Patriarch's goodwill? Pretending to be friendly

The training grounds remained steeped in a deathly silence.

Lin Chen's calm yet overwhelmingly dominant question—"Who else thinks I'm trash? Who else wants to come up and 'give me pointers'?"—struck the hearts of every Lin Family disciple like invisible hammers, leaving them too terrified to meet his gaze.

Sunlight fell upon the young man's slightly slender yet upright-as-a-pine figure, as if draping him in a layer of dazzling golden armor. He weighed the storage bag he'd "confiscated" from Lin Bao in his hand, his expression indifferent, his gaze icy, a stark contrast to the "nervous" and "awkward" youth from before!

This dramatic shift sent a chill and a sense of awe from the depths of their souls through the crowd below!

Trash?

If even such a monstrous talent, who could heavily injure the peak of the Body Tempering Realm Fourth Layer with a single punch and possessed terrifyingly stable foundations, was considered trash, then what were they? They wouldn't even qualify as dross!

Powerful! Dominant! Unfathomable!

This was the truest impression Lin Chen left on everyone's minds at that moment!

All previous speculations and doubts about him "getting lucky," being "fortunate," or having "unstable foundations" were utterly shattered and annihilated by that punch! Gone without a trace!

On the high platform, the elders and family heads had varied expressions, but without exception, they were all filled with shock and complexity.

The Great Elder Lin Zhenhong's face could no longer be described as ashen; it was black as the bottom of a pot! He stared fixedly at Lin Chen, the killing intent in his eyes almost materializing and about to erupt! He had never imagined that his grandson, on whom he had placed so much hope, would actually lose? And lose so completely! So humiliatingly! Not only was he heavily injured and knocked unconscious in front of everyone, but his personal storage bag was also openly seized by the opponent!

This was practically a blatant slap in the face to him, Lin Zhenhong! A slap in the face to the entire faction of the Great Elder!

He wished he could rush down from the platform immediately and tear Lin Chen to shreds!

But his remaining reason told him he couldn't!

In full view of everyone, Lin Chen had won "fair and square"! Although his methods seemed ruthless, in a sparring match, fists and feet have no eyes, and injuries are inevitable. Lin Bao's arrogant provocations earlier meant he had no one to blame for his current predicament. If he were to forcefully intervene now, he would only give others grounds for criticism and appear even more enraged!

More importantly, the strength and potential Lin Chen had displayed far exceeded his expectations! This little beast could absolutely no longer be viewed with the same eyes as before! He had to plan his next move carefully!

Lin Zhenhong forcefully suppressed the monstrous rage and killing intent in his heart, gave a look to the few equally grim-faced elders beside him, signaling them to quickly send people to carry the unconscious Lin Bao down for treatment. At the same time, his mind was racing, contemplating how to deal with this "thorn in his side" who had suddenly risen to prominence!

The Family Head Lin Xiaotian's mood at this moment was a mixture of excitement and solemnity!

He was excited because Lin Chen's performance had once again exceeded his expectations! That seemingly casual punch contained incredible power and masterful timing! This was absolutely not something an ordinary mid-stage Body Tempering Realm third-layer martial artist could achieve! This child must be hiding a great secret! And he also represented great hope for the Lin Family's rise!

He was solemn because Lin Chen's powerful and dominant demeanor, coupled with the almost irreconcilable conflict with the Great Elder's faction, made him feel a trace of worry. Such sharp brilliance might not necessarily be a good thing. Furthermore, his grievances with the Wang and Su families also needed to be handled properly. How to balance the various forces, and how to guide this young man with limitless potential but an unruly disposition onto the right path, would be a significant challenge he would face next.

The Third Elder Lin Zhenyue stroked his beard, his eyes shining with brilliance, looking at Lin Chen with undisguised admiration and praise! What a fine young man! Truly a fine young man! Not only was his strength formidable, but his mind also far surpassed that of his peers! He knew how to endure, how to seize opportunities, and how to gain the greatest benefit at the smallest cost! With proper cultivation, this person's future achievements would be limitless! He was already beginning to consider how to win Lin Chen over to his side.

Amidst the complex emotions swirling throughout the venue, the officiating deacon finally reacted. He quickly walked onto the stage, glanced at the unconscious Lin Bao, then at the expressionless Lin Chen, and announced in a voice with a barely perceptible tremor:

"Thirty-second match, Lin Chen wins!"

As this result was announced, another wave of suppressed gasps and discussions erupted from the crowd.

Lin Chen, as if he had done something insignificant, gave a slight cupped-hand salute to the high platform, acknowledging the gesture, and then turned. Under the gaze of reverence, curiosity, jealousy, and malice, he calmly walked off the martial arts stage.

He did not return to the original crowd but found a relatively secluded corner, resuming his "low-key" demeanor, appearing like an ordinary spectator.

But he knew that from this moment on, his status within the Lin Family had undergone a seismic shift! No one would dare to easily regard him as a trash that could be bullied at will anymore!

The practical duels continued.

Lin Yan and Lin Xue, without any suspense, easily defeated their respective opponents, displaying overwhelming strength and drawing waves of cheers.

Other matches also had their moments of brilliance, with some dark horses who usually kept a low profile seizing the opportunity to emerge.

But no matter how intense the battles were, everyone's eyes would invariably drift towards the black-clothed youth standing quietly in the corner.

He was the true protagonist today! The most dazzling star that had suddenly appeared!

Lin Chen paid no attention to these gazes; his focus had already shifted to the storage bag in his hand.

Although it was inconvenient to open and examine it now, he could clearly feel the faint spiritual energy fluctuations and the subtle sounds of items colliding emanating from the storage bag.

Lin Bao, that fellow, was indeed quite wealthy!

The contents inside should be enough to support his cultivation for some time! Perhaps... perhaps he might even find some unexpected surprises? For example, healing pills? Or, the remnants of that "Qi Condensing Pill" that caused his failed breakthrough?

Lin Chen's heart was filled with anticipation.

The preliminary assessment continued until dusk before concluding.

The final results saw Lin Yan and Lin Xue, as expected, securing the top two positions. And Lin Chen, with that earth-shattering punch and the subsequent "deterrent" that no one dared to challenge, had miraculously entered the top ten! Although his ranking wasn't particularly high, for someone who was "zero cultivation" just three days ago, this was a miracle worthy of being recorded in the Lin Family's history!

After the tests concluded, Family Head Lin Xiaotian publicly announced the rewards for this preliminary assessment. The top ten disciples all received generous rewards of spirit stones, pills, and contribution points.

When it was Lin Chen's turn to step forward and receive his reward, he once again became the focus of the entire venue.

Lin Xiaotian personally handed him a heavy brocade pouch, his gaze towards Lin Chen filled with complexity and anticipation: "Lin Chen, your performance today was excellent, you did not disappoint me. I hope you will continue to strive, remain humble and not become complacent, and achieve even greater success in the formal test three days from now, bringing glory to our Lin Family!"

Although these were mere formalities, spoken by the Family Head himself, they carried extraordinary weight! This was undoubtedly a way of showing everyone a stance—the Family Head had begun to pay attention to Lin Chen again!

The Great Elder Lin Zhenhong stood to the side, his expression so gloomy it could wring out water. He snorted coldly but said nothing more.

Lin Chen accepted the brocade pouch, his face displaying a look of "overwhelmed by favor," and said respectfully: "This disciple will certainly do his utmost and not fail the Family Head's expectations!"

His posture was very humble, and his words were also modest, a stark contrast to his powerful and dominant demeanor on the stage earlier.

This once again left the crowd feeling confused and unable to fathom him. Had this Lin Chen truly changed his ways? Or... was his city too deep, and he knew how to hide?

After receiving his rewards, Lin Chen did not linger. Under the gaze of various complex expressions, he quickly left the training grounds and returned to his small courtyard.

He needed to immediately inventory his "loot" and make the final push for tonight's "hunting" operation!

Returning to his dilapidated courtyard, he closed the gate. The humility and respect on Lin Chen's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold calmness and anticipation.

He first opened the brocade pouch rewarded by the family head. Inside were fifty low-grade spirit stones, three bottles of "Qi and Blood Pills" commonly used in the Body Tempering Realm, and a voucher for one hundred family contribution points.

For ordinary Lin Family disciples, this reward was already quite generous! Enough to support their cultivation for one to two months.

"Better than nothing," Lin Chen pouted and casually put the brocade pouch away. These items were merely an appetizer to him.

What he truly looked forward to was Lin Bao's storage bag!

He took out the exquisitely crafted storage bag, which was embroidered with a ferocious leopard head. These storage bags usually had simple restrictions that required the owner to use specific incantations or mental power to open.

However, for Lin Chen, who possessed the Myriad Dao Furnace, this was not a problem at all!

He didn't even need to break the restriction!

With a thought, he communicated with the Furnace!

"Melt!"

An invisible, subtle refining force instantly enveloped the restriction on the storage bag!

Sss...

With an extremely faint sound, the restriction, which would have taken considerable effort to break, was instantly melted and erased by the Furnace's power, like ice and snow!

Simple! Crude! Effective!

A smile tugged at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth, and he eagerly extended his mental power into the storage bag!

The next moment, his eyes widened instantly! An uncontrollable look of ecstasy appeared on his face!

"I'm rich! I'm really rich this time!"

The storage bag's space wasn't large, only about one to two cubic meters. But the items piled inside were enough to make any Body Tempering Realm martial artist green with envy!

The first thing that met his eyes was a small pile of low-grade spirit stones, shimmering with a faint white light! A rough count revealed at least three to four hundred! That was seven to eight times more than what the family had rewarded him with!

Next were various kinds of pills! Stored in exquisite jade bottles with labels. There were "Rejuvenation Pills" and "Bone-mending Paste" for healing, "Qi Gathering Powder" and "Body Tempering Fluid" for improving cultivation, and even a few bottles of higher-grade pills specifically designed to aid in breaking through bottlenecks! One bottle's label clearly read: "Qi Condensing Pill (Imperfect)"!

As expected! Although it was imperfect, the pure energy contained within was definitely not to be underestimated!

Besides spirit stones and pills, there were also a few items in the storage bag emitting faint spiritual energy fluctuations. One was a soft armor that glowed with a faint green light, clearly a defensive magic tool. There was also a sharp short blade, and several items that looked like talismans.

Although these items were not of high grade, they were a welcome surprise for Lin Chen at the moment.

"Lin Bao is truly a walking treasure trove!" Lin Chen excitedly licked his lips. These items alone were enough to elevate his cultivation speed to another level!

He dumped all the items from the storage bag onto the ground, forming a small treasure pile.

He didn't start cultivating immediately but first carefully sorted the pills. The healing ones weren't needed for now, and the ordinary pills for improving cultivation were likely less effective than directly refining spirit stones.

His gaze finally fell on the jade bottle labeled "Qi Condensing Pill (Imperfect)"!

And the hundreds of low-grade spirit stones!

These were the keys to him breaking through to a higher realm tonight!

As for the soft armor and the short blade, he put them away for now. He didn't understand the talismans, so he put them away as well.

After finishing all this, the sky had completely darkened.

Without any hesitation, Lin Chen immediately sat cross-legged, preparing to begin another round of intense cultivation!

However, just as he was about to circulate his cultivation technique—

"Knock, knock, knock."

A faint knocking sound suddenly broke the silence of the night.

Lin Chen's brow furrowed sharply! A flicker of vigilance flashed in his eyes!

Who would come looking for him at this hour?

And in such a "polite" manner?

He immediately suppressed his aura, quickly put the spirit stones and pills back into the storage bag (which was now his), then got up, walked to the door, and asked in a low voice, "Who?"

A slightly aged but respectful voice came from outside the door: "Young Master Lin Chen, this old servant Liu Fu has been ordered by the family head to deliver some things to you."

Liu Fu? That sycophantic head steward?

The family head sent him? To deliver things?

Lin Chen was filled with confusion. The family head had already given him rewards during the day, so why would he send someone to deliver things again at night? And he sent Liu Fu, someone who clearly belonged to the Great Elder's faction?

There was something strange about this.

Lin Chen pondered for a moment and decided to assess the situation first. His strength had greatly increased now, so he wasn't afraid of Liu Fu playing any tricks.

He unlatched the door, opened a crack, and looked outside warily.

As expected, Liu Fu was standing outside the door, his face filled with a fawning smile, completely different from his demeanor during the day. He was holding a rather exquisite food box and a small package.

"Young Master Lin Chen, you must have been startled," Liu Fu said, bowing and scraping as soon as he saw Lin Chen, his posture extremely low. "The test during the day was arduous. The family head specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare some nourishing late-night snacks for you, and also asked this old servant to bring you some clean clothes and daily necessities."

As he spoke, he handed over the food box and the package in his hands.

Lin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, and he didn't take them immediately. He sized up Liu Fu, trying to discern something from his fawning smile.

"The family head is very thoughtful," Lin Chen said in a flat tone. "However, I do not accept favors without cause. Please take these items back, Steward Liu."

He didn't believe the Patriarch would suddenly "care" about him like this, nor did he believe a snobbish person like Liu Fu would genuinely try to befriend him. There had to be something fishy going on!

"Oh my! Young Master Lin Chen, what are you saying!" Liu Fu's smile widened, even carrying a hint of fear. "You brought honor to the family today by defeating a strong opponent (he deliberately avoided Lin Bao's name), the Patriarch is overjoyed! What is this small gift compared to that? If you don't accept it, and the Patriarch blames me, this old servant cannot bear the responsibility!"

As he spoke, he forcefully shoved the food box and package into Lin Chen's hands. Then, he took out a small brocade pouch from his bosom, handing it over mysteriously and lowering his voice: "Young Master Lin Chen, this is something the Patriarch privately asked me to give you, saying it was... to help you calm your nerves."

Lin Chen took the brocade pouch. It felt slightly heavy, and it seemed to contain quite a few spirit stones!

Privately from the Patriarch? To calm his nerves?

Lin Chen grew even more suspicious. What was Lin Xiaotian really up to? First, a public reward, and then a private gesture of goodwill? Was he trying to win me over? Or... testing me?

He calmly put the brocade pouch away and said faintly, "Please thank the Patriarch for me."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!" Liu Fu quickly waved his hands. "As long as Young Master Lin Chen is satisfied! Then... this old servant won't disturb your rest and will take his leave."

After saying that, he bowed again, then carefully turned and left. His demeanor was completely different from how it had been during the day.

Watching Liu Fu disappear into the night, Lin Chen closed the courtyard gate. The calm expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by solemnity and contemplation.

He opened the food box. Inside were indeed several exquisite and delicious dishes, still steaming, clearly cooked not long ago. The package contained several sets of brand-new clothes made of good material, along with some daily necessities.

Finally, he opened the brocade pouch that the Patriarch had "privately" gifted him.

Hiss!

It contained a full hundred low-grade spirit stones! That was double the amount of the public reward!

"Trying to win me over... showing goodwill..." Lin Chen's eyes flickered.

Lin Xiaotian's intentions were now very clear. He had seen his potential and wanted to mend their relationship, bringing him back under his control.

This seemed like a good thing for Lin Chen, who desperately needed resources?

But Lin Chen was filled with caution!

He understood the minds of these superiors too well! Such gestures of goodwill often came with ulterior motives of exploitation and control! Lin Xiaotian was being nice to him now because he had shown his value. Once he lost that value, or threatened Lin Xiaotian's interests, he would turn on him faster than flipping a page!

Moreover, the Lin family was rife with factions, with the Great Elder's faction and the Patriarch locked in a covert struggle. He had thoroughly offended the Great Elder. If he easily sided with the Patriarch now, he would inevitably become a pawn in their power games, making his situation even more dangerous!

"Playing along... that's right, I can only play along!" Lin Chen quickly made up his mind.

He could "accept" the Patriarch's goodwill and take the resources as offered. But to expect him to be grateful and obedient? Absolutely not!

The only person he could rely on now was himself! Only the Myriad Dao Furnace!

What he needed to do was to use all available resources, by any means necessary, to improve his strength! Then, he would break free from the Lin family's quagmire! And control his own destiny!

With this realization, Lin Chen's state of mind returned to calm.

He put away the spirit stones the Patriarch had sent. Combined with those from Lin Bao's storage bag, he now had nearly five hundred low-grade spirit stones! This was a fortune!

He glanced at the dishes in the food box. Although they smelled delicious, he didn't touch them. Who knew if anything had been done to them? It was always better to be safe than sorry.

He had more important things to do now!

That was to continue cultivating! To break through to higher realms! To accumulate more strength for tonight's "hunt"!

He sat down cross-legged again and took out the bottle of "Qi Condensing Pill (Imperfect)," his eyes gleaming with fervor!

The pills that Lin Bao had failed to break through to the fifth layer with... the energy contained within them must be extraordinary!

Combined with these nearly five hundred low-grade spirit stones...

Tonight, he would make his strength undergo another... qualitative leap!

The Myriad Dao Furnace quietly began to operate once more!

A silent, frantic consumption of energy began anew in the dilapidated courtyard!