Chapter 14: The Shifting of Cultivation

“Xiao Nan, I’m truly sorry!”

Lin Shuyun took the initiative to help Xiao Nan push his bicycle, her face full of apology as she looked at him. “Both my father and I scolded Ziqing just now.”

“That brat is utterly unreasonable. She was driving but didn’t even bring you along. She made you ride the bike all the way back alone.”

“You must be exhausted.”

“It’s nothing, it’s good exercise,” Xiao Nan smiled. It seemed Lin Ziqing had already recounted the scene she saw in the outskirts to her parents.

Probably to expose his “hoodlum” identity in front of Lin Guodong, hoping to change his mind about marrying her off to him.

“Well…”

Xiao Nan rubbed his nose and glanced at Lin Shuyun. “I really am not some hooligan. Before…”

“I believe you.”

Lin Shuyun didn’t even wait for him to finish before smiling at him. “My dad believes you too.”

“My parents have come over. They said they’ve already arranged for you and Ziqing to be looked after…”

A faint trace of disappointment flashed in Lin Shuyun’s eyes as she continued, “We’re preparing the engagement date and wanted to ask your opinion. Let’s hurry inside.”

Xiao Nan followed Lin Shuyun into the villa’s grand hall.

Sure enough, Lin Guodong and his wife were already waiting there.

Seeing Xiao Nan enter, Lin Guodong apologized again and scolded Lin Ziqing’s immaturity, saying she shouldn’t have let him ride the bike back alone.

Lin Ziqing, already sulking, shot Xiao Nan a gaze full of resentment.

Why should he? I saw with my own eyes that he was hanging out with those gangsters. They all followed him, even kowtowing to him!

Isn’t that proof enough that he’s a hooligan? At best, he’s just a big shot among them—but still a hooligan.

So why won’t Dad believe me? Why won’t he change his mind about marrying me off to him?

That’s not all.

I was just scolded because of this guy, and now this again.

Lin Ziqing’s dislike for Xiao Nan deepened.

If only I hadn’t even left that bike for him.

After dinner.

“Xiao Nan!”

Since his daughter and Xiao Nan were already discussing marriage, Lin Guodong took the elder’s stance, smiling broadly at Xiao Nan. “Your aunt and I have consulted someone using you and Ziqing’s birth dates. Three days from now is an auspicious day for your engagement.”

“We came today to ask if you have any objections. If not, we’ll start making arrangements.”

“No objections, Uncle Lin.”

Lin Guodong seemed even more eager about this marriage than Xiao Nan expected, which surprised him a little.

But of course, he had no objections.

Lin Ziqing, however, was full of objections.

Just as she was about to speak, Lin Guodong shot her a sharp glance, and she obediently shut her mouth.

“Hahaha, good, good.”

Lin Guodong laughed heartily, as if oblivious to his daughter’s displeasure.

What does that brat know? One day she’ll realize just how extraordinary the husband I’ve chosen for her really is.

He took out a business card and handed it to Xiao Nan. “This is the guest list I drafted for the engagement banquet—of course, these are just from our side. Take a look and see if there’s anyone you want to invite. Write down their contact details, and I’ll have someone send the invitations.”

“No need, I don’t have anyone to invite.” Xiao Nan waved his hand.

He had no idea who his biological parents were or where they might be.

The old man who taught him his skills was now nowhere to be found—whether alive or dead, he didn’t know.

So who else could he possibly invite?

“Since there’s no one, I’ll proceed with these arrangements,” Lin Guodong said, already familiar with some details of Xiao Nan’s background, so this didn’t surprise him.

“Dad, I think you missed a few names on the guest list,” Lin Shuyun said suddenly after glancing over the list.

“Oh?”

Lin Guodong looked puzzled and took the list again. “I’ve included everyone who should be invited!”

“I think we should send invitations to the Xie family and the Li family as well,” Lin Shuyun smiled.

“Hahaha, good. I’ll add them right away.”

Lin Guodong instantly understood his daughter’s meaning.

He originally hadn’t planned to invite the Xie and Li families because he considered them second-rate clans unworthy of an invitation.

But after his eldest daughter’s reminder, he recalled Xiao Nan’s engagement to Xie Meina and the disdain and mockery Xiao Nan had suffered from both the Xie and Li families not long ago.

He realized his oversight.

Indeed, these two families should be invited—to stand up for his future son-in-law who had yet to join the family.

…

The next day, at the Xie residence.

“I… I’m not mistaken, am I?”

Xie Wenqiang held an invitation in his trembling hands, disbelief written all over his face.

The engagement banquet for Lin Guodong, the wealthiest man in Luocheng’s daughter, was actually inviting their Xie family?

“Dad, it seems our Xie family’s achievements in the business world over these years have made even a giant like the Lin family unwilling to look down on us as before.”

Xie Meina wore a proud smile.

At their current pace of development, even if they couldn’t reach the heights of the Lin family, it wouldn’t be impossible to rise from a second-rate to a near-first-rate family in time.

Thinking of Xiao Nan, the rustic boy who once brought a marriage contract and wanted to marry her, Xie Meina couldn’t help but laugh.

Compared to Brother Yadong, he didn’t amount to a thing.

By the way, that rustic fellow must have received a harsh lesson from Yadong’s men by now, right?

Hmph, let’s see if he dares speak rudely to me or Brother Yadong again.

Xie Wenqiang was equally excited. Since he had caught the attention of Lin Guodong himself, it seemed the Xie family’s rise was imminent.

Overcome with excitement, Xie Wenqiang suddenly went dark before his eyes and collapsed unsteadily.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

“Dad?”

“Someone, come quickly!”

…

At the same time, another second-rate family in Luocheng, the Li family, experienced something very similar upon receiving Lin Guodong’s invitation.

The only difference was that Li Changtian, the Li family patriarch, did not faint from excitement like Xie Wenqiang.

Regarding the engagement three days later, Lin Guodong said he would handle everything so Xiao Nan wouldn’t have to worry.

Xiao Nan was naturally pleased to have nothing to do and stayed in his room to cultivate.

He took out the Purple Gold Ginseng and held it in his hand, directly absorbing and refining it.

Xiao Nan valued this Purple Gold Ginseng highly because it had transcended ordinary medicinal herbs; it was truly a spiritual herb.

The old man had often said that to maximize a spiritual herb’s efficacy, the best way was to incorporate it into a pill.

But Purple Gold Ginseng was not a spiritual herb suitable for pill-making.

For Xiao Nan, directly absorbing it with his energy was the best method.

Cultivation knows no lapse in time.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Purple Gold Ginseng in Xiao Nan’s hand had turned to ashes.

Yet, he still closed his eyes tightly, continuously circulating his energy along the meridians.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Xiao Nan let out a delighted, soft whistle.

It’s loosening!

After nearly ten years of stagnation, his cultivation had finally begun to shift, aided by this Purple Gold Ginseng!

“Knock, knock…”

The door was suddenly knocked on, and a gentle voice called out, “Xiao Nan, are you… awake?”