056. Linghu Chang’s Invitation, Reflections on the Future

Zhu Zhu wore a complex expression, but eventually accepted the bag from Zhao He. Her gaze, however, kept lingering on Lin Shan. She couldn't help thinking that had she shown a bit more patience and chatted a bit more at the very beginning, even if she couldn't have developed that kind of relationship with Lin Shan, they at least could have been on more familiar terms.

"Sigh, who could have known that this older brother is so low-key? But since he's already hooked up with Liu Ying, he probably looks down on someone like me anyway."

Zhu Zhu sighed softly and put away these complicated emotions in her heart.

The group of four returned to their residence, and then Zhao He and Lin Shan bid farewell and left.

Upon returning home, Lin Shan immediately crossed over to the alternate world.

During the days he had been away, Sanwen County had not been peaceful. The Qingfeng Stronghold had ultimately become history. The reason Lin Shan chose to leave during this period was actually to steer clear of the limelight; he did not want to leave too deep of an impression on Linghu Chang.

He materialized inside his bedroom. Before leaving earlier, Lin Shan had specifically instructed Xiaodie not to enter his room.

At this moment, as Lin Shan pushed the door open and stepped out, he was momentarily stunned, wondering if he had walked into the wrong place.

Because the place was impeccably clean.

His room was the kind of loess-walled dwelling very common in the feudal era, hence the walls used to be mottled and stained. Yet now, the walls looked brand new, entirely free of dirt, almost mimicking the effect of ceramic tiles.

The floor was spotless as well.

Items were neatly arranged, and a faint, pleasant fragrance drifted through the room.

Lin Shan walked out into the courtyard.

It was the same here—the ground was thoroughly scrubbed and clean.

At that moment, the door of the adjacent room opened, and Xiaodie walked out holding a broom. Upon seeing Lin Shan, she bowed rather unaccustomedly and greeted, "Master."

She had changed into a new set of clothes. Though still made of coarse cloth, they were at least unbroken. The birthmark on her face was clearly visible, but she seemed not to mind at all, having tied her hair up to generously expose the mark.

Lin Shan said, "During the days I was away, you kept the courtyard very clean. Not bad."

With that, Lin Shan took out three taels of silver and handed them to Xiaodie, saying, "I won't be staying here much longer. Take care of your own food and clothing. If you need money for anything else, just tell me directly."

Xiaodie stared blankly at the pieces of silver before her.

Back at the Zhao family estate, she had never received such treatment.

Although the Zhao family was wealthy, very few among them were truly generous. Ever since she entered their household, she had hardly ever eaten a full meal, and she was always given the dirtiest and most exhausting chores.

On several occasions, she even felt that dying would be better than living.

It was only the mission resting on her shoulders that prevented her from making that final resolve.

Xiaodie shook her head and said, "Thank you, Master, but there is still plenty left from what you gave me before. It will last me a very long time."

Seeing this, Lin Shan did not insist. Instead, he asked, "Well... I haven't asked you before, where are you from? Do you have any other family members left?"

Xiaodie lowered her head and replied, "None left, Master. I fled from a famine, and my family all died along the way."

Lin Shan had no reason to doubt her. In this era, there were simply too many such tragedies.

Lin Shan turned around and pushed open the courtyard gates. Yin Ziwei was stationed not far away, where he had built a simple shed to keep watch whenever there was nothing else to do.

Of course, there had indeed been nothing much happening these past few days, save for occasional messages sent by Xiao Qiang, all of which Yin Ziwei had dutifully received.

Seeing Lin Shan appear, Yin Ziwei hurried over with a light trot and said, "Master, yesterday Elder Xiao sent a letter. He said that Old Master Lu could not come to meet you in person, but he sent a letter for you instead. It's right here."

With that, he handed a letter to Lin Shan. Lin Shan took it and eagerly tore it open to read.

Earlier, he had asked Xiao Qiang to help trace Lu Yun's whereabouts.

Deep down, Lin Shan had a lingering intuition that Lu Yun might not be as ordinary as he claimed to be.

He had asked Xiao Qiang to investigate Lu Yun.

Sure enough, the investigation uncovered some issues.

Lu Yun was not a local. He had suddenly appeared in the surrounding area thirty years ago, and what he used to do prior to that was completely unknown.

After arriving here, he began healing the sick and saving lives, earning himself a formidable reputation.

Lin Shan flipped through the pages of the letter, quickly read through them, and let out a soft sigh.

Lu Yun had already guessed that Lin Shan was after the subsequent Bone-Forging section of the Everlasting Spring Art. However, Lu Yun didn't have it either, merely stating that if fate brought them together, Lin Shan might find the remaining fragments of the art himself. Saying this was no different from saying nothing at all...

Lin Shan arrived at the Xiao residence.

After a brief announcement, Lin Shan was immediately escorted into the main hall to meet Xiao Qiang. As soon as they faced each other, Xiao Qiang smiled and said, "Brother Lin, many people have been wanting to see you these past few days."

In the recent battle at the Qingfeng Stronghold, Lin Shan had truly made a name for himself. Everyone had come to know of this new retainer belonging to the Lin family, and it was only natural that some wanted to make contact with him.

Just earlier, among the letters Yin Ziwei had collected, Lin Shan had spotted calling cards from two other major clans, the wording extremely earnest as they hoped Lin Shan would grace them with his presence for a meal.

However, having already decided to cooperate with Xiao Qiang, Lin Shan had no intention of being half-hearted. This time, aside from the matter concerning Lu Yun, there was another issue he wished to discuss with Xiao Qiang.

Making money.

With a chaotic era approaching, what kind of business was the most profitable?

Lin Shan believed that the weapons trade was an excellent business.

Future generations possessed iron-smelting technology far surpassing this alternate world, alongside industrialized assembly lines whose efficiency vastly outstripped the present. Lin Shan intended to conduct this business with the imperial court.

Yet, he certainly could not sustain it all by himself, which was why he needed to find Xiao Qiang for a partnership.

The two men seated themselves in the side parlor. Before Lin Shan could even speak, Xiao Qiang took the initiative: "Lin Shan, Linghu Chang has already sought me out many times. He hopes you will go to Sanwen County and serve as an infantry commander."

Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Shan refused outright: "Brother Xiao, you know my situation. I am rarely here; how could I possibly manage such a post?"

After a moment of contemplation, however, Xiao Qiang said, "Actually, I hope you will take up this post as infantry commander. Battles like the one at Qingfeng Stronghold happen perhaps once in several years. The routine duties of an infantry commander can naturally be handled by others for you. Linghu Chang's move is still an attempt to win you over, and I hope you will agree to it for two reasons."

Xiao Qiang held up a finger and explained, "First, although Linghu Chang is a man of deep scheming, he is ultimately someone who plays by the rules. He harbors both apprehension and a desire to win us over. By appointing you as infantry commander, our Xiao family will forge a deeper connection with him, which will more or less dispel his doubts."

"And second..."

Xiao Qiang's gaze flickered. "A chaotic era is descending. Though I, Xiao Qiang, harbor no grand ambitions, I do hope to preserve the lives of myself and my family. The position of infantry commander allows one to cultivate trusted subordinates. Lin Shan, I hope you will seize this opportunity to gather some reliable men around you."

Lin Shan immediately grasped Xiao Qiang's intent. Frowning slightly, he said, "In that case, let me think about it."