Chapter 388: Lin Shanshan: They Won’t Start Fighting, Right?
Linghu Jiu burst out laughing. “Hahaha, I have a bowl, I have a bowl.”
He took out another stone bowl, its make quite similar to the one he had been using.
So long as Young Lord Ning Zhuo does not mind the coarseness and simplicity…
Before Linghu Jiu could even finish his sentence, the stone bowl in his hand was “snatched” away by Ning Zhuo.
“Fill it up, fill it up!” Ning Zhuo’s eyes sparkled.
Linghu Jiu poured it full for him.
Ning Zhuo imitated Linghu Jiu’s posture, raised his neck, and poured it straight down.
Such a bold and wild style of drinking—he had never tried it before.
Very quickly, he sank into meditation once more and saw the former sage, the Five Elements Divine Lord. The Divine Lord continued transmitting the head family’s technique to Ning Zhuo!
Five Viscera Temple Spirit Divine Art!
This technique was profoundly deep, truly embodying the essence of heaven and earth, harmonizing the subtleties of the five elements, imbued with Dao and reason.
Though young, Ning Zhuo’s vision was expansive. Just from listening to the beginning, he could tell this divine art was no less than the Three Sect Supreme Arts!
Even though he had already specialized in the Three Sect Supreme Arts, this divine art still offered great benefits to him. By comparing the two, Ning Zhuo could deepen his understanding of the principles within the five elements.
He even hoped that some of the spells within this divine art could be adapted and modified for his own use.
Ning Zhuo drank bowl after bowl.
“More.”
“Again!”
“Still not enough.”
He had lost himself completely, an intense premonition in his heart telling him—this divine art would be of tremendous help to him!
Linghu Jiu’s expression began to change subtly.
The way Ning Zhuo was drinking now was even more ferocious than before, utterly wild and reckless.
Linghu Jiu looked at the nearly empty wine jar, nearly in tears.
He could not help but ask.
Ning Zhuo didn’t hide it from him and simply told the truth—that he was receiving a divine art passed down from the former sages. Though it came in broken fragments, the divine art contained profound principles that greatly benefited him.
Linghu Jiu was moved. “I’ve only encountered this kind of situation once. After that, my sword arts advanced by leaps and bounds—I was reborn!”
“Young Lord Ning Zhuo, this is your opportunity.”
Linghu Jiu poured the wine, tilting the jar completely, yet only half a bowl came out.
Ning Zhuo looked regretful. “There’s still half left—the divine art still has half left.”
Linghu Jiu laughed heartily. “Young Lord Ning Zhuo, worry not. I shall give my utmost to aid you. I won’t let you give up halfway!”
With that, he took out another jar of Deep Thought Spirit Brew.
“Thank you!!” Ning Zhuo clasped his hands in thanks.
Linghu Jiu could very well have refused, saying that he had only this one jar of Deep Thought Spirit Brew. But he did not—he brought out a second jar.
Know that this was their first meeting, and they had previously been at odds. For Linghu Jiu to assist so wholeheartedly at this crucial moment—this was truly rare and precious!
Ning Zhuo silently engraved this sentiment in his heart and continued drinking heartily.
His cheeks began to flush with red; the mild intoxication felt wonderfully pleasant.
His face turned completely red, feeling as though he were floating among the clouds.
He drank until even his ears turned scarlet, his heart pounded erratically, and his entire body burned.
Eventually, the world began to spin around him, his eyes dazed and unfocused, nearly collapsing forward.
Ning Zhuo held onto the last thread of consciousness, eyes bloodshot, gritting his teeth. “More!”
“Just a bit more—just a bit more.”
Linghu Jiu looked at him with concern. Such ferocious drinking, even he felt a trace of fear.
“Ning Zhuo won’t drink himself to death in my place, will he?”
“If something happens to him, what would Little Junior Sister think of me?”
At this thought, Linghu Jiu felt a surge of sour jealousy—unclear, complicated.
But things had come to this point. Linghu Jiu could only brace himself and accompany him to the end. If this great opportunity were severed, there was a real chance it could turn the two against one another.
“Young Lord Ning Zhuo, hold on!” Linghu Jiu encouraged him.
Sun Lingtong was also closely observing Ning Zhuo’s condition. Should anything go wrong, he would immediately intervene and administer aid.
Gulp, gulp.
Ning Zhuo’s throat bobbed as he swallowed another large bowl of Deep Thought Spirit Brew.
Original Mountain.
Inside the boudoir, Lin Shanshan paced back and forth, face full of anxiety.
“What should I do? What should I do?”
“Young Lord Ning Zhuo has met with Senior Brother. They had a misunderstanding before. Though Senior Brother sent two lines of the Comprehension Diagram, Young Lord Ning Zhuo didn’t accept them.”
“Young Lord Ning Zhuo even said he would handle the matter his own way.”
“I fear he specifically asked my father for a visit to Senior Brother just to settle the score!”
“Xiao Ju, do you think the two of them will fight?”
Her personal maid said, “Miss, I don’t think so. Although I’ve only met Young Lord Ning Zhuo a few times, he seemed to be a refined and gentle person.”
Lin Shanshan shook her head. “Xiao Ju, you’ve never trained with Young Lord Ning Zhuo. At his core, he’s extremely tough and competitive. Every special training session, he’d push himself to the limit before resting. You don’t understand him!”
Xiao Ju said, “Aiya, Miss, stop pacing! You’re making me dizzy.”
Lin Shanshan suddenly turned, striding quickly toward the door, about to push it open.
“Miss!” Xiao Ju hurried to block her, stopping her in her tracks. “Miss, don’t forget—you’re under house arrest!”
Lin Shanshan said, “Xiao Ju, extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. If we keep dragging it out, the situation might become terrible.”
With that, she ignored Xiao Ju’s obstruction and pushed the door open.
The maidservants on either side immediately stepped forward. “Miss, please stay.”
Lin Shanshan raised her neck, speaking sternly, “Move aside! My father is the Sect Master of the Myriad Medicines Sect. Let’s see who dares stop me!”
The maidservants faltered, caught in a dilemma, and all knelt down.
With a cold snort, Lin Shanshan stepped over the threshold and entered the courtyard.
“Stop right there.” A voice called out from behind her.
Lin Shanshan immediately froze in place as if hit by a petrification technique.
She slowly turned toward the voice and saw Lin Bufan. “Father.”
Lin Shanshan lowered her brows and bowed her head, acting obedient and docile.
Lin Bufan snorted coldly. “Come here.”
Lin Shanshan obediently walked over to his side.
Lin Bufan waved off the attendants. The courtyard was left with just the two of them.
He strolled through the courtyard. Lin Shanshan followed closely beside him.
He cast a glance at his beloved daughter and said, “Is it that you lack confidence in the Ning Family boy, or you lack confidence in your Senior Brother?”
Lin Shanshan froze.
But she quickly caught the hidden meaning, looked up at Lin Bufan. “Father, was this your arrangement?”
Lin Bufan slightly shook his head. “Not exactly. It was Ning Zhuo who personally requested it. Coincidentally, I also wanted to assess his quality. So I went along with it and let it happen.”
Lin Shanshan said anxiously, “Father, but Young Lord Ning Zhuo is only sixteen years old. I’m already five years older than him, not to mention Senior Brother.”
“He’s so young—how could he be a match for Senior Brother? If word gets out, won’t people say our Myriad Medicines Sect bullies outsiders?”
Lin Bufan glanced at his daughter again and said calmly, “You’re quite considerate of outsiders. Why haven’t I seen you act like this before?”
“You’ve underestimated Ning Zhuo. He’s not simple!”
As he spoke, Lin Bufan took out a jade slip and handed it to Lin Shanshan.
Lin Shanshan infused it with her spiritual sense and saw that it contained the findings of Sixth Senior Brother’s mission to Huoshi Immortal City—firsthand investigative intelligence.
She skimmed through quickly, her eyes widening.
It was entirely different from what she had imagined. Ning Zhuo had not been valued or nurtured by his family since childhood. On the contrary, he had endured exclusion and harsh treatment all along.
Even just a few months ago, he had been targeted by the then-young patriarch of the Ning Family.
However, not long after, he led a group to counterattack, toppling the young patriarch from his position.
For over a decade, Ning Zhuo had lived an unremarkable and neglected life.
However, with the emergence of the Lava Immortal Palace, he suddenly erupted—silent before, but astonishing in action.
Not only had he managed the Black Market for a time, navigating among the major powers of the city, but he also performed outstandingly within the Lava Immortal Palace. This led to the successful establishment of a branch family, allowing him to break free from the main line of the Ning Family. Despite his young age, he had already founded his own household!
The Ning Family’s branch took direct control over the entire ancestral lands of the Zheng Family—lands which, in scale, even surpassed those of the Ning Family’s main line. On the day of the branch family’s formal establishment, Ning Zhuo hosted a grand flowing banquet. Both Fei Si from the City Lord’s Mansion and Zhou Nongying from the Zhou Family, two Golden Core cultivators, personally attended. Zhu Hou from the Orphanage and an envoy from the Southern Dou Royal Court also arrived.
That very day, a Golden Core cultivator from the Cloud Merchants once blocked the gates, attempting to humiliate Ning Zhuo.
The result? Three consecutive Message Birds persuaded him to retreat! Ning Zhuo didn’t even show his face.
What did this mean?
Lin Shanshan may have lacked worldly experience, but it didn’t mean she lacked insight or ability. On the contrary, having been personally groomed by Lin Bufan since childhood, she had long adopted the perspective of someone in a position of authority.
Lin Shanshan was shocked—she clearly understood the weight of these events.
It meant that Ning Zhuo was far from what he appeared to be. He was deeply calculating, and his methods were seasoned! He must have concealed himself for many years, hiding in plain sight, waiting until the Lava Immortal Palace emerged before seizing the opportunity to rise in one fell swoop.
Was his talent only revealed when cultivating the top techniques of the Three Sects? Did he really not know his own abilities over the past decade?
That was indeed possible.
But consider what Ning Zhuo did amid the competition for the Lava Immortal Palace. He overthrew the Young Clan Lord, managed the Black Market, and used the alliance of three families to advance rapidly. In the end, even the Ning Family’s Golden Core Ancestor gave tacit approval for his separation from the main line!
Could these feats truly be the actions of an innocent youth?
No, of course not.
So, linking his display of talent with these events, Lin Shanshan speculated: this was merely Ning Zhuo revealing his abilities at the most opportune moment!
Lin Shanshan then reviewed the intelligence on Jade Steel Mountain.
"Young Lord Ning Zhuo had once visited Mist-Hidden Mountain, and Jade Steel Mountain lies nearby. I accepted the Mist Orchid he gave me and specially checked the map."
"The Ning Family’s branch only recently began their business with Jade Tempered Mysterious Steel, which matches the time Ning Zhuo spent at Mist-Hidden Mountain."
"This should be the result of his tireless efforts."
"This time, his arrival at the Myriad Medicines Sect is surely also a move to seek alliance and collaboration."
"He truly is... remarkable!"
For the first time, Lin Shanshan felt admiration toward someone her age—or more accurately, five years her junior.
She rubbed the Jade Slip in her hand, the more she thought, the more she realized how difficult Ning Zhuo’s path had been.
From a young age, he endured harsh criticism and cold treatment. Yet he never resigned himself to fate. Instead, he silently built strength, biding his time, numbing all his enemies.
The Lava Immortal Palace was merely a favorable wind—an opportunity Ning Zhuo had waited over a decade for.
Many in Huoshi Immortal City said that it was the Lava Immortal Palace that made Ning Zhuo. But Lin Shanshan believed that with Ning Zhuo’s talent, he only lacked a single chance. If not the Lava Immortal Palace, another opportunity would have come.
"A person like him—unless fate completely passed him by—would seize the first chance he encountered and rise with the wind, flipping his own fate entirely!"
Lin Bufan saw that Lin Shanshan had fallen silent for a long time and smiled, “Shanshan, now you understand, don’t you? Ning Zhuo hid many things from you. Don’t be fooled by his young appearance.”
“He is a man of deep schemes, hiding his true self well. There must be many things he never told you, right?”
Lin Shanshan nodded, “Indeed. He never once mentioned being the patriarch of the branch family.”
“Sigh! That’s just how he is—far too humble.”
“To be honest, if it weren’t for Sixth Senior Brother’s personal investigation, I could hardly imagine someone only sixteen years old achieving all this.”
“Compared to him, I feel like I’ve wasted my years in vain.”
A hint of surprise flashed across Lin Bufan’s face. “You care for Ning Zhuo so deeply. You were even punished with confinement for helping him. Are you not angry that he wasn’t honest with you?”
Lin Shanshan immediately shot him a glare. “Father, how can you say that?”
“Lord Ning didn’t deliberately hide anything from me. He just didn’t bring it up.”
“With his low-key and composed nature, if he had boasted of his achievements to me, I wouldn’t have enjoyed hearing it.”
Lin Bufan: …
Lin Shanshan suddenly smiled and said, “Actually, Ning Zhuo is a lot like you, Father, isn’t he?”
“When you were younger, even though you were at the Golden Core stage, you were quite ordinary. Back then, many elders of the Myriad Medicines Sect looked down on you, thinking the name ‘Lin Bufan’ suited you a little too well.”
“But that was only your disguise. One day, you suddenly broke through and advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. The world was stunned to learn that you had hidden your peak Golden Core cultivation for so many years.”
“After reaching Nascent Soul, you swept aside all rivals and took control of the entire Myriad Medicines Sect. To eliminate lingering old powers and outdated customs, you made a private pact with the Mountain God, relocating Original Mountain to the Myriad Medicines Valley. From that point on, you cleared all remnants of old influence. Starting from a blank canvas, you launched a grand new chapter, managing the sect with thriving success.”
“Now, throughout the Myriad Medicines Sect, there is only one voice—yours. Only one will—yours!”
Lin Bufan stroked his beard, smiling silently.
Lin Shanshan continued, “Isn’t Ning Zhuo now just like you were back then? The only difference is, Father, you were even more patient—only acting after reaching the Nascent Soul stage to reveal your methods.”
“Young Lord Ning Zhuo is not quite as restrained. He couldn’t help but show his edge during the Foundation Establishment stage.”
Lin Bufan shook his head, “It was during the Qi Refining stage. When he was in Huoshi Immortal City, he was still at the Qi Refining stage. His breakthrough to Foundation Establishment was only a recent event.”
“Hearing all this from you, I now understand where your affection for Ning Zhuo comes from.”
“You’re getting more and more persuasive, this daughter of mine!”
Lin Shanshan smiled. She was no longer nervous.
Before, she had been anxious because she didn’t know of Ning Zhuo’s accomplishments. Now that she had seen the intelligence, she understood him far better.
She had been worried that Ning Zhuo, being young and impulsive, might clash with Senior Brother. But now she realized—how could such a clever little fox do something so foolish?
Lin Shanshan had simply cared too much and lost her composure. Now that she had calmed down, her reason allowed her to better assess the situation at hand.
She said, “In that case, this meeting between Young Lord Ning Zhuo and Senior Brother is quite significant—it concerns the long-term relations between our sect and the Ning Family of Huoshi.”
Lin Bufan nodded, “Correct. The one who will inherit my mantle and the position of sect master in the future will undoubtedly be your Senior Brother.”
‘Drunken Moon Seeking Immortals’ may only be rated as high-grade talent, but that was due to the rarity and expense of its ingredients. Now, with ‘Deep Thought and Brewing Intent’ as a pairing, it is a perfect match.”
“It’s just that his temperament is too laid-back and overly attached to his junior brothers. So many times, when a junior brother violated sect rules, he took all the blame himself. Do you think I don’t know?”
“Hmph. In this regard, I’d rather he learned a bit more from Ning Zhuo.”
“I often confine your Senior Brother in seclusion, hoping he can overcome his lazy nature and, through solitude, discover his true self. Be less generous to others, and think more for himself. Otherwise, he will eventually be dragged down by you juniors!”
Lin Shanshan was displeased. “Father, Senior Brother grew up with us. The bond between siblings was forged from a young age. You used to praise him often too, saying he was a role model as an elder brother.”
“Isn’t the way Senior Brother turned out all thanks to your teaching?”
Lin Bufan shook his head. “This is something I often reflect on. Though I’ve held the position of sect master for many years, it’s my first time being a parent. So despite having a lifespan of several centuries, I still have shortcomings when it comes to parenting.”
“As the saying goes, ‘It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred to raise a person.’ Sigh! To be a parent and to raise the next generation is no easy task—it’s much harder than leading a sect.”
Lin Bufan spoke with heartfelt emotion.
He was talking with Lin Shanshan now out of care for his beloved daughter, worried that she might be deceived by love and used by that Ning Zhuo.
Lin Shanshan and Ning Zhuo had only known each other for a short time, yet she had already gone to such lengths to help him—falling into debt repeatedly, even neglecting her daily cultivation assignments.
This was simply outrageous!
Lin Bufan had endured in silence.
Two days ago, when he met Ning Zhuo for the first time and received the first round of intelligence on him, he realized that Lin Shanshan’s attachment was not without reason.
Today, he had come to speak with Lin Shanshan specifically to hear her thoughts and attitude.
Only then did he understand that one reason his daughter admired Ning Zhuo was because he resembled himself!
“It’s true.”
“Compared to me, Jiu’er’s temperament is vastly different.”
“But this Ning Zhuo kid—he really does take after me, truly like me!”
With that realization, Lin Bufan’s lingering hostility toward Ning Zhuo dissipated greatly.
Seeing all that Lin Shanshan had done, Lin Bufan suddenly felt much more understanding.
“So, do you still want to rush out and interfere in the meeting between your Senior Brother and Ning Zhuo?” he asked his daughter, sounding casually indifferent.
Lin Shanshan shook her head. “I won’t go. Going would only add trouble. I trust Senior Brother, and I trust Young Lord Ning Zhuo as well.”
Lin Bufan nodded. “That’s good. Go back to your room.”
Lin Shanshan promptly bowed. “Father, your daughter takes her leave.”
However, upon returning to her room, Lin Shanshan immediately instructed her personal maid Xiao Ju, “The meeting between Young Lord Ning Zhuo and Senior Brother is highly significant—it concerns the long-term alliance between our sect and the Ning Family.”
“My father likely intends to use this as a trial for Young Lord Ning Zhuo, and also for Senior Brother.”
“As Senior Brother’s junior sister, and as a friend of Young Lord Ning Zhuo here, it’s only right that I lend a hand.”
“I cannot go myself, so Xiao Ju, I entrust this to you. If the two of them clash, you must stop them. What I’m worried about now is that Young Lord Ning Zhuo might have only intended to spar a little, but in the heat of the exchange, tensions might escalate.”
“Sigh, although he is steady and low-key, he still has the temperament of a youth. For someone his age to have built such a grand enterprise, the pride in his heart surely runs deeper than his gentle exterior suggests.”
“This, I know all too well. My father is just like that!”
Lin Shanshan spoke with heartfelt feeling.
On the surface, Lin Bufan always appeared serene and warm as jade. But having spent twenty-one years by his side, Lin Shanshan had seen him in moments of true fury—when he smiled while punishing enemies with ruthless precision.
“Yes, Miss. I’ll go at once.” Xiao Ju never disobeyed; she was utterly loyal to Lin Shanshan.
“Xiao Ju, I leave everything in your hands!” Lin Shanshan said.
Xiao Ju quickly hurried out.
Unbeknownst to her, every movement in the small courtyard was within the scope of Lin Bufan’s spiritual sense.
Watching Xiao Ju head straight toward Greater Strife Peak, Lin Bufan sighed quietly in his heart.
“My daughter is growing up. She now has her own opinions. In the past, she wouldn’t have resorted to such tricks.”
Yet, this old father did not stop Xiao Ju either.
His gaze turned toward the direction of the Ten Thousand Demons Cave, full of anticipation.
Children have their own paths in life.
Lin Bufan had fathered late in life and also taken disciples in his later years. His choices in taking a wife and accepting disciples had been made with long-term planning in mind.
After decades, the results were now evident.
“In time, once Jiu’er achieves Golden Core, I can relinquish the burden of sect leadership, retreat into seclusion, and focus entirely on cultivation.”
At the level of Golden Core or Nascent Soul, even routine cultivation required immense resources.
Thus, Lin Bufan had painstakingly built up the Myriad Medicines Sect, all for the sake of his own cultivation.
Now that the Myriad Medicines Sect had become stable and the next leader had been personally trained by him—Linghu Jiu, who possessed sufficient talent and a generous disposition—it was all a product of Lin Bufan’s meticulous nurturing.
Lin Bufan was well-versed in the art of cultivation and understood the dangers of forcing growth.
Therefore, in his daily instruction of his daughter and disciples, he always nurtured them gently and subtly, influencing them without overt force. Unless matters involved principles or bottom lines, he rarely issued harsh discipline.
This time, though concerned for his beloved daughter, he still did not stop her actions.
“Female cultivators are indeed easily blinded by love.”
“That Ning Zhuo kid isn’t someone easily handled. My daughter’s cultivation is still shallow. If she’s not careful, she’ll be completely devoured.”
“Jiu’er is more dependable than Shanshan!”
Lin Bufan extended his spiritual sense, covering the Ten Thousand Demons Cave.
In the next moment, he witnessed the interaction between Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu.
He… fell into a long silence.