Lin Hui stared toward the Inner City.
From this distance, he could only make out a colossal white stone wall encasing the entire urban core.
The wall stood at least several hundred meters high, its upper section lost in faint cloud cover. The surface was smooth and flawless, radiating an aura of stark, white majesty.
The entire structure—top to bottom, left to right—appeared forged from a single piece of stone.
"Why's everyone heading to the Inner City?" he asked quietly.
"The Door-Breaching Ghosts causing trouble lately, aren't they? Anyone with savings is planning to hide out in the Inner City for a while. As long as it's not permanent residency, finding temporary lodging is still affordable," Peng Shan replied.
"Hasn't the city sent anyone to investigate?"
"They did. The government sent quite a few patrol squads. Seems like they're tracking something."
Peng Shan didn't stay long before he stood to leave. But just as he rose, an ox cart marked with the Chen family characters rolled slowly past on the distant road.
"It's the Chen family's selection convoy!" Peng Shan blurted.
Lin Hui paused, standing to watch the convoy. He scanned for Lin Hongyu but didn't spot her after several passes. Probably another carriage.
Lin Family Compound
Lin Chaoyi sat in the patriarch's seat in the main hall, looking down at representatives from the ten-plus branch families.
"Has Hongyu left?" he asked, voice hard.
"She's gone. Boarded the cart. The Chen family's external carriage agency sent people to pick her up," Lin Hongyu's father answered quickly.
"Old Fourth moved out, so his courtyard's empty. I've got a lot of people, and we're short on rooms. How about those rooms go to me...?" Lin Shunchong of the second branch—a sickly-looking man with a sallow face—sat slouched on the bench with one leg curled up, looking completely undisciplined.
"Second Brother, you've got a lot of people, but doesn't my family? My son still has to study for his civil service exams to enter the government office! My three grandsons are waiting for rooms to live in later. Why should everything go to your second branch?" A woman on the side wasn't having it and cut in.
"How many years has your son been taking exams? He hasn't even cracked the top five hundred in the public selection, and you're talking civil service?" Lin Shunchong sneered.
"Enough. Old Fourth moved out. Does anyone know where they're living now?" The old patriarch, Lin Chaoyi, cut off the topic.
"Who cares about him? Didn't he want to cut ties with the family? Why bother?" someone said dismissively.
Cutting ties was good. Later, when the old man passed, there'd be one less branch to split the inheritance. Though no one said it aloud, they were all quietly pleased.
"Old Fourth still has some ability..." Lin Chaoyi frowned.
"Dad, are you worried Old Fourth will rise?" Lin Shunchong said. "A supervisor at an oil workshop—no matter how capable, that's his ceiling. As for his wife and son? His wife's an aging hired worker, and his son doesn't learn a damn thing, just loafs around waiting for death all day. With that kind of makeup, what are you worried about?"
"I just think it's a pity... Old Fourth's a decent person," Lin Chaoyi sighed. "He's just dragged down by that son of his."
"That's true enough. Of all the juniors in our many branches, except for him, everyone else has arrangements and prospects. The eldest and sixth families are already arranging betrothals. A flourishing population and prosperous family are just around the corner. If Old Fourth's family splits off now, they'd better not come back thick-faced and begging when our family strikes it rich later," Lin Shunchong laughed.
"Alright. Since Old Fourth wants to cut ties himself, Old Second, you've got connections at the government office—go change the registration to avoid disputes later. Let's not mention this anymore. Next, let's discuss... Currently, the Eldest's family, Fifth's family, and Twelfth's family are entering the Inner City. That's three. This clan meeting is for everyone to contribute and support these three branches' development in the Inner City..."
Old Patriarch Lin Chaoyi began his traditional performance once again: sacrificing the branches to complete the main trunk.
"Dad, I want to practice martial arts."
In Lin Hui's new home, the family had just sat down to lunch when Lin Hui dropped the sentence.
"Practice martial arts?" Lin Shunhe looked at his son, frowning. "What's the use? I've decided it—you'll learn from me how to be a supervisor. Go to the oil workshop first, and get familiar with the environment. Later, if there's really no other way, inheriting your father's trade will give you a way to survive. But to be a supervisor, you've got to work hard. After all, the final decision lies with the small government office in town."
"Can managing an oil workshop save my life?" Lin Hui asked.
"It can save money to enter the Inner City. Once you're in the Inner City, you can," Lin Shunhe replied.
"Even in the Inner City, we'd have to rely on others. If we run into a Door-Breaching Ghost, we still won't survive!" Lin Hui said, voice hard.
"Martial arts are useless!" Lin Shunhe's patience snapped. "Of the guard team I manage, there are over ten people. Which one doesn't practice martial arts? The worst has studied for over ten years. And now? They're still just guarding the door for the oil workshop! Their monthly wage isn't even a tenth of your dad's. You tell me, what's the use of learning martial arts?!"
"It's good that the child wants to do something. Better than staying home all the time like before," Yao Shan smoothed things over gently from the side.
"But at his age, he won't learn anything good. Internal styles have age limits—can't learn those. External styles are all life-shortening techniques; learn them and die early—it's even worse! I'd rather keep him well-fed and let him loaf around for a lifetime!" Lin Shunhe said gruffly.
"I'll just learn external styles. It's fine. I'll practice casually to pass the time. If I can get work at a martial hall, that'd be even better," Lin Hui explained.
"Work at a martial hall?" The remark sparked something in Lin Shunhe.
He thought it over, emotions calming.
"If you can really endure hardship, working at a martial hall isn't bad. I've got contacts and connections with several halls in town. The oil workshop hires escorts from them frequently, so the relationship is solid. If that's your plan, it's not bad."
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
He knew his son's situation. Though his body was weak, his son had one major advantage: his calculation skills were sharp, a cut above his peers.
He didn't know where his son learned this ability, but many martial halls were short on people good at math. Going into work might actually succeed.
Thinking this, he looked up at his son and saw a seriousness in his eyes he'd never seen before. Immediately, his heart grew more solemn.
"Have you thought it through? You really want to learn martial arts? Let me be clear first—you definitely can't go for internal styles; they all require you to be under ten years old. You can only go for external styles, and for external styles, just practice casually for me—no damaging your body!"
"I just want to learn how to run fast. I'm not interested in anything else. Dad, don't worry! I absolutely won't train myself to death!" Lin Hui answered firmly.
"Good! The thinking's clear! That's good!" Lin Shunhe paused, thinking that with the outer city slowly growing more dangerous, learning some footwork for running was also a way to ensure safety.
His mind flashed through the few external style venues where he had connections.
"In that case, there are three places I can arrange for you. Take a look and see which you choose."
"Which three?"
"Flying Cloud Martial Hall for Flying Cloud Fist, Red Sand Temple for Copper Arm Technique, and Clear Wind Temple for Swift Sword. These three are all long-term major clients I supply oil to. We interact a lot, relationships are solid, so it's easy to arrange. As long as your dad's still here, you'll get some care when you go in. When you're older and have built your own network inside, I can hand things over and step back. Smooth transition," Lin Shunhe planned.
"Of these three, which teaches the martial art that runs fastest?" Lin Hui asked directly.
"Both Flying Cloud Fist and Clear Wind Temple are fast. However, practically speaking, I lean toward you going to Flying Cloud Martial Hall. Though Clear Wind Temple's faster, Flying Cloud Fist is more inclined toward actual combat, and the hallmaster, Shangguan Fei, is much stronger than Daoist Baohe of Clear Wind Temple. Flying Cloud Martial Hall's business is also better, so your income would be significantly higher there."
"No, I'll go to Clear Wind Temple!" Lin Hui's gaze was firm.
After witnessing the mist at night and the Door-Breaching Ghosts during the day, his need for self-preservation was desperate.
Anyway, learning martial arts was just as Peng Shan said: no matter how strong you got, you still couldn't beat a single believer from the three major factions. He might as well specialize—survival was the only priority.
"Alright... then do that for now. If there's a better path later, I'll think of something else." Lin Shunhe rarely saw such determination in his son's eyes. He felt he should strike while the iron was hot and finalize the matter before his son's drive faded.
He hurriedly finished his bowl, shoveling down rice and vegetables, grabbed his coat, and walked toward the door.
"I'll go arrange it right now! Shanshan, ask for leave this afternoon and help Little Hui pack!" After quickly giving instructions, Lin Shunhe pushed the door open and left, disappearing fast down the road.
"Your father's always so impetuous, never eats properly..." His mother, Yao Shan, looked helpless.
Lin Hui nodded. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt an itch on the back of his right hand.
His heart skipped. He looked at the back of his hand and found the itchy spot was exactly where the blood-colored pattern was located.
At this moment, the blood-colored imprint writhed strangely, as if a liquid crystal screen had been embedded in the back of his hand. The patterns inside changed and flickered rapidly.
"What's wrong?" his mother asked, confused from the side.
"No... nothing." Lin Hui raised his hand and deliberately waved the back within his mother's line of sight, confirming she couldn't see anything at all.
Now, his expectation for the Blood Seal rose to its peak.
This thing had awakened along with him. Perhaps it could truly allow him to carve a path out of this unstable environment.
Gently stroking the Blood Seal, he lowered his hand again, returning his attention to the dinner table.
"Here, stop thinking about it. Have a chicken leg." His mother, Yao Shan, picked up a braised chicken leg and placed it in his bowl.
The pale brown chicken leg was plump and juicy, glistening with oil. It rolled a small circle in the dark red multi-grain rice before stopping right under Lin Hui's eyes.
Shhh.
Just then, the Blood Seal on the back of his hand abruptly stopped flickering.
The chicken leg before his eyes suddenly lit up, glowing with red light.
A line of small text extended and floated out from the right side of the chicken leg in his vision.
[Braised Chicken Leg—Common Blood-replenishing Food. Shelf life: 2 days. Taste: Ordinary.]
[Evolvable Branches: 2]
Lin Hui's eyes bulged.
He stared at the text before him. It was the Chinese script he was most familiar with. A long-lost sense of familiarity made his mood surge violently.
Evolvable branches? What can a chicken leg evolve into?! He felt surprise, strangeness, and a sense of the inexplicable all at once.
But the change in the text was clearly brought about by the Blood Seal.
His gaze unconsciously focused on the location of the evolvable branches.
Shhh.
Another soft sound.
The '2' behind the branch option opened directly, expanding into two dotted lines heading in different directions.
One line went upward, linking to new red text:
[1—Purgatory Black Wind Chicken Leg]
The dotted line below linked to:
[2—Extreme Cold Heaven Secret Recipe Chicken Leg]
"..." Lin Hui looked at these two lines of dotted text and fell into deep thought.