Lin Xueling

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a girl of fourteen or fifteen with two horn braids, red lips, white teeth, bright eyes, and a flowing red dress swept briskly into the library.

"Little Chu Brother, I'm here."

The girl had known Chu He for two years.

At first, she had merely been bored. The atmosphere in the Lin Family had grown heavier by the day, and no one paid her any attention or kept her company, so she had run to the library to find some books and stories to read.

But she was not someone who could sit still for long. Things like books and stories needed to be savored slowly, yet after flipping through a few pages, she would toss them aside. Then she noticed Chu He standing nearby like a wooden post, and for some reason, she took a liking to him. She happened to have a bellyful of words bottled up inside, so she went over and chattered away.

At the time, the Lin Family Ancestor had also not visited the library for a long while.

In the library, which had gone so long without human voices, a crisp voice like a lark's suddenly echoed through the halls, instantly breathing life into the place and sending ripples through Chu He's silent heart.

It so happened that he was accumulating strength to break through to the Third Transformation. He did not need to keep his mind taut with constant cultivation, and occasional relaxation was necessary to maintain a better state.

Two bored people had come together and found a few common topics to talk about.

Chu He told Lin Xueling stories, while Lin Xueling told Chu He of current events that could not be found in books.

Today, Chu He told the story of the Prince Charming and Cinderella.

The story was not long, and it soon came to an end.

"Girl, you seem a little off today. At such a young age, have you started having troubles of your own?"

Chu He spoke as he looked at the absentminded girl resting her chin on her hand.

Usually, whenever she listened to his stories, she would have all sorts of strange questions. Today, however, she was unusually quiet, and her brows were furrowed as well.

"I have lots of troubles. They didn't only start today!"

Lin Xueling wrinkled her nose and spoke with an adorably spoiled air.

"Tell me about them."

Chu He neither agreed nor disagreed.

Lin Xueling sighed. "Today, I overheard Father and Mother talking, and only then did I learn that our Lin Family is already struggling to take even a single step. They never told me. Four years ago, my eldest uncle was ambushed and killed by the Canine Fang Clan in Annan. After Old Ancestor was seriously injured, some petty scoundrels started setting their sights on our family."

Chu He said nothing.

"Those people are terrible. Several of my uncles were ambushed and assassinated by them. My father said that the Lin Family is now surrounded by tigers and wolves, and one misstep will lead to our destruction. Father and the others haven't smiled in a long time. The atmosphere at home is so frightening."

Lin Xueling's eyes reddened.

The innocent girl had grown up too.

Chu He sighed inwardly.

He could sense that the girl before him was vastly different from how she had been in the past. It was not merely this piece of news that had changed her.

She had grown up and begun to mature. Only then could a single piece of news bring about such a change.

"Little Chu Brother, tell me, how can I help Father and the others? I don't want to see Father and Mother frowning all day long."

Lin Xueling looked at Chu He and asked.

She did not ask Chu He because she expected him to give her an answer. The question was simply lodged in her heart, and she could not keep it in any longer. She wanted someone to confide in.

"Become stronger!"

Yet Chu He gave her an answer.

"What?"

Lin Xueling froze.

"As long as you become strong enough—for instance, if you were now an expert in the Half-step King Realm—would the things troubling your parents still be problems?"

Chu He said calmly.

Lin Xueling blanked out for a moment, then looked at Chu He and nodded in agreement. "That's right! If I were an expert in the Half-step King Realm right now, I could beat all those petty scoundrels flat and ease Father's worries."

She seemed to have found a direction to move toward. With a whoosh, she sprang to her feet, her expression suddenly turning spirited.

But a moment later, she came back to her senses and sat down dejectedly. "Little Chu Brother, your method is a good one, but how could the Half-step King Realm be so easy to reach? I'm only at the Fifth Layer of Acquired right now. I don't even know how long it will take to reach the Innate Realm, much less the Half-step King Realm."

"Is the Half-step King really that difficult?"

Chu He shook his head. "As long as you find the right teacher, it isn't difficult."

"Really? But I heard Father and Old Ancestor say that among hundreds of millions, it is hard to find even one person who can reach the Half-step King Realm. To attain it, talent, temperament, and opportunity are all indispensable."

Although Lin Xueling trusted Chu He greatly, she did not trust him blindly. Trust needed reasons too!

"Don't listen to their nonsense."

"They simply don't know how to teach."

"Find the right direction, and a mere Half-step King can be achieved by anyone with a brain."

Chu He said it casually.

"Little Chu Brother, you're bragging. If it were that easy, could you teach me?"

Lin Xueling puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy.

The Little Chu Brother she had thought of as detached from worldly dust, like an exiled immortal, turned out to be just like her obnoxious brothers, someone who loved making grand boasts.

"I have read widely, versed myself in both ancient and modern knowledge. Of course I know how to teach people. Do you want to learn?"

Chu He naturally saw Lin Xueling's doubt and distrust, but he merely smiled and offered no further explanation. Instead, he accepted her provocation.

He had just broken through to the Third Transformation and needed some time to consolidate his cultivation anyway. Since he was bored, being a teacher for a while would be a good way to pass the time.

It would also add a little variety to his dull life of cultivation.

"Fine. I want to see how you'll teach, Little Chu Brother. You should know that if you want to truly understand cultivation, reading books alone isn't enough!"

Lin Xueling's temper flared as well. She agreed to learn from Chu He because she wanted to wait until he failed to teach her, then make him realize his mistake so that he would never dare brag again.

A Little Chu Brother who loved making grand boasts was not a good brother.