In a small courtyard near the city lord's mansion.
Seven people stood in front of the door. Besides Li Yongyuan and his nephew, there were five other cultivators, one of whom was a middle-aged cultivator whose aura was superior to Li Hongfu's; he was clearly a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The other four were mostly young men, dressed in elegant attire and possessing extraordinary bearing. Their cultivation levels were all above the late stage of Qi Refining, with two of them reaching the peak of Qi Refining!
They are probably the people with powerful backgrounds that Manager Chen mentioned on this trip.
Li Yongyuan, with his sharp eyes, spotted Qin Suwan walking down the street and his face lit up with joy, showing a hint of elation.
He originally intended to take Qin Suwan with him when they left, hoping to use this opportunity to capture her.
However, because he had recently caused trouble and was involved with the Chen family, Li Hongfu was furious and naturally could not let him act recklessly, so he flatly refused.
This left Li Yongyuan feeling quite frustrated and somewhat dejected.
Upon seeing Qin Suwan, one can imagine Li Yongyuan's excitement, feeling as if it were all preordained.
"Hahaha, we're really destined to meet, you can't escape my grasp!"
Li Yongyuan was overjoyed and couldn't help but start walking.
However, the next moment, his gaze fell upon the person beside Qin Suwan, and he was instantly stunned, as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
The joy on Li Yongyuan's face vanished without a trace, his expression turned somewhat grim, and he turned to Li Hongfu and whispered something to him...
...
"Li Yongyuan? He's here too..."
Lin Xiuyuan's expression was somewhat unpleasant. Deacon Chen had already informed him about the ambush that day.
At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, but when he thought that the person in charge of this trip was a good friend of Deacon Chen, he forced himself to calm down.
Furthermore, this is likely the only chance to escape the storm, and it is obviously impossible to give it up just because of some fear.
Lin Xiuyuan paused slightly, then stepped forward with a normal expression.
"Greetings, esteemed seniors."
Among the group, Lin Xiuyuan and his companions had the lowest cultivation levels. Only Qin Suwan was of comparable ability, at the ninth level of Qi Refining, similar to the two young cultivators among them.
At this moment.
With a kind expression, Li Hongfu led Li Yongyuan straight toward Lin Xiuyuan.
Lin Xiuyuan suppressed his unease, his face remaining impassive, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"Greetings, Senior, Fellow Daoist Li!"
"Master Lin, is it convenient for us to say a few words?"
Li Hongfu said with a smile.
Lin Xiuyuan felt a slight tightness in his heart, and immediately gave a dry laugh, "It is my honor to be invited by a senior."
Liao Cai'er couldn't help but take Lin Xiuyuan's hand and ask in a low voice, "What's wrong, Brother Xiuyuan? Is there trouble?"
"It's alright, don't worry!" Lin Xiuyuan patted the back of her hand and turned to smile.
Although he was also uneasy about this, it was mainly due to the faint spiritual pressure emanating from the Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Deacon Chen had told him that he had already taken care of the matter and that he didn't need to worry about it.
Judging from Li Hongfu's expression, he didn't seem to want to cause him any trouble.
Since Deacon Chen still arranged for him to join the evacuation team, there shouldn't be any problems.
Or... Deacon Chen didn't know that the uncle and nephew were also among them?
Overwhelmed by the power of the Foundation Establishment cultivator, Lin Xiuyuan felt uneasy, his thoughts wandering.
Upon arriving before Li Hongfu, Lin Xiuyuan suppressed his unease and cupped his hands, saying, "What are your instructions, Senior?"
"Young friend Lin, there's no need to stand on ceremony. I've heard a bit about your talent in talismanic arts, but seeing it in person truly proves that reputation is no substitute for reality. Now that I see you, young friend Lin, you are indeed a young and outstanding talent."
With a smile on his face, Li Hongfu said amiably, then said meaningfully, "I didn't expect that we would leave together. It's good that we can look after each other on the way. It's best to resolve any conflicts first."
Lin Xiuyuan's expression shifted slightly, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Yes, it's truly fate. However, senior is too kind; you flatter me too much. As for this conflict, perhaps Fellow Daoist Li has some misunderstanding about me?"
"There's no need for an apology, it's not necessary. Since Steward Chen said it's nothing, then it's nothing. Senior Li, you don't need to worry about it. I certainly won't hold it against you. It's more important to leave the market now."
After exchanging pleasantries, upon hearing Lin Xiuyuan mention Deacon Chen, Li Hongfu's face immediately darkened. However, this wasn't directed at Lin Xiuyuan; instead, he turned to Li Yongyuan behind him and angrily rebuked him:
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to young friend Lin! You will never be able to catch up with such a genius in the art of talismans. How could you be so blind as to not recognize such a great person and do something so offensive?"
"Make amends properly, and maybe Master Lin can give you some pointers in the future. You really don't know what's good for you."
Upon seeing this, Lin Xiuyuan's throat moved, but he immediately stopped talking.
Since this Foundation Establishment cultivator wants his cooperation, can he really say no?
In an instant, Lin Xiuyuan's gaze returned to calm, and he shifted his attention to Li Yongyuan.
Li Yongyuan showed no embarrassment. Having already been warned several times beforehand, he immediately followed suit, a look of guilt appearing on his face. He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said with his hands clasped:
"Master Lin, I'm so sorry for causing you some trouble. I was also out of my mind before. As the saying goes, beauty is a curse, and it can make people lose their minds. I've come to my senses now, and thankfully, I didn't make a big mistake."
"I will not get close to Qin Suwan in the future. A talented man deserves a beautiful woman. Only a genius in the art of talismanry like Master Lin is the right person for such a woman."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuyuan's lips twitched involuntarily.
For a moment, Lin Xiuyuan was confused by Li Yongyuan's attitude. Was it because he hadn't made his words clear enough that day... or was he just going to continue acting like this?
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