Chapter 74: Lin-ge… Are You into Guys?!
In the end, the old vendor still chose to trade.
A top-grade tier-one Dou Artifact could significantly boost his strength. In Wutan City, there were already a few hundred tier-one Dou Artifacts circulating. Owning one meant a much safer journey when traveling. That black iron shard was basically a gamble, and he had no way of knowing if it contained anything valuable. And Jiang Lin… was frankly terrifying. The vendor didn't want to stir up trouble, so he gave in quickly.
"Lin-ge… isn't this a bit too valuable?" On the way back to the Xiao estate, Xiao Yan clutched the black iron shard to his chest and looked at Jiang Lin with gratitude.
"It's nothing. Just a little toy," Jiang Lin replied with a smile, though his expression shifted like he'd just remembered something amusing.
"Didn't I gift Miss Xun'er a dagger that roared like a lion?"
"Yeah, I remember. Is there something special about that dagger?" Xiao Yan nodded. That dagger had eventually ended up in his hands after Xiao Xun'er passed it to him. If Xiao Ning wanted to "pair" with it, well, he'd have to "pair" with Xiao Yan.
"I was curious about how Dou Qi could generate specific sounds, so I experimented. That dagger was the prototype. Later, I upgraded the layout into that short blade. If you inject enough Dou Qi into it…"
Jiang Lin grinned, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
Almost as if on cue, before Xiao Yan could ask what happened when Dou Qi was injected, a sudden roar echoed from a nearby street:
"I'M AN IDIOT!!!"
Xiao Yan: …
Yao Lao: …
In the distance, a stunned old man stared blankly at the short blade in his hand—still glowing faintly with Dou Qi. Passersby turned to look.
"Is he crazy? Using Dou Qi to yell that he's an idiot?"
"Let's go, let's go. Just some old fool."
"Yeah, yeah, we got it! You're an idiot! No need to shout!"
The crowd, unaware such a "talking" Dou Artifact could exist, assumed the old man had simply gone mad.
"Anyway, aside from the voice effect, it's still a solid tier-one weapon. He's not losing out," Jiang Lin shrugged, looking quite pleased with himself.
Xiao Yan's face twitched. He didn't believe a word of Jiang Lin's excuses.
"Just hang onto that iron shard. If you uncover a fun Dou Technique, just teach me, okay?" Jiang Lin loved collecting weird, unusual Dou Techniques. Only such unconventional methods gave him insight into the brilliant minds of the ancestors behind them.
"Uh… what if I don't know how to teach? I'm still just a Dou Qi rookie," Xiao Yan hesitated. Teaching a Dou Master? Seriously?
He suddenly remembered a meme from his past life:
Bunbo Erba: I'm supposed to fight Sun Wukong?!
"No worries, I'll check your body and figure it out myself." Jiang Lin finally revealed his true, evil goal—jiejiejie!
He'd been building toward this moment ever since he sensed Xiao Yan's unreadable aura: first, establishing his credibility; then, highlighting his mastery of Dou Artifacts; finally, sliding in the proposal that he could "learn" a Dou Technique by giving someone a "physical check-up."
Jiejiejie! I'm such a genius!
"HUH?!" Xiao Yan froze, suddenly feeling like ants were crawling all over him.
He recalled the one thing he always found reassuring about Jiang Lin: the guy had never once shown any romantic interest in Xiao Xun'er.
Yes. Xiao Yan had noticed that everyone who approached the Xiao Clan seemed to be after Xiao Xun'er… except Jiang Lin. He not only avoided her, but even paid his way out of encounters with her!
Could it be…
COULD IT BE?!
Xiao Yan's heartbeat spiked, his Dou Qi flared. And wait—Jiang Lin could sense his aura again? Hadn't he just said earlier he couldn't?
Jiang Lin paused and turned to look at the slightly shorter and slimmer Xiao Yan. "Xiao Bro, are you feeling alright? Want me to give you a checkup? My family runs a medical clinic—I've got some experience."
Because of the Fiery Forge Art, Jiang Lin had a well-developed physique. He was half a head taller than Xiao Yan, with a broad frame thanks to his layers of soft and inner armor. He also preferred short hair for practicality, and his usually dusty appearance gave him a rugged charm.
Xiao Yan, on the other hand, despite being strong in front of Xiao Xun'er, looked a bit delicate next to Jiang Lin. His long, traditional hair and slimmer build gave off an oddly submissive vibe.
From a distance, the tall-and-short, sturdy-and-slim pair looked like… a couple out on a date.
Xiao Yan looked up at Jiang Lin's concerned gaze—paired with a handsome but serious face—and felt a cold shiver.
"Y-You… You're not into guys, are you?!"
Yao Lao: …
Jiang Lin: ???
Jiang Lin felt as though he'd just taken a spiritual critical hit from some hidden powerhouse. His brain buzzed, and he froze in place.
Seeing Jiang Lin stunned into silence, Xiao Yan instinctively stepped back, arms crossed over his chest in panic.
Yes! It all made sense now! Jiang Lin, who'd always ignored the beautiful Xiao Xun'er, always focused his attention on him. He defended him, gave him gifts, even walked him home—it was all there!
It was the classic three-stage romance setup!
Jiang Lin must have been slowly trying to win him over!
And that letter—
At this moment, as Jiang Lin stood frozen in place, Xiao Yan's thoughts were firing on all cylinders, connecting everything.
Even Xun'er had said Nalan Yanran was "very nice"!
But was that praise? No! That was jealousy! That was a veiled complaint!
So…
AHHH!!!
Yes! Xun'er had said Jiang Lin was very clever. She'd thought the letter was meant to comfort him—because she believed Jiang Lin knew what Nalan Yanran was up to!
So that letter, which seemed to praise Nalan Yanran…
Was actually, like Xun'er's comment, a jealous remark!
Now that Xiao Yan had "figured everything out," he felt like the sky was collapsing on him.
(END CHAPTER)
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