Perhaps it was the habits formed over many years of living, but Liu Buli had always been a suspicious person.
So after hearing Master Lin Kong's words, even though his heart was churning with immense emotion, he still tried his best to maintain his facial expression and asked word by word, "Why help me?"
This time, it was Master Lin Kong's turn to be stunned.
Staring intently at Liu Buli's face for a while, Master Lin Kong finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. He said, "The last time I saw you before I went into seclusion, the words I told you, you really didn't take to heart at all. I said, since you helped me once, no matter what difficulties you encounter in the future, as long as you tell me, and as long as I know, I will do my best to help you. Did you think I was joking?"
Liu Buli blinked.
So many things had happened during this time that he had indeed forgotten the past Master Lin Kong spoke of.
However, after recalling carefully, the other party seemed to have made a similar promise. It was just that to him, that promise was like nonsense that entered one ear and exited the other.
He was never someone who easily trusted others.
Especially people with whom he had little interaction in life. If the other party could avoid being his enemy, he would already be grateful. How could he possibly hope for help from a stranger?
Seeing the thoughts in his eyes, Master Lin Kong put away his smile, shook his head gently, and said, "It seems we both don't understand each other enough. Since that's the case, let me introduce myself properly. I have never done anything with a guilty conscience in my life. The only time I almost did something I would regret was when you helped me, preventing me from going astray. So I am truly grateful to you from the bottom of my heart. Everything I told you was from the heart, with no intention of deceiving you."
Perhaps it was because his words at this moment were too sincere, or perhaps because in this regard, Liu Buli couldn't figure out what meaning there would be in deceiving him.
So after a moment of silence, Liu Buli asked, "Then... Master Lin Kong, have you ever tried the cultivation technique you mentioned?"
As he himself had said, Master Lin Kong had no intention of lying. Hearing Liu Buli's question, he even nodded very readily and directly admitted, "I did, and I succeeded. I even contacted my lover in another world, which is why I told you that my method can succeed."
Liu Buli's eyes widened slightly.
This was another answer he had never expected.
Master Lin Kong's sect, it could not be said they were not ascetics, but they were definitely not as casual and unrestrained as other sects.
Especially Master Lin Kong himself.
From the time he made a name for himself in the cultivation world until now, for these hundreds or thousands of years, he had always been alone, with only his weapon in hand.
It was as if he had deliberately isolated himself from everyone, not showing too much closeness to others. He seemed to maintain a superficial relationship with everyone, and as for having a lover, no one had ever heard of such a thing.
Seeing the daze in Liu Buli's eyes, Master Lin Kong naturally did not hide anything from him. He smiled gently, his tone calm, as if he were telling someone else's story, and said quietly, "It happened a long time ago, so it's normal that you haven't heard of it. Back then, we were both ordinary people. My talent was good, so I was chosen to join the sect, while she had no talent and remained an ordinary person. Moreover, her fate was not good; she had been suffering from a congenital illness since birth. We sought countless doctors and remedies, but honestly, for someone destined to die young, no one could help her."
At this point, as if recalling the past he was unwilling to remember, Master Lin Kong closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the emotions in his eyes had returned to calm. He said, "Later, I defied everyone's advice and became her Dao companion. I originally thought that with the blessing of my spiritual power, she should be able to live a few more years. But I didn't expect that her excessively fragile body could not withstand my spiritual power. So on the night of our wedding, she passed away like that."
Although he had guessed it wouldn't be a good story, Liu Buli had never expected the ending to be like this.
He was so shocked he couldn't speak, and naturally didn't know how to comfort Master Lin Kong.
Fortunately, the other party's experience and state of mind were indeed excellent, so he didn't need Liu Buli's comfort. Master Lin Kong had already readjusted his emotions. He continued the story, saying, "It was at that time that I used the cultivation technique I told you about, and then I contacted her in the underworld. I originally wanted to ask her properly what method could bring her back to my side. As long as it could be done, I wouldn't hesitate to defy the heavens for her. But I didn't expect that the moment I contacted her, she severely scolded me. She called me selfish and heartless, saying that if it weren't for me, she might have lived a few more years in this mortal world."
At this point, Master Lin Kong's voice finally became a little choked with emotion. He said, "At that time, I felt she didn't understand my feelings at all, to think of me that way in her heart. Indeed, in my youthful impetuosity, I broke off contact in anger and went into seclusion to cultivate. But only later did I realize that the one who truly didn't understand was me."