I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

The flavors of the dishes were too strong, and Li Lin's tastes were too strange, so this stir-fried pork slices without chili naturally lacked flavor.

Zhongli pulled out the last chair, sat down, picked up the large bowl of tea that hadn't been touched yet, and took a sip: "This tea is quite good."

Hua Chu frowned, her face gradually turning frosty. She had been raised under the care of Duke De'an since birth and could be called the apple of his eye. Her father adorned her with the finest jewelry and hired the best female etiquette instructors to teach her manners. Although she did not have a hundred attendants when she went out, she was protected by secret guards.

Such treatment is probably even better than that of several Liyue Seven Stars. At least Hua Chu herself knows that Ke Qing, the Yuheng Star who is decisive and uncompromising in her actions and is known as "Thunder and Rain" at a young age, does not have such benefits.

Although love in one's heart can make even water taste sweet, the recent hustle and bustle has naturally left some inexplicable resentment in my heart.

Love can make you feel full even with just water, but if you don't have those mora (money) around your waist, how long can you stay full?

Upon seeing Li Lin and Zhong Li, these two uninvited and unpleasant guests, Hua Chu raised her hand heavily, about to slam it on the table, but Jian Qiu beside her grabbed her wrist and shook her head slightly, signaling her to keep quiet.

Jianqiu stood up and smiled apologetically at the two of them, "We won't disturb you any longer, we'll take our leave first."

As soon as he finished speaking, he decided to leave with Hua Chu, not even taking the few Mora meat pies that Boss Zhu had made.

"Hmph, want to run away?"

Li Lin put down his chopsticks, rushed over and kicked Jian Qiu in the butt, sending the schoolteacher crashing into a doorpost.

Hua Chu turned pale and tried to run over to help Jian Qiu up, but the teacher's eyes were filled with fear.

He saw the divine eye, a blend of red and yellow, on Li Lin's waist.

"Brother, you attacked me as soon as we met. There must be a reason for this. May I ask what it is?"

Xingqiu glanced at Mr. Zhongli, who was sitting in his seat, still lost in thought and not intending to speak. "Could you please explain yourself to me first?"

"No."

Xingqiu was speechless; no one had ever answered him like that before.

Seeing that Li Lin was about to kick Hua Chu again, Xing Qiu gritted his teeth, ignored Chong Yun's disapproving look, and pushed the ancient sword at his waist with his thumb.

The sound of rain resumed inside.

The somewhat dark iron sword was drawn only half an inch before returning to its sheath. Xingqiu came to the couple who had eloped.

Only the torrential rain, like the sound of a pipa, remained.

"Although I am not very talented, I feel an instant connection with Mr. Jianqiu, and I would like to ask you for your guidance today!"

After making such impassioned remarks, young Xingqiu lowered his voice and quickly said to the desperate lovers behind him, "Aren't you going to leave?!"

189 If you took these pictures out and said they were from a fantasy martial arts novel, people would definitely believe it. (Bonus chapter)

Li Lin's gaze moved down to Xing Qiu's dazzlingly white legs, then slowly moved up to Xing Qiu's face, which was even more delicate than a woman's. He couldn't help but think of an unsolved mystery in a game.

Is Xingqiu a man or a woman?

Master Li's eyes, which were gradually becoming more and more lifeless, were starting to look like dead fish eyes. In Xing Qiu's eyes, this would probably be seen as a change in the style of his paintings.

Although the person in front of me did not change in appearance, his temperament gradually changed from a majestic ink painting scroll to a simple stick figure drawing.

Li Lin's gaze sent a chill down Xing Qiu's spine, and more importantly, he felt somewhat helpless about it.

Master Li smiled jokingly, knowing that the fate of the young Xingqiu was uncertain.

Feeling a sudden chill for no apparent reason, Qiuqiu coughed lightly: "Your Excellency...?"

Li Lin asked affectionately, "Is he your father?"

Xingqiu's expression immediately turned serious: "How can I, Xingqiu, acknowledge someone else as my father? My father is in good health."

"Then why are you protecting him? Do you want to be his male prostitute?"

Li Lin's shameless words instantly turned Xing Qiu's fair face red, not from embarrassment, but from anger.

"Please enlighten me."

The young swordsman pushed the hilt of his sword with his thumb and took a step forward. The beaded curtain on the eaves broke off and then reappeared, and the sound of torrential rain filled the room.

The ancient Huapai's iron sword was drawn two inches from its sheath, its dull, unyielding blade reflecting the rain-soaked sky.

Under the influence of the young swordsman's aura, the rain curtain transformed into a tide the color of the sky after rain. The tide lost its original form in mid-air, but gained a touch of the mystical beauty of a rainbow.

Zhongli toyed with the bowl in his hand at the table, taking a sip of the slightly bitter tea: "I don't want to see the three unique skills of Guhua again after thousands of years."

Ancient Hua Sword - Cutting Rain and Leaving Rainbows!

Few in the world remember the immortal Gu Hua who once roamed the three thousand miles of Liyue, wielding his sword to vanquish demons. He was once known as Gu Hua for his mastery of the sword, spear, and greatsword, and he ascended into the heavens amidst a purple aura. Those who admired him inherited his legacy and established themselves in Liyue under the name of the Gu Hua School.

Over the centuries, the ancient Hua School has declined. The three unique skills have been honed to perfection, but no one can use them as wielded as an extension of their own body to reproduce the sword light and spear gleam.

It wasn't until the second young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce joined the Guhua Sect that he understood one principle and thus understood all principles, thus reviving the "principles" of the Guhua Sect. He said that the so-called spear and sword are essentially extensions of the divine eye, and all spear and sword techniques are essentially nothing more than "pupil techniques."

This young master named Xingqiu spent four years in seclusion. Upon emerging from seclusion, he suddenly comprehended the true meaning of the rain color and lit up his own destiny star. Now, he has thoroughly understood the key to the ever-flowing life water and stepped into the first wonderful realm called "Fragrance of the Double Curtains". He has even touched the edge of the second realm, "Azure Rainbow". His talent is immeasurable.

It is said that even in death, a chivalrous spirit remains, worthy of being a hero of the world. But when Xingqiu drew his sword, an inexplicable palpitation gripped his very being.

Li Lin quickly came to Zhong Li's side, bent down, and moved Zhong Li, along with his chair, from where he was drinking tea in front of Xing Qiu.

The Rain Curtain Sword was within reach.

A hint of annoyance flashed in Zhongli's golden pupils. Suddenly, a golden light covered the teacup in his hand, and the sound of gold and jade rang out.

Xingqiu didn't have time to think carefully about why Li Lin had such speed; he just subconsciously turned the sword energy in his hand to the other side.

"Be careful!" The young sorcerer, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation, waved his sleeve, and flying swords formed from crystalline cold energy appeared, resembling a breathtaking long bridge.

This white-robed sorcerer named Chongyun, who possessed pure Yang energy, froze Xingqiu's Rain Curtain Sword, whose energy flow had stagnated, the moment he made his move.

"Xingqiu, stop." Chongyun took a few steps and looked at Li Lin and Zhongli. "At least with this Mr. Zhongli here, I think this unknown gentleman is not a madman who slaughters people."

At this moment, Jianqiu and Huachu at the door realized that the young swordsman had already exchanged blows with Li Lin, who was tracking them. They turned to leave, but Li Lin, who had appeared behind them at some point, grabbed them by the back of the neck.

Mr. Li picked them up one in each hand, carried them back to the middle of the hall, and threw them on the floor.

Xingqiu frowned: "What grudge do you have against them that you would humiliate them like this?"

Li Lin looked up: "You're the second young master of the Feiyun Chamber of Commerce, right?"

"So what?"

"I'll come to your house tonight to ask for your advice," Li Lin said sarcastically, still holding a grudge. "Madam, you wouldn't want your child to be ambushed outside Liyue Harbor, would you?"

Xingqiu didn't understand what Li Lin meant, but instinctively felt that it wasn't a nice thing to say.

Having driven away Xingqiu's inexplicable youthful arrogance, Li Lin turned his indifferent gaze back to Hua Chu and Jianqiu on the ground.

"Where should I begin... In Liyue Harbor, there is a family living on Scarlet Cloud Slope. The male head of the family died many years ago, leaving behind two children under the age of ten and their mother."

Li Lin put his hands behind his back and looked down at the schoolteacher and the young lady: "Fortunately, these two children are sensible by nature, and their mother is strong-willed by nature. She has raised them by herself."

"Their mother is a registered adventurer in the Adventurers' Guild."

Li Lin's words were like a muffled thunderclap, leaving Hua Chu and Jian Qiu pale-faced.

"Not all adventurers possess exceptional skills and abilities. True adventurers always adhere to only one principle: stay away from danger. This strong mother, with her cautious and discerning eye, provided her children with an education in the prime location of Feiyunpo, hoping they would achieve great things in the future."

"She's only in her twenties, but she looks like she's in her forties or fifties."

"But deep down she had expectations and hopes, and those were for her children. In fact, she had saved up a sum of money over the years and was planning to cancel her registration with the Adventurers' Association and open a small stall in Scarlet Cloud Slope. Although she would earn less money, it would be safer, and she could keep an eye on her children at all times."

Li Lin smiled, but the others watching this scene felt a chill inexplicably.

"Until one evening, this mother, who was an adventurer but had little martial arts skill, returned from the Adventurers' Guild. As night fell, her heart burned like a furnace because she had successfully completed the deregistration process and was about to live the peaceful life she had always dreamed of."

"As she walked past the corner of Chihu Rock and was about to see the lights of Feiyun Slope, a rope was put around her throat and dragged her into the pitch-black night."

“She cried for help, struggled, and even loosened her clothes. She thought the person strangling her was only after her body or money, things that a mother could give up.”

Li Lin's eyes were like a frozen night, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned as he spoke seemingly unrelated words.

"The murderer who held the rope did not let go until she breathed her last. The widow could never have imagined that the person who killed her was not after money or sex, but just wanted to find a substitute."

"A young lady wanted to elope with her lover, but her father would not allow the marriage unless she threatened to kill herself. However, such a tactic could only be used once, and if it failed, it would be guarded against."

"So how do you do it so thoroughly?" Li Lin asked, one hand in his pocket, speaking eloquently, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Find a woman of similar age, kill her—no matter how she dies, just kill her—and make sure there's no way to prove it."

"The young lady took off her jewelry and clothes and gave them to the widow to change into. In order to make it clear that this was the deceased young lady, but not to arouse suspicion from her appearance, she took advantage of the endless night to throw the body into the river."

"The swift waterways will disfigure the widows, leaving only their sturdy jewelry as proof that she was the young lady who drowned herself for her lover."

Li Lin's eyes were calm. He spread his palms out playfully: "For a widow, reputation can be lost. Being gossiped about and pointed at behind her back, having excrement thrown at her door is also commonplace. In short, these are just ordinary things."

"What she truly cared about until her death was her two children who hadn't grown up yet."

Li Lin looked at Hua Chu and Jian Qiu on the ground: "Those two children, one is ten years old this year, named Yi Zhu, and the other is a little younger, named Yi Xian."

190 Liberty and love, how many evils are committed in thy name!

"In the night of Liyue Harbor, two sinners with blood on their hands committed this little-known crime in the name of freedom and love."

"Anyway, to them, they're just scapegoats that can be bought for a few tens of thousands of Mora. Wasn't this the same method that wealthy merchants in Liyue Harbor used to get away with breaking the law back then?"

Li Lin narrowed his eyes slightly: "Who would have thought that the one who planned this scheme was not the schoolteacher Jianqiu, but Hua Chu, the apple of De'an Duke's eye?"

"This has nothing to do with Hua Chu..."

Before Jianqiu could finish speaking, Li Lin kicked him in the cheek.

"You don't think I'm making excuses for you, do you? The one who strangled that mother with a rope was none other than you, this bookish scoundrel who's read himself to death?"