Farewell (Thank You for Letting Me Eat the Alliance Leader in My Eyes)

The upheaval in his family and the conflict between Chen Zhishen and Chen Chong had only made Lin Hui's thirst for strength burn ever fiercer.

Mingde's protection could only be temporary. Chen Zhishen might be the one who had stirred up trouble this time, but Lin Hui himself could well encounter something similar in the future. If he did not prepare early...

After the incident with Chen Chong, Lin Hui became even more low-key. Every day, he silently trained his swordsmanship, while his physical fitness gradually improved. At last, the fifth move had finished evolving.

One move took two months. Including the first month he had spent getting started, he had now been at Qingfeng Temple for more than half a year.

Throughout those six-odd months, he had not dared relax for even a moment. And now, it was almost about to bear fruit...

On the training grounds, Lin Hui stood among the other students practicing swordsmanship, a wooden sword in hand, utterly inconspicuous. Yet if anyone had carefully observed the seemingly casual movements of his sword, they would have noticed the enormous difference between him and those around him.

The moves were the same. Everyone was practicing the Seven Section Fast Sword, yet Lin Hui's first five moves carried an air of rigorous precision, as though every stroke and line were the most standard, most perfect answer.

Only when he reached the sixth and seventh moves did that sense of perfection abruptly plummet, becoming mere proficiency.

Proficiency was not bad either. Months of grueling training had given Lin Hui a deep understanding of the final two moves as well, but compared to the first five, the gap was as vast as heaven and earth.

The slender wooden sword sliced easily through the air in Lin Hui's hands with a swish, swish. Though he was only practicing forms, it somehow gave off an imposing air of considerable power.

Unfortunately, no one around him paid any attention to the changes in him. The Seven Section Fast Sword was merely a practice sword art whose points of exertion geniuses could master within weeks. Lin Hui had practiced it for nearly a year without fully grasping it, and that alone ensured that no one cared how perfect or beautiful his swordsmanship might be.

While Lin Hui was still practicing the sixth move, geniuses such as Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had already mastered half of the Nine Section Fast Sword and could unleash its power in actual combat.

Amid the swishing sounds—

Before long, Lin Hui completed another set of forms and pulled over the sweat towel around his neck to wipe away his perspiration.

From a corner of the training grounds in the distance, faint sobbing drifted over.

Some of the temple's older students were leaving.

Lin Hui gazed over from afar and saw a group of five, all strong and sturdy men, carrying bundles in their hands with tears in their eyes. Some were even trembling as they knelt facing the main hall and kowtowed.

"They're all old students who practiced for three years without fully mastering the points of exertion in the Seven Section Fast Sword." Chen Zhishen quietly approached from the side. "Perhaps many people will end up like them in the future..."

"Which move are you on?" Lin Hui asked.

"The fifth. I found that the earlier moves help with the later ones, and I've grasped all the points of exertion," Chen Zhishen replied.

"That's good enough. I'm only on the sixth myself," Lin Hui answered calmly.

"..." Chen Zhishen gave a bitter smile. "I've thought about a lot these past days. First A-Hua, then Xie Li. To be honest, only now do I see clearly—they're actually more mature than I imagined. They just want to climb upward. A-Hua is with Chen Chong now. A few days ago, people from the temple even saw her bringing Chen Chong meals. She's no longer practicing martial arts here."

"It's good that you understand." Lin Hui nodded. "In this world, if you want to live well, don't you have to strive to climb upward?"

If he did not have the Blood Seal, perhaps he too would use any means necessary and exhaust every method to rise. That was why he had not despised Xie Li back then. It was only human nature.

"A-Hui," Chen Zhishen said again, "once I master the Seven Section Fast Sword, I plan to leave."

"..." Lin Hui froze. He watched the older students in the distance rise after kowtowing, turn around, change into the uniforms of household guards, and leave with the people who had come to collect them.

For a while, he said nothing.

"No matter how well you train, you're still just becoming someone's guard or hired thug... My family can no longer afford to support my studies." Chen Zhishen said. "Only after I complete all seven moves of the Seven Section Fast Sword will I count as an official disciple of Qingfeng Temple. With that status, I can take a post at the town yamen or with some wealthy household. After all, an external-style martial artist capable of Body Tempering is far stronger than ordinary people even if he only learns a few simple moves. The income should be decent."

"That's why many disciples come here. The temple works with many wealthy households. The Mu Family and the Zhong Family both have connections with us," he continued.

"Are you willing to accept that?" Lin Hui asked.

"Heh... I trained like a madman. But what did it change?" Chen Zhishen smiled bitterly. "Do you know what it feels like to train until you vomit blood? If not for the healing medicine you supported me with back then, I might have failed to pull through several times. Who knows, I might have died long ago in some corner where I trained..."

Lin Hui fell silent.

As he listened to Chen Zhishen go on about the hardships of his training, rambling on and on, he could not tell what he was feeling.

He only had six or seven moves left before he could completely master the flawless version of the Seven Section Fast Sword. By his calculations, it would take another four months or so. In everyone else's eyes, that speed could only be called utterly mediocre. His future would amount to no more than becoming a higher-ranking household guard.

But only Lin Hui himself knew... he was different.

By the time he came back to his senses, Chen Zhishen had already left.

People gradually began leaving the training grounds as well. It was close to noon, time to head to the dining hall for a meal.

Suddenly, a burst of commotion came from afar.

Lin Hui sheathed his sword and moved closer. He saw a large crowd of students part to form a passage, staring curiously at a tall youth slowly entering the dining hall behind the temple master.

The youth had an unfamiliar face, handsome features, and skin so pale it seemed bloodless.

What startled everyone most were his eyes.

They were not the round pupils of a human, but a pair of amber, patterned vertical pupils like those of a reptile.

Even from afar, they carried a chilling, emotionless air.

"How can that person's eyes have that kind of pattern? I've never seen anyone with eyes like that..."

Whispers spread through the crowd.

"Keep your voice down. That's a powerful member of the Mang Clan who came to visit the temple master!"

"The Mang Clan? They aren't human?"

"They're said to be a nonhuman race capable of transforming into giant pythons, one of the few foreign races that communicates and trades with us."

Lin Hui also watched the youth curiously. From the way he and the temple master interacted, the two were clearly old acquaintances. The youth only looked young; he was certainly not merely in his teens.

"Is the Mang Clan... here to investigate one of their Clan Members who went missing earlier?" Not far away, First Senior Brother Chen Sui stood with Daoist Ming Chen and asked in a low voice.

"Most likely. The previous Door-Breaking Ghost case harmed far too many innocent people. It won't be easy for the inner city to simply bury it. It's not just the Mang Clan who sent people—quite a few other districts have sent people as well." Ming Chen nodded. "But that has nothing to do with us. Just focus on practicing your swordsmanship. If you can master the Clear Sword to the third realm sooner, then Qingfeng Temple will have worthy successors."

"This disciple will do his best." Chen Sui revealed a troubled expression and lowered his head slightly.

Once the temple master and the Mang Clan visitor took their seats and began eating, everyone else sat down as well. Having had their fill of curiosity, they realized that the Mang Clan members ate the same food and spoke the same language as them. Other than their slightly unusual eyes, they were no different at all. The novelty quickly wore off, and the dining hall soon returned to its usual lively scramble for food.

Lin Hui withdrew his gaze, casually found a corner to sit in, and waited for his portion.

The Mang Clan youth had come swiftly and left just as swiftly. Before long, the temple returned to its former tranquility.

In the blink of an eye, time passed, and the sixth move was about to finish evolving.

The anticipation in Lin Hui's heart had also been worn down by the long wait, growing ever calmer.

Early in the morning, he got up on time, fetched water, washed up, and checked whether his Jade Talisman was intact. If it was damaged, he would have to visit the temple's logistics Daoists to receive a replacement.

After washing up and eating breakfast, he was about to begin a new day of training when he suddenly received word from a temple boy that someone from home had come.

Lin Hui found it strange. His parents had not visited the temple once since the family's misfortune. Now they had suddenly come without sending any notice beforehand. There was likely something else going on.

But seeing that the temple boy's expression and tone were normal, he relaxed slightly.

Following the temple boy toward the main gate, he soon saw his father, Lin Shunhe, waiting outside.

Besides him, there was also a humpbacked old man with grizzled hair, holding the hand of a girl in a white dress whose demeanor was cool and distant.

The three stood together. Hearing footsteps, they all turned to look his way.

"So this is your son. Never mind his looks—his bearing is quite steady. He's now serving as an assistant accounts clerk at Qingfeng Temple, so his position is stable." The humpbacked old man sized Lin Hui up, looking fairly satisfied.

"Indeed. If our two families settle this matter, we'll also prepare a family estate of one hundred thousand cash in the future, so the two of them can establish a household of their own." Lin Shunhe said with a smile.

"That's not bad. I never thought that after what happened, you'd still manage to put together such a substantial estate. Impressive!" The humpbacked old man looked at Lin Shunhe in surprise.

"Ah... it's a long story." Lin Shunhe shook his head with a sigh, just about to explain.

Suddenly, the aloof girl who had been quietly standing there turned around without a word after looking Lin Hui over, and began to leave.

"Huan'er?" the humpbacked old man called out hurriedly. "What's going on?!"

"It's nothing. I just don't feel well. I don't want to tour Qingfeng Temple anymore. Father, let's go back." The girl in white stopped and said calmly.

She knew that her father and Lin Shunhe were close friends. Now that Uncle Lin's family had suffered a great calamity, the families that had previously taken the initiative to approach them for matchmaking all avoided them like the plague.

Only her father had kept his promise and come to arrange an engagement with Lin Shunhe.

Her father had demonstrated the beauty of keeping one's word—but what about her?

To fulfill her father's promise, did she have to trade away her entire life and marriage?

The more the girl thought about it, the more stifled she felt.

"Huan'er!" The humpbacked old man could see that his daughter had not taken a liking to Lin Hui. He immediately went over, pulled her aside, and tried to reason with her in private.

But no matter how he persuaded her, the girl only shook her head. The old man was so angry that he raised his hand, ready to strike her. Lin Shunhe, who had been watching from the side, quickly stopped him.

"There's no need for this, Brother Guan!" Lin Shunhe sighed. He looked at his son, who had come up before him, then at the Guan Family's beautiful, cool-natured daughter. Before the disaster, with his connections and wealth far surpassing the other party's, this marriage would have been more than a suitable match.

But now, judging solely by his son's circumstances, he truly was somewhat unworthy of her.

"Ah... since Huan'er does not think much of my A-Hui, let today's matter end here. Let's just consider today a visit to Qingfeng Temple with A-Hui as your guide. Without someone from inside, you really can't enter and tour this place."

"Forget the tour. Ah, what a mess this has turned into..." The humpbacked old man sighed. "What a pity. It seems our Huan'er simply lacks the fortune to be destined for your A-Hui."