Chapter 15

There will be another update in the afternoon.

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He stumbled to the table, holding the water pot, but no water came out after a long time, which made him pause. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, noticing that the bedding was all dry and wrinkled. He stared blankly at Wang Lin and said, "Wang Lin, when did you come back? Is there... a drought ghost in our house?"

Wang Lin smiled bitterly, pushed open the door, and said, "I don't know either. It was like this when I came back. Why don't you ask the other senior brothers? But if the elders hear about it, you'll have a lot of explaining to do, and they might even interrogate you."

Zhang Hu shook his head vigorously and said, "Forget it, I won't say anything. If I do, I'll be questioned endlessly and will surely get scolded for a wrong answer."

Wang Lin ignored him, walked out of the room, and it was still drizzling outside. He pondered for a moment and hurriedly left, worried that the bead might cause strange phenomena with the rain. He chose some small paths, winding his way out of the east gate. All the water droplets that fell on him were absorbed by the mysterious bead, making him quite nervous, fearing that someone might notice the anomaly. Initially, he planned to hide the bead in his room, but after careful thought, he decided it was safer to hide it outside.

He arrived at the place where he had hidden the dew-collecting gourd. Fortunately, it wasn't fully light yet, and there were few early risers. Wang Lin walked very cautiously, and after confirming no one was around, he quickly hid the bead there.

After doing this, he sighed in relief. He planned to wait for the rain to stop before coming back to retrieve the treasure. He looked around and cautiously left. When he reached the miscellaneous duties area, he was about to pick up the water bucket when the door to Liu's room creaked open, revealing his sharp-featured, weasel-like face. He was taken aback when he saw Wang Lin, and his face immediately lit up with enthusiasm. He snatched the water bucket from Wang Lin's hand and said, "Isn't this Junior Brother Wang? How are your parents? I've been thinking about you all these days you were away."

Wang Lin was stunned. He was very familiar with the other's face, which was no different from his own relatives, but he couldn't understand what Liu was up to today.

"Senior Brother Liu, my parents are fine, no need to worry about them," Wang Lin said cautiously, unable to guess the other's intentions.

"Junior Brother, you don't need to get up so early every day. Let me tell you, Junior Brother, when I joked with you before and said you should fill ten barrels of water a day, you took it seriously. From now on, just one barrel a day is enough, and you don't have to fill it completely. When it's time to eat, just go eat. If anyone gives you a hard time, just mention my name. It works!" Liu patted his chest enthusiastically.

Wang Lin's eyes showed a strange expression. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Senior Brother, do you have something you want me to do?"

Liu's face immediately showed dissatisfaction, and he pretended to be angry. "Junior Brother, why are you so formal with me? Am I that kind of person? You are my junior brother, and it's only right for me to be good to you. From now on, your problems are my problems. Just go through the motions with your daily work. When it's done well or poorly, it's all up to me. It's raining today, so you don't need to work. By the way, Junior Brother, Elder Sun was looking for you a few days ago. Now that you're back, you should report to him."

He watched Wang Lin's reaction with a sidelong glance.

Wang Lin pondered for a moment, his face showing a half-smile. He guessed the reason for the most part. From what the other said, Elder Sun must have come looking for him after he left. Liu must have misunderstood something, which is why he was being so accommodating today. Wang Lin didn't reveal the truth and mimicked the other's previous manner, making a "hmm" sound through his nose.

Liu's heart skipped a beat when he saw Wang Lin's expression, confirming his suspicions. He thought to himself that this useless kid must have gotten lucky and actually connected with an elder. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so arrogant. This kid looked like the type who would hold grudges, and he would surely get back at him for the past mistreatment.

Liu had been a nominal disciple for thirteen years and had worked in the miscellaneous duties area for six. He had never seen an elder personally seek out a nominal disciple. Even sending an inner disciple to do so was a big deal.

He had considered the possibility that Wang Lin might have offended the elder, but he wasn't sure. He feared the worst, and after years in the Hengyue Sect, he knew the waters were deep. As a mere nominal disciple, he was too insignificant.

Thinking this, he gritted his teeth and took out a yellow paper from his pocket, handing it to Wang Lin. "Junior Brother, when I saw you last month, I felt an instant connection. This small gift is a token of my respect. You must accept it. If you don't..."

Before he could finish, Wang Lin grabbed the yellow paper. He had immediately recognized it as a spirit talisman for nominal disciples to visit their families.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I wouldn't dare refuse your kindness, but Elder Sun is waiting for me. I'll come back to catch up with you tomorrow," Wang Lin said with a light laugh.

Senior Brother Liu nodded eagerly, enviously saying, "Elder Sun is important. You should go quickly."

Wang Lin remained calm on the surface, but his mind was filled with doubts. Why would Elder Sun personally come looking for him? With these questions in mind, he walked slowly toward the main courtyard, analyzing various possibilities along the way, but ultimately remained puzzled.

"Could he have discovered the mysterious bead?" Wang Lin paused, pondering for a moment. He thought that if he didn't go, it would only raise suspicion. It was better to play dumb. Since the bead wasn't on him, he decided to proceed confidently.

Before long, he arrived at the main courtyard. After stating his purpose, the same young man in white appeared, looking surprised and sarcastic. "What, going home to visit your family again?"

Wang Lin raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when a voice from inside the courtyard called out.

"Bring him to me immediately, without delay!"

The young man in white pursed his lips, gave Wang Lin a meaningful look, and walked into the courtyard without a word. Wang Lin remained silent and followed him.

Upon reaching Elder Sun's residence, the young man in white took his leave, giving Wang Lin a strange look before he left.

Wang Lin was slightly nervous. He pushed open the garden gate and stepped inside. An old man emerged from the room in the garden. The old man had many wrinkles on his face, bright eyes, and a cold expression. He glanced at Wang Lin.