The Grand Myriad Melody Gathering had concluded smoothly.
As with any major event, it brought both joy and dismay.
People like Zhong Xiao and the others from Wanle Palace were naturally overjoyed—they had completed the task entrusted by the Emperor Sovereign.
Even better, the arrogant Tianyin Sect Master had been humiliated by the appearance of that “Little Young Master.”
Once they returned to report this, perhaps His Majesty would be so pleased that even a casual reward would benefit them for life.
Lord of Luoshui City was pleased too.
Not only had he helped Wanle Palace host a successful event and raked in a fortune, he’d also uncovered a peerless hidden genius right within the city.
If the Empire could recruit this person, it would be a great contribution to national power!
So he wrote a letter overnight, sending it directly to the capital, to be presented to the emperor, leaving it to His Majesty to decide whether or not to bring the talent in.
The only person not pleased was the current head of the Lin family—Lin Tiancheng.
Because Lin Wuming had returned.
To him—and to the Lin family—this was anything but good news.
If Lin Wuming hadn’t come back, they could’ve simply chosen another talented younger clan member to replace him.
That would’ve benefitted the family greatly, and the chosen youth would marry the Taixu Hall’s personal disciple—a huge gain for all.
But Lin Wuming was back, and that made the whole plan dangerous.
Judging from how the Miss of the Liu family had reacted, if she were to find out the truth, the entire Lin family would be in serious trouble.
For a moment, Lin Tiancheng had even considered abandoning the plan and trying to win Lin Wuming over.
But upon thinking more deeply—Lin Wuming had never had a good life in the family.
He’d even run away from home before.
His resentment must run deep.
If he really married into the Taixu Hall, he’d gain the power and status to take revenge on the Lin family.
It was far more likely he’d seek retribution than offer any benefit.
So, after careful consideration, Lin Tiancheng decided that under no circumstances could the true identity of Lin Wuming be revealed to that Taixu Hall disciple.
He would proceed with his plan: have the chosen clan member impersonate Lin Wuming and marry her!
Fortunately, the Liu family’s lady didn’t yet know the real Lin Wuming had returned, and Lin Wuming himself seemed completely unaware he had a fiancée coming to town.
That left him plenty of room to maneuver.
Still, Luoshui City wasn’t big.
If the two ran into each other and exchanged names, the truth would unravel.
To be safe…
Lin Tiancheng’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of killing intent flashing within.
Especially now that the boy had shown up with shocking zither skills—skills that stunned even the crowd at the Grand Melody Gathering.
No longer a good-for-nothing, he was clearly attracting attention, and thus, becoming a dangerous variable.
He absolutely could not be allowed to remain alive.
“Someone come.”
He spoke softly.
A moment later, the candle in the room went out, and a black-clad figure appeared silently in the darkness.
“Kill Lin Wuming. The sooner, the better.”
“Yes.”
The figure responded emotionlessly and disappeared like a shadow.
In the dark, Lin Tiancheng looked out the window, eyes glinting coldly.
Clouds covered the moon, the night was dark and the wind was high—a perfect night for murder.
‘Don’t blame me, Lin Wuming… You simply returned at the wrong time.’
***
As night fell, the weather seemed to worsen.
The moonlight was blocked by thick clouds, and the outside world was shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
Inside the inn, the dim candlelight was the only source of warmth.
Lin Wuming lay on his bed, absentmindedly staring at the blue crystal in his hand.
Even under weak candlelight, the crystal shimmered brilliantly.
It was clearly something valuable.
To be honest, Lin Wuming hadn’t even noticed where this crystal had come from during the contest—he’d been too focused.
After the match, in the rush of emotions, he’d forgotten about it entirely.
It was only after healing his junior sister that he remembered.
Thinking back, he still didn’t know who had helped him by giving him the item.
He hadn’t even thanked them properly.
He took the thing and just walked off with it—like some scummy player who steals hearts and wallets alike.
“I’ve got to figure out how to return this…”
The problem was, he didn’t know who the crystal belonged to—or how to find them.
Knock knock knock—
A knock at the door broke his thoughts.
“Who is it?”
He instinctively tucked the gem away and asked.
“Senior Brother… it’s me…”
Outside the door came the timid voice of his junior sister.
Lin Wuming blinked.
It was her?
Come to think of it, after she recovered, he’d booked her a separate room—so he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor every night.
See?
How considerate was that?
When he told her, her face froze from how moved she was.
But why was she showing up at this late hour?
Scratching his head, he didn’t think much of it and opened the door.
Standing outside was his junior sister, dressed in pajamas, hugging a pillow.
She held it close and breathed warm air onto her hands.
“It’s been getting colder lately…”
But realistically, she’d already broken through to late-stage Qi Condensation—how could she possibly feel cold?
Lin Wuming didn’t consider this.
He nodded seriously.
“Yeah, true. Winter’s coming after all… Well then, you should head back to your room quickly. It’s colder outside.”
“…”
He Yingying stood there, mouth slightly open, stunned.
Her senior brother was still holding the door half-open, clearly not intending to let her in.
Wait… this isn’t how it’s supposed to go!
In the romance stories she secretly read, wasn’t this the moment when the senior brother would usher her in, let her warm up inside, and then they’d chat and deepen their bond?
Sure, she wasn’t ready to confess yet—but improving her image in his eyes, raising his affection level—that was critical!
She’d caused him a lot of trouble with her injuries before.
He probably didn’t have a good impression of her…
If she didn’t work on changing that, he might reject her when she finally confessed!
“Um… Senior Brother… how about we go inside and talk?”
She asked nervously.
“Huh? Go inside? What for?”
Lin Wuming looked puzzled.
“Can’t we just talk out here? It’s late, and I want to sleep…”
“…”
He Yingying opened her mouth, on the verge of tears.
She had no idea how to respond.
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Tiancheng did consider that he might be a disciple of the palace right?