Partiality

The branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard thrashed wildly in the wind. Leaves rustled down, spinning as they fell onto the muddy ground...

Lin Yin instinctively hunched his shoulders and tugged up his collar.

At that moment, he sat beside his mother, taking in the strange atmosphere around the dinner table.

From the original owner's memories, he more or less understood why the family's mood was so tense.

As the eldest son of the Lin Family, his father had even joined a martial arts school. He had always been one of the Lin Family's main pillars of support.

But his father had been ambushed by bandits, gravely wounded, and died before he could recover. The resources he had left at the martial arts school were seized by Old Master Lin, who used them to get his younger grandson, Lin Lin, into the school.

His mother, Madam Wang, had been furious and started a huge argument. She was driven out of the house, and from then on, a rift had formed between them.

Now that his mother had come back, his second uncle and Second Aunt were naturally the first to speak up. After all, all the benefits and favors had gone to their own son.

Tap...

The chopsticks in her hand clacked heavily against the bowl.

Second Aunt folded her arms across her chest and shot Madam Wang a sidelong glance with her narrow eyes.

"We can't let that favor with the martial arts school go to waste. Lin Yin is frail and unsuited to martial arts, so he can't make use of it anyway. Giving it to Lin Lin is the right thing to do."

"That's right, sister-in-law. You can't just come here and demand that favor without a word. Isn't that ridiculous?"

His second uncle pursed his lips and added a comment.

After all, they were the ones who had taken something from the First Branch, and he knew, to some extent, that they were in the wrong.

"Father, no matter what, that belonged to Dashan. It was all left to Yin'er by Dashan."

Madam Wang didn't look at her brother-in-law or sister-in-law. She only looked at the old man seated at the head of the table, her voice trembling slightly.

"Sister-in-law..."

Second Aunt's face flushed. Her narrow eyes widened like beans, and she was about to say something when the old man raised a hand to stop her.

Old Master Lin looked calmly at Madam Wang, who was worked up.

"Wang, Dashan is gone. I know you're grieving, and that you're thinking about Ah Yin's future, too. But you have to understand that what Dashan left behind isn't suitable for Ah Yin."

A sheen of tears gathered in Madam Wang's eyes. "Father..."

"Ah Yin!" The old man turned to the silent boy sitting beside Madam Wang.

Meeting the old man's gaze, Lin Yin looked back without expression and answered in an even voice.

"Grandfather."

"How have your studies been lately? I didn't think things through when it came to the school. If you still want to go back, I can let you re-enroll."

There was a hint of hesitation in the old man's voice, but in the end, he decided to let Lin Yin return to school.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Second Aunt, sitting nearby, couldn't help shrieking. "Old Master, our family doesn't have enough money to keep paying for Lin Yin's schooling!"

"Hmm?" The old man furrowed his brows.

Second Aunt hurriedly explained, "Lin Lin needs to spend plenty to make a name for himself at the martial arts school. There are medicines to buy, and even his senior brothers and masters need to be properly looked after. We can't spare a single coin!"

"My Lin Family still has some savings." The old man frowned at Second Aunt, but his voice lacked the conviction it had had a moment earlier.

Since Lin Lin had entered the martial arts school, the Lin Family's expenses had been climbing. The entrance fee alone, including the favor Dashan had provided, had become more than the family could comfortably afford.

That was also why Li Yin had been pulled out of school in the first place.

Now that Lin Lin had settled in at the martial arts school, Old Master Lin was wondering if Lin Yin could return to school.

If the Lin Family could produce one scholar and one martial artist, how could it fail to prosper?

"Grandfather, by chance, the martial arts school has recently been allotted a piece of Exotic Beast Meat."

Lin Lin, who had been sitting quietly to the old man's left, spoke up unexpectedly.

"Exotic Beast Meat?"

"My heavens! Is that the meat they say can boost a Martial Arts Grandmaster's strength by ten or twenty percent with just one bite?" Second Aunt cried.

Although no one in the family had practiced martial arts, because of Lin Shan, the Lin Family had heard one or two rumors about this meat.

Exotic Beast Meat...

Lin Yin's heart stirred, a spark of heat rising within him. From the original owner's memories, he had often heard his father, Lin Shan, speak of the meat's miraculous properties.

Just from the descriptions in those memories and the longing on his father's face, he could tell it was absolutely a legendary heavenly treasure in this world.

"Grandfather, my master let slip that this batch of Exotic Beast Meat is extraordinary.

"They say it came from a young beast, and its meat only has a nourishing effect on those old, powerful experts.

"Most of it will be given to us newly enrolled disciples at the martial arts school. But a precious treasure like this naturally won't come free."

Lin Lin tried to keep his voice calm, but the longing for the Exotic Beast Meat showed in his expression.

"Grandfather, if I can get one or two pieces, my martial arts progress will surely accelerate. Given time, I'll shine at next year's Spring Hunt.

"If I perform well, I might catch the eye of those Sects... Once I join a Great School, our family can finally break free of these shackles, soar to the heavens, and leave Langshi Town behind!"

At that, even Lin Lin couldn't keep pretending to be composed. His face flushed, and his yearning was plain to see!

"A Great School... the Great Schools..."

A spark of longing flickered in Old Master Lin's eyes, which had been clouded with uncertainty.

The Lin Family's standing in Langshi Town was neither high nor low. They managed only two or three shops, and at the end of the day, they were still a declining little household—not even a family of any real stature.

Langshi Town sat in the borderlands, near Tiger Head Mountain. Borderland officials often fled there, and some even turned to banditry. The town seemed calm on the surface, but beneath it, currents swirled.

Old Master Lin had long wanted to leave, but moving elsewhere was no simple matter.

Besides, if they lost their two shops here, the Lin Family would truly be living off its savings.

"If Lin Lin can enter a Great School..."

Old Master Lin's heart raced.

Forget the two shops. Even moving the whole family to County Town—or to somewhere larger, safer, and more prosperous, like Prefecture City—would no longer be a far-fetched dream.

Then the Lin Family would truly flourish!

At the thought, Old Master Lin turned his gaze to Madam Wang.

She already knew what his answer would be. A trace of pleading showed in her eyes, but even so, the old man spoke sternly. "Wang, you're part of the Lin Family, too. You have to consider what's best for the family."

"What's best for the family? His family's the only one that matters, then? What about ours?

"Father, aren't you being a little too biased? Why? Why does their family get all the resources while you cast Yin'er aside again?"

Madam Wang, who had seemed timid and meek, erupted like a volcano. She shot to her feet and stared straight at Old Master Lin, whose brows were drawn together.

"That's enough, Wang! How dare you speak to me like that..."

Anger showed on Old Master Lin's face.

No matter what, he was the head of the family, and Madam Wang was his daughter-in-law. For her to speak to him like this was a blatant violation of the natural order.

On an ordinary day, Madam Wang might have silently endured it like a good-natured soul. But now her voice didn't turn quiet and timid; it only grew more forceful.

"Father, Dashan's resources at the martial arts school all went to Lin Lin, didn't they?"

Her eyes stayed fixed on Old Master Lin.

"I don't want those things anymore. But what about Yin'er? You have to give him some compensation. Otherwise, if I tell people what happened, Lin Lin's reputation at the martial arts school won't look so good either."

She raised her voice.

She had never been a spiteful person, but in that moment, for her son's sake, she threw caution to the wind and threatened them outright.

Second Aunt, who had been so sharp-tongued moments before, stared wide-eyed, her face flushing crimson in an instant.

Lin Shan's connections at the martial arts school mattered a great deal. If people started to see those ties in a different light, it would certainly affect Lin Lin, and she would never allow that.

Lin Lin's expression shifted, too, and he looked toward his grandfather.

Thanks to Lin Shan's connections at the martial arts school, he had been doing well. If his reputation were to suffer, the impact on him would be far too great.