Lin Qingyin's voice carried a trace of fear. Accompanied by the cool spring rain, the atmosphere felt somewhat cold and desolate.
The man in a conical hat and straw rain cape, a woodcutter's blade hanging from his waist, slowly raised his head. Beneath the hat was a handsome face, with a high nose bridge, blade-carved brows, and deep eyes that seemed to hold an endless starry sky.
This man was indeed handsome to an excessive degree. Even An Le, who considered his own looks quite good, lacked some of the mature charm a man ought to possess when compared to him.
"It's Ninth Sister..."
Fourth Master Lin's voice was somewhat hoarse. He glanced at Lin Qingyin. Given his cultivation, he had naturally heard what Lin Qingyin had said earlier, but the man had long grown accustomed to it and did not care.
"Fourth Uncle, forgive me."
Lin Qingyin hurriedly bowed. Speaking of someone behind their back was already shameful, and being caught red-handed made it all the more awkward.
"No matter. What you said was all true, so what was wrong with speaking of it? Since I was willing to crawl back alive from the Yuanmeng Imperial Capital to Lin'an, I had naturally prepared myself to endure the cold stares of the world."
The man smiled gently, appearing quite carefree.
Then his gaze shifted and fell upon An Le. When he first saw An Le's handsome features, he froze for a moment, as though he had seen his younger self in An Le.
"You are the painter whom Sister-in-law personally stepped in to save?" Fourth Master Lin asked.
An Le held an oil-paper umbrella in one hand and raised the other before his chest in salute. "This humble student is An Le. Greetings, Fourth Master."
Fourth Master Lin nodded. A curtain of spring rain droplets hung intertwined from the brim of his conical hat.
"The one who acted was that little fellow called Luo Qingchen, wasn't it? With Qin Manor at his back, he naturally fears nothing from Lin Manor. Back then, Seventh Brother beat Qin Manor's Second Young Master to death on the Civil and Martial Arena, forming a grudge that has continued to this day."
"Now that you have been targeted, it would be best to be careful."
Fourth Master Lin said.
Hearing This, An Le could not help but sigh inwardly. The people of Lin Manor were indeed kind-hearted.
"Thank you for the reminder, Fourth Master. This humble student will take heed. But since I have entered the employ of Lin Manor, I cannot stay aloof. Whether it is wind or rain, I should face it head-on."
Lin Zhuifeng grinned from the side. "Fourth Master, First Madam said that so long as she remains in Lin'an, she will protect Young Master An's safety."
Fourth Master Lin's expression changed beneath his conical hat as he looked at An Le in surprise.
"This is a declaration of protecting one's Dao."
"Since Sister-in-law has spoken such a declaration, you can rest somewhat easier..."
However, Fourth Master Lin also heard the deeper meaning hidden in Madam Hua's words.
"In Sister-in-law's declaration of protecting one's Dao... there seems to be an intention to leave Lin'an. Why? Is it because the Emperor is using Eldest Brother's Calm the Waves as a reward for the Palace Examination?"
Fourth Master Lin frowned, a hint of worry faintly surfacing in the depths of his eyes.
"Fourth Master, since you have returned, why not let Young Master An paint a portrait for you?" Lin Zhuifeng thought for a moment before asking.
Fourth Master Lin came back to himself, his expression returning to normal. He gently shook his head. "Forget it. With my status, the court neither will nor dares to make use of me. I have only dragged Lin Manor down as well. Now that I am no longer marching to war, why would I need a painting to commemorate me..."
"I will speak to Old Madam. You may go."
Having said that, Fourth Master Lin spoke no further with them. He stepped forward, his figure vanishing into the hazy rain and mist as he headed toward Qingfeng Garden.
An Le held his umbrella in one hand and watched Fourth Master Lin's departing back with the other.
The Time Qi around Fourth Master Lin was extraordinary, rising and winding in over a hundred strands. In quantity, he might have only been slightly behind Madam Hua.
After thinking for a moment, An Le ultimately could not resist. With a thought, the Time Qi entry on the light screen flickered, struggling to draw a strand of Time Qi from Fourth Master Lin.
Unfortunately, the Time Qi did not turn flowing gold, leaving An Le somewhat regretful. He did not continue to draw a second strand.
Because An Le had a feeling that the light screen's remaining power would likely be unable to draw a second strand from Fourth Master Lin. However, he might still be able to draw some from other people.
In truth, drawing Time Qi from powerful individuals was a loss for An Le if he could not obtain Flowing Gold Time Qi. But sometimes, how would he know whether he could draw Flowing Gold Time Qi and condense a Time Dao Fruit without trying?
Every drink and every peck had its own laws.
Of course, An Le increasingly longed to become stronger. Once he became stronger, he would be freer in drawing Time Qi.
Luo Qingchen walked on foot in a rather bedraggled state, looking somewhat lost.
His Dao heart had once again gathered dust. Lin Manor's Hua Jiebing had acted, turning her mind into a sword, her Sword Qi pouring down like a waterfall. That vast, unmatched force made his entire body tremble. In a haze, he recalled again the scene from years ago, in that thatched cottage, when a man had seized him with five fingers and slapped him flat into the snow.
That was a nightmare he could never shake off.
Without realizing it, he arrived at Qin Manor.
The moment he entered Qin Manor, many people respectfully greeted him. Each one was exceedingly deferential, for Luo Qingchen was now a favored confidant at Young Master Qin's side.
Arriving at the waterside pavilion of Qin Manor, rain fell and veiled the scenery in mist. A secluded stream flowed between artificial hills.
Within an idle pavilion, a young man in splendid robes was studying a chess manual while arranging chess pieces.
From time to time, he picked up a piece and set it upon the sandalwood chessboard. The crisp sound it made drowned out the patter of rain between heaven and earth.
"Young Master."
Luo Qingchen stood in the rain, clasping his fists in salute.
The young man continued arranging the board and did not even turn around. "You exchanged blows with Hua Jiebing, Teacher? How did it feel?"
"Unfathomable. She is a heaven-blessed figure like Li You'an," Luo Qingchen sighed.
Back then, when he had emerged from Qingzhou, his spirit had soared higher than a Heavenly Immortal's. But after arriving in Lin'an, he had been defeated by Legendary Scholar Li You'an with a single palm strike. From that day onward, his Dao heart had been covered in mottled cracks.
Only then had he learned that there were many heaven-blessed figures in the world. Luo Qingchen himself did not yet qualify.
"Hua Jiebing studied under the wife of the First Mountain Lord of Sacred Mountain and inherited the legacy of Ganye Temple. Her soul-refining cultivation is exceedingly high, but she is still somewhat inferior to Legendary Scholar Li You'an. Li You'an is an unparalleled figure personally appraised by the Sacred Teacher."
The young man stopped arranging chess pieces, rose to his feet, and walked to the edge of the pavilion, where he gazed at the spring rain filling the sky.
"Teacher's aura rises and falls, and your mind is unsettled. Go rest early. Jade Guanyin's heart sword is renowned throughout Lin'an. If you do not dispel its influence soon, I fear it will hinder your breakthrough."
The young man said.
Luo Qingchen nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "That young painter..."
"Since Hua Jiebing acted today, she has made her stance clear. If I were to send another powerful cultivator to deal with a youth who has only just entered cultivation, I would lose both face and reputation. Hua Jiebing likely would not hold back again, either. It is not worth sacrificing a powerful subordinate for a useless painter who only began enlightenment at eighteen."
"Besides, the Spring Imperial Examination is imminent, and that youth is also a Juren scholar. There is no need to stir up trouble at such a critical juncture. Furthermore, the Palace Examination is about to begin. His Majesty has offered Calm the Waves as a gift, and Hua Jiebing cannot sit still. There is no need to provoke her now."
"Wait until the Spring Imperial Examination ends and the Palace Examination concludes before settling the score."
"By then, that young painter will likely regret entering Lin Manor to the bitterest depths."
The young man reached out, caught a drop of spring rain from the sky, and smiled indifferently.
Luo Qingchen frowned slightly. He had wanted to say that the young man was somewhat different—a single night to open Qi and Blood, and his talent might not be as worthless as imagined.
But in the Young Master's eyes, beginning enlightenment late and having low cultivation meant one was beneath notice, no different from a useless fool.
Since the Young Master had already made his decision, Luo Qingchen said no more and took his leave.
The young man in the pavilion watched Luo Qingchen go and shook his head.
"Last time, the East Sea Heart Cleansing Pearl helped you wash the dust from your Dao heart. But this time, the shadow cast by Jade Guanyin's heart sword can only be dispelled by Luo Qingchen himself."
"If he can dispel it, there is still a chance for further progress."
"If he cannot dispel it, then... his value will be greatly diminished."
Lin Manor, Training Hall.
For the first time, An Le saw the many young masters of Lin Manor.
Interwoven Qi and Blood and turbulent spiritual wills filled the Training Hall, and the atmosphere was blazing hot.
These young masters fought bare-chested, gripping long spears and wielding them like dragons. Their fierce shouts and angry roars made it seem as though they stood upon a battlefield, facing formations and slaying enemies!
Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin were accustomed to such a sight, but An Le, seeing it for the first time, was truly shaken.
After all, among these young masters of Lin Manor, the youngest looked to be only seven or eight years old, yet he too held a ten-foot spear and jabbed and swung it while grunting and shouting.
"These are the third-generation young masters of Lin Manor. Most are of the same generation as I am. I rank ninth among our generation, so I am also called Ninth Sister." Lin Qingyin smiled as she introduced them to An Le.
An Le nodded, his eyes glinting faintly as he looked toward the young masters in the Training Hall. Watching the Time Qi winding around them, he saw that while none of them had much Time Qi, there were simply too many of them.
With a thought from An Le, the light screen moved again, even though it had already drawn Time Qi from Fourth Master Lin.
From the two young masters sparring nearby, he drew four strands of Time Qi in total.
With four strands of Time Qi added to his account, An Le had accumulated five strands again!
Without hesitation, he added two of the five strands of Time Qi to the Time Dao Fruit Cultivation Genius, combining them with the original eight strands to reach the full ten.
In an instant, An Le felt a stream of clear qi erupt from beneath his feet, surging straight into his mind before bursting from the crown of his head!
It was as though a single breath had shot straight through the nine heavens!
All things became utterly clear.
Dao Gives Birth to One, One Gives Birth to Two. Time never lingers; the seasons flow like a stream. Dao Fruit Self-Transformation.
Cultivation Genius transformed, Talent of the Ages.
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