Tan Wenbin followed along but didn't rush to make a move. Instead, he hid himself away.
He and Chen Lin had come together, both having missed the scene where the child beat himself to a bloody pulp, but Tan Wenbin could confirm the child was acting.
There's no other way; if it really reached a fight-or-flight moment, how could there be no wounds at all?
Soon, Tan Wenbin realized the child's intention in doing so. Yet, with this, it became even less convenient for him to intervene.
Run out and be the wingman, cooperating with Lin Shuyou to deceive the young girl?
Logically speaking, it seemed like that's what he should do.
But this isn't some romantic escapade, nor is it a situation where you can have a carefree one-night stand and then leave.
If it somehow ends up happening, future relationship dynamics also become a concern.
Therefore, Tan Wenbin didn't agree with the child's approach; a dishonest start often yields no genuine results.
But listening to Lin Shuyou shouting loudly that he could easily beat that old guy to death,
Tan Wenbin suddenly realized that the child was on another level.
Probably too aware of what kind of person this Divination Child was, hence all the blame falls on them. All the infamy afterward would be borne by them, and Ah You only needed to focus on being himself.
Since someone has already stepped forward to take responsibility, Tan Wenbin saw no need to take action, merely observing from the sidelines.
His gaze rested on the old man, who was clearly bewildered by the scene in front of him.
Tan Wenbin took note of the old man's gemstone cane and the patterns peeking out from beneath his clothes.
Earlier, he saw the figure emerging behind Chen Lin. It seemed the old man should have something similar on him, but he either couldn't use it or left it outside before entering the Nantong territory.
As a result, when facing the White Crane True Monarch, he could only take the beating passively, unable to fight back.
When Lin Shuyou first arrived in Nantong, he was also a "foreign evil" holder. Back then, Ah You once opened his Shuping towards the Peach Forest, causing his eyes to bleed.
If Ah You hadn't been among us, clearly considered one of us at the time, the one in the Peach Forest would probably have directly attacked the child according to the rules.
Now, of course, there's no such problem, so the home-court advantage is quite apparent; others are limited when they enter here, whereas we have absolute freedom.
Chen Lin voluntarily sacrificed her "do as you please," but received no response from the old man.
Instead, it stimulated Lin Shuyou quite a bit. Don't say he couldn't win, even if he really couldn't, he wouldn't let such a thing happen.
At worst, they'd die in battle together. No need to sacrifice someone to protect someone else.
Lin Shuyou understood the child's intention and also realized that this unfamiliar Chen Lin had truly misunderstood.
So Lin Shuyou didn't hesitate any longer and forcibly gathered his strength to stand up.
This movement caused Chen Lin, who was half-leaned against him, to slip down.
The girl had just suffered serious injuries, and given that the physical endurance of an Onmyoji was a weakness, this fall was really about to happen, forcing Lin Shuyou to reach out and embrace her waist.
No soft thoughts, no heart-stirring "oh she is lovely" feelings, Lin Shuyou gazed at her seriously, just like a high school math teacher sternly explaining a problem to you:
"I told you, I'm fine, I can beat him!"
Looking at Lin Shuyou, especially the blood stains at the corner of his mouth, Chen Lin couldn't help but feel confused.
No way, being too involved clouds judgment. She neither knew this blind date arranged by her college junior well, nor understood the true strength of this old character her family feared and dreaded, who here seemed not that impressive at all.
Therefore, in her eyes, there was a kind of adorably stubborn glow about Lin Shuyou at this moment.
Truth can be explained, but feelings are harder to eradicate.
The old man took a deep breath and tried to speak:
"Forget it, I have let go of past grudges long ago; let bygones be bygones. I believe this is also what my son in the heavens would wish to see."
Chen Lin looked at the old man in disbelief, unable to imagine such words coming out of his mouth.
Knowing how much pressure this event caused her family back in the day, and how her brother was forced to wander Jianghu with a lamp because of it.
The old man turned around, planning to leave just like that, having sensed the strangeness of this place, and starting to connect Lin Shuyou with the dreadful existence that set rules here in Nantong.
One reason was Lin Shuyou's great strength, and the other was his audacity to pull off such inexplicable acts right here, suggesting a strong backing.
Lin Shuyou, holding Chen Lin with one hand, pointed a cudgel at the old man with the other: "No, you can't leave!"
Chen Lin reached out to cover Lin Shuyou's mouth, thinking that regardless of whether what the old man said was true or false, at least he was willing to let go and leave, ensuring everyone's safety here.
However, Lin Shuyou stood so upright that she couldn't touch Ah You's mouth, only managing to pat his chest a bit.
The strength was like a mosquito bite.
Lin Shuyou didn't even lower his head, ignoring it completely.
The old man, puzzled, asked: "I only have enmity with her; with you, it's our first meeting today, why would you..."
Lin Shuyou: "If you walk away, I can't explain it."
The old man: "..."
A strong sense of humiliation arose from the old man's heart; is your reason for not letting me leave this simple?
Outside, he considered himself a prominent figure, respected by many in Jianghu, but this rash youngster clearly didn't care about him. More infuriatingly, he had left his strongest soul general outside, making him quite powerless against this rash youngster.
