Chapter 1937: Chapter 1934: Midnight Operation
Although Lin Tian didn’t want to become a formal disciple of the Zhang Family, he still curiously asked, "Why isn’t it enough to pass the test?"
"It’s not absolute; because you don’t have the Zhang Family bloodline, to become a formal disciple, you must change your surname to Zhang and enter the Zhang Family genealogy. Only then is there a possibility of becoming a formal disciple," Zhang Lingyu explained.
Then she smiled, "However, knowing your personality, it’s impossible for you to change your surname."
"The surname definitely can’t be changed, but then again, am I really surnamed Lin?" Lin Tian thought about it and wasn’t too sure, as he hadn’t found his biological parents yet, and it was uncertain what his surname actually was.
"Little Mingxing, don’t tell other clan members about this, understand?" Zhang Lingyu turned to Zhang Mingxing and reminded him.
She naturally referred to Lin Tian’s ability to make the paper bird rise. Zhang Mingxing didn’t know why, but he obediently nodded.
"Little Mingxing, why don’t you give it a try? Have confidence in yourself," Lin Tian suddenly suggested, curious why the boy struggled.
"Can I?" Zhang Mingxing glanced at Lin Tian, then Zhang Lingyu, hesitating.
"Since Lin Tian suggested it, give it a try. Let’s see if you’ve improved during this period," Zhang Lingyu didn’t refuse and handed the paper crane to Zhang Mingxing.
Zhang Mingxing held the paper crane with one hand, looking apprehensive. Each failure had dealt a blow to his young heart, leaving him with little confidence, although he continued to persist.
"Begin. At worst, it’s just another failure," Zhang Ruyan said faintly. It sounded somewhat indifferent, but Lin Tian knew she wasn’t truly cold; she used her own way to help Zhang Mingxing relax.
The boy nodded, slightly closed his eyes, then slowly opened them, his gaze fixed intently on the paper crane. He concentrated his energy and spirit, with Lin Tian and the others remaining silent, not disturbing him.
After three minutes, the paper crane remained motionless. Five minutes passed, and beads of sweat began to appear on the boy’s forehead. Everyone could feel the anxiety in the boy’s heart, but Zhang Lingyu and Zhang Ruyan couldn’t help him.
Perhaps it was the rising sun or the boy’s extreme nervousness, but sweat continued to pour from his forehead, sliding down his face. Maybe even heaven couldn’t bear the boy’s ordeal, because as the sun rose, the shadow of the Spirit Suppressing Tower covered the cliff top where Lin Tian and the others were, making the surroundings seem cooler.
"Ah..."
Suddenly, the boy cried out in pain, his face pale as he collapsed to the ground, clutching his head. Lin Tian quickly went over to support him, "Little Mingxing, what’s wrong?"
"I don’t know, my head... hurts..." Zhang Mingxing said with difficulty, cold sweat bursting from his body.
Lin Tian immediately checked his pulse while scanning his head with his penetrating gaze. But except for a fast pulse, Lin Tian found nothing wrong.
"Lin Tian, no need to check anymore. He feared disappointing you and overexerted himself, tightening his heartstring too much, leading to a headache. Performing Taoist spells requires focus but also a relaxed approach; too much stress can easily lead to problems like this," Zhang Lingyu calmly explained, as the Beautiful Sky Master understood the reasons.
"Brother Lin, the senior sister is right, I’m okay," Zhang Mingxing said.
"But I failed again," the boy smiled self-deprecatingly, full of regret.
Lin Tian casually said, "So you failed. Some things rely on fate; perhaps when fate arrives, you’ll suddenly become formidable."
Seeing Lin Tian wasn’t disappointed, Zhang Mingxing relaxed significantly, nodding his head forcefully.
"Alright, let’s head back," Zhang Lingyu glanced around and said softly.
Initially, Lin Tian wanted to keep observing, but seeing Zhang Mingxing’s state, it wasn’t suitable to stay, so he agreed to leave. The four descended from the cliff; as they left the summit, Lin Tian slyly activated his super sight, unobtrusively scanning the Spirit Suppressing Tower behind them.
Expecting to see something, Lin Tian was disappointed again; the super sight failed, unable to penetrate the Spirit Suppressing Tower. In the vision of his sight, the tower was shrouded in mist, unclear. No matter how much Lin Tian focused, he couldn’t break through the haze.
It seems I’ve relied too much on the super sight, thinking too simply. Unable to see through the maze, let alone such an important place as the Demon Suppressing Tower, Lin Tian regrettably thought.
This investigation yielded no result, and Lin Tian had no interest in continuing the tour, returning to the dormitory with Little Mingxing.
As they were leaving, Zhang Ruyan reminded Lin Tian, "Don’t approach the Demon Suppressing Tower casually; you’re not a Zhang Family member and could easily draw attention or get trapped by the barrier. But it was good to go once today, familiarizing yourself with the surroundings."
Lin Tian nodded, expressing understanding, then instinctively asked, "What time are we acting tonight?"
"Wait for our signal," Zhang Ruyan said without elaborating, leading Zhang Lingyu away.
Lin Tian looked up at the sky with its vast, invisible barrier, furrowing his brow as he spoke mentally: "Little Ya, have you noticed any anomalies?"
"No, everything’s calm," the Sword Spirit said curiously, not understanding Lin Tian’s question.
Lin Tian shook his head and returned to the dormitory, spending the entire afternoon indoors, reading and researching alchemy.
Until dusk fell and the room dimmed, Lin Tian finally left the room, going to the window. Tonight was again clear, sparse stars, without the pollution of large cities, making the mountain moon especially pure.
A tiny shadow appeared under the moonlight; Lin Tian thought it was an insect and glanced but didn’t mind it. Suddenly, as he intended to look away, the tiny thing flew right before his eyes.
"Paper crane!" Lin Tian’s eyes widened, as the tiny ’insect’ was actually a small paper crane, suspended in mid-air in front of him.
Lin Tian extended his hand, and the paper crane landed automatically. He scrutinized it and found writing on it, swiftly unfolding it.
On a paper slip the size of a bank card was written in small characters: Action at midnight tonight, meet at the cliff top.
Shortly after finishing, the paper slip abruptly burned to ash in an instant.
Damn, this method of long-distance communication is so advanced, Lin Tian was amazed, surprised that Zhang Lingyu had such a trick.
Nonetheless, the time was confirmed, so Lin Tian returned to his room, packing essentials. Unknown results awaited; he might have to leave the Zhang Family, so early departure was prudent.
Having packed, he continued casually studying alchemy. Time passed imperceptibly until past eleven thirty, when Lin Tian abruptly stood, leaping out the window.
Following familiar paths, Lin Tian quickly reached the cliff top, encountering no Zhang Family members along the way. Zhang Lingyu and Zhang Ruyan arrived slightly earlier, waiting at the top.
Zhang Ruyan still wore her black skirt battle attire, while Zhang Lingyu, instead of her purple skirt outfit, also donned the same black skirt.
