Unexpected V

Silence.

A dead silence!

Thud.

Ouyang Zhong fell backward onto the ground, a tiny bloody gash slowly splitting open across the tip of his nose.

He sat there blankly, not daring to move or even breathe, able only to stare at Lin Hui before him as the latter slowly lowered his sword and withdrew his stance.

Only when he truly could not hold out any longer did Ouyang Zhong begin gulping down breaths.

"You let me win, Senior Brother," Lin Hui said, drawing a deep breath himself, his voice weak.

Of course, the weakness was an act. He had used his ultimate move, after all. If he did not put on a convincing show, it would attract far too much attention.

"You let me win..." Ouyang Zhong was helped off the stage. Even at the very end, he did not forget to ask Lin Hui, "What was that move called?"

"Hidden Strike. It is a killing blow that I can only unleash once by erupting with every last ounce of strength in my body," Lin Hui sighed.

Though even in his current exhausted state, he could still casually use Hidden Strike another dozen or so times, that was naturally what he had to tell others.

"Hidden Strike... what a move... Hidden Strike...!" Ouyang Zhong's face was deathly pale. He gave Lin Hui a thumbs-up before being practically dragged away by those supporting him.

In the stands, Daoist Baohe narrowed his eyes as he watched Lin Hui.

"That instantaneous burst bears some resemblance to the Blood-Breaking Secret Art... accelerating the sword's speed in an instant. Junior Brother Mingde, did you teach him that?"

Mingde shook his head.

"I have never taught him any secret art. His Body Tempering is too low; using secret arts prematurely would only drain his potential, making the loss outweigh the gain. Still, that sword strike was indeed formidable. Even if he can only use it once, it poses a threat to the others in the top ten."

"This Lin Hui only advanced half a year ago, yes? At this rate... Fourth Rank Body Tempering already makes him a little prodigy second only to Huang Shan and the others. Coupled with that sword strike, look into it. If it has not damaged the foundation of his potential, then he is indeed worth nurturing." Baohe nodded.

"Understood." Mingde promptly answered. Turning to look at Lin Hui, who had voluntarily conceded and stepped down to rest, a trace of appreciative amusement appeared on his face.

"Judging from his condition afterward, that move should not have harmed him much. It merely consumed his stamina. I never expected the boy to have kept such a move hidden. Very good, very good..."

They were not the only ones. Among the top ten disciples of the outer courtyard, quite a few recognized the worth of that explosive burst. Their expressions grew grave as they began considering whether they could block it if they stood opposite Lin Hui.

Chen Chong had not taken the stage earlier, declining the tournament on account of physical weakness. He did not care about the rewards, but he had seen Lin Hui's instantaneous burst just now with perfect clarity.

If it had merely been a simple explosive technique, he had heard that some Martial Artists possessed similar secret arts. They were not particularly rare. But the crucial point was that when Lin Hui had injured him before, he had used this very technique—and then deceived him by claiming Chen Chong had been too weak to see the sword's speed clearly.

At once, Chen Chong realized the truth. It had not been his eyes playing tricks on him at all. Lin Hui had used a technique he possessed to fool him!!

Crack.

Chen Chong clenched both fists, grinding his teeth. Having figured this out, he was nearly trembling with rage.

"Lin Hui... how dare you deceive me like this!!?"

He wanted to lash out, but when he recalled that Lin Hui had even made it into the top ten, and that with such a technique, even if he stayed fully focused and on guard, it would be exceedingly difficult to evade a surprise attack.

"Senior Brother Chen, why does your complexion look so poor?" Lin Hui's voice suddenly came from behind him.

Chen Chong's body trembled. He turned slightly and saw that Lin Hui, who had been incomparably weak just moments ago, now looked perfectly normal as he stood behind him at some unknown time.

His gaze seemed to be on the newly begun match in the stands, yet those deep black eyes appeared to rest, faintly and intermittently, upon Chen Chong.

"Lin Hui, were you deceiving me last time?!" Chen Chong still could not hold himself back and demanded.

"Why would you say that, Senior Brother?" Lin Hui frowned. "What benefit would I gain from deceiving you? There is no deep grudge between us. Why would I insist on fighting you for no reason? Your body truly was weak at the time. Did you not have it checked afterward?"

"..." Chen Chong immediately began doubting his own earlier conclusion again.

After all, he had gone to see an apothecary, and the diagnosis had indeed been that his body was very weak.

"Did Senior Brother not see how weak and powerless I became after using Hidden Strike just now, unable to follow through at all? Besides, I was only at Second Rank Body Tempering back then. How could I possibly have had the ability to make even a Fourth Rank like you unable to see clearly? If I truly possessed such strength, why would I have only fought my way into the top ten today?" Lin Hui continued.

These words further eased the suspicion in Chen Chong's heart. He felt that perhaps he really had misunderstood Lin Hui.

But no matter what, Lin Hui injuring his waist was an indisputable fact.

"But you injured me before... I will not let this debt be settled so easily!" Chen Chong's voice turned cold.

"Senior Brother... you probably cannot beat me now, can you?" Lin Hui suddenly smiled.

"..." Chen Chong's expression froze, leaving him speechless.

Indeed, was his current strength even enough to match Lin Hui's? How much time had passed?

At that thought, an inexplicable chill rose within Chen Chong.

He remembered that Lin Hui had advanced less than half a year ago... and he was already Fourth Rank? He had even entered the top ten??

This rate was already comparable to Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren.

Could he perhaps ask his younger sister to step in?

His younger sister was a Summoned One. Her daily tasks kept her so busy that she had no time to bother with him. Chen Chong knew full well that if he went to her over such a trivial matter, he would definitely be the first one to get beaten up.

"Senior Brother, we are all fellow disciples. We see each other day in and day out—why make things so ugly?"

Lin Hui stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. He said nothing more, merely brushing past him and walking toward Huang Shan and the others, who were waving to him ahead.

Chen Chong's background as the brother of a Summoned One was intimidating, but so long as he did not do anything excessive that brought that background into play, it was not really a major problem.

"Amazing! You were hiding something like that?!" Huang Shan said in surprise, patting Lin Hui on the arm.

"It was indeed formidable. If I hadn't been paying attention, I wouldn't have been able to dodge that move either," Qiu Yiren said from the side, her expression serious.

She was a straightforward person. What worked, worked; what didn't, didn't.

"It's nothing, really. That's a move I can only use when I'm forced beyond what I can bear. After using it, my vitality is badly depleted, and I need a long time to recover," Lin Hui sighed.

"Even so, it's very strong," Eldest Senior Brother Chen Sui said gravely from nearby. "You reached Fourth Rank only half a year after advancing. Give it another half year, and you'll probably secure a place in the top ten. Your swordsmanship may be weak, but your Body Tempering progress is truly fast."

"You flatter me, Eldest Senior Brother. It's merely luck," Lin Hui replied with a modest smile.

After displaying his strength, the attitudes of the people around him had all changed. He now listened as Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren discussed and exchanged insights.

He saw Second Senior Brother Zhao Jiang'an nod to him amicably from not far away and give him a thumbs-up.

Lin Hui suddenly understood deeply what kind of life Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had always lived.

As he dealt with the exchanges and discussions of those around him, his thoughts drifted to the treatment he would receive after placing among the top ten this time.

In the distance, Eldest Senior Sister Mu Qiao Zhi and Xie Li silently watched Lin Hui.

Mu Qiao Zhi said nothing. To her, Lin Hui's progress had indeed made her misjudge him somewhat, but she was unwilling to admit that she had been wrong.

So she could only remain silent.

As for Xie Li, watching Lin Hui enter Huang Shan and the others' circle on the strength of his own ability, she inexplicably felt a little bitter.

Hadn't she gone to great lengths to curry favor, run errands, and handle matters just to squeeze into the top-ten circle of the front courtyard's elites?

But by squeezing in that way, she naturally could not earn equal respect. Whether it was Eldest Senior Sister, Huang Shan, or Qiu Yiren, they all truly regarded her as a little attendant, with nowhere near much respect.

Yet now, without relying on anyone, Lin Hui had successfully squeezed into the front courtyard's top ten in just over half a year.

This left Xie Li, who had previously abandoned Chen Zhishen and Lin Hui's small circle, with a rather unpleasant feeling in her heart.

"Still, it's fine. No matter what, following Eldest Senior Sister is definitely better than that old little circle of three. If things were still as they used to be, how could I have obtained the generous treatment I receive from the Mu Family now..." After comparing the two in her heart, Xie Li immediately felt much of her pent-up gloom ease.

Another match ended on the stage. The contests within the top ten were far more intense than before.

Huang Shan would be up soon. Lin Hui was still below with Qiu Yiren, cheering her on, when Huishen's voice came from behind him.

"Junior Brother Lin, Ming De Zhenren would like you to come over."

Huishen's tone had returned to its former warmth, as though his previous change in attitude had never occurred.

"Mm, understood." Lin Hui nodded and followed Huishen through the crowd toward the viewing stand for the Ming generation.

Before they had even made it halfway, Huang Shan sent her opponent flying off the stage with a single sword strike and won with ease.

Cheers from her female admirers rang out all around. Quite a few wealthy households were already whispering among themselves, clearly intending to come forward with marriage proposals.

Female disciples like Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren, who possessed both talent and beauty, were prized treasures in any martial hall.

At the same time, they were the preferred choices for wives and concubines among wealthy families.

If male disciples could change their lives and rise in status after entering the top ten only through time, gradual transformation, and struggle, then female disciples could leap through the dragon gate in a single bound—marry directly into a wealthy household and instantly step onto a new social tier.

This was also one of the reasons why female disciples kept emerging in the major martial halls.

Amid the cheers, Lin Hui arrived before Ming De Zhenren. He first bowed to Daoist Baohe, then bowed again to the three members of the Ming generation.

"Lin Hui, now that you've entered the front courtyard, you're still handling part of the accounting office's affairs, correct?" Daoist Baohe asked kindly.

"Yes." Lin Hui nodded.

"Good child. With your current attainments, you are qualified to formally study under me. Are you willing?" Ming De Zhenren's expression was solemn as he spoke.

According to Qingfeng Temple's rules, those who entered the top ten were qualified to choose a mentor and seek their guidance in cultivation at any time each day.

This was a major rule established within the temple, intended to help disciples with greater potential grow as quickly as possible.

According to the previous division, Huang Shan, Qiu Yiren, and Lin Hui would each be assigned to one of them.

"I am willing! It was Ming De Zhenren who guided this disciple into the temple, and you have defended me many times along the way. This disciple has always remembered it in his heart," Lin Hui said seriously.

Upon hearing this, Ming De Zhenren immediately smiled.

"Good, good. I already have two disciples under my name. With you, that makes three. We'll gather together later and get acquainted."

He was in a good mood. After all, his other two disciples did not possess as much potential as Lin Hui.

Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren had previously been taken by Ming Xiu and Ming Chen. At last, it was his turn.

The other two were also somewhat envious. Although Huang Shan and Qiu Yiren were likewise geniuses, they were women. Women ultimately could not be cultivated for the long term; before long, they would likely marry into wealthy and powerful families. Those with good fortune might even marry into Inner City families. They simply could not support a mentor's line over the long term like male disciples could.

"Yes!" Lin Hui bowed respectfully.

"From now on, you may call me Teacher," Ming De Zhenren reminded him with a smile.

"Yes, Teacher!" Lin Hui's heart settled.

This change in form of address was not merely a matter of title. It also carried a measure of Ming De Zhenren's expectations for him.

The word "Teacher" was not something one could call casually. It meant that Ming De Zhenren had, to some extent, the intention of passing his resources and connections on to Lin Hui.