To Break the Stalemate... Only the Martial Path

And if he wanted to break the deadlock... only martial arts could do it... Clearly, toward this ignorant daughter-in-law before him, displeasure rose in the old man's heart.

Especially since the good mood that exquisite handkerchief in his hand had just brought him had been ruined.

For a moment, the scene sank into an eerie silence.

After all, what Lin Tian and the others could think of right now, how could the people around them not think of it?

The reason Lin Tiansheng had been able to enter the inner city to learn martial arts

was entirely because they had used up the spot Lin Tian's father had risked his life in the army to earn.

Though back then, the other party had not joined the army for that spot, it was also because of that time in the army that he had been left maimed...

But at this moment, the eldest aunt's family said nothing.

Only the youngest aunt at the side, who was not much older than Lin Tian, clenched her hands slightly.

She was the old man's last child.

When they were young, the two of them had been close.

It was obvious she wanted to say something now.

But her gaze merely shifted, and in the end, she did not dare stand up.

At the side, Zhang Cui saw the old man's expression before her, as well as the words Lin Tian and the others had just spoken.

Clearly, she knew her goal had already been achieved.

Immediately, she stepped forward again and said, "Enough. You can go back now."

Driving them away. That was right. After using up that one spot, she did not mention any compensation at all, and instead directly chose to drive them away.

Lin Tian looked at Zhang Cui before him.

In his mind, he could not help recalling the scene from back then, when she had not wanted that so-called second uncle to go to the battlefield, how she had cried and knelt before his father...

And back then, when the family had split.

In order to stop his father from receiving the share of property that should have been his, she had kept rolling around and throwing tantrums.

Add to that her current face—

that lofty expression as she drove him and his mother out.

Lin Tian took a deep breath.

He forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.

Then he spoke again. "Grandfather, I still want to practice martial arts. Even if I only follow Cousin Tiansheng and practice, that's fine."

Lin Tian was very clear at this moment.

He had to learn martial arts. He had to start practicing.

After all, only this way could he break the predicament his family was in right now and protect them.

He might even be able to gain a firm foothold in this chaotic world.

So even though he knew it now, he should have stood up and angrily denounced these people before him who had stolen what was his.

But reason told him

not yet!

At least for the sake of his sister, he had to endure for now.

And at this moment, all he needed was to be able to come into contact with martial arts.

With a Fate in his possession, even without true guidance, he could still practice martial arts.

So right now, all he asked for was a chance to practice martial arts!

"No! What kind of joke is this? One look and it's obvious you're not martial arts material. How could I waste my time on you?"

At the side, after hearing Lin Tian's words, Lin Tiansheng immediately refused in disdain.

When Zhang Cui heard her son, she immediately echoed, "Exactly. Why don't you take a look at what you are? That's martial arts! For someone like you, even getting to look at it in this lifetime is a luxury, and you still want to practice?"

"Father, don't go muddle-headed. The martial examination is getting close. At a time like this, we absolutely cannot let certain people affect Tiansheng."

"If it ends up affecting Tiansheng's performance, wouldn't that be dragging him down?"

When the old man heard that this involved Lin Tiansheng's martial examination...

His gaze instantly sharpened and turned resolute.

After all, whether he could fulfill his lifelong wish of moving into the inner city...

Rested entirely on Lin Tiansheng.

Naturally, he would never allow anything that might affect Lin Tiansheng's martial exam to happen.

The next moment, he immediately said to Lin Tian and Zhao Clan, "Enough, Lin Tian. I said you cannot practice martial arts. Go back now!"

After saying this, the old master closed his eyes outright.

This was a direct order to see them out.

But Zhao Clan, who had witnessed this from the side, could no longer hold herself back.

Especially the pressure that had been piling up in her heart lately—it was as if all that suffocating repression erupted in this instant.

At this moment, what kept churning through her mind was the grievance from back then, When they had been driven out of the family with not a coin to their names.

Before, she had only known that she had no right to fight for anything.

It did not mean she did not know how to fight.

But at this moment, that thing was clearly something her husband had traded his life for, and now it had been snatched away by these people.

Yet these people still put on such a righteous and self-assured air.

As though everything happening now was somehow their fault.

"Father, do you still remember who my child's father joined the army for back then, and how that leg of his..."

"Enough!"

"But my child's father's..."

"I said I have already made myself clear enough. Do you not understand! And do not bring up that leg of his again! That was an injury you suffered on the battlefield—what does it have to do with us!"

"Back then, you were the one who agreed to go in Second Brother's place. Are you trying to blame us now!!"

The old master opened his eyes once more, then let out an angry shout.

Clearly, he had also been truly angered now.

After all, he had already given them such an obvious hint to leave.

Yet at this moment, they still dared to defy him.

In the other party's eyes, was he still the head of this household or not?

Cough, cough, cough!!

After saying these words, The old man's chest immediately rose and fell in a fit of rapid heaving.

Seeing this, Zhang Cui immediately went forward and handed him tea.

Then she turned again to Zhao Clan and Lin Tian and said, "Look at what you two have done! Don't you know the old master is in poor health and cannot be angered so easily? What exactly did you come here to do today!"

Looking at Zhang Cui before him, scolding him with that fierce, vicious expression, Lin Tian immediately wanted to retort inwardly, Our two families had already cut off contact when the boy was little. They really didn't know there was even such a thing as the old master being in poor health.

Of course, such resentful words spoken in anger could not possibly be said aloud.

And beside him, his mother, Zhao Clan, also had a slight change in expression at that moment.

But in the end, she did not speak again.

Because of the old master's sudden action in the hall, this exchange came to an end.

Outside the door.

Lin Tian and his mother, Zhao Clan, slowly walked along.

Clearly, both of them knew that they would not be able to obtain this martial trial slot.

Of course, they had not even managed to get the most basic compensation.

After all, Zhang Cui had just said, "Tiansheng is practicing martial arts now to bring glory to the family.

"Naturally, the family's silver has to be spent on the edge of the blade.

"It can't be wasted on useless matters and useless people."

Clearly, the meaning behind her words could not have been more obvious.

And the old master had naturally chosen to remain silent about it.

Just like that, the two of them walked along the road back to Jinghe Bay.

Suddenly, Lin Tian saw a faint crystalline glimmer of tears at the corners of his mother Zhao Clan's eyes.

Clearly, the grievances they had suffered on this trip, as well as the pressure the village had been under during this period...

After that outburst from his mother just now, it had already left his mother unable to bear it.

Lin Tian's gaze also turned somewhat dim at that moment.

After all, what he had said before—

Only by practicing martial arts could he break through the difficulties his family was facing.

That was not empty talk.

In the outer city, especially those more remote places...

They practically counted as true lands beyond the law.

Especially a place like Jinghe Bay.

For forces and gangs that came from outside to bully the common people like that, almost every village had no shortage of them.

And now, the situation his family faced was exactly this.

The Shark Gang.

A gang force that had come from elsewhere.

Under the pretext of protecting them with favorable weather, they forcibly collected incense money for the Dragon King.

They had arrived at Jinghe Bay less than half a year ago.

Yet that so-called incense money had risen again and again.

It had nearly pressed poor commoners like them until they could barely breathe.

A few days ago, a minor leader of the Shark Gang had come to their door to propose marriage to his father, wanting to marry his older sister, Lin Wan.

Faced with this marriage proposal, they had naturally refused.

After all, setting aside that minor leader's squat, five-short build...

Just the Shark Gang's reputation had long since spread throughout their village.

That so-called taking a wife was nothing more than taking in a woman...

To serve as some twisted amusement for the Shark Gang members to satisfy their whims and toy with her as they pleased.

But they were merely an ordinary family.

Wanting to oppose thugs and local ruffians like that...

Was practically no different from striking a stone with an egg.

They had plenty of ways to make flat-headed commoners like them bow their heads.

Now, their family could be said to have almost reached a dead end.

If they did not think of a way soon, then only two paths were left for them to choose.

Send his sister over, or have the whole family, under those people's coercion... die.

Helpless and cruel.

But this was also the normal state of survival for ordinary people like them in this chaotic world.

But now... this method of breaking the situation... seemed like it was about to be cut off?

After all, even if he wanted to study martial arts in the outer city...

The required tuition was simply not something his family could afford.

They could not scrape together even one month's worth.

At this moment, even though he possessed a fate...

He still felt a kind of frustration, as if he had strength but nowhere to use it...

But just then, a woman's voice rang out from behind him. "Ah Tian, wait!"

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