Duan Yuyang took a soaked handkerchief for Yan Tianhen to place on his eyes, afraid that Yan Tianhen’s eyes would still be swollen when he went into Pill Limit Mysterious Land tomorrow.

　　He pulled Yan Tianhen over to sit on a couch. “Ah Hen, darling, tell Gege how Lin Xuanzhi bullied you.”

　　After finding someone he could complain to, Yan Tianhen couldn’t hold himself back from spilling the beans about how he had received Zhongli Shen’s appreciation, and how he had told Lin Xuanzhi about what he thought, and how he had made Lin Xuanzhi angry in the end and gotten chased out of the house.

　　“Say, isn’t it too much of him to ask me to get lost?” Yan Tianhen pursed his lips.

　　“Hold on.” Duan Yuyang gulped with some difficulty and looked at Yan Tianhen with admiration in his gaze. “Are you sure that you told him something along the lines of how he doesn’t care about you, despises you, looks down on you, and how he treats you like a servant?”

　　“Yeah.” Yan Tianhen’s head drooped as he nodded. “I said that.”

　　While Duan Yuyang admired Yan Tianhen for his courage, he still frowned, “Ah Hen, tell me the truth. Was what you said your true thoughts?”

　　“Of course not.” Yan Tianhen sobbed as he shook his head vigorously and explained, “At that time, I was really just furious at how dictatorial my Dage was being, and I thought about how Dage hid so many important things from me, so I blurted out a bunch of nonsense to make Dage upset in any way I could. But in my heart, the one I like the most is still Dage.”

　　Duan Yuyang lifted his hand and patted Yan Tianhen’s shoulder, feeling rather complicated. “It’s fine as long as that’s not what you truly think. But Ah Hen, do you know that what you said must have made your Dage really upset? Every word of yours struck the thorns in his heart ah.”

　　Yan Tianhen was stunned, staring at Duan Yuyang in a daze.

　　“My darling Ah Hen ahhh, think about it. If your Dage said all of that to you, how would you feel?” Although Duan Yuyang was much closer to Yan Tianhen than Lin Xuanzhi, he wouldn’t just speak well of Yan Tianhen without principle.

　　Although Lin Xuanzhi was indeed too overbearing and would easily cause misunderstandings, Lin Xuanzhi must have had his own reasons for doing so, and those reasons would by no means be as people who didn’t know would assume. Nowadays, there were a lot of people who declared that though Lin Xuanzhi and Yan Tianhen may look like close brothers on the surface, they were actually afraid of each other underneath and that their feelings were all fake.

　　When Duan Yuyang had heard that sort of remark, he almost jumped up to berate them. No one knew clearer than he did how exactly Lin Xuanzhi treated Yan Tianhen.

　　Even though at the very beginning, Lin Xuanzhi didn’t really get it and was a bit muddle-headed, after he awakened his craftsman soulfire, Duan Yuyang saw every little bit of how he treated Yan Tianhen.

　　Thus, Duan Yuyang was willing to help speak on behalf of Lin Xuanzhi.

　　Yan Tianhen quietly started to think from another point of view.

　　If he was Lin Xuanzhi, and his younger brother said something like that to him.

　　Yan Tianhen felt like he got struck by a bolt of lightning, his entire body stiffening. He… he wanted to purse his lips and bawl again!

　　Upon seeing this, Duan Yuyang quickly added, “That’s why ma, your Dage can get upset too. Although he looks like no blade or poison can penetrate him, isn’t the human heart still made of flesh in the end?”

　　Yan Tianhen was all shaken up and couldn’t sit or stand still. “Then what should I do? My Dage shouldn’t have believed me ba?”

　　“Who knows?” Duan Yuyang sighed rather helplessly, “I’m not him. Even if he didn’t believe it, it would still be inevitable for him to feel hurt and upset.”

　　Yan Tianhen wanted to go back and clear things up with Lin Xuanzhi. When he thought of how Lin Xuanzhi may feel upset because of the horrible nonsense he spouted, his heart ached terribly.

　　However, Yan Tianhen’s butt had only just left the soft couch when he recalled how Lin Xuanzhi had coldly asked him to get lost.

　　Yan Tianhen’s butt plopped back down.

　　“I don’t want to go back.” Yan Tianhen pursed his lips, “I really shouldn’t have said some of the things I did, but he didn’t want to let me know that he’s going to get married and go to another sect; he makes my decisions for me and doesn’t even listen to my explanations, all of this wasn’t wrong.”

　　“Yes, but…”

　　“I’ll stay there today.” Yan Tianhen was clearly still angry. He stared pitifully at Duan Yuyang, “Yuyang Gege, take me in for one night ba.”

　　Duan Yuyang naturally wouldn’t chase Yan Tianhen away. He also considered that the two of them had been too impulsive today, so would be better for them to stay apart for a while to calm themselves down. They would probably reconcile when they meet again tomorrow.

　　So Duan Yuyang didn’t continue persuading him and helped Yan Tianhen settle in at his place. Then he got up and left the room, took the Voice Transmission Bell outside, and shook it a few times to transmit the news to Lin Xuanzhi.

　　“You’ve found Ah Hen?” Lin Xuanzhi’s clear voice sounded a little hoarse.

　　Duan Yuyang expected that the other party’s mood wouldn’t be any better, so he simply replied, “He ran over to my place by himself just now, your guess was pretty accurate.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi breathed a sigh of relief. “The only one he trusts is you.”

　　When Duan Yuyang heard that, he felt quite contented. “Ah Hen will stay at my place tonight; I’ll deliver him over to you tomorrow. He probably cried for quite a long time, his eyes are all swollen. He didn’t mean the words he said, so don’t fuss too much with this kid.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi fell silent for a rather long time before saying lightly, “He didn’t mean all of it, but he must have meant some of it. I’m not the one who wants to fuss over trifles with him, he’s the one who wants to fuss over it with me.”

　　Duan Yuyang advised earnestly, “Although Ah Hen looks quite optimistic and innocent, you should have realized that his sense of inferiority is quite strong, and he’s still very sensitive. If your heart aches for him, then be more tolerant with him ba.”

　　“I know.” Lin Xuanzhi said lightly, “But he can’t withstand the slightest bit of hardship.”

　　Duan Yuyang nodded. He thought of his own younger brother at home, look at how spoiled he’d become.

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “When we enter Pill Limit Mysterious Land tomorrow, let him follow you first. He has the pass with him.”

　　Duan Yuyang was taken aback, even his eyebrows rising. “You’re really not going to care about him?”

　　“I’ll follow along behind you two. See how the situation is like first ba.”

　　Duan Yuyang hesitated for a moment. “He does feel quite upset. Even if you intend to let him suffer a little, don’t let him suffer for too long.”

　　“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Lin Xuanzhi chuckled bitterly. “I’ll always be softer than him.”

　　Duan Yuyang still wanted to say something, but Lin Xuanzhi had already put away the Voice Transmission Bell on his end.

　　Duan Yuyang couldn’t help but click his tongue ruefully. Brothers really couldn’t be too close with each other. If it were him and Duan Yuhao, everything would be over after fighting it out. Their fights would never end up causing harm to their mind and spirit.

　　Just as Duan Yuyang was about to return to his room, his Voice Transmission Bell shook a few times again.

　　“One more thing.” Lin Xuanzhi said solemnly, “Don’t let Ah Hen sleep on the floor tonight, you have to get him another bed and blanket.”

　　“I won’t go so far as to bully a kid. Don’t worry, my blanket is wide and warm enough.”

　　“What I meant was, the two of you have to sleep separately.”

　　Duan Yuyang, “…”

　　Damn it, what’s wrong with him sleeping on the same bed as his family’s darling Henhen? Isn’t this Lin Xuanzhi too stubborn and possessive?

　　Forget it, since Ah Hen is so obedient and cute, Young Master Duan won’t fight with Lin Xuanzhi over this.

　　The next morning, the pupils participating in the Hundred Families Gathering who were about to enter the final round of the competition gathered early in front of Sky Peak Sect’s main gate.

　　The Pill Limit Mysterious Land was left behind by an alchemist of Sky Peak Sect. It opened once every few decades or centuries, and the admission portal was located at the gate of Sky Peak Sect. The opening day this time was calculated by a divinator of Sky Peak Sect.

　　Before the Mysterious Land was opened, a lot of pupils were already whispering in secret. All of them were rubbing their hands as they couldn’t wait to rush in and display their skills.

　　Lin Xuanzhi brought the Lin family members to the main gate.

　　As soon as Lin Xuanzhi appeared, a lot of people surrounded him as they tried to suck up to him.

　　“Craftsman Lin, I heard that there are mechanisms everywhere in Pill Limit Mysterious Land. Why don’t you go in with us? It’ll be easier for us to take care of you then.”

　　“That’ll take a lot of trouble. Our entrances are different, we never know if we’ll be able to meet.”

　　Another person said, “Craftsman Lin, I heard that the Mysterious Land will be open for one full month this time. Does Craftsman Lin intend to craft any item inside?”

　　“Of course, it depends on the situation inside. If the environment permits, I’ll naturally be able to.”

　　“Ah, can I speak to Craftsman Lin for a while then?” A young master from one of the other families said with bright eyes, “There’s a magic treasure that I require urgently on my side, if you have the time…”

　　Lin Xuanzhi smiled but didn’t speak, his gaze always sweeping over towards the Duan family.

　　Yan Tianhen didn’t look as pitiful as Duan Yuyang described him to be, or at least he could still chat happily with Duan Yuyang while leaping and frisking about.

　　“Xuanzhi, why isn’t your younger brother following you today?” This one sentence pulled Lin Xuanzhi back from his wandering thoughts.

　　Ji Yunwei was holding up the Nine-Tailed Divine Fox’s claws as he waved them at Lin Xuanzhi.

　　Lin Xuanzhi’s gaze shifted away and he looked at Ji Yunwei. “You’re entering as well?”

　　Ji Yunwei shook his head. “I’m not. I just brought the Ji pupils here to participate in the competition. I’m not really interested in the Pill Limit Mysterious Land, and one month is a bit too long. It’s better for me to wander outside ba.”

　　Behind Ji Yunwei stood many pupils of the Ji family. The Ji family had a very unique style: every disciple would be accompanied by a demonic beast or two, and the levels of those demonic beasts weren’t low either.

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “Are you getting along well with this divine fox?”

　　Ji Yunwei laughed, clearly very satisfied. “We’re getting along, of course we’re getting along. After rearing so many fierce beasts, suddenly changing my taste to raise a clever, sensible small spirit beast that knows how to act coquettish is quite rare.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi didn’t comment and just smiled.

　　Several members of the Baili family had also arrived. Baili Yunshan pulled Baili Yunsong over and, when he saw Lin Xuanzhi, excitedly said, “Lin Dage, would you like to go in with us?”

　　Aside from this small young master, the rest of the Baili members were elemental cultivators, and Lin Xuanzhi could tell at a glance that these elemental cultivators existed to protect the small young master.

　　Lin Xuanzhi smiled slightly. “That’ll be good too.”

　　Baili Yunshan cheered happily.

　　Ji Yunwei couldn’t be bothered to let the ones in his family drag Lin Xuanzhi behind too, but he still upheld the responsibility of being the young master of the Ji family. “If possible, could you take these few from my family along too?”

　　The few youngsters of the Ji family stared eagerly at Lin Xuanzhi.

　　Lin Xuanzhi smiled, “No problem.”

　　Ji Yunwei smacked the shoulder of the Ji family pupil beside him. “Follow Young Master Lin properly and don’t be naughty!”

　　“Un un!”

　　The Duan family wasn’t far from the Lin family, but the ones standing with the Duan family were all people from elite families.

　　Duan Yuhao’s gaze swept past Yan Tianhen and he frowned with disgust. “Why is he in our Duan family’s team?”

　　Duan Yuyang glanced askance at him. “Honourable me asked him to come, do you have anything to say about that?”

　　Duan Yuhao was blocked by Duan Yuyang as soon as he was about to tell him what he wanted to say.

　　“Hold it in and don’t say it, I won’t listen anyways.”

　　Duan Yuhao, “…”

　　Damn it, he’s really annoyed with Duan Yuyang.

　　—