Chapter Thirty-One: A Gifted Painting—The Proud Plum Blossom in the Snow

As the medicinal pill was swallowed, Lin Fan secretly activated his system, beginning to expend his lifespan to help Su Xingyu break through her bottleneck.

[Ding! Consumed 10 years of lifespan to help Su Xingyu break through the ninth-layer Qi Refining bottleneck!]
[Host’s remaining lifespan: 260 years.]

As the lifespan was deducted, Su Xingyu felt a warm current rise from her dantian, rapidly coursing through her limbs and bones. The aura surrounding her began to climb rapidly.

In the courtyard, a flash of shock crossed the beautiful eyes of Ji Qingwan. She had originally assumed Lin Fan used some secret technique to help others break through; she had not expected it to rely on medicinal pills.

"Although I swallowed the pill that day, I encased it in spiritual energy so it wouldn't take effect. Could it be that simply swallowing it is enough to trigger the effect?" Ji Qingwan’s expression turned suspicious as she calculated in her heart. "Regardless, I must get my hands on more of these pills—the more, the better!"

Inside the room, Su Xingyu's breakthrough reached a critical moment. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, and her face turned pale. Finally, with a soft sound, the aura around Su Xingyu erupted, and a powerful spiritual pressure expanded outward. She had successfully broken through to the tenth layer of Qi Refining!

"Sister, brother-in-law, I am going back to stabilize my cultivation. I have to go to the Liu family tomorrow." Su Xingyu opened her eyes, full of joy, and rose to bid farewell to Lin Fan and Su Xingyue.

Once Su Xingyu left, Su Xingyue impatiently hugged Lin Fan’s arm, her eyes melting with desire. "Husband, look at this beautiful night; why don't we..."

Lin Fan chuckled and swept her up into his arms. "It seems last night’s punishment wasn't enough; tonight, I shall increase the intensity!"

"Oh, husband, you are so wicked..."

...

The next day, just as the sky began to brighten, Su Xingyue rose from bed and began to dress. "Husband, I must summon the elite disciples of the clan today to launch a surprise attack on the Liu family tonight. There is much to prepare."

"Sister, don't rush. I have something for you!" Lin Fan climbed out of bed and tapped his storage bag. With a flash of spiritual light, he produced a painting of ink-wash plum blossoms on white silk.

"This is..." Su Xingyue looked puzzled.

"This painting is titled *Cold Plums Proudly Facing the Snow*; I painted it when I was bored previously," Lin Fan said with a smile.

Su Xingyue did not understand why Lin Fan would give her a painting, though the canvas looked somewhat similar to the bedsheets Lin Fan used. Not dwelling on it, she tucked the scroll into her storage bag. She then leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Lin Fan’s cheek. "You are truly wonderful, husband. I will properly 'repay' you after dealing with the Liu family."

After Su Xingyue left, Lin Fan drifted back into a deep sleep, and it was well into the day before he was awakened by a gentle call. Opening his eyes, he saw Bai Xiyue standing by the bed, holding an exquisite food box that emitted an enticing aroma.

"Young Master, you are awake." Bai Xiyue’s voice was soft, like the melodic chirping of an oriole.

"My master has just summoned all the elite disciples above the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Su Yun, Su Fei, and the others from our courtyard have all gone. Naturally, I should have gone as well, but my master told me to stay and look after you."

As she spoke, she took the food from the box and arranged it on the table. Lin Fan rubbed his sleepy eyes, nodded, and picked up the hot porridge Bai Xiyue handed him, sipping it slowly. The porridge was fragrant, smooth, and had a subtle sweetness that invigorated his spirit.

"They plan to launch a surprise attack on the Liu family tonight. You should slip away in the chaos," Lin Fan said slowly after swallowing a mouthful of porridge, his gaze fixed on Bai Xiyue.

Hearing this, a look of joyful surprise instantly bloomed on Bai Xiyue’s face. She asked eagerly, "Young Master, then... where shall I find you?" Her voice trembled, clearly overcome with excitement.

"The Su family is in the far north of Linjiang City, and the Liu family is in the far east. When the fighting starts, most of their people will be gathered in the east or north." Lin Fan set down his bowl and began to analyze the situation for her. "I was passing through here on my way to take the imperial examinations when I was captured by the Su family. I remember there is a dilapidated temple outside the southern gate; I stayed there for a night when I passed through before."

Lin Fan recalled the scene and continued, "You shall wait for me at that ruined temple!" He looked at Bai Xiyue, a glint of cunning in his eyes.

If he were to leave with Bai Xiyue after the Su and Liu families started fighting, they would be too conspicuous and easily discovered. Furthermore, if he brought her along, she would be a burden; he did not want to be slowed down by a hanger-on if he had to defend himself in a crisis. It was better to have her hide first so he could act freely and go all out.

As for "Su Qian," who was actually Ji Qingwan in disguise, she had long since vanished, likely off to finalize her own plans. Lin Fan guessed as much, but he did not care; he only wanted to leave this godforsaken place as soon as possible.

After Bai Xiyue left, Lin Fan went into the small courtyard. He tapped his storage bag, and with a flash of light, a flying sword appeared in the air. The blade was cold and sharp, as if forged from frozen frost.

This sword was named "Frost-Congealer," a gift given to him by Ji Qingwan when they first met. It appeared to be a magical tool she had used previously, possessing considerable power. Lin Fan had not used it since obtaining it, as he had been concealing his true cultivation.

Tonight, the Su family would launch their surprise attack on the Liu family. Although Lin Fan possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was still very unfamiliar with magical tools and spells. Taking advantage of the free time, he decided to familiarize himself with the tool to be prepared for any danger.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and centered his focus on his dantian, casting his divine sense over the Frost-Congealer sword. With a light flick of his finger, he commanded, "Go!"

The sword seemed to come alive, emitting a clear ringing sound as it transformed into a streak of light, darting out like lightning.

*Whoosh!*

The sword light traced a graceful arc through the air, carrying a fierce killing intent as it headed straight for the bluestone sculpture in the courtyard.

*Slice!*

With a light sound, the bluestone sculpture was severed at the waist, the cut as smooth as a mirror, without a single jagged edge. The Frost-Congealer sword did not lose its momentum; it circled in the air once before landing steadily back in Lin Fan’s hand.

Lin Fan gasped. The power of the flying sword was even greater than he had imagined. "Excellent, truly excellent!" he praised, his eyes full of delight.

He flicked his finger, injecting spiritual power into the hovering Frost-Congealer. The blade trembled, emitting a clear, joyful chime as if it were cheering. As his thoughts shifted, the sword darted nimbly through the courtyard, at times like a meteor streaking across the sky, and at others like a spirit snake winding through the air. The sword light flashed, stirring up gusts of wind.

After nearly half an hour, Lin Fan stopped, a satisfied smile on his face. Through this practice, he had learned to control the Frost-Congealer as easily as his own arm.

He stored the sword and flipped his hand, revealing a deep blue shield. The shield was no larger than a palm, crystalline and translucent, as if carved from a massive sapphire. Waves rippled across its surface, and faint runes flickered, exuding a subtle aquatic aura.

This was the defensive artifact he had obtained from Ji Qingwan yesterday through a small ruse—the Profound Water Shield. The shield was of the same rank as the Frost-Congealer, both being mid-grade magical tools. As the name suggested, the Profound Water Shield was renowned for its defense. The body was forged from deep-sea profound iron fused with thousand-year cold crystal, making it incredibly durable.

Engraved upon it was a water-gathering formation, capable of absorbing water spiritual energy from heaven and earth to form an impenetrable barrier of water. It was said to be capable of withstanding a full-force strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator.