CHAPTER 100: REMINDER FROM 100 CITY LORDS

He was serious!

Jiang Qingqin was genuinely stunned this time. She looked at Lin Bai and earnestly bowed to him. "Thank you for your teachings, Senior Brother Lin."

"You have heard the training method of Spoken Law Follows and seen my past cultivation. If you’re interested, you can try it," Lin Bai said, turning to glance at Silver and the others. "If you can grasp the basics, I don’t mind formally accepting you into the Righteous Door."

"Thank you, Lin, the Storekeeper," Silver and the other players promptly bowed to Lin Bai.

Meanwhile, the three were quickly exchanging private messages.

Silver asked, "Is it in your skills list?"

Well Does Not Move replied, "Nothing at all."

Bitter Melon Vine asked, "So, are we going to train?"

Well Does Not Move said, "Let’s give it a try. ’Spoken Law Follows’—the name itself suggests it’s a divine-level technique. It might be different from other martial arts; maybe we truly need to grasp the basics before it appears in the skills list!"

Silver added, "I want to try too. After all, so many people witnessed Lin Bai training. The game company never confirmed this was a bug, and they wouldn’t design such a sequence for Lin Bai without reason. Maybe it’s real."

Well Does Not Move said, "Alright, let’s all give it a try."

Bitter Melon Vine added, "You guys go ahead; I won’t participate. Whether it’s to players or NPCs, talking like Lin, the Storekeeper... I don’t think I can bring myself to say those things."

Silver and Well Does Not Move looked at each other, both sighing simultaneously.

Indeed, as Lin, the Storekeeper, said, this divine technique looked simple but was challenging to practice. Its training method completely transgressed normal human behavior and could easily make one seem like a lunatic!

Silver sighed. "I shouldn’t have stopped the live stream. Such an unorthodox technique should be spread far and wide; let every player try it."

Hearing their private chat, Lin Bai coughed. "Disperse now! I am performing Alchemy. If you linger at the door, I’ll be distracted."

"Yes, Lin, the Storekeeper."

The three players bowed to Lin Bai, thoughtfully helped him close the door, and then went their separate ways.

In the secluded room, only Lin Bai, Jiang Qingqin, and a little fox remained.

Amid the CRACKLE-POP of the fire, the atmosphere suddenly grew somewhat ambiguous.

Jiang Qingqin looked at Lin Bai, the sweet nothings from that night involuntarily flooding her mind. She hastily averted her gaze, her mouth inexplicably dry.

Before coming, she had many things she wanted to say to Lin Bai, but now her mind was a blank; she couldn’t bring herself to ask anything.

Having placated Jiang Qingqin using Spoken Law Follows, Lin Bai refocused on his Alchemy and didn’t notice her subtle distress.

"You..." Jiang Qingqin looked at Lin Bai, mustered her courage, and was just about to break the palpable awkwardness.

Suddenly, a soft voice interjected, "Master, can I train too?"

It was the Little White Fox.

Jiang Qingqin glared at it, annoyed.

"Train what?" Lin Bai asked.

"Spoken Law Follows!" the Little White Fox asked, looking up at Lin Bai, a hint of nervousness in its eyes.

"No," Lin Bai refused decisively.

"Why?" the Little White Fox asked plaintively. "Those people outside can all train."

"You’re always by my side; I’m afraid you’ll be too noisy," Lin Bai said. "Besides, you’ve lived in the wilderness for a long time and lack the necessary vocabulary. You’re bound to fail."

"Oh!" the Little White Fox responded dejectedly, shrinking to one side and falling silent. Its eyes darted around a few times; it hadn’t taken Lin Bai’s words to heart. Anyway, it already knew the cultivation method. Worst case, it would just practice secretly later.

"..." Jiang Qingqin looked at Lin Bai, opened her mouth, and asked with a blush, "Um, can I come and practice with you?"

"Hmm?" Lin Bai looked at Jiang Qingqin, puzzled.

"The other words don’t matter, but when it comes to saying sweet nothings, I feel too shy to say them to others," Jiang Qingqin’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. Stealing a glance at Lin Bai, she continued, "Besides, you said sweet nothings to me all night. If I say them back to you, we’ll be even."

Are the after-effects of the sweet nothings kicking in?

But...

You probably won’t make it to the sweet-talk stage!

Lin Bai glanced at Jiang Qingqin and said, "Alright."

"Really?" Jiang Qingqin asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Yes," Lin Bai nodded, then earnestly suggested, "You could also do as I did: catch a good-looking pet and practice Spoken Law Follows with it. That way, it won’t be so awkward at first. Just remember not to pick a Demon Beast..."

"..." The Little White Fox silently pursed its lips.

"Okay," Jiang Qingqin nodded lightly. Looking at Lin Bai, she gathered her courage and asked, "Senior Brother Lin, have you ever considered finding a Taoist partner? A real one, not a fake partner like with Xu Longyun?"

"I have thought about it," Lin Bai said, his attention on the Pill Furnace. "However, with the current chaos caused by the heaven-sent people, and the heavy responsibility of the Righteous Door mission on my shoulders, my own skills aren’t yet perfected. I’m afraid I don’t have much time for romance. Perhaps when my cultivation has progressed, I might consider it."

"Mm, I’ll wait for you," Jiang Qingqin said softly.

"What did you say?" Lin Bai pretended not to hear her.

"Nothing!" Jiang Qingqin smiled. "Aren’t we going to Qian City in a few days? Most of the heaven-sent people are in your Beggar Gang. I’ll wait for you so we can set off together; we can look out for each other on the road."

"Alright," Lin Bai nodded with a smile.

"Then I won’t disturb your Alchemy any longer," Jiang Qingqin smiled. "These next few days, I’ll read more storybooks and learn how to say words as warm as spring!"

Having said that, without waiting for Lin Bai’s response, she opened the door and drifted away.

Lin Bai turned to look at Jiang Qingqin’s departing figure and mumbled, Love? Isn’t it a bit too soon?

He shook his head and refocused his attention on manipulating the Pill Furnace. The pill was about to be ready; he had to be absolutely cautious. Love can’t be eaten, nor can it save my life...

A moment later, the Pill Furnace shook violently.

Lin Bai’s expression tensed. His hands fluttered like butterflies, continuously striking the Pill Furnace with pill-condensing techniques.

The Little White Fox watched intently, its gaze unwavering.

As the final technique was cast, the vibrating Pill Furnace suddenly fell still.

Lin Bai opened the Pill Furnace. At its bottom lay a neat layer of translucent white pills, exuding a soft, gentle luster.

A burst of fresh fragrance erupted, instantly filling the entire Alchemy Room.

Simultaneously, the mission completion prompt arrived in Lin Bai’s mind, along with the pill’s description:

[Exciting Rejuvenation Pill: Fresh aroma, pure white color. Restores stamina, heals internal injuries. After consumption, accelerates blood flow and causes mental exhilaration.]

[Develop a new Dan Fang; Reward: Monarch and Minister Aiding Medicine Matching Art.]

"Did you really develop a new Dan Fang?" Xu Longyun, who had appeared beside Lin Bai at some unknown point, surveyed the freshly concocted pills, twitched her nose, her expression somewhat complicated.

"When have I ever deceived you!" Lin Bai smiled and executed a technique. The pills flew out one by one, landing inside a pill bottle.

Xu Longyun reached out, intercepted one from mid-air, and brought it to her nose to smell, yet she dared not swallow it. "What kind of pill is this one?"

"Super Rejuvenation Pill," Lin Bai said.

"Don’t try to deceive me. Do you think I haven’t taken Revitalizing Pills before? This smells completely different," Xu Longyun glared at Lin Bai.

"Everyone has their own Dan Fang. What I refined is the Super Rejuvenation Pill, so naturally, it’s different from theirs," Lin Bai smiled.

"What are its effects?" Xu Longyun asked.

"I haven’t tried it yet, so how would I know?" Lin Bai shook his head. Truthfully, the system’s description of the pill was quite vague; he had no idea what its side effects might be.

Just like the Belly Filling Pill—if he hadn’t used it to lure the Little Fox, he wouldn’t have known it could also attract beasts. And who knew that consuming an External Rejuvenation Pill could cause diarrhea!

"Sell me the Dan Fang!" Xu Longyun said.

"This Dan Fang cannot be sold," Lin Bai refused decisively.

"Why?" Xu Longyun frowned.

"It lacks raw materials. Even if I gave it to you, you wouldn’t be able to make it," Lin Bai said. "One of the main ingredients is the Qi Spirit Fruit from my sect. Although it isn’t valuable, in the entire world, only my sect’s back mountain has three such trees, and they don’t bear many fruits each year. Therefore, this pill cannot be mass-produced."

Xu Longyun flipped her hand, tucking the intercepted pill into her sleeve, and asked nonchalantly, "Why did Jiang Qingqin come looking for you?"

"She inquired about the cultivation method for Spoken Law Follows." Lin Bai put away the bottle of pills, glanced at Xu Longyun, and said, "I’ll also go observe when we test the Super Rejuvenation Pill later."

"Mm," Xu Longyun nodded. "If Jiang Qingqin suggests becoming your Taoist partner, don’t take it to heart. You’re young, have mastered Lei Fa, and are a genius in Alchemy. Once word of this spreads, you will undoubtedly be highly sought after by major sects. Coercion, bribery, seduction—all sorts of methods will surely be used against you relentlessly. You must maintain your composure to avoid disaster."

"..." Lin Bai was stunned.

"Don’t look at me like that," Xu Longyun shot him a glance. "Although Jiang Qingqin is naive, she is, after all, from Hundred Flower Valley. She won’t genuinely help you build the Righteous Door."

"And you?" Lin Bai smiled and asked.

"I, naturally, have no such designs on you; it’s merely admiration for talent. I came to remind you, lest you be misled by beauty and ruin my grand plans for Jiamucheng," Xu Longyun harrumphed. "The Token I gave you isn’t just for withdrawing money from the bank. If you encounter a danger you cannot resolve yourself, you can seek help from the Royal Bank; someone there will definitely help you."

"Understood. Thank you for the reminder, City Lord," Lin Bai smiled and cupped his fists towards Xu Longyun.