Since the villa had been repossessed, the luxury cars inside were off-limits. They had no choice but to leave on foot.
Lee Encai considered suggesting they go to her place, as it was empty anyway. However, she was still traumatized by the pious old woman's insects. She also worried that Yan Luoyang might return and accidentally harm Shen Youling and the others, so she kept the idea to herself.
Lin Tang was just about to propose they get a hotel for the night and go house-hunting the next day. After all, money wasn't an issue.
But Shen Youling spoke first. "Grandpa, why don't we go to the old Shen Family estate?"
Shen Qiushi nodded. "I was thinking the sa thing." He had moved out in a fit of anger after Shen Xin and Dong Mingfeng insisted on stealing Lin Tang's dicinal formula to manufacture and sell. He had returned to the old estate then. It was fully furnished and convenient enough to move right in.
Shen Youling turned to Lin Tang. "You don't need to feel awkward, and don't let it be a burden on you. We're husband and wife, so it's perfectly natural for you to live with my family."
Lin Tang was utterly baffled. Am I awkward? And where is this burden coming from? All right. Since you've put it that way, if I say I'm buying a house right now, you'll just think I'm being stubborn, won't you?
...
When they arrived at the old Shen Family estate, they were shocked to see lights on and several people inside.
"Have we been robbed?"
After a quick check, they discovered the truth—Dong Mingfeng had rented the house out.
"Damn her!" Shen Qiushi roared.
It wasn't about the money. Even before they started making a fortune from the dicine, their family wasn't hard-up for a bit of rent. Renting out the family estate without permission was a deliberate act of provocation. He imdiately called Shen Xin and gave him an earful.
Shen Xin didn't dare to talk back, but Dong Mingfeng was unapologetically defiant. "Didn't you say the family had split up? In that case, what I do with the house is my business!"
"Bullshit! Even in a split, assets have to be divided. When was the family estate ever given to you?"
"I don't care. My na is on the property deed, so I have the right to do what I want with it."
"You... you..."
Dong Mingfeng couldn't be bothered to listen any longer and hung up.
Shen Qiushi was a picture of grief and fury. "How could I have raised such an animal, and how could he have married such a vile woman!"
Shen Youling was mortified and deeply disappointed in Dong Mingfeng. But the house was already rented. Kicking the tenants out now simply wasn't feasible. They had no choice but to leave and check into a nearby hotel for the night.
Considering Shen Youling wouldn't let him touch her, Lin Tang saw no point in sharing a room, so they each got their own.
Once inside his room, he glanced at the burlap sack of herbs. It was a real pain to lug around. Besides, the herbs had nearly been stolen today. He might as well just consu them all in one go.
No sooner said than done. Lin Tang washed and prepared all the dicinal ingredients, leaving aside only the toxic herbs, the Fire Ganoderma, and the Wood Spirit Fruit. He put a large pot on to boil and tossed everything in to stew.
「In the next room.」
"I can't just let this go. Tomorrow, I'm going to find Shen Xin and demand that big house back," Shen Qiushi fud.
"Grandpa, don't work yourself into a state," Shen Youling said, gently patting his back. She urged him not to get into another fight. They were still family; there was no need to beco bitter enemies.
"But we can't live in a hotel forever! Renting is inconvenient, and I can't stand the thought of living under soone else's roof."
"Grandpa, I'll figure sothing out. I'll buy a new house as soon as possible. Please, just leave it to , okay?"
"Sigh, you've had to endure so much..."
Only when Shen Qiushi had fallen asleep did Shen Youling finally feel a sense of relief. She tiptoed out of the room, hesitated for a mont, and then knocked on Lin Tang's door.
"Hm?" Lin Tang was surprised to see her. Could it be... she's had a change of heart? Is she willing to... you know... with again?
"Don't get the wrong idea. I just need to discuss sothing with you," Shen Youling said quickly, her face turning a faint shade of red.
She knew the herbs in Lin Tang's sack were incredibly rare; selling even one would be enough to buy a house. But she also understood how important they were for his cultivation. She was reluctant to ask, but she didn't want her grandfather getting into a huge fight with her parents over this. I'll just consider it a loan. I'll find a way to pay him back later...
With that thought, she stepped into the room, about to speak, when she was hit by a potent dicinal aroma that was so comforting it made her pores tingle. Then she saw it. A massive pot was filled to the brim, stewing away. The burlap sack next to it was completely empty.
"You..." Shen Youling was speechless. She suspected he had guessed her intentions and had done this beforehand on purpose. How petty could he be!
"What's wrong?" Lin Tang asked.
"Nothing!" Shen Youling's expression hardened. She spun around and walked out.
"Eh?" Lin Tang was baffled. Didn't she say she wanted to discuss sothing? Why is she leaving again? He couldn't read minds, so he had no idea what she was thinking and didn't dwell on it. Besides, the concoction of so many potent herbs was far too nourishing. He wouldn't have let her drink it anyway, for fear it would overwhelm her system.
When the dicinal soup was finally ready, the aroma was exceptionally rich. It drew Wei Zichu and Lee Encai, who ca over to see what was happening. They watched in amazent as Lin Tang guzzled the brew like a man possessed.
"Is he really not going to explode from drinking all that?" they muttered, shaking their heads.
Wei Zichu's gaze fell on the Wood Spirit Fruit and Fire Ganoderma lying on the bed. She clapped her hands. "Oh, I almost forgot! The Star Evil Group stole the Earth Spirit Ginseng! Brother Lin, when you saved Master Huangfu, you didn't manage to get it back!"
"That's right!" Lin Tang had forgotten about that too. He had been about to sit down and ditate to circulate his energy, but now he changed his mind. He decided he would use his Qinggong to travel, burning off the dicinal power in his stomach as he went.
"But what about if you leave?" Lee Encai's eyes widened. "What if Yan Luoyang shows up..."
"What are the odds? He shouldn't know you're here right now."
"Have you forgotten last ti? I was hiding in an incredibly secluded spot, and he found instantly. I suspect he has so sinister thod for sensing my location." Lee Encai nervously clutched Lin Tang's arm.
"You win," Lin Tang sighed, rolling his eyes. "Co on, I'll carry you."
"Alright!" Lee Encai chirped, leaping onto his back. She didn't seem to mind her chest pressing firmly against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Seeing them so close, Wei Zichu looked on with envy, eager to try it herself.
"Don't tell you want to co, too?"
"Can I?"
"No, you can't!"
"Oh, alright..." Wei Zichu sighed in disappointnt.
She watched them leave to track down the Star Evil Group, then tried calling Wei Shanhe again. The call still wouldn't go through, and she couldn't help but worry about his safety.
"Damn Lu Liangfei, and that traitor Yu Tianshun and his cronies!" Wei Zichu cursed under her breath. She never imagined that at this very mont, the ghost slaves sent by Mu Jiuzhou were inside Villa Number One, relentlessly torturing Lu Liangfei and his n.
At a minimum, these ghost slaves possessed combat power comparable to an early-stage Master. Yu Tianshun and his group hadn't even reached the Innate Realm. They stood no chance.
"rcy, please, spare us!"
"We don't know you! This has to be a misunderstanding!" They writhed on the floor, vomiting blood, and scrambled to kowtow in terror.
"You are associates of Lin Tang. Therefore, you deserve to die," a ghost slave stated, its voice devoid of emotion.
"Associates? No, no! We're enemies of Lin Tang, too! We just kicked that bastard out and told him he couldn't stay here anymore!"
"This is a terrible injustice!"
Lu Liangfei and his n wanted to weep. Their hatred for Lin Tang, that walking disaster, deepened.
"Where is Lin Tang now?" a ghost slave asked.
"Well..."
"We don't know."
"But we can find out imdiately!" they hastily offered.
"That won't be necessary. We can find him ourselves. If you hadn't driven him away, we would have him by now. You wasted our ti, so now you can die."
In unison, the ghost slaves raised their hands.
"NO!!!" Lu Liangfei and the others scread, but their cries were cut short. They died with their eyes wide in disbelief.
As for their underlings, they had all been slaughtered within seconds of the ghost slaves' arrival. They never could have imagined that simply coming here to evict Lin Tang and spend the night would cost them their lives so senselessly. Had they known, they never would have co.
「The wind howled.」
It whipped through Lee Encai's hair as the buildings on either side blurred into streaks, leaving her dizzy.
"AHHHH, why are you so fast!" she shrieked, her face a mixture of terror and exhilaration, like a child on a roller coaster.
"Be quiet!" Lin Tang snapped, irritated by the ambiguity of her comnt.
Soon, they arrived at Fude Bridge. Lin Tang wasn't the least bit winded, but Lee Encai, despite having expended no energy, was flushed and drenched in sweat. She was too embarrassed to admit that the high-frequency jolting ant that she... well...
"Ahem, Brother Lin, do you know where they are? How are we going to find them?" Lee Encai quickly changed the subject.
Lin Tang's nose twitched. "What's that sll coming from you...?"
"None of your business! I asked you a question!" Lee Encai shot back, her face flushing with anger and embarrassnt.
"Oh, that. Rember this afternoon when I made them eat all the fish they caught? Those who ate my fish are guaranteed to have a nasty case of diarrhea. They couldn't have gotten far. Finding them should be easy," Lin Tang said nonchalantly.
"Ha! You're so devious! To think you'd tornt them like that!" Lee Encai nearly burst out laughing.
Sure enough, within another hour, Lin Tang successfully located the temporary hideout of Jiao Zhengjin and his n. They could sll the foul stench from a great distance and even hear disgusting popping and splattering sounds.
"My god, it's the middle of the night and they're still at it? Could soone have actually died from... this?" Lee Encai whispered in shock, feeling a sliver of pity for them.
Lin Tang set her down and shrugged. "Who knows? Wait here. I'll be right back."
As he spoke, his face morphed back into that of Long Tianji. He then swaggered into view.
"Senior!"
"You're finally here! We know we were wrong! We'll never dare to offend you again, old master! Please, we beg you, call off your divine power!"
"The antidote! Please, give us the antidote! We really can't take any more of this," they wailed.
The mont Jiao Zhengjin and his n saw him, they were overco with a mixture of ecstatic joy and utter misery. Without even bothering to wipe themselves, they all rushed over and fell to their knees. At this point, they would rather be killed with a single slap than continue to suffer like this. It was simply too horrific.
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