Chapter 9: Disappointment I

The incident with Huang Shan was merely a small, accidental interlude, and it quickly passed.

As time progressed, another month quickly went by.

This time, many people had mastered the complete sword style, and some had even completely mastered all eight points of force in the first stance.

As for those who couldn’t master it, Lin Hui personally watched the temple’s young Taoist children notify them one by one to go home and not return again.

This group included the skinny student who was previously known for his boastful talk and extensive knowledge.

The skinny student’s already tentative expression immediately collapsed upon receiving the notification.

When he returned home, he would probably only be able to take the most difficult and arduous path, perhaps becoming the lowest-level Mist Zone explorer, or perhaps doing the hardest and dirtiest work, or even farming at the edge of the Mist Zone for others.

Over the three months of cohabitation, everyone in the communal bunkhouse had developed some affection for each other.

Chen Zhishen and a few others saw him off. Before leaving, they agreed to visit the skinny fellow if the opportunity arose, but everyone knew that “if” might mean forever.

Lin Hui didn’t go. Aside from his good relationship with Chen Zhishen, he wasn’t familiar with anyone else. At this time, he went to his usual spot to continue practicing the sword.

He had now figured out the function of the blood-red mark: as long as he confirmed the evolution, and as long as he consumed energy and time, he could completely master the evolved ability.

The only things he needed to expend during this process were a little bit of energy each day and time.

It was as if he could get stronger quickly over time without needing to exert himself or practice.

But…

Lin Hui believed that while lying flat allowed him to become stronger, the purpose of practicing the sword was not just to learn the sword style, but also to develop muscle memory. Merely having the evolved stances was not enough.

He also needed to make his grip on the sword instinctual, and the connections, transitions, and variations between the stances all needed to be applied flexibly. The blood-red mark might not be able to provide these.

Furthermore, daily physical exercise would increase his physical fitness, which might, he speculated, reduce the required stored energy consumption in the future.

In the blink of an eye, two months had passed, and the evolution of the second stance, Hundred Turns Thousand Hearts, was also completely finished.

Just as Lin Hui was practicing the points of force of the second stance by himself in the shade of a tree outside the temple.

Suddenly, a student from the same room ran over in a hurry.

“A Hui, A Shen is in trouble! Quick! Hurry! Come help!”

“Huh?” Lin Hui frowned, recognizing the person. He immediately put down his wooden stick and followed the other person back into the temple.

“What happened!?” he asked as he ran.

“It’s Chen Chong! Chen Chong violated Baihua…” The student was sweating profusely, gritting his teeth.

Lin Hui’s heart skipped a beat, knowing the situation was bad.

The two quickly entered the temple and headed straight for the front square.

Before arriving, they heard Chen Zhishen’s roar of fury, an extreme anger that could be heard from dozens of meters away.

“I’ll kill you!!”

“Hold on!! A Shen!”

“Don’t be impulsive!!”

Others reached out and held Chen Zhishen, wrapping their arms around him, preventing him from charging toward the smug Chen Chong opposite.

Chen Zhishen’s face was purple-red, his veins bulging. He charged forward frantically on the dirt ground like a fighting bull, yet he couldn’t break free from the seemingly loose grip of the people around him.

Not far away, Lu Baihua stood quietly in the corner, the upper half of her face obscured by the shadow of the eaves. Only her fair chin and lips were visible.

Lin Hui slowed his steps. He watched as Chen Chong sneered a few times, glanced over here, then walked up and put his arm around Lu Baihua, and swaggered away with a few of his accompanying students.

“How boring. I thought he really had the guts to charge over. Turns out that’s all he’s got?”

The parting comment struck Chen Zhishen like a bolt of lightning.

He instantly froze. Without the need for those around him to hold him back, he stopped moving, just kneeling where he was, biting his lips, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

Time passed moment by moment.

“Alas,” a student beside him sighed. After watching for a while, he turned and left.

This seemed like a signal, causing the others to follow suit and leave one after another.

Soon, only Lin Hui and Chen Zhishen remained in the field.

Raindrops began to fall one by one, slowly growing larger and denser.

“Let’s go. Let’s go back.” Lin Hui walked over and stood in front of him.

If Chen Zhishen had actually charged, he might have found a way to help him, but now…

Thud.

Chen Zhishen suddenly knelt on the ground, his head bowed, faint sobs audible from his nose.

“A Hui… Am I, completely useless!”

“You have parents too,” Lin Hui said calmly.

Chen Zhishen choked up, no longer speaking.

He really wanted to charge, but…

“Let’s go. Before you have enough strength, any so-called revenge will only destroy yourself,” Lin Hui said softly.

He stepped forward and helped the other person up. The two slowly walked back towards the communal bunkhouse in the light rain. Neither of them spoke again.

Lying in the communal bunkhouse, Lin Hui silently contemplated.

‘Chen Zhishen is not an isolated case. This world is inherently survival of the fittest. Before others notice you, everything might be peaceful, but that is only because you are sufficiently humble. If you possess even a tiny thing that is useful to them…’

“Tell me, why didn’t Ahua… resist?” Chen Zhishen asked quietly from the side.

“Perhaps she understood, or perhaps she couldn’t,” Lin Hui replied.

“Then how… how can I protect the person I want to protect?” Chen Zhishen asked again, his voice trembling. He turned his face towards Lin Hui, tears silently streaming down his face.

“Chen Chong is not strong. Do you know the realm of martial artists?” Lin Hui countered. Without waiting for an answer, he continued.

“Daoist Minxiu once said that our Clear Wind Taoist Temple mainly practices the Clear Wind Sword Style. The sword style uses the Seven-Section Quick Sword as its foundation and the Nine-Section Quick Sword for combat. Finally, after achieving great mastery in the Clear Wind Sword Style, one can be considered an expert in all of Tuyue, second only to the few hundred people in the middle-to-upper ranks of the Three Great Powers.”

Yes, this was a real world, and there was no universal parity of realms versus strength. Lin Hui had thoroughly researched this during his time here.

Powers like the Clear Wind Taoist Temple based their internal strength divisions on their own martial arts realms.

As for what level their internal martial arts cultivation reached in the outside world, it was mainly judged by the combat records of their Masters.

The temple’s strongest, Daoist Baohe, once used the killing move of the Clear Wind Sword Style, Wind Riding Three Points, to defeat several martial arts hall masters from the Inner City. Although he was eventually defeated by the master of the Flying Cloud Pavilion and others, his excellent light body technique allowed him to retreat safely and effortlessly.

Of course, these were the achievements advertised externally, and the advertised ones were naturally the victories. No one was shameless enough to actively spread news of their losses.

“Can mastering the Clear Wind Sword Style overpower Chen Chong?” Chen Zhishen asked softly.

“Perhaps. Chen Chong is just a distant relative of the Chen Family from some obscure branch. There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people like him in the city. If you can reach the status of a Ming Generation Master, you should be able to overpower him. After all, judging from his daily conduct, he is respectful towards the Ming Generation Masters,” Lin Hui answered.

“He finally looked at you. I know he let me go because of you. I won’t forget this favor,” Chen Zhishen said haltingly.

“Why?” Lin Hui asked curiously. “I shouldn’t have anything that makes him wary, right?”

“You are from the Lin family. Three people from the Lin family entered the Three Great Powers of the Inner City. One of them entered the main Chen Family, and your elder sister received the Summoning a while ago, officially becoming a Rain Palace Cult disciple. That is the elite of the Sha Yue Cult… These backgrounds—you may not have paid attention, but we outsiders remember them clearly and dare not ignore them,” Chen Zhishen’s emotions seemed to have stabilized somewhat, and his voice softened. “This is the power of a family…”

Lin Hui fell silent.

He thought of the old patriarch, his grandfather Lin Chaoyi.

He stopped talking, his mood complicated. He lay back on the bed, his mind repeatedly flashing through everything that had happened in recent times.

Unknowingly, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day.

As soon as the mist cleared, bursts of noisy laughter erupted in the temple.

The students in the communal bunkhouse got up one after another, happily packing their things, preparing to leave.

“We can go home today. Is your family coming to pick you up?” Chen Zhishen was also packing, his expression calm, seemingly completely devoid of his previous anger and pain.

But Lin Hui knew that he had buried everything deep inside.

“I don’t know. I’ll find out when I go out,” he replied.

“A Hui, you’re on the way back with me. Do you want to go together?”

A person from the room asked enthusiastically.

“Thank you, but no. You go ahead,” Lin Hui politely declined.

He simply packed his dirty clothes, which he hadn’t had time to wash, his somewhat worn boots and socks, a porcelain cup with a chip in it, and the wooden stick that had never left his hand and was close to acquiring a sheen from constant gripping.

Pushing the door open, two logistical Taoist priests outside were maintaining order, arranging and checking the students one by one before letting them leave.

They only let people go after confirming that their family members had arrived.

Lin Hui walked up, and immediately, several people greeted him on their own initiative.

Among those greeting him were even a few students from the Huang Shan clique, a circle with some background. After the incident with Chen Chong yesterday, everyone inquired with each other and came to know about the recent changes in the Lin family.

Having three people enter the Three Great Powers in the Inner City, with one of them entering the main Chen Family, and another receiving the Summoning to officially become an elite Rain Palace Cult disciple, meant a completely different status.

Suddenly, Lin Hui seemed to have transformed from a small, invisible figure to a conspicuous person, like a genius such as Huang Shan.

Not far away, Qiu Yiren, a genius on par with Huang Shan, stood behind Senior Sister Mu Qiaozhi, looking at this scene from afar with some confusion.

“Senior Sister, is the Sha Yue Cult Summoning really that impressive? Does it command respect even from a distant Chen Family relative like Chen Chong?”

“The Sha Yue Cult Summoning generally depends heavily on aptitude. In the entire cult, only about a thousand people are eligible for the Summoning. Basically, after a successful Summoning, they will sooner or later be dispatched to become a steward, with a status and strength comparable to that of our Clear Wind Taoist Temple Abbot. What do you think?” Mu Qiaozhi said calmly.

“The Summoning is like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, rising to the heavens overnight. They gain skin of bronze and bones of iron, and their lifespan is greatly extended. Plus, I heard that Lin Hui has a good relationship with Lin Hongzhen. If Chen Chong didn’t show respect, he would be criticized when he returned. That boy may be swaggering outside, but within the Chen Family, he’s a marginalized figure who only dares to vent his temper on outsiders,” Mu Qiaozhi said coolly.

She stood calmly at the very back of the students, observing the shifting dynamics of human relationships with indifference in her pale blue eyes.

Compared to Qiu Yiren next to her, she wasn’t particularly beautiful, but her years of practicing martial arts had made her upper body extremely strong, her chest prominent, and her legs long and well-proportioned. Her fitted light blue long coat showcased her powerful physique, making her look like a female leopard—vigorous and full of the beauty of vitality.

“In that case, are there any other people in our temple whose families have similar backgrounds? I wonder if Senior Sister could enlighten Yiren?” Qiu Yiren asked softly.

(End of Chapter)