At this moment, Lin Chang`an only felt his body turning completely numb.
"Is the dagger poisoned?"
After that, his body turned limp, and he found it a little hard to support himself.
Although the poison wasn't strong, there was a certain numbing effect on him.
Just when he was about to fall, he saw Su Xi`er hurriedly rushing over to support him.
In the midst of the warmth, he only felt a sense of softness engulfing him.
As this thought flashed in Lin Chang`an's mind, he directly fainted.
…
Su Xi`er stared dumbfoundedly at Lin Chang`an in her embrace.
She pondered for a while and decided to touch her ring.
A human shadow then floated out. When she saw Su Xi`er, the first sentence she uttered was. "Master has truly never thought of such a development at all. Logically, he should be very prideful and shouldn't be someone like this. It seems like Master has misjudged him…!"
"N…no, Master."
Su Xi`er glanced at Lin Chang`an. "H…he's actually very strong!"
"Mn?"
The human shadow started. "What happened?"
The scene before her eyes seemed somewhat wrong.
After Su Xi`er summarized everything simply, the human shadow started.
"So, he has been concealing his strength?"
Such a matter was rare but not nonexistent.
Usually, only people from major clans would choose to conceal themselves. An example was Su Xi`er.
They might do so to temper their dao heart.
Or because of some requirements from special cultivation methods or arts.
However, why did Lin Chang`an do so?
From his earlier appearance, it was clear that he had felt extremely conflicted about the forceful pairing process.
That didn't seem to be feigned.
If that was something he feigned, the mental state and feigning ability of this young man were simply too ridiculous!
Su Xi`er shook her head. "I have no idea as well. This is why I wish to consult Master."
"I…truly cannot see through this person…" The human shadow frowned. "His life matrix is indeed extraordinary. Could this be an effect of his life matrix?
"Did he suddenly awaken some sort of physique?
"That doesn't seem to be the case." The human shadow found it increasingly strange the more she pondered.
She glanced around and discovered nothing.
"I guess that the only possibility is that he has been concealing his strength," Su Xi`er spoke.
"If that's the case…he's truly too terrifying!"
"Why?"
"Being able to endure so many years of mockery and becoming more mature when he's just at the stage of youth. He pretended to be trash and persisted for so many years. Isn't this terrifying?"
Su Xi`er started upon hearing this.
However, her heart wasn't thinking about whether this was terrifying or not.
"He had concealed himself for so long but he exposed his strength to save me? He definitely likes me…correct?!"
(My god!)
(I suddenly feel very blessed!)
Su Xi`er began to giggle in a silly manner.
"Little doll…you…" The human shadow sighed.
…
When Lin Chang`an woke up, he was already lying on a sick bed in the hospital.
Before the current powerful technology and mighty healing-type cultivation arts, a mere broken bone couldn't be considered anything major.
"You have to recuperate." Just when he was preparing to sit, a gentle voice rang out.
Lin Chang`an opened his eyes. The person who spoke was none other than Su Xi`er.
Her bright eyes were filled with kindness, and he could see her dimples.
She was like the bright moon hidden behind shallow clouds, the returning snow brought about by the flowing wind, an absolute beauty that walked out from a portrait.
Her eyelashes fluttered gently as she looked at her savior.
Sun Shiyong who was at the side heaved another sigh of relief when he saw that Lin Chang`an had awakened.
"Little friend Lin, please rest at ease. I've specially instructed a third-realm expert to treat you, so there will definitely be no sequela. The poison is just a very ordinary snake venom."
Lin Chang`an was at ease after hearing these words.
A third-realm expert?
Although he wasn't clear what sort of spirit techniques would be used to treat him, the cost of a third-realm expert acting would be tens of thousands at the very least.
"Don't use this money to treat me, how good would it be if you just give me the money as a reward…" Lin Chang`an mentally mused.
Tens of thousands, how many times could he undergo a simulation with it?
At the same time, he also realized that Su Xi`er's identity wasn't ordinary.
In the past, he already knew her background was extraordinary. But now, it seemed that he had still underestimated her.
Being able to get the chief of an inspection bureau to act like this, she definitely wasn't a mere resident staying in the wealthy suburbs.
(It seems like Su Xi`er is truly extraordinary…)
"In addition, we will also increase security by sending more patrolling personnel in the wealthy suburbs."
The majority of people staying in the wealthy suburbs were experts, so the number of patrolling policemen there wasn't considered a lot.
In truth, the police force in every city was already stretched to its limits.
Firstly, they had to defend against the demonic beasts outside the city, and they also had to patrol the city and manage public security, handling all sorts of sudden events, apprehending evil cultivators, and even stopping the ordinary beasts in the city from becoming demonized. There were simply too many responsibilities, and they didn't have enough manpower.
As to why they didn't recruit more, the answer was simple - their finances couldn't support it.
Right now, being a policeman was a dangerous occupation. It naturally meant that their income and benefits had to be high enough before they could attract people.
If they recruited too many, their finances would be unable to support it.
If they lowered the salaries and benefits, they wouldn't be able to hire anyone.
Right now, there was a subtle point of balance.
As Sun Shiyong spoke, he discovered that the two beside him weren't interested at all, so he could only tactfully step out of the ward.
There were only the two of them remaining in the ward.
"Thank you, Chang`an…" Su Xi`er's fingers wrapped around each other. "W…why did you want to conceal your strength? You almost caused me to really look for my mother…"
She was mentally musing that he had almost frightened her to death.
(It's really fortunate that your strength is outstanding and you definitely will be able to enter a good university.)
Lin Chang`an then casually found an excuse and changed the topic.
Su Xi`er also didn't keep harping on the same question. After all, everyone had their own secrets.
"However, I'm really happy."
"Why are you so happy?"
Su Xi`er thought that there was finally no need to use her master's suggestion of a linked-contract.
Given Lin Chang`an's talent, when he grew stronger in the future, her clan would probably agree to her marrying him.
"I'm not telling!" Su Xi`er giggled. "Oh right, right now… I don't have much that I can repay you with."
"No need for that." Lin Chang`an waved his hands.
His own actions were the reward. In addition, this could be considered something he took the initiative to make happen.
Su Xi`er started. "Y…you don't want anything?"
"For example what?" Lin Chang`an surveyed her from top to bottom.
(Do you have money?)
(I only lack money.)
Her heart turned to chaos from his scrutiny, so Su Xi`er couldn't help but start. Her face flushed red "I…I don't mean that."
"What do you mean then?"
Su Xi`er sniffed. "Aiya!"
(In that case, why did you save me? Why did you expose your strength? Isn't it because you like me?)
(He's still acting cool!)
Naturally, she couldn't allow something sexual to happen right now.
Love was something that had to be built step by step.
(Master is right.)
(Men…I can't let them obtain me easily!)
(Mn, mn…how should I start to show my love?)
(Oh right, the initial acquaintance stage…the emotional stage…the ambiguous stage…Mn, in any case, there are many stages!)
Right now, they were only in the initial acquaintance stage.
Mn…alright then, maybe they had entered the emotional stage!
When Su Xi`er mentioned this, Lin Chang`an suddenly recalled something.
"Where's my reward?"
"What reward?"
"The rewards from acts of courage: punishing and apprehending criminals. The highest reward I can obtain should be $100,000." Lin Chang`an mentally mused that he had naturally done all this for the sake of obtaining this reward.
"It's only $100,000 at the max limit?" Su Xi`er's lips pursed. She felt the reward was too low.
"From your tone, it seems that you are very rich?"
"Mn, but I have no money now."
"Che~." Lin Chang`an made a dismissive gesture. (If you don't have money now, what nonsense are you sprouting?)
"I will go and ask Sun Shiyong for you." After Su Xi`er spoke, she left the ward.