Chapter 68: The Sorcerer Physician of the Southern Frontier

Right after that, Ning Yurou asked many more questions about Ye Aotian. After all, she had known little about him before, but was now able to gather quite a bit of information from Lin Li. As their conversation went on, Ning Yurou found herself increasingly intrigued by Ye Aotian. At the same time, she began to believe that much of what Lin Li had said was likely true. After all, his understanding of Ye Aotian was nothing short of exhaustive.

Lin Li could anticipate Ye Aotian’s decisions in various situations, as if he already knew the outcome in advance. Because of this, Ning Yurou’s perception of Ye Aotian shifted, and she also began to see Lin Li in a new light. Although she still didn’t know how he had acquired all this knowledge, the fact that he was bold enough to speak so openly suggested that his understanding ran deep.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “I’ll deal with Ye Aotian properly. If he really intends to control me by these means, I’ll make sure all his hopes come to nothing.”

Although it was still unclear what Ye Aotian’s next move would be, the advance knowledge that Ning Yurou now had could only benefit her. After receiving her definite response, Lin Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as they had suspected, these matters would prove far more complicated than anticipated, and the final outcome was beyond anyone’s guess.

Very few people knew about this private meeting between Lin Li and Ning Yurou. He was well aware that Ye Aotian would be watching his every move, so he had gone to great lengths to disguise himself. Even if Ye Aotian was suspicious, he would have no idea that his little schemes had already been exposed to Ning Yurou.

Thus, when Ye Aotian tried to show off in front of Ning Yurou, he would unwittingly make a fool of himself. Though the approach was a bit ruthless, Lin Li knew it was the only option under the current circumstances. If he wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had to be prepared for the unexpected.

Just as Lin Li had said, these matters weren’t so complex after all—one only needed to investigate carefully to find the underlying threads. After parting ways with Lin Li, Ning Yurou immediately began a thorough investigation into Ye Aotian’s recent activities.

The results, however, left Ning Yurou astonished. Just as Lin Li had predicted, Ye Aotian’s intentions became clear through his actions. Even Ning Yurou now believed Ye Aotian to be far from a good person. From the moment he arrived in River City, he had been making waves everywhere. It seemed, just as Lin Li had said, that his ambitions extended well beyond the Leng family.

On the other side, Lin Li lay with his head resting on Su Lan’s lap. As she gently massaged his scalp, she also popped peeled grapes into his mouth.

“I heard you went to meet Ning Yurou,” she said. “The eldest daughter of the Ning family isn’t so easy to handle. She may look simple and innocent, but no one knows what she’s capable of behind closed doors. You’ve seen her methods for yourself.”

Lin Li chuckled. “Of course I know. The Ning family’s eldest daughter is more resourceful than we ever imagined. But Ye Aotian failed to gain any advantage from the Leng family this time, and he won’t be able to target Leng Ningxue again any time soon. That means he’ll have to set his sights elsewhere. Among the four great families, Ning Yurou is now the most suitable target.”

If Lin Li remembered correctly, the Ning family was about to face a major crisis. He still wasn’t sure whether Ye Aotian was behind it, but in any case, this incident would serve to bring Ning Yurou and Ye Aotian together—unless, of course, Lin Li interfered and disrupted Ye Aotian’s plans. Now that he had intervened, the ultimate outcome was anyone’s guess.

Seeing Lin Li’s confident demeanor, Su Lan nodded in agreement. “It seems you already have a thorough grasp of these affairs and know exactly how to handle them.”

She had been reminding Lin Li again and again because she was worried he might let his emotions cloud his judgment. But now it seemed he was more level-headed than she had feared.

“Don’t worry,” said Lin Li. “The Ning family alone can’t threaten me. Besides, their top priority right now is dealing with Ye Aotian. I doubt Ning Yurou will break with him—on the contrary, she’s likely to try to extract more from his side.”

With a cold snort, Lin Li dismissed the matter from his mind. Lately, he’d been studying the secret arts of the Southern Frontier, a gift from the system. At first, he had been completely ignorant in this area, but upon seeing the contents, he realized he’d truly stumbled upon a treasure.

These secret techniques were highly peculiar, containing a wealth of knowledge, including the famed Southern Gu arts. There were many branches under this discipline. Anyone with prior knowledge would have heard of another profession in this world: the Gu Doctor.

Unlike traditional Chinese medicine, Gu Doctors employed seemingly unconventional methods. Yet it was undeniable that, at times, they surpassed even the most skilled physicians. Most importantly, Gu Doctors excelled not only in healing, but also in the arts of poison and assassination.

For Lin Li, this was vital. He needed to increase his strength; only then could he hope to deal with Ye Aotian once and for all. Otherwise, as long as there was a disparity in their power, he would be doomed. With Ye Aotian’s abilities, if he ever caught so much as a whiff of opportunity, he would not hesitate to kill Lin Li.

The only reason he hadn’t done so yet was because he knew the odds were too slim.

“I do have a project in mind,” Lin Li said. “Sister Lan, although we’ve already taken over most of the Qin family’s assets, if we don’t make some changes, it’ll still be difficult to fully control them.”

Though the two of them had cleared away most obstacles, the road ahead remained treacherous.