Chapter 649 - 404: A Pre-Meal Workout is Good for Digging In

Chapter 649: Chapter 404: A Pre-Meal Workout is Good for Digging In

"..." The guard who had greeted Li Qian and He Manyu was left standing there. He scratched his head, then turned and walked away, returning to his post at the gate.

...

Time flew by, and before they knew it, the sun was high overhead.

It would soon be time for lunch.

The temperature rose with the sun, but the large, shimmering green lake before them kept things cool.

Sitting in the pavilion, they didn’t feel the heat at all, thanks to the continuous breeze blowing in off the lake.

"Chunxiang, please have someone bring more fruit..." Seeing that the fruit on the table was nearly gone, Zhu Xinru turned to her personal maid and gave the order.

"Yes, Miss." Chunxiang nodded and turned to leave.

"There’s no need for more. What we’ve eaten is more than enough," Lin Li said, a bit sheepishly. He hadn’t realized they had eaten almost all the fruit on the table while they talked.

Zhu Xinru considered this. ’Lunch will be ready soon anyway.’ She nodded and gestured for her maid to stay.

"Mr. Lin, since you travel alone, do you run into Mutant Beasts often?"

Lin Li took a sip of tea and set his cup down. "It’s not too bad," he lied smoothly. "I don’t run into them that often, and when I do, they’re nothing I can’t handle."

"Then what’s the most dangerous Mutant Beast you’ve ever encountered? What did it look like?" Zhu Xinru asked, her curiosity piqued.

Lin Li thought for a moment. He decided to tell her about the Mutant Beast that had forced him to flee to the Mysterious Small Island for the first time after his arrival in the Spirit Realm.

"The most dangerous Mutant Beast I’ve ever met was a Giant Eagle Beast that looked like a fighter jet.

"It was far stronger than I was at the time. Luckily, I had a few tricks up my sleeve to evade its attacks. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Lin Li recounted the tale to Zhu Xinru with a nonchalant air, even as he recalled the harrowing scene of the Giant Eagle Beast’s attack.

"A fighter jet?" Zhu Xinru repeated, looking confused by Lin Li’s description.

"It’s a very common flying vehicle from my hometown. Since you’ve never seen one, don’t worry about it..." Lin Li realized he’d let that slip and quickly tried to gloss over it.

Just as Zhu Xinru was about to ask what this "fighter jet" looked like, a clear voice called out from behind her.

"Xinru."

Zhu Xinru turned toward the voice and saw it was her older cousin. She immediately stood up.

Lin Li looked over as well. A tall woman about his age and a middle-aged woman in her forties were walking toward the pavilion.

Li Qian stepped into the pavilion, her gaze quickly moving from her cousin to the young man seated on the stone bench.

’He’s pleasant-looking, but he’s not particularly tall or handsome. Why is my cousin so taken with him?’

"Cousin, this is Mr. Lin. He’s the one who saved me, the person I told you about." Zhu Xinru introduced Lin Li to Li Qian, then turned to Lin Li. "Mr. Lin, this is my cousin, Li Qian."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Li." Lin Li stood and nodded to her.

Just a moment ago, Li Qian had thought the young man was merely pleasant-looking and had no other redeeming qualities. But upon hearing Zhu Xinru’s introduction, her eyes instantly lit up.

’Why is she looking at me like that? It feels like she wants to pick a fight...’ Lin Li thought to himself when he noticed Li Qian’s eyes suddenly light up as she stared at him.

"Ahem..." Standing behind Li Qian, He Manyu knew exactly what her young mistress was thinking. She quickly let out a soft cough, reminding her to be more restrained and mindful of her image.

Too bad! He Manyu’s reminder did nothing to curb Li Qian, who was now dying for a spar with Lin Li. She continued to stare at him, her eyes burning with intensity.

"Cousin," Zhu Xinru said, looking at Li Qian’s bright eyes locked on Lin Li. Being quite sharp herself, she instantly knew what her cousin—a cultivation enthusiast who loved to challenge people to spars—was thinking.

He Manyu’s cough had failed to rein Li Qian in, but Zhu Xinru’s voice did the trick immediately.

"What?" Li Qian tore her gaze away from Lin Li and looked at her cousin.

"Mr. Lin is my guest," Zhu Xinru reminded her cousin tactfully, implying that she shouldn’t be so forward.

The two had grown up together, so Li Qian understood the hint immediately. Still, she thought, ’We’re Cultivators! Sparing is perfectly normal. It’s not rude to ask for a friendly match.’

"Young Master Lin, thank you for helping my cousin out of that jam," Li Qian said, thanking him.

’Young Master Lin? Ugh, that sounds so awkward...’ Lin Li thought, nodding a little uncomfortably before replying politely.

"Don’t mention it. Anyone with the means to help should do so when they see an injustice."

Li Qian’s impression of him improved instantly upon hearing his response. Without beating around the bush, she got straight to the point. "Young Master Lin, I’d like to spar with you. Would that be alright?"

"Huh?!!!" Lin Li was completely caught off guard. He never imagined that this high-spirited, tall young woman would challenge him to a duel on their very first meeting.

"Cousin," Zhu Xinru cried, exasperated. She then turned to Lin Li and explained apologetically.

"Mr. Lin, my cousin loves to spar with people her age. Please don’t mind her. You can just ignore the request."

"Xinru, it’s perfectly normal for Cultivators to spar with one another! You’re a Cultivator yourself, so you should understand. You’re making me sound like a weirdo," Li Qian protested.

"Yes, it’s normal for Cultivators to spar, but you can’t just challenge someone the moment you meet them! Besides, lunch is about to be served," Zhu Xinru said.

"Lunch is about to be served? Even better! A good spar works up an appetite." Li Qian completely ignored the first part of her cousin’s sentence.

"My lady..." He Manyu, standing behind her mistress, heard her comment about food tasting better after a spar and could only think that her mistress had completely abandoned any pretense of being a well-bred young lady.

"Cousin, you can spar with Mr. Lin some other time. There’s no need to be so hasty," Zhu Xinru said.

"Oh, come on, it’s just a quick spar! It’ll be over in a moment and won’t take much time. Why wait?" Li Qian said casually.

She then turned her head, her gaze once again landing on Lin Li, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange.

Her meaning was obvious. The decision to spar was up to Lin Li. If he declined, she would drop the matter.

’This girl is certainly straightforward...’ Lin Li knew Li Qian meant no harm; she simply wanted to test her skills against his.

He didn’t dislike her frank personality. Besides, just as Li Qian had said, a quick spar wouldn’t take long.

So, under the watchful eyes of the three women, Lin Li smiled and nodded. "A little pre-meal exercise does sound nice..."

"Hehe..." Hearing Lin Li’s answer, Li Qian’s spirited, pretty face broke into a broad smile. Then she looked at her cousin. "See? Young Master Lin thinks the same way I do."

"..." Zhu Xinru stared at her cousin, utterly speechless. He Manyu, who served as Li Qian’s personal guard, also wore a helpless expression.

...