Chương 46: Chapter 45 — Preparations

Xu Fang's house was a mess, which was the first thing Lin Che noticed, considering how tidy it had been just before the road trip. Everything was everywhere, and there was hardly space on the sofa for two people. Lin Che sat on the sofa and accepted the coffee and waited for Xu Fang to sit down across from him.

"You said it was important," said Xu Fang.

"It is."

"You also said it was complicated."

"Also true." Xu Fang looked at him with softer eyes and held a hand out to his heart.

"Are you dying?"

"No."

"Is someone else dying?"

"Not immediately."

"Okay," said Xu Fang, settling back slightly.

"Then take your time." Lin Che put his coffee down and began to speak.

"My family has a cultivation background."

"Like… farmers? I thought your mum was an accountant."

"Yes she's an accountant, but I more meant the magic martial artists in the novels kind of cultivation."

"Oh, yes, because that makes complete sense."

"Okay, fine. Hear me out and I'll prove it to you too. But essentially, the Lin Clan has some sort of history, but is now dormant. I need your help to restore us to our former glory."

"I'm not doing anything until you prove to me you're a cultivator," laughed Xu Fang. Lin Che looked around the room.

"Do you have a glass you don't particularly care about?" Xu Fang got up and came back from the kitchen with a small drinking glass that had a couple of chips on the rim.

"This one was from a set of six," he said.

"We're down to two, so I don't think the set is recoverable at this point."

"Put it on the table." Xu Fang put it on the coffee table between them and sat back. Lin Che looked at the glass. He extended his Qi outward with careful attention, attempting something that required much more fine control than he'd ever used before. It was different to using his Qi as a weapon, as that could just be a sharp point extending outward from him — this time he had to control the grip and shape much more carefully. He found the surfaces of the glass and pushed, slowly. The glass moved.

It slid about three centimetres across the table scraping against the wood, and then wobbled. Lin Che then lost the thread of it entirely and it toppled sideways off the edge of the table and hit the floor and shattered into pieces. There was a brief silence.

"Sorry," said Lin Che.

"I'll pay for the glass."

"There's nothing to pay for, it was already chipped," said Xu Fang, leaning forwards and looking at the glass on the floor with wide eyes.

"You didn't even touch it! Does that mean then—" he turned to Lin Che.

"You said the novels. Does that mean it's all real? The techniques, the archaeological sites, the lost clan histories—""Yes," said Lin Che.

"That's actually a significant part of what I wanted to talk to you about." Xu Fang sat back.

"I'm listening." Lin Che had already known that this was the way to win over Xu Fang's heart. As much as he said he wasn't a big fan of old historical artefacts, the fact that he hadn't sold off his old antique shop and instead diligently maintained it always betrayed him. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Furthermore, Xu Fang used to read cultivation novels quite a bit, but not for the power dynamics.

He was always more interested in the material culture of it and the expansive histories of all these worlds.

"The Lin Clan had sites," said Lin Che.

"Multiple ones, but I only know of one for certain. Figuring out where they are and recovering them — and what the clan's actual history was. I need someone I trust to go through all that for me." He looked at Xu Fang.

"You have an eye for things; you always have." Xu Fang's eyes moved back to the shattered glass on the floor.

"You're recruiting me to help restore your clan."

"Yes."

"What do I get out of it?"

"I'll give you access to all the techniques. I already planned on providing you and Mingzhe with some resources specifically suited to the two of you. There are even herbal preparations that accelerate the early stages, which I can make for you." Xu Fang took a sip of his coffee.

"I'm in," he said.

"Thanks, Xu Fang," replied Lin Che, extending out a hand for him to shake.

"How do I begin?"

Hu Baolin's pharmacy was the same as always, and he was in his usual position at the desk when the bell above the door rang to signal Lin Che's entrance. Lin Che sat down at the consultation counter and produced a list. Hu Baolin picked it up, and looked at both the list and Lin Che over and over again.

"A bulk order?" he asked.

"Do you have everything in stock?"

"Yes," said Hu Baolin.

"I see you're running a cultivation programme for beginners," he stated in observation rather than judgement. He was already moving along the shelves and scanning labels.

"Foundation stage, breath-opening blend, modified—" He stopped and looked at the modification notes Lin Che had included. A brief pause.

"Where did you get the river sedge substitution?"

"I worked it out," said Lin Che. Hu Baolin looked at him for a moment before continuing along the shelves with speed.

"It's a good modification for this type of programme," he said.

"Most people use the standard formulation and then wonder why their students struggle with the early meridian sensitivity work."

"That's been my experience as well," agreed Lin Che. Items began accumulating on the counter in small paper packets, each labelled in Hu Baolin's handwriting.

"I've never seen your face before," began Hu Baolin.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but which clan are you affiliated with?"

"I've recently married into the Shen Clan," said Lin Che. Hu Baolin stopped moving. He turned around and looked at Lin Che.

"How recently?"

"This morning, technically."

"Congratulations," he smiled.

"Thank you," said Lin Che, looking at the packets on the counter.

"I reckon I'll be needing a more stable supply of river sedge for future compounds. I was told that Qiu Renying may carry a broader range?"

"She does," confirmed Hu Baolin.

"I'd appreciate her contact information, if you have it and if you're comfortable sharing it." Hu Baolin considered this for a moment, then went to the back room and returned with a small card, which he placed on the counter beside the packets.

"Tell her I gave you the number. She'll be less suspicious."

"That's very kind." Hu Baolin tallied up the order with a small device and turned it to show Lin Che the total.

"Will you be billing through the Shen Clan account?"

"Personal," said Lin Che, producing his card. Hu Baolin processed the transaction. As Lin Che was gathering the bags from the counter, he made another noise.

"Ah, we had a prescription come in this week for Shen Yue," he said.

"I understand you're her husband now, so would you mind taking it for her?" Lin Che froze.

"She'll come to collect it soon," he coughed out, eventually.

"I'll let her know it's here." Hu Baolin nodded.

"Of course." Lin Che picked up his bags and the card with Qiu Renying's number and went to meet Guo Mingzhe. He didn't live too far from the pharmacy, so Lin Che decided to walk the journey at a leisurely pace so that he'd arrive at roughly the same time as Xu Fang would. As he walked, Lin Che broadcasted his Qi in short pulses, like radar, hoping to bait over the local mannequin so that he could dispose of it quickly.

He was confident that he would survive at least a couple of bouts — enough to escape and call for help if needed — but it would be a great bargaining chip to have for his upcoming plans. It bit the bait. At the top of the hill, a half-zombie half-humanlike creature looked down towards Lin Che. It bent down, preparing to jump towards Lin Che, but suddenly moved sideways instead. Lin Che heard a scream. He ran, as fast as he could.

He reached the top of the hill in just under a second, and saw a little girl — or was it a boy? — being chased down by the mannequin, hiding in the gap between two trees which her small body enabled her to reach. Lin Che circulated the Liuhe Breathing Method, and charged forwards. The mannequin turned, and, despite its lack of face, Lin Che was confident that it was smiling at him.