Chapter 47

Xiao Tianren came at an inopportune time.

This was Lin Xun's first thought when he saw the group of villagers following behind Xiao Tianren, and he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

Because these villagers each carried a large burlap sack, and it was easy to guess that the sacks contained the fuyun fire copper ore they had dug up.

What particularly troubled Lin Xun was that two little brats had also followed, each holding a piece of the fiery red fuyun fire copper ore, which could no longer be concealed.

Lin Xun's mind raced, but he took the initiative to step forward and said with a smile, "Uncle Xiao, put these things down."

Xiao Tianren nodded in a daze, and the villagers quickly and efficiently set down their loads, completely ignoring the two strangers in the courtyard.

They also noticed that something was amiss, though they were puzzled, no one asked more questions, and even the two little brats were tightly held by the adults to prevent them from speaking out of turn.

Finally, Lin Xun gave Xiao Tianren a meaningful look, and the latter understood, leading the villagers away hurriedly.

"Fuyun fire copper ore?"

Mulan Su, who had been watching all this, finally spoke, "Didn't you say that the small vein of ore had already been completely mined?"

"Miss, you don't know. A few days ago, I accidentally entered an abandoned mine shaft and discovered that there was still an undiscovered vein of ore at the deepest point."

Lin Xun, seeing that he couldn't hide it, explained frankly.

"This is quite a substantial wealth."

Mulan Su looked at Lin Xun with deep meaning.

The young master beside her was also quite surprised, saying, "Spirit fields, fierce beasts, and now this fuyun fire copper ore. Your village certainly has its ways of making money."

Lin Xun shrugged and said with a bitter smile, "Young master, you don't know. Fuyun Village is deep in the Three Thousand Mountains, over two thousand miles from the nearest Qingyang Tribe. Although we have some ore, spirit grains, and game, it's not easy to exchange them for wealth."

The young master smiled and saw through Lin Xun's concern about them coveting this wealth, but he didn't point it out, saying, "That is indeed a big problem."

Lin Xun sighed, "Indeed."

The young master pondered for a moment, then took out a token and casually tossed it to Lin Xun, "In the Qingyang Tribe, there is a merchant guild called Shidingzhai. If you want to exchange goods, you can take this token there."

"Young master, absolutely not!"

Mulan Su was startled, "This token is something you carry with you, it's too valuable to give away so easily."

Lin Xun had originally planned to decline, but seeing this, he couldn't help but be moved, and his fingers tightened around the token.

"This thing is useless to me, it's better to give it away. Besides, what I, Shixuan, give away, I never take back."

The young master said calmly, his words calm but carrying a sense of pride.

Mulan Su was still anxious, "But this..."

The young master waved his hand, "That's how it will be. Don't say more." He turned to Lin Xun, "Young brother, our meeting here is a matter of fate. If you ever go to the Forbidden City, feel free to visit Shidingzhai and look for me. Farewell."

With that, he turned and left.

Mulan Su, seeing this, reluctantly glanced at the token in Lin Xun's hand and then glared at him fiercely, trying to make him give it up voluntarily.

But Lin Xun acted as if he didn't notice, completely ignoring her. He turned and said solemnly to the young master, "Young master, I will repay your kindness today."

Seeing this, Mulan Su knew that this "shameless" young man was determined to keep the token, and she gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "Boy, I'll settle accounts with you later!"

Lin Xun immediately showed a fearful expression, but his voice was loud and clear, "Miss, what accounts? Did I offend you by not taking good care of you earlier?"

Upon hearing this, Mulan Su inwardly cursed.

Sure enough, the young master's voice soon came from a distance, "Ha ha ha, young brother, don't be upset. Wansu was just joking. Wansu, let's go."

Mulan Su was both angry and frustrated, not expecting this young man to be so shameless.

Despite her thoughts, she put on a charming smile, her beautiful eyes twinkling, and said in a sweet voice, "Young man, I remember that the Qingyang Tribe is not far from Donglin City. We will surely meet again."

With that, her black dress swayed as she gracefully left.

"Miss, rest assured. If I have the chance, I will definitely visit Donglin City to see you. If anyone bullies me, I'll have to ask you to stand up for me!"

Lin Xun said with a smile.

Mulan Su, who had just stepped outside, paused, remembering Lin Xun's shameless and cunning appearance, and couldn't help but feel a deep hatred.

"Brat, since you dare to call me sister, I'll make you taste my methods when I have the chance!"

Mulan Su cursed inwardly and hurried away, fearing that she might lose control and beat the hateful brat.

It wasn't that Mulan Su was petty, but she knew very well how significant the token that Young Master Shixuan wore was, representing not only his status but also unimaginable power!

Now, this token had been casually given to a village boy, which made Mulan Su very anxious.

But what's done is done, and Mulan Su could only accept it.

...

Watching the two leave, Lin Xun stood still for a long time, until he saw a streak of light break through the sky. Only then did he let out a long sigh, his whole body feeling as if it had been drained, and he slumped into a chair.

What he had just experienced seemed calm on the surface, but Lin Xun felt more exhausted than after a fierce battle.

Whether it was the young master Shixuan or the woman called Wansu, they were both extremely formidable, not just in their cultivation but also in their mental acuity and tactics.

Sitting with such people, Lin Xun appeared calm, but his mind was constantly on edge, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

Although everything was over now, Lin Xun still had several doubts.

The young master Shixuan was clearly a person of high status, and his purpose for coming here was easy to guess: he must have come for the so-called "world-class treasure."

The key was that if Lin Xun's guess was correct, the "heavenly anomaly" mentioned by Shixuan occurred exactly three months ago, the day he had just solved the secret of the "Heavenly Secret Realm"!

Was there any connection between these two events?

Lin Xun didn't dare to speculate, but he absolutely wouldn't tell anyone about this.

What puzzled Lin Xun was that someone like Shixuan didn't need to offer such valuable things as "Four Seasons Precious Brew" just to ask a few questions, and even gave him a token when leaving!

Why did he do this?

Lin Xun didn't believe in the idea of falling from the sky, and even if it did, it certainly wouldn't fall on him.

But no matter how much he thought about it, Lin Xun couldn't figure out Shixuan's intentions, and in the end, he could only let it go. As long as the other party didn't show any ill will, that was enough.

On the stone table, there was still a cup of wine, the "Winter Wine" from the "Four Seasons Precious Brew." Lin Xun picked it up and drank it in one gulp, feeling a bone-chilling cold like a knife piercing his throat, which then turned into countless tiny cold streams surging through his body, making him shiver uncontrollably.

This wine was indeed remarkable.

From the same pot, it was divided into four different flavors, each containing terrifying spiritual energy. Even with Lin Xun's current cultivation, he could only refine two-tenths of the power, and the rest he had to suppress and store in his body.

Rapidly increasing power was not necessarily a good thing. If one advanced too quickly, it could easily lead to an unstable foundation, causing significant hidden dangers for future cultivation.

Lin Xun pursued a "full and flawless" state of cultivation, placing great importance on the foundation of his cultivation.

He didn't want to pursue rapid advancement at the cost of narrowing his path of cultivation, which would be like seeking fish in a tree, a loss outweighing the gain.

At the same time, far below the vast sky, a flying carpet was speeding through the clouds.

"Young master, why did you do that just now?"

Without outsiders, Mulan Su couldn't help but ask the question that had been on her mind.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to hold back."

Shixuan, with his hands behind his back, stood tall and imposing like a mountain, "If I say it was just a whim, would you believe me?"

Mulan Su hesitated and shook her head honestly.

"But I do believe in this kind of fate."

Shixuan said calmly, "This boy is about the same age as my third brother, but what's remarkable is that he doesn't have the arrogance of a young person. Not only that, his courage, mental acuity, and adaptability are outstanding, far beyond the ordinary. A place like Fuyun Village is destined to be unable to retain such a person."

Mulan Su sneered, "I think he's just a shameless and cunning little thief, not as excellent as you say."

Shixuan smiled, his gaze calmly surveying the distant mountains and rivers, "You don't understand. There are people in this world who, given a chance, will burst forth with unparalleled brilliance. It's too early to say now, but perhaps in the future, we'll know if this boy is a dragon or a snake."

Mulan Su, who had never expected the young master to speak so highly of a village boy, couldn't help but take him seriously.

Thinking back, from the sudden entry into Lin Xun's home to the series of events that followed, the demeanor and words Lin Xun displayed indeed didn't seem like those of a village boy.

But when Mulan Su thought of the "cunning" appearance Lin Xun showed when they were leaving, she found it hard to see him as a highly potential and outstanding person.

Mulan Su sighed, "I'm just worried that this boy won't understand your intentions. There are too many ungrateful people in this world."

Shixuan's lips curled into a faint smile, "A few drinks and a token of little use, what's the big deal? Even if he forgets me in the future, it doesn't matter. Do you think I would care about making a young boy grateful to me?"

Mulan Su replied without hesitation, "Of course not!"

Who was Shixuan?

He was the eldest son of the "Stone God" of Shidingzhai, a shining figure among the young generation in the Forbidden City of the Imperial Capital!

Most importantly, Shixuan was a powerful Linghai realm cultivator, capable of rivaling the "Little Sword Lord" Xie Yutang!

Perhaps, as Shixuan said, what he did just now was merely a matter of fate, a casual act.

The world is full of strange and varied things, true and false, real and illusory. Some truths are indeed simple, not as complicated as they seem.