Lin Zixuan was so furious that her chest heaved with anger, the fullness under her dress threatening to burst forth. Horn had been teasing her in a light-hearted manner, but it wasn't the first time he had behaved this way. During his first thousand years of cultivation in the Immortal World, his sharp tongue often got him into trouble with the Saintesses of the Great Saints, who would chase him down in anger. Yet, without exception, these proud women eventually became his confidantes.
He had learned that sometimes, an intense dislike could evolve into affection. Over time, he realized that his sharp words, instead of driving away these formidable women, only attracted more of them to his side. Eventually, he managed to curb his habit of speaking out of turn, though it seemed that the old tendency was resurfacing now.
Horn addressed Lin Zixuan with a more serious tone, "Dean Lin, I won't joke around anymore. If this continues, you might really end up falling for me."
After transmitting this message privately to her, he raised his voice and added, "Dean Lin, thank you for your willingness to help me." Then he walked back to Tang Yuxin.
Wang Menglu and Tang Yuxin only heard Horn's words of thanks, as the earlier conversation had been too quiet for them to catch. With their Qi Condensation realm cultivation levels, they couldn't hear everything clearly. Wang Menglu smiled and said, "Horn, that's the right attitude! We should always be grateful."
Lin Zixuan, however, was seething inside. How dare he suggest she might fall in love with him? The idea was preposterous, an insult to her pride. Since birth, she had been considered a proud and untouchable figure. Countless suitors had tried to win her favor, but none had succeeded. Even her family-arranged engagement did not stir her heart. To avoid it, she had gone into hiding for five years.
Her betrothed was a prodigious genius within Xia Kingdom, the type that would drive countless girls mad with desire. Yet, he meant nothing to her. Ever since meeting Horn, however, she felt something strange within herself—a loss of control over her emotions, something she had never experienced before.
"What is happening to me?" Lin Zixuan asked herself, trying to calm her turbulent thoughts.
After about ten minutes, Horn and the others followed Lin Zixuan into a villa area. They stopped in front of Villa No. 1, and after Lin Zixuan unlocked the door with her fingerprint, it slowly opened to reveal a large front yard, over 500 square meters in size.
Lin Zixuan didn't like having people around in her personal space, so there were no servants in her villa. However, she did hire help to clean the place regularly. In the center of the courtyard was a Spirit Gathering Array, designed to draw in the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Lin Zixuan casually mentioned that she had set up this one-star Spirit Gathering Array herself.
In today's world, Array Masters and Alchemists were graded similarly, from one-star to nine-star, with nine stars being the highest before reaching a legendary status. However, Array Masters were rarer than Alchemists, and their skills were harder to improve, especially since few inheritances related to array formation had been found on Earth.
Wang Menglu was stunned, "Dean Lin, you're a one-star Array Master? I thought there were no Array Masters in Linzhou! I didn't expect one to be right here among us."
This revelation made Tang Yuxin look at Lin Zixuan with admiration. "Dean Lin, you're amazing!" she exclaimed.
Lin Zixuan, however, was subtly watching Horn's reaction, hoping to see a trace of surprise on his face. But Horn merely gazed up at the stars, his expression uninterested. This only made Lin Zixuan even angrier.
Horn wasn't trying to provoke her deliberately. To him, Lin Zixuan's one-star Spirit Gathering Array seemed amateurish, almost like a child's play. How could he be impressed by something so basic? In the Immortal World, Horn had been hailed as the greatest genius in the history of array formation by some of its most prominent figures. His skills had already reached their peak before he returned to Earth, so naturally, Lin Zixuan's efforts didn't impress him.
Suppressing her frustration, Lin Zixuan led the group into the villa's hall.
Meanwhile, at Linzhou High-Speed Railway Station, Su Quan, head of the Su family branch, was waiting respectfully at the exit. His eldest son, Hornan, was about to arrive with Mr. Meng, and Su Quan was determined to show proper courtesy.
In the Immortal Cultivation World on Earth, monks who reached the Sea Transformation Realm could fly using their swords, and those in the Sky Control Realm could walk through the air unaided. However, this consumed spiritual energy, so many still preferred to travel by high-speed rail or plane. The journey from Tianhai to Linzhou only took 40 minutes by train.
Before long, Su Quan spotted an elderly man in a gray robe exiting the station, with Hornan accompanying him respectfully.
"Dad, this is Mr. Meng," Hornan introduced.
Meeting Mr. Meng for the first time, Su Quan greeted him with deep respect, "Mr. Meng, thank you for coming. I'm sorry to trouble you."
Mr. Meng responded coldly, "I'm just here to carry out the young master's orders. You are to contact Horn and have him come to your home tomorrow. The young master has instructed that Horn must kneel before Su Cheng's coffin and kowtow ten thousand times. This must be done as the young master has ordered. Horn won't be able to escape this."
Su Quan, who harbored deep hatred for Horn, nodded eagerly, "Mr. Meng, don't worry, I will contact Horn. Please, let me show you to the accommodations I've arranged."
The pain of losing his beloved son Su Cheng weighed heavily on Su Quan's heart.
As Mr. Meng followed Su Quan to the car, a black Mercedes-Benz parked nearby caught the eye of Yang Hai and Yang Xuan, who were seated inside. The Yinbu Linzhou branch always kept tabs on powerful individuals entering the area, and Mr. Meng's arrival had naturally piqued their interest.
After their frustrating encounter at the snack street, Yang Xuan had barely managed to treat his injured hands when Yang Hai received a call from his subordinates, informing him of Mr. Meng's arrival in Linzhou. The father and son rushed to the high-speed rail station to see what was happening.
Su Cheng's public death at Horn's hands meant that Mr. Meng's visit could only be related to him.
"Dad, the information says that old man is in the mid-stage of the Sky Control Realm!" Yang Xuan commented. "He won't be able to beat Lin Zixuan, but I still can't understand why someone like her would go out of her way to protect Horn. If not for her, Horn would be dead for sure."
Yang Hai sneered, "Lin Zixuan can't stay by Horn's side forever. She can't protect him for life. I'll find a way to send her away, and then we'll see how long that bastard can keep up his arrogance."
Yang Xuan grinned in anticipation at the thought.