The members of the Lin family watched the three of them as if they were watching a play. They were all nearly two hundred years old combined, yet here they were, scrambling to apprentice themselves to a young man. If word of this got out, it would be the talk of the world.
Li Muchen slowly stood up, walked over to Professor Sun and Director Zhong, and said with a smile, "Fine, I accept you two as my students."
Professor Sun and Director Zhong were overjoyed. "Thank you, Master!" They prepared to perform the apprenticeship ceremony right there on the spot.
Li Muchen reached out to steady them. "Let's skip the formalities. There's no need to call me 'Master.' A healer's heart is a benevolent one; we do this to save lives and heal the wounded. There's no need for sectarian divisions."
Professor Sun and Director Zhong were even more impressed. "Your insight is profound, Teacher," they agreed.
Standing to the side, Dean Yao felt rather awkward. "And what about me?" he asked.
"You?" Li Muchen chuckled. "Didn't you want to present a silk banner? Oh, right—don't forget to present one to yourself as well, with the words 'I am a quack' written on it."
Dean Yao’s face turned the color of liver.
Lin Qiusheng coughed to clear his throat and said, "Mr... Mr. Li, might I ask what illness my father has? And what his current condition is?"
Li Muchen asked, "Are you the head of the Lin Family?"
Lin Qiusheng was taken aback. Not knowing why he asked, he glanced at his cousin Lin Laifeng beside him and replied, "We live in a modern society; there isn't really a 'head of the family.' It's just that I handle most of the family’s business."
"He's my father," Lin Manqing added, fearing Li Muchen didn't know. Her face turned red as she spoke; she couldn't shake the feeling that the whole situation was strange.
Li Muchen nodded and said to Lin Qiusheng, "Come with me to the ward."
Lin Laifeng asked, "What about us?"
"The rest of you should wait outside," Li Muchen replied. "The Old Master is still very weak, and it's not good to have too many people inside."
Lin Laifeng’s expression shifted, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing more.
Li Muchen turned to Lin Manqing. "Manqing, once your mother has brewed the medicine, you and she can bring it in together."
Hearing herself addressed as "Manqing" made her heart skip a beat. "Oh," she replied.
Li Muchen and Lin Qiusheng entered the ward together. Lin Shangyi was already able to sit up, leaning against the headboard and talking with Lin Chanming. Seeing Li Muchen enter, he smiled and gestured, "Muchen, come, come sit here."
Li Muchen paused for a moment. The intimacy and natural tone of Old Master Lin’s address made him feel slightly uneasy. Lin Chanming moved aside naturally to let Li Muchen sit.
Li Muchen glanced at Lin Chanming. He didn't know the man, but he could tell that his status in the Lin Family was high and that he was deeply trusted by the Old Master.
"Mr. Li, my father's illness...?" Lin Qiusheng was still thinking about his previous question, but in front of the Old Master, he didn't quite know how to ask.
Li Muchen looked at Lin Shangyi.
Lin Shangyi said, "Speak plainly. There are no outsiders here. Don't worry about me not being able to take it. If I couldn't handle even this much, I wouldn't have lived a full life. Every extra day I get on this old frame is a profit."
Li Muchen shook his head. "Old Master, what you have is not an illness. You have been cursed."
"A curse?" Lin Qiusheng and Lin Chanming were both stunned.
Li Muchen didn't explain. Instead, he asked, "How many people in your family know the Old Master’s birth date and time?"
***
"Our family is substantial, and we've always feared being exploited by villains, so we keep strict control over the family's birth data. Especially my father's—only his closest kin know it. Outsiders could, at best, find out the year and month of his birth, but never the specific hour or the directional orientation of his birth."
"Be specific," Li Muchen pressed. "Which people know?"
"Myself, my wife Huimin, my daughter Manqing, my cousin Lin Laifeng, and my cousin’s son, Lin Shaoheng," Lin Qiusheng listed. "That should be everyone. Even my son, Lin Yun, doesn't know. My cousin has a younger son studying in Dongying, but he shouldn't know either."
"And me," Lin Chanming added from the side.
"What about the steward?" Li Muchen asked.
Lin Qiusheng replied, "The steward doesn't know, though if someone were determined, it wouldn't be impossible to find out." He added, "The stewards at the Lin residence have been with us for years. As for Steward Luo and you... perhaps there was some misunderstanding."
Li Muchen didn't believe in misunderstandings, but he didn't care much about small fry like Luo Mingsha.
"The Old Master has been cursed with a dark art known as the 'Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book'."
"'Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book'?" Lin Qiusheng had never even heard of it.
"That's right. The practitioner sets up an altar, creates a straw effigy inscribed with the Old Master's birth details, and stabs it with needles or shoots it with arrows every day. Usually, within seven days, the victim's soul and spirit will dissipate."
"Ah!" Lin Qiusheng was shocked. Lin Chanming couldn't help but frown.
Only Lin Shangyi let out a laugh. "I never imagined my old life was nearly extinguished by a straw doll. To have lived this long and to witness such a strange art—it was worth the life I've lived."
Lin Shangyi’s boldness and detachment made Li Muchen look at him with new respect. It seemed this old man was truly no ordinary person.
Lin Qiusheng asked, "So, is my father out of danger now?"
Li Muchen shook his head. "I have only used my internal energy to prolong his life. To resolve this completely, I must find the practitioner and break the spell."
"But... where would we even begin to look?" Lin Qiusheng was at a loss.
"You don't have much time," Li Muchen warned. "I can continue to sustain the Old Master, but at most for three or four days. Once the Old Master doesn't pass away, that person will realize something is wrong."
"And what happens then?"
"There are two possibilities. The person realizes the plan has failed and vanishes, in which case you may never know who wanted to harm the Old Master. That is the better outcome, as the Old Master’s life is safe. But there is another possibility: the person is determined to have his life. Once they realize the 'Nail-Head Seven-Arrow Book' has failed, they will likely resort to more radical means, such as a blood sacrifice. They might use their own blood to amplify the spell’s power, effectively trading half their own life for the Old Master's."
"Ah?!" Lin Qiusheng was horrified. "Then... can you stop it?"
Li Muchen shook his head. "It's hard to say. If you can't even find the person, how are we to stop it?"
Lin Chanming said, "It seems we must start by identifying the traitor within."
Lin Qiusheng slammed his fist down. "I will root that person out and tear them to pieces!"
Lin Shangyi waved a hand. "Enough. Don't lose your composure over this. Attend to your duties. Being able to catch my breath like this is enough for me. Now, there are things I need to discuss with Muchen. Chanming, Qiusheng, you two go out for a moment."
Li Muchen cautioned, "You two, do not mention what was just said to anyone. The Old Master’s true condition should remain known only to the four of us. If anyone asks, tell them to come to me."
Once Lin Chanming and Lin Qiusheng left, Li Muchen’s heart was filled with anticipation. He knew that mysteries which had troubled him for years were about to be unveiled.
Lin Shangyi looked at him, remaining silent for a long time. Li Muchen was in no rush; having practiced in Tiandu for so many years, he had that much patience.
Lin Shangyi nodded slightly. "You must have many questions for me, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Then ask."
Li Muchen paused, suddenly realizing he didn't know where to begin. After thinking for a long time, he asked the question that weighed heaviest on him: "How did my grandfather die?"
Lin Shangyi hadn't expected him to be so direct. "Shouldn't you be more curious about the marriage engagement I made with your grandfather?"
"Are the two events related?" Li Muchen’s gaze was sharp.
Realizing he had misunderstood, Lin Shangyi sighed. "I bear some responsibility for your grandfather's death. I have felt guilty about it for many years, especially after you disappeared."
Li Muchen narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Lin Shangyi. If his suspicions were true—that his grandfather had tricked Lin Shangyi to secure the engagement, leading to his own death—he would not hesitate to strike Lin Shangyi dead right there on the bed to avenge him.
"This is a long story," Lin Shangyi said, looking at the ceiling, his gaze distant, as if seeing the far-off past.
"Over forty years ago, the Lin family faced a great disaster. To escape my enemies, I fled alone to the Capital. But they found me. I was at the end of my rope when, at the brink of death, the head of the Capital’s Li family, Li Tiance, saved me."
"In those days, the Li family was one of the four great clans of the Capital, and Li Tiance was known as the wealthiest man in the world. With the protection of the Li family, my enemies could do nothing to me. Later, I returned to Hecheng. With the capital the Li family provided, I made a comeback and restored the Lin family to its former glory. I always wanted to repay that debt, but the Li family was so immensely wealthy that I never found the chance."
"But then, twenty years ago, the Li family suffered a sudden, devastating change. Almost overnight, the entire family vanished from the Capital."
Li Muchen had a vague idea why Lin Shangyi was mentioning the Li family, but he found it hard to believe. "What happened to them?"
"I don't know," Lin Shangyi shook his head. "For several years, I tried to investigate, but the stories were conflicting. No one could clearly explain what had happened. I thought I would never have the chance to repay the Li family’s great kindness. Until one day, your grandfather came to Hecheng."
"My grandfather?"
"Yes. Your grandfather, Li Youquan. He was in rags, looking like a beggar, and with him was a child—you, Li Muchen."
"You—" Lin Shangyi looked at Li Muchen with a solemn expression. "You are a member of the Li family of the Capital. Your father was Li Yunhua, the most prominent young man of the Capital in his day, and Li Tiance was your own grandfather."
Even with all his discipline, Li Muchen’s heart hammered at these words. "My own grandfather? Then... who was the man who raised me?"
"Li Youquan was not your grandfather; he was a trusted confidant of Li Tiance. According to Youquan, Li Tiance had a premonition before the disaster and arranged for his most trusted loyalists to take the Li children and flee to different parts of the country to seek refuge with friends and relatives. Youquan took you, and he chose to seek refuge with the Lin family in Hecheng."
"Does that mean... there are others, my brothers, out there?"
Lin Shangyi shook his head. "I believe not. You and Youquan were able to survive because, for the twenty years after I returned to Hecheng, I had no contact whatsoever with the Li family. Perhaps that is why Old Master Li chose to send you to me."
"Youquan was extremely cautious. Although I had no contact with the Li family, anyone with a motive could still discover that I had once received their favor. So, he kept you in the outskirts of the city, living as a scavenger."
"For this, I have always felt guilty. Later, I made that marriage agreement with him, promising that when you grew up, you would become the son-in-law of the Lin family. Seventeen years ago, I had a will drawn up by my lawyers: once you and Manqing are married, you will receive half of the Lin family's fortune."
***
Half of the Lin family’s wealth was indeed tempting, but what shocked Li Muchen even more was his own origin. As a child, he had scavenged with his grandfather, hungry and cold. Seeing those well-dressed children his own age, Li Muchen had often fantasized that his parents were wealthy and would one day arrive in a car to take him away from the junkyard, to a life free of want.
But reality was cruel; fantasies never shielded anyone from the storm. He could only scavenge harder, just to ensure they had enough to eat and that his aging grandfather didn't have to suffer so much.
Li Muchen had never imagined he truly came from such a wealthy background. Sadly, that home no longer existed. Sometimes, knowing was worse than not knowing.
He finally understood his grandfather’s painstaking efforts. Whenever he had asked as a child why others had parents and he didn't, his grandfather would always fall silent. When no one was looking, his grandfather would weep.
He remembered his grandfather’s death again. That late autumn, his grandfather, who had never left Hecheng, suddenly said he had to take a long journey. Before leaving, he took out the marriage contract, told Li Muchen to keep it safe, and instructed him that when he grew up, he should become the son-in-law of the Lin family.
He was gone for months. When he returned, snow was falling heavily. His grandfather was covered in wounds, and he had only one last breath left by the time he reached home. People said he had been hit by a car and the driver had fled. Some elders said his injuries didn't look like a car accident; they looked like he had been beaten.
"How exactly did my grandfather die?" This was the question Li Muchen had kept hidden in his heart for thirteen years.
"I only know he went back to the Capital," Lin Shangyi said. "Before he left, he saw me. He said he had something very important to attend to. If he didn't return, he asked me to look after you."
"Did he say what it was?"
"No. But I suspect it had to do with the extermination of the Li family. He must have found some clues."
Li Muchen felt something was wrong. "If he died because of that, his return meant his whereabouts were exposed. Why would those people have let me live?"
"Youquan was meticulous," Lin Shangyi said. "If he hadn't shaken off those pursuing him, how could he have returned?"
Li Muchen clenched his fists. "Who are the people who harmed him and destroyed the Li family?"
Lin Shangyi replied, "I have investigated in secret over the years, but I have found nothing. The Li family of the Capital was vast, with many people and immense assets. It would not be easy to dismantle such a power without leaving a trace. Logically, the greatest beneficiary should be the most suspicious. After the Li family fell, their assets were gradually swallowed by other great families. But none of those families or forces had the power to destroy the Li family as they did."
"What if they united?"
"Impossible," Lin Shangyi shook his head. "You must understand, the destruction of the Li family happened almost overnight. How large was the Li family? How many people, how much land, how many connections? To make such a family vanish from the Capital as if they never existed—I cannot conceive of what kind of power could do that. Even if the other three great families of the Capital joined forces, they could not do it. I have thought about this problem for a long time, and I have analyzed it thoroughly..."
Li Muchen frowned. "And did you reach a conclusion?"
Lin Shangyi hesitated for a moment before saying, "My conclusion is that such a force simply does not exist in the mortal realm."
Li Muchen was stunned, instantly understanding what Lin Shangyi meant. The power that destroyed the Li family did not belong to the secular world. Beyond the secular, there were indeed many forces—Immortals, Shamans, Buddhas, Demons... For instance, the Wanxian Sect of Tiandu Peak, which resided on the summit of Kunlun and governed the world’s immortal sects.
Could it have been the Shamans or Demons? If it were a powerful Shamanic or Demonic sect, destroying a secular family overnight would indeed not be difficult.
Lin Shangyi said, "I know there are many places in the world unknown to people like us. You come from one of those places, don't you?"
Li Muchen nodded.
Lin Shangyi continued, "When you disappeared, I thought you had also met the hands of those enemies. For years, I blamed myself. If I had taken you into the Lin family sooner, perhaps this wouldn't have happened, and Youquan wouldn't have died. But I was cowardly, and I was afraid. That invisible enemy is too terrifying; to be able to wipe out the Li family overnight—to deal with my Lin family would be like crushing an ant. I failed you and Youquan."
"You don't need to blame yourself. Because of your secret care, we survived. I should thank you." Li Muchen knew clearly that without Lin Shangyi's secret help, he and his grandfather could never have survived in Hecheng.
Lin Shangyi looked at Li Muchen. "Fortunately, you have returned, and you have learned great skills. Your grandfather can now rest in peace in the afterlife. The marriage contract remains valid. While I am still alive, let's arrange your marriage to Manqing in these next few days."
Li Muchen paused. "Old Master Lin, let's talk about the marriage later."
"Oh?" Lin Shangyi was confused. "Do you not approve of Manqing?"
"That’s not it. Miss Lin is virtuous and flawless."
"Then is it because, knowing your heritage, you feel the Lin family is not good enough for the Li family?"
"That is even less the case."
"Then why?"
Li Muchen thought for a moment and said, "Honestly, I just feel the engagement you made with my grandfather was too hasty. It isn't fair to me, and it isn't fair to Miss Lin."
Lin Shangyi laughed heartily. "You want free love? That's fine too. Let's not get married yet; we can announce the engagement first. You two can take your time to get to know each other, and it won't be too late to marry after Manqing finishes university."
Li Muchen felt a headache coming on. Why was this old man so stubborn?
"Old Master Lin, I am grateful for your kindness, but I carry a mountain of blood-feuds. Until those debts are settled, I simply have no heart to think about these things."
The reasoning was firm and righteous; he thought the old man wouldn't insist further. But unexpectedly, the Old Master suddenly asked, "You want revenge?"
"Of course," Li Muchen said. Not even speaking of the Li family of the Capital or his parents he had never met, his grandfather, Li Youquan, had died miserably in front of him. That debt, he had to settle.
"And how do you plan to exact it?"
"I..." Li Muchen was suddenly at a loss for words. He had no clues. He only knew the enemy involved non-secular powers. With three thousand sects beyond the world and countless heterodox paths, and the ancient Shamans and Demon Cults hiding goodness knows where, whom was he to seek out?
Lin Shangyi smiled slightly. "Actually, I have already thought it out for you. It might be difficult to find the enemy, so why not let them come to find you?"
"Let them come find me?"
"The Li family was wiped out, but there were no direct reports of stolen wealth. This suggests they weren't after money, but were afraid of something. These things are in the hands of the Li family. Only when all the members of the Li family are dead can they rest easy."
"You mean...?"
"Revive the Li family."
"Revive the Li family?"
"That's right," Lin Shangyi said with a touch of excitement. "Revive the Li family. Let the Li family that vanished twenty years ago reappear in the Capital. Take back what your grandfather and father lost. When the time comes, they will naturally be afraid, and they will come to find you."
Li Muchen nodded repeatedly. "Old Master Lin, your insight is brilliant. Then, what should I do?"