Since Old Zhou knew who was spreading rumors, why didn't he apprehend them himself? Was he too busy recently to pay attention to such matters?
"You know this person too."
As Old Zhou spoke, the kitchen brought the dishes to the table. He slowly stood up, walked towards the dining table, and said.
"I know them too?"
Lin Xiao immediately began to ponder who was spreading the rumors. Someone he knew, and given the nature of the rumors, the most likely person to spread them... could it be...
"Of course. Didn't you just leave the hospital with Qi Tian today? Originally, you wouldn't even need to teach him a lesson; he would have been buried soon. What a coincidence that you extended his life." Old Zhou looked at Lin Xiao with a half-smile.
"..."
Lin Xiao's mouth twitched. He had been genuinely considering finding the person, but after Old Zhou's words, he decisively sat down at the dining table, ready to eat.
"So, Lin Xiao, do you know who it is?"
Old Zhou, still pestering, sat beside Lin Xiao and asked.
Qi Tian, holding back a laugh, also sat beside Lin Xiao and said, "Perhaps, if you need it later, I can accompany you? I'm afraid you won't be able to apprehend them alone."
Lin Xiao glared at Qi Tian and quickly said, "Old Zhou, please don't tease me... Since it's the Dragon Lord, I won't get involved."
"Come, come, eat. You must be tired, right?" Old Zhou laughed heartily, having just made a joke. However, he then added, "This old man, the older he gets, the more childish he becomes. He's even nitpicking about a jar of tea with me."
"Cough, cough..." Lin Xiao picked up his chopsticks. "I think it might be true. You drink tea a bit too fast, and it pained the Dragon Lord."
"He barely drinks any throughout the year. Aren't I afraid his tea will go bad? I'm helping him digest it," Old Zhou said. "I'm helping him!"
"..."
Lin Xiao knew there was nothing he could say. This was a camaraderie between two elders, a joke he could only accompany with a smile.
"Try this. This is authentic Imperial Capital breakfast. You wouldn't get this in the northern frontier or in Shashi, would you?" Old Zhou beckoned. He himself picked up a bowl of congee and savored it.
Lin Xiao quickly nodded; he was indeed a bit hungry.
As a Divine Realm expert, feeling "hungry" was not a good sign.
This must be the side effect of sacrificing ten years of his lifespan.
As he ate, Lin Xiao suddenly remembered something and asked, "Old Zhou, did the Dragon Lord's health suddenly deteriorate? I remember seeing the Dragon Lord a year ago, and his health was excellent, with Dragon Qi protecting him. Normally, he should have been fine for another ten or eight years, right?"
This was what puzzled Lin Xiao the most.
A Divine Realm expert.
With proper cultivation and self-care, even if the Dragon Lord was in his seventies or eighties now, he could live for decades more; reaching two hundred years old wouldn't be impossible.
Yet, his health suddenly deteriorated. Something must have happened.
"About that," Old Zhou looked at Lin Xiao and after a long silence, finally said, "Have someone investigate what's happening in the Beautiful Country. You should know then."
"The Beautiful Country?" Lin Xiao was taken aback. Was there a problem over there?