Lin Yingbin's Unfortunate Childhood

The middle-aged man, referred to as Father by the young Lin Yingbin, staggered back several steps from the sudden punch. He reacted quickly, stomping his right foot on the ground to halt his backward momentum. He looked at the small Lin Yingbin with disbelief.

"Good, very good!"

The middle-aged man rubbed his mouth, the pain still sharp. Instead of anger, he praised the boy for the punch.

"How is it? How is it, Father? I did it too!"

At this moment, the small Lin Yingbin, covered in numerous injuries, stood there panting, a triumphant smile on his face despite his battered body.

"Not bad!"

This was likely the first time young Lin Yingbin had ever heard praise from his Father. It happened to be his fifth birthday. To Lin Yingbin, these few words of praise carried more weight than just their literal meaning; they represented his Father's acknowledgment. Later, returning home with his Father, he ate the most delicious meal of his life.

However, what followed was not as pleasant as he had imagined. That very night, he was thrown out by his Father and family.

The middle-aged man, known as Father, along with another servant, tossed the sleeping young Lin Yingbin far, far away under the cover of night.

The next morning, as dawn was just breaking, the chirping of birds woke him.

He twisted his body and slowly opened his eyes.

"Huh?! Why is there... cloud?" Young Lin Yingbin frowned, his vision clearing from blurriness. Before him were the blue sky, drifting white clouds, and birds perched on branches.

Suddenly, young Lin Yingbin sat up, instinctively looking around, only to realize he had been dumped on a garbage heap.

"How could you do this!" Young Lin Yingbin pouted and shouted at the sky.

'Again'!

Yes, this was not the first time something like this had happened to the young Lin Yingbin. In fact, it happened every two months, so he was already accustomed to it. This was his trial: being thrown to a distant place, each time further than the last.

According to his Father, this was to cultivate his survival skills and unyielding character. Father believed that Lin Yingbin was too kind from a young age, and this kindness was a manifestation of his weakness. To inherit the Lin Shadow Clan, such a personality had to be discarded. To make him strong, to enable him to shoulder the responsibilities of the Lin Shadow Clan, his Father subjected him to intense training and studies every day. Young Lin Yingbin had to endure painful trials far beyond what children his age could imagine.

Young Lin Yingbin stood silently on the garbage heap. He brushed off the dirt and looked at his surroundings with a hint of disappointment. Just a few minutes ago, he had been lost in dreams, basking in his Father's praise. He had rarely been praised by his Father since birth, and hearing his Father's direct commendation was a first. He had thought that because his Father had praised him and it was his birthday, he wouldn't be thrown out today. He never expected it to be no different from before. His Father acted decisively, without a hint of hesitation. Even though his sleep wasn't deep, he hadn't noticed being abandoned for this trial.

"Ah, whatever!" Young Lin Yingbin raised his arm. He seemed resigned, knowing that complaining further would be futile. Even if he didn't want to, as long as his position in the family and his strength were inferior to his Father's, he had no choice but to accept his Father's arrangements.

"I was just thinking too wishfully!"

Drawing on his past experiences, young Lin Yingbin surveyed his surroundings and quickly determined his general direction. He then began walking towards home.

Despite his young age, his ability to navigate in the wild surpassed that of professional explorers. By observing the natural environment, he could discern direction at a glance. This was why he could always find his way back after being thrown out so many times. However, having this skill was not something to be celebrated; it only made the training method seem unbearable and even tragic.

And don't think this was just an ordinary route home. This journey was fraught with danger, even lethal threats. These dangers were both natural and man-made. Swamps and quicksand were essentially like normal terrain on this path, while cliffs and hidden arrows were considered child's play.

To fully train Lin Yingbin's survival skills, his Father had gone to great lengths. It was no wonder Lin Yingbin now possessed such exceptional stamina; it was all trained during this time.

Setting aside the dangers of the journey, the approximately one hundred-kilometer trek home was enough to deter even a strong adult. The deadline was one day, or more precisely, one daylight period. He had to reach home before sunset.

Finally, young Lin Yingbin ran from morning until evening, arriving at his doorstep covered in injuries. He clearly felt that today's journey home had been exceptionally long.

Speaking of which, Lin Yingbin's family home was incredibly vast. The spot where young Lin Yingbin stood was the main entrance of the Lin Family, and the gate itself was like a city gate. Looking down upon the entire Lin Family, it was almost a small city. It seemed the Lin Shadow Clan must have been a prominent clan in the past, possessing such a vast estate, which explained why Lin Yingbin's Father was so determined to train him.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Young Lin Yingbin's gasps grew weaker, yet he dared not take another step forward. Before him, the familiar middle-aged man stood blocking his path, holding a long spear and glaring at him from the entrance. What was going on?

"You did not perform well today!"

Father stood imposingly before the gate, his expression cold as he glared at the small Lin Yingbin. The immense brown gate amplified Father's imposing presence, a dominance that almost made Lin Yingbin lose the courage to face him, causing him to avert his gaze.

He had returned too late. Lin Yingbin's Father had set a rule: he had to be home before the sun touched the mountaintop. Now, half the sun had already dipped below the summit. You might argue that he was only a few minutes late, considering the long and dangerous journey, and that he was still a child. However, such excuses were completely ineffective against Lin Yingbin's Father. Failure was failure, and only the result mattered, never the process. Any further explanation would be futile, so Lin Yingbin dared not retort.

"You get no food today!" Father casually tossed the spear that had blocked Lin Yingbin's path into the air. The spear shot through the air like a bolt from a crossbow, accurately embedding itself in an empty slot on the weapon rack in the Martial Arena, a hundred meters away.

Then, he coldly produced a knife from behind him, threw it at Lin Yingbin's feet, and turned to walk back inside.

"You! Deal with it yourself!" Father said coldly, no longer looking at Lin Yingbin.