Bizarre Cultivation: Starting from Being Beaten Up by Reality

Chapter 128 Maolin Li Family

Watching Li Quwan sway her hips as she left, Lin Fan finally gave up, closed his eyes, and let his consciousness guide him away.

When Lin Fan opened his eyes again, he smelled the fragrance of grass. Looking up, he found himself in a lush forest.

I touched my body and found it was completely smooth.

Lin Fan covered himself with his hands and walked to the small riverbank. He had been fighting all along and was both hungry and thirsty. He couldn't help but scoop up some water and drink it. The water was clear and sweet, which made Lin Fan feel comfortable and clear-headed.

He then realized that his body should still be in the prison, and he shouldn't have eaten anything strange just now, right?

Thinking back, the empty cell had nothing to drink, and Lin Fan's hands and feet were bound, which actually made it easier for him to move around. He felt a little more at ease, but he repeatedly warned himself that he couldn't eat or drink anymore.

Logically, being bound in reality would affect his movement in the strange realm, but since he is temporarily the master of the Red Robe Curse and has rich experience, he can move freely in this strange realm.

Lin Fan looked down at his reflection in the river. He hadn't transformed into anyone else; he was still Lin Fan, only slightly younger, around twenty-five or twenty-six, and the scars on his face were gone. Lin Fan didn't understand why he was this age. Could it be related to his current state of mind?

But why am I here? What exactly is this place?

Lin Fan carefully recalled his plan. If there were no mistakes, it should have been his clone who cursed the Li family patriarch. This time was different from the time he dealt with the Mo Sect Bodhisattva. After that curse, the Bodhisattva, whose physical body had become a saint, cracked open and shattered into pieces after a while.

Could it be that the Red-Clothed Curse couldn't handle this on its own, so it dragged me into it? Or does the Li family patriarch have some countermeasure?

In short, to completely resolve the Li family's troubles, the Li family patriarch must be eliminated in this treacherous place. If he can't eliminate him here, then Lin Fan might as well just start over.

Hearing a gnawing sound, Lin Fan was startled and crouched down to sneak closer.

Before Lin Fan could get close, he heard footsteps, and then a shadow darted out from the bushes.

Lin Fan looked in the direction the shadow had come from. In an open space, a person lay in a pool of blood. The person was dressed in ordinary peasant clothes. His neck had been bitten open, and he was dead. Then his stomach had been torn open, and the inside was a bloody mess.

It's a typical scene of a wild animal eating a human; the animal would definitely eat the most nutritious internal organs first.

Footsteps approached, and several men dressed similarly and carrying hoes surrounded them. These men were not indistinguishable from one another, except that a few had animals with them; one had a monkey perched on his shoulder, and another had a dog beside him. They looked somewhat like farmers and somewhat like animal jugglers, a strange mix.

The middle-aged man leading the group frowned and said, "This is the seventh one. What kind of beast is it that keeps harming people on my Li family's territory? And it always arrives too late!"

This man had piercing eyes, and although he was dressed simply, he possessed an indescribable air of authority.

Lin Fan stared at him closely, scrutinizing him. The Li family, was it that Li family? But these people didn't look like members of the Li family at all.

Moreover, if you look closely at this person's features, he seems to resemble the patriarch of the Li family. Could this be a picture of him when he was young?

These people efficiently disposed of the body and went back.

Lin Fan naturally wanted to follow them and see what was going on, but he couldn't just go to a populated area naked. Forget about being followed; he'd be lucky if he wasn't mistaken for a pervert and beaten to death.

Having already entered and exited the bizarre realm multiple times, Lin Fan skillfully closed his eyes and began to imagine it.

When he emerged from the woods, Lin Fan was wearing a dark green Taoist robe, embroidered on the back with a ferocious beast, its teeth bared, its body resembling a dog, and its eyes wide with rage. This was a dog-skin Taoist robe that Lin Fan knew all too well; even with slight differences in details, no one outside the Xuanmen sect would be able to tell the difference. He had even added a goatee and a whisk to his hand. With his handsome features, calm gaze, and the slightly more imposing mustache, anyone who came would have to address him as "Taoist Master."

Being in a treacherous place, and having given himself this identity, Lin Fan naturally needed a convenient one to approach the Lin family and then find a way to locate the Li family patriarch.

Anyway, Lin Fan wasn't afraid that the Xuanmen's legal department would fly in from the real world in a helicopter to sue him for infringement.

He held his head high and caught up with the men carrying the corpse.

He merely leaned closer to examine them, and the group immediately stopped, awkwardly bowing and saying, "Master, what can we do for you?"

Seeing how polite they were to the people of the Xuanmen sect, Lin Fan felt much more at ease and performed a standard Daoist salute with considerable poise. Having been a disciple for two days, Lin Fan only knew how to put on a show.

Lin Fan said quietly, "How pitiful. Would you like me to perform a ritual to help him pass on to the afterlife?"

Just as the leader of the Li family was about to say something, Lin Fan waved his whisk and made a hand seal to stop him from continuing. "Wait a moment, benefactor. Let me perform a divination."

After saying this, Lin Fan held the whisk in one hand, made a hand seal, and quickly counted with the other hand. His lips kept moving, his eyes were closed, and his expression kept changing.

As a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead, Lin Fan suddenly opened his eyes. "Are you from the Li family? Including this one, seven people in your family have been murdered recently?"

The leader of the Li family frowned slightly, but the others around him were already shocked and blurted out in unison, "How did the Taoist priest know that?"

How else could they know? By eavesdropping.

Lin Fan waved his hand, "It's just a trivial skill."

Then he said seriously, "Actually, there is a spirit living in your house, and all these misfortunes are caused by it. If you don't mind, may I come to your house to take a look? Don't worry, I won't accept money."

Upon hearing the last few words, the leader of the Li family finally relaxed and cupped his hands, saying, "Then we'll have to trouble you, Daoist Master."

Lin Fan was overjoyed. It worked! They believed him!

Damn it, how did I become so skilled!

After leaving Lin Fan in a reception hall, the Li family members went off to carry the body away.

Lin Fan sat at the head of the guest seats on the left, seemingly sipping his tea unhurriedly, but in reality, he hadn't drunk a drop and was somewhat anxious. Time generally flows more slowly in this strange realm than in reality, but each situation is different. He wasn't too concerned about being in prison, but he hoped someone from the Li family patriarch would come to rescue him as soon as possible.

Looking around, rows of tall stilted houses formed a circle, enclosing this small town. Although the area was lush with water and grass, and there were many fertile fields along the road, the air was indeed more humid than in Xintai County. I didn't know exactly why. I had never heard of such a place around Xintai in real life.

Lin Fan is currently in the reception hall next to the ancestral hall, and there should be another opportunity to meet the person who is suspected to be the patriarch of the Li family.

Just then, the man hurriedly walked in from outside, bowed to Lin Fan, and said, "I am Li Gengjin, and I am now the head of the Li family of Maolin. May I ask how you should address me?"

Lin Fan rose leisurely and bowed. He was taken aback when the other party asked his name. He paused for a moment and slowly said, "This humble Taoist is Yun Xiangzi."

The two exchanged formal greetings and took their seats according to their status as host and guest.

Li Gengjin didn't seem to be a very polite person, and asked directly, "The Taoist priest said he was willing to rid my family of the scourge, but then said he wouldn't accept money. What is the Taoist priest after?"

He was dressed like a simple, honest farmer, but his eyes were bright and piercing, staring at Lin Fan as if he could see right through his soul.

Lin Fan pretended to drink tea, thinking to himself, "This head of the family is very cautious. Although he doesn't have those cunning schemes, he doesn't believe I would do things for them for free. Now I have to persuade him properly, no, I have to explain the concept of fate to him."

Lin Fan put down his teacup, frowned, and said, "Actually, I have calculated that your family has a malevolent spirit that has a connection with me. If you can capture it, I can take it with me. Anyway, your family has no use for this beast. Oh, but if you want to perform a ritual to help the souls of the unjustly deceased, I will charge you extra money."

Li Gengjin pondered these words carefully and found them quite reasonable. He was unwilling to believe that he could say anything for free, but he still decided to ask to the end: "What is this 'Nether Spirit' that you mentioned, Daoist? To be honest, my family also has some cultivation, and ordinary little ghosts don't dare to cause trouble in my house."

Lin Fan really wanted to ask what kind of cultivation the Li family possessed. The methods he had seen used to transform people into harmful beasts were probably of the Li family's level. However, as a person of high status, asking such a question would seem like showing weakness, so he pretended not to care about the matter and continued, "I don't know the true form of this beast either, but in short, it will be harmful to your family. Since this thing belongs to your family, even if you don't want me to take it away later, I have nothing to say."

Hearing this, Li Gengjin finally felt a little relieved. He wasn't afraid of the Taoist priest using force, but he was afraid that the priest would use tricks to deceive him, which was why he was so wary. "Regarding this Netherworld Spirit, do you have any clues?"

Lin Fan finally got to hear this question, and solemnly replied, "I don't know if I've arrived at the right time. I only know that this Nether Spirit is related to your family's Black Dragon."

After saying that, Lin Fan's back was already soaked with sweat. This was his only clue to finding the Li family patriarch. If the Li family didn't have the Black Dragon, things would be very difficult.

Li Gengjin was truly shocked. His lips trembled for a long time before he could speak, "Daoist, is it true that you possess the art of divination? My apologies, Daoist, your wisdom is astounding. You even knew about my Black Dragon. Or is it that you are actually a disciple of the Ghost Valley Daoist?"

What Ghost Valley? Lin Fan had never heard of it, but he knew he couldn't answer casually. "My master said I can't mention his name outside."

Li Gengjin was stunned for a moment, not understanding whether this was an admission or a denial, but he didn't dare to ask any further. So he called out to the outside, "Li Qing, bring my two sons over."

Soon after, two children, around ten years old, were brought over, each with a dog.

The moment Lin Fan saw the black dog, he was overjoyed; it was truly an unexpected and delightful surprise.

Li Gengjin dismissed Li Qing and went outside. After closing the door, he said to Lin Fan, "Daoist, these are my eldest son, Li Youtian, and Heilong. These are my second son, Li Youshui, and Bailong."

Lin Fan didn't care whether it was a white dragon or a regular dragon; his eyes were fixed on Li Youtian. Li Youtian, right? So powerful? So arrogant?

Look at you, you're not even as tall as a carriage wheel, and you're a black dragon just like that Pomeranian. You're going to fall into my hands this time.

Regardless of the breed of the dog, the black one really looks exactly like a Pomeranian. I never imagined it would turn out like that.

Seeing Lin Fan in a daze, Li Gengjin asked, "Daoist, have you noticed anything?"

Lin Fan quickly changed the subject, "I only knew about the black dragon, I didn't know your family also had a white dragon, your family is truly blessed."

Li Gengjin smiled wryly, but the Taoist priest's honesty and lack of boasting about his omniscience made him trust him a bit more.

Li Gengjin asked, "Daoist Master, how do you plan to find that Netherworld Spirit?"

Why bother looking for anything else? Just take down Li Youtian and Heilong together.

Although Lin Fan really wanted to do it, he had no reason to attack someone else's young master, and if he failed to succeed, he would be surrounded and attacked.

It's important to understand that the timing chosen by the mysterious entity is never arbitrary; something that is closely related to the Li family patriarch is bound to happen next.

Another point is that Lin Fan cannot be completely certain that Li Youtian is the ancestor of the Li family. After all, relying solely on the Black Dragon's judgment could lead to a mistake, which would be quite amusing.

Lin Fan pondered for a moment and replied, "If it's convenient, I can have a chat with the two young masters for a while; perhaps we can find some clues." Yes, as long as their identities can be confirmed.

Li Gengjin readily agreed, "However, today's schedule is very tight. The time is almost up to perform a ritual for the deceased Li Ming. Also, today is the day for all the young disciples to assess their cultivation progress. After these two matters are settled, I will naturally follow the Daoist's arrangements."

Assessing the cultivation progress of young disciples? Lin Fan, having transmigrated to this era, never expected to hear of such a serious event. If the situation weren't urgent, he would have been genuinely curious and wanted to take a closer look.

Li Gengjin cupped his hands and said, "We will have to trouble you with the ritual for the deceased, Taoist priest. We will pay according to the rules."

Although Lin Fan was surprised that someone would perform a ritual immediately after someone died, he figured that perhaps it was their custom, and he shouldn't ask too many questions about things that weren't relevant to him.

Following Li Gengjin to the mourning hall, Li Youtian and Li Youshui also came along with their black and white Pomeranians. Lin Fan kept an eye on Li Youtian the whole way; the guy held his head high and chest out, just like his dog, with his nostrils pointing straight at people.

As for Li Youshui, he was very polite. Sometimes when Lin Fan glanced at him, he would smile at him, appearing very courteous, which made people feel very comfortable.

Upon arriving at the mourning hall, a disciple dressed in a robe was already waiting. Seeing Lin Fan's dog-skin Taoist robe, he quickly and respectfully stepped forward, "Greetings, Uncle-Master! This disciple is Huang Haozi, a disciple of Master Wei Huo of the Sanyi Temple. May I ask where Uncle-Master has come from?"

Lin Fan's eyelids twitched. Oh no, he had run into the real deal. He had no choice but to play along and gave a slight bow. "I have long heard of Daoist Wei Huo's skillful cultivation and his widespread blessings. It is only a pity that I have never had the opportunity to discuss the Dharma with him in person."

Huang Haozi sized up Lin Fan but did not suspect anything. "Since Uncle-Master is here, I will trouble you to preside over the ceremony. I will follow your orders."

Lin Fan looked at the prepared mourning hall and the magical artifacts that Huang Haozi had brought.

What should I do? I really don't know how to do this!