Chapter Forty: Sword Villa, Beauty in Company!

An Yingxiong, who had been bowing, suddenly straightened up and began to draw his sword.

That sword was the one An Yingxiong had always worn, never letting it leave his side.

At first, no one knew what An Yingxiong was doing. Seeing him draw his sword so abruptly, some were shocked—was he about to kill Master Mu? But given how gently An Yingxiong had spoken to Lin Yi earlier, surely he wouldn’t do anything so cruel to Master Mu?

An Miaoyi was alarmed and quickly moved to her grandfather’s side, trying to stop him.

Master Mu’s face changed, and he swiftly retreated.

“You old fellow, is this really necessary? You’re going to start a fight now? Fine, I admit I was wrong, I shouldn’t have called you out. Stop, please…”

Mu Yuqing’s face was pale with anxiety; she shouted loudly, hoping those around would hurry to restrain old An Yingxiong before he lost control.

Yet, as if time itself had been enchanted, everyone’s urgency seemed to freeze. If An Yingxiong’s bow of apology to Lin Yi and admission of fault had left people dumbfounded, what happened next was even more surreal.

An Yingxiong, with a swift motion, removed the scabbard and handed the sword to Lin Yi.

“This sword is called Black Snow. It has accompanied me for fifty years. It is a blade with its own spirit. I give it to you, Lin Yi. Remember your vow: your hatred for the demons is irreconcilable. Go forth and slay them!”

With a smile on his face, An Yingxiong gestured for Lin Yi to take the sword.

Lin Yi hesitated. He did not wish to accept a reward for nothing.

But the sword was dazzling, its black surface speckled with glimmers of white light, shining brilliantly under the rays. It emanated a remarkable aura.

Looking at An Yingxiong’s encouraging gaze, Lin Yi realized that refusing the sword would mean not forgiving him. After a moment’s thought, he accepted it.

“Rest assured, Elder An. Slaying demons is our duty! Thank you for your gift!”

The words Master Mu had spoken earlier had wounded Lin Yi deeply, especially regarding An Miaoyi and the An family. An Yingxiong had clearly looked down on him.

But with An Yingxiong’s apology and the gifting of the sword, Lin Yi recognized the old man’s magnanimity. His apology and gift were sincere.

Once Lin Yi took the sword, An Yingxiong laughed heartily and handed him the scabbard as well.

“Good, very good! Miaoyi, let me say something: your marriage is your own choice. Didn’t you tell your third uncle you wanted freedom in love and marriage? Today, I grant you that. As for Lin Yi, he’s not bad—you could give it a try.”

With that, An Yingxiong flicked his sleeve, hands behind his back, and strode away, leaving behind a stunned crowd.

General Liu Tianyu shook his head, touched his nose, and smiled.

“Elder An truly has skill, and he is an outstanding person. To give away a sword after decades together—remarkable.”

Hearing this, many were at a loss for words. Moments ago, they’d feared An Yingxiong would use his sword to harm someone; even Master Mu and Mu Yuqing, who had urged others to stop him, now found their faces flushed with embarrassment.

Soon, both looked at An Yingxiong’s graceful departing figure. Master Mu inwardly exclaimed, “Old fox, you’re cunning indeed. Well played!”

Thinking this, Master Mu stepped before Lin Yi.

---

“Don’t be fooled by that old fox, Lin Yi. He may use that sword often, but it’s long past its prime… Well, I won’t slander him.”

“Listen, Lin Yi, I truly like you. You’re miles ahead of everyone else. Whether you accept me as your master or not is up to you—I just like you. So I’m giving you a villa as a token of our meeting. It’s worth nearly two hundred million!”

He pulled a property deed from his bag and quickly wrote Lin Yi’s name on it. Then, taking out his phone, he found a contact and sent a voice message.

“Transfer this villa to Lin Yi at Shengjing Academy—immediately!”

He handed the deed to Lin Yi.

“It was a blank property—now it’s yours! The villa is fully furnished, ready for you to move in. As for the Zhang family, I’ll handle them for you! Could Elder An have managed that alone? It must be me! I have connections, so by joining us, you’ll have backing, plenty of cultivation resources!”

Master Mu painted a dazzling picture. Finished, he left, winking at Mu Yuqing.

Lin Yi was stunned.

He wanted to refuse—two hundred million for a villa was no joke!

Was he now a homeowner?

He recalled Murong Xingyao offering to transfer the haunted villa in Caizi Jiayuan to him as well. Was he about to acquire two villas in a matter of days?

If he ever went on a blind date, who would dare look down on him now?

But Lin Yi scoffed inwardly—he wouldn’t need blind dates.

Looking at An Miaoyi and Mu Yuqing, both blushing and sidling up to him, Lin Yi felt… everything was wonderful!

Whether Lin Yi truly accepted An Yingxiong’s apology was unclear, but by receiving the Black Snow Sword, An Miaoyi understood that Lin Yi, at least for now, appeared to accept it.

Only then did she approach.

But An Miaoyi soon noticed Mu Yuqing was rather shameless!

Lin Yi felt deeply shaken.

Leaving An Miaoyi aside, Mu Yuqing was very close to him, her fragrance reaching his nose. She took advantage of her curvaceous figure to brush against him, and Lin Yi, who had nearly drowned with the alluring ghost woman moments before, felt his heart flutter.

He even involuntarily tried to avoid her, feeling awkward.

Both elders departed. General Liu Tianyu laughed, came forward, patted Lin Yi’s shoulder, and offered a few words of encouragement before leaving.

Afterwards, the others finally had their turn to speak.

The middle-aged men who had come to recruit Lin Yi now began extolling either An Miaoyi or Mu Yuqing, urging Lin Yi to choose their faction.

Now the real business began—this concerned his future prospects in the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. Lin Yi resolved to stay true to his mission; he sought not leadership, but opportunities to face demons and monsters.

Nearly ten minutes passed.

At last, someone emerged from the corridor linking the fifth floor rooms of the two fierce ghosts to here.

As soon as they appeared, their quarrelling voices echoed.

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“I’m first! Don’t even think about beating me—Saint Dragon Fist!”

“It’s mine, mine! First place is mine! Lin Yi is finished, everything belongs to me—watch my blade!”

“Hahaha… Don’t fight, I’m first!”

…

The door swung open repeatedly.

Soon, the more formidable contestants appeared first: Tu Honglie, scorched and battered in his armor; Xu Lianyou, his hair mostly singed; Song Ziyang, looking disheveled; and the fierce female warrior, her clothes somewhat askew.

They argued fiercely over who was first.

But before their debate could finish, their gazes simultaneously fixed on Lin Yi, who was surrounded by two stunning beauties and encircled by the others like stars around the moon.

Instantly, silence fell.

“You—you—weren’t you eliminated? Did you manage to pass the trial?” Xu Lianyou was incredulous.

“No way, no way…” Tu Honglie rushed forward, stopping close to Lin Yi, but his eyes were on Mu Yuqing.

“It’s fake, isn’t it, Miss Mu? It must be fake, right? I’m the first, aren’t I? I have A-class, nearly S-class potential. My skills are almost at the top A-class martial artist level—it’s me! First place should be mine!”

Tu Honglie trembled violently, glaring at Lin Yi.

Mu Yuqing frowned at his words and looked at him.

“What do you mean, your first place? It’s clearly Lin Yi’s. And don’t act like we’re close. You may be my recommendation, but I barely know you. I’ve decided—Lin Yi joins our group. As for you, check your ranking yourself. Don’t distract me from talking to number one!”

Tu Honglie’s face turned ashen.

His mental resilience was lacking, and in the next instant, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

His eyes were dull, gazing at Mu Yuqing, his heart filled with despair.

Meanwhile, Xu Lianyou dropped his steel blade with a clang.

“I…”

He stammered for a long time but could not utter a word.

He remembered the bet between him and Lin Yi after the trial and felt unable to stand.

Mom, how do I go home now?

“Brother, why are you trembling? A man must be brave! I hope you’ll be man enough to go through with the bet!” Song Ziyang, looking mischievous, said.

“Yes, go punch him! Otherwise, you’ll lose eight million for nothing! Be a man, don’t chicken out!” laughed the fierce female warrior, giving him a hearty shove.