Lin Xia Joins

Lin Yun and Lin Dong each borrowed three martial arts manuals.

The Martial Arts Hall's martial arts all had copied backups, enough for many people to borrow them at the same time.

Many people had come to the Martial Arts Hall today.

They were all members of the younger generation too.

Although the clan competition had just ended, at the end of this year, Qingyang Town's Hunting Event, held once every three years, would take place, and the younger generation of every major force in Qingyang Town could participate.

That was a stage above the Lin Family clan competition, and also a trial contest for each force to display the strength of its younger generation.

If one stood out in the Hunting Event, not only could they fight for honor for their family, they could also obtain better rewards. When the time came, they would gain some fame throughout all of Qingyang Town.

So the cultivation atmosphere continued, and even grew stronger.

Quite a few people warmly greeted Lin Yun and Lin Dong.

Lin Xia also came here. When she saw Lin Yun and Lin Dong walking out of the Martial Arts Hall together, chatting and laughing, her expression froze. Lin Yun had few friends; before, it had always been her who brought Lin Yun to the Martial Arts Hall.

She gave a delicate snort and said, "Oh? You two just finished fighting yesterday, and today you're stuck together. What, did you beat some feelings into each other?"

"Sister Lin Xia, listen to you. Our relationship was already very good. I've always respected Brother Lin Yun, and I was wholeheartedly convinced by my loss yesterday. Don't try to drive a wedge between us," Lin Dong teased.

"Can I even drive a wedge between you? Look at the way you two admired each other on the stage yesterday. Who couldn't tell you had a good relationship? In a match for first place, I've never seen anyone fight so harmoniously and lovingly," Lin Xia continued to tease the two.

As the big sister of the Lin Family, she was naturally very happy to see every one of the younger brothers below her become outstanding, and to see them united with one another.

It was just that these two fellows had hidden themselves too deeply.

It was too much. They had even kept it from their sister.

Especially Lin Yun. They had sparred twice before, and Lin Xia was certain that Lin Yun had gone easy on her back then.

These two were clearly both stronger than her, their sister, yet they had stayed so low-key. Before the clan competition, everyone had thought she would be first. When the matches came, all the limelight was taken by these two fellows, and she became the backdrop.

And what was hateful was that in the final battle, the two of them had even put on an exhibition match. Lin Xia had reason to suspect these two fellows had planned it in advance.

"Confess honestly. Were you two secretly training together before this? Otherwise, how could you have cultivated the same martial arts, and both have such high attainments in them?"

Lin Xia scrutinized the two of them, clearly intent on getting to the bottom of it.

She felt her suspicions were very likely correct.

The two of them rarely appeared in everyone's sights. Who knew if the two of them had been discussing martial arts together?

"Sister Lin Xia, you really misunderstood us. It was completely a coincidence. Although Brother Lin Dong and I hit it off at first sight before and had quite a bit of tacit understanding in the clan competition, we truly did not collude. On normal days, we both cultivate in our own homes. Also, I did not intentionally hide my strength; I'm just used to cultivating alone and don't like showing off. I'm sure Brother Lin Dong is the same. So, Sister Lin Xia, you really are overthinking it," Lin Yun explained earnestly.

Lin Dong immediately chimed in, "Exactly, exactly. Brother Lin Yun and I basically had no contact. Cultivating the same martial arts was completely a coincidence. Besides, there are so many people in the clan who cultivate these two martial arts. You can't use that to decide that we were cultivating together and colluding to hide our strength."

The two explained seriously. Even if they really had colluded to hide their strength, it would not have been a big deal, but Lin Xia had, after all, been the top candidate to win the championship. It somewhat felt like stealing her limelight and slapping her in the face. If they had deliberately colluded, would that not be the same as deliberately targeting Lin Xia?

Of course, there was also Lin Hong, but Lin Hong had been eliminated too early, and only then had Lin Xia become the backdrop of the finals stage.

Lin Xia was a good sister. They did not want Lin Xia to misunderstand.

However, at this moment, Lin Xia suddenly saw the three martial arts manuals in the two of their hands. Among them, there were actually two that were the same.

As for the other different manual, both were fist arts.

"Heh, you two really do have a tacit understanding." Lin Xia directly grabbed the hands the two used to hold their martial arts manuals and put them together. It was as if she had successfully caught them cheating, and she laughed in anger.

Such a friendship that "sought common ground while reserving differences."

And they still said they were not close!

Lin Yun and Lin Dong's faces instantly turned awkward. The three identical and similar martial arts manuals in their hands had become the strongest evidence refuting their earlier explanations.

If you two weren't close, would you pick the same martial arts to cultivate together?

Generally speaking, what martial arts one learned was supposed to be a secret, wasn't it? That was one's own ability. How could one casually expose it to others?

And why learn the same martial arts? Wasn't it precisely so they could better exchange insights, verify them, spar with each other, and improve together?

Would people with an ordinary relationship do something like this?

Now, it seemed that no matter what they said, it would sound weak and powerless!

"All right, Sister Lin Xia, if you really have to think that, then there's nothing we can do. Whatever you think it is, that's what it is." Lin Yun spread his hands, simply giving up on explaining.

"Hmph!"

Lin Xia snorted angrily, then suddenly said, "You two fellows, can't you bring me along too?"

"Ah, along?"

Lin Yun and Lin Dong were stunned.

Along? Along for what? They had not been planning to cultivate together.

Although they had chosen the same martial arts, both of them had wanted to cultivate on their own... secretly work hard, then shock the other.

What Lin Xia meant was that she wanted to join the two of them, cultivate together, discuss martial arts, and improve together.

Lin Yun and Lin Dong's previous performance had made even the elders admire them. The fact that they could cultivate two martial arts to perfection proved that the two of them had unique insights into martial arts.

So Lin Xia was tempted. If she could cultivate together with the two of them, even if she could not reach their level, she should still improve faster than if she fumbled through cultivation on her own.

She wanted to follow Lin Yun and Lin Dong and absorb their martial arts experience.

Lin Yun and Lin Dong both showed stunned expressions.

"What? Do you look down on me?" Lin Xia asked loudly, a little angry and hurt.

As the eldest sister, she had always been straightforward and generous, and believed she treated her younger brothers and sisters pretty well.

Earlier, she had even painfully given up two stalks of Second-Grade Spiritual Medicine and gifted them to Lin Yun.

Now, for such a tiny request, they were actually hesitating.

Was she really that stupid? Was she not worthy of discussing martial arts with the two of them?

Then worst case, she would just listen from the side, watch from the side, and not disturb them. Was even that not allowed? Lin Dong did not dare offend Lin Xia, so he looked at Lin Yun and said, "Lin Yun, Brother, what do you think?"

Lin Yun felt helpless. In this situation, it was obvious there was no explaining it. Lin Xia had already decided that the two of them were cultivating together, and if they refused again, it really would mean they looked down on their sister.

They could only set aside a little time to guide Lin Xia. As for whether Lin Xia could improve, that would depend on her.

After all, they were not some martial arts geniuses. The reason they were this incredible was purely because they were cheating.

"Then fine, Lin Xia, Sister. We'll set a regular time. Mm, five... ten days. Once every ten days. The place will be the back mountain. There are fewer people there, and it's spacious. When the time comes, we'll go together to exchange martial arts. We can also hunt while we're there, get some training in advance, and prepare for the year-end Hunting Event."

Lin Yun thought for a moment, then said.

"Good, that's good!" Lin Dong immediately agreed.

"That's more like it!" Lin Xia said, satisfied as well.

Staying in seclusion and cultivating bitterly all the time was too stifling. Going out for some activity would be good too. Besides, Lin Dong and Lin Xia were both fairly strong, making them two decent sparring partners.

"Then, Lin Xia, Sister, out of the four martial arts we're currently cultivating, which one are you planning to choose?"

Lin Yun spread out the three martial arts manuals in his hand and asked.

Lin Xia stared blankly at the six martial arts manuals the two of them had. She no longer wanted to criticize these two freakish younger brothers. Cultivating three martial arts at the same time, and all of them third-grade too, was simply insane.

Back when she had cultivated the second-grade martial art Spirit Sword Finger, it had taken her a very long time to succeed.

Now that she was cultivating third-grade martial arts, she did not have much confidence at all.

These two fellows had each picked three manuals at the same time, yet they still looked so confident.

Was this the gap between geniuses and ordinary people?!

Although Lin Xia was a girl, her personality was also competitive. She did not want to fall too far behind her two younger brothers.

"I'll compromise, then. I'll choose the ones you two both picked: Flowing Wind Movement Technique and Mystic Gate Seal," Lin Xia said straightforwardly.

She also did not plan to dwell on why the two of them would choose an incomplete martial art like Mystic Gate Seal. The thoughts of geniuses were not something ordinary people could understand. In any case, when the time came, however the two of them cultivated, she would learn the same way.