In fact, Shang Lin was just saying it casually, worried that the ghost bride would take the opportunity to run away again if Hu Tangdi went out with him, but since Ji Xiaoyao said so, he did not refuse.

The weather was already hot at the end of June, and with the sunny weather and not a breath of wind, it was even hotter. Fortunately, Shang Lin and "Old Man Chai" left early, otherwise they would have been covered in sweat in no time.

Shang Lin looked up at the azure sky and thought about the dream he had last night. Suddenly, he felt that he was still alive and breathing fresh air.

"Old Man Chai" looked at Shang Lin, puzzled, and asked, "What is the Sect Master looking at?"

Shang Lin casually remarked, "The air is so fresh, it feels so good." It's so good to be alive.

However, Shang Lin didn't say the last sentence. No matter what, Ji Xiaoyao was an inanimate object, so he shouldn't blurt out anything.

Looking at the sect leader's youthful appearance, Ji Xiaoyao remained silent for a while before asking, "The sect leader knows more about Qiu Niang than I do. Can you tell me?"

Shang Lin looked away from "Old Man Chai" and really wanted to say, "Actually, you came out with me to ask about this, right?"

However, "I know about Qiu Niang just as much as you do. What you don't know is the situation when we first met. At that time, I was a sickly person who stayed at home all day and never went out. But somehow, Qiu Niang started to haunt me in my dreams."

“What could I do back then? So I kept refusing. Then one day, Li Hongjin and I went to the county market. On our way home, we were kidnapped by Qiu Niang. I helped her get rid of her obsession and regain her senses. She then wholeheartedly wanted to follow me to repay my kindness. You know what happened after that. I just never expected that after going around in circles for hundreds of years, I would still be able to see the person who killed her back then.”

Old Man Chai's face instantly darkened. "How exactly did Qiu Niang die?"

Qiu Niang previously said that her husband allowed his concubine to bully and humiliate her, which is why she threw herself into the river in her wedding dress. But as the mistress of the general's mansion, what kind of humiliation did she endure that led her to drown herself?

Although it wasn't uncommon for people to favor concubines over wives in their time, most families wouldn't do that unless they were willing to sacrifice their reputation. But which aristocratic family didn't cherish their honor?

Therefore, even if Qiu Niang was not favored during her lifetime, it would not have shaken her position as the head mistress of the household, nor would she have committed suicide. There must be some unspeakable secret behind this.

Actually, Shang Lin didn't want to talk about Qiu Niang's cause of death, and if Ji Xiaoyao found out, wouldn't he riot on the spot? But if he didn't say anything, he was afraid that this person would dig into the matter.

In the end, Shang Lin could only compromise and say, "I don't know the specifics, but I guess she was so disheartened and lost all interest in life that she jumped into the river."

"Then why did she jump into the river wearing a red wedding dress?" Ji Xiaoyao did not believe Shang Lin's explanation. "There is a folk legend that if you die like that, you will become a vengeful ghost and wander the world seeking revenge."

Shang Lin hurriedly advised, "I think you shouldn't press the issue. No matter what, it's a huge scar in Qiu Niang's heart. Do you want to reopen it and make her bleed again? What we need to do now is help her do what she wants to do. If she's happy and doesn't turn into a monster, then we're all happy, right? I'll say it again: the past is past and should be forgotten. We need to look forward. What we want is a bright and beautiful new life and future, not the old past that has already rotted away with time."

Ji Xiaoyao, "..."

After a long pause, he said, "Compared to the sect leader, I am truly ashamed of myself."

Shang Lin smiled dismissively, "What's the point of comparing? You're blinded by your own involvement, while I'm a clear-headed observer. Besides, your love has remained unwavering for hundreds of years, so what am I? I'm just protecting the disciples of my sect."

Ji Xiaoyao suddenly said self-deprecatingly, "So what if the affection is as deep as the sea? You still can't protect anyone. Unlike you, Sect Master, you can protect whomever you want."

Shang Lin wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Ji Xiaoyao's words sounded a bit sarcastic. Did he think that he liked Qiu Niang? Goodness, that would be a huge misunderstanding.

Shang Lin hurriedly explained, "I am single-mindedly pursuing the Dao and seeking immortality. I never consider personal feelings, and I have always kept my distance from love and romance." So you can rest assured, okay?

Ji Xiaoyao was taken aback. "Has the Sect Master never liked anyone? And no one likes the Sect Master?"

Shang Lin replied honestly, "I've never liked anyone, but quite a few people have said they like me. I've never taken it seriously, though. After all, in the cultivation world, a place where you face the law of the jungle, there are very few people you can trust, and betrayal from close friends is commonplace. So I never bother with that. Is it because cultivation is bad, or immortality is bad? But everyone's pursuits are different, and I can't expect everyone to be like me."

After chatting with Shang Lin all the way, Ji Xiaoyao suddenly felt enlightened, but, "There's nothing I can do to help Qiu Niang in my current state. I hope she can wait for me."

Shang Lin looked at Ji Xiaoyao with amusement, "Qiu Niang is single now and has no admirers, so what are you worried about? Besides, it's summer vacation now, so I'll refine more pills to help Old Man Chai's internal injuries heal as soon as possible. That way, you won't have to worry about Old Man Chai's face and won't want to show your face in front of Qiu Niang."

"Thank you, Sect Master."

When Shang Lin and "Old Man Chai" returned home after shopping, Qiu Niang had already prepared lunch. He hurriedly washed his hands and ate, saying, "It's so good to eat as soon as I get home. Did those shoes have some kind of supernatural power?"

Hu Tangdi replied with particular bluntness, "If it causes trouble, can Qiu Niang still cook in peace? What did the sect leader buy?"

Shang Lin didn't hide anything, "The county is too small to buy all the things used in the physics and chemistry lab, so I don't know how powerful they will be. I'll have to try them out after I finish eating."

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what this had to do with physics and chemistry experiments. However, since the God Lord had always said that Shang Lin was a genius, everyone accepted the genius's thought process.

After finishing their meal, Shang Lin indeed started to get busy. Every now and then, a miniature lightning bolt would appear, and every now and then, a ball of fire would appear. After a while, everyone gathered around.

The deity hurriedly asked, "You really didn't do this with magic?"

Taking a moment from his busy schedule, Shang Lin replied, "What magic? This is a scientific experiment. We should believe in science. Haven't you seen what everyone online is saying, especially the Taoists who are talking about it the most?"

God, "..."

Although he prefers to be a "film critic," he still surfs the internet, so he believes in science. He had heard this before and knew that Taoists talked about it the most, but is science really that amazing?

After conducting a series of experiments, Shang Lin said with some regret, "As expected, the conditions still don't allow it. It seems I need to advance as soon as possible to make the area covered by the Dragon Spirit Tower larger."

The deity offered a perfunctory word of encouragement, "Then good luck." Don't you have any idea what's wrong with this body? It would be strange if you could progress quickly.