When the Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Meets the Unbeatable Protagonist | Chapter 41

Dongzhou is located north of Yunzhou and south of Xuanzhou. The difference is that Dongzhou and Yunzhou are closely connected, while Xuanzhou is separated by a mountain range.

The Lin family happens to be situated at the border city between Dongzhou and Xuanzhou, and they are the richest in that area. You wouldn't know it just by looking, but once you see it, you realize that the Lin family's residence is no mere mansion; it’s practically a small city.

However, the Lin family was wiped out overnight, reportedly due to an invasion by monsters. When outsiders heard about it, they couldn't help but sigh; it was considered the biggest calamity caused by monsters in recent years. Fortunately, the head of the Lin family, Lin Yu, managed to escape death and led a few remaining subordinates to reorganize, continuing the dwindling family business. It was just like ten years ago when his older brother, Lin Lang, was unfortunately killed by bandits, and Lin Yu single-handedly held the shaky Lin family together.

Sadly, apart from Lin Yu, everyone else in the Lin family perished. He left with the family fortune, heartbroken, possibly to avoid further disaster. In the future, he might rise again or perhaps disappear from everyone's sight altogether.

Just when everyone thought the legend of the Lin family had come to an end, a few years later, the eldest son of the main branch suddenly came back to life. Lin Yu, on the other hand, had died, and the eldest son returned with Lin Yu's belongings!

Lin Ji had long known that his third uncle had managed his reputation too well over the years. Even if he presented evidence to the authorities claiming that his uncle was the culprit behind the Lin family's demise, no one would believe him.

Thus, he decided to go with the flow. Although it seemed a bit unfair to his uncle, recovering the benefits was the most important thing.

Transferring the family assets was quite difficult; he had to go through the proper channels. So, he went to the authorities and fabricated a complete story about his uncle's death and his own "fake death," putting on a heartbroken act for the officials.

"I'm afraid my uncle mistook the body, thinking I was dead. In fact, I managed to escape. I finally reunited with my uncle, but he... was harmed by a poisonous weasel, leaving nothing behind. I had to return alone, at least to give my uncle a proper burial..."

Lin Ji really couldn't cry, so he just hung his head in silence, pretending to be half-dead, a skill that Lu Xiaobai said he was quite good at.

The official was taken aback, and Lin Ji presented the family token and some antique treasures that Lin Yu loved to collect, proving the authenticity of his words.

The Lin family's assets were so vast that they had often dealt with the authorities in the past, so he didn't need to prove his identity; they all knew each other.

In the end, with a hint, he offered to give the official everything except the family token, and the paperwork for the transfer of assets was completed.

The official rubbed his hands under the table, hesitating to pocket the treasures, saying, "But Lin Yu left Dongzhou years ago, and I don't know where he is now. Do you need me to send someone to help you find him?"

The Lin family had been harmed repeatedly by monsters, and the official was a bit afraid of being cursed himself. But these antiques were clearly of exceptional quality and quite valuable... At worst, he could pass them on to his colleagues or sell them; why not take them?

Lin Ji smiled, "Don't worry, sir, my uncle has spoken to me about it."

After some back and forth, Lin Ji realized that he had improved his skills in flattery.

There are rules in the human world. After obtaining the relevant documents, Lin Ji and Lu Xiaobai left without any lingering feelings, under the curious gazes of the onlookers.

In the end, Lin Ji went to the Lin family's grave, kneeling in front of his parents' tombstone for a long time.

"Let's go."

After paying his respects, Lin Ji stood up. He didn't plan to dwell on the past; it was time to look forward.

But when he turned around, he seemed to see Lu Xiaobai looking as if he wanted to say something but held back. He couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, does your leg hurt?" Lu Xiaobai asked with concern.

Lin Ji felt a warmth in his heart: "…No, it doesn't."

Lu Xiaobai was just accompanying Lin Ji back home; everything else was irrelevant to him. No matter what he said, it wouldn't be quite right.

After they left, Lu Xiaobai asked, "You said you know where Lin Yu moved to, is that true?"

Lin Ji set aside the strange feeling he had about Lu Xiaobai, "Of course, our Lin family has private contact codes, unless he never used them."

Both family heads liked to collect and sell treasures, which meant some private dealings were quite dangerous and could only be done in secret.

Following the clues, Lin Ji found the private residence under the alias of Boss Yu, walked in openly, and asked the butler to call back the managers under Lin Yu.

He took out the official documents, the family token, and Lin Yu's belongings, stating that the previous family head had died and he was about to take over the family assets left by Lin Yu, along with all the properties under his name.

Most of the managers were unfamiliar faces, with only one or two looking familiar, apparently the new subordinates Lin Yu had assembled, and they naturally resisted.

"Young Master, you were previously oblivious to the outside world. The Lin family's wealth was built by your father and your third uncle. Even if you are the only son of Lord Lang, it might not be appropriate for you to take over just because you returned..."

As for family businesses, Lin Ji had never cared about them, making it indeed difficult to gain their acceptance. Even if the Lin family was left with only Lin Ji, the others were more inclined to undermine him.

But Lin Ji didn't plan to stay in the human world to do business. He glanced at Lu Xiaobai, who was leisurely enjoying tea and pastries, and casually said, "Alright. You all can inventory the Lin family's assets. I'll see how many of you are old-timers; I won't treat you unfairly."

Everyone was shocked; the young master's intention was to disband the group!

This kind of behavior, directly abandoning the ancestral family business and wanting to convert it into cash, was often referred to as being a prodigal.

No matter how the few people below tried to persuade him with heartfelt words from various angles, Lin Ji seemed determined to be a prodigal, ignoring them and just chatting with Lu Xiaobai over tea, discussing the delicious food and beautiful scenery from all directions.

In less than half a day, the managers compromised, crying and begging Lin Ji not to give up the family business. They could manage it for him, and he could take whatever he wanted from the Lin family's shops whenever he wanted.

Most of those who were implicated in the calamity were from the Lin residence, while those working in the shops outside had escaped disaster. In the end, Lin Ji handed most of the affairs over to the manager he had known since childhood, who was also a confidant of both family heads. As long as the other party could keep their colleagues in check, things wouldn't get chaotic, and he would also be the biggest beneficiary.

After handling all the follow-up matters, the two left without lingering for a moment.

Lu Xiaobai admired, "A Ji, I really underestimated you. You said you wanted to take over, and they disagreed. You might as well say you want to sell the properties under your name, and they would realize their mistake."

After all, no matter how hard the subordinates worked, the family business still belonged to the Lin family. Unless they eliminated Lin Ji and divided the family fortune, maintaining the status quo would make their lives easier.

If they really disbanded, wouldn't they have to find work again?

Lin Ji replied, "…I really want to sell the family assets; I just think it's too troublesome and would take too long, so I let it go." After all, he could access money anytime, which was also good.

Lu Xiaobai: "…"

After the two handled the mundane affairs of the human world, they could finally return to the sect.

On the way, Lin Ji felt there was no need to rush back. He noticed that when Lu Xiaobai talked about the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and local customs of the human world, his eyes were filled with interest and longing; he seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

Lin Ji then suggested they stay in the human world for a while longer, to experience all the interesting things they wanted to try, since he had money. As cultivators, they could fly on swords and get anywhere quickly.

"Are you really planning this, and are you treating?" Lu Xiaobai put down his chopsticks; at that moment, they were enjoying the signature dishes at the best restaurant in the city.

Lin Ji picked up his teacup, pretending to be serious: "It's not a big deal."

This time, they had gained a lot from their trip to the ruins, and the time spent was exceptionally short, so staying out a bit longer was perfectly fine.

Lu Xiaobai smiled, then suddenly sighed, "But as cultivators, how can we indulge in pleasure? If we are dazzled by the worldly splendor outside, how can we return and focus on our cultivation?"

Lin Ji scoffed lightly, "Will you? I certainly won't. If I can't even resist temptation, how can I expect to cultivate anything else?"

This statement was very much like an excuse someone would make when they wanted to slack off, the difference being whether they could actually do it.

Lu Xiaobai felt relieved upon hearing this, "Then it's settled." His brows and eyes were filled with genuine ease and joy.

Lin Ji turned his face to look out the window at the street, but his eyes kept glancing at Lu Xiaobai.

For some reason, he felt a bit strange lately, unable to help but keep his gaze on Lu Xiaobai, not wanting to look away, and occasionally finding himself staring at him for a long time without realizing it.

Lin Ji snapped back to reality, realizing he was doing it again, and quickly cleared his throat: "By the way, why do you like the human world so much? Do you plan to enter the world for cultivation in the future?"

Lu Xiaobai was taken aback, pondering for a long time before saying, "I guess I want to experience some different things."

He wanted to pay attention to the scenery he hadn't noticed in his previous life, do things he hadn't had the energy to do before, perhaps just wanting to live a different kind of life.

However, he sometimes felt that being alone was boring; his interest would only soar when Lin Ji was by his side.

After reaching a consensus, the two first sent a voice transmission talisman to Luoxia Peak to report their safety, then comfortably lingered in the human world.

Today they rowed a boat on the lake, tomorrow they would go to a teahouse to listen to stories, and the day after they would enjoy music while listening to the qin, all very pleasant.

Lin Ji realized that he had done these things not long after his rebirth.

At that time, he was disheartened with the cultivation world and had made up his mind not to enter the immortal sect in this life. He also wanted to seek pleasure and enjoy himself in the human world.

But back then, even though he said so, and truly went to experience it, his heart felt like it was floating in the air without a landing, and the joy wasn't genuine joy.

Now, however, he felt none of that emptiness; his heart was full.

Was it because there was someone by his side? If it were someone else accompanying him, would he still be so easily satisfied?

Lin Ji found himself a bit incomprehensible.

After leaving the old residence, he could finally sleep peacefully. But sometimes he pretended he couldn't sleep and knocked on the door next door, and Lu Xiaobai seemed to have gotten used to it, giving up half the bed, at most reminding him to remember to close the window and turn off the light.

The two lay together, their feet touching as they slept, chatting idly until one of them couldn't hold on and fell asleep.

Lu Xiaobai was always the first to fall asleep, and once asleep, he was the kind that couldn't be awakened. Lin Ji occasionally felt he hadn't had enough fun and could only wait for sleepiness to take over, slowly closing his eyes while listening to the breathing of the person beside him.

But Lin Ji overlooked one thing.

Both of them were young boys, and even though they were both men, lying together for too long could lead to trouble.

Especially after falling asleep, their sleeping positions were often restless, and they would frequently end up hugging each other in a daze in the middle of the night.

One day, when Lu Xiaobai woke up, he found that Lin Ji was already gone. But that was normal; A Ji usually got up earlier than him.

Lu Xiaobai slowly sat up, his mind still not clear, the drowsiness not yet gone. He hung his head in silence for a while before lifting the quilt to get up.

After making the bed, he yawned and casually tied his hair into a half ponytail, then went out to the inn's backyard to find water to wash up.

The place they had just arrived at was much hotter than elsewhere, so there was no need for hot water; washing with cold water was easier to wake up.

Lu Xiaobai leaned against a post, waiting, and after observing for a while, he finally couldn't help but speak up: "A Ji, how many times are you going to wash?"

Lin Ji was very focused on scooping water to wash his face and didn't notice the movement behind him. Suddenly hearing Lu Xiaobai's voice, his hands shook, and the basin fell, splashing water everywhere.

The basin flipped over on the ground with a crisp sound; it was a good basin.

Lu Xiaobai seemed to sense Lin Ji's body stiffening instantly. After a while, he picked up the basin, his movements much slower than usual.

Lu Xiaobai couldn't stand it and stepped forward to take the basin to clean it, "Once you're done, don't just stand there; you're blocking my sunlight."

After a long time, Lin Ji responded with an "mm," turned around, and walked back into the room, his steps much slower than before.

Lu Xiaobai looked back curiously, "What's wrong with you?"

Lin Ji hurriedly said, "I'm fine!" After saying that, he quickened his pace, not wanting Lu Xiaobai to see the abnormal redness on his face.

Lu Xiaobai: "?"

Later, the two sat together.

Lin Ji had no expression on his face, even looking a bit too serious, "I need to tell you something."

Lu Xiaobai paused in his shelling of peanuts, looking at him: "Go ahead."

Lin Ji: "After leaving the old place, my troubles in dreams have dissipated, so we don't have to live in the same place anymore."

It had dissipated, but he had just dreamt of something else.

Lu Xiaobai: "…"

So? Was it necessary to bring this up so seriously? He thought something was wrong!

Lu Xiaobai found himself at a loss for words, feeling he didn't need to respond, but Lin Ji looked very serious, so in the end, he could only say, "As you wish. If you think it's okay, then it's fine."

Well, actually, two men lying together was a bit cramped... it was indeed inconvenient.

Lin Ji lowered his eyes: "Thank you."

Lu Xiaobai: "…You're welcome."

After a pause, Lu Xiaobai scratched his neck, indicating he would go call the waiter to bring breakfast, but in reality, he was awkwardly leaving.

Lin Ji sat in place, looking at the tea in his cup, and after a while, he closed his eyes.

…Am I going crazy?

After the two enjoyed their time exploring the city, they found it too noisy and decided to visit a small town and mountain village.

Lu Xiaobai's spiritual power was now sufficient to support his sword control, so he no longer needed to squeeze onto A Ji's sword.

Lu Xiaobai usually flew high, looking ahead at the clouds, never lowering his head to look at the mountains and rivers. With his hands behind his back and head held high, he exuded an air of pride and composure, truly embodying the demeanor of a king.

As they walked and explored, they gradually approached the direction of Peifeng Sect.

Lu Xiaobai was at ease, but he noticed that Lin Ji had been acting increasingly strange lately.

Not long ago, he had been staring at him, but recently he wouldn't even glance his way.

When speaking, he wouldn't make eye contact, and with a deliberately sullen face, it gave off a feeling of disdain towards him.

Lu Xiaobai couldn't help but recall if he had offended Lin Ji somewhere. But after thinking it over, he found he hadn't! They hadn't had any conflicts recently.

In the evening, as the two landed and passed through a village, they originally just wanted to find a place to stay, but they happened to encounter a wedding celebration in the village, and the villagers warmly invited them to join.

Lu Xiaobai said, "It's better to come early than to come at the right time. A Ji, what do you think?"

Lin Ji replied, "That's fine."

"……" Why did it feel like A Ji had become even more taciturn lately? Just like those first two years after entering the sect, he was indifferent to him.

Lu Xiaobai gazed into the distance, suddenly feeling a pang in his heart.

Could it be that being close to Peifeng Sect reminded him of what happened in the ruins?

In recent days, the two hadn't mentioned the unresolved issues from the ruins again, nor had they debated who the "god" they summoned was.

Lu Xiaobai also knew he shouldn't treat it as if nothing had happened and let it slide. He had been pondering how to gradually address it so that Lin Ji could slowly accept it.

Perhaps he subconsciously felt that this matter was difficult to resolve, so he was reluctant to bring it up, deliberately delaying it.

Was A Ji waiting for him to take the initiative to confess, even if just to provide a reasonable explanation? Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get over it in his heart.

Lu Xiaobai's joy diminished significantly, replaced by worry.

The two had their own thoughts but still planned to join in the festivities.

The wedding celebration was for a pair of childhood sweethearts from the same village, and they only needed to circle around the village and complete the wedding ceremony.

With two days left until the wedding day, the two simply went along with the customs and helped the villagers set up the wedding hall.

It seemed that in every village, there would be a large tree at the entrance, where villagers could rest after finishing their farm work.

Lu Xiaobai and Lin Ji often came to walk by the big tree after dinner, or sat under the tree watching the village children play.

After several days of adjustment, Lin Ji finally calmed down a lot, but he still found it hard to face Lu Xiaobai.

Even sitting under the same big tree, Lin Ji tried to sit a bit farther away.

Lu Xiaobai paused with the water jug in his hand, glancing at Lin Ji beside him, suddenly unable to bear the silence any longer. He didn't want to continue like this, with such ambiguity; over time, it would only hurt their feelings.

Forget it, if A Ji really couldn't stand the concealment, as long as he asked, he would admit it... What did it matter? He would just go for it.

Lu Xiaobai had finally transformed a cold-hearted, resentful junior brother into a lively and caring one... People who have lived well don't want to go back to a hard life; he couldn't stand Lin Ji's hot-and-cold attitude towards him.

If saying or not saying made little difference, then saying it wouldn't be a big deal.

Lu Xiaobai self-deprecatingly smiled and suddenly took the initiative to bring it up: "A Ji, when we return to Peifeng Sect, do you have something you want to ask me?"

Lin Ji was startled; now, whenever he heard Lu Xiaobai's voice, his mind would become chaotic, making it impossible to think about what the other person was saying. After thinking for a long time, he only heard the words "Peifeng Sect," and he scrambled to make sense of it, finally saying, "This time we can be considered to have achieved our goal; the Sect Leader and Master must be very pleased."

"But I still couldn't summon the 'god' to ask about the solution to Master’s demonic poison; perhaps my array skills are lacking."

Bringing up serious matters, Lin Ji finally regained some natural demeanor.

But Lu Xiaobai's heart sank: was he really testing him again?

Lu Xiaobai suddenly stood up, "I'm going for a walk."

Lin Ji didn't stop him, nor did he follow.

He sat in silence, needing to be alone, and then doubting himself countless times.

Lin Ji still didn't dare to think too deeply about the dream he had not long ago, yet he couldn't help but recall it.

That night, he had a dream. It was merely a reenactment of daytime scenes.

He and Lu Xiaobai were rowing on the lake, sitting in the cabin, enjoying the scenery through the gauzy curtains, as the boat gently swayed with the rippling water.

Just like his heart, it stirred with ripples.

The two lay together, not knowing what they were saying, the words unclear.

Suddenly, Lu Xiaobai turned to lie on his side, reaching out to touch the fabric of his clothes, sliding through the seam of the collar, gradually moving down.

With a smile at the corner of his lips, his words finally reached Lin Ji's ears, "A Ji, why do you keep staring at me?"

Lin Ji grasped his hand—he had long felt that Lu Xiaobai's hands and face were much fairer than those of ordinary men.

Then he didn't know what he said, suddenly pulling him forward.

…And then he woke up in fright.

Upon waking, he found that he had indeed embraced the person in his arms, which was the second shock.

Lin Ji had been oscillating between "Am I going crazy?" and "I must be going crazy" lately, even lacking the energy to think about other matters.

After sighing for a long time, Lin Ji suddenly realized that the person beside him was gone, and he belatedly remembered what Lu Xiaobai had said before leaving.

Lin Ji got up and looked at the big banyan tree; the village was celebrating a wedding, and even the tree was decorated, tied with many red silk ribbons, looking quite beautiful.

It seemed he had just come to his senses to enjoy the scenery, suddenly realizing that he and Lu Xiaobai had sat under the tree adorned with red silk for quite a while, yet they hadn't said much.

Lin Ji collected his thoughts, planning to wait for the other person to return from his walk.

But as it got darker, Lu Xiaobai still hadn't appeared.

Lin Ji felt puzzled and worried as he walked back; could it be that he had returned first?

Meanwhile, Lu Xiaobai encountered a child dressed in tattered clothes who had fallen in front of him, and he quickly helped the child up.

"Are you alright?" Lu Xiaobai brushed off the dust from the child's clothes.

The child looked up at Lu Xiaobai, seemingly stunned.

He was dirty, and the villagers who farmed every day were covered in dust; he hadn't seen such a clean and handsome man in a long time.

After a moment, the child blushed and managed to say, "Th-thank you, brother."

After saying that, he took off running, but Lu Xiaobai caught him: "Why are you running so fast? What if you fall again?"

"Whose child are you? Let me take you home."

The child shrank back, his face smeared with dirt, but his big eyes were clean and pure: "I... I don't have parents; they both died of illness..."

Lu Xiaobai's heart trembled: ordinary people experience unknown natural disasters and man-made calamities in their lives; some are just born with hardships.

He simply crouched down to sit with the child, and after sensing the child's resistance, he gently asked, "What are you hiding from?"

The child replied, "I... I'm dirty..."

Lu Xiaobai raised his hand to wipe the child's face, smiling lightly: "It's okay, I don't mind dirt. So how do you live usually?"

Feeling that Lu Xiaobai had no disdain for him, the child gradually relaxed: "I live at my aunt's house, helping her and the villagers with work; they are all very nice."

That's pretty good; at least he still had relatives and neighbors to help him, which could be considered eating the food of many families.

The child was quite open-hearted and quickly opened up.

He said the villagers treated him well, but he knew he had to be obedient, sensible, and hardworking so that they would continue to treat him well.

But the village children disliked him for always trying to please the adults, refusing to play with him, and often bullying him. They surrounded him, calling him a wild child without parents, and he had no friends...

The day after tomorrow was the wedding of Sister Qiu Hui and Brother Chun Ming, and he really wanted to go, but he didn't have a decent outfit, so he didn't dare to go...

"It's okay; brother will take you."

Lu Xiaobai ruffled the child's hair, "Although it's not cold lately, wearing such thin clothes isn't good. Tomorrow I'll find you some fitting and warm clothes."

The child's eyes lit up: "Thank you, brother!"

But he didn't mean to ask for clothes... If the village children found out, they would say he was trying to please the adults.

Lu Xiaobai seemed to see through the child's hesitation, "Don't worry; I'll have your aunt make them for you, so you can wear new clothes to attend the wedding banquet."

Lu Xiaobai took the child's rough hand, wanting to lead him back, but he discovered a splinter lodged under the child's fingernail: "What happened? Did you get it while chopping wood?"

"Mm."

"Then I'll help you pull it out."

"No, I'm afraid it will hurt..."

"I promise it won't hurt; do you believe me?"

Lu Xiaobai gathered his spiritual power at his fingertips and pulled out the splinter.

The child realized it really didn't hurt, and the wound healed instantly, clapping his hands in joy; his world was that simple.

Lu Xiaobai helped him up and suddenly saw Lin Ji not far away, pausing to ask, "When did you arrive?"

Lin Ji stood not far away, his face expressionless: "From the beginning."

He had seen it all.

Lu Xiaobai was stunned. He noticed that Lin Ji seemed particularly different at that moment; his eyes appeared calm, like a still pond, with no light penetrating them.

After a long time, Lin Ji strangely sneered and turned to leave.

Clearly, he had seen a warm scene from beginning to end, yet for some reason, as he watched, his heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave, heavy and cold.

Lin Ji suddenly realized something: Lu Xiaobai treated him no differently than he treated this child.

It seemed he wasn't special in Lu Xiaobai's heart.

The importance he thought he held in the other person's mind seemed to be nothing but an illusion.