Another Plan

"Master, you're here."

Lin Xiaotian opened his eyes. He knew he could not keep pretending, nor did he intend to continue.

An Internal Force expert could see through his condition at a glance.

That Ouyang Household head could see it, so there was no reason his own master could not.

Master Huang looked at him and nodded.

"Looks like your sister taking you in was indeed no ordinary matter."

Lin Xiaotian was startled by those words. Had his master discovered something too?

Master Huang casually pulled over a chair and sat down, looking at him calmly. "Do you know why I sent everyone else away, kept you alone in the inner courtyard, and even had your mistress personally care for you?"

Lin Xiaotian shook his head. Then, seeing that his master was still staring at him without blinking, he gave a bitter smile, knowing he could not muddle through by playing dumb.

Gritting his teeth, he asked:

"Master, do you think I'm some monstrous genius?"

With a snort of laughter, Master Huang smiled unexpectedly. "You brat, you've read too many picture books."

"What kind of monstrous genius are you? You've never seen the true young masters of Aristocratic Clans."

"Still, your constitution is somewhat special. Your natural talent is average, but your defense is quite strong."

"Though you are only at Skin Tempering, your toughness is already close to Blood Tempering. Otherwise, that senior sister of yours would have killed you with a single palm strike."

"Here is a bottle of medicine for treating injuries. Take it first. Your back has split open, so do not make any large movements for a while."

Lin Xiaotian caught it in one grab. A fragrance wafted from the mouth of the bottle; the pills inside were ones he had never seen before.

"No need to look. The Ouyang Household sent it."

"The Ouyang Household sent it?" He was even more puzzled as he looked at his master.

"After you were injured, the Ouyang Household secretly sent someone to deliver it. I did not expect them to value you so highly."

"Master, is there some reason for this? The Ouyang Household would not do this for no reason."

"Mm, you are not entirely stupid. I'll tell you, then. This time, the Ouyang Household head came in person because it truly concerned you."

"Concerned me?" Lin Xiaotian raised his brows.

"Correct."

"You are neither an Internal Force nor an External Force practitioner, merely a disciple who has not been initiated for long."

"The Ouyang Household head came personally to speak with me, hoping to take you directly to the Ouyang Household... and have this old man grant him some face."

Master Huang smiled, a trace of pride in his eyes.

"They probably never imagined that I would refuse."

Luckily, I joined the martial hall. Otherwise, if another Household wanted to make a move against me, they would have had no scruples at all, Lin Xiaotian thought to himself.

"You have not been at the martial hall for long, but your performance has been exceptionally dazzling. If you can maintain this fierce momentum after reaching External Force, that will prove my eye for talent was not mistaken."

"Thank you, Master. Otherwise, I would have fallen into the Ouyang Household's poisonous hands this time." Lin Xiaotian spoke earnestly.

Master Huang waved a hand. "It was not entirely because of that. It was also because of your sister."

Lin Xiaotian raised his brows again. It concerned his sister once more—his sister's unseen influence was truly immense.

"The Ouyang Household taking the initiative to move against you is all because something may have happened to your sister..."

Lin Xiaotian furrowed his brow.

"In the past, we all overlooked something: the Qin Household had always been intimidated by your sister's parents back then."

"But recently, we suddenly came to our senses. Your sister's parents have been gone for so many years, so why did we still have reservations?"

"That is one suspicious point. Another is that the Ouyang Household said your sister had not appeared for a long time, and they also felt as though certain memories from the past had been blurred."

Lin Xiaotian's face showed no expression, yet turbulent waves had already risen in his heart.

Sure enough, all the memories of his sister in the small town were fake. His sister was gone, and the memories that had been fabricated were beginning to blur.

"None of that amounts to much. We were merely puzzled. The most important thing is that the Ouyang Household has an old ancestor, who is considered the Ouyang Household head's martial uncle."

"Recently, he has vanished without a trace..."

"They would not originally have connected this to you. But one night, there were signs that the Qin Household's eldest young lady had left traces in your courtyard. Coupled with your disappearance for a period of time, they strongly suspect you know that martial uncle's whereabouts."

"Me..." Lin Xiaotian pointed at his own nose. "At the time, I was someone who had not even begun learning martial arts. Could I know the whereabouts of someone who was at least an Internal Force expert? Master, would you believe that?"

Master Huang shook his head. "Naturally, I would not."

Lin Xiaotian let out a breath of relief.

"But I believe the Ouyang Household even more."

The breath Lin Xiaotian had just released caught in his throat again.

"Master, then why did you still stop them...?"

Master Huang chuckled. "Naturally, I believe you. How could someone without even the foundations of Martial Dao possibly catch that martial uncle's eye?"

"But since the Ouyang Household head came personally and specifically demanded you, it means the Ouyang Household must know some secret history that I do not."

"For this reason, I even exchanged blows with the Ouyang Household head. That was how they came up with the idea of testing you."

Lin Xiaotian narrowed his eyes slightly. So the commotion he had heard from the inner courtyard had been the sounds of the two of them fighting.

"Master, there's no need for me to undergo this test, is there?" Lin Xiaotian asked.

Master Huang shook his head.

"I was the one who proposed this idea."

"You proposed it, Master?" Lin Xiaotian was even more confused.

Master Huang chuckled again.

"This is what I told the Ouyang Household head: the reason I protected you was because you might become extraordinary in the future."

"The Ouyang Household head did not waste words either. He directly said they would test you. If you performed well, they would grant you a stroke of fortune."

"If your performance was poor, they would take you away and bring you directly back to the Ouyang Household."

Hearing this, Lin Xiaotian was slightly stunned. This world of Martial Dao was so cruel as well—if he had no value, even the martial hall could not protect him.

Master Huang watched him, only speaking softly after several breaths.

"Though my martial hall is strong, we cannot flatten every Household power."

"In some matters, we must compromise appropriately. Do not blame your master for being coldhearted. In times like these, if one is too unyielding, enemies will be everywhere. Let alone me—even whether the martial hall could have come this far would be a question."

"The Ouyang Household possesses resources needed for Martial Dao cultivation, while our martial hall has the continuous stream of Martial Dao talents these Households need. Neither link can be missing."

"If you truly are too mediocre, even if I can protect you for a time, I cannot protect you for a lifetime."

"If you display promise, then the other Households will seek friendship with you for the martial hall's backing."

"You have already proven that your performance exceeded expectations, and even exceeded the impression I had of you."

"If you truly reach External Force, all of this will become powerful backing for you."

"The Ouyang Household has a mineral vein. Aside from the Refinement Stones used to forge weapons, there is a special place deep within the vein suitable for growing a certain spirit herb."

"This spirit herb is an extremely important supplementary ingredient in the monthly pills and the daily diluted Blood Essence Pills."

"With it, the medicinal efficacy can increase by twenty percent. None of the forces in our town are willing to offend the Ouyang Household lightly."

"Deep within that mineral vein, there are quite a few beasts that live off this medicinal ore. It is somewhat dangerous, but overall, it is not a major problem."

"These beasts often serve as targets for the Ouyang Household's training. This time, that training slot has been given to you."

"Everything you gain inside will belong to you. Consider it the Ouyang Household's apology and compensation to you this time."

After saying this, Master Huang stopped and quietly waited for his reply.

Lin Xiaotian did not answer immediately. After pondering for a moment, he said:

"Master, can you guarantee that the Ouyang Household will not use this chance to threaten me again?"

Master Huang looked at him for a breath or two, then said flatly:

"No guarantee. Unless it is some heaven-shaking matter, they have no reason to truly offend my Huang Family Martial Hall."

Lin Xiaotian drew a slight, deep breath and slowly said:

"Master, I'll wait until my injuries have healed before deciding. The Ouyang Household should not be in such a hurry for this slot, right?"

"Of course. Recover first. Give me an answer within two weeks."

"Thank you, Master."