010 Disappointment Two

"The two beside Huang Shan, Zhong Yuquan and Zhong Yushan—their elder brother is a Called constable at the inner-city yamen. Chen Chong's younger sister is an internal Calling recipient of the Chen Family. Then there's your second senior brother and me. We also have relatives in the Three Greats of the inner city who successfully received the Calling," Mu Qiao Zhi said calmly.

Qiu Yiren and the few students who heard her all tensed slightly, committing it to memory in secret.

"Then, Senior Sister, can those who receive the Calling really reach the level of our masters all at once?" Qiu Yiren asked again.

"How could that be? They merely gain skin of bronze and bones of iron in an instant, but they still have weak spots in actual combat. If they have no foundation in martial combat, naturally they can't defeat masters of the Ming generation. Still, their status is different now. If they wish to learn a Martial Artist's methods, it will be very easy for them. Their starting point is far beyond that of ordinary people like us." Mu Qiao Zhi explained. She clearly thought highly of this junior sister, Yiren.

By then, the boys' line ahead had almost completely left. Only then did she lead the way forward and begin organizing the girls into a line to leave.

Inside the dim ox-cart carriage.

His father, Lin Shunhe, sat cross-legged on the soft couch, watching his son, who had remained silent ever since entering.

"What's wrong? Why do you look like you're carrying the sorrows of the world?"

Lin Shunhe had obviously been very busy lately. His skin was darker than before and his body thinner, but his eyes were brighter and more spirited.

He wore a brownish-green silk robe, with a cowhide vest over it. He seemed to be in a good mood.

Lin Hui sighed and told him about what had happened with Lu Baihua.

"It happens all the time." Lin Shunhe sighed. "That's just how this world is. If you're weak, you're like wild grass by the roadside—when someone steps on you, all you can do is endure."

"What about our family?" Lin Hui suddenly asked.

"Us... Don't worry. No one would dare come provoke you for no reason." Lin Shunhe shook his head with a laugh.

"Why?"

"Because your old man works for a distinguished person. That person is no ordinary figure. All right, don't concern yourself with that. Tell me, how have you found things at the temple?" Lin Shunhe changed the subject.

"Not bad. Ming De Zhenren regularly gives me the account books to calculate, but none of them are difficult, and they don't take up much of my time." Lin Hui thought of the simple arithmetic problems he had worked on before. They had been so easy that he had to think carefully to remember them at all.

"When Old Brother Ming De mentioned it to me, he praised you for being very good with numbers—far better than the previous accountant. So he mentioned it to Daoist Baohe, and they decided that you would be responsible for checking part of Qingfeng Temple's accounts from now on. As for your wages, they'll offset your current martial arts expenses: one thousand cash each month."

One thousand cash was not much, but martial arts training cost a great deal, and the food and other provisions Qingfeng Temple provided were quite good. Lin Hui therefore said nothing.

"Did you know that my cousin received the Calling and successfully became a follower of Yugong in the Sha Yue Sect?" Lin Hui asked again.

"Yes. The Lin Family compound held a Calling banquet some days ago, but it had nothing to do with us. We're no longer members of the Lin Family." Lin Shunhe spoke softly. "Of course, your personal relationship with Lin Hongzhen is your own business."

"I understand." Lin Hui nodded.

"That is reality. Everyone has their own fortune and timing. Life still has to go on. The sun rises as usual, just like the Mist—it hasn't changed in tens of thousands of years..." Lin Shunhe said wistfully.

After that, he asked about Lin Hui's martial arts and sword training. When he heard that his progress was still slow, he stopped worrying. Clearly, in his eyes, it would be a bad thing if Lin Hui became good at swordsmanship. The proper path was to honestly serve as an assistant accountant, calculate accounts, and once he became proficient, become a full-time accountant and earn a living.

"Once you become an official accountant, I'll find you a wife. Then you can have a few boys and help this branch of ours, which split off on its own, put down roots and spread its branches—make the family more prosperous." Lin Shunhe said with a cheerful smile.

"Father, you seem to be in quite a good mood?" Lin Hui sensed something.

"Yes. I just completed a big deal and made quite a bit. But I can't tell you about it. It's enough that you know—don't spread it around." Lin Shunhe nodded.

The ox cart slowly turned onto the main road. The surroundings were no longer so remote. Through the half-open carriage window, Lin Hui saw patch after patch of golden rice paddies being harvested along both sides of the muddy road.

Flocks of black birds circled above the fields, and he had no idea where they had come from.

"I heard birds aren't affected by the Mist and can enter and leave freely. Is that true, Father?" Lin Hui asked.

"How could that be? These are birds that live in the city. Once they leave, they basically can't return. But if they only go out briefly and are lucky, they can still fly back by relying on their speed." Lin Shunhe replied.

A thought stirred in Lin Hui's mind, and dark-red bloody words appeared at the bottom of his vision.

"Hundred Turns and Thousand Hearts" had already finished evolving. What was now evolving seamlessly after it was the third move—Transform into West Wind.

It was still sixty days, consuming only energy and time, nothing else.

"Rather than evolution, it's more like deduction. Once the time is up, it automatically completes the deduction while hanging idle, allowing me to completely master the strengthened and perfected move obtained afterward. This Blood Seal seems more like a deduction device."

Lin Hui pondered inwardly.

When they returned home, his mother, Yao Shan, had already prepared a whole table of dishes. The household had also hired an extra helper to bustle about with the chores. His mother called her Sister Luo, and she came from a nearby farming family.

Outside the courtyard, workers had begun building a second outer wall, expanding the already sizable yard to twice its former area.

Apparently, once Old Man had money, he had started expanding the house.

After finishing his morning business, Old Man took Lin Hui out to visit old friends, trying to build a network of connections for the younger generation.

Yet as Lin Hui looked at his father's face, glowing with spring breeze and triumph, he could not shake an inexplicable worry.

Though they had split away from the family, Old Man had no martial strength to support the family fortune. Everything depended on the protection and favor of that distinguished person. It was fine while that person still looked after them, but if one day that relationship no longer remained...

When that time came, if their family had no ability to stand on its own, how would they survive? By relying on these so-called connections and old friends?

He voiced this worry to Old Man, but the latter dismissed it with an unconcerned wave of his hand, telling him to put his mind at ease. Old Man would handle such matters; Lin Hui only needed to do his own work well.

The three-day holiday soon came to an end.

Lin Hui boarded the ox cart once more and headed back toward Qingfeng Temple.

This time, he did not force himself any further. Instead, he found Huishen—Ming De Zhenren's Daoist attendant—and arranged for a single room.

What followed was the tedious routine of practicing the sword and tempering his body every day, day after day, rain or shine.

Chen Zhishen still spent his days alongside him, but after what had happened with Lu Baihua, he had become quiet and withdrawn. The resolve in his eyes had grown heavier than before.

He never let his attention wander during sword practice. When others rested, he practiced. When others played, he practiced. When others chatted idly, he still squeezed out time to practice.

Worried that he would wear out his body, Lin Hui often bought nourishing medicines and injury remedies for him from the temple's logistics department. For Lin Hui, who had already begun earning money, it was nothing much.

But to Chen Zhishen, it was undoubtedly support that came like timely rain.

Lin Hui himself only needed to wait for time to pass in order to improve step by step, and once he improved, he would never regress.

Thus, when he practiced swordsmanship, it was more to train his body's reactions. He had little need for supplements or healing.

In the blink of an eye, the third move had successfully finished evolving, and the fourth move followed.

During this period, Lin Hui also formally took on work assisting with part of the temple's accounts. His status changed from disciple to half disciple, half logistics staff.

He also had far more contact with Huishen and Ming De Zhenren than before.

During this time, another group of people left the temple, while another group of newcomers arrived.

After paying their tuition, the newcomers' introductory lessons began once more. This time, Lin Hui was no longer one of those standing among them, but had moved to the area reserved for senior disciples at the front.

The two geniuses, Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren, had completely mastered the power points of the Seven Section Fast Sword and begun learning the second set, the Nine Section Fast Sword. Rumor had it that they had already finished learning the Nine Section Fast Sword as well, and had begun formal sparring matches with their senior brothers and sisters.

No geniuses comparable to them appeared among the new students. There were only a handful with somewhat decent talent, but they were far behind.

After the newcomers' instruction ended.

Daoist Baohe, who had not been seen for a long time, unexpectedly showed himself. He made a brief round of the training yard, inspecting everyone's progress.

Though it was called an inspection, his gaze kept circling around Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren. Clearly, he had come specifically for the two young women.

How well everyone else trained did not matter to him.

Lin Hui stood in the back rows, practicing the Seven Section Fast Sword with meticulous precision. The wooden stick in his hand had been replaced by a thick wooden sword. As he spun it in a reverse grip, his movements were practiced and fluid. The first three moves were flawless, but the final four instantly reverted to their original state—merely mediocre, painful to watch.

After finishing a set of sword forms, he paused briefly to rest and catch his breath.

"Alright, everyone, stop for a moment. Since the temple master is here today, let's hold an impromptu little competition. We'll see how everyone's progressing." Daoist Ming Xiu clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

There were more than a hundred disciples present, scattered around the vast rear courtyard practicing their swords. Upon hearing this, some of the newer disciples immediately grew excited.

Everyone enjoyed watching a spectacle, but the older disciples whose progress was worrying looked rather unhappy.

Ming Xiu did not care about that. He clapped again.

"Those who have mastered the Nine Section Fast Sword, step forward."

The Seven Section Fast Sword was merely a training method, so it could not be used in combat. Only the Nine Section Fast Sword and the Clear Sword Technique were the temple's true combat sword arts.

At once, twenty people stepped out from among the hundred-plus disciples.

They included senior brother Chen Sui and the others.

These twenty were clearly the true cream of the temple's disciples.

As for the remaining disciples and students, before they had fully mastered the Seven Section Fast Sword, they all still faced the possibility of leaving in disappointment.

Therefore, none of them were formal disciples.

Only these twenty were the true core of Qingfeng Temple.

"Since it's a little competition, we'll follow the old rules and add a bit of prize money. The top five will each receive a portion of the Body-Clarifying Powder refined by the temple," Ming Xiu said with a smile.

The matches quickly began by drawing lots. One disciple after another stepped forward, wielding wooden swords as they used the Nine Section Fast Sword in battle.

Watching from the edge, Lin Hui keenly noticed that these disciples moved far faster than ordinary people.

"The body-tempering and lightness effect of the Seven Section Fast Sword is showing," Chen Zhishen said quietly beside him.

"Mm. They say that performing the Seven Section Fast Sword correctly from start to finish grants one instance of body tempering and lightness. It seems that really is true." Watching the senior brothers and sisters on the field move more nimbly than apes, Lin Hui finally gained a more direct understanding of Qingfeng Temple's means of preserving one's life.

To be honest, after being at the temple for so long, this was the first time he had personally seen what the sword art he practiced could truly do.

"But in a competition like this, all it tests is everyone's proficiency with the Nine Section Fast Sword and the extent of their body tempering through the Seven Section Fast Sword. If one truly goes out into the world, what needs to be built up is experience in dealing with other martial arts and all kinds of enemies," Lin Hui said softly.

"That's true, but as long as your movement technique is fast enough, you can preserve your life first, then observe slowly and accumulate experience afterward. Wouldn't that work just as well?" Chen Zhishen said. After studying for so long, none of them were the clueless rookies they had once been. They often exchanged information and asked around, so they knew far more than before.

In the cleared space, the two people currently crossing swords were locked in a deadlock, neither able to gain the upper hand. At last, one of them could not endure any longer and abruptly changed his move, switching from the Nine Section Fast Sword to One-Hand Brushing Clouds of the Clear Sword Technique.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The opponent's wooden sword was suddenly twisted away by that move, flying from his grasp and crashing to the ground.

"Wu Cheng wins!" the Daoist keeping score at the side immediately announced loudly.

Outside the ring, Lin Hui narrowed his eyes at the scene.

"Is the Clear Sword Technique really that strong?"

"Of course it is. Otherwise, why would our temple be called Qingfeng Temple?" A light female voice came from beside him.

The speaker was a petite female disciple with delicate features and an air of pitiful fragility.

Lin Hui recognized her. She was among the more talented disciples of this batch of newcomers, and her name was Xie Li.