Chapter 701: Xuan Hang’s Woes
Xuan Yue Zhenren was shocked to hear Lin Jin's revelation. It was likely that she had already noticed how all of the male immortals have experienced physical changes since entering the Immortal Cloud Sect. While she was unsure of the specific reason, she did suspect it had something to do with the Storm Beast Cave.
However, all male immortals from their sect were renowned beauties even before the great immortal tragedy, so their ancestors were equally clueless.
Now that Lin Jin had explained it to her, the age-old mystery had finally been solved. The seniors, like Xuan Hang who had been with the sect for thousands of years, experienced the most change. Compared to when he first entered the sect, he was now a completely different person.
"Mr. Lin, you have just solved a mystery that has been confusing me for millenniums now." Xuan Yue Zhenren sighed. Even after clarifying the problem, she had no way to resolve it.
Lin Jin mentioned that the Storm Beast Cave's ability to convert elements was so unique that its effects were hardly reversible.
Even if Xuan Hang left the Immortal Cloud Sect, he wouldn't be able to restore his masculinity, not unless he found a 'male' Storm Beast Cave.
Xuan Yue Zhenren couldn't force Lin Jin to stay. If what Lin Jin said was true, to keep him here against his will would only spell trouble for him.
From now on, even if other male immortals visited their sect, they could only allow short stays.
"Appraiser Lin, are you planning to leave immediately?" asked Xuan Yue Zhenren asked. She was impressed by Lin Jin, especially the knowledge he possessed. Some immortals couldn't even compare to him, which made him worthy of her respect.
What's more, Piao Yun had told her more than once in the last month how nothing could faze Lin Jin when it came to beast appraising. He could even eloquently explain the behavior of immortal beasts who had gone extinct eons ago.
Piao Yun was convinced by his competence. Although Lin Jin had always described their sessions as 'discussions', she already saw Lin Jin as her master, at least where beast appraising was concerned.
That was a given.
"I'll stay one more night and leave tomorrow morning," said Lin Jin.
He was only staying one more night because he previously promised Xuan Hang to have a drink with him.
Lin Jin was not the type of person to go back on his word. The drinking session was a must. It had nothing to do with Xuan Hang's promise to share his thousand-year-old ancient wine. Zilch, zip, nada.
The Visitation Hall would be opening tonight. Lin Jin already planned to drink with Xuan Hang for four hours before entering the Visitation Hall. He might be arriving late, but there hadn't been anything special going on in the Visitation Hall lately. Even if he came late or didn't show up, it probably wouldn't be an issue.
In the afternoon, Lin Jin showed up at Xuan Hang's quarters on time.
It was somewhere above the clouds, and the strangest thing was, this place had trees and rocks.
Xuan Hang was already waiting for him. A pot of wine sat on the table along with two jade cups.
Lin Jin looked at the pot of wine.
For mortals, they had to be at least one pot of liquor. Those with high alcohol tolerance may need more than five. Immortals didn't need all that much. It wasn't difficult for half immortals to craft magic tools for storage purposes. While Xuan Hang's pot may appear to be a meticulously crafted palm-sized pot, it could potentially contain a sea of alcohol.
In the one month Lin Jin spent staying here, despite being surrounded by fairies, he was only familiar with Qin Yunshang and Piao Yun. He dared not disturb the other female immortals.
Surprisingly, the person who chatted with him the most was actually Xuan Hang.
According to Xuan Hang, he enjoyed talking to Lin Jin. Their topics mostly revolved around the mainlands, the past, and then eventually, they began talking about the fairies here in the Immortal Cloud Sect. After a month of conversations, Lin Jin had developed a basic understanding of Xuan Hang's thoughts.
The man had a fairy he was fond of. He couldn't possibly tell his disciples about it, especially not the female immortals. Hence, Lin Jin became his confidant.
"Mr. Lin, despite the amount of time I've spent here, I don't have someone I can openly talk to. After all, men and women are fundamentally different. These topics, in particular, can only be kept to myself. It's great that you came, because I finally have someone to talk to. I don't think I'll be able to keep my feelings bottled up for a few more centuries."
Xuan Hang's delicate face looked forlorn. Then, he curved his fair finger, and the wine pot tipped over slightly to fill the two jade cups. The cups then flew over to his and Lin Jin's hands.
"Mr. Lin, this immortal peach blossom brew is quite delicious. It was made a thousand years ago. It has a unique taste, so do try it."
Xuan Hang gestured for Lin Jin to take a sip.
Lin Jin nodded and took a whiff of it. Sure enough, the subtle fragrance of peach blossoms was delightful. He took a sip and then his eyes lit up.
"This is really good wine."
He proceeded to empty his cup.
Lin Jin didn't hold back because the wine was just that good. It was one of the best he had ever drunk. Xuan Hang laughed heartily at this.
This was one of the rare moments when Xuan Hang revealed traces of his masculinity.
They downed one cup after another in silence. While it had only been a month since they met, Lin Jin found it strange how well they have bonded. Initially, he was slightly overwhelmed by Xuan Hang's beauty. However, after speaking to him, Lin Jin realized how great a person he really was. Their personalities paired well, so Lin Jin felt as if they were long-lost friends.
After finishing a few cups, Lin Jin broke the silence.
"Tell me, who is it that you're interested in? Who knows, maybe I can help you put in a good word or two?"
Lin Jin was trying to probe Xuan Hang but the latter immediately shook his head.
"Don't. Don't say anything. If there was ever a possibility, I would've said it long ago. Don't mind me."
"Alright, it's up to you!" Lin Jin didn't particularly mind being rejected. He just figured that since Xuan Hang did not dare to talk about his unrequited love, the target must be someone with unusual status.
Problem was, Xuan Hang wasn't an average immortal in his sect. He held a significant status, so Lin Jin could easily figure out who his crush might be.
Only two people in the Immortal Cloud Sect fit this criterion.
Immortal Piao Yun and Xuan Yue Zhenren.
Piao Yun?
Lin Jin shook his head. During his stay here, Xuan Hang constantly came looking for him. Almost every time, he would catch Piao Yun around too. However, Lin Jin did not detect any ulterior motives from Xuan Hang; he came purely to meet Lin Jin.
If his crush had been Piao Yun, Lin Jin would surely catch some clues after so many times.
What's more, Piao Yun didn't seem like the type of woman Xuan Hang would be interested in, so that left only one answer.