Uninvited Guests

Lin Xiao's body stiffened for a moment.

It's very short. So short that it's almost imperceptible.

Then he took a deep breath, his chest heaving, his jaw clenched tightly. The cold air felt like a knife scraping his throat.

Lu Yuan didn't turn around, but he could sense the change in the boy behind him—from fear to stiffness, and then to a kind of reckless, defiant attitude.

Qingzhu gripped her bamboo staff and took half a step forward.

The sound rang out again from the direction of the valley entrance.

"What, you don't welcome an old friend?"

This time it was closer. He was smiling, but beneath the smile lay undisguised restlessness.

Footsteps approached.

It wasn't heavy, but every step was firm. The ground trembled slightly, and the leaves of the herbs in the garden shook.

Three figures emerged from the thick fog.

The leader was an old man.

He was extremely tall with a broad frame. His full head of silver hair stood on end like steel needles. He had a square face, thick eyebrows like halberds, and a pair of tiger-like eyes that shone frighteningly in the night. He wore a deep purple robe with dark gold thunder patterns embroidered on the hem.

Two middle-aged men followed behind him. They were wiry and strong, with their hands on the hilts of their knives.

The old man's gaze swept across the herb garden and stopped on Qingzhu's face.

"Qingzhu," he said, his voice booming, "It's been many years."

Qingzhu didn't reply.

The old man didn't care and turned his gaze to Lin Xiao.

The air seemed to freeze.

Lin Xiao straightened his back. His face was still pale, but his chin was raised, and his amber pupils were fixed on the old man.

"Xiao'er," the old man uttered two words.

The tone was very flat, like someone calling their own pet cat or dog.

Lin Xiao did not respond.

The old man frowned slightly. Suddenly, several night insects in the herb garden fell silent.

"Enough of this nonsense," he said, his voice turning serious. "Come back with me."

This isn't a discussion; it's an order.

Lin Xiao's throat bobbed. He licked his canine teeth with the tip of his tongue.

"Seventh Grandpa," he said, his voice a little hoarse, "I'm not going back."

"It's not up to you." The old man— Seventh Master Lin —had a piercing gaze. "Your Martial Soul problem is something the family has its own way of solving. How can we allow you to follow some people of unknown origin and cause trouble for the Hundred Refinements Pavilion?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept towards Lu Yuan.

That gaze was cold, like scrutinizing a roadside stone. It lingered for only a moment, from top to bottom, before moving away.

Undisguised contempt.

Lu Yuan remained calm. He met the gaze without flinching. His right hand hung at his side, his index finger unconsciously tapping the outside of his thigh.

He was calculating.

The old man's Soul Power fluctuations were very strong. They were fierce, violent, and carried a chaotic energy mixed with fire and metal attributes. He was at least Soul King. Behind him were two guards, all from the Soul Ancestor.

Qingzhu is Soul King, but he's more of a support character. As for himself and Lin Xiao... one has less than 30% of his Soul Power, and the other has an injured right arm.

Disadvantages.

"Seventh Grandpa," Lin Xiao spoke again, this time his voice more steady, "My Martial Soul cannot be resolved by the family's methods."

"Insolence!" the old man hissed.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a muffled thunderclap. Lin Xiao swayed.

"Our family has been passed down for hundreds of years. What kind of problem haven't we seen?" The old man took a step forward. "Your mutation is just a mismatch in your cultivation method; it can be adjusted. But you insisted on running away, and with this kind of—" He looked at Lu Yuan again, "... mixing with this kind of trash. Blue Silver Grass, your Innate Soul Power is probably not even level one, right? What can he teach you? Farming?"

The words were harsh.

Qingzhu frowned.

"Old Seventh Lin," Qingzhu spoke, tapping the ground lightly with his bamboo cane, "This is my place."

Only then did Seventh Master Lin look at Qingzhu properly.

"Qingzhu, don't get involved in this." His tone softened slightly, but remained firm. "It's an internal affair of the Lin Clan; it's inappropriate for outsiders to interfere. Besides, this kid has offended the Hundred Refinements Pavilion; keeping him here will only bring you trouble. Taking him away is better for both of us."

What if I don't allow it?

Seventh Master Lin smiled.

The smile was faint, a slight curve at the corners of the mouth, but no joy in the eyes.

"Qingzhu, how many years have we known each other?" he said. "I know your skills. Formations, herbs, crowd control—in a one-on-one fight, I might not be able to easily defeat you. But I'm not here for a friendly spar today."

He paused.

"I'm here to take someone home."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two guards behind him took half a step forward at the same time. They released their Soul Power fluctuations, forming a pincer attack from the left and right.

The pressure in the air suddenly increased.

The leaves of several delicate herbs at the edge of the herb garden began to curl.

Qingzhu tightened his grip on the staff.

"Lin Xiao is already fifteen," he said slowly. "He has made his own choices."

"Choice?" Seventh Master Lin scoffed. "Qingzhu, you've been through this yourself. In this world, when has it ever been a child's turn to make choices? Talent, resources, future—aren't they all provided by the family? You've eaten the family's food, used the family's resources, and now you think you can fly away? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

He spoke with absolute certainty.

Lin Xiao's breathing became rapid.

Lu Yuan could feel the muscles of the boy behind him tensing. It wasn't fear, it was anger.

"Seventh Grandpa." Lin Xiao suddenly stepped forward.

He stepped out from behind Lu Yuan and stood to the side and in front of Qingzhu, facing the old man directly.

Lu Yuan tried to pull him, but stopped halfway through his outstretched hand.

Some challenges you have to overcome on your own.

Lin Xiao stared at Seventh Master Lin, his eyes shining brightly in the dim light. Deep within his amber pupils, the faint trace of his vertical pupils was visible.

"My path," he said, emphasizing each word, "Is my own choice."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear. Every word sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

Seventh Master Lin narrowed his eyes.

"The family's method," Lin Xiao continued, his voice trembling slightly with tension, "If it's about forcibly suppressing me, or turning me into the 'weapon' you want—I'd rather not have it."

Dead silence.

Even the wind has stopped.

The expression on Seventh Master Lin's face gradually darkened. The slight perfunctory gentleness that had remained in his tiger-like eyes vanished completely, leaving only icy anger.

"Okay." He nodded, very slowly. "Okay, okay."

He said "good" three times in a row.

With each word spoken, the fluctuations of his Soul Power grew stronger. His deep purple robe fluttered without wind, and the lightning patterns on the hem glowed with a dark golden light. The surrounding air began to distort, and waves of heat mixed with sharp golden energy spread out.

The herbs in the medicinal garden were withering in large patches.

He slammed his Qingzhu staff down heavily. A pale green aura spread from the tip of the staff, barely protecting the small house behind him. But his face had also turned pale.

"You've grown wings." Seventh Master Lin stared at Lin Xiao, his voice as cold as ice. "You think you can compete with your pathetic skills and this—"

He raised his hand, his index finger pointing straight at Lu Yuan.

"What good can this good-for-nothing accomplish?"

The direction of the finger seemed to solidify the air into a tangible spearhead.

Lu Yuan stood still, not moving. He could feel the killing intent locked onto him—not strong, but clear enough.

The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul felt slightly warm in his palm. The circulation of Soul Power accelerated, and less than 30% of his remaining power began to slowly burn.

He's waiting.

Seventh Master Lin withdrew his finger and looked at Lin Xiao again.

"You're going back today, whether you like it or not—" His soul Soul Power surged, his oppressive aura crashing down like a mountain, "I'll break your legs and drag you back!"

As the last word was uttered, he moved.

There were no unnecessary movements; he simply took a step forward.

That's it.

The ground trembled violently. From the point where he landed, Spiderweb -like cracks spread outwards with a crackling sound. Violent Soul Power mixed with scorching golden energy surged towards Lin Xiao like a tsunami.

Qingzhu gave a low shout and planted his bamboo staff into the ground. Countless vines burst forth from the soil, intertwining to form a wall that blocked the way.

The vine wall collided with the tsunami of Soul Power.

Sizzle--

The vines charred and shattered at a visible speed. Qingzhu groaned, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

Lin Xiao stood still, without retreating.

He stared at the destructive energy rushing towards him, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. He instinctively tried to raise his right hand, but his arm, still recovering from a fracture, was completely powerless. His left hand clenched into a fist, his Soul Power surging wildly within him, yet finding no outlet.

Am I going to die?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a figure blocked his way.

It's Lu Yuan.

His movements were slow, even somewhat unsteady— his Soul Power was insufficient, and his body was under great strain. But he still took a step, standing precisely between Lin Xiao and the impact of that Soul Power.

A hint of surprise flashed across Seventh Master Lin's eyes.

Then came disdain.

"Court death."

He didn't hold back at all.

Lu Yuan didn't look at him.

He didn't even look at the tsunami of Soul Power rushing towards him.

He looked down at his right hand.

With palm facing up and fingers spread, a slender, almost transparent Blue Silver Grass slowly emerged. The grass had only three leaves, with faint silver patterns along the edges, swaying fragilely in the wind stirred up by the violent Soul Power.

Then he made a strange gesture.

My right hand gave a slight tremor.

It's neither attack nor defense. It's more like... adjusting the frequency.

The three leaves of the Blue Silver Grass began to tremble with a specific rhythm. It was very slight, almost imperceptible. But with each tremor, the silver veins on the leaves brightened a little more.

At the same time, Lu Yuan's left fingertips quickly traced several arcs in front of his chest.

There was no outward projection of Soul Power; it was simply a trajectory.

But just as he finished drawing the last arc—

The tsunami of Soul Power that was originally heading straight for him suddenly veered slightly off course.

A very subtle deflection. Like a river encountering an inconspicuous rock, causing an extremely slight distortion in the direction of the water flow.

Just this little bit.

That's enough.

Boom--!!!

The Soul Power blast grazed Lu Yuan's side and slammed into the rock wall behind him. Rocks shattered and dust billowed.

Lu Yuan stood still, not falling.

But his face was as white as paper, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The illusory image of the Blue Silver Grass in his right hand dimmed and almost disappeared.

Dead silence.

An even deeper silence than before.

Seventh Master Lin stared at Lu Yuan, his gaze changing for the first time. It wasn't one of respect, but rather confusion, and a hint of annoyance at being offended.

"What did you do?" he asked.

Lu Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up at the old man.

"It's nothing," he said softly but steadily, "I just borrowed a little strength."

"Leveraging resources?"

"Your Soul Power attribute is fierce and violent, fire with a hint of metal, and extremely volatile," Lu Yuan said slowly. "This type of Soul Power, when it erupts, will generate high-frequency vibrations. These vibrations themselves will briefly resonate with the Soul Power particles in the surrounding environment."

He paused.

"What I did was adjust my Soul Power fluctuations to match a certain harmonic frequency of your Soul Power's vibrations. Then, at the moment of impact, I used that resonance to guide the impact's direction to a slight deflection."

He spoke calmly.

But to the few people present, it sounded like a thunderclap.

Seventh Master Lin's pupils contracted.

Qingzhu's hand holding the staff trembled slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.

Lin Xiao stared intently at Lu Yuan's retreating figure.

"Impossible." Seventh Master Lin was silent for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head. "The frequency of Soul Power changes in an instant. How could you possibly detect it? Even if you could, how could you adjust it under such an impact?"

"So I only 'borrowed' a little," Lu Yuan said. "Besides, you didn't use your full strength in that attack just now. Otherwise, I wouldn't even have had a chance to adjust."

That's a very practical statement.

But it was still quite stunning.

Seventh Master Lin stared at Lu Yuan for a long time.

Then he suddenly laughed.

This time it was a genuine smile. His mouth stretched wide, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"Interesting," he said. "Blue Silver Grass, half-level innate— Shen Moxin mentioned you in her letter. I originally thought she was exaggerating, but now it seems there's some truth to it."

He then changed the subject.

"But that's where it ends."

His Soul Power surged once more, this time more solid and terrifying. The heat wave in the air almost ignited the grass and trees.

"Clever tricks won't save a life." Seventh Master Lin took a step forward. "I'll ask you one last time— Xiao'er, will you come with me?"

Lin Xiao stepped out from behind Lu Yuan.

He stood next to Lu Yuan, shoulder to shoulder.

Then he looked up and stared directly at Seventh Master Lin.

"I won't follow."

Two words: resolute and decisive.

Seventh Master Lin nodded.

"Good."

He raised his hand.

Lightning.