The entire sect is obsessed with love, but I'm the only one who's truly insane.

The four of them traveled from north to south, where they were taken advantage of and ripped off, robbed by mountain bandits, harassed because of their good looks, driven away by officials for performing, and had their mule mysteriously stolen at night...

After many ups and downs, Lin Du finally achieved his goal of showing Ni Jinxuan the world.

They had heard scholars chatting eloquently in teahouses, and heard laughter and worries at night market stalls; they had seen the procession of red bridal processions, with wedding cakes scattered along the way; they had seen scholars who had passed the imperial examinations and wept bitterly; and they had seen wealthy merchants holding all sorts of extravagant banquets to compete with each other.

I have seen refugees huddled in dilapidated Taoist temples in the wilderness, freezing to death; I have seen piles of fierce beggars; I have seen thin, frail little girls sold into brothels with a bag of rice; I have seen babies drowned at will; I have seen farmers unable to pay their taxes; I have seen tenants whose land was seized; I have seen newlyweds weeping after their husbands died in battle; and I have seen women who went into business independently after being abandoned.

Until he heard that the Grand Commandant of the current dynasty had died suddenly from an illness and was posthumously granted the title of a king of a different surname, and that the retired emperor had passed away, the emperor suddenly began to recruit extraordinary people and people from all over the country to take elixirs in an attempt to prolong their lives.

The previously issued paper money depreciated further, the currency became increasingly chaotic, and they gradually ran out of money for food, drink, and lodging.

The departure of Yuan Ye and Xie Yu seemed to have brought the Great Zhou back to its original predetermined course.

"Let's go back." Yuan Ye stood in front of the imperial edict recruiting extraordinary talents for a long time before finally saying this.

Lin Du was just wondering whether he should perform a stunt like breaking a boulder on his chest when he heard this, and subconsciously replied, "Okay."

When Lin Du realized who had brought it up, he looked at Yuan Ye in surprise.

"Have you come to terms with it?"

"I've come to terms with it," Yuan Ye smiled. "We should go home."

The spirit boat sped through the night and disappeared into the spiritually rich sea. Lin Du took a deep breath. "I'm alive again."

That year, another layer of white frost appeared on Lin Du's temples.

She stood up, stretched her body, then leaped from the spirit boat into the air and raised her hand to reinforce the seal.

Wei Zhi watched Lin Du's hand seals with a leisurely air, realizing that Lin Tuan had indeed taught him step by step.

One after another, golden hand seals merged into the transparent barrier spanning the vast sea before him. Finally, Lin Du finished forming the hand seals.

The sea was calm and the waves were towering, almost reaching the sky. Before the people on the ship could react, they saw Lin Du swooping down and then urging the spirit boat forward as if fleeing.

"What are you standing there for! Run! If that giant wave comes down, you'll all be fish food!"

Lin Du stuffed a few more high-grade spirit stones into the spirit boat, then flew directly into the air. With a burst of speed, the spirit boat almost became a streak of light.

The two junior disciples on the boat were nearly thrown off by the sudden acceleration. In a daze, they asked, "Junior Uncle? Did you reinforce the seal incorrectly?"

"That's right, but my senior apprentice didn't tell me that there would be huge waves after the reinforcement was completed."

Lin Du sailed back to the sect at more than twice the usual speed, completely forgetting about the people on the bamboo raft.

After regaining her senses, Ni Jinxuan asked, "Junior Uncle, is Master missing?"

Lin Du: ...It's not very important, I forgot about it.

She wiped her face. "The master should be able to run faster than us, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Although Buddhism and Taoism are different sects and their cultivation levels are different, for someone at Wei Zhi's level, teleportation is not a problem. Moreover, even if he doesn't run away, he can scare a bunch of sea creatures to death just by entering the sea.

Ni Jinxuan said "Oh," and then asked, "Junior Martial Uncle, you just used so much spiritual power, has it been a year yet?"

Lin Du: ...

Lin Du looked up at the sky. "I don't know."

Jiang Liang was only worried that a large amount of spiritual energy impacting his heart meridian would cause secondary damage, but if he took it slowly, there should be no problem.

At least she only had a slight chest pain; it wasn't a serious problem.

Lin Du patted Yuan Ye on the shoulder, "It's alright, go back and take your medicine with your uncle."

By the time the three returned to their sect, it was almost evening, and the sunset had gilded the rolling green hills.

Their return was sudden, and no one greeted them.

However, this did not prevent the second, third, and fifth senior brothers from rushing in with their men just as Lin Du entered the main peak hall to report to Feng Chao.

"Junior Uncle, how much of the medicinal liquid did you take with you when you left? Let me see it."

Under Xia Tianwu's deathly gaze, Lin Du began to take out medicine bottles.

"Don't take them one by one, take them all out at once, within a single breath, including the empty bottles."

"I really did take my medicine on time! Jinxuan is watching!"

Lin Du felt wronged, Lin Du was furious, Lin Du shouted loudly.

Then Xia Tianwu immediately saw through it, "You've been gone for 295 days, and there are still 74 bottles here that aren't empty. One bottle a day, and you drink it three times a day. Junior Uncle, you haven't had a drink for twelve meals..."

Lin Du: ...

Lin Du felt guilty. "Would you believe me if I said it was because I was busy with other things and the time was too late?"

Xia Tian crossed his arms, his gaze sharp, and he remained silent, but the meaning was clear—he didn't believe it.

Lin Du was filled with despair.

Jiang Liang stood outside the hall, coughed, and his meaning became even clearer—come over and take my pulse.

"Better to die than to die myself," Lin Du said, and promptly handed Yuan Ye over to Jiang Liang.

Today she wants three people to sit in a row together in the dining hall to drink her medicine!

"Your origin is damaged, and your meridians are slightly stagnant, but the backlash from the dragon energy has been mostly healed. Your origin is severely damaged, so future injuries may take longer to heal. Be careful not to get seriously injured. You have already reached the barrier of your cultivation realm? It would be best to take the newly matured Ink Frost Mystic Flower to replenish your origin and open up your meridians before going into seclusion to form your core. Otherwise, things may change."

When Jiang Liang talks about the illness, he is eloquent and persuasive, making him the most reliable person.

"It has to be fresh."

There really wasn't anything new in the Supreme Sect's inner treasury.

Lin Du felt that the name "something flower" sounded familiar, and sure enough, the system popped up.

[According to the original plot, this flower will mature and bloom at the bottom of Lingtong Cliff two months later, and many people will compete for it. It was at this time that Wu Xi's white moonlight shielded him from an attack by a black frost snake, and he was poisoned by the cold.]

Lin Du raised an eyebrow. "Wu Xi is still alive? Has she recovered enough? Will she be able to steal those flowers again in two months?"

[You're alive and well, keep going, my love!]

Lin Du hesitated, then said, "Oh, why aren't you teaching me how? If I were to steal that flower, there wouldn't be any scenes for Wu Xi and Bai Yueguang."

[Whatever, as long as you can completely sever any possibility between the two of them, anything goes. P.S. Don't kill anyone, otherwise the Heavenly Dao will not tolerate it, and you're doomed, host.]

The system is up and running.

"No, then at least what about my story point reward?"

[…Yes, my dear, I'll definitely send you some. It's a elixir to repair your internal organs, enough to ensure you have plenty to eat and drink, walk with incredible speed, and can carry a water vat up a ten-thousand-foot mountain without getting out of breath.]

Lin Du: ...The rest isn't really necessary either.

"Tell me, how much food did you eat in the mortal realm? Although it didn't cause much damage to your stomach, it was really of no benefit. You need fresh food too..."

Hearing this, Lin Du's eyes widened in curiosity. Was she going to eat flowers too?

"Here's your medicine. I'll go brew it for you. As punishment, you're not allowed to eat any candy."

Lin Du grimaced, "I'm so scared."

"And Jinxuan, she also needs to take some medicine to eliminate impurities from her mortal food."

"Everyone has to take their medicine!" Jiang Liang made the decision.

So, inside the Supreme Sect's dining hall, two rows of people sat neatly with gloomy faces, each with a bowl of dark, murky medicine in front of them. Only Yan Qing was gloating.

"Oh right, my senior brother said that since everyone has drunk, we should give the rest one too, so that everyone can have a proper drink."

As Xia Tian spoke, he placed a bowl of medicine in front of Yan Qing. "You strained your muscles a few days ago while practicing. When your master checked your pulse, he found that you also needed to calm your mind, so... you should come too."

Yan Qing: ? I feel like that goose who was just passing by and was inexplicably stuffed into the pigsty!

Lin Du was satisfied; a family should always be together!

She picked up the medicine bowl, and a strong, salty smell wafted out.

……vomit