Chapter 87: No Plans Of Sleeping

Lost in time and her passion, Han Lin remained deeply focused with her cooking. The rich, mouth-watering aroma of herbs and slow-roasted meat drifted through the quiet estate corridors as Han Lin carefully tended to the stove.

"...The mantis fell the jade tree..." She hummed a light tune under her breath, tasting a spoonful of the rich broth before reducing the flame to let the flavors lock together. She had carefully measured out just enough for one modest serving each—a calculation that made her lips curl into a mischievous, quiet smile.

At the exact same time, inside the main master bedroom, Lu Feng slowly opened his eyes. He remained still on the soft mattress for a long moment, watching the evening light play against the timber ceiling as the lingering haze of sleep cleared from his mind.

He sat up, stretching his arms high above his head until his back popped softly. Turning his head toward the wide window, he noticed the deep purple and burning orange hues fading rapidly across the horizon. Night was closing in fast.

His gaze shifted across the quiet room, landing on the neatly wrapped silk box resting on the side table—the expensive gift he had purchased for Han Lin during his afternoon trip to the jade shop.

Thinking back to the previous night’s sudden intrusion in their courtyard, Lu Feng let out a quiet sigh and shook his head softly. "Looks like I won’t be getting much sleep tonight either," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his dark hair. The two captives locked in the training hall had mentioned the Iron Claw Gang, and he knew better than to drop his guard once darkness settled over Crimson Vale.

Refusing to leave anything to chance, he recalled how easily Han Lin’s personal defensive array had been shattered during the breach. The merchant who sold it to him had clearly exaggerated its quality. Rather than trusting another local merchant who might scam him again with cheap, fragile trinkets, Lu Feng decided to check his own System Shopping Section for a proper, high-grade defensive setup.

Shifting into a cross-legged position on the bed, he mentally summoned his internal system interface. A glowing, translucent panel expanded before his eyes, displaying a vast, shimmering catalogue of countless artifacts, cultivation manuals, and defensive formation tools.

As expected, a large portion of the top-tier items bore greyed-out labels indicating they were locked until he reached higher cultivation realms or unlocked further system privileges.

Filtering the catalogue specifically for defensive arrays available to him right now, he found over a hundred different options. However, only three of them were currently unlocked and available for immediate purchase without restriction. He began reading through their detailed descriptions carefully, analyzing which one offered the absolute best protection for Han Lin and the surrounding property.

The first option was the Three-Layered Sage Dome. Valued at 300 gold coins, it created three distinct, overlapping barriers of dense spiritual energy spanning a thirty-meter radius.

It was designed in the subtle structural shape of a three-story pagoda and offered impressive physical and spiritual defense against direct brute-force strikes. It was remarkably straightforward to operate, requiring only a double-tap on its central focus stone to activate or deactivate the entire dome.

The second option was the Shelter of the Wandering Sage. Priced at 450 gold coins—one and a half times the cost of the first item—it prioritized mobility, discretion, and continuous safety.

It was formed in the shape of an elegant, carved hairpin and it provided passive protection, meaning its protective field remained constantly active without needing manual activation or energy input from the user. Wherever the wearer walked, the invisible barrier moved with them, offering versatile, round-the-clock defense against sudden ambushes.

The third option was the Ancient Turtle Shield of Balance, valued at 610 gold coins. This grand formation array utilized four specialized formation discs meant to be anchored deep into the four outer corners of a property.

Once set in place, the discs linked together to form an interconnected grid of smaller, interlocking barriers that merged into one massive, impenetrable shield over the entire area like the shell of a turtle.

Its greatest strength lay in one clever structural advantage it possessed. If one section of the barrier was breached or shattered by a heavy attack, the surrounding smaller barriers remained completely intact and would automatically shift together to rapidly seal the breach.

It also came equipped with a master control disc that allowed the owner to easily activate, deactivate, or temporarily boost the barrier’s density during an emergency.

Lu Feng pondered the choices for a long moment, weighing their values. Neither he nor Ye Chenxue strictly needed personal protective artifacts given their own combat capabilities, but Han Lin required absolute, reliable safety as someone without cultivation in the slightest. Furthermore, the estate’s original defensive boundary was old, weathered, and weakening by the day.

Deciding not to compromise on safety, he purchased both the second and third items simultaneously. He would give the Shelter of the Wandering Sage hairpin directly to Han Lin so she was guarded at all times, and set up the Ancient Turtle Shield of Balance across the four corners of the estate to secure their home against outside threats.

With the gold coins deducted, the two items materialized safely into his mental storage inventory. Lu Feng stood up from the bed, adjusted his dark robes, and picked up the silk-wrapped box containing the gift he had brought for Han Lin earlier.

Feeling a slight dryness in his throat, he opened his bedroom door and headed down the quiet corridor toward the kitchen to grab a cup of cool water. As he approached the open kitchen doorway, the intense, heavenly aroma of Han Lin’s cooking hit him all at once. The complex blend of rich spices, tender slow-cooked meat, and fresh herbs was so mouth-wateringly overwhelming that he stopped right at the threshold and let out a weak, involuntary sigh.

The soft sound instantly alerted Han Lin, who paused her stirring and turned around with a bright, welcoming smile.

"Young Master Lu! You’re finally awake," she said cheerfully, wiping her hands on her clean apron as she looked him over. "You slept straight through the afternoon all the way until evening. Are you sure you’ll even be able to sleep tonight?"

Lu Feng gave a slight, wry smile as he walked into the warm, steam-filled kitchen, setting the silk gift box lightly down on the main wooden counter. "I have no plans to sleep tonight anyway."