Lin Shu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Lin Shu (林树)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Zhao Family Martial Arts Academy
Occupation/Role	Zhao Jie’s 86th official disciple; martial artist
Status	Deceased; ambushed and killed by Wang Sheng 12 13
First Appearance	3

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Martial Path initiation	4	Entered the Martial Path in under a month through the Great Tablet Shattering Hand, becoming Zhao Jie’s 86th disciple. He received 20 taels of silver and three Blood Replenishing Pills.

Background / History

Before studying martial arts, Lin Shu was described as dull and listless, yet notably resilient; he was sometimes called “stubborn as a mule.” His exceptional comprehension allowed him to grasp the essence of the Great Tablet Shattering Hand within only a few days. 3

Zhao Jie recognized Lin Shu as a rare talent with top-tier roots and intended to concentrate academy resources on advancing him to Bright Energy and then Dark Energy. Lin Shu entered the Martial Path in less than a month, far ahead of the other new disciples, and was publicly rewarded as an example to them. 4 6

Wang Sheng’s later initiation threatened Lin Shu’s privileged position. When Zhao Jie proposed that the two disciples compete for resources, Lin Shu offered to take Wang Sheng’s resources for himself first, claiming that he would protect and later assist Wang Sheng after reaching Dark Energy. Zhao Jie instead accepted Wang Sheng as a disciple with his own monthly resources, leaving Lin Shu resentful. 6 7

Lin Shu subsequently arranged for Meng Xu to pressure Wang Sheng, offering Meng Xu a substantial promise in exchange for acting against him. Meng Xu’s defeat by Wang Sheng further damaged Lin Shu’s standing, and Lin Shu resolved to cultivate harder and eventually kill Wang Sheng himself. 9 11

While travelling to the Liu family, Lin Shu was ambushed by Wang Sheng with lime powder and daggers. Wang Sheng took Lin Shu’s silver hairpin, three Blood Replenishing Pills, silver, and the Blood Stacking Technique manual before leaving. Zhao Jie later announced that Lin Shu had died at the hands of a martial artist at least at the Bright Energy stage. 12 13

A month after his death, Lin Shu’s name had largely faded from the Zhao Family Martial Arts Academy. 14

Personality

Lin Shu’s early talent and Zhao Jie’s preferential treatment fostered a condescending, arrogant disposition. He dismissed Wang Sheng’s diligence despite Zhao Jie explicitly comparing Lin Shu’s effort unfavorably to Wang Sheng’s. 3

He was highly conscious of his superior physique and expected academy resources to be directed toward him. His proposal that Wang Sheng surrender all of his resources reflected both self-interest and confidence that his own advancement mattered more. 7

Lin Shu also held grudges. Unable to act openly against Wang Sheng without damaging his image before Zhao Jie, he used Meng Xu as an intermediary and later decided to personally kill Wang Sheng once he had generated internal energy. 10 11

Abilities & Skills

Great Tablet Shattering Hand

Lin Shu rapidly mastered the Zhao Family Martial Arts Academy’s signature supreme art, achieving both its form and spirit before most of his peers had even learned its movements. 4

• Entered the Martial Path through the technique in under a month. 4
• Demonstrated powerful, vigorous movements with considerable lethality after only slightly more than a month as an initiated disciple. 11
• His proficiency was considered close to that of disciples who had trained for several years. 11

Exceptional Comprehension and Physique

Lin Shu possessed unusually high martial aptitude, described as a High-grade Physique and as having rare, top-tier roots. 6 7

• Grasped the Great Tablet Shattering Hand’s essence within days of joining the academy. 3
• Received Zhao Jie’s special guidance and preferential investment. 3 6
• Drew lucrative nominal-position offers from prominent local organizations due to his perceived potential. 11

Blood Stacking Technique

Lin Shu possessed a copy of the Blood Stacking Technique, a method normally requiring Bright Energy to use. 12 13

• Attempted to stimulate acupoints through external force before producing Bright Energy. 13
• The technique manual was taken from his body by Wang Sheng after his death. 12

Relationships

• Zhao Jie — Master and principal patron. Zhao Jie considered Lin Shu his most promising disciple and originally intended to focus academy resources on him. 4 6
• Wang Sheng — Junior disciple and rival. Lin Shu opposed Wang Sheng receiving cultivation resources, arranged pressure against him through Meng Xu, and was ultimately killed by him. 7 9 12
• Meng Xu — Ally and proxy against Wang Sheng. Lin Shu promised Meng Xu a significant reward for confronting Wang Sheng. 9 10
• Liu Family — Potential backers and marriage connection. Lin Shu travelled to the Liu family while considering support from them necessary to his future advancement. 11 12
• Sun Ping — A fellow new disciple who attempted to curry favor with Lin Shu and defended him against Wang Sheng. 3

Notable Quotes

“Give all the resources to me first, to help me break through to Dark Energy. Once I reach that level, I can protect you, and then I can help you break through and become stronger.” 7

“In another six months, no, in at most four months, I should be able to generate internal energy! By then, I will personally crush his throat!” 11