Youth Repays Grievance with Uprightness, Yuan Meng Consort Fourth Master Lin

Tianbo Water Pavilion. Misty rain rose from the Great Pond, accompanied by the gentle spring breeze, carrying a touch of leisurely comfort.

The storm of the ambush at Quiet Street Entrance had already subsided. Though the three women in the pavilion had not left the manor, they were all aware of the situation.

Madam Hua was dignified and graceful, her stunning face bearing no traces of time, but the depth in her eyes revealed a mature charm all the more alluring.

She looked at the youth standing before her—refined in bearing, handsome in features, radiating fighting spirit and fearlessness—and the admiration in her eyes grew ever stronger.

An Le's hair was still damp from the reckless spring rain, yet the wetness could not erase the hidden but unyielding fighting spirit within him.

Even Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin could see the change in An Le, a transformation in his very aura.

"Don't thank me. This time, you were implicated by Lin Manor."

Madam Hua looked at An Le, her red lips parting as she spoke seriously: "If you are unwilling to paint at Lin Manor, you may say so now. Those ten Primordial Spirit Treasures and two volumes of scriptures will be considered Lin Manor's compensation to you."

Hearing This, An Le shook his head: "Madam, you speak too gravely. Since I have agreed to paint for the young masters of Lin Manor, I will not retreat or break my word just because of a little hardship. If I did, what cultivation would there be to speak of? My thoughts would not be clear."

"The kindness of granting me the 'Five Animal Body Tempering Technique' and the 'Sword Waterfall Diagram' is engraved in my heart. The value of those two cultivation scriptures far exceeds a single painting. I will repay you one day."

An Le spoke just as seriously.

"You don't resent it? If I hadn't acted, even if you hadn't died today, your Dao heart would have been stained. You started late in your awakening; if your Dao heart were tarnished, your path of cultivation would be exceedingly difficult."

Madam Hua heard An Le's words, the corner of her mouth lifting in satisfaction, but she pressed on.

"Resent? Of course I do. Luo Qingchen was shaken by Madam's intervention, even his Dao heart disturbed, but that was because Madam acted for Lin Manor's reputation. I naturally resent Luo Qingchen as well, but that resentment will be settled another day."

"A gentleman repays kindness with kindness, but also grievance with justice."

"Lin Manor treated me well, and I am grateful. Luo Qingchen looked down on me, even sought to destroy my cultivation—of course I hold resentment."

An Le said calmly.

In the main hall of the pavilion, the youth's words rang out with force and clarity.

The youth held resentment in his heart, neither hiding it nor pretending to be magnanimous and letting it go with a smile.

Madam Hua Smiled, the admiration in her eyes growing even stronger. He had only just stepped onto the path of cultivation, yet he already spoke of settling scores with Luo Qingchen one day.

Such boldness, such fearlessness.

"Do you know who Luo Qingchen is?"

Madam Hua personally poured An Le a cup of tea, a faint smile playing on her beautiful face.

An Le respectfully accepted the hot tea, took a sip—the fragrance of the tea spread, driving away the chill from the spring rain that had soaked him.

"Luo Qingchen, a talented scion of the Qingzhou Luo Family. Entering Stillness at five, Transcending Worldliness at ten, birthing his Primordial Spirit in the Niwan Palace at eighteen, entering Samadhi at twenty-five. His Martial Body Tempering cultivation is also formidable. At twenty-six, bearing the momentum of Innate, he came to Lin'an to challenge the world's prodigies..."

"He challenged two geniuses of the capital and won both battles, his fame unmatched. He was even personally recruited into the Academy by Second Master."

Madam Hua spoke calmly, recounting Luo Qingchen's achievements.

An Le listened intently. He had to admit, Luo Qingchen was indeed a genius.

"However, in his third battle, confident that his nurtured sword intent was sufficient, he went to Feixue Hall to challenge the Legendary Scholar, Li You'an, hoping to enter the Academy in spectacular fashion by stepping over the Legendary Scholar."

"Unfortunately, Li You'an crushed him with a single blow of overwhelming Spiritual power, even staining his Dao heart... He stagnated in Samadhi for over a decade, wasting away in the Academy. Only after Prime Minister Qin gifted him the 'East Sea Heart Cleansing Pearl' did he wash away the dust from his Dao heart and break through to the fifth realm..."

An Le Took a Deep Breath, seizing a key piece of information.

Behind Luo Qingchen stood Prime Minister Qin!

The Grand Chancellor of Great Zhao, whose power reached the heavens!

No wonder Luo Qingchen dared to attack him so recklessly at Quiet Street Entrance—he had Prime Minister Qin backing him.

Even if An Le was ignorant of worldly affairs, he knew that the relationship between Lin Manor and Prime Minister Qin could hardly be called harmonious; in fact, it could be said they held enmity.

"The gap between you and Luo Qingchen is vast. He is a cultivator beyond the fifth realm, while you are merely a novice who has just opened your Qi and blood and entered stillness in your mind. Do you still have the courage to contend with him?"

Madam Hua asked with a light laugh.

At this question, the pavilion fell silent, leaving only the sound of spring rain hitting the tiles.

Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin also looked on with curiosity.

An Le did not ponder long, offering a gentle smile: "Cultivation is about clarity of thought. If I cower and hesitate, lacking the courage and boldness to walk toward the tiger's mountain, then what am I cultivating for? Why would I even bother to set foot on this path?"

"Besides, Madam, I am still cultivating. It's not impossible for me to catch up from behind. Today, Madam caused Luo Qingchen's Dao heart to be stained anew. Perhaps one day, I, An Le, might make his Dao heart shatter entirely—who can say?"

Silence!

The entire Tianbo Water Pavilion was utterly still, leaving only the sound of boiling water bubbling in the kettle.

After a moment, Madam Hua covered her mouth and chuckled, her laughter growing louder and more unrestrained.

"Good. A youth with bold spirit, neither humble nor arrogant, fearless and unflinching. Excellent."

"Cultivation demands a fearless heart, soaring ambition—grab a sword and dare to challenge the immortals in the heavens." Madam Hua covered her mouth, slapping her ample thigh in delight, as if some burden in her heart had been lifted, a clarity and epiphany breaking through the clouds.

In the pavilion, An Le exchanged glances with Lin Zhuifeng and the other woman. His words were full of lofty ambition—what was so funny about that?

"Alright, alright, go on. Since you have chosen Lin Manor and do not regret it, then Lin Manor will naturally protect you. From now on, in Lin'an, as long as I, Hua Jiebing, live another day, I will keep you safe, allowing you to cultivate in peace."

Madam Hua's smile lingered, but her words were spoken with sincerity.

Hearing this, An Le was visibly moved. Madam Hua's words essentially meant she was willing to act as his guardian on the path of cultivation. They had only met twice—a chance encounter at best—yet Madam Hua had first lit a green lamp for his cultivation journey, and now offered to protect his way forward...

This debt of gratitude was truly immense.

"Thank you, Madam Hua. I will remember this great kindness."

An Le bowed deeply.

Madam Hua nodded slightly, then reopened the Confucian classic and began to read.

"Ninth Sister, Zhuifeng, take Young Master An to find the young masters. I'll read quietly for a while."

Madam Hua leaned back against the bed, her gaze falling on the yellowed pages as she spoke calmly.

An Le took his leave and departed Tianbo Water Pavilion together with Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin.

Their figures gradually blurred into the misty spring rain.

Only then did Madam Hua lift her eyes from the Confucian text, murmuring softly to herself, "Pity my time in Lin'an is running short. How far can you go, I wonder?"

A spring breeze swept through the corridor, lifting the hems of their robes.

"Young Master An, Fourth Master has been at Lanke Temple for half a year without returning. Otherwise, we'd have had you paint his portrait first." Lin Zhuifeng said, a fire poker tucked at her waist, her lively eyes curiously fixed on An Le.

"Fourth Master Lin?" An Le nodded at the mention.

He guessed that when painting portraits for the Lin Manor's young masters, the order would naturally go from highest to lowest status. Fourth Master Lin should be a figure of equal standing to Madam Hua.

In the Lin Manor now, the highest status belonged to Old Madam, followed by Madam Hua and Fourth Master Lin.

"Fourth Master has a special status... Young Master An, you should be careful when painting his portrait."

Lin Zhuifeng thought for a moment, then offered a reminder.

An Le was taken aback, a look of confusion on his face.

Lin Qingyin had come along to learn painting. Seeing An Le's puzzlement, she explained, "Fourth Uncle once led an army against the Golden Wolf Army of the Yuan Meng Empire. He was defeated, captured, and held under house arrest in the Yuan Meng Empire for sixty years... He changed his name, taking the Lin character 'Yi' and 'Mu' to form Qingfeng, married a princess of the Yuan Meng Empire, and has now returned to Lin'an. Naturally, this has invited gossip..."

An Le was inwardly shocked.

Captured by the Yuan Meng Empire, yet he married a princess and returned safely to Lin'an... That was quite something.

This Fourth Master Lin had piqued An Le's interest.

To marry a princess while being a prisoner in an enemy empire, and then return safely to Great Zhao—that was the truly impressive part. He must have extraordinary qualities.

The three left the corridor and each opened an oil-paper umbrella.

"Let's go to the Training Hall. The young masters should be practicing martial arts there now." Lin Zhuifeng said.

But soon, they stopped in their tracks, holding their umbrellas as they gazed into the distance.

There, through the hazy rain, a gaunt figure in a bamboo hat and straw rain cape walked slowly toward them.

Raindrops wove into a curtain of beads along the brim of the hat.

A woodcutter's knife hung at the figure's waist, its blade and handle soaked with rain. He wore a pair of muddy straw sandals, each step pressing into the ground as mud was washed away by the rain.

Slap, slap...

The sound of the sandals lifting and falling, lifting and falling again, echoed through the air, which seemed to grow heavy and oppressive.

Lin Qingyin's face paled, a flustered look like someone caught speaking ill of another. She stared at the figure and pressed her lips together.

"F-Fourth Uncle..."

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