Chapter Thirty-Eight: Father Just Wants Some Peace...

The Twin Pearl Peaks of the Sun and Moon Sect boasted crisp air and picturesque scenery. Cranes often soared high in the vicinity, and from time to time, the boisterous shouts of a fellow cultivator from the neighboring summit echoed across: “Who let those damned cranes defecate here?”

Returning from Xuanwu City, Jiang Lin sat in his humble cottage, gazing gloomily at the stack of newspapers he had brought back.

Department of Shocking News:

[Shocking! The peach-blossom fate of the demon tribe’s maiden is actually the work of Jiang the Flower-Thief? Read on… That day, Jiang Lin’s deeds with the monkey demon girl in the secret realm…]

Old Wave Headlines:

[One man’s depraved might stuns hundreds? The infamous Jiang the Flower-Thief holds the Sword Bridge alone, unleashing the forbidden Extreme Overlord Sword before a crowd of female cultivators!]

Wutong Province Xuanwu City Penguin Highlights Daily:

[What caused the collapse of the secret realm? Who holds the so-called Dragon Soul? Why did Fairy Lin leave the secret realm so troubled? Jiang Lin, the Flower-Thief, single-handedly challenged both Fei Zhuliu Sect and Zong Hao Sect. Was his depraved power simply overwhelming, or were the two sects weak to begin with? Next, Penguin Highlights will bring you interviews with cultivators. Join us at dawn tomorrow!]

Jiang Lin put down the newspapers, rubbing his face deeply. How had things come to this?

He had done nothing in the secret realm—so why had all these absurd rumors arisen? The monkey tribe girl—he could only recall offering her a banana, and yet that had somehow sparked a scandal. As for the Extreme Overlord Sword and guarding the Sword Bridge—what nonsense was that? He had never even been there! Guarding it? Ridiculous…

Wait, could someone have impersonated him?

Standing up, Jiang Lin paced back and forth in his little cottage.

“Forget it, let’s watch the Mirror Flower Water Moon interview first.”

Checking the time, it was nearly dawn. He quickly retrieved the Mirror Flower Water Moon scroll he used to prop up the table leg (taken from “Sword Comes”).

The Mirror Flower Water Moon scroll was a tool much like a live broadcast device. Jiang Lin remembered receiving it from an old woman after carrying a sack of rice to the second floor. By feeding spirit stones into the scroll, projected images would appear.

Some rural cultivators streamed themselves testing bizarre herbs and exotic meats; craftsmen from the Mo School taught the construction of mechanical puppets; Yin-Yang sect cultivators performed live divinations. Naturally, most of the content featured beautiful female cultivators painting or practicing calligraphy in the scroll’s projection, some even more daringly performing sword dances.

The content was always flashy, and the fees varied depending on the stream, set by the broadcaster. Some technical streams were pricier—watching for half an hour cost five low-grade spirit stones. Jiang Lin once wanted to see if a Mo School fellow could actually build a Gundam, and ended up spending two mid-grade spirit stones (equal to two hundred low-grade spirit stones) from start to finish.

Female cultivator streams were cheaper, but their income was hardly lacking. He remembered an ancestor from a sect rewarding a landscape-painting streamer with a high-grade spirit stone—the girl’s hands trembled and her thanks became all the sweeter and more charming. Jiang Lin, inspired, once tipped a single low-grade spirit stone. He received no thanks; moreover, his master saw it, pouted angrily for half a day, refusing even to eat…

Since then, Jiang Lin dared not watch beauty streams again—nor even the technical ones, given his lack of funds.

Thinking of his master, Jiang Lin rubbed his face once more. He had hoped to spend more time with her after returning, cooking delicious meals, but she had gone into seclusion instead.

Well, breaking through is a good thing, after all.

Still, if his master fully entered the Jade Soul realm, would she regain her mind from before her injury? If she did, that would be good—but would she become less clingy, more distant?

Jiang Lin pondered, feeling a vague sense of loss. He actually liked his master as she was now: carefree, pure, and adorable.

“Enough, no more overthinking. Let’s watch the interview.”

Shaking off his sour mood, Jiang Lin spread out the Mirror Flower Water Moon scroll, reluctantly feeding in two low-grade spirit stones. He infused spiritual energy into his fingertip, sending it into the scroll. The energy scattered like little tadpoles burrowing into the parchment.

After a few snowy, signal-less moments, the image cleared. The Penguin Highlights reporter, holding a device that resembled a cucumber, was already mid-interview.

Cultivator Reporter: “Senior Ye, Senior Zhao, I heard that Zong Hao Sect and Fei Zhuliu Sect were surrounded by Jiang the Flower-Thief alone in the secret realm, and that he seized fragments of the Map of Mountains and Rivers. Is this true?”

Ye Liangchen: “Absurd! The Ghostfire of Fei Zhuliu Sect is no mere rumor! Jiang Lin ambushed us, yes, it was him—he ambushed us!”

Cultivator Reporter: “Brother Zhao, what’s your perspective?”

Zhao Hao: “Ah… unbelievable! Truly unbelievable! Jiang Lin even disguised himself as a woman, infiltrated my Zong Hao Sect, bewitched my junior sister, and caused disaster…”

Suddenly, Zhao Hao snatched the cucumber, shouting at the camera: “Jiang Lin! Scoundrel! I, Zhao Ritiān, am your sworn enemy! I—@#…”

“Let me say a few words.” A monkey demon girl, fur-covered but with delicate features (perhaps single for too long), seized the cucumber. “Jiang Lin, thank you for the banana—it was delicious. I’ve never had a banana so tasty. Remember to visit me at Water Curtain Sect.”

“Jiang Lin! Did you hear me?” The figure of Chen Jia appeared. “You must treat Little Dragon well! If you dare bully her, I’ll smash your chest!”

“Jiang Lin, I will come find you! No matter how far, I will find you!” In the scroll, a veiled girl spoke softly. At the end, Xiao Xueli thrust her sword toward the camera. “Don’t think it’s over just because you left!”

“Brother Jiang… I… I…” Lin Qingwan’s pretty face blushed, biting her lip as if in angry embarrassment. She drew her sword, pointing at the camera. “Once I reach the Jade Soul realm, I will come for you!”

“Jiang Lin! You blew me up and eliminated me—I won’t let this go!”

“Jiang Lin! I must defend my senior sister’s honor!”

“Jiang Lin, are you watching? I like you—come pick me~~~”

“Jiang Lin! You tempted my junior sister—I won’t let this go!”

“Jiang Lin, only the strong deserve beauties! Duel me if you dare!”

“Brother Jiang, I’m from the Bro Sect—do you want to practice Purple Qi from the East with me?”

The scene devolved into chaos. Jiang Lin hurriedly rolled up the scroll, rubbing his aching head.

“Papa… don’t be sad… here are some flowers…”

Waggling her plump little tail, the baby dragon girl ran in from outside, climbed onto Jiang Lin’s lap, and handed him a morning glory with her chubby little hand.

“It’s fine… Papa just wants to be alone…”

Alone?

The little dragon girl tilted her head, blinking wide eyes.

Who is Alone?