Chapter 59: I gave you a chance, but you blew it!

"Shut the hell up!"

Ding Hui barked, his face twisting into an ugly grimace.

Was Ruan Wen's brain damaged, or had he been beaten so hard he lost his mind?

Did he not see that both he and Ruan Liangcai didn't dare to make a rash move?

How could they capture anyone? Capture his foot!

"Brother-in-law, he's the one who beat me and my disciples! Why are you scolding me?"

Ruan Wen wore an aggrieved expression, his eyes swimming in utter confusion.

Just moments ago, Ding Hui had declared he would severely punish Li Wudao. Why had his attitude changed so drastically?

"You idiot, take a look at the current situation!"

The corners of Ding Hui's mouth twitched, his eyes burning with fury.

With that, he turned decisively, making a dramatic show of preparing to leave.

Panic instantly seized Ruan Wen. "Don't leave, brother-in-law! You haven't taught this punk a lesson for me yet!"

Hearing this,

Ding Hui paused his steps. Looking at the hopeless fool, he snapped, "Don't call me brother-in-law. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."

Without another word, he strode away, refusing to linger even for a second.

He had dropped hints that heavy, yet Ruan Wen still pushed his luck. The bastard was trying to get him killed!

To protect his own interests, he had no choice but to sacrifice this idiot.

"This..."

Ruan Wen was dumbfounded, frozen in place and completely at a loss.

It wasn't until Ding Hui was far out of sight that he finally snapped back to reality.

"Second Uncle, if my brother-in-law won't help me, you have to!"

He cast a pleading gaze at Ruan Liangcai, his face plastered with a pitiful expression.

However, the elder's reaction drove him into utter despair.

Ruan Liangcai sighed, feeling completely powerless.

He knew Ruan Wen's nature all too well—even worse than Ruan Fei's. He was accustomed to acting lawlessly and tyrannically.

Now that he had been beaten like this, there was nowhere to appeal for justice. He simply had to swallow the bitter pill.

"Count yourself lucky if you survive. Your Second Uncle can't help you either."

Ruan Liangcai shook his head.

His own demotion to the outer sect was entirely thanks to Li Wudao. He was already struggling to keep his own head above water; how could he possibly care about anyone else?

Before leaving, he cast a deep, lingering look at the young man, then turned and walked away with a mix of shock and suspicion.

"Defeating a peak True Qi realm cultivator with a single punch? Utter nonsense. Ruan Wen is probably talking rubbish again..."

He knew a thing or two about Ruan Wen's strength. To subdue him in a single move, the peak of the True Qi realm clearly wasn't enough; it would take at least a Martial Ancestor.

But that made no logical sense at all.

Li Wudao was only sixteen years old and had entered the sect just three months ago. With only Earth-grade aptitude supporting him, how could he possibly break through at such a terrifying speed?

Assuming he had, he shouldn't have struggled so evenly against early-stage True Qi opponents during the newcomer grand tournament.

After running through a round of logical analysis,

Ruan Liangcai reached a conclusion: Ruan Wen was definitely lying to him again!

"This brat is getting more and more outrageous. Even lying should have its limits."

A black vein throbbed on his forehead.

Though he didn't know how Ruan Wen and his men had sustained their injuries, he would be damned if he believed Li Wudao was responsible.

Rather than believing a sixteen-year-old boy was comparable to a Martial Ancestor, he'd sooner believe the sun would rise in the west. Not even ghosts would believe such a monstrous entity existed.

......

Not long after.

The courtyard quieted down once more, returning to its previous tranquility.

"Is the crisis... over just like that?"

Lin Yan's gaze was somewhat dull, utterly baffled by how inexplicably it had all ended.

Ruan Wen stared at the empty courtyard gates, his soul seemingly drained, his face a mask of despair.

He didn't know what had happened, but one thing was certain: he had been abandoned.

"I gave you a chance, but you proved utterly useless."

Li Wudao stepped forward, a trace of mockery playing at the corner of his lips. "And here I thought you were some big shot with an incredible trump card. Turns out you're just a pathetic punk."

Ruan Wen flushed with shame and resentment, daring to be angry but lacking the courage to speak. He averted his gaze, refusing to meet the other's eyes.

"What, you look like you have something to say?"

Seeing his expression, Li Wudao chuckled softly and casually flexed his fists.

"Big Brother, this little brother submits! Truly, I submit!"

Ruan Wen's heart skipped a beat as he snapped to attention, flashing a smile that looked far uglier than weeping.

"Just treat me like a fart and let me go! Ask whatever you want, Big Brother, and I'll tell you everything without holding anything back."

Arrogant and tyrannical as he was, he wasn't entirely stupid; he had vaguely figured things out.

The youth before him could make Ruan Liangcai and Ding Hui back down without a fight. He undoubtedly possessed a formidable background—someone Ruan Wen simply could not afford to provoke.

"You know what I want to ask."

Looking at the comical panda eyes on Ruan Wen's face, Li Wudao said indifferently, "You only get one chance. Think carefully before you answer."

Hearing this, Ruan Wen hesitated, looking as though he had heavy misgivings.

A moment later, he hardened his heart, gritting his teeth. "It was Chu Xinhui who orchestrated this. She promised me a top-tier Earth-grade spirit artifact on the condition that I deal with a certain outer sect disciple..."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Lin Yan standing nearby, his meaning entirely clear.

Having spilled the entire sequence of events in one breath, Ruan Wen let out a long sigh, bitterness flooding his heart.

Had he known Lin Yan had such a thorny monster backing him, he probably wouldn't have agreed so readily.

Now, he had returned from the bamboo grove with empty baskets; he had almost lost the shirt off his back. Life was too hard.

"Chu Xinhui... Chu... Could she be from the Great Chu Dynasty?"

Li Wudao murmured, falling into deep thought.

"Big Brother has eyes like torches and a brilliant mind; she is indeed a member of the Great Chu royal family," Ruan Wen fawned, nodding eagerly.

"Alright, cut the flattery."

Li Wudao glanced at him, feeling a bit speechless.

"Brilliant mind?" What kind of phrase was that, and was it really appropriate to use on him?

"It's actually her? How is that possible..."

Lin Yan shivered as if jolted by electricity, his pupils contracting sharply as the color drained from his face.

Li Wudao's eyes narrowed slightly before he impatiently waved a hand, shooing away the outsiders.

"There's nothing more for you here. Get the hell out of my sight."

"Yes, yes! This little brother is rolling away right now!"

Ruan Wen beamed with joy as if granted a pardon from death itself, hurriedly rallying his subordinates to retreat.

In the blink of an eye, they had vanished without a trace.

When everyone else had departed,

Li Wudao looked curiously at Lin Yan. "Brother Lin, do you know Chu Xinhui?"

"Naturally. She is the Third Princess of Great Chu. She used to frequent the Lin family estate, so I've met her many times. We had a pretty decent relationship."

Lin Yan nodded, his thoughts tangled and chaotic, finding it hard to accept the reality.

In his memory, Chu Xinhui was gentle, amiable, and kind-hearted, treating everyone like an elder sister. It was impossible to imagine that she would stab him in the back.

"It seems the Great Chu royal family really did participate in the destruction of the Lin family."

A strange glint flashed across Li Wudao's eyes.

She was even more ruthless than he had imagined, clearly bent on eradicating the roots, refusing to spare even an outcast like Lin Yan.

Lin Yan sank into a prolonged silence, his face growing paler by the second.

In truth, Great Chu was much closer to the Spirit Martial Sect, but he had deliberately traveled tens of millions of miles to the Profound Heaven Sect precisely to escape pursuit and cultivate in secret.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that Chu Xinhui was also a disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect, and that she wanted him dead.

He felt a wave of panic and helplessness.

Chu Xinhui possessed extraordinary talent and enjoyed widespread renown throughout Great Chu. Right now, she could probably crush him with a single finger.

At that moment, Li Wudao gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry too much. You still have me."

He spoke in a soft, comforting tone, his voice brimming with unshakeable conviction.

Even so, Lin Yan's spirits remained low, a lingering, untamable sorrow etched between his brows.

Li Wudao let out an imperceptible sigh.

For a young man who had just stepped into the world only to see his family obliterated, facing the threat of a mid-tier dynasty was indeed an overwhelmingly crushing weight.

And all of this was simply because Lin Yan was too weak—too weak to bear the pressure.

"It's about time I elevated his aptitude. Since no one else is going to help him, I might as well become his first stroke of good fortune."

With that thought, Li Wudao flipped his wrist, producing the very last Ginseng Fruit he had left.

Instead of letting it rot in his hands, it was better to invest in a Son of Destiny for mutual benefit and a win-win outcome.

Hum—

As the vessel opened, a billowing wave of spiritual energy swept outward, refreshing body and soul.

"Hiss~ What kind of exotic fruit is this? The spiritual energy is so dense, I can feel every pore on my skin opening up."

Lin Yan gasped, unable to stop himself from drawing in a sharp breath.

"I came across this exotic fruit by chance. Consuming it helps improve one's aptitude and accelerates cultivation."

Li Wudao shoved the Ginseng Fruit directly into Lin Yan's hands, urging him to eat it.

"N-No... This is far too precious. I can't accept it."

Upon hearing that it could improve his aptitude, a spark of hope ignited in Lin Yan's eyes, but he resolutely shook his head the next second, pushing the fruit back.

Though he didn't know the exact grade of this exotic fruit, from what he knew, ordinary spiritual pills and elixirs certainly couldn't achieve such an effect.

That meant this peculiarly shaped fruit had to be at least a Profound-grade medicinal treasure—priceless and beyond estimation.

"I'm giving it to you, so take it. I've already eaten one of these; a second one would be useless to me anyway."

Frowning, Li Wudao shoved the Ginseng Fruit back into his hands, using absolute physical force with zero room for negotiation.

Are you kidding me? If Lin Yan refused it, how was he supposed to earn rebates?

Jokes were jokes, but the wool must be sheared wherever possible.

"Th-Then alright. Thank you, Brother Lin!"

Lin Yan bit his lip, abandoning any further refusal. He genuinely needed this fruit.

His eyes hardened with firm resolve as he secretly swore that if he ever staged a comeback one day, he would repay this kindness manifold.

[Ding! Lin Yan's favorability +20, current favorability: 70!]

[Congratulations to the host for a successful investment! Investment item: Ginseng Fruit x1]

[Son of Destiny detected. Triggering return stacking mechanism: Critical Reward Multiplier!]

[Distributing rewards...]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Nine-Turn Marrow-Cleansing Pill (Grade 5 Saint Medicine) x5]

[Nine-Turn Marrow-Cleansing Pill: A top-tier marrow-cleansing pill of the Primordial World. Cleanses the meridians and marrow, purifies impurities, reshapes bones and tendons, and remolds innate aptitude. (This pill is only effective upon the first consumption; its efficacy depends on one's innate potential.)]

[......]

"A Saint-grade marrow-cleansing pill? Now that's some good stuff."

Li Wudao was momentarily stunned before a thought struck him.

I wonder what kind of effect this pill will have if Lin Yan eats it?

With that in mind, he retrieved a Nine-Turn Marrow-Cleansing Pill from the system space and examined it closely.

This pill was slightly larger than ordinary pills, radiating a pale golden luster. It was crystal clear like a golden bead, its surface wreathed in nine layers of golden glowing runes, though its spiritual aura was deeply restrained.

At a superficial glance, it looked no different from an ordinary spiritual pill, but when spiritual consciousness probed deep within it, one could immediately sense a formidable torrent of spiritual energy—vast as an ocean and fiercely domineering.

"Take some time to consume this pill when you're free. There might just be a surprise waiting for you."

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Li Wudao handed one of the Nine-Turn Marrow-Cleansing Pills to Lin Yan.

He didn't go into detail about the pill, fearing that the sheer magnitude of it would shock the boy and produce the opposite effect.

"Th-This... Thank you, Brother Lin."

Lin Yan accepted it with a tinge of guilt, expressing his gratitude over and over again.

His strength was limited, so he couldn't yet perceive the miraculous nature of the pill; it actually felt even less spiritually potent than that exotic fruit.

Even so, this kind of pill was still far beyond anything he could ever hope to attain on his own.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for a successful investment! Investment item: Nine-Turn Marrow-Cleansing Pill x1]

[Son of Destiny detected. Reward stacking mechanism triggered: Rebate Critical Hit!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Great Teleportation Talisman (Grade 7 Saint Tier) x10]

[Great Teleportation Talisman: Embedded with the spatial contraction array. Traverse a million miles in a single talisman, arriving in the blink of an eye.]

Abruptly, the system prompt rang out once more.

Li Wudao froze, looking utterly astonished. "Damn, it even works like this?"

He hadn't expected that he could take the items rewarded by the system and invest them right back.

How was this any different from exploiting a bug?

"I have a bold hypothesis, and I wonder if it's feasible..."

A brilliant light blazed in Li Wudao's eyes as he envisioned a boundless sea of wealth.

If he invested this Great Teleportation Talisman into Lin Yan as well, would he get something like a legendary Emperor Weapon in return?