Five Years

Though the memories of early childhood had slowly faded, Lin Chan still recalled being carried across mountains and rivers in Lin Fangzheng's arms shortly after he was born, arriving at the Lin family estate.

He knew that Madam Zhang, the matriarch, was not his birth mother.

But Lin Chan never expected that Lin Fangzheng was not his biological father either—that he was an outsider.

Yet Lin Fangzheng still treated him like his own son.

This made Lin Chan ponder a question: without blood ties, could they still be considered family?

He stayed on the rooftop half the night, the cold wind blowing for hours, until he reached his own conclusion.

If Lin Fangzheng treated him like a son, how could he not treat Lin Fangzheng like a father?

Kinship would not fade just because there was no blood relation.

Having resolved this, Lin Chan stopped dwelling on it and continued exploring other parts of Yulin City.

Along the way, he encountered a menacing black cat that nearly scratched him.

Fortunately, Lin Chan was quick-witted and fast on his feet, slipping away in an instant.

The next few months passed as usual.

By day, Lin Chan practiced martial arts and studied; by night, he used Little White and Little Li's bodies to dart through the streets and alleys of Yulin City, searching for traces of immortals and eavesdropping on the secrets of every household.

And sure enough, he uncovered many hidden truths.

For instance, Grandmaster Xiao Ming had a taste for widows and married women, keeping several mistresses in the city.

In his youth, Grandmaster Xiao had nearly ruined himself over this very vice.

City Lord Luo was terrified of his wife, for reasons unknown.

One day, Lin Chan returned home from school and found the entire household on high alert, as if something major was about to be announced.

"Chan'er! You're back. How was school today?" Lin Fangzheng asked with a smile upon seeing him.

"We studied a new essay, and I practiced my calligraphy a lot," Lin Chan replied obediently.

"Good, my Chan'er excels at both letters and martial arts." Lin Fangzheng gently ruffled Lin Chan's hair with his large hand.

Once Lin Chan was home, the key members of the Lin family had mostly gathered, and Lin Fangzheng promptly made an announcement.

"I hereby declare that Chan'er is the young master of our Lin family. When I grow old in a few years, you must all wholeheartedly support him."

Lin Chan was taken aback by this, but he was still too young to say much, merely muttering blankly, "Father, what do you mean by this?"

"Chan'er, you're still young. You'll understand in a few years. This has nothing to do with you—go play! If you want to read, you can go to the study." Lin Fangzheng didn't want to explain much to a four-year-old, simply patting his head.

Though he pretended not to understand, Lin Chan knew exactly what was happening.

It was nothing more than Third Mistress using Hu Zi to win over many household servants, constantly opposing Madam Zhang, causing trouble for the matriarch, vying for power and profit, hoping to rise through her son.

And while Lin Fangzheng was fond of Lin Hu, he also held deep affection for his wife of humble beginnings. Seeing Madam Zhang humiliated, and being quite satisfied with Lin Chan as his adopted son, he set the tone for the family's succession dispute.

Afterward, using Little Li's body, Lin Chan gathered a wealth of information and witnessed many events.

Lin Hu was now placed under Madam Zhang's care, while his birth mother had been expelled from the Lin family to prevent further discord in the household.

Lin Chan had no particular opinion on this; it was not something he could meddle in. Lin Fangzheng would handle it all.

So Lin Chan continued with his own affairs, planning to bid Lin Fangzheng farewell once his strength was sufficient and set out to seek immortals.

Five years of spring and autumn passed in the blink of an eye.

A tricolor cat with an iron tag around its neck, and a white dog with the same, roamed every corner of Yulin City.

The tricolor cat became the feline overlord of Yulin City, while the white dog rose to be the top canine thug.

And the handsome boy, now nine years old, soon to be ten, sat beside the learned Li Xingxiao, discussing history and philosophy.

"Master, after tomorrow, I won't be coming anymore," Lin Chan said calmly after their discussion.

"Chan'er, you are the most literary youth I've ever met. If you could study with me for another two or three years, you'd surely pass the imperial exams with honors!" Li Xingxiao felt a pang of regret.

Lin Chan was the most gifted student he had ever taught—quick to read and write, with an eidetic memory.

Over the years, Li Xingxiao had nearly imparted all his life's knowledge to Lin Chan.

"Master, these days I need to focus on breaking through to the Innate Realm. I can't afford the distraction," Lin Chan shook his head regretfully. The Innate Realm was crucial; once he broke through, he would set out to seek immortals.

A human life was but a hundred years at most—he couldn't waste it on studying and chasing fame and fortune.

Even the lofty emperor, a hundred years later, is nothing but a handful of yellow earth—how lamentable.

He wanted to become an immortal who ate qi for longevity, covering the sky with one hand, witnessing the vicissitudes of time.

"A pity, a pity!"

Li Xingxiao sighed repeatedly.

But with Rong Country now revering martial arts, what could he do?

"Chan'er! Since you came to bid me farewell today, I'll give you one last gift as your teacher!"

Li Xingxiao took a brocade pouch from his sleeve and placed it in Lin Chan's hands.

"Inside are two characters I scribbled casually—consider them a talisman."

As the pouch entered his hands, Lin Chan, with his Spirit Gathering Physique, could sense the faint Vast Righteous Qi within, more than enough to ward off evil and misfortune.

"Thank you, sir!"

Lin Chan quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Go! I wish you prosperity in the martial path!"

Li Xingxiao sighed and saw Lin Chan off.

After the final farewell, Lin Chan boarded the carriage home. The driver, Uncle Liu, had far more white hair now, but still wore that fierce face that kept others at a distance.

Back home, Little White immediately rushed to greet him, brimming with excitement.

Little Li, meanwhile, was fast asleep in the cat bed—yesterday Lin Chan had used Little Li's body, leaving it so exhausted.

Lin Chan had now reached the Peak Houtian Realm, and his White Ape Connecting-the-Spine Fist had been trained to perfection, form and spirit united, all seamlessly integrated. Even Uncle Liu was no match for him.

He had also grown to over 1.6 meters tall, matching the stooping Uncle Liu in height.

One could only say that times change, time flies, fleeting as a white horse passing a crack.

Besides the Connecting-the-Spine Fist, Lin Chan had also trained in a lightness skill and a blade technique, both reaching the Grand Completion level.

But that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was that over these five years, Lin Chan had gained five more excellent talents.

[Eidetic Memory: Once a book is read, it is remembered.]

[Doubled Strength: Physical strength and endurance are doubled.]

[Quick Reflexes: Reaction speed increased by thirty percent.]

[Deterrence: Imposes pressure on the opponent, affecting their judgment and causing mental suppression.]

[Spiritual Mark: Uses spiritual power to mark people or objects.]

These talents were all extremely useful. Among them, [Doubled Strength] allowed Lin Chan's physical body to walk continuously for a day and a night.

In battle, it enabled him to sustain himself for even longer.

Now, even if he stepped into the martial world, he could stand on his own.

Of course, it was still best to first cultivate Innate Inner Qi and become a Grandmaster before leaving.