Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 463 Yan Ruyu's Conditions

The next morning.

Tianyuan City was still shrouded in that dark red light.

The sun rose from the horizon, golden and radiant, but its light was overshadowed by the dark red glow emanating from the cracks.

The entire Tianyuan City seemed to be shrouded in a thin red veil, and even the air was filled with an indescribable sense of oppression.

Lin Chen was practicing boxing in the backyard of the Immortal's Laying-Down House.

The Dragon and Tiger Guiding Exercise: once it improves blood circulation, twice it strengthens the kidneys, and three times it makes you sweat profusely.

By the third round, Lin Chen was radiating heat, and sweat was streaming down his back, but he felt refreshed.

Mei Jiu Niang walked out from behind the moon gate.

She walked to the side, stood under the corridor, leaned against a pillar, and waited for Lin Chen to finish.

His gaze followed Lin Chen's every move, from his shoulders to his waist to his legs.

Lin Chen withdrew his fist, let out a long breath, and turned to look at Mei Jiu Niang.

Mei Jiu Niang handed over a towel, which Lin Chen took and wiped his face with; the towel was soaked.

Mei Jiu Niang handed over another cup of warm water, the temperature just right, neither too hot nor too cold, the temperature Lin Chen was used to.

When it comes to serving others, Mei Jiu Niang is a master professional.

"My master has arrived," Mei Jiuniang said. "He's waiting for you in the room."

Lin Chen returned the towel to Mei Jiu Niang, picked up the water cup, took a sip, and felt the cool water slide down his throat.

"When did you arrive?"

"Last night, in the latter half of the night."

"Why didn't you call me?"

Mei Jiu Niang glanced at Lin Chen, a hint of resentment in her eyes:

She said you were tired and should get some rest.

Lin Chen didn't respond to that question. He put down the water glass, straightened his robes, and walked towards the front yard.

Mei Jiu Niang followed behind, the hem of her purple skirt trailing lightly on the ground, making a soft rustling sound.

Yan Ruyu stood by the window, her back to the door, looking at the sky outside.

White dress, white hair, only a back view, only a profile.

That one glance made Lin Chen admit that he did indeed have an impulse to commit a crime.

Lin Chen walked in, sat down in a chair, crossed his legs, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his legs naturally.

Yan Ruyu turned around.

Her hair was as white as snow, her face as beautiful as a peach blossom, her lips red and teeth white. She wore a plain white dress without any decorations, with only a white belt tied around her waist.

Sunlight streamed in through the window behind her, bathing her in a golden glow.

Lin Chen glanced at Yan Ruyu, his eyes calm.

She is indeed a beauty, and she is indeed someone you can't help but want to ravage, but that's all.

A two-thousand-year-old woman, beautiful as she may be, but he wasn't that thirsty yet.

Yan Ruyu was also looking at Lin Chen; his young eyes were clear and bright, without a trace of turbidity.

But she saw something in Lin Chen's eyes that shouldn't belong to someone his age.

Lazy, indifferent, nonchalant as if the sky were falling and I'd just use it as a blanket.

Not simple! It's not that Lin Chen's cultivation level is simple, but his mindset is.

To maintain this mindset in a time when everyone is on edge is either foolish or truly reassuring.

"Young Master Lin, I've heard so much about you," Yan Ruyu said first, her voice neither hurried nor slow.

Lin Chen nodded, without getting up or clasping his hands in greeting; he simply nodded.

"I've long admired you, Fairy Yan."

Yan Ruyu walked to the opposite side of Lin Chen and sat down. She sat upright with her back straight and her hands on her knees.

She looked at Lin Chen, and Lin Chen looked at her.

Neither of them spoke; they just stared at each other for a few seconds, like two wild beasts sizing each other up.

Lin Chen lowered his legs, leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and got straight to the point:

"Mei Jiu Niang said you wanted to see me. Now that you've seen me, tell me your purpose!"

Yan Ruyu looked into Lin Chen's eyes and said, "I want to cooperate with you, young master."

"How do we cooperate?"

Yan Ruyu remained silent for a moment, then said, "The Hehuan Sect desires your protection, young master."

"Protecting what?"

"A great calamity."

Lin Chen didn't speak, but tapped his knee lightly with his fingers twice.

Yan Ruyu continued, speaking at a steady pace:

"A great calamity is coming, and Zhongzhou will be the first to bear the brunt. The Hehuan Sect's foundation is in Zhongzhou, so it cannot escape or move away."

After the great calamity, no one knows what will become of the Central Plains.

But one thing is certain: some of those once-powerful sects will disappear, while others will be reshuffled.

The Hehuan Sect has a bad reputation; at that time, it will probably be used as a stepping stone to be trampled over.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, his fingers continuing to tap, considering whether Yan Ruyu's words were true or half-truths.

It is a fact that the Hehuan Sect has a bad reputation, is a fact that it is rejected by the righteous path, and is also a fact that it is guarded against by the demonic path.

"How do you expect me to protect you? Take all your people to the Eastern Region? The Hehuan Sect has tens of thousands of people; the Eastern Region can't afford to support them."

"We don't need all of them," Yan Ruyu shook her head. "We only need the core disciples."

"How many?"

Yan Ruyu held up a number.

More than three thousand, not bad, we can squeeze in a few.

But Lin Chen didn't nod, and continued to press, "What are the conditions for the exchange?"

Yan Ruyu looked at Lin Chen and said, word by word:

"The entire Hehuan Sect, including myself, is at your disposal, young master."

Lin Chen's lips twitched. He was familiar with this routine. Mei Jiu Niang had done it once before, and now it was his master's turn.

Do the women of the Hehuan Sect always veer in that direction when discussing anything?

Lin Chen took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse.

"Fairy Yan, could you please not start by saying things like that? It makes it sound like I have no other pursuits in this life besides that kind of thing."

Yan Ruyu was slightly taken aback.

Then he laughed—not a fawning laugh, not a seductive laugh, but a helpless yet amusing laugh that comes from an elder looking at a younger person.

The curve of her lips was just right, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were just right, and her whole being seemed to be illuminated by that smile.

"Young master, you misunderstand. I didn't mean that."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "Alright, let's get down to business. I can consider the matter of protection, but you have to tell me, what exactly does your Hehuan Sect want?"

It's not about grand pronouncements like "surviving a great calamity," it's about concrete things.

Yan Ruyu's smile faded, and she said seriously:

"After the great calamity, the Hehuan Sect will be rebuilt. Many people will die in the great calamity, and many forces will disappear."

The Hehuan Sect wants to survive, and they want to live a better life than they do now.

But this takes time, territory, and an ally who won't stab us in the back when we're at our weakest.

Lin Chen looked at Yan Ruyu and thought about those words over and over again.

"To put it bluntly, it's about finding a backer."

Yan Ruyu nodded: "You could say that."

Why did you choose me?

"Because you are the only variable." Yan Ruyu looked into Lin Chen's eyes.

"I have lived for nearly two thousand years and have learned some rudimentary celestial arts."

I can't see the distant future, but I can see a glimmer of hope.

You stand before the crack, beyond which lies endless darkness, but you radiate light.

The light was so bright that I dared not look directly at it.

Lin Chen remained silent; he had always kept his distance from things like celestial secrets.

"Young Master, please don't take offense at my words," Yan Ruyu said to Lin Chen seriously.

"The Hehuan Sect has a bad reputation, and no one in Zhongzhou is willing to form an alliance with us."

The righteous path sees us as witches, while the demonic path sees us as traitors.

I've approached many people, but none of them were willing to help me. You're the first one who's willing to sit down and talk to me.

Lin Chen was silent for a moment before speaking:

"I can promise you that I will help you to the best of my ability."

Yan Ruyu's brows relaxed slightly, but she didn't speak, waiting for Lin Chen to finish speaking.

"But there are conditions."

"Please speak, sir."