Seeing that Lin Luoran doesn’t make any response, the middle-aged Taoist nervously takes out a tattered book and hands it out to her.
Lin Luoran takes the book and looks through the pages carelessly. The book is indeed the instruction of “Breath-holding Spell”. Lin doesn’t let down her defense because the Taoist’s level of cultivation is low. She uses Wakan to turn the pages, instead of touching the book directly with her hands.
“Senior…” The middle-aged man says cautiously.
Lin Luoran closes the book and asks, “What is your relationship with the Zou family?”
The man tells Lin his friendship with Old Mr. Zou. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even know Zou Guojun very well. He only comes to help Zou Guojun fight an “amateur cultivator” because of his respect for Old Mr. Zou as well the benefits Zou Guojun promised to give.
Lin Luoran says nothing. After explaining himself, the Taoist swears on the Devil Inside in order to show Lin that he has told nothing but the truth.
Cultivators pursue immortality. As long as the Devil Inside swear is made, the person will be condemned if he or she doesn’t live up to the promise. Nowadays, ordinary people say “I promise” or “I swear” a lot. They will swear on the life of their children in order to gain trust from others. However, cultivators’ swear on the Devil Inside will definitely be fulfilled.
There is no doubt in Lin’s heart anymore. She waves her hand and tells the man to leave.
The middle-aged Taoist starts to walk out stiffly. Before he reaches the door, Lin’s voice comes from behind — “Stop!”
The man is scared. Is he going to die after all?
The man is considering whether he should put up a desperate fight. Meanwhile, something flies from behind and into his arms. Is this a jade box?
“I give you these boluses in exchange for your book. It’s a good deal for you.”
Is he mishearing? This female cultivator in her twenties has entered the level of Laying Foundation, and she is quite reasonable? The Taoist has no time to look inside the jade box. He expresses his gratitude to Lin and rushes out of the room. He jumps over the wall of the Zou’s house.
Nice Gravity Defying Kung Fu!
Looking at the man who is running like a rabbit, Lin Luoran smiles and puts away the thin book of “Breath-holding Spell”. The man in the middle stage of Training Qi was able to hide his presence from her, a cultivator who has laid foundation. This book of “Breath-holding Spell” must be effective. It is the windfall of her trip.
Lin smiles and asks the bodyguards who are lying on the floor, wailing, “What? Are you guys staying for the funeral of the Zou couple?”
One of the bodyguards gets up the courage and asks, “Are you…not going to kill us?”
Lin asks, “Am I your enemy?”
The man shakes his head immediately.
“Are you going to call the police?”
The man thinks for a while and shakes his head again.
“Then… Are you going to tell anyone about what happened tonight?”
All the bodyguards on the ground shake their head together.
Tell anyone… No way. They had witnessed the mysterious power in the world. They may have to live in the shadow from now on. How can they be so stupid and tell anyone about this?
“You are free to go.”
These three questions are for the bodyguards and Lin Luoran herself. Never attack unless being attacked. Lin hopes that she can stick to this principle. She never wants to become a bully or a cold-blooded killer.
The bodyguards help each other and walk out of Zou’s house. All the maids are long gone. In the middle of the night, Lin Luoran looks at the lighted house and sighs with emotion.
She thinks of Old Mr. Zou, who she never gets the chance to meet.
This may be the emptiness after revenge. Also, she surely respects Old Mr. Zou. To be frank, she only has heard of some stories about him. The first time, Mrs. Zou brought about him vaguely at the hall of the hospital, and that calmed Commander Qin down. Back then, Lin felt strange. Now she understands that it was because Old Mr. Zou actually “carried Commander Qin out from piles of dead bodies”.
Besides, Old Mr. Zou went way back with cultivators. Though Zou Guojun offered something else to invite the Taoist here, he would never be able to do this without the reputation of his father… The favor Old Mr. Zou did for Commander Qin, as well as his friendship with cultivators, are the gifts he left for his descents… However, his offspring is so disappointing. Mrs. Zou claimed too much favor from the Qin family, which led to their estrangement. Commander Qin refused to let Baojia marry Zou Yaowei, and this resulted in so misfortunes for both of the families.
The power and wealth he established don’t last… What would Old Mr. Zou think if he knew this?
Lin Luoran takes the last look at the brightly-lit Zou’s house. Fire rushes out from her fingertip and ignites the study on the second floor. Within a few seconds, the entire house is on fire.
The neighbors call the fire police. Hearing that the fire truck is coming and making sure the fire is under control, Lin Luoran casts a “Wind-riding Spell” and disappears into the night.
**********
The Zou family is done.
The political system in the capital establishes its new order. Heads of the countries do nothing after the direct line of the Zou family disappears. The collateral relatives ask for the truth. Before they get to know anything, they are knocked out by their political opponents — there are only limited positions in the government. Everyone likes to see their enemies being taken down.
These influential officials, who used to be unscrupulous, start to restrain their offspring after knowing the reason why the Zou family collapses. Like it or not, they must act discreetly and keep a low key.
In this material world, power is not what can help you get away with crimes. For some people, power means nothing. Everything means nothing when it comes to supernatural and absolute power.
For a while, the social atmosphere in the capital becomes better. Lin Luoran, who is the hero behind this, has no mood to care about politics.
It is a nice day to go out for a tour. Under the tree shade by the old city wall, Lin Luoran goes through the book of “Breath-holding Spell”. Luodong is jumping and running around on the wall. He is fascinated by the winding Great Wall.
They are at Badaling, the first stop of their tour.
Lin closes the book. She tries to slow down her breathing and cast the spell in the book. Gradually, she blends into the brick wall…
“Sister?!” Though Luodong hasn’t started to cultivate, he is able to sense the subtle change of the wall. His single Taoist root of earth is indeed extraordinary.
Lin Luoran laughs. She can’t hide her presence anymore. Lin puts away the book and looks around. There is no one else near. Lin jumps onto the gate tower.
“What? Don’t you want to see the Great Wall from the mid-air?”
The mid-air? In the bright daylight? Aren’t sister afraid of being seen? In surprise, Luodong’s mouth is wide open.
