I'm quitting!

Chapter 23 These potatoes are precious, eat them while they're hot!

A cool night breeze rustled through the bamboo shadows.

Lin Xiaofan hummed a little tune as he strolled leisurely back to the woodshed on the back mountain.

The few leftover roasted potatoes in my arms were still warm, and they pressed against my chest through my clothes, bringing me a cozy feeling.

Turning the small stone steps, I could faintly hear rustling footsteps ahead.

The dim yellow light of the lanterns pierced the night, illuminating the figures of two disciples patrolling the mountain.

The tall man carrying the lantern muttered, "I don't know what got into them, suddenly ordering extra patrols, and of course, it's the two of us who have to be on duty...!"

The words came to an abrupt halt.

The man's pupils constricted, and his knees buckled as he was about to kneel. The burly disciple beside him, armed with a gun, reacted swiftly, grabbing his arm and pulling him up. Both men instantly stiffened, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

"Greetings...Greetings Elder Lin!" The disciple carrying the lantern's voice trembled.

Lin Xiaofan was used to it and subconsciously nodded in acknowledgment, but when he saw the other party's flustered expression, he became alert—could it be that the two of them harbored ulterior motives towards the sect?

Just as he was about to examine their faces more closely, a screen of light suddenly appeared before his eyes:

[Task: Accept the humiliation of being a "tool"]

Accept humiliation? Such a familiar task…

He suddenly remembered: Aren't these two the Wang Ergou and Li Tiezhu who beat me up with the force of the script during the sect competition?

"It's you guys, from the big competition not long ago..."

"Elder Lin!" Wang Ergou knelt down with a thud. "On the day of the competition, this disciple was blind to your greatness and offended you, Elder. I deserve to die!"

Li Tiezhu also slammed his forehead heavily against the stone slab, crying out, "This disciple deserves to die! Please punish me, Elder!"

Lin Xiaofan was so startled by the scene that he took a half step back.

What's going on? I just wanted to test whether you two were genuine or not...

He coughed lightly and cleared his throat: "Get up... those were all fair and square exchanges, there's no question of offense."

The two dared not get up, their bodies trembling even more violently.

Lin Xiaofan couldn't help but click his tongue, feeling helpless: Young people these days are really hard to please.

He rummaged in his pockets a few times, pulled out two roasted potatoes, and casually handed them over: "Here, you've worked hard on the night patrol, have something to eat."

The two looked at each other, hesitated for a long time, and then carefully reached out their hands to take it.

Wang Ergou, holding the potatoes, asked in a low voice, "This...this is..."

"It's a waste not to eat what's left," Lin Xiaofan replied casually.

The two men turned deathly pale instantly.

Tears streamed down Wang Ergou's face: "Mother! Your unfilial son is going first!"

Li Tiezhu choked back tears as he said, "Elder, have mercy! This disciple is willing to serve you like an ox or a horse, repaying your kindness with utmost devotion!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Lin Xiaofan was completely bewildered by them. "This isn't a last meal before your execution! Who's going to kill you? It's just ordinary roasted potatoes!"

He simply broke off his own portion and took a big bite right in front of everyone: "See, I ate it, I'm fine."

The two were skeptical, and each took a small bite with trepidation.

In an instant, a crisp, refreshing fragrance bursts forth on the tip of the tongue.

Wang Ergou's eyes widened: "This... what kind of magical fruit is this?!"

Li Tiezhu trembled, his lips quivering: "Penetratingly...chillingly cold! As if I were in a freezing pool in the heavens!"

The two suddenly burst into tears, not from fear, but from being overwhelmed by the delicious taste they had never experienced before.

Lin Xiaofan's eye twitched: This potato doesn't have that "ice" mixed in...

Wang Ergou exclaimed excitedly, "This disciple has never tasted such a divine delicacy!"

Li Tiezhu kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Elder, you are merciful! You treat all disciples equally, and I am willing to go through fire and water for you!"

"Alright, alright, stop banging your head. You'll get a bruise on your forehead if you keep doing that." Lin Xiaofan waved his hand. "Just patrol your mountain and don't overthink it."

The two men, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, withdrew with profuse thanks, bowing deeply before leaving.

[Rebelliousness Value +105]

"Hmm? So many rebellion points?"

Lin Xiaofan watched their departing figures, then looked down at the roasted potato in her hand.

"It was just a sprinkle of Ice Heart Flower powder... did it really cause a 'chain reaction'?"

He shrugged, stuffed the remaining half of the potato into his mouth, and continued humming a little tune as he walked towards the back of the mountain.

Before long, Lin Xiaofan saw his own courtyard gate ajar in the distance, moonlight pouring down to outline a thin silhouette pacing back and forth in the courtyard, his steps hesitant.

He paused slightly, his spiritual sense quietly probing—it was Shan Ling'er.

The night is deep, why is she here alone?

Lin Xiaofan walked slowly closer and called softly, "Junior Sister Ling'er?"

Dan Ling'er suddenly turned around, her small face still wet with tears, glistening with tears.

The hemp ball in his arms seemed to be startled awake, suddenly scratching Lin Xiaofan's chest: "It smells like red string!"

Lin Xiaofan's heart skipped a beat.

A red string? Could it be...!

The Eye of Truth activated instantly, and crimson text appeared above Shan Ling'er's head:

"Shan Ling'er; a kind junior sister (?); will die tomorrow at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)."

Even more horrifying was the faint, blood-red phantom of chains hanging around her.

Lin Xiaofan's pupils contracted sharply, but he tried to keep his smile gentle.

Xianyunzi just entrusted the sect to me, so no one can die!

Dan Ling'er quickly wiped away her tears, her voice as soft as a sigh: "Senior Brother Lin... I've come to say goodbye."

"My parents wrote that something happened at home... and they want me to go back."

"I see..." Lin Xiaofan frowned. "Is it something urgent?"

Dan Ling'er lowered her head, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes: "No... it's not in a hurry, I just... can't sleep... and wanted to see what my senior brother's woodshed looks like."

Her voice trailed off, almost fading into the night breeze: "I might not see this again...."

Lin Xiaofan didn't press for details about why she went down the mountain, but simply gazed at her quietly: "Ling'er, if you have something on your mind, you can tell me."

Dan Ling'er shook her head, tears welling up silently again: "No...it's nothing, I'm just a little reluctant to part with it."

Seeing her stubbornness, Lin Xiaofan no longer hid his worry: "Ling'er, do you believe that people can change their own destiny?"

Dan Ling'er froze, looking up at him: "Change...change fate?"

Lin Xiaofan pointed to the moon hanging in the sky: "Look at the moon tonight, how round it is... The sun will rise as usual tomorrow, and the clouds will turn into rain to nourish the earth the day after tomorrow... Everything is changing, so why can't people choose the way they want to live?"

Dan Ling'er's body trembled slightly, tears glistening in her eyes, but she bit her lower lip hard, forcing herself not to cry out.

"Senior brother...you're always like this."

"Even though he himself lives a frugal life, he always thinks about helping others."

She choked up, "But I... I'm just a useless person, I can't do anything right, I'm completely... completely inferior to Senior Sister Su..."

Su Qingxue?

Lin Xiaofan was taken aback.

Why bring her up all of a sudden? It's not that Shan Ling'er is bad, but Su Qingxue is, after all, the "Phoenix Chick" of this world, and will eventually become a legend. Why compare her to her?

Lin Xiaofan pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Ling'er, look at the weeds in this yard. Some people find them an eyesore, but others use them to cure diseases and save lives."

"Senior Sister Su is a phoenix in the sky, and you... are a dandelion that can bloom even in the cracks of rocks."

"Not all beauty needs to soar to the heavens. Some beauty takes root in the soil and sways in the wind and rain, which makes people feel more heartache."

Dan Ling'er stared at him blankly, tears streaming down her face.

Brother Lin wasn't offering comfort or making comparisons; he truly saw her for who she was.

Seeing that her emotions had calmed down a bit, Lin Xiaofan thought to himself: This girl's life hangs by a thread. Tonight, I must keep her here no matter what.

He turned to the woodshed beside him: "Why don't you... come in and sit down? It's late and the dew is heavy outside, don't catch a cold."

Dan Ling'er's face flushed slightly, her eyes filled with hesitation.

In the dead of night, a lone man and a lone woman...

Lin Xiaofan realized what she meant and quickly changed her words: "If it's inappropriate, I..."

"it is good."

Dan Ling'er opened her mouth slightly and pushed the door open to enter.

Lin Xiaofan scratched his head.

Never mind, let's keep them here first.

He followed closely into the house and closed the wooden door behind him.

In that instant, the shadow beneath their feet began to wriggle and spread out, enveloping the entire woodshed.