There had been many speculations about the dissipation of spiritual energy and the stagnation of cultivation.
For instance, she had considered if someone held a grudge against her and had deliberately cursed her, or if she had been poisoned.
Of course, she had also prepared herself for the possibility that it was simply fate, with no discernible reason, and that this was her destiny.
If the Demon Lord's guess was true, she never expected the truth to be like this.
Jian Lin felt dizzy and her body grew hot. After breaking out in a cold sweat, she began to feel cold again.
The Demon Lord, with quick eyes and hands, supported her, helping her to sit on a chair. Jian Lin covered her face with her hands, completely overwhelmed by profound sadness and anger.
He stood beside her, acting as a pillar of support. The Demon Lord looked down at Jian Lin's trembling shoulders and silently placed his hand on them, offering comfort and support.
Just as Jian Lin was feeling utterly miserable, a familiar prompt sounded in her mind: Heartbeat value +2, obtained ten thousand points.
Huh? This also counts as a heartbeat? Why? Did he pity her?
The Demon Lord's triggers for emotional response were truly peculiar.
Distracted by the Demon Lord, Jian Lin managed to pull herself slightly away from her pain. She lowered her hands, raised her eyes to look at the Demon Lord, and stared at his chin as she said, "After Master passed away, there were thirteen junior disciples who didn't manage to cultivate a Golden Core."
Jian Lin spoke slowly, as if speaking them aloud could alleviate her pain. "Thirteen people, all prodigies. When parents sent their children to Guanlan Sect, they hoped their children would be immune to all poisons, live forever, and have a smooth and peaceful life. Who could have imagined this would happen."
"I remember one senior brother, he had a terrible fate," Jian Lin recalled past events. "During his cultivation, he suffered a qi deviation and aged overnight. At fifteen or sixteen, the prime of his life, he transformed into a wrinkled old man. Yuan Shuo kindly saved him, preserving his life. When his parents came to pick him up, they were extremely grateful to Yuan Shuo and kowtowed to him many times."
"Did those parents know? The person they were so grateful to was the very culprit who caused their son's death. Yuan Shuo committed so many wicked deeds; wasn't he afraid of divine retribution!"
Jian Lin cursed vehemently, feeling much better. She reached out and hugged the Demon Lord's waist, burying her face in his chest, and said in a muffled voice, "Lord Chongyuan, I hate him so much, I'm losing my mind. Right now, I just want to rush out and kill him. You must stop me quickly."
If it were only Jian Lin's own problem, she would curse and seek revenge when opportunities arose.
But thirteen people, due to Yuan Shuo's greed, had their brilliant lives stolen, leaving them with only cruel endings.
The Demon Lord's hand slowly moved from her shoulder to the back of her head. He held her and said in a low voice, "Why should I stop you? If you can kill, then go and kill. Avenge your fellow disciples."
Jian Lin was speechless. She had explicitly asked him to stop her quickly, yet he couldn't say anything helpful.
She raised her eyes and tried to reason with herself. "I can't go now. The urgent matter is to find a way to save my senior sister, and then make long-term plans. If I rush out recklessly for a moment of satisfaction, who will clean up the mess?"
The Demon Lord lowered his gaze, a smile curving his lips. He spoke in a tone of praise, "See, you understand everything. Where do you need me to stop you?"
Jian Lin was taken aback and couldn't help but chuckle softly. So that was what the scoundrel meant. She had misunderstood him.
The two stayed in Jian Lin's room for a while longer. Jian Lin rummaged through a small cabinet by the bed and found several hairpins, all simple and inexpensive styles. She held them in her hands, examining them carefully, before finally storing them in her Qiankun bag.
She should keep the original owner's belongings properly.
Since the mystery was solved, there was no further point in staying there. The two prepared to leave and, as it was still early, visit the Immortal Sect Grand Assembly on the neighboring Canglan Peak.
The courtyard was very quiet, with hardly anyone passing by. The two walked out boldly. Before they reached the courtyard gate, they suddenly heard the sound of something falling from the east wing room, which sounded like a chair.
Jian Lin's eyes met the Demon Lord's, and she instantly realized what had happened in that room.
Her junior sister, Lin Zhi, had committed suicide.
Jian Lin hurried over and saw a white silk sash hanging from the roof beam. Lin Zhi's frail body was still swaying slowly in the air.
The Demon Lord reacted faster than her. With a wave of his hand, he cut the white silk sash. Jian Lin quickly reached out to catch it. Lin Zhi was even more frail than she had imagined; Jian Lin caught her without any effort.
She reached out to check Lin Zhi's breathing. It was faint to the point of being imperceptible, but they had arrived so quickly; it couldn't have been caused by hanging.
"She didn't want to live anymore," the Demon Lord said, squatting beside her to examine her closely. "It looks like a mental affliction. She thought she was already dead. Feed her a Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill. It's a highly nourishing pill that will make her feel better and perhaps awaken her."
Upon hearing this, Jian Lin did not hesitate. She immediately took out a small porcelain bottle, poured out two small, deep green pills, and pried open Lin Zhi's mouth, forcing them down her throat.
The pills were of the highest quality, dissolving instantly upon contact with the mouth, and quickly took effect even in her unconscious state.
Seeing Lin Zhi's eyeballs rolling beneath her thin eyelids, as if about to wake up, Jian Lin panicked and quickly sought help from the Demon Lord. If her junior sister woke up and suddenly saw them, wouldn't she be scared to death!
The Demon Lord gestured for her to calm down, closed his eyes, and formed a hand seal. With a flash of spiritual light, the Demon Lord transformed into the appearance of Wen Mingyuan.
Jian Lin's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected the Demon Lord to have such an ability; it was truly remarkable!
The Demon Lord remained silent. He took Lin Zhi from her and waved Jian Lin to hide, allowing him to face Lin Zhi alone.
Jian Lin quickly exchanged for the invisibility function and quietly hid at the foot of the bed. Soon, Lin Zhi slowly woke up, stared at Wen Mingyuan, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Senior Brother, why can I still see you after I've died?" Lin Zhi asked weakly.
The Demon Lord pointed to the half-severed white silk sash in the air and deliberately mimicked Wen Mingyuan's voice, saying gently, "Because you didn't die. I saved you."
Although his voice was gentle, the tone was still the Demon Lord's style, sounding particularly awkward.
Fortunately, Lin Zhi had narrowly escaped death and was rather simple-minded, so she didn't notice this.
She looked up blankly. After a moment, she reacted and said softly and mournfully, "Senior Brother, you shouldn't have saved me. Just let me die. I'm useless, and living is just a burden to you."
"How could I bear to let you die?" the Demon Lord said emotionlessly. "Junior Sister, haven't you realized yet? I'm taking care of you with such effort because I like you. I want to marry you and make you my wife. You are not useless; you can at least bear children. We'll live a good life together from now on."
Jian Lin was stunned. Hey! Don't confess to her senior sister while wearing her senior brother's face!
Although she had noticed some hints, how could he say it so directly? Had he considered her senior brother's feelings?
Lin Zhi was clearly genuinely confused and stammered, "S-Senior Brother, what are you talking about? I, I..."
"What? You don't like me?" the Demon Lord pierced through her words mercilessly. "But I can feel that you like me."
Lin Zhi's face visibly reddened. Coupled with the effect of the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Pill, she felt as if she were floating.
Lin Zhi did indeed like her senior brother. After all, he was the only man who had shown her warmth before her impending death.
He was gentle and reliable, considerate and thoughtful – a truly good man.
"Senior Brother, please don't say any more," Lin Zhi said, secretly shedding tears. "With my condition, I am not worthy of you."
"Then you are unwilling?" the Demon Lord acted sad, his acting skills rather poor. "Then I'll leave. Take care of yourself from now on. If you try to die again, no one will happen to come and save you."
Saying this, he released Lin Zhi, stood up, and genuinely prepared to leave.
Seeing him about to open the door, Lin Zhi propped herself up with her arm on the ground and said urgently, "Senior Brother, don't go... Don't go, don't leave me alone..."
Having faced death, Lin Zhi suddenly feared it.
Jian Lin watched, feeling like crying. Her junior sister was truly pitiful.
The Demon Lord turned around, walked to Lin Zhi's side, and said, "If you are willing, I will absolutely not leave you alone. Come with me. I'll come up the mountain tomorrow to pick you up, and I'll take you to get your injuries treated, alright?"
Lin Zhi's tears slowly fell, and she said softly, "Okay, Senior Brother. I'll do as you say. I'll wait for you tomorrow."
The Demon Lord helped Lin Zhi onto the bed, comforted her a few times, and then got up and left without hesitation.
Jian Lin stayed a while longer, ensuring Lin Zhi had fallen asleep before quietly opening the door and leaving.
The Demon Lord was waiting for her in the small courtyard. Jian Lin ended her invisibility function and walked up to him, saying, "To be honest, Lord Chongyuan, you successfully comforted my senior sister. But you might have overlooked the most important point: my senior brother knows nothing about this. Who will pick her up tomorrow?"
"Whether your senior brother can come to pick her up depends on your abilities," the Demon Lord said with a confident smile, gesturing for her to follow. "Let's go. We'll hurry down the mountain. We won't go to Canglan Peak today. We'll go find your senior brother first."
Jian Lin followed him, not understanding, and lowered her voice, saying, "What's the point of finding my senior brother? Lord Chongyuan, you can't just cause trouble and then abandon it. Give me some hints, please."
The Demon Lord hugged her waist, leaped over the wall, and said in her ear, "Don't worry. Once we get down the mountain, you'll know."
Cangnan Town was not large, with only three or four inns. Jian Lin quickly found where Wen Mingyuan was staying. She gave the waiter a spirit stone and asked him to find Wen Mingyuan and tell him that an old friend had come to visit.
Wen Mingyuan was puzzled. He had been away from the immortal sect for a long time. In Cangnan Town, who could be an old friend visiting him?
Filled with doubt, he followed the waiter downstairs. His gaze swept around, but he couldn't identify anyone who was his old friend.
The waiter pointed him towards someone. "Over there, the beggar in the corner. She's the one looking for you."
Wen Mingyuan focused his gaze and saw a small, hunched figure in the corner, her clothes tattered, her hair like a bird's nest. She held a fortune-telling banner in her arms, on which were written the words "All wishes granted."
Wen Mingyuan chuckled, finding it comical. What kind of old friend was this? He didn't recognize her at all.
However, he still walked over and said gently, "This... young friend, my name is Wen Mingyuan. Are you sure you are looking for me? Have you mistaken me for someone else?"
Jian Lin shook her head, acting like a fortune-teller. "Wen Mingyuan, you were born at the hour of the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month. If I'm not mistaken, then I am indeed looking for you."
Wen Mingyuan was startled. How did this person know his birthdate? Could she... really know him?