Chapter 3: Lin Dong – Let Me Give You the Stone Talisman!
The chill... it was flaring up again!
Lin Fan's expression shifted sharply the moment he saw Qingtan's condition. He rushed forward to support her.
Instantly, waves of piercing cold surged into his body, making him shiver uncontrollably.
[Ding! You touched Lin Qingtan and obtained three Yin Pearls!]
At that moment, Lin Fan had no time to pay attention to the system notification. Enduring the chill, he lifted Qingtan into his arms and said to Lin Dong, "Come with me!"
Lin Dong had also noticed something was wrong and said anxiously, "Qingtan's cold is acting up again! I'll go get Father!"
"Don't go, Lin Dong-ge," Qingtan said weakly, trying to stop him.
Lin Fan picked up where she left off and told Lin Dong, "Uncle Lin is finally in a good mood today. Telling him now will only upset him and won't help at all. Come on, let's go!"
Lin Fan was well aware that Qingtan suffered from the Curse of the Demonic Ice Body—seeking out Lin Xiao wouldn't change anything.
After saying this, Lin Fan carried Qingtan in large strides toward her room.
Lin Dong quickly realized what he meant and hurried after them.
Seeing this, Qingtan visibly relaxed and nestled obediently into Lin Fan's chest.
"Damn, this chill really isn't something an ordinary person can handle…"
After rushing into the room and laying Qingtan on her bed, Lin Fan rubbed his stiff arms and chest while hissing from the cold.
Qingtan apologized weakly, "I'm sorry, Lin Fan-ge… You… you two should go. I can endure it…"
Wrapped tightly in her quilt, her voice was faint, and her body was still trembling uncontrollably.
"What the hell is this cold anyway?" Lin Dong paced anxiously nearby like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Lin Fan paused briefly to think, then turned to Lin Dong. "I might have a way to help suppress the chill in her body… Would you be willing to try?"
Without hesitation, Lin Dong nodded. "Of course, Lin Fan-ge. Just tell me what to do!"
Lin Fan said, "That day, when Qingtan and I went to find you in the cave, I saw you take a stone talisman. That talisman can absorb the yin energy surging from Qingtan's body."
Lin Fan, Lin Dong, and Qingtan had grown up together like siblings.
And since Lin Fan was older, he often took care of both of them. The three basically had no secrets between them.
In fact, Lin Fan had already known about the cave where Lin Dong obtained the ancestral stone, even before he regained his memories.
On the day Lin Dong acquired the ancestral stone, Lin Fan and Qingtan had indeed gone looking for him. Though Lin Fan hadn't actually seen the talisman at that time, he now used it as a convenient excuse.
After regaining his memories and understanding the plot of this world, Lin Fan knew Lin Dong had already obtained the ancestral stone.
Though he felt a slight sense of loss, he had no intention of coveting it—he wasn't someone who repaid kindness with betrayal.
That said, if he could share in some of the benefits brought by the stone, he certainly wouldn't refuse.
Moreover, Lin Fan planned to subtly guide Lin Dong into discovering some of the stone's abilities earlier than he did in the original timeline.
As for the excuse? Lin Fan already had it ready.
When Lin Dong heard this, his expression stiffened. He hadn't expected that Lin Fan had seen him that day. "I… I'm sorry, Lin Fan-ge. I didn't mean to hide it from you."
Lin Dong was just a fourteen-year-old boy—kind-hearted and pure. His instinct to keep the stone talisman a secret was simply out of caution.
Now that Lin Fan had brought it up, he felt like a kid caught hoarding snacks.
Lin Fan said solemnly, "Don't overthink it. You did the right thing. That talisman is extremely important—the fewer people who know about it, the better. If word got out, the Lin family could be annihilated."
"For now, let's not talk about that. Just focus on helping Qingtan."
"Okay." Hearing Lin Fan's understanding, Lin Dong's guilt lessened, and he was deeply moved. "What do I need to do?"
"Place the talisman on Qingtan's shoulder," Lin Fan instructed, "then place your palm on top of it. Make sure the talisman is under your hand."
"Got it." Lin Dong nodded and took the stone talisman from his chest, then did exactly as Lin Fan said.
Before long, the frigid aura within Qingtan's body began to flow into Lin Dong's hand, spreading rapidly throughout his body.
Lin Dong couldn't help but tremble. Frost began forming on his brows, and his teeth chattered as he stammered, "L-Lin Fan-ge… it's not… working…"
Lin Fan frowned slightly but said calmly, "Just wait a little longer."
"There it is!"
Suddenly, Lin Dong gasped in surprise.
He felt a strange suction force emerge from his palm.
The freezing energy that had been wreaking havoc in his body just moments ago was completely absorbed in a matter of seconds!
In an instant, the cold aura surrounding both Qingtan and Lin Dong vanished, and their bodies returned to normal.
"The talisman really absorbed all the yin energy?"
Lin Dong blinked in disbelief, his face lighting up with astonishment.
Qingtan also exclaimed in joy, "It's gone! The cold is really gone! Thank you, Lin Fan-ge! Thank you, Lin Dong-ge!"
Lin Fan smiled. "I didn't do much—it's mostly thanks to Lin Dong."
"Also, Qingtan, you must remember: what happened today must never be spoken of to anyone. Especially not about the talisman!"
Qingtan nodded obediently. "Mm-hmm, I understand."
Lin Fan gave a small nod, then turned to Lin Dong. "Now, take a look at the groove in the talisman. Do you see anything inside?"
"Okay." Lin Dong lifted the talisman and inspected it carefully.
Soon, he found three milky-white crystals, each the size of a bean, nestled in the center groove.
"There's really something in here! Are these… formed from the yin energy inside Qingtan?"
Lin Dong's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the crystals.
"Exactly. These should have a similar effect to Yin Fiend Energy—ideal for cultivation at the Earth Origin Stage. Store them in a porcelain vial."
Lin Fan nodded and smiled.
Lin Dong did as instructed. After hesitating for a moment, he looked up and asked, "Lin Fan-ge, how do you know so much about this talisman?"
"It just… feels familiar," Lin Fan replied with a nod. Then he added, "Honestly, this might sound crazy, but earlier today I had a massive headache. Afterward, some memories appeared in my mind—as if I'd lived another life."
"In that dreamlike life, I also came into possession of an identical stone talisman. It had countless miraculous abilities—absorbing unique energies, refining herbs, enhancing martial techniques…"
"With its help, I advanced rapidly, left the Great Yan Dynasty, and ventured into the broader world. Eventually, I learned that this talisman was the second most powerful artifact in the entire Tianxuan Continent!"
"By then, I had grown incredibly powerful—strong enough to wipe out the Great Yan Dynasty. But because I exposed the talisman, I was hunted relentlessly. The Lin family was destroyed because of it."
"In the end, I couldn't escape death. But just before I died, the person who killed me revealed that the talisman… was only a replica."
Both Qingtan and Lin Dong were stunned speechless by Lin Fan's story.
When he mentioned being killed, they couldn't help but cry out in shock.
Qingtan clenched her fists angrily. "Those people are horrible! They not only stole your treasure but also killed you and the Lin family… They deserve to die!"
Lin Dong's expression flickered with emotion. After a long silence, he looked at the talisman in his hand and said in a serious tone, "Lin Fan-ge, this talisman… it must be yours. I should give it back to you."
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