Is It Reasonable for Me to Start a Sect at 12?

At the same time, Lin Xiao suddenly heard the system notification in his mind:

[Congratulations to the host for successfully forming a connection with a Foundation Establishment cultivator.]

Lin Xiao was a bit surprised.

So this counts as a successful connection?

With the system's recognition, it meant that Shopkeeper Zhong genuinely intended to form a connection with him.

With that realization, any lingering concerns Lin Xiao had completely disappeared.

This system truly had all sorts of unexpected uses.

When Lin Xiao returned to the inn, the inn's servant hurried over to him, handing him a small wooden box.

"Sir, someone came looking for you earlier. Since you weren't here, they asked me to give this to you. They mentioned that once you see it, you'll know who they are. They also said they would visit you tomorrow morning."

Taking the small wooden box, Lin Xiao couldn't think of anyone in Yuanling City who would be looking for him, especially since he was unfamiliar with most people here.

After thanking the servant, he went upstairs with the wooden box.

Once inside his room, Lin Xiao placed the box on the table. Instead of opening it immediately, he poured himself a cup of tea and downed it in one gulp.

The black Soul Nourishing Pendant floated out of his chest, circling the small wooden box twice.

After a brief inspection, Liao Pantu transmitted a message to Lin Xiao:

"It's just an ordinary box."

Hearing that, Lin Xiao set down his tea cup and casually opened the small wooden box.

Inside, there was only a single ordinary spirit stone.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao was puzzled.

Who would go to the trouble of sending him a spirit stone?

Meanwhile, inside the Soul Nourishing Pendant, Liao Pantu paused for a moment upon seeing the spirit stone. Then, as if realizing something, he glanced at Lin Xiao, who seemed unaware, and chuckled silently to himself.

Though Liao Pantu hadn't said anything or made any noise, Lin Xiao suddenly looked at him and asked, "Senior, do you know the reason behind this?"

Since Lin Xiao had asked directly, Liao Pantu cleared his throat and replied:

"Do you remember when you helped that talisman master?"

"Talisman master?" Lin Xiao thought for a moment, then realized, "You mean Liu Chun? So, this is from him…"

As he spoke, his gaze shifted back to the spirit stone inside the small wooden box.

Suddenly, it dawned on him, "Is this… my spirit stone?"

Seeing Lin Xiao figure it out, Liao Pantu floated out of the pendant, folded his hands behind his back, and asked:

"Do you recall that I once mentioned your lack of thoroughness? This is what I meant."

He pointed to the spirit stone in the box and continued:

"Liu Chun is a talisman master, and you should know that skilled talisman masters have many ways to track things. Clearly, he's someone with aspirations for the Talisman Master Conference, and he does have some talent. When you gave that spirit stone to the doctor, you likely didn't erase your own aura from it. So, if he wanted to find you, it wouldn't be too difficult."

Lin Xiao was surprised that such a small oversight with a spirit stone could reveal his identity.

He curiously picked up the spirit stone, examining it closely.

This was far more advanced than modern society's method of tracking money through serial numbers.

"But, if he could find where I live, why didn't he just come to find me directly?"

Liao Pantu stroked his beard and mused:

"Perhaps Liu Chun is a very courteous person. He might feel that meeting his savior for the first time should be done formally, rather than rudely approaching you on the street."

Thinking about Liu Chun's reserved and slightly old-fashioned demeanor, Lin Xiao realized that Liao Pantu might be right.

"Still, I wonder why he wants to see me. Surely it's not because he's upset that I saved him and wants to challenge me?"

Liao Pantu: …

"Can't he simply want to express his gratitude?"

"Well… I suppose, but thanking each other repeatedly can be awkward. You never know what to say."

Liao Pantu: "Telling me won't change anything. I'm not him."

Lin Xiao sat back in his chair and suddenly thought of another concern. He quickly turned to Liao Pantu and asked:

"After I took those spirit stones from the people in the ice cave, do you think they might track me down too?"

Liao Pantu sat down across from him and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Don't worry about it. Finding a skilled talisman master isn't easy, and even if they tried, the auras were so mixed up when you all came out together that it would be nearly impossible for anyone but the most advanced talisman master to trace you. And there's no one in Yuanling City capable of that, so you can rest easy."

What Liao Pantu didn't mention was that typically, a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Liu Chun wouldn't be able to track someone through the faint aura left on a spirit stone. Initially, Liao Pantu had only mentioned it as a joke to Lin Xiao.

However, he hadn't anticipated that Liu Chun, a talisman master valued even by the Wu family, would actually possess such a skill.

Still, it didn't seem like Liu Chun was looking to cause trouble. And since Lin Xiao and Liao Pantu would soon return to the sect, any potential issues could be avoided.

Even if Liu Chun had incredible tracking skills, there was no way he could follow them after they used the Dimensional Transfer Array.

The next morning, a knock sounded on the door.

Lin Xiao opened it to find Liu Chun, tall and thin, standing outside.

His face was still somewhat pale, with hollow cheeks, but his overall spirit seemed decent.

Seeing Lin Xiao, Liu Chun, who had learned from the doctor that his savior was a young man, was still surprised by how young he appeared.

Judging by Lin Xiao's youthful complexion, he couldn't be older than fifteen.

He was just quite tall for his age.

Without hesitation, Liu Chun formally bowed to Lin Xiao and said:

"Thank you for saving my life!"

Lin Xiao: …

He hurriedly helped Liu Chun up, stammering, "Uh… Brother— I mean, Fellow Daoist, no need for that. It was just a small matter, no need for formalities."

But Liu Chun, with a deep bow, insisted:

"No, without your help that day, I would have lost far more than just my life…"

Lin Xiao felt awkward and unsure of how to handle the situation. He didn't feel it was appropriate to simply say, "Okay, I got it, you've thanked me, you can leave now."

So, he invited Liu Chun inside.

Now, instead of standing awkwardly at the door, they were sitting across from each other at a table, sipping tea awkwardly.

Fortunately, Lin Xiao suddenly remembered something that broke the tension.

He asked:

"I wonder, Fellow Daoist, what are your plans now that you've left the Wu family?"

Liu Chun was sharp enough to understand that Lin Xiao might be interested in recruiting him. He didn't hide anything and responded with a bitter smile:

"Since leaving the Wu family, I've been caught up in various matters and haven't made any concrete plans for the future."