Chapter 650: Yan Shenjun
The man knew him after all. Just as Lin Jin suspected, there was a reason behind his abduction.
Though, Lin Jin was still very confused.
Has there ever been a kidnapper who apologizes to their victims?
The man was acting very courteously, but would polite people abduct others for no reason?
It was likely this was merely an illusion, a visage the enemy was intentionally showing him.
Lin Jin didn’t move. He merely stared back to see what this black-robed man, who called himself ‘Yan Shenjun’, would do next.
“I heard that Appraiser Lin is highly skilled in treating beasts. Whether this oriole lives, it will depend on Appraiser Lin’s willingness to help.” Having said that, Yan Shenjun extended his arm and made a grabbing gesture. The oriole was picked up by an unseen force and brought before Lin Jin.
Before Lin Jin could speak, Old Monster Xu got agitated.
“What bullcrap appraiser? If I say a person can’t be saved, no one in this world can save them,” snapped Old Monster Xu angrily. Then, he turned to the black-robed man, “Yan Shenjun, are you trying to humiliate me?”
Yan Shenjun shook his head. “I have no such intention. Old Monster Xu, Appraiser Lin here isn’t like you. He may be a mortal but he hails from the mainlands. In today’s world, the mainlands are prospering by cultivating beasts, and beast appraisers are those who specialize in treating them. If there is even the slightest chance, I want this oriole saved.”
Old Monster Xu was apprehensive toward Yan Shenjun, but when it came to his profession, he didn’t plan on backing down.
The old man narrowed his eyes and replied, “I can’t blame Shenjun for thinking this way but again, when I say she can’t be saved, no one can possibly save her. It’ll just be a waste of time. Rather than that, it’s better to just think of other options…”
“Think of other options? Right now, I only know of two people who can chant the Mantra of Heaven. One is this oriole, and the other is Miao Yan Zhenren, the leader of the Mystery Dao Sect. Only these two had successfully cultivated the Dharma voice. Are you trying to say that I should seek out Miao Yan Zhenren instead?” Yan Shenjun spoke with murderous intent.
Old Monster Xu was frightened.
“B-but we can’t deny the state this oriole is in. Even if it was me who injured her, it’s ultimately your disciple who you should punish.”
Lin Jin felt conflicted as he listened to their conversation.
It was at that point that he realized how much information he had overheard. They wouldn’t kill him and destroy his corpse later on to protect their secret, would they?
It was possible.
They were only saying this in front of him as a subtle threat. It implied that if Lin Jin failed to save the oriole, they would not hesitate to kill him.
Lin Jin wanted to save the oriole. The first reason was out of a moral obligation as a beast appraiser; he couldn’t just watch her die when he was able to save her. Apart from that, he had also promised Qing Zhi that he would bring her back. Ultimately, there was one other reason he had to save her.
To keep himself alive.
Although he still didn’t know what the man brought him here for, it might just be for the sake of saving this oriole. If that were the case, if Lin Jin said he couldn’t save her, his life might end here.
Lin Jin’s curiosity was piqued.
How did Yan Shenjun know him?
He even knew Lin Jin was a beast appraiser, so someone must have told him about it.
But who?
For the sake of clarifying this confusion, Lin Jin decided to help.
With this in mind, he said, “I’ll try.”
Then, he lowered his head to reach for the oriole.
Yan Shenjun immediately looked over with a peculiar glint in his eyes. Old Monster Xu, on the other hand, was fuming from the ears.
“Pretentious mortal ant. I’d like to see just how you’ll get yourself out of this lie. I’m telling you, Yan Shenjun is brutally vicious, so when the time comes, you’ll be living in hell.”
Old Monster Xu’s voice rang beside Lin Jin’s ear.
This sounded clearly like a voice transmission spell.
Old Monster Xu was still fearful of Yan Shenjun so this was the only way he could vent his frustration.
A suitable analogy would be where the director of a hospital declared that a patient had an incurable disease, only for a nurse to rebut that declaration and claim that he could treat the patient.
Not only was it humiliating, but it was a challenge to his authority.
For this reason, Old Monster Xu treated Lin Jin with great hostility.
Lin Jin wasn’t the type to be easily frightened. Truth be told, if a profound immortal like Yan Shenjun wasn’t around, and if Old Monster Xu decided to fight Lin Jin, Lin Jin could very well overpower him.
Lin Jin’s magic treasures and pet beasts were more than enough to defeat a half immortal.
If he wasn’t at least that capable, Lin Jin wouldn’t have entered the extraterritorial zone.
Lin Jin didn’t respond to the provocation. He re-examined the oriole’s condition to find that the evaluation was the same as the blood sample he found. He quickly fired the Psyche-Refining Needle into the oriole’s body.
The first thing he had to do was to mend her soul.
What other people could never treat, Lin Jin could easily achieve with his Psyche-Refining Needle.
Lin Jin required absolute concentration while working the needle, so Old Monster Xu and Yan Shenjun watched on in complete silence. The former stared at Lin Jin contemptuously, while the latter wore an expectant look.
Mending souls was meticulous work that allowed no room for carelessness.
Lin Jin was now completely immersed in his work, and he operated as if he wasn’t trapped inside an eerie and dangerous forest, but at Maple City, back in his consultation hall in the Beast Appraisal Association.
His concentration made Yan Shenjun nod slightly while Old Master Xu watched with a grave expression. As time went on, the contempt on Old Monster Xu’s face gradually faded. He had the ability to sense another’s aura, and the oriole’s previously frail aura was gradually growing stronger.
‘How is this possible? Can he actually mend souls?’ As expected of an immortal physician, Old Monster Xu was well-informed. As a possibility came to mind, he reached out to touch the oriole’s wrist. This minor gesture wouldn’t affect the treatment but it did transform Old Monster Xu’s expression. At first, he was so stunned he couldn’t believe it. It was so unbelievable that he struggled to find a loophole before being utterly convinced. If one squinted, they could even notice the ‘admiration’ Old Master Xu was trying so hard to hide.
He was more excited than anyone here.
He looked at Yan Shenjun, whose face was emotionless, then at Lin Jin, who remained silent as he concentrated on mending the soul.
Old Master Xu relaxed and continued observing the soul-mending process. Although he couldn’t see many details this way, it was enough for him.
What he witnessed today made him doubt the knowledge he gathered over the past thousands of years. At one point, he felt annoyed and furious. He even felt the impulse to crush this mortal ant.
How could a mere ant be worthy of such a phenomenal ability?