Hunting Ground No. 44

"Lin Chuan, what's wrong with your eyes? Are they bothering you?" Bu Lianshi asked softly. She had seen the veins bulging around Lin Chuan's eyes, and his face looked awful. Worried, she asked him what was wrong.

"N-no... I'm fine!" Lin Chuan deactivated his Byakugan and spoke softly to Bu Lianshi, his thoughts racing.

Lin Chuan understood his situation perfectly. Even if he knew the truth, there was no way he could speak of it. The moment he exposed what was happening, he had no doubt the Lin Clan would kill him to silence him. He wouldn't even have the power to fight back. That was the price of being weak.

A great man had once said that backwardness invited beatings! Being weak and getting beaten was the same thing.

Lin Chuan wasn't some saint. Even if he sympathized with all the orphans here, he wouldn't put himself in danger because of it. Besides, even if he told everyone what was happening, they wouldn't have the power to fight back.

Lin Chuan even believed that, despite knowing their Spirit Roots would be devoured, plenty of people would still choose to gather Crimson Flame Lotus. It was their only chance—their chance to survive. Even if they survived without dignity, even if the price was their talent.

But since the Lin Clan has shown no mercy, they can't blame me for returning the favor! Other people's spiritual energy can't leave their bodies during the Qi Refining Stage, but my Senjutsu Chakra can. Even chakra alone can coat the surface of my hands. That means there's only one goal for this trial: gather Crimson Flame Lotus! The more I gather, the fewer children will have their Spirit Roots devoured. I suppose that's my own way of making things right! Lin Chuan thought.

"Bu Lianshi, Lin Chuan, once we enter the Hunting Grounds, make sure you stay behind me. I'll protect you."

"If we run into a Spirit Beast, just focus on protecting yourselves. Leave the rest to me. I'll charge ahead of you and make sure the Spirit Beasts don't hurt you."

"If I can't hold them off, then run. Don't worry about me. I'm the strongest, so I should be able to keep myself alive!"

"Even if my life is in danger, don't try to help me. If even I can't handle it, the two of you would only end up as casualties too. You'd be better off leaving right away. You might survive. Even if you don't pass the trial, at least you'll still have a chance to live!"

On the way to Hunting Ground No. 44, Qin Lang kept telling the two of them what to do after they entered the trial grounds. His expression was grave; he'd dropped his earlier joking manner and looked every bit like a big brother leading the group, even though he was younger than Lin Chuan.

Qin Lang's words had left Bu Lianshi pale with fright. Under his stern insistence, she could only nod over and over, not daring to say a word.

Lin Chuan silently watched Qin Lang's earnest expression. He felt there was a light shining in this boy that even he envied. To Lin Chuan, that light seemed like sheer foolishness, yet he had to admit its dazzling glow had brightened his heart without him even realizing it.

Fine, let him play big brother for now. It won't cost me anything. Once we're in the forest, I'll fight him for leadership of the group! Lin Chuan chuckled inwardly.

He didn't even realize that, without noticing, he'd come to regard the two beside him as his most important companions. At least in this world, no one mattered more to him than Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang.

Was this what they called a bond?

In his previous life, Lin Chuan had been an orphan, and he'd once envied the way Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura treasured one another, their bond never fading. Now that he was gradually finding something like that himself, he felt afraid.

Once you had something, it was hard to let go. And what you couldn't let go of became the weakness that could undo you for the rest of your life—a weakness you could never take back.

Before noon, everyone had arrived outside Hunting Ground No. 44. It was a dense forest of mountains, rivers, and marshes. From a distance, they could see a thin barrier hanging over the forest like an overturned bowl. It was the protective formation set up by the Lin Clan. Without a Lin Clan token, no one could enter.

"I hear this entire mountain range belongs to the Lin Clan. It stretches for over a thousand li!"

"The spiritual energy here is abundant, which is why the Lin Clan claimed it. No one else has a chance to cultivate here!"

"That's right. The spiritual energy here is several times richer than outside. Cultivating here is twice as effective!"

People all around them chattered excitedly. Everyone who saw the vast mountain range marveled at the Lin Clan's power. It was a symbol of their strength, and proof of their might.

"Let's go look somewhere else. There are too many people here, and killing isn't forbidden during this trial. We should find somewhere less crowded to enter," Qin Lang said, glancing around before leading Lin Chuan and Bu Lianshi off to one side.

Lin Chuan's group wasn't the only one to scatter. The others also moved off, walking around the protective formation at the edge of the Hunting Grounds to find a place where no one else was around.

As they walked, Lin Chuan curiously looked at the formation covering Trial Grounds No. 44. Through his Byakugan, he could clearly see the intricate currents of spiritual energy flowing within it. They bore a striking resemblance to the barriers in Naruto.

"This place looks good. How about we wait here to go in?" After walking for about half an hour, Qin Lang saw that no one was around and asked Lin Chuan and Bu Lianshi.

Bu Lianshi looked around too. Once she was sure no one was there, she nodded.

Lin Chuan, however, didn't respond. With his back to them, he seemed to be gazing into the distance, but he was actually forming hand seals to activate his Byakugan.

"Byakugan!"

As the veins around his eyes bulged, everything within a kilometer came into clear view, with not a single blind spot.

One, two, three... Lin Chuan silently counted. Those hidden figures, impossible to spot with the naked eye, were instantly exposed beneath his Byakugan. Ten breaths later, Lin Chuan deactivated it. He'd found twelve people lying in wait nearby, four small groups in all. The area was nowhere near as peaceful and safe as it appeared.

Hmph. Some of them have been following us ever since we left. Do they really think I wouldn't notice? If I weren't holding back for now, I'd kill them first! A cold glint flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes. He didn't need to guess why they were following them. They'd decided that his group was weak and planned to kill and rob them when the chance came.

"I don't think this is a very good spot... Uh... The feng shui is bad. Let's go somewhere else!" Lin Chuan made up an excuse and forcibly dragged Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang away.

Qin Lang was baffled. What does he mean, the feng shui is bad? Still, he didn't argue with Lin Chuan's decision. The three set off again, heading deeper into the forest.