Meeting Xiao Lin, Ning Qian's Tears

Spring Mountain Community.

Xiao Lin sat wearily, nervously, and fearfully on the living room sofa.

Compared to when he first arrived in Jianghai City, he was almost unrecognizable.

Ever since he had personally killed Wang Yulan’s mother in the hospital, Xiao Lin had been in this state.

He was haunted by nightmares every night and hadn’t even been practicing his cultivation.

All he could think about was that night and the murderous look in Wang Yulan's eyes when she stared at him.

The TV played the latest news.

There were ongoing mysterious deaths in Jianghai City.

If it were before, he would have definitely stepped in and tried to help.

But now, he didn’t have the courage to step outside.

He had been hiding at home for days.

The sound of water splashing could be heard from the bathroom—Shen Wan'er was taking her morning bath.

Since Xiao Lin had withdrawn into himself, and because her family had constantly misunderstood and pressured her, she had decided to move into this secret hideout she had purchased by herself.

*Buzz!*

At that moment, a small golden snake that looked like a serpent suddenly appeared and coiled itself onto Xiao Lin’s shoulder.

It spoke with a tone of disappointment: “Xiao Lin! What are you doing! Are you just going to sink into self-pity over a single incident?”

“Is this really the person you are?”

“Don’t forget your mission! Find the heirs with divine energy! Recruit allies! And defeat the Night King! [○･｀Д´･○]!!”

The golden snake continued to inspire Xiao Lin, but the latter seemed completely unmoved.

He just stared at the TV, his voice dull and lifeless: “Forget it, Dragon Lord... I’m probably not cut out to be a warrior.”

As he said this, he glanced at his clenched fists, and thoughts of that night resurfaced.

He covered his face in fear: “It’s these hands... I used these hands to kill Sister Yulan’s mother...”

“What have I even protected with this power?”

“I wanted to protect everyone... but... I couldn’t do anything!”

As Xiao Lin spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, and he began to sob.

The Dragon Lord sighed deeply, clearly frustrated. “What about Shen Wan'er, then? She’s been taking care of you these days.”

“I can see it—you really like her, and it seems like she has feelings for you too.”

“Have you noticed how tired she looks lately? It’s definitely because of work.”

“Yet, she still chooses to come here immediately after finishing her tasks just to take care of you.”

“And now, she’s even living with you!”

“Xiao Lin... even if it’s not for the world, shouldn’t you at least try to change for Shen Wan'er?”

At this point, Xiao Lin’s lifeless gaze flickered with a hint of hope.

Wan'er... yes... I still have Wan'er...

But...

“I’ve used this power to kill too many innocent people...”

“What would Wan'er think of me if she knew?”

Xiao Lin’s voice was filled with pain.

Seeing that his words were having an effect, the Dragon Lord doubled down: “Oh, come on! Don’t worry about that!”

“Once you find the Dragon King Jade and take over the Dragon King Palace! Then gather all 99 strands of dragon energy!”

“As long as the Night King hasn’t devoured their soul, once I regain my full form by completing the cycle of nine and nine, I can naturally help you revive Sister Yulan’s mother!”

Hearing this, Xiao Lin’s heart trembled, and he grabbed the golden snake, lifting it up to his face in disbelief. His eyes shone with joy: “Dragon Lord? Is that really true??”

The Dragon Lord proudly raised its head, its voice booming: “Of course! Who do you think I am? I’m an ancient divine dragon! I can grant any wish! Reviving a person is as easy as... well, breathing!”

“But...”

It then lowered its head, sighing: “It’s all because of that battle from long ago. The evil Night King slaughtered all my companions, and I barely managed to achieve a Pyrrhic victory against him.”

“With the dragon energy, I can be resurrected, and the Night King, as long as he has that dagger, can also be revived.”

“Xiao Lin, I believe in you. You are humanity’s hope, and this generation’s Night King will definitely be wiped out by you!”

As Xiao Lin listened, the light in his eyes grew stronger.

*Buzz!*

In an instant, the long-suppressed emotions that weighed on him vanished, and his thoughts became clear and focused.

His aura surged, and a loud dragon’s roar echoed through the room.

Xiao Lin clenched his fists, his eyes filled with exhilaration: “I’ve broken through!”

Originally, he had been stuck at the peak of the early stage of the Master realm for a long time, but this sudden clarity allowed him to leap directly into the middle stage of the Master realm!

The Dragon Lord also looked on with admiration: “Xiao Lin! You are humanity’s hope! You’re truly a genius among geniuses!”

“How many women will come and go! There’s no need to dwell on that! What’s most important now is to gather allies and build your strength to confront the Night King!”

As it said this, the Dragon Lord floated out of Xiao Lin’s hand and pointed its tail toward the bathroom door, leering mischievously: “Oh, and one more thing—Xiao Lin, I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“That little lady, Shen Wan'er, has a pure Yin physique! If you could dual cultivate with her…”

At this point, Xiao Lin immediately cut it off, flustered: “Stop, stop, stop! Wan'er and I aren’t even a couple yet—how could we do something like that?”

The Dragon Lord waved dismissively: “You’re overthinking it. Dual cultivation is a normal part of a warrior’s life. Besides, as my heir and the descendant of a divine dragon, your future certainly demands a harem!”

“It’s only one woman so far—how could that be enough for you?”

Hearing this, Xiao Lin felt a spark of interest.

He scratched his head awkwardly, chuckling: “Hehe, Dragon Lord, you make a good point, but for now, I’d rather focus on building something with Wan'er.”

Just then,

*Knock, knock*

A knocking sound came from the door.

Xiao Lin’s eyes flicked with confusion. Hmm? Who could possibly be visiting here?

And... why does this presence feel so familiar?

He quickly got up and walked to the door.

Turning the handle, he heard a click, and the door swung open: “Who is it?”

But before he could even finish his sentence, he froze.

Because standing at the door was a familiar young girl.

“Sister?”

Xiao Lin blurted out in disbelief, his expression turning to one of surprise: “Sister, how did you find this place?”

Ning Qian, upon finding her senior brother at the house Gu Yan had told her about, was filled with excitement.

Seeing her senior brother again, it seemed he had grown even stronger.

It seemed he hadn’t neglected his training.

This was the senior brother she remembered!

A wave of excitement and nervousness surged through Ning Qian’s heart, just like in the old days when she had always been like a little girl trailing behind Xiao Lin, never growing up.

Her eyes shined with shyness, and her voice was slightly tense, like that of someone meeting their crush.

Her hand tightly gripped the hilt of her sword as she began to speak: “Senior...”

But before she could finish her sentence,

Another voice echoed from within: “Xiao Lin, who is it?”

*Boom!!*

With the sound of a strange woman’s voice, Ning Qian’s words got stuck in her throat.

Her mind was in chaos, and the joy of reuniting with her senior brother was instantly dulled.

Xiao Lin was a bit embarrassed and called back into the house: “It’s my sister, nothing serious, Wan'er, you can keep going.”

After saying that, Xiao Lin turned back to Ning Qian, but because of the excitement of their reunion, he hadn’t noticed Ning Qian’s current state.

He enthusiastically opened the half-closed door: “Come on in, sister, I’ll introduce you to... Sister?”

As Xiao Lin spoke, he realized that Ning Qian, for some reason, had turned around and left without a word.

“Sister! Sister, where are you going!”

Xiao Lin called after her retreating figure from the doorway.

However,

There was no response.

“Xiao Lin, don’t bother with Ning Qian. You two have known each other since you were kids—she’ll be fine.”

The Dragon Lord snorted: “She’s probably just mad because she heard a woman’s voice in your house. Next time, just tease her like you used to.”

“For now, Shen Wan'er is more important.”

Hearing this, Xiao Lin thought it made sense and nodded, then closed the door.

...

Meanwhile,

*Click.*

Ning Qian silently opened the car door and got in.

Gu Yan, leaning comfortably in his seat, looked at her with interest: “So, did you see your senior brother? How was it?”

Just as he was saying this, Gu Yan seemed to notice something. He withdrew his gaze and sighed, "It doesn't seem to be going well."

Shangguan Miaoyin, hearing this, glanced at Ning Qian and was momentarily surprised.

She then shook her head, sighing in resignation.

Poor girl, she's been deceived by a man's feelings, hasn't she?

She extended her hand and silently stroked Ning Qian's head.

The latter, the strong and emotionless young girl.

At this moment, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.