Chapter 22: Patrol IV

This was not idle time-wasting. Instead, in the instant his finger was about to snap, Lin Hui immediately activated the Light Body special effect, and then, immediately after the snap, he instantly deactivated it.

This was his practice and testing. Since Light Body consumed a significant amount of physical energy, why not cut it up into many instantaneous small skills?

It was enough to use it only in the instant it was needed, making it effective at the critical moment.

This was Lin Hui‘s idea. He had been putting it into practice, and he had indeed achieved some results in recent days.

According to his detailed tests, if he kept the Light Body special effect continuously active, he could sustain it for about one hour, after which his physical energy would be depleted. This was under the premise of not fighting with full effort.

If he fought with full effort, the physical energy consumption would be greater, and the time would likely be shortened by more than half.

However, after adapting his method of use, Lin Hui could split the Light Body special effect into countless small segments, each lasting 0.5 to 1 second, the maximum time for a move.

As long as he paused for three seconds after using a segment, his physical energy would rapidly recover, allowing him to cycle the use indefinitely.

Theoretically, with proper timing, he could use the Light Body special effect indefinitely. This meant he could maintain the intermittent, Senior Brother-level sword and movement speed constantly.

But real combat wouldn’t allow him to strike and rest immediately. Therefore, practical application still required specific testing.

Ultimately, Lin Hui decided that no battle could possibly last too long. Even an evenly matched fight would end in at most ten minutes.

The Light Body special effect could absolutely be sustained from start to finish for ten minutes.

---

The next morning.

The Senior Brother did not show up as expected. The four people in the resting tea stall divided into teams and headed toward their respective patrol streets.

Lin Hui was paired with Chen Chong as agreed.

The morning sky was not yet bright, and the mist had just dispersed. Most of the farmers from the surrounding countryside had not yet arrived, and the streets were quiet and deserted.

Chen Chong led the way, walking ahead and yawning. A scent of perfume continually drifted from him in the wind, clearly indicating he had been out carousing the night before.

He had nothing to say to Lin Hui and merely scanned the surrounding shops as they passed.

“Senior Brother Chen, how about we split up and act separately? That way, you don’t find me annoying, and I don’t feel uncomfortable around you. It’s better for everyone,” Lin Hui proposed gently, walking forward.

“Heh heh… Fine. I’ve wanted to walk alone for a while now anyway. You’re a bit of an obstruction by my side,” Chen Chong glanced at him and said mockingly.

“Then let’s split here at the fork,” Lin Hui pointed to the intersection ahead.

“Good.”

The two said no more. They walked a short distance forward and naturally separated at the intersection.

After separating, Lin Hui continued to research the mechanism of Light Body.

He bought a meat-filled pancake from a roadside breakfast stall and ate it as he walked and thought.

‘Before Light Body is activated, my body perception shows no obvious anomalies, and my weight measurement is unchanged. But upon activation, my weight is immediately reduced by nearly half. This is not a perceived illusion but a real, tangible reduction in weight.’

‘At the same time, my movement speed, attack speed, and even the capture of dynamic vision are all accelerated. According to the test, the overall acceleration effect is about sixty percent of the original. However, because the various aspects are compounded, the full burst effect turns into a huge amplification exceeding twice the original.’

Movement speed, combined with sword attack speed, when amplified, the resulting burst is not a simple additive effect.

‘So, how exactly does this sudden weight reduction work?’

Lin Hui contemplated.

He activated Light Body again, paying close attention to the sensation.

The feeling was very strange, as if the flesh, blood, and bones that made up his body had suddenly become hollow, as if they had been temporarily replaced by some much lighter material.

‘It’s not the extraction of matter; it’s more like the application of a force field. Like an external force that helps lift some of my body weight.’

He meticulously sensed the subtle difference.

Just as he was deep in thought.

Suddenly, a scream came from a nearby street.

He frowned and quickly turned, rushing toward the sound. In less than a minute, he arrived at the location of the scream.

It was a small, relatively secluded house. The house was gray-black, and the outer walls were stained with soot. A small courtyard enclosed by a simple bamboo fence surrounded the house.

At this moment, the small bamboo gate was open. The main door of the small house inside was ajar. A figure Lin Hui found somewhat familiar was pressing down on a fair-skinned, large-chested woman inside, tearing at her clothes.

The woman struggled violently, but her strength was far inferior to the person on top of her. She could only cry and scream loudly.

“Senior Brother Chen.” Lin Hui did not consider himself a good person. If he hadn’t seen this, it would be one thing, but now that he had witnessed it, he couldn’t stand idly by.

“Isn’t what you’re doing going a little too far?”

Chen Chong heard the voice and looked back at him.

“Didn’t Junior Brother Lin say we should act separately? What is it? You fancy this girl too? Want me to let you have a turn after I’m done?”

A strange sneer appeared on his face, but his eyes clearly conveyed a threat.

Lin Hui was speechless.

He came from a good background. He was born into a large clan in this life, and with his father’s earnings and connections to a noble person, people used to call him ‘Young Master’ when he was little.

So, he had only heard about the suffering of those at the bottom but had never truly felt it. But now…

No wonder many families couldn’t survive and actively applied for Myriad Fortune Meat (or Fortune Meat). Looking at Chen Chong‘s unbridled expression, he suddenly understood somewhat.

“Senior Brother Chen,” Lin Hui slowly walked closer. “Could you please give me some face and not cause trouble while we are patrolling together?”

“Face?”

Chen Chong paused his movements, slowly stood up, and turned to face Lin Hui.

“Lin Hui, I’ve been annoyed with you for a long time!!”

He instinctively gripped his sword hilt.

“Didn’t I give you face during the Chen Zhishen incident? I backed off the moment I saw you! And what about you? Did you give me face? Who the hell do you think you are!? The Sha Yue Saint!? That everyone has to constantly give you face!”

His attempt at pleasure had been interrupted, and the blood rushed from his lower body to his head. He instantly exploded.

“Senior Brother Chen,” Lin Hui gripped his sword hilt. “Have you considered that you’ve been fine patrolling with others, but only with me does trouble break out? How am I supposed to deal with this when I’m questioned afterward?”

“I don’t care how you deal with it! Surname Lin, I’m counting to three. If you don’t get lost, don’t blame me for being rough with you!” Chen Chong pulled his sword out slightly, revealing a gap, and hissed furiously.

“Senior Brother, we are all here to work. Can’t we just be amicable and have a good time together?” Lin Hui sighed. “Why force the situation until no one looks good?”

“Are you going to get lost or not!?” Chen Chong fiercely drew his sword and strode toward Lin Hui.

“A piece of trash who hasn’t even mastered the full Nine-Section Quick Sword dares to meddle in other people’s business! Today, I’m going to show you what looking for death is!?”

“Senior Brother, you’re too impulsive,” Lin Hui calmed down.

“Impulsive my ass!!” Chen Chong completely lost it.

Chii! His sword blade turned into a gray streak, cutting instantly toward Lin Hui‘s waist.

The burst speed was incredibly fast; it was clearly the offense-focused Nine-Section Quick Sword.

Clang.

Lin Hui also drew his sword to block, precisely intercepting the opponent’s blade.

The two fought quickly against quick. Although Lin Hui‘s movements were slightly slower, he barely managed to keep up with Chen Chong‘s speed.

Despite having only Second-Rank Body Tempering speed, Lin Hui‘s timing, use of force, and transition between moves were vastly superior to his performance during the previous sparring match; he looked like a completely different person.

Coupled with his now much faster movement and sword speed, he managed to stall Chen Chong, preventing him from gaining the upper hand.

This shock rattled Chen Chong‘s mind; he hadn’t anticipated this situation at all.

He felt that the same sword move produced entirely different effects when executed by him and by Lin Hui.

“Senior Brother, stop fighting. Your performance is off right now; you are absolutely no match for me. Indulgence has corrupted your body, preventing you from utilizing even fifty percent of your strength,” Lin Hui sighed and advised as he fought.

Is that true?

Has indulgence really depleted and hollowed out my body?

Hearing these words, Chen Chong unconsciously believed the opponent’s statement. How else could he explain that he, an experienced front courtyard disciple who had practiced for years, couldn’t even defeat a newly promoted junior disciple?

Just then, a silver flash suddenly appeared in Chen Chong‘s eyes. The sword light he had just seen in front suddenly appeared on his right side, where his backhand was.

The change was so fast that he couldn’t react at all.

Puff.

With a soft sound, the sword blade struck firmly into Chen Chong‘s waist, leaving a shallow, bleeding cut.

“Senior Brother, you are hallucinating again. You are so weak that you can’t even see my sword’s shadow clearly. If you continue like this, you might not even be able to defeat the students in the rear courtyard anymore,” Lin Hui sighed.

Chen Chong fell onto his back, sitting on the ground, covered in a cold sweat, too shocked by that sword strike to speak.

‘Did I really hallucinate to this extent?’

‘The sword light was clearly in front, and then it suddenly flashed to the side…’

A chill rose in Chen Chong‘s heart. He clearly knew that Lin Hui was just a newly promoted junior brother, an ordinary student who had only practiced the Seven-Section Quick Sword for just over a year.

It was impossible for him to achieve that instantaneous change of position speed. That level of speed could barely be achieved by the Senior Brother, and only when exerting full effort.

It was impossible for Lin Hui, an ordinary disciple, to do it.

Excluding all other options, the only possibility was truly… that he was hallucinating…

Had indulgence truly corrupted him to this extent?

The injury to Chen Chong was minor. He knew Lin Hui was a rule-abiding person who wouldn’t truly harm him, just as he himself dared not truly harm Chen Zhishen.

What truly chilled him was the terrible situation of his hallucination and his deteriorating sword speed.

‘Have I really become this weak?’

Chen Chong‘s previously burning lust was instantly extinguished by a bucket of ice water.

“I… I…!” His lips trembled, but he couldn’t utter a word.

“Senior Brother, I just can’t bear to see you so weak. Don’t make the same mistake twice. Wine and lust are toxins that corrode the intestines…” Lin Hui sincerely advised.

Chen Chong now fully believed he was severely depleted. He didn’t dare to speak, fearfully breaking out in a cold sweat. He got up and staggered out, clutching his waist.

He had to go find a doctor immediately!

Lin Hui was left with the half-dressed woman. He didn’t look at her, only waved his hand, signaling her to close the door, and slowly walked away.

As for whether Chen Chong would confirm his weakness, Lin Hui thought it was highly likely.

Because his sword cut was quite deep, the amount of blood flowing was definitely enough to make Chen Chong feel very weak.

And the previous ‘hallucination’ was, naturally, caused by his momentary use of the Light Body special effect.

Coupled with his usual honest demeanor, he had successfully fooled Chen Chong‘s simple, corrupted mind.

Leaving the courtyard, Lin Hui didn’t continue his patrol. Instead, he returned to the resting spot, quietly waiting for the others to return.

He needed to communicate this incident to the others first.

During the wait, he carefully recalled the brief exchange of blows.

From start to finish, Chen Chong‘s rhythm was completely within his grasp.

At First-Rank, activating the Light Body special effect allowed him to achieve a burst speed comparable to that of the Senior Brother and the others. Now that he was Second-Rank, he personally felt that his burst speed with the special effect active had exceeded the limits of the Senior Brother and the others.

That is to say, his only weakness now was his sword technique.

The Nine-Section Quick Sword was insufficiently familiar, and the Clear Wind Sword Style had not yet been taught to him.

These two sword styles were matching techniques designed to fully utilize speed, where the faster the speed, the greater the power.

Lin Hui had considered it. The Light Body special effect was a unique secret technique augmentation that no one else had, according to his observations. The key was that he couldn’t explain its origin, so it was not appropriate to reveal it for now.

When using it, he must be careful not to let anyone see and comprehend the secret. Once his sword skills were formidable, he could claim to have created a secret technique and use it openly.

(End of Chapter)