Urban Romantic Divine Doctor Chapter 1682 - 1679: I’m Here to Give a Gift

Xu Wendong shot her a glare, a hint of vexation coloring his tone. "Do I look like someone who plays with hearts or is easily swayed by a pretty face?"

Zhang Nian let out a playful little cough, responding with a giggle. "While I can't read faces, I just have this instinct that you aren't the type for a faithful relationship."

Xu Wendong was left speechless, completely taken aback that Zhang Nian could perceive his nature so readily, which left him utterly mortified.

To diffuse the awkwardness, he feigned a calm demeanor and stated nonchalantly, "Fine, from this point forward, let's refer to each other as master and disciple."

"During daylight hours, you'll accompany me, and I shall impart the mystical arts of cultivation to you."

"At night, you have the option to stay at the shop or return home; the choice is yours."

Zhang Nian looked at Xu Wendong with an air of pitiable longing, her eyes brimming with a hopeful plea. "Can I not go home with you?"

"Don't even think about it!" Xu Wendong dismissed her request point-blank.

Having just returned to Earth to reunite with his sister-in-law, he had no intention of allowing anyone else to intrude upon their secluded world.

With that said, he withdrew a hundred-dollar bill from his pocket and offered it to Zhang Nian, casually remarking, "It's getting late, take this money and grab some lunch."

Zhang Nian's lips turned down in dissatisfaction, her displeasure evident. "What, so now I'm just a servant running errands for you?"

Xu Wendong simply smiled at her and said slowly, "If you're unwilling, you're free to leave right now. I won't stop you."

Zhang Nian let out a soft snort, grudgingly accepted the hundred-dollar bill from Xu Wendong, and then departed Mystic Spirit Pavilion in a huff.

Once she was gone, Xu Wendong's expression instantly turned grave.

He gazed intently in the direction Zhang Nian had departed, a torrent of bewildered questions surging within him.

"What kind of connection do I share with her? Why does it feel as though I've encountered her before? Where does this inexplicable sense of familiarity stem from?"

"And why was she so certain she had glimpsed my true essence?"

Xu Wendong prided himself on having weathered countless trials and tribulations; what bizarre phenomena had he not witnessed?

Yet, faced with Zhang Nian's presence, he experienced a baffling sense of being out of his depth for the very first time.

He found himself utterly incapable of discerning Zhang Nian's fate, a circumstance that deeply perplexed him.

Indeed, this was not the initial instance where Xu Wendong had encountered such a peculiar situation.

Much like those closest to him, his family and friends, he also could not penetrate the veils of their destinies. This was due to their fates being intrinsically interwoven with his own, sharing in every joy and sorrow that life brought.

But Zhang Nian was unequivocally a stranger, with whom he had no prior connection!

This presented an unprecedented enigma for him.

"Could it be that she was some divine being in a past life?" Xu Wendong pondered, his brow furrowed in deep contemplation.

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Within the Li Family Mansion.

Li Boyuan's countenance was etched with profound anxiety as he paced relentlessly within the sumptuously appointed living room, resembling a frantic ant on a scorching surface.

His steps were hurried and erratic, and at short intervals, he would instinctively cast his gaze toward the entrance. Sweat beaded on his forehead, glistening under the ambient light.

He was in a state of feverish anticipation for Wu Zan's return.

"Father, why don't you find a place to sit and rest for a while?" A middle-aged man, whose face bore the marks of advancing age and etched crow's feet around his eyes, offered with a smile tinged with helplessness. "You've walked back and forth here countless times; aren't you weary?"

Li Boyuan shook his head slightly, his expression heavy with a palpable gloom, and let out a deep sigh. His voice, low and resonant, carried an undercurrent of immeasurable worry. "Until Wu Zan returns, I cannot find peace. How can I possibly sit still?"

Even though he held an unwavering conviction that Wu Zan, with his formidable cultivation at the Golden Core Stage Peak, could effortlessly eliminate Xu Wendong without leaving a trace.

Nevertheless, the prolonged absence of Wu Zan continued to fuel a disquieting premonition, a persistent shadow that clung to his heart, impossible to dislodge.

And amidst this agonizing wait.

An ancient figure materialized abruptly within the Li family's living room, appearing without the slightest warning.

The elder's hair and beard were as white as the winter's snow; he was attired in a simple linen robe, its sleeves fluttering gently with an unseen breeze. His face was gaunt and sallow, yet it radiated an extraordinary and ethereal presence.

Upon witnessing the arrival of this individual, the eyes of the Li family members widened, their pupils constricting violently. In their gazes, profound fear and astonishment were unmistakably reflected.

Although they were not cultivators themselves, they understood that only those who had reached the Nascent Soul Stage, transcending the Golden Core Stage, possessed the miraculous ability of instantaneous teleportation.

Yet.

Experts of the Nascent Soul Stage were exceedingly scarce, beings whose prowess dictated the very flow of power throughout the entire cultivation world.

What baffled them entirely was the reason behind such a supremely powerful Nascent Soul Stage cultivator gracing the Li family with his presence.

Before they could recover their senses, an invisible, tide-like aura radiated from the elder’s form. While the aura was intangible, it imposed a suffocating illusion upon everyone present. It felt as if an immense, unseen mountain bore down on them, a weight that threatened at any moment to crush them into a mist of blood. Instantly, the living room’s atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive. Gathering his resolve, Li Boyuan forced himself to maintain his composure and stepped forward, offering a respectful salute. "We were unaware of your esteemed arrival; the Li Family is remiss in its welcome. We hope you will forgive our oversight." "May I inquire as to your esteemed name and the purpose of your visit?" "There is no need for you to know my name!" Lingxu Taoist’s lips curved upward, a smile both enigmatic and profound gracing his features. "This time, I have come specifically to deliver a gift to the Li Family." These words, like a stone dropped into a placid lake, immediately stirred immense waves within the hearts of the Li family members. Initially surprised, their taut nerves suddenly slackened, akin to a released bowstring, and an indescribable joy bloomed from their hearts. They exchanged glances, witnessing the same disbelief and ecstasy reflected in each other’s eyes. It must be known that Nascent Soul Stage Experts are exceptionally powerful, mysterious, and seemingly out of reach. Ordinarily, merely hearing their names would elicit deep respect and awe. Yet, here was a nearly mythical existence, claiming to have come to bestow a gift upon the Li Family — how could their hearts not surge with emotion? While everyone was immersed in happiness, lost in endless visions of a glorious future for their lineage, Lingxu Taoist remained as tranquil as still water. He raised his right hand in a gentle, casual gesture. Immediately, a faint light flickered, and Wu Zan’s lifeless body materialized eerily upon the ground, like a specter. The corpse lay there, its face as pale as paper, its demise evident in its most horrifying state.