Chapter 71: Origin (VI)

"Hehe, Young Hero, your request was urgent. The store's inventory is limited; this is all we have."

The shopkeeper feigned composure, but his gaze drifted intentionally or unintentionally toward the street outside.

Clearly, they were planning to stall for time.

As long as Lin Fan could not move all this silver away, government soldiers would arrive shortly.

By then, not only would Lin Fan fail to take the silver, but he would also be arrested as a troublemaker.

"You think this can stump me?" Lin Fan snorted coldly.

What the shopkeeper and the waiter did not know was that Lin Fan was a powerful Body Cultivator.

Such a weight of silver was nothing worth mentioning to him.

Lin Fan calmly placed the banknotes back into the bag, then grabbed it with one hand, effortlessly hoisting the heavy silver bag onto his shoulder.

The heavy silver ingots seemed to have turned into paper, posing no resistance in Lin Fan's hands.

The shopkeeper and the waiter were dumbfounded, hardly able to believe their eyes.

"You, you…" The shopkeeper was too shocked to speak, a trace of fear inevitably rising in his heart.

He had not expected this young man, who looked like a scholar, to possess such astonishing strength.

"Your tricks are nothing more than this."

Lin Fan's tone was flat, as if what he had just hoisted was not a heavy bag of silver, but an insignificant object.

He patted the silver bag on his shoulder, looking composed. "Since the silver has been paid, I won't hold it against you."

Lin Fan lowered his head to help Bai Yi up. Seeing Bai Yi's staggering steps, he knew that at this pace, they would definitely be caught by the government soldiers.

"No time!"

Without a word, Lin Fan hoisted Bai Yi onto his other shoulder, letting his hands hang limply.

The little fox (Bai Youyou) nimbly climbed onto the top of Lin Fan's head and lay there.

Her round little head peered around, looking relaxed, evidently finding great amusement in this game of escape.

Lin Fan strode forward, hurrying toward the city gates.

As he left, he turned back, flashing a grin with his bright white teeth, and shouted to the shopkeeper:

"Shopkeeper, we shall meet again another day!"

The shopkeeper's mouth twitched, feeling bitter inside; he certainly did not want to see this evil star again.

If there were a next time, he might just carry away the entire inn.

Lin Fan's figure quickly disappeared at the end of the street, and the surrounding people quietly stepped aside, clearly not wanting to invite trouble for themselves.

Once out of the city gate, Lin Fan quickened his pace, taking Bai Yi toward the depths of the wilderness.

Gradually, the two left the bustling city behind, leaving only desolate fields and the breeze around them.

Lin Fan suddenly stopped and turned to look at Bai Yi, his gaze revealing a hint of seriousness.

"Next, we need to find a safe place to hide, otherwise it will be troublesome when the government soldiers catch up later."

"Mm, I know."

Bai Yi nodded, a trace of nervousness and anticipation appearing on his face. Although he was afraid, his trust in Lin Fan made him much braver.

Eventually, the two found an abandoned farmhouse, surrounded by weeds, the house itself looking dilapidated.

Bai Yi looked around, thinking to himself that this place was perfect for hiding their tracks.

"Brother Fan, this place will do." Bai Yi pointed at the dilapidated house. "Although the environment is crude, it can at least shelter us from the wind and rain."

"Good, this is the place." Lin Fan nodded in agreement, then set Bai Yi down, and the two worked together to push the door open.

The room was dusty, and through the cracked windows, faint light spilled in, making one feel a touch of chill.

"Let's tidy up first."

"We can stay here for a while. Until the Great Examination begins!"

Lin Fan raised his head, looking at Bai Yi, thinking to himself.

This must be the memory line where Bai Youyou and Bai Yi develop feelings for each other in this small wooden hut.

Lin Fan and Bai Yi simply repaired the dilapidated roof; it should be fine to keep the rain out now.

Bai Yi breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "This is much better; at least we can stay here for the night in peace."

He took out a small medicine jar, preparing to apply it to the wound on his back, but discovered that some areas were difficult to reach.

Just as he was troubled, the little fox beside him moved slightly, and suddenly her form changed, transforming into a slim and graceful young woman.

Her appearance was exactly the same as Bai Youyou, but it seemed to lack a bit of mature allure, possessing more of a pure and sweet aura instead.

Bai Yi was startled by this scene, staring at her blankly, and stammered:

"You~you are!"

"I am the little fox in your arms!"

"You first dispelled the cold poison for me, and later took a beating for me. If you don't mind, let me help you apply the medicine."

A trace of confusion and panic flashed across Bai Yi's face, but he was immediately infected by her gentle smile, feeling a touch of warmth in his heart:

"This… this isn't good, I'd better let Brother Fan help me."

"There's nothing wrong with it; I am doing this to repay your kindness." The little fox walked toward him, her eyes full of anticipation.

Bai Yi looked at her, possessing the same exquisite and graceful figure as Bai Youyou. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately succumbed to Bai Youyou's beauty:

"Alright then, sorry to trouble you."

"It's nothing, just leave it to me!" The little fox said happily, nimbly walking behind him and starting to apply the ointment for him.

Bai Yi felt the pain in his back seemed to have eased quite a bit.

"Miss, do you have a name, and where is your home?"

"My name is Bai Youyou." The young girl lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly, "I am already homeless."

As she spoke, her eyes gradually became moist, and she sobbed softly, as if recounting her lost past.

Bai Yi's heart tightened, and he immediately comforted her: "If that's the case, Miss, why not follow me from now on? We can drift together and make the world our home."

Bai Youyou raised her head, her eyes sparkling with gratitude: "Many thanks, Young Master, for taking me in. This young woman has no way to repay you…"

Lin Fan, who was on the side, watched with mixed feelings in his heart.

As Bai Youyou's second man, he watched helplessly as the intimate interaction between Bai Yi and her unfolded.

He felt like he had a green pasture on his head, helpless and resentful: "F*&@, I actually have to witness this public display of affection right here!"

"These days are getting harder and harder to live through."

Late at night, Lin Fan and Bai Yi lay on the straw to sleep on the ground, the surroundings so quiet that only the occasional chirping of insects could be heard.

The cold wind howled, the chill cutting through the skin like a knife.

Although this dilapidated farmhouse had been simply repaired by the two and could barely shelter them from the wind and rain, it had only patched a hole in the roof.

The surrounding dilapidated walls faced the cold wind directly, with cracks everywhere, making it so cold that it made one's bones ache.

Lin Fan was shivering with cold, trying to light a fire several times, but the flames would be blown out as soon as they ignited.

He looked at the pile of cold ashes with a helpless face and could not help but shiver. The biting cold wind scraped across his cheeks like steel knives, freezing him so much that even his teeth were chattering.

"Good grief, this lousy place doesn't even have anything to keep warm." Lin Fan muttered, his gaze involuntarily turning to Bai Yi beside him.

He saw Bai Yi looking perfectly calm and composed, sleeping quietly, his breathing steady, even emitting a slight snoring sound.

Lin Fan cursed inwardly: "Good grief, when we were repairing the place during the day, you were slacking off; turns out it's because you aren't afraid of the cold wind at all."