Seeing Him in a New Light

After collecting his new clothes at Rainbow Dress Pavilion, he went to the adjacent bathing pool to wash and change.

The dust and grime from his journey were washed away, and the somewhat weary Lin Lin felt instantly refreshed.

Afterward, dressed in the black lotus-patterned robe of an Elite Disciple, Lin Lin headed home.

"Little Lin is back!"

Zhang Fei was intimately familiar with her son's footsteps. The moment she heard them, she hurried out of the house from afar to greet him.

The instant she saw Lin Lin, her expression became emotional.

Especially when she saw the black Elite Disciple robe he wore, Zhang Fei's face filled with intense surprise and relief, and her eyes even reddened slightly.

Mothers always worried about their children.

A few months ago, she had worried that Lin Lin, who had not applied himself to martial arts, would be unable to survive safely in this chaotic world.

Later, Lin Lin became exceptionally diligent and motivated. While this change comforted Zhang Fei, she began worrying about what he would do if he encountered danger while traveling the martial world in the future, whether he could handle the treacherous currents and sinister hearts found within it.

A few days ago, when Lin Lin left to carry out the promotion mission for Elite Disciples, the worry in her heart reached its peak.

But sooner or later, Lin Lin had to leave the shelter of his parents' wings and live independently.

She could not possibly stop him from going out simply because she was worried.

Recently, her husband had also been away on a mission, so Zhang Fei could only bear this anxiety alone. She had spent the past several days restless and unsettled.

Many times, Zhang Fei had even wanted to leave Hundred Flowers Valley and personally protect her son while he carried out his mission.

But reason told her that she could protect Lin Lin once, but she could not follow him for the rest of his life.

Moreover, Lin Lin's excellent performance lately had given Zhang Fei sufficient confidence. Over the past few months, she had also taught him many practical tricks that could be useful while traveling the martial world.

In the end, she forcibly suppressed the urge to go find Lin Lin and protect him nearby, choosing to trust him.

And now, seeing Lin Lin return safely and wearing the black uniform of an Elite Disciple, the anxiety in her heart vanished at once.

In its place came enormous joy.

This did not merely mean that Lin Lin had gained the status of an Elite Disciple. It also meant that he had begun to mature, gaining the ability to travel the martial world alone and live independently in these chaotic times.

For a mother, this was the most comforting thing of all.

"Yes, I'm back. Mother, I've completed the Elite Disciple promotion mission."

"These are my mission credentials. Tomorrow, I just need to report them to the Elder of Teaching Skills, and my status as an Elite Disciple can be officially registered."

Lin Lin spoke with a smile and handed the Credentials Letter he had just received to his mother, who had come to greet him.

Zhang Fei accepted the Credentials Letter but did not examine it immediately.

Instead, she took the large bundle from her son's hands and said with a smile, "Just looking at your clothes, I knew the mission was a success. I guessed you should be back around now, so I had food prepared for you in the kitchen. I haven't had dinner yet either, so I'll make something delicious to celebrate for you."

"It's a pity your father is away on a mission. Otherwise, he could have shared in the happiness too."

The large bundle contained some daily necessities Lin Lin had brought with him, along with the Elite Disciple clothes he had just collected. Seeing his mother reach out, Lin Lin handed it over.

Mother and son walked into the hall side by side.

After they sat down, the two maids, Ru Yu and Ru Shuang, hurriedly brought tea and pastries for Lin Lin to fill his stomach.

The three male servants, Shi Tou, Da Zhuang, and Da Niu, hurried off to slaughter chickens, prepare fish, and handle the various ingredients. The two maids also went to begin cooking.

Lin Lin ate several pastries to stave off his hunger. Meanwhile, Zhang Fei had opened the Credentials Letter and begun reading it. Then she exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually the highest evaluation, First Grade, Upper Class. Back when your father and I did our promotion missions, we never received such a high evaluation. Little Lin, you've surpassed your teachers."

His mother's surprised expression made Lin Lin feel pleased.

It was as refreshing as drinking a bowl of chilled sour plum soup in the height of summer.

Taking off the small bundle hanging in front of him, Lin Lin smiled calmly. "It was only a promotion mission. It's nothing much. Mother, I also gained something extra on this trip. Take it to help support the household, and use some of it to get me supplies that can assist with martial arts training."

As he spoke, Lin Lin handed over the small bundle containing twenty-five thousand taels in Silver Notes and three Old Ginseng roots.

On this journey, after selling the Armor and Weapons along with the gold, silver, and jewels, he had exchanged them for more than twenty-six thousand taels in Silver Notes.

Lin Lin had kept a little for daily expenses and placed the rest in this small bundle.

Zhang Fei accepted it and opened it. After taking a brief look, she quickly closed it, as though afraid outsiders might see it.

Then, unable to believe it, she opened the closed box again and examined the Silver Notes and Old Ginseng inside.

By then, the surprise on her face had turned to joy. Shock and confusion mingled together, making her expression exceedingly complicated.

Zhang Fei was not at all surprised that Lin Lin had completed the Elite Disciple promotion mission. Even receiving the highest evaluation only surprised her slightly.

After all, she had watched her son spend nearly all his time over the past half year cultivating, apart from eating and sleeping.

With the high-quality education provided by Hundred Flowers Valley, along with her own tireless instruction as his mother, both internal effort and external conditions were in place. Lin Lin's excellence was only natural.

But for him to be outstanding to this extent was somewhat unbelievable.

After all, Lin Lin's household currently earned only a little over one thousand taels of silver per month.

Even when she and her husband had carried out missions together in past years, their monthly income had only been around five thousand taels.

And that was after both of them had reached a respectable level in martial arts. Across the entire Divine Continent, they were absolutely among the highest earners, as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

When the couple had first entered the martial world, their income had been nowhere near that high. It was already quite good if the two of them together earned several hundred taels.

Back then, in order to practice martial arts, they spent all the money they earned on resources to aid their training, leaving almost nothing by the end of each month.

Only in recent years, after their martial arts improved and they could take on more missions with higher pay, had they managed to save up a bit of family property.

But now, her son Zhang Fei's son, Lin Lin—

A thirteen-year-old boy whose martial arts had only just reached the Second-Rate level, had brought back property worth more than thirty thousand taels on his very first trip into the martial world to carry out a mission!

The child's excellence had already surpassed Zhang Fei's greatest expectations for her son, leaving her somewhat at a loss.

Under his mother's repeated questioning, Lin Lin smiled and told her about his experiences during this mission.

Although Lin Lin spoke lightly of it, Zhang Fei could not help becoming engrossed in his account.

She repeatedly marveled inwardly that after one trip to Yin Wind Gorge, her child seemed to have undergone a Rebirth and Transformation, as though an ancient sage had attained enlightenment.

Should I go live in Yin Wind Gorge for a while too?

Thanks to May Time Flow Backward, Salted Fish Dudulu, and Waiting for the Moon Is My Wife for their rewards.