radiothebook Chapter 49 What you want to buy is not a courtyard, but a heavenly palace!
Chapter 49 What you want to buy is not a courtyard, but a heavenly palace!
Lin Fan lay in the courtyard for two more days.
These past two days have been the most comfortable he's had since he got the system.
I sleep until the sun is high in the sky every day, and then I take a stroll around the yard.
He looked at the old locust tree that was about to lift the roof off, and then at the ancient tea tree that was radiant with light and color, and whose leaves seemed to contain a great path.
When he got hungry, he asked Fang Qingxue to cook.
When thirsty, I would casually pluck a few tender tea leaves and brew a pot with the Yaochi Ten Thousand Years of Mysterious Ice Spring.
Just one bite, and you feel your spiritual realm rise to a new level.
He could feel that his mental power had expanded to an unbelievable level.
Wherever his thoughts took hold, the entire capital city was under his control.
He could clearly hear every sound in the alley—which couple was arguing, whose child had been beaten.
This feeling is wonderful.
It was as if I had transformed from an ordinary person who could only see the small patch of land in front of me into a chess player who could overlook the entire chessboard.
Of course, Lin Fan had absolutely no interest in prying into other people's privacy.
He preferred to use this ability... to listen to operas.
At this moment, he had moved a small stool and was sitting leisurely at the entrance of the courtyard, sipping fragrant tea while listening with great interest to the game being played in the chess and card room at the entrance of the alley.
Several old men argued heatedly, their faces flushed and spittle flying, over whether or not they should "cross the river" for a single "shot".
"Hey, Mr. Zhang, your chess etiquette is really bad. You've already taken back three moves." Lin Fan muttered in a low voice, and even gave a few serious comments.
Fang Qingxue refilled his teacup, looking at her husband's "unproductive" appearance, which was no different from that of an old man in the alley, and couldn't help but laugh and cry.
She has also benefited immensely in the past two days.
Although she could no longer taste that exquisite Enlightenment Tea, her martial arts cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds simply by breathing in the Taoist aura that filled the courtyard.
Just last night, she only meditated in the courtyard for two hours, and then, as if by natural course, she entered the realm of embracing the elixir!
Such a terrifying cultivation speed, if it were to be reported back to the family, would probably terrify the elders.
Her feelings for Lin Fan had long transcended simple awe, evolving into a near-faith-like worship.
In her eyes, every action of her husband contained a profound meaning that she could not fathom.
For example, right now, the gentleman may seem to be listening to people arguing, but in reality, he may be experiencing the "hundred aspects of human life" and verifying his own great path amidst the vastness of the mortal world.
Yes, that must be it!
In her heart, Fang Qingxue solemnly found a profound and unfathomable explanation for Lin Fan's behavior.
Just then, a Rolls-Royce, all black and exuding an air of luxury, silently glided to the entrance of the alley and came to a stop.
This top-of-the-line luxury car creates a jarring sense of disharmony with the surrounding old alleyways filled with the everyday life of the city.
In an instant, it attracted the attention of countless neighbors.
The car door opened.
A handsome man in a sharp suit and gold-rimmed glasses stepped out of the car.
He was so handsome that he seemed otherworldly, with an air of nobility, like a young master from an old magazine.
This person is none other than Loki, who is disguised as the wealthy Nordic businessman "Lofesen".
Behind him followed two equally well-dressed, burly men, their auras deep and imposing; they were clearly top-tier bodyguards.
After getting out of the car, Loki glanced around and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He could sense that the "field" in this area was very strange.
On the surface, it is filled with the hustle and bustle of mortals, birth, aging, sickness and death, the seven emotions and six desires, all in a murky and chaotic state.
But beneath this turbidity lay a supreme and pure tranquility that even made this god feel uneasy.
This power is as vast as the ocean.
Especially when his gaze fell on the courtyard house deep in the alley, shrouded by the canopies of two ridiculously large trees, the feeling of palpitation suddenly intensified.
"It seems this is the place," Loki thought to himself.
He straightened his tie, and a flawless business smile immediately appeared on his face, exuding affability, as if he had been measured with a ruler.
He strode forward, walking deeper into the alley.
His appearance immediately caused a minor commotion in the alley.
"Hey, who's this young man? He's even more handsome than a movie star!"
"Why are you driving such a nice car to our poor place?"
"Judging by their demeanor, could it be another developer trying to negotiate demolition compensation?"
The neighbors peeked around, whispering amongst themselves.
The "community security team" that Grandpa Wang formed received the alarm immediately.
Several sprightly retired men immediately rushed out of the card room and blocked Loki's way.
The one leading the group was none other than Grandpa Wang himself.
Grandpa Wang has now proclaimed himself the chief steward of the "Immortal Master's Residence," and his sense of responsibility is overflowing like never before.
"Stop! What are you doing?" Old Wang puffed out his chest, held his palm-leaf fan horizontally, and shouted warily.
Although the other party was tall and strong and had bodyguards with him, he was not afraid at all.
Just kidding! I've drunk the celestial tea before!
The person standing behind me is a living god!
Loki was momentarily taken aback when he saw the old Chinese man in front of him, wearing a white vest, waving a large palm-leaf fan, and with a "what are you looking at?" expression on his face.
His godlike brain, comparable to a supercomputer, was working at lightning speed, analyzing the data of the mortal before him.
An ordinary human, around seventy years old, with physical functions... um?
Loki frowned again.
He was astonished to discover that the old man in front of him had a vitality that was even stronger than that of the battle-hardened Asgardian warriors under his command!
That soaring, bloodthirsty energy was completely unlike that of an old man on his deathbed.
Something's strange.
The entire alley, from the people to the objects, exudes an inexplicable strangeness.
However, Loki's smile remained perfect.
He spoke politely in fluent, standard Mandarin, even with a slight Beijing accent: "Hello, sir. My name is Laufison, I'm from Northern Europe, and I'm a businessman. I'm here to visit a friend of mine who lives here, surnamed Lin."
He adopted a very humble attitude.
He knew all too well that in a land teeming with hidden talents, arrogance was the most foolish original sin.
"Someone surnamed Lin?" Upon hearing this, Old Wang's vigilance increased rather than decreased. "There are many people surnamed Lin in this alley. Which one are you talking about?"
"It's that courtyard house... with two very beautiful giant trees, Mr. Lin Fan." Loki smiled and pointed to Lin Fan's courtyard not far away.
"Looking for Xiao Fan?" Grandpa Wang looked Loki up and down, giving him a second look.
"Why are you looking for him?"
"It's like this." Loki's smile grew even more sincere. "I'm an avid enthusiast of ancient architecture, especially fascinated by the courtyard house culture of your country. I've heard that Mr. Lin's ancestral home is the oldest and most valuable one in the area. Therefore, I would like to take the liberty of paying a visit and hoping to have the opportunity to appreciate this work of art."
"If Mr. Lin is willing to part with it, I would very much like to... make an offer and collect it."
His words were impeccable, demonstrating both sincerity and professionalism while subtly revealing his true intentions.
However, after hearing this, Grandpa Wang's expression became extremely strange, as if he had heard a huge joke.
"What? You want to buy Xiao Fan's yard?" Grandpa Wang picked at his ear, his face full of disbelief.
"Yes, sir. As for the price, I guarantee it will absolutely satisfy Mr. Lin," Loki added confidently.
In his view, there is nothing in this world that money cannot buy.
If so, it only means the price isn't high enough.
Grandpa Wang stared at Loki's "I'm richer than a country, and everything is available for trade" expression, and after holding back for a long time, he finally couldn't help but spit it out.
"Pfft!"
He burst out laughing, then laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears welling up in his eyes.
For the first time, a crack appeared on Loki's perfect smile.
He didn't understand what was so funny about his words.
"Sir, you..."
"Young man, you're really funny." Grandpa Wang finally stopped laughing, reached out and patted Loki's shoulder heavily, and said earnestly, "You have no idea what you're talking about."
He suddenly lowered his voice and leaned close to Loki's ear with a mysterious expression.
"You don't mean you want to buy a yard."
"You want to buy... a heavenly palace!"
After saying that, he didn't look at Loki's reaction anymore, shook his head, put his hands behind his back, and strolled back.
There's not much to talk about with these "ordinary people" who have limited perspectives.
Loki froze on the spot, the smile on his face completely vanishing.
Heavenly Palace?
He turned his head and stared intently at the seemingly ordinary courtyard house, his gaze filled with a solemnity he had never shown since he set foot on this planet.
He felt that his trip to the East was probably... a million times more complicated than he had imagined.
Lin Fan, standing at the gate of the courtyard, heard all of this clearly.
"Hey, interesting." Lin Fan took a sip of tea, a playful smile curving his lips.
"Returning the Heavenly Palace? Old Master Wang is really good at bragging."
"However, this foreigner is a bit something. Even from this distance, I can feel that inhuman aura emanating from him."
"Is it a demon? A monster? Or some other kind of thing?"
Lin Fan became interested.
He called out into the house, "Qingxue, stop washing the dishes, we have guests, go out and greet them."