Chapter 89
A girl had made a request—something that, on the surface, seemed outrageous.
But if you thought about it carefully, it was merely asking Lin Tian to help rescue the uncle she respected the most.
And in the end… she had even given away her very first kiss.
Now she stood before him, pitifully apologizing…
No matter how much Lin Tian didn’t want to get entangled with Xuan Yuan Qingya, there was no way he could harden his heart now.
He let out a long, heavy sigh.
“What kind of damn karma is this supposed to be!”
Lifting his head, Lin Tian’s expression grew stern.
“Miss Xuan Yuan, I don’t need any form of gratitude from you. Let’s treat what happened today… as an accident. Neither of us should ever bring it up again.”
“Even though, in this matter, it seems you’re the one who suffers a bit of a loss, I truly… never had any such intentions.”
“Also…” Lin Tian paused for a moment, looking slightly awkward before continuing, “Also, that thing you just said about being ‘my woman’ or whatever… from now on, don’t ever bring it up again.”
He let out a faint sigh, then spoke with all seriousness.
“I’m just an ordinary nobody. All I want is to live my life peacefully. I really don’t want to get too tangled up with young ladies from these powerful clans. Miss Xuan Yuan, do you understand?”
Xuan Yuan Qingya nodded softly, her tone gentle and obedient.
“Lin Tian, I understand.”
Lin Tian’s mouth twitched…
If she really understood, her reaction would absolutely not look like this. It should have been a proud nod or turning around and leaving without another word.
But now?
With her shy, obedient, and pitiful demeanor, Lin Tian would almost believe she was Zhao Mengmeng’s mirror image!
Still, he had already made his stance clear. Whether Xuan Yuan Qingya truly understood or not—that wasn’t something he could control.
“Forget it, let’s leave it at that… Your… your fourth uncle, what exactly happened to him? Did you ask?”
The moment her fourth uncle was mentioned, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s expression instantly turned sorrowful.
She spoke softly.
“Fourth Uncle’s illness… it’s actually an old problem. It has to do with his heart rate… but in the past, he’s been examined many times, and during the tests, nothing serious was ever found.”
“Fortunately, our family has a private physician. During the last episode, he ran a check in time, and only then did they finally confirm it was indeed related to his heart rate.”
“As for the exact cause, no one knows.”
Lin Tian nodded slightly, falling silent for a few seconds in thought before replying.
“This matter… I really can’t be of any help. But since you feel you’ll be more at ease if I’m there, fine, I’ll go with you… but let’s be clear, this is the first and last time!”
Lin Tian fixed Xuan Yuan Qingya with a stern look and said in a deep voice, “There must never be a next time!”
Hearing the sharpness in his tone, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s heartbeat quickened. Her cheeks flushed red as she l
owered her head, her slender fingers clutching at the hem of her dark-purple dress, and she gave the faintest of nods.
“…Mhm.”
Lin Tian shut his eyes at once, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably!
What the hell was wrong with this woman? Wasn’t she supposed to be the icy, aloof type? The one whose pride ran down to her very bones?
Then where on earth did this shy, obedient, almost pure little-girl-like demeanor come from?!
Could it be she’d been possessed by some evil spirit? Damn it all!
Helpless, Lin Tian silently began reciting a few rounds of a calming mantra in his heart—mainly because the way this woman looked right now was far too enticing…
Just imagine it: a woman once proud beyond compare, cold and untouchable as an empress, suddenly sitting before you like a gentle little pet, obedient and docile.
How could any normal man possibly endure that?
Lin Tian wasn’t a saint, and he knew well he couldn’t hold out forever.
After a moment, once he felt his mood settle somewhat, he stood up with a sigh.
“Come on, let’s go take a look at your Fourth Uncle.”
“Mhm.”
Xuan Yuan Qingya followed obediently behind him.
Watching the broad figure in front of her—his looks not exactly handsome, yet carrying a certain resolute strength—Xuan Yuan Qingya inexplicably felt a sense of calm.
Even when he scolded her, somehow… it still felt like happiness.
The thought alone brought an even deeper flush to her cheeks.
Lin Tian pushed open the door. Outside, Uncle Zhong was waiting quietly.
When he saw Lin Tian emerge, he gave a slight bow, smiling politely.
“Mr. Lin.”
“Uncle Zhong… could you take us to see Miss Xuan Yuan’s Fourth Uncle?” Lin Tian smiled as he spoke.
Uncle Zhong lifted his head, giving a brief glance at Xuan Yuan Qingya—meekly trailing behind Lin Tian. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he said nothing, simply turning to lead the way ahead.
Along the corridor, Lin Tian’s mind kept churning over the details of the whole matter, recalling how it played out in the original text.
【According to what Xuan Yuan Qingya said, her Fourth Uncle’s illness is actually an old condition… That must be part of this world’s built-in logic. After all, in the novel it was described as a “sudden malignant sickness.”】
【That being the case, what I figured earlier still holds true. The onset of this illness was never fixed… But for it to strike now, it really does seem to be setting up a fortuitous chance for Jiang Yifeng.】
【In the original story, by this point Jiang Yifeng had already unlocked the fourth layer of the Heavenly Doctor’s Sacred Body. Beyond having a much deeper reservoir of inner strength, he could also perform the latter nine techniques of the Sacred Nineteen Hands…】
【Those Sacred Nineteen Hands—without a doubt, that was the key to saving Xuan Yuan Chen. But the problem is, right now Jiang Yifeng hasn’t even unlocked the first layer of the Heavenly Doctor’s Sacred Body. What on earth could he possibly use to save Xuan Yuan Chen?】
【He can’t just fake it, right? … Hiss… Among the early techniques Jiang Yifeng can currently use, there are indeed some that could temporarily prolong Xuan Yuan Chen’s life. For example, the Seventh Hand—Withered Tree Meets Spring, or the Eighth Hand—Dragon and Serpent Rise from the Earth…】
【But the problem is, those techniques can only buy time, and in doing so, they indirectly consume Xuan Yuan Chen’s remaining life potential. If Jiang Yifeng really uses such methods just to trick Xuan Yuan Qingya and Xuan Yuan Xing into trusting him, then… it’s no exaggeration to say those two women would truly be pitiful.】
Trailing behind Lin Tian, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s expression instantly darkened as she listened to his thoughts.
Her feelings for her Fourth Uncle were nearly the same as for her father.
If what Lin Tian said was true—Jiang Yifeng intended to use those incomplete techniques to forcibly drain her uncle’s life potential just to gain her and her mother’s trust—then her enmity toward Jiang Yifeng would deepen yet again!
She would never allow someone who schemed against her and then “harmed” her uncle with flawed medical skills to walk freely in this world!
Thinking this, Xuan Yuan Qingya’s eyes flickered. She drew closer to Lin Tian, though instinctively falling a half-step behind. Her voice was soft, carrying a trace of helplessness.
“Lin Tian, my Fourth Uncle has always been very good to me. If not for him, my mother and I might have long been cast out onto the streets… Tell me, if his illness really can’t be cured, then what should I do?”
Xuan Yuan Qingya’s purpose in saying this was to subtly guide Lin Tian’s thoughts toward the matter of treatment.
Just like Zhao Mengmeng, Shang Chan, and the others before her, she too used similar words to steer Lin Tian.
After all, if someone could hear another’s inner voice, the natural first thought would be to try and nudge that person into thinking about the matters one most wanted to know.
Hearing Xuan Yuan Qingya’s words, Lin Tian thought for a moment, then finally offered a line of comfort.
“Don’t worry. The virtuous are always blessed. Your Fourth Uncle should be fine.”
After all, ever since Xuan Yuan Qingya had kissed him, no matter how much he didn’t want to get entangled with this woman, some subtle shift had occurred in his feelings toward her.
But inwardly, Lin Tian sighed.
【If Jiang Yifeng had already unlocked at least the fourth level of the Heavenly Sacred Body, then your Fourth Uncle truly wouldn’t be in danger. But now… he hasn’t even unlocked the first layer. In that case, the outcome is really uncertain…】
【However, speaking of which, it’s not as if there’s no way at all. For instance, the spiritual essence sealed within that jade carving should be able to cure Xuan Yuan Chen. That thing was sealed since ancient times, its potency comparable to any celestial pill or divine elixir.】
【Of course, if it were forcefully poured straight into Xuan Yuan Chen, he would most likely be overwhelmed and burst apart from the surging spiritual energy. But if it were diluted with some honey water to temper it, then it should work without issue… If I recall correctly, in the original story, Jiang Yifeng also used the spiritual essence from that jade carving in exactly this way.】
Lin Tian unconsciously followed Xuan Yuan Qingya’s words, analyzing the entire matter step by step.
And when he thought of the jade carving, it wasn’t surprising in the least.
After all, this was something he had personally witnessed from beginning to end. He knew how the plot had shifted, and naturally his thoughts would drift toward the parts that had diverged from the original.
Among these shifts, the biggest variable was, of course, that Jiang Yifeng had not unlocked the fourth layer of the Heavenly Sacred Body.
But there was yet another variable that could not be overlooked—The jade carving “Spirit Monkey Offering Peach” was currently in Xuan Yuan Qingya’s possession!
This jade carving was originally meant to be Jiang Yifeng’s fated opportunity…