There are many things that Old Man Chai can't tell Shang Lin, or even can't tell him. But this time, his illness isn't because he's worried about money, but because he can't stay in his hometown for too long, lest he be discovered.

Although Shang Lin will go to bigger and farther places after his studies, there are so many cities to avoid, and that's at least a few years from now. He's older, so it will be relatively easier for him to handle things.

So, when faced with Shang Lin's words, Old Man Chai could only make excuses for himself, "Sigh, I didn't expect it to be this serious. I thought it would be fine after a few days of rest. I guess you can't deny getting old. If I were a few years younger... never mind, nobody gets younger as they get older."

"Then they won't cause you any more trouble, right?"

In fact, Shang Lin didn't quite understand Old Man Chai's lament about getting old. After all, he himself had never experienced it, but he had seen a lot about birth, aging, sickness, and death. Moreover, he was more worried about Old Man Chai's future safety than about these things.

But Old Man Chai said calmly, "No, they don't live in the same place and never even see each other, so what kind of conflict could there be? Besides, they'll understand after this that it's normal to retire when you get old."

Shang Lin paused for a moment, then suddenly wondered if Old Man Chai's colleagues, or perhaps his fellow apprentices, were treating him this way because of him? Taking his adopted son to recuperate in the mountains…

For some reason, Shang Lin suddenly felt that Old Man Chai wasn't telling the whole truth, but if that were the real reason, he would never have said it to her.

So Shang Lin didn't ask, only saying, "I'll go buy food after I finish this bottle of medicine."

Looking at the medicine bottle with a pained expression, Old Man Chai asked, "You must have spent a lot of money again?"

Shang Lin's already tense face, which hadn't fully recovered, became serious again, but he didn't say anything and just silently looked at Old Man Chai.

Old Man Chai immediately smiled and compromised, "Alright, alright, it's all Godfather's fault. I will definitely take good care of myself and stop worrying about money."

"That's more like it."

"Hehe, you little rascal, why are you acting like a little adult?"

Shang Lin really wanted to say, "I'm not small at all." But in the end, he could only remain silent.

Grandpa Chai fell asleep again when the IV drip was almost finished. I wonder how he managed to get around for the past week. But he woke up when the needle was removed.

Knowing that he would have to stay in the hospital for observation for another day, Old Man Chai's expression was somewhat interesting, but in the end he didn't say anything about feeling sorry for the money. However, Shang Lin understood completely.

When Shang Lin went out to buy food, he also bought some talisman-drawing supplies. They were really crude. Although money was one factor, these things were scarce in a small county town. He just treated them as practice tools for himself.

Besides these, Shang Lin also bought incense, which was of poor quality and expensive. As for funeral supplies, they were not to his liking, so he could only buy raw materials to make them himself and then burn them for Ji Xiaoyao and the others.

There are only a few residents in the Dragon Spirit Tower, so we can't favor one over the other. But what should we buy for the God Lord? Shang Lin really had no idea. After all, he had seen far too many things, and ordinary things didn't catch his eye. In the end, he decided to buy him some modern snacks.

In fact, Shang Lin didn't really have a concept of snacks. After all, he had never eaten them, and in the cultivation world, someone of his level of cultivation no longer needed food, let alone had any appetite.

However, the money from selling mountain products seems substantial, but once you start spending it, it's really... not enough at all!

When Shang Lin returned with the lunchbox, a sudden downpour began. Fortunately, he had run a distance before the rain started and avoided getting soaked. However, once the clouds covered the sky, it became dark.

Old Chai was getting a little anxious waiting in the ward, so he went out to pick up the person. However, people who have had a high fever are usually weak, so he walked very slowly. At this time, there was basically no one in the hospital. The people who had finished their shifts had left, and the people on duty were eating. It was very quiet.

When Shang Lin saw Old Man Chai, he paused and immediately released Ji Xiaoyao. His expression was so serious it was almost frightening, and his voice was so cold, “Your food is here, don’t be shy.”

Hospitals are places where life and death are, in a sense, intertwined, so it's not surprising that some things happen there. As long as everyone keeps to themselves, it's fine, but...

There was someone so blind as to provoke Old Man Chai, and dared to harm him because of his weak health. Shang Lin was already in a bad mood, and now this person had really crossed the line. How could he tolerate this?

Ji Xiaoyao had been keeping a low profile ever since he started following Shang Lin, but upon hearing what he said, he rushed over like the wind. It was as if a cold wind had swept by, making even an ordinary person like Old Man Chai shiver.

Shang Lin hurriedly stepped forward, took Old Man Chai's arm, and led him towards the ward. "Godfather, why did you come out? You still have a slight fever; you should be resting in bed."

Old Man Chai pulled his shirt tighter around his T-shirt. "I was a little worried because you haven't come back for so long. Why did you take so long? Didn't you find a place to buy food?"

"Well, although it's not my first time here, I'm not very familiar with the surroundings." After saying that, he put down the boxed lunch and smiled apologetically, "I've been looking for so long and this is all I could buy. Godfather, you can barely eat this."

"What's so difficult about eating a boxed lunch?" Old Chai smiled as he opened the boxed lunch, then looked out the window. "This rain is really heavy, but summer rain comes and goes quickly. Let's eat."

"good."

After dinner, Old Man Chai fell asleep again, a result of both physical weakness and the effects of the medicine. Shang Lin stood by the window, looking at the dark sky outside. He seemed to understand why the things lurking in the hospital had become bolder; something outside was affecting them.

However, with such thin spiritual energy and rare natural treasures in the human realm, it is not easy for any type of cultivator to advance. I'm afraid their final outcome will be the same as mine.

Shang Lin hurriedly went to find Ji Xiaoyao. At this time, it was not appropriate for everyone in the Dragon Spirit Tower to be outside. He had not noticed the strange phenomenon in the sky before, and he hoped that it was not too late now.

As Shang Lin stepped out of the ward, he saw a man in dark green overalls. He looked to be around twenty years old, but his complexion was terrible, as pale as Old Man Chai, who had a high fever earlier that day.

But as soon as he saw Shang Lin, he asked, "The rain outside is really heavy. I wonder if there's a dragon?"

Shang Lin paused. "Tai Feng?! How could I possibly run into this?!" He replied seriously, "You don't look well. You should call a doctor quickly."

The man's face paled even more, and he almost lost his balance, but he suddenly reached out and grabbed Shang Lin's arm, asking urgently, "Brother, is it normal that there are no dragons in such heavy rain?"

Shang Lin grabbed the man's arm with his other hand, stabilizing his swaying body, and sighed softly, "You're trying to break through without any preparation. Do you want to be annihilated? Even if I told you what you wanted, it would only hasten your annihilation."

The man stared at Shang Lin in astonishment. Just moments ago, Shang Lin's eyes had been human, but now they resembled eerie, beastly pupils. "You..."