official and a warrior loyal to the court. There was no one else in Xilan City with such status. If he could suffer humiliation first and then turn around to humiliate the other party… Although he couldn’t show himself when his uncle came looking for trouble out of respect for the director’s status, Liu Qingling believed the satisfaction alone would last him days.
Yang Laiting had no idea what Liu Qingling was thinking. Seeing him keep apologizing yet causing problems over and over, he wished he could slap the kid to death. A simple annual test took nearly half an hour, and Liu Qingling was criticized for most of that time.
Over by the side, Lin Dong realized that this eldest Liu son was deliberately seeking trouble. What he didn’t understand was that although the Liu family had significant influence in Xilan City, they weren’t powerful enough to defy the Military Testing Institute. Could it be that Liu Qingling didn’t know about Yang Laiting’s relationship with Ren Qingsong?
After completing the annual test, Liu Qingling was thrilled by the scolding he received and wanted to test Lin Dong again. Yet, despite his earlier cowardly and incompetent performance, Lin Dong still wore a smiling face, showing no sign of disdain. This attitude once again dimmed Liu Qingling’s good mood slightly, but fortunately, he could endure it since he could regain his spirits by dealing with Yang Laiting and Ren Qingsong later.
“Shopkeeper Lin, are there any further instructions?”
“How dare I talk about instructions? If Young Master Liu happens to visit Lin’s Inn, it would be the greatest honor for me,” Lin Dong said with a smile.
“Sure, sure. If nothing else, I’ll take my leave then?”
Seeing Lin Dong nod, Liu Qingling bowed respectfully, stepped back a few steps, and turned to leave.
Lin Dong watched Liu Qingling’s retreating figure and suddenly said, “Uncle Yang, I’m on good terms with Young Master Liu. If there are many people to register in the future, please give him priority.”
Liu Qingling stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
The two of them knew each other!
If his uncle really destroyed the Martial Testing Institute, wouldn’t that likely attract the experts from Lin’s Inn?
With a gloomy expression, Liu Qingling bowed to Lin Dong and said, “Thank you for your kind words, Shopkeeper Lin.”
“It’s my duty,” Lin Dong replied with a slight smile.
After exchanging a few more polite words, Liu Qingling reluctantly turned away, having no choice but to wait for his uncle’s junior disciples to arrive before going to Lin’s Inn and dealing with the Martial Testing Institute later.
Yang Laiting frowned, staring intently at Liu Qingling as he walked away, his eyes gleaming coldly. Clearly, thanks to Lin Dong’s words, he understood why Liu Qingling had been so subservient earlier.
“The notorious eldest son of the Liu family is actually bowing and scraping—no idea what gives him the confidence to disregard even the Martial Testing Institute. Lin Dong, you’d better be careful.”
Lin Dong nodded and mused, “You probably need to be careful too.”
“No problem. You know my relationship with the institute head. If that kid dares to cause trouble, I’ll make sure the entire Liu family suffers,” Yang Laiting snarled.
The Liu family had only two warriors who had reached the Lingdong stage. It was doubtful whether they could even defeat Ren Qingsong together, let alone since Ren Qingsong was a warrior loyal to the imperial court. With such status, even sects wouldn’t dare take drastic action against him. Moreover, since Liu Qingling had already been warned earlier, Lin Dong didn’t overthink it and stepped forward to begin testing his realm.
After a moment, a silver glow appeared at the bottom of the spirit-testing stone. Although it was somewhat strained at the middle, it was undoubtedly at the fifth level of the Lingdong stage.
“Let’s go. The institute head instructed that after your test, you’ll be taken straight to the back courtyard!”
Without a doubt, Yang Laiting even skipped the registration process, walked out of the counter cheerfully, called out to Lin Dong, and jogged into the back door. Following him into the backyard, Ren Qingsong’s door was wide open; it was clear he wasn’t practicing cultivation. “Dean, Lin Dong is here…” Yang Laiting started shouting from about ten meters away. Immediately, Ren Qingsong’s voice came from inside: “Come in all—let me show you something amazing!” Lin Dong nodded, quickened his pace slightly, and followed Yang Laiting into Ren Qingsong’s room. After closing the door, Ren Qingsong spread his palm, revealing a fiery red wooden box. Carefully opening the box, they saw a thick layer of red leaves at the bottom. Above the leaves lay two fruits, about the size of lychees, also bright red and extremely eye-catching.