CHAPTER 981: CHAPTER 978: HER ELUSIVE SCENT

According to her personality, Ning Luoxi would send any man who got close to her to the hospital. Yet ever since she met Lin Tian, despite being embraced around the waist multiple times, Lin Tian remained unscathed, never once hospitalized. Ning Luoxi had to find an excuse for herself: I can’t beat him.

The sound of footsteps echoed, and then a figure flipped into the study. This time, the intruder was masked and dressed in black, an obvious sign of ill intent. Furthermore, someone dared to be so audacious inside the Yun Family; clearly, this person was an insider.

Seeing the masked intruder come in through the window, Ning Luoxi realized Lin Tian was setting up a trap to catch the person tonight. No wonder Lin Tian was hiding behind the bookshelf when she came in.

Once inside, the masked intruder stood against the wall, blending into the shadows, a stark contrast to Ning Luoxi’s bold demeanor. The intruder’s gaze swept swiftly, immediately spotting the glass bottle and the green elixir inside it on the desk.

Crouching low, the masked intruder darted to the desk, grabbed the glass bottle without a second glance, stuffed it into his pocket, and dashed towards the window. As he flipped out the window, he glanced back at the study with disdain, feeling that he had succeeded easily and that Yunxiang Inn’s people were nothing worth mentioning.

After the masked intruder disappeared outside Yunxiang Inn, Lin Tian emerged from behind the bookshelf.

"Luoxi, I have some matters to attend to and can’t entertain you tonight. You can leave first or wait for me to return," Lin Tian said to Ning Luoxi behind him, then swiftly leapt out the window.

Watching Lin Tian’s disappearing figure, Ning Luoxi was momentarily lost in thought, feeling a slight pang of disappointment.

Lin Tian hadn’t chased very far before he spotted the masked intruder. Just outside Yunxiang Inn, the intruder had shed his black attire behind a rockery, revealing a servant’s outfit beneath.

After removing the night attire, the intruder transformed into a Yun Family servant and walked away confidently. He glanced back at Yunxiang Inn with even more disdain, thinking his operation flawless, unnoticed by anyone, oblivious to the eyes secretly watching him.

The intruder, now a servant, had no one stopping him as he walked through the corridors of the Yun mansion and arrived at a house.

He walked in unimpeded, with Lin Tian quietly following behind. As he climbed over a wall to enter, Lin Tian specifically glanced at the plaque inscribed with "Yunxuan Residence."

Whose residence was this? Lin Tian pondered briefly but did not dwell on it, as the answer would soon reveal itself. He jumped directly to the rooftop from the side, activating his Eye of Clarity to follow the masked intruder into a study.

Although it was deep into the night, the study was still lit, with someone sitting behind the desk—a young man. Originally resting his eyes, he opened them as soon as the servant entered. Lin Tian saw clearly that the young man was Mo Mingda.

"Mo Cong, how did it go?" Mo Mingda asked casually.

"Rest assured, Young Master Mo, it’s done. Here is the elixir," the servant, identified as Mo Cong, replied smugly, then took out the glass bottle from his pocket.

Mo Mingda took the glass bottle, examined it closely for a while, and then said satisfactorily, "It’s definitely the elixir, but we don’t know what kind. This Lin Tian has been acting mysteriously lately. It seems he is after this elixir. If he uses it to cure Old Master’s legs, there will be nothing left for me in this Yun Family."

"Young Master Mo is right. Yun Xiaotian is the old man’s grandson. Once the old man fully recovers, he will likely make big moves, starting with consolidating power to clear the way for Yun Xiaotian’s future succession. Young Master Mo, being so outstanding, would definitely be seen as an obstacle for Yun Xiaotian’s ascension. The old man would surely act against Young Master Mo," Mo Cong said darkly.

"However, this might worsen the old man’s condition..." Mo Mingda said flatly, though his tone was cold and showed no real concern for Old Master’s health.

Mo Cong, eyes dark, lowered his voice, "The old man’s condition has been the same for twenty years; how worse can it get? Besides, what if it does? Great achievements require disregard for minor details. During the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin also killed his brothers to ascend the throne, yet history still praises him as a wise ruler. Victory justifies everything else as insignificant."

Mo Mingda’s eyes flickered for a moment before he steadied himself, then turned to Mo Cong, "Did Lin Tian notice you stealing the elixir?"

"Of course not. Young Master Mo hypes Lin Tian up too much, but I think he’s just average. He has no idea I slipped into Yunxiang Inn, probably sleeping like a log right now," Mo Cong sneered.

"Don’t underestimate him. To be safe, I’ll find an excuse to transfer you out of the Yun Family in a couple of days. We can talk more when things calm down," Mo Mingda, recalling Lin Tian’s many peculiar skills, instructed uneasily.

Mo Cong pouted disdainfully, "He’s just a trickster from Jianghu, using some blinding technique to fool the old man. No need to dodge the limelight, right?"

Though Mo Cong’s position in the Yun Family was that of a servant, he was Mo Mingda’s kin and confidant, enjoying a comfortable life there and unwilling to live elsewhere.

Mo Mingda’s face darkened sternly, "Am I too indulgent lately, that my words no longer carry weight? When I say hide, you hide. Do not challenge my decisions."

Mo Cong recoiled, hastily replying, "Calm your anger, Young Master Mo. Everything is subject to your arrangements."

"Leave, and do not provoke Lin Tian unless you want to regret it," Mo Mingda warned.

After Mo Cong departed, Mo Mingda picked up the Shaoyang Pill again, glanced at it, and then locked it in the safe.

Everything that happened in the study, Lin Tian witnessed from the rooftop, very clearly.

This Mo Mingda certainly had some skill, gaining admiration from the old folks of the Yun Family. Unfortunately, he crossed the line on the matter of Old Master’s health.

Lin Tian sneered, then moved swiftly away from Yunxuan Residence. Upon returning to Yunxiang Inn, he went straight to the study.

But the study was already empty; Ning Luoxi had not stayed. Only a faint lingering fragrance remained in the air, the scent of Ning Luoxi.

"Couldn’t you leave even a note?" Lin Tian murmured softly as he gazed into the vast night outside Yunxiang Inn, his voice laced with a subtle regret filling the study.

The night was deep, and her trace was hard to find. Their reunion was fleeting, leaving Lin Tian with a sudden sense of melancholy. Up to this moment, he still didn’t know where Ning Luoxi lived or where he could find her. If she didn’t appear on her own, it seemed like they might never meet again.