Emerging from his home, Lin Hui had already made his calculations.
He could not choose to leave the Clear Wind Temple. Between the moral obligation and the sunk costs he had already incurred, breaking away now would be far too troublesome.
Moreover, what he pursued was speed. Among all the martial halls in the Outer City, Clear Wind Temple’s movement techniques were already first-class. In the realm of External Styles, it was difficult to find a martial art faster than theirs.
‘Therefore, simplifying and refining the current structure, and re-optimizing the Clear Wind Temple’s martial arts, might be the key to solving our competitiveness in the future.’
‘But for now, I should first test what level I’ve reached.’
On his way back, Lin Hui pondered where he should go to test the new fusion special effects. After thinking it over, only the figures of the monsters in the mist zone flashed incessantly through his mind.
‘Although it’s somewhat dangerous, as long as I’m careful and don’t take unnecessary risks, it shouldn’t be a big problem.’
He had operated in the mist zone for so long that he had a rough understanding of what monsters were distributed in the mist behind the Clear Wind Temple.
Faceless Ones, One-Horned Spiders, Thousand-Legged Eyeballs, Mist Barbarians.
Having made his decision, Lin Hui hesitated no longer. He quickened his pace, rushing back toward the Clear Wind Temple. He needed to make preparations; he also had to borrow some Tranquil Incense from his Master.
He wasn't worried about being refused. In fact, Mingde was supportive of him going to the mist zone to temper his swordsmanship.
The Lin Clan Grounds.
Lin Chaoyi bowed humbly as he escorted an Outer City manager from the Chen family out the main gate. He led a group of clansmen to watch the other party drive away, exhaling a long breath only when the car’s taillights vanished from sight.
“Still no news... Ah De, that kid. I need his help at a critical moment, but I just can’t contact him...”
He looked at the somewhat desolate fields outside the large courtyard and the two-story building across the road that had recently become vacant. A trace of helplessness and repression flashed in his eyes.
“Profits from our shops everywhere are shrinking. People are coming to cause trouble and collect protection fees at the shops we settled before... Can’t Hongyu exert some effort on her end?” He looked toward Lin Hongyu’s father, Lin Shuntao.
“Father, Hongyu really has no way... After the incident last time, she went immediately to the Clan Law Enforcement Hall, but...” Lin Shuntao’s expression was unsightly.
“Sigh...” Lin Chaoyi also knew that Lin Hongyu lacked the aptitude for The Call. Although she had entered the Chen family, she remained merely an ordinary external member. Unable to receive The Call, she could only learn the various Internal Force martial arts collected by the Chen family.
Although Hongyu’s aptitude was excellent, Internal Force was something that required the accumulation of time; its effects could not be seen overnight. On the contrary, External Styles yielded results much faster, just like Lin Hui...
Thinking of Lin Hui, Lin Chaoyi turned back toward the courtyard and asked.
“By the way, what’s the situation with Old Fourth’s family?”
“Old Fourth’s son is finished.” Lin Shunchong of the Second Branch revealed a look of schadenfreude on the right. “He was removed from the Suppression Squad by the Yamen, and the Clear Wind Temple had its sign smashed by the newly built Black Dragon Gate. Now it’s split into three, and the Clear Wind Sword brand has been reduced to a third-rate sword technique. No matter how well Old Fourth’s family learns it, no one on the outside recognizes it.”
“A brand as big as the Clear Wind Sword... collapsed just like that?” Lin Chaoyi was stunned.
“Isn’t it so? The changes during this time have indeed been too fast. Those martial artists from Xingdao look like losers driven out from over there, yet these losers were actually able to swiftly crush our Tuyue Outer City martial halls. Rumor has it that martial arts are prevalent over there, and fighting and killing are seen everywhere. Now it seems it really wasn’t just hot air,” Lin Shunchong explained.
Lin Chaoyi fell silent, a look of contemplation on his face.
Not long after, he spoke slowly: “The wealth and gifts we planned to send to Old Fourth’s family... have they been sent?”
“Not yet,” the old butler on the other side answered in a low voice.
“That’s good then. Hold off for now. Given the trend of the Clear Wind Temple, I’m afraid it will be hard for it to rise again. Old Fourth’s family has limited future development; throwing money into that side now would be a loss outweighing the gain...” Lin Chaoyi said heavily.
“But, didn’t you say these gifts were to ease the relationship...?” The First Branch’s Lin Shunjiang, father of Lin Hongzhen, asked in surprise.
“That was before. Now that the family has encountered changes, there’s no need to send these valuables out.” Lin Chaoyi frowned.
“But, if we don’t repair the relationship now, if Old Fourth’s family rises again in the future... will sending gifts then still be useful?” Lin Shunjiang found it hard to understand.
“It’s fine. I know Old Fourth. Sending them then will work just as well. Last time I went over, he declined on the surface, but in reality, he still wants to return. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let us into the inner room at all,” Lin Chaoyi said.
“Father is right. Old Fourth is famous for having a sharp tongue but a soft heart. If his development is poor in the future, we won’t mention it. But if there is development, Father can just visit again; it won’t be a big problem,” Lin Shunchong of the Second Branch laughed. “With Old Fourth’s temperament, if the family truly reaches a life-or-death juncture, he will definitely help. So whether we give him this benefit or not, the result is the same. We might as well use it to win over the wavering centrists.”
Hearing this, Lin Chaoyi couldn’t help but give his second son an extra glance. That was indeed exactly what he was thinking.
“However, it looks like the general situation of the martial hall market is set. A pattern like this can only be influenced by those martial artists of the Internal Force Realm,” he said softly.
“Exactly. I even asked around—Lin Hui, that kid, refuses to leave the Clear Wind Temple no matter what. The Black Dragon Gate even went to recruit him, but he wouldn’t do it. He just stares blankly and stays put. Now most people from the Clear Wind Temple have run off; only he and a few others are struggling to hold on,” Lin Shunchong shook his head.
“Trees die when moved; people live when they move. He is still young after all; he doesn’t understand this point.” Lin Chaoyi sighed, knowing in his heart that Lin Hui was unlikely to have any hope left.
Once a martial hall has fewer students, money decreases, resources decrease, and with fewer resources, the progress of practicing martial arts slows down. It seemed that Lin Hui would, at most, reach a level similar to his teacher Mingde in a few decades.
But looking at the current Clear Wind Temple, Mingde couldn’t even protect himself.
“Mingde helped others in a fight back then and made quite a few enemies. Given the current situation, I’m afraid it won’t be long...” he said softly.
“No movement for now, but I estimate they are watching and waiting...” Lin Shunchong nodded.
Hearing this, Lin Chaoyi held no more hope for Old Fourth’s side.
“Sigh, forget it. Send that batch of valuables to Hongyu. As long as she can turn the situation around over there, everything will come alive.”
“Okay!”
Clear Wind Temple.
At dusk, the mist began to rise slowly, scattering.
Lin Hui and Mingde sat quietly at the table, eating.
There were five dishes and one soup on the table, all cooked personally by Weiwei. Pork with garlic scapes, shredded pork with edamame, braised pork, garlic lettuce... dish after dish still steaming, clearly fresh from the wok.
“You said just now... you’ve thoroughly mastered the Nine-Section Swift Sword and want to learn the Clear Wind Sword?” Mingde sent a piece of braised pork into his mouth, narrowing his eyes at Lin Hui.
“Precisely. Please, Master, impart the sword to me.” Lin Hui said in a deep voice.
“You don’t mind that the Clear Wind Sword is weak?” Mingde asked.
“Disciple has always felt that the Clear Wind Sword was never meant for a head-on, hard-hitting fighting style. This sect prioritizes movement speed; we should fully utilize our strengths. If the Temple Master hadn't been forced into a corner back then, relying on his movement techniques to drag out the fight, he might not necessarily have lost.” Lin Hui said seriously.
“You’re right,” Mingde sighed. He chewed the meat to a pulp and swallowed it in a few bites, then stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the hazy gray mist outside.
“Actually, according to the rules, if you wanted to learn the Clear Wind Sword, you would at least have to undergo certain tests like everyone else. But given the current situation, there’s no need to stick rigidly to the rules.”
Although he drank heavily, he saw everything around him clearly. How could ordinary wine make a martial artist of the Internal Force Realm drunk, no matter how much he drank?
It was nothing more than the heart desiring drunkenness; the wine was merely a catalyst.
“Many times, I think to myself that all of this is like a dream. If I could wake up and everything was restored to how it was, how good that would be... Pity. With Senior Brother in this state, it’s hard to rise again, and the Daoist temple has turned into this ghostly mess...” Mingde recalled scenes from his past in his mind. Back then, his Senior Brother was still well, the Clear Wind Temple was flourishing with a promising future, and the top ten elites were like wolves and tigers, their prestige illustrious in the surrounding towns.
Snapping back to reality and looking at the present...
Sigh.
He let out a long breath.
“Fine. I will pass the Clear Wind Sword to you first. In a while, I’ll have Weiwei go handle a matter—sending something to an old friend. The journey is long and far, and I’m worried she can’t take care of herself. When the time comes, I may need you to travel with her.”
“Yes,” Lin Hui responded.
Mingde retracted the strange look in his eyes. Lin Hui, this child, could be said to be the one who moved him the most among all the disciples he had accepted so far.
As the saying goes, adversity reveals true feelings. In this situation where the martial hall was critical and nearly collapsing into dissolution, Lin Hui remained steadfast and did not leave. No matter what, this heart, this character, gave him a final shred of comfort.
It let him know that his dedication to righteousness over so many years hadn't all been in vain.
In this world, there are always some people who are unmoved by money, unmoved by fame and profit. They still uphold a conduct that looks foolish to outsiders.
He is like this; Lin Hui is like this.
But it is a pity...
The time he met Lin Hui was too late.
If it had been ten years earlier, perhaps the current Lin Hui would already be...
Mingde’s thoughts were instantly cut off by the image of Song Zhanlong of the Black Dragon Gate flashing through his mind.
‘Forget it, forget it. Even if it were ten years earlier, encountering Song Zhanlong at the door, the result would still be...’
Recalling the message quietly sent by a close friend yesterday—in a while, Liu Sitao of the Mountain-Breaking Fist, whom he had made an enemy of by helping others fight back then, had gathered a group of old rivals and enemies and was rushing here to seek revenge.
Clear Wind Temple had lost power, Baohe had collapsed, and only two or three strays remained under his own sect. If they really faced Liu Sitao’s gang...
Mingde knew the final result would likely be grim.
So he arranged in advance for his daughter and Lin Hui to leave first. Wang Yun didn't need to be worried about in her great clan home, and the rest of the students could be dismissed at will to avoid being implicated.
When the time came, he would remain alone in the temple to wait for them, settling the grievances of the past once and for all.
He had arranged everything.
Gathering his thoughts, Mingde turned around and began to explain the essentials of the Clear Wind Sword in detail.
“The Clear Wind Sword is actually quite different from other sword techniques.”
He extended his hand, forming a sword with his index finger, and stabbed forward.
“In essence, the Clear Wind Sword is actually a fusion and elevation of the Seven-Section Swift Sword and the Nine-Section Swift Sword. It integrates the momentum accumulation practice method of the Seven-Section Swift Sword into the whole, and incorporates the explosive assassination of the Nine-Section Swift Sword into the attacking moves. Then, using a special mental method, it perfectly fuses the two, ultimately forming a killing sword art that is like the wind.”
“Clear Wind, Clear Wind—what is Clear Wind? Clear and formless, like the wind—phaseless and unstoppable. Only this can be called the Clear Wind Sword!” Mingde turned sideways and walked to a spacious open area.