Chapter 275 274: Burning Ice, Frozen Fire

"I'm afraid I can't be of much help. After years of laying low, my connections have all dried up…"

"And with Bai Jingjing's reckless behavior, almost no one is willing to answer the Bai Family's call anymore."

"But I'll still do my best to ask around for you."

Mu Lin had seen the look in Bai Zhenshan's eyes and knew this would happen.

"Elder Bai, you don't have to apologize. You still have the Bai Family's troubles to deal with. This little problem is something I can handle myself."

"There are quite a few unsavory characters hiding around the Bai Family Manor; I spotted several on my way here. You should also start preparing for that matter we discussed earlier."

Bai Zhenshan knew what Mu Lin was referring to, of course, but with walls having ears, he didn't dare say it out loud.

"I understand. We'll pick an auspicious date and get it done."

Mu Lin bid his farewells and turned to head back.

Lin Shishi and Hong Rui had finished packing their luggage, and there was a lot more of it now.

This was all from the shopping trips Elder Bai had the butler take Lin Shishi and Hong Rui on over the past few days.

Now, Hong Rui was fully equipped with a computer, a phone, and a tablet, making her better outfitted than anyone.

"Mu Lin, didn't Chairman Zhong give Ruirui a villa? When are we going to check it out?"

Mu Lin slapped his forehead. "Look at my memory. It completely slipped my mind."

There was just too much going on, one thing after another. Even with a mind like a computer, Mu Lin couldn't keep track of it all.

Mu Lin said, "How about tomorrow? The timing isn't great today. It'll be dark by the time we get there, so we definitely won't see it at its best."

Lin Shishi thought about it and nodded.

Mu Lin's reasoning was sound.

Hong Rui blinked. "So that means we're staying another night?"

She felt a strange sense of happiness. She had to admit, she quite enjoyed being waited on by the Bai Family.

"Okay!"

Mu Lin smiled and patted Hong Rui's head, letting her go back to her fun.

Mu Lin went to a small grove of trees, took out Li Tianhuo's Flame Palm manual, and began to read through it.

'Huh, it seems this can be used in conjunction with Profound Ice True Qi.'

The two seemingly unrelated things were, in fact, quite compatible.

In essence, they were the two extremes of heat—one cold, one hot; one high, one low.

He could perfectly replicate his experience in cultivating the Profound Ice True Qi for this new practice.

He gently rubbed his hands together, and a ball of fire ignited, burning brightly in his palm.

"All great principles truly are one and the same," Mu Lin mused.

'It's probably not a good idea to test this here,' Mu Lin thought, and so he found a small pond.

With this much water around, there was no way he would start a fire.

Mu Lin raised his hand, and with a mere thought, a two-meter-tall pillar of flame shot up from his palm, startling Lin Shishi and Hong Rui, who were inside engrossed in a TV show.

Lin Shishi opened the window and called out, "Brother Mu, what happened? What was all that noise!"

Mu Lin laughed. "It's nothing! I'm just practicing. The results aren't great, though."

"Couldn't you have picked a different spot? You scared Ruirui!"

Mu Lin chuckled. "My apologies, my apologies!"

Lin Shishi looked down, her eyes wide as if she'd seen a ghost.

Mu Lin was currently standing on the pond, enveloped in flames that rose from the water's surface.

The scene was bizarre, no matter how you looked at it.

She pulled Hong Rui over, pointing at Mu Lin amidst the flames on the pond.

"Look, little sister!"

Hong Rui was dumbfounded. "How is Brother Mu on the water?"

Mu Lin explained, "I froze the pond, so now I can stand on it."

"Then what about the fire around you? Aren't you getting burned standing in it?"

Mu Lin laughed heartily. "Not only is it not hot, it's actually quite cool! Don't believe me? Come and touch it."

Hong Rui stepped outside and, after just a few steps, felt a cool breeze. In the middle of this hot summer, the temperature outside was actually lower than it was indoors.

She couldn't comprehend it. What was going on? How could the temperature drop so much?

Mu Lin beckoned to her. "Come on, touch it. This flame isn't hot at all."

Hong Rui tentatively reached out her hand. She discovered the flame was indeed not hot, but rather cool to the touch.

Before she could make actual contact, Hong Rui quickly pulled her hand back.

The sensation was genuinely unsettling.

The whole scene was just too strange.

After dinner, Mu Lin requested an empty, unused courtyard and shut himself inside to train alone.

That night, a spectacular phenomenon occurred within the courtyard.

Icy flames and burning snow.

If anyone had filmed it and tried to sell the footage, they would have been accused of faking it with special effects.

A sudden inspiration struck Mu Lin, and he combined the aura of the flame with the aura of the profound ice.

BZZT! BZZT!

Faint sparks of electricity actually emerged from within the flames.

'Interesting. But this electricity is too weak to be of any use. If only it were stronger.'

And so, Mu Lin spent the entire night engrossed in this. By dawn, he could already generate a spark the length of his index finger.

Since ancient times, electricity has been the best at breaking through protective auras.

'Even if you have a turtle's shell, as long as you're flesh and blood, you're bound to be conductive, right?'

'Then there's a way to deal with you.'

Given more time, this would likely yield great results.

The next day, after breakfast, Mu Lin earnestly bid farewell to Elder Bai.

Elder Bai, still worried about Vajra Zhenren, repeatedly reminded Mu Lin not to be careless and to hide if he had to.

Mu Lin laughed. "Don't worry, Elder Bai. I've figured out a solution!"

Elder Bai thought Mu Lin was just trying to reassure him and didn't believe it for a second.

"I'll do my best to find a way. Don't try to be a hero, you understand?"

"I know, I know!" Mu Lin patted Elder Bai's shoulder. "You take care of yourself, Elder Bai!"

"Hahaha, you're worried about me? I'll outlive you yet!"

With a laugh, Mu Lin said his goodbyes to the Bai Family and left with a reluctant Hong Rui.

"Ruirui, your own villa is just as nice as the Bai Family's, and you can renovate it however you like."

"You should make good use of it!"

As the topic of her villa came up, Hong Rui's heart suddenly grew heavy.

The carefree mood she'd enjoyed at the Bai Family's home vanished in an instant.

Both the villa and the compensation of over two hundred million had been bought with her father's life.

If she could, she would give it all up just to have her father back, safe and sound.

Seeing Hong Rui's expression, Lin Shishi knew she must be thinking about her father again.

She wrapped her arms around her without a word.

Comforting her through action.

The villa was in a prime location near the city center, a tranquil oasis in a bustling area. A short walk was all it took to reach downtown.

The land value alone was extremely high.

The average price was over a hundred thousand per square meter, and that was after the villa speculation market had cooled in recent years.

Having grown up in a wealthy family herself, Lin Shishi remained perfectly calm as they entered the villa community.

She expertly guided Hong Rui inside. "Come, take a look at your home."

Hong Rui walked in, full of apprehension. The villa's exquisite decor was breathtaking.

She had thought the Bai Family's villa was already magnificent, but the one gifted by Zhong Wentao was even better. It weighed on her conscience.

"It's too beautiful here. I don't think I can live here with a clear mind…"

Lin Shishi continued to console her. "Your father would want you to be happy, wouldn't he? That being the case, you should live happily in this villa, so your father, watching from beyond, can see you happy."

"I know…" Tears welled up in Hong Rui's eyes. Mu Lin could see that it would be hard for her to accept this all at once.

But she would get used to it over time.

"I'll check with my family. If it's alright, I'll stay with you for a while," Lin Shishi said. "I won't be at ease until I help you resolve this knot in your heart…"

"It's strange, isn't it? We're sisters by choice, but we feel closer than real sisters!"

As Lin Shishi said this, she took Hong Rui's hand and smiled.

The two sisters looked at each other and smiled.

Lin Shishi and Mu Lin started to head out, and Hong Rui followed slowly behind them, as if seeing guests out.

Mu Lin looked at her, and it suddenly dawned on him. "Look at me," he said. "I didn't explain it properly. This villa hasn't been renovated yet, so you can't live here for now. We just came to show it to you."

Hearing this, Hong Rui's eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

If she really had to start living here right away, she had no idea what she would have done.

It was good to have a grace period.

"Hong Rui?!"

Suddenly, a shrill female voice rang out. At the sound of it, the expression on Hong Rui's face changed drastically.

Her smile vanished without a trace.