Chapter 97 - 34.1 - You got my hopes up then destroyed them in a matter of seconds

After breakfast the next day, Li Xinwen informed Mother Li of his plan. He didn't tell Mother Li his real plan but simply said that he was invited by few friends to go fishing. At first, Mother Li was reluctant but after a while of coaxing, she finally let her son go. But she made sure Li Xinwen promise to return before lunchtime.

When Li Xinwen left the house, it was still early in the morning. He first walked out of the neighbourhood, then pulled out his phone to call for a taxi. He didn't wait long before the taxi arrived, and he simply told the driver to go to the nearest beach. The driver also did not say much and simply drove Li Xinwen to his destination. After Li Xinwen has paid and exits the car, the driver suddenly rolled down his window.

"Young man!" he called out to Li Xinwen who stopped in his track and turned around with a questioning look. "Don't do anything that'll make your family sad!" the driver said before finally driving his car away.

Li Xinwen stood there for a while, confused by what the driver had meant. In the end, he couldn't figure it out and simply gives up. He walked to the edge of the beach and watch as the waves hit the sands. The morning sea breeze hits him on the face, and he can't help but feels refreshed. "Right, time to work," Li Xinwen said as he took off his shoes and socks, then rolled up his pants.

'Lanyu, I'm now transferring the water. Tell me where I should transfer them,' Li Xinwen called out to Lanyu who are in the pocket dimension while he walked to the edge of the sea. The water hits his feet, and Li Xinwen can't help but wriggle his toes whenever the waves receded.

[Lanyu: Right here, Master!]

Through his mind, Li Xinwen felt the point in the dimension where Lanyu had sent him. Using that point as he guide, Li Xinwen transferred the seawater into the dimension. He continuously does so, until he heard Lanyu's voice in his mind.

[Lanyu: Master! That's enough. It's going to spill over!]

Li Xinwen immediately stopped before he himself entered the dimension. The moment he entered, he saw Lanyu looking over a pool filled with water. The pool was large, about five meters in size. On the other side, separated by another five meters of land, is another huge pit which Li Xinwen assumed is prepared for the freshwater.

"Lanyu," Li Xinwen called out to the small spirit.

"Master! Look, while you transfer the water, some of the smaller fishes got transferred in too!" Lanyu said happily as he pointed at the pool. Inside, few small fishes could be seen swimming around. "But they are too small, ah! If I cook them, it won't be fulfilling..." Lanyu said with a sigh.

"Don't worry. I'll get more fishes for you later," Li Xinwen told the fairy. "Just make sure you don't eat them all, and make sure to properly breed them. That way, you won't have to worry about running out of food to eat," Li Xinwen said.

"Of course, Master! Leave it to Lanyu!"

"En. I'll leave it to you. For the freshwater, it might take a while. I don't know where to get them yet," Li Xinwen informed Lanyu.

"Then... can Master get me some chicken first?" Lanyu asked with a nervous tone. It seems that he really wanted to eat chicken to the point of him wanting to urge Li Xinwen to get him some, despite him feeling afraid that Li Xinwen might get annoyed.

"Alright then. I'll get you the chicken," Li Xinwen just chuckled before he rubbed Lanyu's head with a finger. "By the way, Lanyu... Do you have an idea of the time flow difference between this dimension and the outside world?" Li Xinwen asked.

"Oh, it should be that the time it takes one incense stick to burn here, in the outside world, you would have finished brewing your tea," Lanyu replied. "But if Master wants, Lanyu can change the time-flow rate of this dimension to match that of the outside world!"

"You can?" Li Xinwen was surprised at this revelation. 'If that is true, then can't I just ask Lanyu to make it one year in the dimension equals to a day outside? That way, I can cultivate with ease.'

"Yes! But only after the medium has been completely restored."

"... next time, say that earlier. You got my hopes up then destroyed them in a matter of seconds," Li Xinwen sighed before he flicked the fairy's forehead. "Alright, I am leaving now. Don't fall asleep and do your work," he reminded Lanyu before leaving the dimension.

He only spent a few minutes inside the dimension, and when he came out, the beach was still empty. He returned to where he placed his shoes, cleaned his feet off from the sand and worn his socks. Putting his shoes back on, Li Xinwen took his phone out and searched for a poultry farm.

Li Xinwen's search for livestock continued until 10 am. By then, he even managed to get the freshwater and its fishes into the dimension, much to Lanyu's happiness. He had also bought ten hens and a rooster. He had wanted to buy sheep earlier, but unfortunately, Lanyu told him that it was currently impossible for him to teleport something as big as sheep into the dimension. At least, not with his current state.

Now that he has done most that he wanted to do, he finally thought that it was time to visit Xue Rui. But then, he realized that he doesn't have the slightest idea where Xue Rui was being hospitalized. He tried calling Xue Rui's phone, but the call didn't go through. He didn't have Xue Jun's number, so now his trail was gone. 'Maybe Hua-jie knows...'

As he thought of this, Li Xinwen's finger navigated to Li Jinghua's number and called her. Three rings later, the other answered the call.

"Hello, Hua-jie, I'm sorry to bother you while you're working but... do you know where Rui-ge might be hospitalized? I forgot to ask Xue Jun yesterday," Li Xinwen asked.

"Have you tried the hospital he owned? It's the same one where you were treated before," Li Jinghua replied.

"I see. I will go and check there. Thank you, Hua-jie."

Ending the call, Li Xinwen went called a taxi over and told the driver his destination. The drive to the hospital took about half an hour and when Li Xinwen arrived, he directly asked the receptionist about Xue Rui.

"There is no patient with that name being hospitalized here. Are you sure that it is this hospital?" the receptionist asked.

"Are you sure? I hear he owned this hospital..." Li Xinwen asked the receptionist once again.

"No. I'm sorry," the receptionist replied.

"Then, how about someone with two broken legs? Anyone with such injuries came yesterday?" Li Xinwen didn't want to give up since he already arrived here, but unfortunately, the receptionist's answer was still a 'no.'

With a sigh, Li Xinwen can only give up and walked out of the hospital. He had also used his spiritual energy to scan the whole building after the receptionist repeatedly replied with a negative answer. But he really couldn't find Xue Rui's spiritual signature inside. "Where is he..." Li Xinwen grumbled. Never did he thought that there would be a day he finds himself trying to find Xue Rui. If one were to ask this to him from a few days ago, he might just laugh it off.

"There is still about an hour left before I have to get home. I have time to find him throughout the city."

That was what Li Xinwen thought, but even after running through the whole city, he still couldn't find Xue Rui. He even tried to feel Xue Jun out, but he came up with nothing. 'Did Xue Jun bring him out of the city? If that is true, then all I can do is keep calling Xue Rui until he answers,' Li Xinwen sighed as he took out his phone. On his call log, several call attempt was already made to Xue Rui, but none of them connected. He tried it again, and hear the familiar tone. But after a while, he was directed to the voicemail again. 'Maybe he's still unconscious... I'll try calling his phone again later. For now, let's go home before mom gets worried.'