Lin Xiao Tian knew that given Yang Lin’s personality, he might go back on his word, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
Couldn't he at least wait until they left the forest before reneging on their deal?
However, this served as a reminder to Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian glanced at Yang Xin, hoping she could offer an explanation.
“Yang Lin, we promised him. How can we go back on our word?”
“Look at him, so rustic. A rare herb like the longevity grass would be wasted on him,” Yang Lin said dismissively. “How about this? After we leave the forest, you name your price, and I guarantee I won’t haggle.”
Yang Lin appeared to be flaunting his wealth, clearly believing he could manipulate Lin Xiao Tian.
After all, Yang Lin and Yang Xin were dressed in the most advanced exploration gear, adorned with various tools, while Lin Xiao Tian wore a simple, worn-out old jacket, slightly torn, looking like a villager.
Yang Lin was confident that money could solve problems with poor people. He had tested this theory numerous times over the years and found it to be effective.
But they had underestimated Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian, while not poor, certainly didn't lack money.
He had come up the mountain so simply because he didn't need sophisticated equipment. With his martial arts skills and knowledge of the poisonous insects and ferocious beasts in the forest, there was no point in spending money unnecessarily.
“Alright! Since you say so, I won’t force the issue. After all, if you renege on your promise later, I won’t be able to do anything about it,” Lin Xiao Tian said, shrugging.
“Hmph! It’s good that you know. I’m being honest here,” Yang Lin said smugly.
Lin Xiao Tian wasn't angry. He calmly bid them farewell and left.
Lin Xiao Tian left quickly. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, he vanished without a trace. Coupled with the dense surrounding trees, the two of them had no idea where he had gone.
The surroundings instantly fell silent. A gust of wind swept through, rustling the leaves.
Gulp!
Yang Lin couldn’t help but swallow.
“You’re something else. What do we do now? Do you even know how to get down the mountain?” Yang Xin glared at him.
“We have a compass!” Yang Lin reassured himself, pulling out a compass.
“Can that thing even work here?” Yang Xin questioned.
“I saw Aunt Xue and the others looking at it and leading us. Clearly, the compass works.”
Hearing Aunt Xue's name, Yang Xin’s anger flared. They had wronged Aunt Xue. She had protected them with her life, and all because of Yang Lin’s greed, both of them had died in the forest.
“Don’t you remember what Aunt Xue and the others said? In Black Mountain, the compass direction changes. If it points north, it might actually be pointing east or west. You have to judge it based on your surroundings. Can you do that?”
“Is it really that complicated? Maybe they were trying to trick us? I know some basic principles. If a compass doesn’t work, it wouldn’t be fixed in one direction like this. Trust me, I think I’m right.”
“You’re right?” Yang Xin shot him a glare.
“Right… maybe?” Yang Lin lacked confidence.
Yang Xin looked at Yang Lin’s inexplicably confident demeanor and felt utterly frustrated. But clearly, she couldn’t rely on Yang Lin now. The only person she could possibly depend on was the Lin Xiao Tian who had suddenly appeared.
“Sir, are you still there?” Yang Xin tentatively called out.
Only now did she realize that she hadn't even asked for the man’s name, yet he had just saved their lives.
After calling out several times, there was no response.
“Did… did he leave that quickly?”
“I bet he’s watching us from somewhere, waiting for us to make fools of ourselves, so he can force us to ask for his help and then blackmail us,” Yang Lin whispered to Yang Xin.
“Why are you so sure this time?” Yang Xin rolled her eyes.
“Remember just now? When you called him, he came. I’m sure he’s hiding somewhere now,” Yang Lin said confidently.
Although Yang Xin was already very annoyed with Yang Lin, she found his analysis to have some merit.
Lin Xiao Tian wanted the longevity grass. For that, he would definitely make a deal with them.
For once, the siblings reached a consensus.
Yang Xin desperately wanted to leave the forest and therefore kept calling out, hoping Lin Xiao Tian would appear quickly.
Yang Lin, on the other hand, appeared remarkably calm. Apart from his wet pants, he was quite the picture of a true man.
But they didn't know that at that very moment, they were shouting into the void.
Lin Xiao Tian had indeed left!
To be honest, Lin Xiao Tian was very interested in the longevity grass they possessed. However, given Yang Lin’s untrustworthy nature, Lin Xiao Tian couldn’t guarantee he would get the herb.
Even if Yang Lin eventually gave it to him, Lin Xiao Tian would still worry about whether he could safely keep it afterwards.
Ever since becoming a member of the Heavenly Network, Lin Xiao Tian had developed a greater sense of caution towards these hidden families.
Before, he had been fearless because he hadn't understood these families.
Although he had the miraculous Divine Farmer’s Medical Canon, those families had strived for thousands of years. They had also worked hard and were not much inferior to him.
Yang Xin and Yang Lin shared the same surname, Yang, and likely came from the Yang family, a hidden clan.
Families like these had many hidden means at their disposal. It was best for him to stay out of their affairs for now.
As for the longevity grass, Lin Xiao Tian already had a plan. Longevity grass usually grew in clusters. If he could find the place they had been, he might be able to find it.
Yang Lin thought he had completely controlled Lin Xiao Tian, unaware that Lin Xiao Tian was already long gone.
Sunrise in the east.
Just as the first rays of sunlight touched the forest, Lin Xiao Tian finally found the longevity grass.
“A pity, only one stalk,” Lin Xiao Tian sighed.
One stalk was sufficient for the longevity-extending pill he was refining.
However, that was assuming no mistakes!
The longevity-extending pill was far more difficult to refine than the Yuan Solidifying Pill. Lin Xiao Tian couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t make any errors.
Fortunately, the area where Lin Xiao Tian was standing had many longevity grass plants. It was just that now, with the sun rising, they appeared like ordinary wild herbs.
If his refining failed, he could always try again tomorrow.
Thinking this, Lin Xiao Tian felt much more at ease.
He wandered the mountain for a while longer, collecting many precious medicinal herbs. Besides the longevity grass, the cheapest item he found was a centuries-old lingzhi.
By the time all the materials were gathered, it was almost noon. Lin Xiao Tian packed up and quickly returned to the village.
Meanwhile, somewhere on Black Mountain, Yang Lin was finally starting to panic…