Jiang Lin woke up just as dawn broke the next day.
He pushed open the door of the old house. The morning mist at the ferry crossing had not yet dissipated, and the sound of the stream seemed louder than during the day. He stood at the door and glanced at the stern of the old wooden boat by the water, where a person was squatting.
Lin Du was already there.
He was in the same spot as yesterday, still squatting, without a branch in his hand, just quietly crouching at the stern of the boat, watching the water. Hearing footsteps, he didn't turn around, but his shoulder twitched slightly—he knew who was coming.
Jiang Lin didn't rush over. He stood in the courtyard for a while, then slowly walked along the stone path to the water's edge and sat down a few steps away from the Lin Du.
Neither of them spoke.
After a long while, Lin Du spoke first, his voice still muffled. "... Why are you here again?"
"I told you I'd be coming today," Jiang Lin said. "Were you waiting for me?"
Lin Du neither answered nor denied it.
Jiang Lin didn't press the matter further. He sat on the bank, watching the stream flow past his feet, and casually asked, "You said yesterday that you had evil energy on your legs?"
Lin Du's ankle twitched. "... They said so."
What do you think?
Lin Du was silent for a moment. "I don't know."
Jiang Lin looked at him, his tone more steady than before. "Then I'll tell you again today—based on my experience, I can tell you with certainty that this is not evil."
This is the inherent characteristic of your Martial Soul. Before awakening, its legs are no different from those of an ordinary person. After awakening, it reveals its true nature—running fast and jumping far are abilities it was born with.
Lin Du's fingers gripped the edge of the boat plank tightly, then slowly loosened.
"... Can it go even faster?"
The question was asked very softly, as if afraid of being overheard.
Jiang Lin glanced at him. "Yes. As long as you want it to be faster."
Lin Du didn't ask any more questions. He lowered his head, looking at his legs. His feet, clad in tattered straw sandals, were soaking in the wet mud by the water's edge. His ankles were thin, and there was nothing particularly special about them.
But he knew it himself—the feeling of the wind whistling past his ears when he ran was something other children didn't experience.
"Want to try?" Jiang Lin said, "Let's see just how fast your legs can run."
Lin Du looked up at him.
Jiang Lin stood up, took a few steps back, and made way for him on the stone path. "Don't think too much, just run."
Lin Du hesitated for a moment, then slowly stood up. He stood at one end of the stone path, looking at the empty road ahead, took a deep breath—and then he started running.
He ran very fast, even faster than Jiang Lin had expected. Every time his feet touched the stone pavement, it felt like he was being pushed by something, and he almost flew off while skimming the ground.
The wind blew his hair back, and one of his worn-out straw sandals fell to the ground in mid-air, but he didn't stop.
He ran to the end of the stone path before slowly stopping, turning back to look at Jiang Lin, his chest heaving, his eyes filled with something indescribable—not excitement, not fear, but as if he were confirming something for the first time.
Jiang Lin stood there looking at him. "There's nothing wrong with your legs. They just want to run harder than other people's legs."
Lin Du stood at the end of the stone path, looking down at his bare foot. After a while, as if remembering something, he looked up and said, "I'll run it one more time."
This time, without waiting for Jiang Lin's reply, he turned and ran again. He ran even faster than before, and after reaching the end, he didn't stop. Instead, he turned back, passed by Jiang Lin, and ran off again—as if he had been waiting for an opportunity to run away freely.
Jiang Lin did not tell him to stop.
A Shan, Yi Chen, and Xiao Man came out of the old house and stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching. No one spoke.
Lin Du ran lap after lap until he was panting heavily. He squatted down in the middle of the stone path, hands on his knees, head down, gasping for breath. Sweat dripped from his temples onto the ground.
Then he looked up, and his expression changed—no longer cold, no longer stifled, but an expression that said, "This is the first time I've realized that running like this is normal."
Just then, a voice came from the direction of the ferry crossing. "The evil spirit is running again!"
A boy a year or two older than Lin Du came out of the village, holding a Shitou he had picked up from the water's edge. He waved in Lin Du's direction and said, "Why are you running so fast? Are you trying to scare me?!"
Lin Du's expression instantly changed back.
The boy raised his hand, and the Shitou hurled itself toward Lin Du —it landed at his feet, bounced, and splashed up a cloud of wet mud.
Lin Du didn't dodge; he simply stood there, watching the Shitou fall in front of him.
Then someone blocked his way.
A Shan had appeared out of nowhere. He stood between Lin Du and the boy, his left fist clenched, his voice loud and harsh. "Who are you throwing at?!"
The boy was intimidated by A Shan's imposing manner, took two steps back, muttered "a bunch of freaks" under his breath, but still turned and ran away.
Lin Du stood there, watching A Shan's retreating figure. After a long while, he whispered, "... Thank you."
A Shan turned around, grinned, and said, "No need to thank me, just keep running."
Lin Du didn't reply, but he took a step toward A Shan —this was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to approach someone.
Yi Chen stood to the side, quietly watching Lin Du for a long while. His martial Martial Soul was working in his mind, and he could sense something in Lin Du —not fear, not sadness, but something that had been suppressed for a long time and wanted to burst out.
"You want to become stronger," Yi Chen said.
Lin Du paused for a moment, then looked at Yi Chen.
Yi Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear. "I can feel it. You really want to become stronger."
Lin Du did not deny it.
Yi Chen continued, "Our teacher is very strong. He will teach us how to cultivate, how to control our Martial Soul, and how to become stronger. We're leaving here today. Do you want to come with us?"
Lin Du remained silent for a long time. He looked at Yi Chen, then at A Shan and Xiao Man beside him. A Shan was grinning, and Xiao Man A Shan behind him, looking a little nervous but not moving away.
He glanced down at his legs, then looked up and said, "... Okay."
After saying that, he turned and ran—not hesitating, not dawdling, but running straight towards the Chao Family.
"Wait a moment, I'll go back and tell my family."
The children stood there, stunned, watching Lin Du's retreating figure rush into the village entrance like the wind.
A Shan opened his mouth, then turned to look at Yi Chen: "... He left already?"
Yi Chen didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
Xiao Man whispered from the side, "He runs really fast."
Jiang Lin stood on the stone path in the distance, watching Lin Du's figure disappear at the village entrance. He didn't smile, but his posture was a little more relaxed than before.
Bai Lingyu leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, watching Lin Du's retreating figure, and muttered, "Alright, another one to teach."
He turned to look at Jiang Lin: "You're taking on more and more disciples."
Jiang Lin didn't reply, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
Half an hour later, Lin Du returned running with a small cloth bundle on his back. He had changed into a pair of straw sandals, and his clothes were still the same faded coarse cloth shirt, but they were cleaner than in the morning.
He ran to the children, stopped, took a couple of breaths, and then looked at Jiang Lin: "... I'm ready."
A Shan walked over and patted Lin Du on the shoulder. "Let's go!"
Lin Du stumbled forward after being slapped, frowned, but didn't dodge. He followed behind A Shan, paused briefly as he passed Jiang Lin, and then continued walking.
A Shan walked in front, raising his left fist. "From now on, we'll be a group of four—training together, getting stronger together. I'll be watching who slacks off!"
Yi Chen glanced at him, didn't say anything, but her lips twitched slightly.
Xiao Man imitated him and raised her right fist, though not very high. "... I won't slack off either."
Lin Du stood at the very edge, remained silent for a long while, and then slowly raised his hand as well—as low as he could, but he did raise it nonetheless.
When the six people left Pine Creek Ferry, the sun had just risen above the treetops. The stream shimmered with a golden light in the morning glow.
Lin Du walked at the back of the group, glancing back at the ferry crossing every now and then, but each time he looked back, the interval between glances was longer than the last.