Chapter 254 - 44: Drawing the Sword

Chapter 254: Chapter 44: Drawing the Sword

"Do you think we need you to worry about that? Who the hell do you think you are? If you want to protect the clan’s reputation so badly, grab a sword, rush onto that platform, and cut that guy down. The worst that could happen is a decade in Reversed Lake. When you get out, you’ll be the clan’s hero."

Lin Minghai sneered, "What, you’ve lost your nerve? You won’t even risk ten years of confinement for the clan, so what right do you have to spout all this nonsense? Or can’t you fart from your ass, so you have to use your mouth instead?"

"I don’t dare? Do you, Lin Minghai, dare to?" Lin Mingxing’s face was flushed red and his neck stiffened.

"My mouth isn’t as idle as yours. I don’t use it for farting."

Lin Mingchen: ...

The other onlookers: ...

...

...

「In the distance.」

In a pavilion on the mountainside, He Yuanqiao wore an angry expression. "He’s gone too far. What Jian Sheng said was way out of line. How could he say something like that? I’ll call him back and teach him a lesson."

The corner of Lin Shouyuan’s mouth twitched. "There’s no need. Your nephew Jian Sheng is just a straight talker. Besides, this is a good opportunity for the clan’s younger generation to learn some humility. To know that in Martial Arts, there is always someone better."

"That’s good. I was worried you’d be angry, Shouyuan."

He Yuanqiao’s gaze shifted from the Combat Platform. "But it’s been so many days now. It seems there’s no point in continuing these matches."

"Old He... I need to handle some clan affairs, so I won’t be able to keep you company." Lin Shouyuan didn’t answer, instead changing the subject.

"Go on, then. I’m quite familiar with the Lin Mansion; there’s no need to keep me company."

He Yuanqiao watched Lin Shouyuan leave with a chuckle. The moment Lin Shouyuan was out of sight, a grin spread across his face that he couldn’t suppress.

’Handle clan affairs?’

’You’re the esteemed Uncle Jiu of the Lin Family. Since when do you handle such trivial clan business?’

’He just didn’t want to be around me anymore and made an excuse to leave.’

’Jian Sheng really did me proud this time.’

It wasn’t that he intentionally wanted to make the Lin Family lose face, but that he and Shouyuan had made an agreement years ago.

Back then, he and Shouyuan were the rising stars of the Sword Dao in the entire Shandong Dao. They couldn’t stand each other and fought several matches without a clear winner. Later, due to certain events, they became the closest of friends.

Once they became friends, they could no longer compete to see who was superior. So they made an agreement: whoever trained the stronger disciple would be considered to have the greater mastery in the Sword Dao.

Of course, they both knew a disciple’s strength in the Sword Dao depended more on their own talent. As the saying goes, a master can only guide you to the path; walking it is up to you.

But selecting a disciple was a competition in itself—a test of who had the better eye for spotting a disciple’s talent in the Sword Dao.

Shouyuan had chosen to cultivate the Lin Clan Members, as well as Mingxi. While Mingxi’s talent for the Sword Dao was indeed high, she was still a step behind Jian Sheng.

In a pure comparison of Sword Dao, Mingxi was no match for Jian Sheng.

He knew this, and Shouyuan knew it just as well.

That was also why Jian Sheng kept saying none of the Lin Family men were worthy opponents. It was a way to keep Mingxi from having to take the stage, a sliver of dignity he was leaving for his old friend.

...

"Father, aren’t you with Uncle He?"

Seeing her father return with a dark expression, Lin Mingxi immediately understood what had happened.

’Father must have been provoked by Uncle He again.’

"Father, what if I go?"

"No."

Lin Shouyuan shook his head. "In a pure contest of Sword Dao, you are not Jian Sheng’s match."

"That fellow... he really found an incredible disciple this time. Jian Sheng’s talent for the Sword Dao is likely in the highest tier just below an Innate Sword Heart. No one in our Lin Family is stronger than him in the Sword Dao."

"Is there really no one?"

For some reason, the image of Lin Yan flashed through Lin Mingxi’s mind.

He was the one her father had written off as a false genius of the Sword Dao, yet he had cultivated Sword Gang.

"Father, maybe there is one other person?"

Lin Mingxi raised her eyes, her delicate face turning to her father. "Lin Yan of the Third Branch."

"Him... he won’t do." Lin Shouyuan shook his head slightly.

"Father, you must not have heard. A short while ago, Lin Yan defeated Lin Wang of the Fourth Branch. He used the Four-Phase Condensing Gang Sword Technique, and he even integrated the Sword Intent of the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques. That’s not something he could have practiced ahead of time."

The branch competition was a significant event for the younger generation of the Lin Clan, but the True Gang Realm powerhouses of the family paid it no mind.

At most, some of the powerhouses from the Third and Fourth Branches might have taken notice because their own members were involved. But even then, they would only know that Lin Yan had defeated Lin Wang, and wouldn’t bother asking for the specific details of the fight.

As for a top-tier powerhouse in the True Gang Realm like Lin Shouyuan, no one would even bring the matter up in his presence.

"You’re saying he has achieved Sword Intent Mastery with the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques?"

"Yes. I’m sure of what I saw."

Lin Shouyuan sank into thought. After a long moment, he still shook his head. "I admit, I misjudged him. His talent in the Sword Dao is certainly impressive, to bring the Flowing Cloud Thirteen Techniques to Great Success in such a short time. But there’s still a considerable gap between him and Jian Sheng."

"Father, what if Lin Yan is still hiding his true strength?"

"Hiding his strength? He’s from a branch family. If he had talent in the Sword Dao, why wouldn’t he show it off instead of hiding it? Xi’er, you’re overthinking things."

Lin Shouyuan wasn’t convinced by his daughter’s speculation.

"I once asked him for a swordsmanship spar, but he refused. I originally thought it was because he felt he was inferior to me in swordsmanship. But now that I think about it... even if he was, wouldn’t he want to fight me to see if he could gain new insights into the Sword Dao? It just doesn’t make any sense."

Lin Mingxi laid out the reasoning for her suspicion. This time, Lin Shouyuan didn’t immediately dismiss it. He mulled it over for a few moments before speaking. "Very well, Xi’er. If you think Lin Yan is hiding his true strength, we can have him go up on the platform and fight Jian Sheng."

"Father, he refused even to spar with me. How could he possibly agree to fight on the platform?"