Chapter 5

"Mom, I'm back."

Lin Tian and Er Niu supported Lin Chong as they kicked open the door and shouted into the courtyard. Huang Fei, who followed behind, quickly closed the door.

"Oh... oh."

"What happened?"

Zhang Xiulan, who poked her head out of the room, saw Lin Chong being supported by Er Niu and Lin Tian, and hurriedly ran out.

"Li Dazhuang's grandson beat Dad up like this."

Lin Tian placed Lin Chong on a stool and drank water from a cup nearby.

"What? Li Dazhuang beat him up? I'll go settle accounts with him."

Hearing that her husband was beaten up, Zhang Xiulan rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and was ready to go after Li Dazhuang.

The sight of Zhang Xiulan scared Er Niu, who was sitting on the ground, and he quickly stood up and said, "Aunt Zhang, don't go. Li Dazhuang was scared out of his mind."

"Scared out of his mind? What happened?"

Zhang Xiulan, who looked fierce, asked with a puzzled expression.

"We don't know either. They say he was scared by a ghost."

Er Niu, trembling, pulled Zhang Xiulan, clearly scared by the shiny kitchen knife in her hand.

"Ghost..."

Zhang Xiulan, who was clearly braver than most men, spoke without any tremor in her voice, but her face was full of confusion.

At this moment, Huang Fei, who was resting behind, watched Zhang Xiulan waving the kitchen knife and felt uneasy, fearing she might accidentally cut the wrong person. Now he realized that the real bully in Houshan Village was not the Li family but this tigress from the Lin family.

Zhang Xiulan, with a puzzled look, turned to Lin Tian. Lin Tian, who was covering his face with a large teacup to hide his embarrassment, thought to himself that he would never marry a woman like this again; she was too scary.

"Xiao Tian's mom, can you put that thing away?"

"It's making me nervous."

Lin Chong, with a weak voice, scolded Zhang Xiulan, then turned to Huang Fei, who was secretly giving him a thumbs-up, and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Old Lin, I really have to thank you and your nephew this time."

"If it weren't for you, we would have not only been beaten up but also lost the treasure."

Huang Fei took out the jade snuff bottle hidden in his chest and handed it to Lin Chong, saying, "I'll give this to you."

"No, Old Huang, this is something you risked your life for."

"It could fetch a good price and help you start a small business."

Lin Chong, seeing the jade snuff bottle Huang Fei offered, waved his hands in refusal.

Zhang Xiulan, who had put the kitchen knife back in the kitchen, walked out just in time to see this scene. Although she was from a rural area, she was not greedy. Even if something wasn't hers, she would feel uneasy about it.

"Old Huang, is this the treasure you found on the back mountain?"

Zhang Xiulan, walking up, observed the exquisite jade snuff bottle.

"Big Sister, if you like it, take it."

Huang Fei, seeing Zhang Xiulan's curious expression as she examined the snuff bottle, said.

"No, I don't want anything that isn't ours."

Seeing Zhang Xiulan's genuine expression, Huang Fei didn't know what to say and looked at Lin Chong with sincerity, saying, "Old Lin, I will never forget your kindness today."

"Our families will become close friends, and these two boys will be sworn brothers. What do you think?"

"Good."

Lin Chong, who hadn't spoken yet, was the first to raise his hand and cheer, and Er Niu, standing next to him, laughed foolishly at Lin Tian's enthusiasm.

Lin Tian knew very well that the Huang family's future would be extremely prosperous, and Er Niu would have a successful career. He was naturally enthusiastic about such a good thing.

"You little rascal."

Lin Chong, seeing Lin Tian's enthusiasm, scolded him with a smile, then said to Huang Fei with a light smile, "I have the same idea."

"Good."

"Xiao Tian is younger, and Er Niu is older. From now on, Er Niu will be the elder brother, and Xiao Tian will be the younger brother."

Huang Fei smiled at the two young boys.

Lin Tian and Er Niu smiled at each other and greeted each other.

"Brother Er Niu, Brother Xiao Tian."

"Old Huang, what are your plans for the future?"

Lin Chong, with a joyful look, asked Huang Fei.

"Having offended the Li family, we won't have a good life in Houshan Village. I plan to take Er Niu and go out to make our way."

"Why don't we go together? The Li family will likely cause trouble for you in the future."

"He dares, and I'll cut him down."

Before Huang Fei could finish speaking, Zhang Xiulan, who had been silent, shouted angrily, making everyone present shudder.

"Men are talking, women should not interrupt."

Lin Chong, with a stern look, scolded Zhang Xiulan, but his voice lacked strength. Zhang Xiulan ignored him and walked into the inner room.

Seeing Zhang Xiulan's fierce look as she left, Lin Chong's heart shuddered. Lin Tian, who was watching, had already turned red from holding back his laughter but was too afraid to laugh out loud under Lin Chong's angry glare.

"I plan to move the whole family to town. I've already bought a house there. Here's the address."

Lin Chong, with a bitter smile, handed a piece of paper to Huang Fei, who had a strange look on his face.

"Good, I'll remember the address."

"It's getting late. I'll go back and pack. I'll let you know when I've made a name for myself."

Huang Fei, leading the reluctant Er Niu, left Lin Tian's house. They would soon set out on an unknown journey after packing their belongings.

"Father, I need to get back to school before sunset."

Lin Tian, seeing Lin Chong resting with his eyes closed, spoke softly.

"Be careful on the way."

"Once we move to the new house, you can live at home instead of renting a place."

"Here's a hundred dollars as a token of appreciation for today's hard work."

Lin Chong, still puzzled about why his son suddenly had so much strength, was actually still processing the surprise Lin Tian had given him today.

"I've been waiting for this big bill."

Lin Tian took the money from Lin Chong without hesitation, laughed, and ran out, leaving Lin Chong staring in anger.

Walking to the village entrance, Lin Tian said goodbye to Er Niu's family and headed down the mountain. When he reached the dilapidated ancient temple he had passed earlier, he stopped and carefully examined it.

The eerie atmosphere that had once been there was now gone. Lin Tian, thinking about the special ability he had gained unexpectedly, felt a sense of awe.

Slowly approaching the interior of the temple, the strong light illuminated everything clearly. The statue inside, which had endured countless storms and seasons, still sat serenely.

Walking to the statue, Lin Tian knelt down and said lightly,

"Just now, I used the ability you gave me to divine a fortune. The information showed that you are the great master Yuan Tiangang, known for his infallible predictions."

You have given me this ability, and I don't know how to repay you. Please allow me to call you "Master."

"Lin Tian will use the ability you have given me to benefit the people, eliminate evil, and bring peace to the world."

After saying this, Lin Tian bowed three times to the statue of Yuan Tiangang, stood up, and slowly walked to the door. He turned back and said solemnly, "Master, when your disciple has achieved something, I will rebuild your temple and ensure you receive the offerings of the people."

As Lin Tian left, the temple returned to its peaceful state. The statue, sitting serenely, showed a faint smile on its face.

After running for a long time on the mountain path, Lin Tian saw the town slowly appearing below and smiled confidently.

"Huang Mao, Shatiger."

"The young master is coming to collect a debt."