Chapter 35. Ahem, it's not right to ignore someone's sincerity.

Xu Wenxiong struggled to open his mouth.

"Kill... me... please..."

As he barely managed to finish his words, tears welled up in Xu Wenxiong's eyes. Biao Lichan sobbed along.

"Brother, what are you saying?"

"No... please have mercy on me... ugh..."

Xu Wenxiong let out a strange groan without finishing his words.

Biao Lichan, who was thought to be sobbing, was actually smiling.

In the few years he had known Lichan, this was the first time he had seen such a bright and moved smile.

The smile was familiar.

It was the same smile he used to give Lichan.

"Ugh..."

Biao Lichan shed tears of joy.

"Brother, life is precious. You should live a long life."

"Ugh... ugh..."

Biao Lichan gently stroked Xu Wenxiong's head, causing him to shrink back infinitely, trying to avoid it. But there was no way to avoid it. The touch was so gentle it felt like he was going mad.

"Brother, you really don't know much about human affairs, do you?"

"Ugh... Li... Chan..."

"Live a long life. Seeing you really makes me happy."

"Ugh..."

"Handicapped brat. Huhuhu..."

Biao Lichan's smile deepened even more.

**

Four days later.

Guests kept coming to the Tianhua Library.

The first guest was Xu Feng, an elder of the Xu family.

After talking with the family head, he sat down with the eldest son.

"You must have a lot to deal with. Why did you come so quickly?"

"Hehe, I came to do the most important thing among all the tasks."

"Haha, is that so?"

Upon hearing this, it seemed to be true.

Elder Xu Feng not only brought back the treasures of the Tianhua Library that Xu Chui had stolen but also brought a gold chest as a sign of apology. Despite the complicated situation, he had shown his sincerity.

"Have you identified the past victims?"

"The crimes were severe. Five families and sects were wiped out. The acts were worse than those of beasts, making it hard to know how to atone."

'Worse than beasts. If he feels this much guilt...'

Hou Gong felt no need to add more words.

A prestigious family is not built in a day. Even if it has problems, not everyone in the family is like that. There must be many outstanding individuals within the family.

The Xu family is prepared to accept criticism and will help rebuild the families and sects they wiped out. The granaries will be emptied as compensation.

For the next ten years or so, they will have to endure a period of hardship, almost like being in seclusion. This is what Xu Feng's words implied.

The next guest was the deputy head of the Continental Battlefield.

The Xu family was in the middle of marriage talks with the Continental Battlefield, and the intended was Xu Wenxiong. This was not just a matter of a ten-year truce but a turning point for the family's rise and fall.

"I don't know how to express my gratitude. I am truly grateful to the Tianhua Library and to you."

"Your words are too kind. We should be the ones to express gratitude. If the Continental Battlefield and other prestigious families had not willingly offered their help, the library would have faced significant difficulties."

"Haha, if the Continental Battlefield's help is considered help, then the world would laugh. Let's be clear. A favor is a favor. Our battlefield is in chaos due to the Xu family's affairs. We are relieved and happy that the marriage talks have fallen through. If it weren't for the Tianhua Library, we might have faced even greater disasters in the future. Although Wang Xiaohan is often angry, he is truly grateful."

"Very vivid."

Just imagining the plump Wang Xiaohan pouting and fuming made Hou Gong smile.

The deputy head of the Continental Battlefield placed the wooden box he had brought in front of him.

"I have prepared a small gift as a token of appreciation."

"..."

Hou Gong tilted his head, asking with his expression.

If it were a gift, it should have been presented to the family head, not to him.

The deputy head laughed heartily.

"I have already informed the family head. Honestly, it might not be a gift, and I feel a bit guilty about it."

A favor, yet feeling guilty?

This situation didn't make sense.

What did he mean by saying it might not be a gift?

It was hard to guess.

The deputy head continued.

"I heard that the Tianhua Library was looking for a spirit medicine. They said that money was not an issue, and if you had any spirit medicine or a way to obtain it, they would be interested. But when I was considering it, the seizure of the then-head's assets made it inconvenient, so I pretended not to know."

"You brought a spirit medicine?"

"Yes. It's a rare and hard-to-find one."

It seemed that when the library was looking for a spirit medicine, they first inquired with the prestigious families.

There was no reason to refuse a spirit medicine. However, his doubts were not completely resolved.

"But I don't understand why you say such a precious gift might not be a gift. Do you have any expectations from the library in return for the spirit medicine?"

The deputy head waved his hand quickly.

"To have expectations? That would be inappropriate. The Continental Battlefield may love money, but we are not ungrateful scoundrels."

"Then...?"

"It might not be a gift because the spirit herb is unique. You may not have heard of it, but... Ha... What is it...?"

"..."

"It's a Ling'e Grass. It's good, but the smell is extremely foul. It's almost impossible for a person to consume it... Oh? Eldest Son... Are you... Are you okay?"

The deputy head stuttered.

The eldest son's eyes were wide open, and his pupils were shaking. He looked angry.

The deputy head inwardly sighed, regretting his decision.

'Ah, I should have brought something else. The genius of the Tianhua Library would know about the Ling'e Grass and that it cannot be consumed by humans. What should I do...'

The Ling'e Grass was the best spirit medicine the Continental Battlefield had, so after a family discussion, they decided to send it. However, the best is only meaningful if it can be consumed.

The deputy head felt guilty because he had experienced the Ling'e Grass's extreme foulness.

In the past, the Continental Battlefield had obtained two roots of Ling'e Grass. One root was shared and chewed by the family. Despite knowing it was good for health, they all ended up vomiting and foaming at the mouth.

Even the gluttonous nephew, Wang Xiaohan, couldn't eat anything for ten days due to the aftereffects.

The remaining root was now a useless item.

No one could eat it, but it was too precious to give away. That's why he said it might not be a gift.

Seeing the eldest son's expression, it seemed he was not pleased.

However, Hou Gong was shocked with joy.

To obtain the Ling'e Grass, one of the Three Evils along with the Hexagonal Net and the Poisonous Sheep Bug, was a great gift.

"Eldest Son... I was shortsighted. Let's pretend I didn't bring it. I'll return and prepare a proper gift."

As the deputy head tried to pull the wooden box back,

Thump.

His hand was caught.

Looking up, he saw the eldest son's eyes gleaming.

"Ignoring someone's sincerity is not right."

"It's fine to ignore it. This is... well..."

"It's the best gift."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. It's the Ling'e Grass, isn't it?"

"Exactly. Because it's the Ling'e Grass..."

"There's nothing better than this."

"..."

The deputy head wanted to ask if he was really sure but closed his mouth.

'How can a person be like this? He's still young, yet his capacity is this great...'

He could only marvel.

The eldest son placed the wooden box in front of him and smiled contentedly. It wasn't a forced smile. He seemed genuinely worried that the deputy head might be disappointed or embarrassed.

'Even if he eats it, he'll end up vomiting it all out, but he won't even frown. If it were our Xiaohan, he would have thrown it away long ago...'

If the deputy head had known about the Three Evils,

If he had seen the eldest son sucking the blood of the Hexagonal Net,

He might have thought differently, but to him, the eldest son was almost a Buddha.

Moreover, he hadn't heard about the search for the Poisonous Sheep Bug and the Ling'e Grass.

"Eldest Son, don't think this is the end of the gifts. I will prepare something substantial to repay you."

"Of course. I look forward to it."

"Hahaha!"

- The eldest son of the Tianhua Library is not just smart but also considerate and a real man. Knowing what the Ling'e Grass is, he still expressed such gratitude. It's not easy to do that.

It was natural for the deputy head to praise the eldest son to his family when he returned.

**

The visitors to the Tianhua Library continued.

It was as if they had drawn lots to determine the order.

After the Continental Battlefield, the Yanhua Pavilion and the Baihua Hall came in succession.

It would have been better if they had come all at once, but since they came in the afternoon and evening, it was a lot of work to receive them. They brought Qingya Wine and high-quality blood poison wine as gifts, which were of immeasurable value.

The gifts over just four days were:

The Xu family's gold chest.

The Continental Battlefield's Ling'e Grass.

The Yanhua Pavilion's Qingya Wine.

The Baihua Hall's blood poison wine.

If such gifts kept pouring in for a month, the Tianhua Library would become the richest in the world. But life is not that easy.

Good things don't always happen.

That night, after the Baihua Hall's head left,

"Here comes the Tianhua Library! We're here!"

"Open the door!"

"Brother!"

The three beggars led by Qiu Yun Kai arrived.

While others brought gifts, the beggars had none. They just wanted meat.

They said the meat of the Tianhua Library was the best and demanded a lot of it. They ate until they were full, spent the night, and left the next morning.

Thinking the visits would end with the beggars, but they didn't.

The head of the Iron Gold Society came with his son.

The son was Dan Jiangwu, whom he had met at the Xu family's banquet.

"Hahaha, Brother Fan! How have you been?"

"Brother Dan, it's good to see you again."

At the previous banquet, Dan Jiangwu was quiet and showed little emotion, but this time he was completely different.

'Can this guy even smile like this?'

When people get close, they become more open. It seemed Dan Jiangwu had such a personality. However, his reaction was almost like that of a childhood friend, which left Hou Gong speechless.

'Ahem, did the head of the Iron Gold Society tell Dan Jiangwu about being a savior or something?'

After inviting them to sit down, the head of the Iron Gold Society kept expressing his gratitude.

Like a repeated chorus, he kept saying thank you, and Hou Gong had no choice but to keep humbly responding.

"Hehe, your words are too kind. Since the head of the Iron Gold Society helped the library, we consider you a benefactor."

"Eldest Son, this is not just gratitude towards you. I am the one who forged the sword for the Xu family head. How many unjust deaths did that sword cause? If it hadn't been exposed this time, I would have made more death swords. I feel deeply guilty."

The head of the Iron Gold Society sighed.

In that sigh, Hou Gong could feel the pride and dignity of a master craftsman. Those who work with metal are rarely false. They work with hot fire and hammer metal with a single-minded focus. They believe that any impure thoughts will remain as impurities.

"Eldest Son, as a token of gratitude for the favor I received, I have prepared a small gift.