The Might of Youth Outshone Even a Fierce Tiger

The moment Lin Chen said this, the scene erupted into an uproar.

"Practicing Essence Energy for three years is nothing?"

"Lin Chen, do you know what you're saying? Since you've learned martial arts, you should know how difficult it is to cultivate Essence Energy. I think you're just jealous of your big brother."

First Aunt's face was full of anger. She couldn't allow anyone to belittle her own son.

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang's face had also turned iron-blue. Under normal circumstances, he would have already shouted Lin Chen down.

The other villagers were also pointing at Lin Chen and whispering among themselves.

In their eyes, cultivating Essence Energy in three years was already extremely impressive.

In all these years, aside from that Scholar Jiang, only a few people in the village had cultivated Essence Energy. They had all left the village for the city to work as guards for wealthy households, only occasionally returning.

Even so, every time they came back, they did so in great style.

"Chen'er."

Mother Lin looked at her son with some worry. After Grandfather announced that Lin Ming had cultivated Essence Energy, she had hesitated, wondering whether she should first scrape together the money to repay the debt.

She wasn't trying to curry favor with Lin Ming. It was just that Lin Ming had cultivated Essence Energy, while her own son was learning martial arts. Perhaps Lin Ming could guide Chen'er later.

"First Aunt, I really don't think cultivating Essence Energy is very difficult, because I've cultivated it too."

The corners of Lin Chen's lips lifted. He had been holding these words in for a long time, and he could finally let them out.

Of course, since he was the one saying it himself, the boast didn't come off very smoothly. The face-slapping was stiff, and it even seemed a little childish.

But wasn't he exactly that age?

Just because he had lived two lifetimes, did that mean he could endure hardships others couldn't and throw his dignity to the ground?

"The sharp edge of a treasured sword comes from constant honing; the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold."

It was nothing more than a form of self-consolation forced upon him by his circumstances.

"What?"

"Did I hear wrong? The Lin boy said he cultivated Essence Energy?"

"I remember Lin Chen only entered the Martial Hall this year. If he cultivated Essence Energy, wouldn't that mean he did it in less than a year?"

The villagers stared at Lin Chen in disbelief. After First Aunt froze for a moment, she suddenly sneered. "Lin Chen, you haven't gone mad from learning martial arts, have you? You've started spouting nonsense. Do you think anyone will believe that?"

"That's enough. Stop humiliating yourself in front of everyone."

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang spoke heavily as well. His most valued eldest grandson had spent so much money and taken three years to cultivate Essence Energy. This youngest grandson had done it in less than a year—just thinking about it was impossible.

"Chen'er, is what you said true?" Only Mother Lin stared at her son with eager hope.

"Mother, it's true. Didn't Gu Fei tell you? I've been undergoing special training at the Martial Hall this month because my instructor thought I could cultivate Essence Energy. I came home this time because I succeeded, so I could bring you all the good news."

After hearing Lin Chen confirm it again, Mother Lin suddenly turned around. "My Chen'er said he cultivated Essence Energy, so he cultivated it."

"Little Brother, aren't you going to control them? Are you just going to let them make fools of themselves?"

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang looked displeased, but Father Lin ignored him and instead said excitedly, "As expected of my son. Well done."

Mother Lin believed her son, and Father Lin was the same.

His son had really cultivated Essence Energy within a year!

"Little Uncle, why are you also going along with—"

Father Lin cut First Aunt off and challenged her, "Sister-in-law, don't you want my Chen'er to cultivate Essence Energy?"

First Aunt's expression stiffened. Accepting that Lin Chen had cultivated Essence Energy was even more painful than handing over the land deed.

Didn't that mean her Ming'er was inferior to Lin Chen?

Just as First Aunt was left tongue-tied, the sound of a bronze gong rang out from the direction of the village entrance, and several figures walked this way.

"It's the village chief!"

"The village chief is here too. With all this gong-beating and drum-playing, has some great joyous event happened in our village?"

One sharp-eyed villager recognized the village chief among them.

The village chief of Lakeside Village was an old man. Normally, he walked at a snail's pace, but at this moment he strode along as swiftly as the wind, showing no sign that he had already passed sixty.

"Everyone already knows?"

Seeing the villagers gathered before the Lin Family's ancestral residence, the village chief shouted from several yards away, "It looks like Lin Chen has returned to the village. I came to tell everyone the good news."

As soon as the village chief said this, many villagers' gazes toward Lin Chen changed.

They connected it with what Lin Chen had just said.

"Today, when I returned from town, I ran into the Martial Hall's good-news procession. That's when I learned that our village had produced a genius. Lin Chen not only cultivated Essence Energy within a year, he was also the first person in the Martial Hall to do so."

The crowd erupted!

The village chief's words sent all the villagers into another uproar.

"I told you Lin Chen could do it. Even when he was little, I could already tell he was suited for martial arts."

"He cultivated Essence Energy within a year and even ranked first. Incredible—the Lin Family has produced a Qilin Child."

"Lin Chen has cultivated Essence Energy, and with Lin Ming as well, doesn't that mean the Lin Family now has two martial artists? Their ancestors' graves must be smoking green!"

"Old Lin Chaoyang must be overjoyed this time."

"Not necessarily."

Those words—"not necessarily"—instantly made the atmosphere strange again.

Under Gu Fei's spreading of the word, the whole village could be said to know the inside story of the Lin Family brothers' division of property. It was just that the people involved had never admitted it, so the villagers hadn't completely believed it. But they had all seen what happened just now.

Lin Chaoyang, as the grandfather, didn't believe that his youngest grandson had cultivated Essence Energy. Wasn't that exactly as the rumors claimed—his favoritism had gone beyond all bounds?

As for the fact that they themselves hadn't believed it moments ago, they subconsciously ignored that too.

It wasn't important.

They were outsiders. It was normal for them not to believe it. But Lin Chen was Lin Chaoyang's grandson. For his grandfather not to believe him—that was the real problem.

"Thinking about it now, all those rumors were true. If my grandson told me he'd cultivated Essence Energy, I definitely wouldn't say he was spouting nonsense and making a fool of himself."

"Lin Chaoyang kept saying that his Qilin Child was Lin Ming?"

"Lin Ming is nothing. It took him three years to cultivate Essence Energy. Lin Chaoyang must have been blind and mistaken about which grandson was the Qilin Child."

Listening to the villagers' discussion, the village chief also knew the inside story of the Lin Family's division. However, he had no intention of revealing it now. Seeing Lin Chaoyang standing there in a daze, he let out a quiet sigh inwardly.

Lin Chaoyang, as a grandfather, had truly misjudged things this time.

"Lin Chen, congratulations. The good-news procession will be here soon. Shall we go welcome it?"

"Thank you for the reminder, Village Chief."

Lin Chen bowed to the village chief. At this moment, the brawny man who had come to collect the debt was also somewhat dumbfounded.

The Martial Hall's good-news procession. Cultivated Essence Energy within a year. Ranked first.

The news had genuinely frightened him.

He could afford to disregard Lin Ming, but he couldn't afford to offend anyone who had cultivated Essence Energy within a year, much less the Martial Hall's first-place genius.

Before long, he would unquestionably become an Aperture Opening Realm expert.

"Since your village has a joyous occasion, we can discuss the debt in a few days." The brawny man tried to slip away.

"Stop."

Lin Chen called out to him. He clearly felt the brawny man's body tremble the instant he was stopped.

"Young Master Lin, our employer is also an Aperture Opening Realm expert." The brawny man lacked confidence and could only invoke his employer.

Earlier, he had merely felt that the youth's gaze was sharp and that he didn't seem like an ordinary villager. Now, he didn't even dare meet Lin Chen's eyes.

"Repaying a debt is only right and proper. Whoever owes you money, go collect it from them. I won't stop you. My Second Uncle's family doesn't owe you anything, and you shouldn't have injured my cousin. That account needs to be settled."

The brawny man's expression became peculiar at Lin Chen's words. But he had also heard the exchange between Lin Chen and Lin Chaoyang earlier, and now he understood what was going on.

So the grandfather and grandson were at odds. If that was the case, things would be easy.

"I injured Young Master Lin's cousin. I can compensate him."

"Five taels!" Lin Chen said coldly.

"Five taels? Why don't you just rob me?" The brawny man panicked.

"You don't have to pay. You hit my cousin several times, so just let me hit you several times too. Then we'll call it even."

Seeing the playful smile on Lin Chen's face, the brawny man shuddered. Letting a martial artist who had cultivated Essence Energy hit him several times—he would have to be out of his mind to agree. Such a martial artist possessed at least seven hundred jin of strength. A few punches could take half his life.

"Then we'll count that as the five taels Young Master Lin mentioned. You only need to repay ten taels now." The brawny man lowered his head.

Lin Chen's expression turned cold. He stepped forward, and the brawny man and his companions retreated three steps in perfect unison.

"Didn't I make myself clear? Whoever owes you money, go collect it from them. My Second Uncle's family doesn't owe you anything. You're the one who has to hand over these five taels!"

When everyone saw Lin Chen force the brawny man and his companions back with one step, then obediently take out five taels of silver, many of the village youths etched the scene deeply into their minds.

Was this the might that came from learning martial arts?

The might of youth outshone even a fierce tiger!

Many villagers had originally lost interest in having their children learn martial arts. After seeing this scene, their desire to have their descendants study martial arts flared up again.

Learning martial arts was expensive, but once someone succeeded, just look at Lin Chen. With only a few words, he had made the other party obediently hand over five taels of silver.

Many villagers looked at Lin Hui, who was being held in Second Aunt's arms, with envy in their eyes.

Lin Hui had made a killing this time.

Although he had taken a few hits, at worst he would only need to take some medicine and rest for a few days. With the New Year approaching, there wasn't much work to do anyway. This money had practically fallen from the sky.

The old village chief narrowed his eyes as he watched this scene. He thought of the youth who had left the village fourteen years ago. Although that person had brought benefits to the villagers, he had never displayed a martial artist's might before them.

"Second Aunt, take this money."

Lin Chen handed the five taels of silver to Second Aunt. With one hand clutching the silver and the other holding Lin Hui, she suddenly burst into loud sobs.

"Mother, don't cry."

Lin Xi, who was huddled beside Second Aunt, saw her mother crying bitterly. She suddenly stood up and charged toward the brawny man. He had originally wanted to dodge, but under Lin Chen's fierce gaze, he could only stand obediently where he was.

Lin Xi wrapped her arms around the brawny man's leg and bit down hard. The brawny man grimaced in pain but didn't dare shake her off. He was afraid that the moment he did, the fist before him, as large as a bushel, would smash into his body.

After biting him fiercely, Lin Xi proved quite clever and ran back behind Lin Chen. Lin Chen smiled and rubbed his younger cousin's head.

The brawny man gritted his teeth. To be honest, he didn't want to pay the five taels. If his employer had been there, he could have protected him completely. But his employer wasn't here, and if he refused to pay, he feared he would be carried out of the village.

Afterward, as long as the Lin Family repaid the money, his employer couldn't possibly offend a young martial artist who was about to enter the Aperture Opening Realm over this matter.

"Young Master Lin, we've paid the compensation and you've vented your anger. Can we collect the debt now? Of course, if Young Master Lin says so, we can delay it for a few days."

"Do as you please."

Lin Chen led Lin Xi to one side.

"Chen'er, how can you do this? Now that you have the ability, this matter could be settled with a single word. Are you really going to watch our Lin Family's ancestral farmland fall into outsiders' hands?"

Seeing that Lin Chen had truly stepped aside, First Aunt hurriedly spoke, her words filled with reproach.

Lin Chen stopped walking and fixed his gaze on First Aunt. Under his stare, First Aunt shifted her eyes away uneasily. Only now did she realize that this nephew she had never taken seriously had such a piercing gaze.